THE PROMISE by Lupe Franco Bloch

PROLOGUE - ROBERTO

Roberto Garcia rushed up the wooden steps of his house on Bunkerhill Avenue where he lived with his mama Regina and younger brother Tony.

He was late, a large order at the meat market had come in at the last minute and he had to work overtime. His thoughts ran together, put away the notes I wrote down at work; get cleaned up and pick up Ana, then go for a quick supper before we go to the Club. I want to win the jitterbug contest tonight, it will be our third win. We gotta’ win.

His mamá, Regina, was in the kitchen, “Come have supper, Roberto, I’ll wait for Tony and eat with him.

“No, Ma, we’re going for a quick supper at La Placita before the dance. Ma, I’m going to propose tonight.”

Oh, Roberto, I’m so glad, but you don’t have a ring. You can have mine, I’ll get it for you.”

“Ma, I don’t want your ring, it was the last present papa gave you.”

“It’s okay, I want you to have it.”

“I’m going to save money for a year and we’re going to have a wonderful wedding, we’ll invite the whole vecindad. But if I don’t save the money, it will be a quick trip to City Hall.”

“Okay, but for now take my ring, come with me.”
Roberto followed her to her room where she pulled a shoebox covered with flowered paper from the shelf. She took a small jeweler’s box and gave it to Roberto, “Open it.”

“This is a beautiful ring, Ma, are you sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t need it.”

“Tell you what, on our first anniversary I’ll buy Ana her own ring and give this one back to you, okay? With my job at the meat market I can support her and maybe a couple of kids.” He smiled at the thought of having two children who looked like Ana.

“Sure, that’s fine.” Regina smiled; she wouldn’t mind having a couple of little boys or girls with Roberto’s black, curly hair and Ana’s green eyes and freckles.

Roberto put the ring in his wallet but tonight it would be on Ana’s finger.

He took a quick bath and dressed in black slacks, white shirt and a casual black jacket. What he really needed was a car; he had to ride the red streetcar to work at the Grand Central Market all the way to Broadway. If they were going dancing at the Club his friends Mike and Sara picked them up.

He felt in his pockets for his notes then remembered that he had put them in the pocket of his brown sport coat for safekeeping.

“Mamá, where are you?”

“In the kitchen, where else?”

He kissed her cheek and thanked her again for the ring.
He hurried off to pick up Ana.

After a quick dinner at La Placita they took a taxi the few blocks to the Club. Roberto seemed a little more excited than usual.

“Are you excited about your birthday next week?” she asked.

“No,”

“Well, I feel your excitement. What is it?”

“That’s my secret.” His voice sounded breathless and excited.

“Sweetheart, wait by the door.” He tried to disengage her arm but she wouldn’t let go.

He laughed, “Okay you win.

She hugged her coat close against the chilly October air and clung to his arm while he bought the tickets.

When they entered the softly lit ballroom, the band was still tuning up. They joined their friends Mike and Sara at their usual table near the bandstand.

"Glad you could make it," Mike greeted them.

Sara patted the chair next to her for Ana.

While the girls admired each other's hairdos and dresses, Mike whispered to Roberto, "Have you asked her yet?"

Roberto winked and pointed to his breast pocket where he kept his wallet. Ana noticed and realized that explained his excitement.

"Are you guys going to win tonight's contest?" Sara asked.

"Of course, don't we always?" Roberto teased.

"That's why Mike doesn't want to enter anymore," Sara shrugged and they laughed at the shared standing joke.

Roberto helped Ana with her coat and draped it over the back of her chair. He felt a light tap on his shoulder, a man whispered something and Roberto nodded.

The lights dimmed and the band began a soft, slow bolero. He took her hand and held out his arms and Ana slipped into them. He danced her out to the middle of the floor and whispered, “I have something to ask you later, Ana.”

She pulled away and looked into his smiling face, “Now, ask me now.”

“Later.”

She sighed and nestled against his shoulder, happy just to be in his arms. He buried his face in her lemon-scented hair.

Roberto loved to dance all styles of dances especially the jitterbug. Ana followed his moves easily. They were the crowd's favorite couple.

Roberto couldn't hide his excitement. Mike knew that he was going to propose to Ana that night. Roberto had whispered that he had his mamá's engagement ring in his pocket.

She sighed and nestled against his shoulder, happy just knowing that something wonderful was going to happen later. Roberto buried his face in her lemon-scented hair. When the music ended they returned to their table. Roberto stood behind Ana's chair and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be back in five minutes,"

Ana watched him weave his way between the couples who still lingered on the dance floor, everyone liked her happy-go-lucky boyfriend but she adored him. She turned to talk with Sara.

Roberto ran down the wooden planks that served as the steps of the Crystal Club. He wondered who wanted to meet him outside and why. He was happy and carefree except this, who wanted to meet him outside and why? Did someone suspect him? He patted his inside jacket pocket for his notes then remembered he had stashed them in his brown sport coat.

At the bottom of the steps he called, "Hey man, que pasa?"

No one answered. He walked toward the shadows near the entrance to the alley wondering. Why is he hiding in the shadows?

"Oh well," but as he turned to go back to the club he sensed someone behind him, a rough voice growled in his ear, "You think you're hot stuff, don't you?"

"Hell no, I'm not hot stuff. What do you want? My money?"

"No, but that's a good idea."

"You can have my ten bucks and let me go."

"Oh, yeah,"

Roberto thought someone is playing a joke on me. Then felt a sharp jab in his back, he tried to turn around, but the knife went in again and again. "Ay, ay, ahh," he cried and fell face down on the cracked, dirty asphalt.

Deft hands quickly went through his pockets and tossed his empty wallet into a pool of Roberto's blood.

After a while Ana wondered out loud, "What's taking him so long?" Tapping her foot nervously she craned her neck over the dancer's heads looking for him. She knew Roberto was planning to propose that night and she was ready to accept, in fact she had been crazy about him since she first saw him at Central Junior High.

"He'll be right back, don't worry," Sara said.

"Yeah, I know. He doesn't want to miss the contest. He taught me to dance the jitterbug, but I barely manage to keep up with him."

"What do you mean, 'barely manage' you still 'manage' to win, don't you?" For a moment Ana forgot to worry.

The blare of a trumpet blasted the first notes of a corrido, and feet stamped and cheers went up as dancers scrambled to the dance floor. Ana watched the dancers and wished Roberto hadn't gone out.

Mike returned from talking to some friends, "Roberto back yet?"

Ana shook her head.

"I'll find him," Mike headed for the exit.

The music ended and couples returned to their tables. The boys hot and sweaty wiped their faces with their handkerchiefs. The girls fanned themselves with their tiny evening bags.

Ana waited and worried, Roberto had never done this before.

"Has he asked you yet?" Sara asked.

"No, but he said he wanted to ask me something later."

"He'll be right back, I'm sure he's planning to win another dance contest tonight."

Minutes later a murmur like a gentle wave began at the door and became a giant roar as it reached every corner of the hall. "There's a dead man outside!"

Ana and Sara ran along with everyone else. At the door they met Mike coming in, “Ana, don’t go out there.”

“Where’s Roberto? Is it Roberto?”

"Yeah," he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from going outside, but she slipped out and pushed her way down the steps. The police tried to keep her away.

"It's Roberto, my boyfriend," she cried.

She knelt beside him, "Roberto, Roberto," caressing his bleeding face where the sharp, broken pieces of asphalt had cut into his skin. She kissed his hand and held it to her face, sobbing his name over and over. A policeman motioned to Mike to take her away, and pointed toward the police car. Mike helped her up and led her to the car.

He and Sara kept a protective arm around her until a policeman walked over with a pad and pencil. He stood in front of Ana. "Miss, I need your name and address, please."

After he had the information from all three, he said, "Miss, I'm sorry about your boyfriend."

Mike hurried the girls to his car. "We have to get to Tony's before he and his mamá hear about it from the cops."