Bed of Rose's

The next two years passed uneventfully. I studied, did the shopping and ran errands, worked around the house to fix and repair and install whenever necessary and avoided the main house during working hours. I had the normal curiosity of a growing boy but the house and the ladies in it were off limits. Since I had no friends of my own outside the house, I had my imagination, some books I bought when I was in town, and privacy to satisfy most of the basic urges. Since I knew what Miss Rose did, I wondered a lot about her but never said anything. The other ladies of the house knew that I was not to be tempted by them.

My future was settled one day as I was sitting in my room, reading a book on Italy, written by a man who made his living traveling and writing about the places he went to. He was describing Rome, and his descriptions woke a desire in me to see all of those places. Why couldn't I travel and do those things? All it took was a desire to go, the willingness to work for passage, and patience. He said so in the book. I would be eighteen in just a few days and I knew that I had to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life. As an adult, I no longer had to worry about my worthless parents. I would be free to do anything and go wherever I wanted.

I thought about Miss Rose. While I loved her without limit, she was not for me. She was older and she had her business and her house. I couldn't continue to live off her so I needed to leave. I would tell her when I was eighteen. Then it would be time to leave. I wasn't looking forward to that part of it, but I was restless. I needed to go.

At no time did I ever think about my natural parents. When I walked out of that house with my $67.45 and bought that bus ticket, I said goodbye forever to those worthless drunks. They brought me into the world but they turned their backs on me soon afterwards. Miss Rose was more a parent to me than those two drunks and the ladies that worked in that house were more of a family to me than any of my real biological relations. I had no desire to ever go back. Years later, that hadn't changed.

On my eighteenth birthday, Miss Rose had a party for me. She closed the house down for that afternoon and we had a big get-together. There were decorations, made by the ladies, a huge meal fixed by Ling Li, party favors from town, and each of the ladies gave me a small present. I got socks, shirts, some underwear, a new power drill and some other small tools that I always seemed to be losing. It was just like a family. My family. Miss Rose watched and laughed at our jokes and she seemed to be happy, just waiting in the background. The party lasted till late in the afternoon when Miss Rose finally told the ladies that they had a schedule to keep. We finished up by carrying our plates and trash to the kitchen and helping Ling get things put away. They went to their rooms to get ready for that evening.

Each of the ladies stopped in to again wish me a happy birthday before they left. They were all dressed for a party and when I asked, they told me that they were going out to Harry Winston's house. He was having a bunch of his male friends over for a barbecue and some fun. I gathered the ladies were the fun. Each gave me a kiss on the cheek, a warm hug and all had a word to whisper in my ear. The one that gave me the most problem was from Alice, the one everyone knew as April. She was also the one that taught me Spanish when I decided I needed a second language.

Her words were, "I wish it were me tonight." That's all. No hint of what she meant, just a warm hug, the whispered words and then she was gone.

The ladies all went out the back and into a long, stretch limo that was waiting. Miss Rose spoke to the driver and then the limo left, taking the ladies to Harry's party. I watched as they disappeared down the long drive and then, turned to go back in with Miss Rose. I asked her then why she was not going with them. She smiled at me, rubbed my arm with that carefully manicured hand and said that she had a present for me. She wanted to be alone when she gave it to me. I was surprised since I assumed that the dinner we had and the presents that the girls all gave me was my birthday. I noticed that Miss Rose hadn't given me anything but I didn't care. She had given me my life six years ago when a little kid, running from home had followed her out to her truck and into a new world. I would be forever grateful for that. She owed me nothing more.

"Please sit down Richard Wallace. I have some things to show you before I give you my personal present."

She waited till I had pulled up a chair and sat across from her in the lobby of her home. This was the room where 'guests' were welcomed during business hours. It was only the second or third time I had been in that room, but as I looked around, I saw it was as beautiful as the rest of the house.

"When you came to live with me just over six years ago, I intended only to give you a place to stay for a while until I could decide what to do with you. But, that little while turned into six wonderful years. I have enjoyed your being here and I hope you have too."

"When I decided to let you stay, I thought it only fair to begin to give you an allowance to compensate for the chores that you did around the house. Over the years, I continued to do that, putting the money aside in an account at Mr. Jones' bank. I instructed him to invest that money to your best advantage. You have an account there in your name for just more than $25,000. Mr. Jones did a fine job, so it's more than just the allowance. That money is yours."

I was shocked. She had given me a home, an education, all the things I needed or asked for. She had provided my clothes, my food. Everything I had was hers. Money?

"In addition, you know Mr. Edwards, from Edwards Used Car Lot? He has kindly provided me with a new car, a very nice one so my truck is now yours. I had the title transferred into your name."

I sat there, tears of gratitude running down my face. This woman, a woman who was scorned and despised by so many in public, someone most would not care to admit to knowing, this woman who provided a service that many prominent men took advantage of while publicly decrying her existence, brought me to tears by her kindness and generosity. I wept unashamedly at her feet. She placed her hand on my head and just waited. "You may not know this Richard Wallace, but you have given me far more than I give you. You've shown me love, respect and friendship when so many others show me nothing but contempt. I love you as the son I never had Richard Wallace, and bless the day you came into my life."

I stood and she took me into her arms. She held me as my tears began to slow. I loved this woman beyond measure and I wanted the words to tell her, but my throat closed each time I tried to speak. She didn't seem to care, just holding me and rocking me until I quieted. She pushed me back and looked deep into my eyes.

"There is one more gift I have to give you. This one is for you and you alone. What I will give you is something I have never given anyone else. Come with me."

She took me by the hand and led me down the hall to her bedroom. For the second time in my time at Miss Rose's, I looked at that bed. As I looked my fill, Miss Rose closed and locked the door behind us. She took my hand again and led me to that bed. I looked at her in wonder as what she intended came clear to me.

"What I will give you now is what you should know as a man. How to please the woman you love, how to pleasure her as she pleasures you and to know when to be patient and when to be forceful, when to rush and when to slow. How to be the man that women want to be with. All of this you will know this night. What I give you, I give with love, something I never gave to any other man."

I did learn to be a man that night. Rose showed me all. She took me by the hand and led me down the path of knowledge, the knowledge that only she could share. I think she changed my life that night. I know that over the following years, I had many women for a short time but all treasured the time they spent with me and none regretted it later. I learned to love what a woman was and to show her that love in return.

We spent the night together and in the morning, I told her I was leaving. She simply smiled at me and told me she knew. That's why she had given me her present the night before. I drove away later that day with all of the ladies waving goodbye as I drove my new truck down the drive and away toward my future. There were tears in my eyes as the house disappeared in my rear view mirror. I was leaving my childhood behind and driving forward into an uncertain adulthood.

Epilogue

It had been nine years since I drove away from Miss Rose. Nine years that saw me realize my dream of being a travel writer. I had written and published five books on Italy, Venice and Rome itself. All were very successful and I now had open contracts with several travel magazines who would gratefully accept articles I submitted just to continue to maintain my lifestyle. I often heard from Miss Veronica, my instructor and the one who got me started writing. I sent her the drafts for her comments and she always responded. I acknowledged her in all my books as my colleague. She always protested but I think she was really pleased. I met and married a lovely Italian girl named Lara. She was two years my senior but we shared a love of travel and she accompanied me on all my trips. We were married in Rome so it was not possible for the ladies to be there. I wanted to ask Miss Rose but she declined, saying she was too busy. I thought that to be a fabrication but never asked why. My daughter was born a year later and she was now almost two years old.

It did not come as a shock then, when I received a telegram from Pamela, or Pammy as she was known. Pamela was the oldest and the one that had been with Miss Rose the longest. She told me that Miss Rose had cancer and was not expected to live more than a few months. She suggested I might come home to see her. I did not hesitate. I told my wife, who said that she would come with me. I knew she would feel that way since I had told her of my youth and all about the ladies and Miss Rose. We decided to take Contessa, my daughter with us.

The trip was long but we didn't stop to rest. Once we landed, I drove directly to the house and pulled around the back as I always had. I saw Pamela and Veronica waiting at the door. I got out, helped my wife get my daughter from the seat carrier and we entered the kitchen where Ling Li had taught me to cook. She was standing there, with tears in her eyes as she saw Lara and Contessa. It was a time for greetings and happy welcomes and we all spoke at once, old friends and new, reunited. There were many new faces and all had to be introduced to me and my family. Only those three, Ling LI, Veronica and Pamela remained from the original ladies. And Miss Rose.

Once we had completed the welcoming committee, Pamela drew me aside and told me of Miss Rose. She wanted me prepared when I saw her for the first time. It was not good news and Miss Rose was failing fast. Pamela suggested I take Lara and Contessa in with me and then spend a few minutes alone with her. I agreed.

When we entered the room, I watched Lara's face. She had the same look I did when I first saw Miss Rose's bedroom. I smiled with the joy of it before looking toward that bed. In the middle, surrounded with all those pillows, lay Miss Rose. She was still beautiful to me, although the ravages of the cancer had drawn her face. She was smiling as we entered and her strong voice called to me.

"Come closer Richard Wallace and let me see your face. And who do you have with you? Come closer."

I took Lara by the hand and led her and Contessa to Miss Rose. I introduced them formally to her and her face was a wonder to see. The light from that smile shown on my wife and child and my breath caught in my breast. She reached for Lara and kissed her lightly when she bent down. Her eyes traveled over Contessa and she seemed to be trying to memorize every detail of her small body. She placed one hand on the baby's cheek and a tear slid down her cheek. Then, Lara straightened up, turned and handed the baby to me.

"I need a moment with your Miss Rose."

As I backed away, she bent close to Miss Rose and whispered something in her ear. I watched Miss Rose's face as it went from serious to amused and finally to a wondrous smile. She embraced Lara and the two of them just held each other for the longest time. When Lara straightened, she took Contessa from me and the two of them walked out of the room shutting the door.

I spent almost an hour alone with Miss Rose and what we talked about is between her and me. It was something only we could share and I reflected on that hour many times in my later life. It was the last time I saw her as she died that night in her sleep.

We attended the funeral before returning home to Italy. That was my home now and I would never leave it. My world was there but I would always remember that bed of Rose's. Where I became a man and learned the lessons I needed to succeed in life as both a man and a husband. That Bed of Rose's will always be in my heart.