House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferré Read Free Book Online Page B

escort. I was so taken with Buenaventura’s good looks I fell head over heels in love with him. We got married a month later, when I had just turned sixteen. Then I discovered that he didn’t like poetry and hated ballet.”
    Milan was sympathetic. “Now that you’ve met me, everything will be different!” he said. “I’ll teach you all about modern art.” Rebecca was overjoyed. She was sure that, with Pavel near, her talents would be rekindled. Pavel talked to her about the need for the artist to make a total commitment. Rebecca shouldn’t go on spending time with dilettantes; if she wanted to become a true poet and dancer, she had to do serious work. As she listened to him, Rebecca felt transformed.
    She’s like me, Pavel thought. An inveterate dreamer, as well as the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I want to build a special house for her that will enable her to go on living for beautiful things in spite of being married to a boor. He hadn’t told her he had turned down Buenaventura’s commission. He pretended to have accepted, as Rebecca described what she wanted.
    “You mustn’t just draw the plans for a beautiful house,” she said as they walked by the beach. “You must build me a masterpiece where everything will be carefully planned to preserve the illusion of art. I want Tiffany-glass windows, alabaster skylights, and floors made of capá wood from the cool forests of the island.” She laughed when she finished her fanciful description, but their conversation had brought a flush of pleasure to her cheeks.
    Pavel looked around the property, which ended at the lagoon’s shore. To the left there was a large thicket of mangroves. Near Buenaventura’s bungalow, there was an old wall with a weather-beaten sign which read Cristal de Alamares. “That’s Buenaventura’s spring,” Rebecca said. “He used to sell water to the Spanish merchant ships just after we were married.”
    “I’d like to see the spring,” Pavel said, his curiosity piqued. They walked toward the enclosure. Rebecca searched for the key, which was hidden under a stone, and opened the padlock. They entered, taking care not to dirty their shoes in the mud. Inside, there was a well about four feet deep, full of water. A pipe drained the well in the direction of the lagoon. Pavel drew near and bent down to scoop some water into his cupped hand. “It’s delicious,” he said, taking a long drink. “Cool and sweet. Taste it.” And he offered Rebecca some. But when he felt Rebecca’s breath on the palm of his hand, he couldn’t resist the temptation and kissed her on the lips. Rebecca didn’t say anything. She just looked at him. “You should build your house right here,” Pavel told her. “That way the Muses will always inspire you.”
    When he returned home that night, Pavel took out his copy of the Wasmuth Portfolio and picked out one of Wright’s masterpieces as his model. He wanted to build Rebecca the most beautiful house in the world. As he worked on the plans he grew inspired and added many new elements which would make the house more in keeping with life in the tropics. At the front entrance, the one which opened onto Ponce de León Avenue, there was to be a magnificent mosaic rainbow. Through this rainbow Rebecca would dance out into the world, swathed in her silk chiffons and reciting her love poems.
    The bedrooms would be in the front wing, facing the boulevard, and an elegant open pavilion would connect that wing to the dining and living rooms, which would face the lagoon. As the terrain sloped gradually toward the back of the house, one could drive under the open pavilion, which would serve as a carport and at the same time add a colorful accent because of its mosaic decorations. Under the house would be a large cellar. The kitchens would be there, as well as a large number of storage rooms, and a special chamber for the spring. The ceilings were to be twice as high as those of Wright’s houses, and the edge