When Cindy returned home, Dalia was waiting for her. She was clearly apologetic, feeling sorry about her outburst.
“I’m sorry I blew up like that.”
“It’s okay,” said Cindy, “I only had your best interest in mind.
“I’m going to make it up to you, Cindy. I’m taking you to the opening party of the Yacht Festival. It’s an incredible, formal affair, with fantastic music, people, dancing. Dale will be there, for sure. I’ll introduce you to him casually, and you can spend as much time with him as you like. Usually, he drinks a lot at these parties, and it’s easy to get him talking. ”
Cindy hadn’t brought a formal dress with her, so Dalia opened her huge closet and told Cindy to pick anything she liked. Dalia’s closet was filled from top to bottom; there were all kinds of afternoon dresses, cocktail dresses and full length gowns.
“My God, you could open a store with these,” Cindy laughed and chose a beautiful, fitting, pale ivory, cut dress with a shimmering neckline. “I hope this fits,” she said.
Cindy slipped it on easily and was amazed to see that the dress hugged her body in all the right places and had a wonderful flow.
“You look breathtaking, “said Dalia, “as if it were made for you. Come take a look in the mirror. ”
Cindy looked in the long, gold framed mirror, hanging in Dalia’s room. She could hardly believe the person who looked back out at her. Her hair had grown blonder in the sun and she looked long and willowy, as if she’d stepped off the cover of a model’s magazine, ready to go partying in the finest spots in town.
“You’ll be the newest star on the horizon,” said Dalia.
“Thanks,” said Cindy and the two of them looked at each other, for a moment old friends in high school again, getting ready for the prom. Then, suddenly the situation they were in seemed to hit Dalia. They weren’t back in high school.
“How did we get to this point?” Dalia said, in an odd tone. “We can’t push time backwards, can we?”
“No, we can’t,” said Cindy, wishing like Dalia, that they could. “You never met Clint,” Cindy went on, “but he was a wonderful guy. Whatever happened, he had something smart to say about it and also something funny. He’d never let anything bog him down, or stop him from doing what he thought was right. When his family tried to convince him not to marry me, he stood up to them immediately. It didn’t matter what they thought, I was the love of his life. He was proud of being who he was. He made a choice and never looked back. You can’t imagine how much I miss him. It’s a different world without him in it. ”
Dalia listened raptly, her face softening as Cindy spoke.
“I’m really, really sorry this happened, Cindy,” she said. Then her eyes fluttered, “but this isn’t a world that lets love grow. It’s a world that tears things down. Don’t you notice that? ”
Cindy thought it was a strange way to put it.
“It’s a world that makes you pay for every minute of happiness you get,” Dalia continued, her lower lip curling. “When happiness comes, you have to hold onto it tight, with both hands.”
Cindy looked at Dalia’s face closely. It changed shape as she spoke, almost like a chameleon.
“That’s what I used to think,” said Cindy. “I tried hard to hold onto Clint, but what good did it do? When the time comes to let go, you just have to let go. ”
“What are you trying to say to me?” Dalia suddenly turned nervous and then just as quickly, her mood changed and she became completely business-like.
“Enough of this,” she said. “We have to focus on what’s happening now. Okay, so this is the agenda, this is what will happen tonight - the party will be beautiful. Lots of guys will flock to you. You should take advantage of the opportunity. You won’t be young and beautiful forever. Neither will I.”
Dalia’s words hit Cindy hard. She didn’t want lots of guys flocking to her. She wanted Clint. She wondered if she would ever be interested in anyone again.
“But stay away from that Mattheus,” Dalia continued. “He’s bad news.”
“Why?” Cindy felt stung.
“Why do you ask me, why? See that! You like him!” Dalia retorted. “You have a reaction every time I mention his name.”
“I respect him,” Cindy countered.
“Listen, don’t be a fool. This isn’t time for playing around. You’re alone now, and I’m giving you a great opportunity tonight. ”
“For what?” Cindy said.
“To start your life over. Grab the opportunity. Do it while you can. ”
“That’s not what I came to Grenada for.”
“Sometimes, we think we know why we’re doing something,” said Dalia, “and then it turns to be about something else.”
Cindy’s ears perked up. “Did that happen to you, Dalia?” she asked.
“It happened before I met Ames,” she said. “I got stung over and over. But once I met him, everything fell into place. And nothing will take that away from me. Nothing at all!”