The Lapis Necklace

THE LAPIS NECKLACE

         Elizabeth and Tony had been quarreling. That wasn't unusual for them Tony couldn't seem to understand that she had obligations and things she had to do. Her life was not her own to do with as she pleased. Why couldn't he get that through his head? She said, "If you can't understand it, Tony, then take my word for it. I can't disappoint Papa."

         "But you can disappoint me!"

         "See? You don't understand. My life isn't that simple. I wish it was but it isn't. I have to do this concert tour. It's just three months and then I'll be back."

         "Yes and then there'll be another tour and another! I can't wait forever, Liz."

         "It won't be forever."

         "Do you really want to keep on doing this?"

         "No ~~ and yes. I love the music and the applause and all that. But I want a normal life. I can see myself living in a little house with you. Having children, giving piano lessons! I'd love that! I just can't do it right now."

         "Why not? What's stoppimg you?"

         "Papa. I can't do this to him. It means everything to him. If I take this away from him he'll have nothing."

         "Well, if you take this away from me I'll have nothing. I don't go with this notion that your life isn't your own! Your father has no right to be a tyrant."

         "He's not a tyrant."

         "Isn't he? Look what he's done all these years! You took lessons and practiced all the time instead of playing and making friends. Then you were only fourteen when he started booking concerts for you. What is your life? He chained you to a grand piano when you were six and he'll never let you go!"

         "It wasn't like that! I loved the music. I loved it that I could play and make the music live. I have a gift."

         "Yes, you do. But you have a life to live. You say you loved doing this but What choice did you have? What else did you know?"

         "Tony, we've been over and over this! It never goes anywhere and it just ends up with you angry and me crying. I'm tired of crying.Things are the way they are and that's it. That's my life."

         "We love each other."

         "Yes ~~ "

         "Look, Liz, we could still get married! Make this tour our honeymoon."

         "What about your work?"

         "I'll take a leave of absence."

         "You can't arrange a leave of absence in three weeks! I go to London in three weeks. Tony, be reasonable! We can't just drop everything like that. I'll be very busy while I'm in Europe. You have no idea how exhausting these tours are! The traveling, the practice and then the concets themselves! Sometimes four or five in a week. There's stress. I'm only as good as my last concert, Papa says."

         "Papa says, Papa says. Well, here's what Anthony says. I can't go on like this. I want you for myself. I've waited six years already and I'm out of patience. Give me an answer. Are we ever going to be married or is it just going to be another tour and another, until we're old?"

         "Just one more concert tour. Three months."

         "All right, three months, but I need a promise, Liz. After that you come home, we get married and that's it. No more running away from me all the time!"

         "I can't promise that. Papa ~~ "

         "Then that's it. This is the hardest thing I've ever done, but enough is enough. We're twenty eight now. It's been six years."

         Elizabeth said "You want to break the engagement?"

         "What engagement? An engagement means you plan to marry. We don't seem to be getting any closer to that than we were at school. What you need to do is tell Papa no more tours. Then stick to it!"

         "I can't break his heart."

         "But you can break yours, and mine. If you care anything about that."

         "Tony, I'm locked into this. I was locked into the life that was assigned to me when my fingers first touched ivory. I didn't ask to be gifted."

         "Then I guess we're done here. I have to get you home by eleven. Papa says." There was a bitter edge to his voice. He started the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

         Elizabeth entered the house where her father was waiting. "You're late. You have a full day tomorrow!"

         "Yes, I know, Papa."

         "You can't be burning the candle at both ends. You have to be rested. You know what Padewski said. He said 'If I miss practice one day I know it and if I miss three days everybody knows it.' "

         She paused at the foot of the stairs. Why did the old man have to talk in cliches and repeat everything? She decided not to tell him about the breakup. It would hurt too much to see how it pleased him.

         She went up the stairs to her room. She threw her coat and purse on the bed and kicked off her shoes.

         That was when she saw the woman in her room. She covered her mouth to stifle a scream. The woman said, I have to talk to you, Elizabeth."

         "Get out of my room! Get out of my house! I'll call the police! "

         "But not until I say what I came to say. Then I'll go."

         The woman was middle aged. She looked very familiar but Elizabeth couldn't place her. She was wearing a blue dress and a necklace of blue beads.
         "Who are you?" Elizabeth asked.

         "You don't know me? No, I guess you don't. You know a lot of people but you have no idea who I am. Yet I've known you all your life. Well here's what I came to say. Marry Anthony."

         "What? How dare you come in here and ~~ "

         The woman was crying now. "Elizabeth, you will be so sorry if you don't marry Anthony!"

         "What do you know about Anthony?"

         "I know he loves you. I know he's right for you and you are right for him. For your happiness and his, don't let him go. You want to make your father happy? How happy will he be if you make a choice that breaks your heart?"

         Elizabeth said, "Get out. Go away."

         She pulled the door open and stood back. The woman paused on her way out. "Look at ny necklace. Take a good look. It's one of a kind. It's Sicilian lapis."

         "Yes, yes, it's very nice. Now go!"

         Elizabeth threw herself on the bed and wept for a long time.

         The next day she felt as if she were in a trance. The pain of losing Anthony was too much. She did badly at practice. Her fingers felt swollen and would not do what they were supposed to. Papa was out of patience with her, and she was out of patience with herself.

         He said, "Go and rest. You were too late last night. You can't do that. See what happens when you get tired? We have worked too hard and too long for you to slack off now. You have two hours till Carmen gets here for your fitting. I suggest you go and lie down."

         Carmen arrived. He was a fussy little man,who got on her nerves, but he was a good designer. With him came his niece, who worked for him, burdened with garment bags.Carmen got out the first dress. It was bluesilk.

         Elizabeth thought.This is really weird, it's just like the woman in my room was wearing last night.

         "Come put it on," Carmen urged. "We have work to do."

         Carmen was accustomed to obedience from the women he dressed. He was talented and in demand, and he knew it. Still you put up with it because if he quit you there was no getting him back.

         "Oh and here. This is the jewelry you will wear with the blue." He opened the blue velvet box. "I picked it up in an estate sale in France. It is antique and belonged to a dauphine. There isn't another like it in the world."

         Elizabeth caught her breath. It was the one she saw last night.

         Carmen said "Don't tell me you don't like it."

         She let the blue lapis beads slide through her fingers, then dropped them back in the box "I have to make a phone call!"

         She ran out of the room.