The Songs Of Love

                                                T h e  S o n g s  O f  L o v e
                                         
                                                    By  :  Tsurtidogni
                                                              031609
                                                              Monday

The guitarist started picking the strings of his guitar. The seats of the dining hall were all occupied. Sit-down dinner for two hundred guests of the very rich and famous hotel of the country owned by a Filipino entrepreneur. The guest of honor was another very rich hotelier from Barcelona, Spain.  Senor Francisco  Antonio. He slowly
sipped the wine from the glass his holding awaiting a night to remember. The event ?
The blessing and the opening night of the La Puerta, one of the ten restaurants of the hotel, a restaurant that
can also be converted as a convention hall.

Everybody just started their desserts when the host of the program announced:
"Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you, the star of the night, NAOMI."
The  lovely Naomi, with a winning smile and graceful movement,  in black and glittering gown slowly approached
the center stage where the guitarist was standing near a vacant chair. A standing ovation, a warm and thunderous applause as everyone was mesmerized by her stunning beauty. A long, dark-jet and silky hair freely flowing her shoulder. Tall, tan, and a whistle-bait figure, a very red lips, black high-heeled shoes. The jewelries she was
wearing added glamour  to her stand-out beauty.
"Oh !  "WOW !" were the words exclaimed by many.

Naomi threw kisses to the jubilant crowd and started belting a song in Spanish. The place was in complete
silence, enjoying the well-modulated voice of this wonderful evening performer .Reaching the highest note, everybody surely had high praises with amazement.


"Besame, besame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La ultima vez.

Besame, Besame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte despues.

Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi....
Piensa que tal vez manana
Yo ya estare lejos
Muy lejos de aqui.

Besame, besame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La ultima vez.

Besame, besame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte despues. "

She sang the song with all her heart. She sofly swayed her body following the background music or the accompaniment of the guitar. After singing the song she bowed and another warm applause filled the La Puerta. Don Fancisco Antonio did not even wink as in being hypnotized as he was truly carried away by her beauty, by
her voice, by her song. He was standing there with much amazement watching her great performance.

As he saw that everyone was seated, he still remained standing and yelled making everyone's eyes focused to his location. He uttered in Spanish and at the same time clapping his hands.
."Bravo ! Bravo ! Magnifico ! " The crowd who was looking at him gave  more and more applause.


The guitarist started to pick the strings of his guitar again, now to the tune of Besame Mucho while Naomi slowly
moved and seated. Senor Francisco Antonio was so quick to walk so fast to the direction of Naomi. He got
Naomi's left hand, kissed it and asked for a dance. Naomi caught by surprise remained composed and cannot
refused this gentleman who appeared a bit older. "He is possibly as old as my father." Naomi thought.
Senor Francisco led her to the dance floor infront of the crowd. The pair danced to the tune of the guitar
playing the same song "Besame Mucho" by the very good looking guitarist whose masculine features resembled of an athletic or a basketball player in town. The guitarist played with the most enthusiastic smile tapping his feet
every now and then.


" Like father and daughter " was the comment of everybody around. Naomi as a graceful dancer moved so swiftly
as well as so gracefully and most attractively with the tall and fair-skinned Senor Francisco. The chocolate brown-skinned Naomi in contrast to the milky white skin of Senor Francisco.  After the pair's special dance, he said , "Muchas gracias Senorita, it is really my great honor to be able to dance with you."
"Oh, you speak very good English ! I thought you only  speak Espanol ! "Naomi replied. Senor Francisco was about to bring her back to her seat when the guitarist announced: "Everybody please dance with the music ! "
He started picking his guitar, then strumming it with a faster beat, the beat and rhythm of the song
"Historia de Un Amor". This time everybody danced and enjoyed the music, while Naomi excused  herself as she needs to change her attire for another number. Senor Francisco went back to his table and considered these moments as one of the best times in his life. He was smiling while watching the happy crowd in the mood for dancing.


Naomi reappeared wearing a very long white gown still glittering that complements her white shoes and white headband with a big white flower.  She looked like a lovely princess. She belted again the song wherein the guitarist earlier played. She smiled and waved her hand to the dancing crowd and started singing the tune of Historia de Un Amor, swaying and singing happily.

" Yano estas mas amilado corazon
En el alma solo tengo soledad
Que poder me hizo quererte
Y siya no puedo verte
Para hacerme surfrir mas ?

Siempre fuiste la rasonde mi exister
Adorarte para mi era obsesion
Y entus besos yo encontraba
El calor que mi brindaba
El amor y la pasion.

Es la historia de un amor
Como no hay otro igual
Que mi hizo comprender
Todo el bren y todo el mal
Que el dio luz a mi vida
A pagandola despues
Ay que vida tan oscura
Sin tu amor no vivere."

The  guitarist and Naomi sang together as a duet. The blended voices seemed like a magnet that all the eyes of the people were focused to them.

"Yano es tas mas amilado corazon
En alma solo tengo soledad
Que poder me hizo quererte
Y siya no puedo verte
Para hacerme surfrir mas ?"

Then the guitarist started picking his guitar while Naomi was dancing encircling him. A lovely sight to behold. After their performance, they held hands, looked at each other's eyes and kissed  passionately in front
of the audience.


The host of the show announced :
" The lovely couple Naomi and Manuel in their 3rd wedding anniversary tonight."

Another warm applause and  at the same time you can hear the murmurs:
"Oh, really ! My goodness ! " How sweet and how talented are these two people !"

Upon hearing this, Senor Francisco Antonio felt his heart beats faster and faster. He remained seated then all of a sudden he went to the stage and was about to announce when this time he noticed the necklace that the guitarist was wearing. The more his heart beats faster and cannot believed what he saw.

"The necklace. This belongs to my mother. I gave it to Maria twenty-years ago. The last time I heard about her
was that she was being ambushed with her parents and she remained missing.". He controlled his emotion and went directly to the microphone and he announced.


"This is one of the happiest nights of my life. The truth is, it is only now that I feel I am alive after so many years of sorrows inspite of the vast wealth that I possessed. In as much as these lovely couple are celebrating their wedding anniversary,  I wish to gift this couple a year contract as the official entertainer of my my hotel in Spain every week-end. Plus a round trip ticket complete with all first-class ameneties for their stay in my hotel in
Spain as well as in Switzerland. Happy Anniversary."

Standing ovation and the clapping of the hands echoed louder and louder. Naomi and Manuel remained speechless and were not even able to say their thanks to this complete stranger in front of them claiming at the same time that he owns the necklace that Manuel was wearing. Senor Francisco went down and was met by the hotel owner, Don Franco, and this time Senor Francisco was in high spirits.
"Please after their performance, please invite the couple for a late drinks. Please see to it that they have the
best room of the hotel tonight. Book them in a room next to mine." Was his firm statement without even giving time for  Don Franco, his host to say a word, he left hurriedly back to his room.


Right after the show, the lovely couple were ushered to a beautiful room by one of the hotel managers.
"Is this really happening ? A job for the two of us in Spain for a year contract and did he not know that our father
owned this hotel ? That is also understandable because right after our wedding we stayed in New York." Manuel whispered to Naomi.
"Yes, but I need to talk to that Espanol who claimed this necklace belongs to him."
This widened the eyes of Manuel. "Oh ! Yes! I forgot all about it. There must be a very good story behind it, this
is very interesting."
Naomi replied" This necklace is the only link to my life. I gave it to you on our wedding day because it was and is always appropriate. This is a man's necklace."
"When you gave it to me, you were in tears and that made me fall in  love with you more and more."

There was a knock on the door. Manuel opened the door and his father Don Franco entered a bit confused.
"Este, Manuel and Naomi, Don Francisco is waiting for us at the El Jardin, he wish to have a late drinks with us,
only if it is okay with you."
"Of course it is okay with us! Right Naomi ?" Manuel replied.
"I really need to see and to talk to him, yes, Honey ! " Naomi stood quickly and picked up her purse.
"Let's go, Papa! " the couple excitedly followed Don Franco.

A table for four. A uniformed waiter served them drinks as well as some finger food in a very attractive plate with
a golden rim.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation. Please sit down ! " Senor Francisco offered his hand to the couple and was accepted readily. Don Franco wanted to say something but Senor Francisco did not give him a chance.

"I go straight to the point. I was here twenty years ago. I was a pelota player and I stayed here in this city for
about two years. I met Maria. We were so in love, but I can not marry her. Her parents did not approve our
relationship. I was told that she was supposed to be brought out of the country when the car she was riding
with her parents was riddled by bullets. Her parents died on the spot. Maria's body was missing.The driver was
able to explained everything before he himself expired. He told the police that Maria was picked up by a taxi driver and was brought to a hospital. She was nowhere to be found." Don Francisco took a deep breath.

"She was nine months months pregnant when it happened. She was carrying our baby. Poor Maria !.
I hired the best detectives in the country but everyone failed. She sings in this hotel before.The two
songs Besame Mucho and Historia de Un Amor are our love songs. This was a small hotel at that time. The owner of this hotel is a very good friend of mine and Don Franco bought this from him. We keep our friendship for such a long time and he's the one who introduced me to Don Franco."

Senor Francisco paused for a while, took a deep breath again . . "Now young man, will  you give me
the right answer, where did you get that necklace that you are wearing right now.?"
Manuel did not reply. He looked at Naomi who became pale and with pleading look. Manuel slowly took the
hand of Naomi and hugged her. Then he said, "The best person who can answer you is my wife. She gave it
to me on our wedding day. She said it is her life. I did not bother to ask believing that she brought it from the
famous jewelry shop and gave it to me. We are earning a lot from our singing engagements so there's no question
about money to buy this."

Naomi was  teary-eyed. In a few moments she was sobbing. Manuel embraced her tighter. "It is okay, Honey. Please tell this man where did you buy this necklace."


In between sobs, Naomi took a sip of her Margarita and said in almost a whisper.
"I was born in the orphanage. The old lady at the orphanage before she died, she gave this necklace to me.
She said, she was present when a very beautiful lady was brought and gave birth. She said that lady was being
shot and she was able to escape, wounded and was left for dead by the people who saw her a few meters
from the ambush. She was brought by a taxi driver and she instructed the driver to brought her to the orphanage.
Right after she gave birth to me she died. The necklace she was wearing she put it in my little hands, then
she died." Naomi cannot control her tears.
"Shhhhh ! Stop for now ! " Please stop crying." Manuel rubbed her back.

It was Don  Franco's turn to speak. "My wife always wanted to have a daughter. We only have one child, Manuel So, we were planning to adopt a girl. Naomi fits in to the interest of my late wife. Naomi was told that she was
adopted and the children Naomi and Manuel knew that they're not related by blood. They got married three years
ago and they both like to entertain as a couple, Naomi in her singing and Manuel with her guitar. Every show
that they did was always spectacular and well applauded."

Senor Francisco requested, "If you allow me, can I take a hold of that necklace that you are wearing ? I wish to prove to you that it is really mine."

Manuel slowly took the necklace and gave it to the ecstatic Spanish guy. Senor Francisco kissed it first, his hands were shaking.. He was filled with mixed emotions he wanted to cry but no tears to flow. The locket . He
turned it to the right and then to the left. The locket was opened. Inside were two very small pictures. Senor
Francisco in his younger days and the picture of Maria in her twenties. She was wearing a white flower in her
left side of her head. Naomi is a complete replica of Maria, except for  her tan skin that Naomi
possessed. Maria's  mother was bronze-skinned.  Seeing this, Naomi collapsed in the arms of Manuel to everyone's worry.

"Naomi, Hija !  Do not die now ! No ! " Senor Francisco panicked. Manuel carried the body of Naomi outside
the garden area for a fresh air. When she gained consciousness she was in the loving arms of her husband
and her long lost father, the only true family that she owns. Don Franco arranged for a driver to bring Naomi
to the hospital but was no longer needed, so he joined the jubilant reunion of father and daughter.

It was an ecstatic event for the couple as well as for Senor Francisco Antonio. Senor Francisco died ten
years later,  leaving all his properties to the long lost heiress, Naomi.

Presently, Naomi is a grandmother to three boys and four girls.She travels around the world every year with Manuel and her family. The couple still love to entertain their family and friends singing the "Songs Of Love.".


The end....

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