Chapter 18
A year had passed since Ella had filed for divorce. When it finally was granted, she was preparing to get married to John. At Santa Rosa, she went to Sears and Roebuck where she carefully selected her wedding clothes. On her way back to Jenner-By-The-Sea, she stopped in Sebastopol to ask Violet for her opinion.
When she knocked on her friend’s door, Violet exclaimed, "Hi Ella, What a surprise to see you. Come in! What’s the occasion?"
"Hello Violet. I thought you might like to see the clothes I just bought for my wedding."
"Absolutely! I’m eager to see them!" she replied, taking Ella and Tommy into the kitchen where she gave Tommy a coloring book.
After Ella modeled her new clothes, displaying her dove-gray suit, matching gloves, white shoes and a white hat with a red feather, she asked, "Well, Violet, what do you think?"
"I love what you bought. They are practical, and you can wear them after the wedding on special occasions. By the way, where are you getting married?"
“We’re getting married at The Church of One Tree in Santa Rosa. Incidentally, I appreciate your offer to keep Tommy while we're on our honeymoon. You're such a good friend. "
"That’s no problem, I enjoy taking care of him. Where are you going on your honeymoon?"
"We’re going straight to San Francisco right after the ceremony and stay with John’s sister for two days, but I’m a little nervous. Sophie is so rich, and I’m afraid I won’t fit in."
"May I talk to you heart to heart?" Violet asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Are you certain you want to marry John? You're not very well suited, and I worry about his violence. You could do much better."
Ella rubbed the back of her neck and replied, "You're right about our differences. He’s mainly interested in hunting and fishing, not books, art, music, or ideas. He thinks they’re just a waste of time. When we make love, he's so rough I don't enjoy it."
"Then why in hell are you marrying him?" she asked, snubbing out her cigarette.
“Well, maybe I could do better, but I like him in spite of his faults. He's hardworking, honest, and loyal. I don't have to worry about him cheating, like I did with Rico. Thanks to him, I've had the luxury of surviving."
Violet exhaled. "Okay, it's your life, but lately, you don’t have your old spirit."
Ella laughed. "Don’t worry, it’s still there. I'm just holding it in check for the time being."
After the marriage ceremony, Ella and John began their trip to the "big city." I wonder if John’s sister will like me. I just hope I don’t make a fool of myself, Ella thought as she rode in the Nash, traveling at John’s usual speed of 35 miles per hour.
When they finally arrived at San Rafael, they had to wait for the ferry to take them across the bay. When the ferry arrived, John drove up the ramp and parked on the upper deck. With a blast from its horn, the ferry got underway, rolling and pitching in the choppy water.
John got out of the car, saying, "Ella, let’s go over by that rail where we can have a good view."
While they were standing at the rail, a huge liner with red smokestacks churned towards the open sea, rocking the ferry in its wake. Ella gripped the rail, shouting, "John, are we going to tip over?"
"Don’t worry. We’ll settle down when that ship passes,” he said and patted her hand reassuringly.
Half way across the bay, Ella pointed to a massive structure looming in the fog, asking, "John, what's that big tower over there?"
"What? Oh, that's going to be the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s supposed to open in '37."
When San Francisco with its ragged skyline came into view, Ella felt suddenly intimidated, thinking, my God, that city is so big. Jenner is only a wide spot on the road. I hope John's sister won’t think I'm a hick just because I come from the sticks.
"John, do you think your sister will like me?" she asked, clasping John’s hand.
"What? Sophie? Oh, sure she'll like you,” he replied, giving her a quizzical look. She's a widow with plenty of room for us. Her husband left her well off."
"Who are the other people I’m going to meet?"
"Well, there's my niece, Patricia. She's about your age. She's married to a baseball player named Walter, but you'll get a chance to meet them all."
A whistle announced they were nearing the end of the trip. John took her arm and escorted her back to the car, but she was beginning to feel queasy. After he drove out of the Ferry Building and on down to Market Street, he merged with the traffic and clanging Streetcars on the wide boulevard. As they drove past big department stores, she studied the women strolling on the sidewalks and noticed they were wearing white hats and gloves similar to hers. Thank God, at least I’m in fashion, she thought, feeling somewhat relieved from her anxiety.
John continued to drive through the city, frequently using low gear to climb the numerous hills. When he finally arrived at the Sunset District, with the radiator steaming, he announced, "We made it! This is where my sister lives."
Ella studied Sophie’s house, saying, John, your sister’s place looks like all the other houses on the block, and where are the front Yards?"
He laughed. "San Francisco is cut up into small pieces. There’s no room for Yards. Now, let’s go inside and meet my sister."
When Ella met Sophie, she saw John and his sister resembled each other, both with large blue eyes and receding chins, but Sophie, unlike John, moved with easy grace in expensive clothes with her silver hair swept back in a stylish bun.
Sophie clasped Ella’s hands, saying warmly, "Ella, I'm delighted to meet you. If you want, you have time to freshen up before dinner. Your room is at the head of the stairs. John, our father will be here and so will the kids."
That evening, Ella sat uneasily at the formally arranged dining table, thinking about her own chipped china and tablecloth with peeling corners. Everything here is so elegant, this sterling silver, these bone China dishes, the crystal glassware, and this lace tablecloth. I would be embarrassed to have these people in my home.
John's father sat across the table with a sickly grey look of cancer, studying his plate, not saying anything.
When Ella heard John slurping his soup, she tried to kick him under the table, but he ignored her.
Sophie came out of the kitchen with a molded orange salad, put it on the table, and stood behind John, playfully tugging a big ear. "Little Brother, I think you should move to San Francisco. I still have connections and could get you a good job," she said.
He looked up from his soup. "No thanks, Sis. You're not going to get me into one of those monkey suits. You know me. I couldn't stand to be caught behind four walls all day. I got to be outside."
Sophie returned to her seat at the end of the table. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Oh John, you always were contrary. Ella, did you know when he was a little boy he used to tell me he was going to drown himself in the river? I'd run after him and beg him to come back. When he got older I realized he was doing that just for attention, but he scared me half to death."
John's father tried to say something but went into a fit of coughing. When the spasm passed, he wiped his mouth with his handkerchief and glowered at John, saying, "That’s right! He was always making trouble for his sister."
John stared at his father without responding. Ella wondered if he were showing respect or just afraid.
Sophie intervened. "Now Daddy, let's not pick on poor John. He has enough on his hands with a new bride."
Walter, the baseball player, cleared his throat and jeered, "Hey Ella, there must be a shortage of men where you live. Uncle John here is old enough to be your father."
John turned scarlet, stupidly staring at his nephew. Ella wanted to make a clever rejoinder, but her mind went blank. She ignored the baseball player and tasted her soup, now turned cold while Patricia studied her with a vaguely amused expression.
Finally, John spoke, "Well, uh, Walter, she is my daughter."
/> The conversation came to a halt. Ella felt mortified. After several painful moments, Sophie changed the subject. "Ella, have you ever seen the Ice Follies? I have tickets for tomorrow night's performance for the two of you."
Ella flashed a grateful look at Sophie, saying, "Oh, thank you. I've always wanted to see the follies."
"Good. John, tomorrow you simply must show your young bride the sights of the city."
On the following day, John took Ella on a cable car ride, clanging and bumping over the perilously steep hills. She was thrilled, but frequently gripped the handrail to avoid sliding off the seat.
At Fisherman's Wharf, they held hands while strolling on the crowded covered sidewalks. The displays of painted turtles, redwood burros, picture post cards, and assorted cheap Japanese merchandise fascinated Ella. John bought her a postcard of an ancient sailing ship that was anchored at the end of the pier. As the savory aroma of crab-pots bubbling along the sidewalks wafted, Ella inhaled deeply and said, "John," that smell makes my mouth water. Could we have an early lunch?"
“We sure can,” he replied and chose a restaurant with a view of the water. Seated by a flyspecked window, Ella looked at an island in the middle of the bay. "John, what’s that ugly-looking island out there?" she asked.
He laughed, "That’s Crazy Eddy’s new home. They call it Alcatraz. I suggest the Lobster Thermidor. I think you’ll like it."
When their order was served, Ella tasted the rich mixture of lobster and cheese simmering in a half shell. She shut her eyes and purred, "Oh, John, I've never tasted anything so delicious."
After lunch, they walked to Chinatown where they heard a cacophony of loud, dissonant sounds. Ella was amazed as she listened to singsong conversations, deep-throated gongs, cymbals, horns and strange music. She noticed the storefronts had advertisements written with Chinese characters, but she wrinkled her nose at the smell of dead ducks hanging by their necks. John took her into a souvenir shop and bought her a music box. When she raised the lid, decorated with a painted dragon, she heard a squeaky rendition of "Chopsticks." "Oh, John! I love it!" she said, clapping her hands.
That night, the city was transformed with a display of colored lights. The marquis of the Fox Theater, with thousands of blinking lights turned the night into day. From the top of Twin Peaks, the lights of the city glimmered over the rolling hills. In the moonlight, she saw the Pacific Ocean on one side and the twinkling lights of the East Bay sparkling on the other side.
Later, when she thought of her wedding trip, she realized that living in the backwaters of Sonoma County, struggling for survival, had not prepared her for the brilliant spectacle of the Ice Follies. Transfixed, she watched the skaters perform unbelievable feats with the music of a live orchestra. The icy surface glistened with hues of blue, green, red, and yellow as the skaters raced and flashed their blades in curving leaps, showering bits of ice over the spectators. With her eyes sparkling, she clasped John's hand and whispered, "My husband, your sister has been wonderful, but I don’t care what the others might think. The magic of this day makes up for everything."