The California Immigrant

by Barbara Anne King

  There was little conversation around the table until the plates were cleared. While Mirna took charge of dessert and coffee, Anton held court. “On Friday, we are going to have a parade of over three thousand cars, which you will not want to miss. And at the Emporium there is a display of over one hundred sixty cars of 1910 vintage—the first of its kind in the world. I’ve already seen it and will have you know this alone will be worth your trip.”

  Karlo teased his sons-in-law. “Maybe we should go home in style in one of those cars.” They looked at each other and shook their heads, knowing they could not yet afford a fancy driving machine.

  On Saturday night, the last night of the festival, Martin had arranged a special dinner in the Fairmont dining room for just Lena and himself and had requested a table for two with banquette seating so they could sit side by side, a more romantic way to dine. They both had dressed in their best outfits—for Martin that was his new charcoal gray suit, and for Lena it was a gold satin dress with a princess neckline that was perfect for the Tau cross necklace. Afterward they planned to join the crowd on Market Street for the electric parade of floats with actors telling stories about San Francisco’s early history from the founding of the Spanish missions to the Gold Rush.

  Martin and Lena thoroughly enjoyed their dinner, and he waited until they were having dessert to pop the question. Martin had been trying to get up his nerve all evening and the wine certainly helped fortify him. But it was now or never. Martin said in his most sincere tone, “Lena, you know I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” And before he said the last line, Martin pulled a small box from his pocket. “Will you be my wife?” he asked, as he opened the box to reveal an engagement ring—a small, round European-cut diamond in a six-pronged setting of yellow gold. Lena let out a little cry when she saw the ring. Martin reached across her and grasped her left hand, sliding the ring on her finger.

  Lena looked at Martin with tears in her eyes and said, “Yes, yes, yes. I love you, too.” Then Martin turned her head toward his and gave her a tender kiss in full view of the other patrons.

  As if on cue, a waiter arrived with a tray holding two glasses of champagne. Martin handed one to Lena and took the other for himself. “Let’s toast to our future. May God bless our union and grant us a long life together.” At that, they clinked their glasses, taking a sip while looking deeply into each other’s eyes.

  They headed for Market Street arm in arm, making their way through the crowds as they took in the sights of the floats ablaze in colored lights. Bands and orchestras had struck up dance numbers while couples danced in the street. Martin took Lena into his arms while a polka played, bringing back memories of home in Dubrovnik. They continued to dance far into the night carried away on love.

  After Mass at the Nativity of the Lord Church the next morning, the two families headed to the Slavonic Society for a buffet brunch put on by members of the community. When Karlo and Pauline walked in, they were greeted by friends they had not seen since they had moved away. Martin leaned toward Lena’s ear and whispered, “Did you tell them yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, take off your glove and surprise them.”

  Pauline had been watching the couple carefully. She suspected something was different between them and when Lena’s finger was exposed she yelled, “Papa, another wedding.”

  Karlo looked her way in surprise. Ten he saw the ring and ran over to his youngest daughter to give her a hug and kiss. Martin had already asked for her hand, so it was not a big surprise. t’s just that he didn’t know when. The timing had been good, he thought, a joyous time filled with love. What better foundation could Martin and Lena have for their future lives together?

  Chapter 25

  The year 1910 dawned with so much promise. Martin and Lena were making wedding plans, and the town was preparing for its first Apple Annual to be held in the fall.

  At dinner one Sunday in January, Pauline brought up the wedding. “A May wedding when the apple trees are in bloom would be lovely.” Lena gave a hesitant smile while casting her eyes toward Martin.

  “If we plan for the week after Christmas, my restaurant will be closed so we can take a honeymoon right away. Otherwise, we might have to delay it.”

  For once, Karlo kept his mouth shut, allowing his wife to take the lead. “Why don’t you two discuss it, then when you’ve made a decision we can begin to plan,” said Pauline.

  After dinner, Martin and Lena were left in the parlor to themselves. Lena seemed to have a cold of some sort that was not unusual this time of the year, and she kept coughing as they talked. At one point, Martin thought he saw her give a little shiver, even though the temperature in the room was warm. “What do you think about the date?” he asked.

  Holding her hand to her mouth to cough, Lena finally said, “I don’t know. Whatever you think is best.”

  “The sooner I can make you my wife the better for me.”

  “Well then,” Lena said weakly, “perhaps we should defer to my mother’s preference and have a spring wedding.”

  When Martin left that evening, he had a bad feeling about Lena’s health. A cough was never a good sign and often the first clue to a serious disease. But he told himself it was winter when the common cold was making its annual rounds and eased his mind thinking it was nothing more than that.

  A few days later, Pauline went into Lena’s room to retrieve a perfume she had borrowed. She noticed the bed was unmade so she decided to do Lena the favor of tidying up her room. When she pulled the sheets up, she noticed they were damp. Could Lena be having night sweats? As she stood there pondering, Lena appeared in the doorway.

  “Mother, is something the matter?”

  “No, I only came to get the perfume you had borrowed and while making the bed I noticed the sheets are a little wet. Are you sweating at night?” Lena nodded yes.

  “Now I’m worried. First, you have a cough. Now night sweats. You also seem to have lost your appetite and are becoming fatigued. Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

  Lena was evasive. She was afraid to admit the other symptom she was having but now felt she had to be truthful. “I’m coughing up blood.”

  Pauline ran to her and pulled her close in a hug. “We have to get you medical care right away. I’ll call Dr. Rosen and make an appointment.” Dr. Rosen had been their family physician for years and was trusted like a member of the family.

  “What do you think is wrong?” Lena said. “Am I going to die?”

  Pauline calmed herself before answering. “It’s probably just a routine bug that has been going around. Of course, you’re not going to die.” But she was afraid for her daughter.

  Dr. Rosen gave Lena a thorough examination, peering closely through his glasses, as well as a skin test and then called her into his office to talk. “I don’t want to alarm you but I suspect you have a serious illness—we’ll know for sure in a few days.” Lena’s face lost all its color and she began to tremble. Dr. Rosen continued, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves until we receive the test results. In the meantime, I want you to rest.”

  When Lena returned for her next appointment a few days later, Dr. Rosen said, “I regret to inform you that you are suffering from tuberculosis.”

  Lena almost fainted when she heard the diagnosis. “Tuberculosis…the white plague. I’m too young to die.”

  Dr. Rosen tried to keep his voice calm. “While tuberculosis is a serious disease, there are some simple treatments to get it under control, although you will never be completely cured and it could come back at another point in your life. Right now, you don’t look too white, by that I mean anemic, so I think we caught the disease in its early stage.”

  “So, what is the treatment I must undergo?”

  “You will need rest, plenty of fresh air, and nutritious food. Most people with the disease go to a sanatorium that is devoted to the right care. In fact, there is a new one in Marin County that is exclusively for women
.”

  “Why is that? Do more women get the disease than men?”

  “After the 1906 earthquake, many more women were stricken mostly because they worked indoors where they breathed in pathogens while the men were outside building in fresh air.”

  “How much will a stay at a sanatorium cost? I’m not sure we can afford it.”

  “I’ll look into it. But you can start right away at home. Even though it’s winter, our temperatures are mild, which will allow you plenty of time in the out of doors. I recommend you bundle up and spend time on your porch. A little sun will be good for you, too. Vitamin D is a wonder vitamin. Now, please take a seat in the reception room and send in your mother.”

  When Pauline arrived, Dr. Rosen broke Lena’s diagnosis to her as gently as possible. Then he filled her in on his prescribed treatment as well as the recommendation of a sanatorium.

  When Lena and Pauline left the doctor’s office as white as ghosts. It’s not only tuberculosis that causes the white plague, Lena thought, shock can do it, too.

  Martin finished cooking early that night and left the rest to Liu so he could see Lena before she went to bed. When he heard the diagnosis he was mortified. He knew the disease had been around since ancient times, and many people in Dubrovnik had succumbed to it where they lived in close quarters. But he was determined that would not happen to Lena. “Starting tomorrow I will provide you with nutritious meals, the best that can be had here. Soup will be at the top of the list, prepared from homemade broth and packed with so many healthy foods that it will be a powerhouse of nutrition. And it will be made with love, the one ingredient sure to cure. In addition to love, the power of St. Blaise, a healer and patron saint of Dubrovnik, can help restore you to good health.” Martin pulled a medal of the saint out of his pocket and clasped the chain around Lena’s neck where it could begin its spiritual work.

  Lena spent most of her days on the porch, passing the time with knitting and embroidery. Dr. Phillip Brown, the San Francisco doctor who founded the sanatorium Arequipa, meaning place of rest, also believed in no strenuous activity in addition to rest and nutrition. He felt by doing something such as a craft a person was taking control over their situation, which would help them to heal. Dr. Rosen highly recommended Lena not sit by idly but be active in some way.

  In between the lunch and dinner hours, Martin always came by to visit and bring Lena soup as well as a nutritious meal. He would watch over her while she ate and not leave until she finished even if that meant a late start on dinner. But he could always count on Liu; in addition, he had devised better ways to prepare for the dinner hour in the event he was delayed.

  The days and weeks passed slowly with Lena still an invalid. Dr. Rosen made regular house calls to check on her progress and seemed pleased that her color had returned. But he cautioned, “Full recovery takes time. Don’t expect her to be dancing the kolo any time soon.”

  Despite the doctor’s positive prognosis, Martin was worried. He had already lost one love, and he didn’t think he’d be able to survive if he lost another. Lena had become his whole life. Everything he did now was for their future. He tried not to let his thoughts go dark, which they often did when he was alone at night in his room. He kept his Bible on a table next to his bed and would open it to read a passage whenever he felt despair overwhelming him and needed to be comforted.

  While Lena continued to recover, the town fathers made plans for the first Apple Annual to showcase Watsonville as the apple capital it had become with over a million apple trees, forty packing sheds, and two and a half million crates of golden apples, mostly Bellflower and Newtown Pippin, shipped to customers around the world. The event was promoted at the state fair as an “Apple Show Where Apples Grow,” which helped attract a crowd of thirty thousand, stretching Watsonville to its seams. The record apple fair attendees found lodging in private homes and nearby towns when the few hotels on Main Street no longer had rooms to rent. By the time the weeklong event opened on October 10, Lena was well enough to take part, although she had to pace herself with naps in the afternoon.

  Martin had more restaurant business than he could handle, filling tables from lunch through dinner. But he made time to slip away to take part in the festivities. One afternoon there was an automobile parade so he made a point of getting there between meal times. The evening parade was going to be the highlight, and he wanted to take Lena to it. As the sun set over the town and darkness appeared, Martin and Lena took their places along the parade route on Main Street.

  Everyone cheered as floats and bands went by. But when the lights of a thousand lanterns began to appear, a hush fell over the crowd. The lanterns were carried by Japanese, many of whom were responsible for the rich harvest. No one watching had ever seen Japanese in such numbers before since they lived in their own Japantown isolated on the outskirts of Watsonville. Japanese lantern bearers, beaming their pride as they marched side by side, were a sight no one would ever forget.

  Chapter 26

  Now that Lena was feeling better, Martin’s thoughts turned to their wedding. Lena, too, had been thinking about it and was ready to plan. “I think we should wait until the spring,” she said, “so we can have the wedding mother had envisioned.”

  “I don’t want to wait that long. Besides, I will have the restaurant closed between Christmas and New Year’s which will allow time for a little honeymoon.”

  “All right then. At dinner on Sunday, let’s express our wishes to my parents and get their blessing.”

  When Pauline and Karlo heard the date for the nuptials, they both held themselves in reserve until they learned how anxious both Lena and Martin were to be joined in holy matrimony. What more could be said? They gave their blessing and Pauline started the wedding plans even before they had finished dessert. “Martin,” she said, “I assume your family will come from San Francisco.”

  ‘That is my hope. Now that we have a date, I will let them know right away. Uncle Anton’s restaurant will be closed so he and Aunt Mirna should have no problem attending. But Vlad, Katarina, and Marko may be another story.”

  Lena said, “I think we should keep the wedding small with only relatives and a few close friends.”

  “Even with just those people,” Karlo said, “we will have a full house.”

  “Of course, you’ll have a church wedding,” said Pauline, “then we’ll have the reception at home. And with all the holiday decorations still up, the atmosphere will be very festive.”

  “I can have the bridesmaids were red or green and carry bouquets made of evergreen and holly.”

  “Don’t worry about flowers. We have so many flower growers around here that we should be able to put together lovely bouquets.”

  Two days after Christmas, the family gathered at St. Patrick’s church for the wedding. All three of Lena’s sisters served as bridesmaids, wearing emerald green gowns and carrying bouquets of white roses mixed with green foliage. Martin had chosen Michael as his best man and Vlad and Marko as his groomsmen. Danica, Lena’s eldest sister, was to serve as matron of honor. Once it was known that Katarina would be attending, Lena asked her to be a bridesmaid, too, even though she was a widow. Now Martin needed another groomsman to balance the bridal party so he asked Filip, Danica’s husband, who accepted the honor.

  Only the front pews of the church were filled, but Lena started her walk from the traditional place at the back of the church. As the organist struck up Wagner’s Bridal and silk skirt, trailing a full-length tulle veil behind her. Martin, momentarily stunned by the first glimpse of his bride, remained stock still until she reached his awaiting arms. Tears were rolling down his cheeks when he turned toward her veil covered face and even though the fabric was blocking Lena’s eyes, he saw she had tears, too, a release of emotions they had been holding back for months during her illness. Neither one of them thought they would ever reach this day. But their prayers had been answered and now they stood before God, family, and friends to profess their love and join th
emselves in an everlasting bond.

  After their vows were exchanged, Martin pulled back Lena’s veil and gave her such a passionate kiss it almost took her breath away. She felt so weak in the knees she almost couldn’t process back down the aisle to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March but, with Martin’s strong arm to support her, she was carried along until they reached the foyer of the church where they greeted family and friends.

  After pictures, the group headed to the Bakovich home where Liu, Hong, and Chao had all the preparations ready. As guests entered, Chao was there to greet them with a glass of champagne while Hong took their coats. Lena and Martin had to blink several times to take in the scene. While the home was well decorated and still had a Christmas tree displayed, other touches had been added—garland on the stairway, sprays of flowers scattered about and swags on the French doors that stood open to the living room. And then there was the food. A three-tiered wedding cake decorated with fondant flowers and birds was the centerpiece, with the bride and groom cake topper presiding over the feast. Fish was the star of the day in all its forms—fried, baked, poached, grilled, and even raw as plump oysters on the half shell were opened expertly for guests to enjoy. Liu had made Chinese dumplings—one filled with shrimp, the other with pork. When Martin spotted them, he knew this was Liu’s way of showing his love, sharing his joy in the celebration.

  And what a celebration it was. Lena’s brother-in-law, Henrik, had brought his accordion, which added to the festiveness of the occasion. A few strong men pushed furniture aside in the living room so the kola could be danced, and guests moved around the room in the traditional rhythm.