Chapter Seven: Rose Says Yes

Tony had waited day after day, month after month, hoping Rose would change her mind. The six months had seemed like six years. During that time, Tony had kept very busy at the mill, riding and breaking horses. The horses were trained to pull the rail carts with loads of sugar cane. It was back breaking work and kept his body occupied but not his mind.

Tony visited his sister Adelina and her new husband and his best friend Jôao. Adelina was pregnant and seemed sad. Tony knew his sister and loved her and worried silently. Adelina’s eyes would light up when she saw Tony coming to visit, but they quickly dulled and seemed lifeless moments later.

Jôao seemed his usually cocky exuberant self. Yet Tony wondered what his friend had done too make Adelina look so unhappy. Tony talked to them both about his plans to wait six months and then ask Rose to marry him. Jôao was not as encouraging as Tony would have liked him to be. Adelina was as sweet as ever and hoped that Tony would be successful with Rose and happy.