The Last Song

“In our hearts, we are still Jewish!”
    “How
can
you be? Everybody knows that Jews are loathsome, evil creatures.”
    As soon as the words slipped out of my mouth, I thought of Yonah. He seemed so honest and so kind. He tried to help me during my moment of despair.Would an evil person do that? Why was he so different from the rest of his people?
    Mama began to cry. “What have we done? What have we done?” She hid her face in her hands, frightening me even more. “Our daughter detests her own kind!”
    Papa patted her knee before resting his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t believe the lies you hear, Isabel,” he said somberly. “Our people are no better and no worse than anybody else. Our only crime is that we are still waiting for the Messiah.”
    “Do Luis and his father know that we are New Christians?”
    Papa shrugged his shoulders. “I never told them, but if the servants are gossiping about it, they must.”
    “There are many Conversos in our beloved kingdom, which our people call Sefarad,” Mama said. “Some Conversos are devout Christians. But others, like us, follow the old ways secretly, away from the prying eyes of the Inquisition. Luis and his father certainly don’t know that.” Her face softened. “It would give me the greatest pleasure to teach you about the religion of the Jewish people, as my mother taught me.”
    “But, Mama, I –”
    “No more questions,” Papa interrupted. “We’ve told you enough for now. I can’t bear another secondof this.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. I don’t have to tell you that no mention of our secret should ever pass your lips. Only a handful of trusted friends know of our Jewish background. Our lives may depend upon your silence.”

C HAPTER 4
 
M ONDAY , N OVEMBER 21, 1491 –
F RIDAY , N OVEMBER 25, 1491
    T he tall trees obscured the sun. The howling of wild beasts made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Suddenly, the trees around me burst into flame. The fire encircled me. There was no escape. I cried for help. Suddenly – hoofbeats. Luis appeared astride a black steed. He galloped through the fire and drew in his reins. His horse reared on its hind legs. I held out my arms toward Luis. He laughed, whipped his animal, and then he was gone. The flames were coming closer and closer … I awoke covered in sweat.
    I felt so weighed down by the events of the previous day that I couldn’t move. I was betrothed. Betrothed to a boy I detested. And I belonged to a people doomed to burn in hell for eternity because they didn’t believe in Jesus. Would I still go to heaven or would I have to sharetheir fate? I believed in the Lord Jesus with my whole being, and I attended mass regularly. Surely our Lord’s beloved mother would protect me and keep me safe.
    With a heavy heart I climbed out of bed, walked to the corner of my room, and fell to my knees in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The blessed mother’s alabaster eyes looked on me with compassion. I prayed to the Virgin to help me, and to help Mama and Papa, too. I asked her to give us health and happiness. I prayed for eternal salvation.
    Sofia came into the room. Her rough fingers began to smooth down my hair.
    “Young mistress, why didn’t you ring for me?”
    “I am praying to the Virgin.”
    “It’s time to get dressed.” She helped me up from the floor. “I’ll get your clothes for you.” She began to pull garments out of the armoire. “I would have come up to your room sooner, but my lady wanted me to stay with the silversmith’s son while he was repairing her broken jewelry in the kitchen. Yussuf was busy with other tasks.”
    “Repairing Mama’s jewelry?”
    “Her ladyship says that the Jew is skillful. He proved it with the golden bird he made for your betrothal. He is still in the kitchen – working on a bracelet for your lady mother.”
    Yonah, in my house. How I wanted to see him!
    Sofia helped me put on a chemise and kirtle, and she slipped a gown over my head. Grumbling, she did up the hooks at the back. Next, she coiled my hair and pulled a coif over it. When she finally finished, she stepped back.
    “There! You look lovely, young mistress,” she said. “I’ll tidy up while you pick the jewelry you want to wear today.”
    She turned her back to me and bent over my bed to straighten the linens. I took my wooden jewelry chest out of the armoire. I always kept the box locked. I made sure that Sofia