Drowse - First Season - Finished

Chapter 49 - Now you have to choose, dear Helena.

POV Helena

February 1945

After John and Veronica's marriage, I returned to New York for my work as Miss Universe. I attended some charity events in the city, as well as photographic essays and then traveled first to Canada to get acquainted with the social work of the country and was very well received by the Canadians, participated in some television programs and dinners with authorities. I visited social projects and loved all of them. After Canada, I went to Mexico and I also loved the Mexican people, the Mexican food and the social projects that were there. And at the end of February, I went to my native Brazil. On February 20, the day of my birthday, I turned twenty-two, and first landed in the Marvelous City, in Rio de Janeiro, and was very well received at the airport by the Brazilians, who were proud of me. As I said to my parents and friends, where I would be staying at the hotel, I got a lot of calls in the evening, at the birthday party, including the boys and I was very happy. I participated in recordings of some television programs in Brazil, telling my life in England, college, until I was Miss Universe. I spent four days in Rio de Janeiro, visiting needy communities, near favelas, social projects and also parades of clothing for famous Brazilian brands. After Rio de Janeiro, it was São Paulo's turn. I was back to my hometown after a while. While I was in São Paulo, I visited my uncles, cousins, grandparents, godparents, some friends and also participated in parades, another recording of television program, besides visiting social projects. In São Paulo, I stayed for seven days. While in other countries, the boys were in the United States on tour. I even called them and they said if I was in New York, they would be visiting for me, but, I have to comply with my Miss Universe calendar. After the visit to Brazil, I returned to New York.

March

The first week of March, I kept my schedule in New York, before embarking for South Africa. I was in my room, in my apartment in New York when my phone rang and Clotilde answered.

"Helena on the phone is Brian," Clotilde said.

I listened to the smiling telephone:

"Bri, what a wonderful surprise. Do not tell me you're in New York? I asked excitedly.

As Bri related what happened and I was sad.

"Damn, I can not believe Freddie got sick from the throat and you guys have to cancel the tour," she said flatly.

"We're going back to London, Helena. It will not be this time that we will see each other yet. I think we'll only see each other in July, after the same Miss Universe. I miss you, "Bri said.

"I miss my angel too," he said sadly. "But you need to support Freddie now.

Bri and I exchanged a few more words and hung up the phone. After John returned from the honeymoon with Veronica, the band, along with Mott the Hoople came to do a tour in the United States of America. They even spent a week here in New York testing the sound equipment and then did two shows here, but I was traveling. Then they went to Columbus, Ohio, Cleveland, Detroit, and Boston, and the day they performed in Philadelphia, Freddie's voice began to fail. After the show, they took Freddie to the hospital and the doctor said there was a chance Freddie might have nodules on his vocal cords. Freddie was advised to rest, but the next day they performed in Washington and Freddie sang very well, but after the Washington presentation he lost his voice and six appointments had to be canceled. In addition to the suspicion of nodules in the vocal cords, Freddie had labyrinthitis and distention in the muscles of the throat. For a week they went missing. They then performed in Chicago, and at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. I learned that after the band's performances in Los Angeles they went to the famous Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood. Who told me this was Bri himself. He said he was uncomfortable on the spot, but, Roger loved it, just like Freddie. There were lots of women, groupies, and Bri confessed that both Roger and some of the women stayed with the women in the night. I realized he was afraid to say that to me. I said that it has nothing to do, that they are single, that I am single and that nothing has been decided. But, I confess, I felt an edge of jealousy. After Los Angeles, they made a presentation in San Francisco, then went to Canada and made three more appearances, being the last one in Portland. Bri called me from the Portland airport, I thought for a moment that they would go back to New York, but unfortunately it was not so.