Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2007 11:05:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: firehose Joe <firehosejoe@yahoo.com>
Subject: To Thine Own Self Be True: Chapter 5

This above all: To thine own self be true, for it must follow as dost the
night the day, that canst not be false to any man." Shakespeare (Hamlet)

Each relationship, unique unto itself, must find its way and become what it
will. We all make the journey. Enjoy this story of Steve and Alejandro
(sounds like a-lah-handro -- Spanish). Though the theme of wrestling will
be a key component in the early chapters and a continuing theme, the story
is about relationships and being true to oneself. Thanks to Bill M for his
assistance proofing the story.

Please do not distribute to other sites without permission of the
author. Comments can be sent to firehosejoe@yahoo.com

Note: Any character of depth has background. The families of origin and
genetic markers help explain values, behaviors and physical
traits. Alejandro's family history is briefly shared here.



Alejandro's story -- the beginning

With the approaching end of a century, the harbingers of change were dark
on the horizon. The year was 1897. A baby cried, newly born, the Infata
Isabella was the first child and would prove to be the only child born to
Ferdinand, a distant member of the Spanish Royal Family. With strong lungs
and a will to make herself known, Isabella cried lustily till cradled next
to her mother's breast and the smell of milk. She latched on to the nipple
and fed.

Her father, Ferdinand entered the birthing room when permitted and spat out
"Where is the heir to my estates? Where is my son?"

With no other concern for his wife or daughter, he ordered his manservant
to pack his clothes and papers, and prepare to journey to Madrid.

The Princess Margarethe, cousin to the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria,
watched the door close behind him and looked to her maid in waiting, tears
running down her face. Like her mother, her ability to bear a child was
done at great cost. After a still born child and two miscarriages, Isabella
seemed a perfect gift. The doctors told her she would never again bear a
child. She consoled Anna, her childhood friend, maid in waiting and soon to
be nurse to the new Infata. Seeing a smile of sympathy and understanding
Margarethe closed her eyes, rested and finally slept from the exhaustion
and the agony of delivery.

Her husband's travels to Madrid were not unusual. The exaggerated work he
claimed to do at court did not fool her. She was of the Hapsburg family,
had lived at court and could see that her husband was just one of many
sycophantic leaches at the court of King Alfonso XIII. His male libido had
demanded a son. A daughter was a burden, requiring a dowry. It was a burden
to secure a proper family with whom to arrange an acceptable, or hopefully
an advantageous marriage.

Margarethe would wait. She had always waited, it seemed. An only child
herself, Margarethe was the darling of her mother's eye and lived a magical
life at Schoenbrunn Castle. Being a close cousin of Franz Joseph, her
mother, Sophia had been wed to a Hungarian prince in an arranged
marriage. Even though it was the habit of royalty in the nineteenth century
is was an abomination to Sophia. Fortunately for her, her lineage by blood
was to the emperor and though ignored by her husband, she enjoyed some
privilege.

By the time Margarethe was of the age to marry, alignments with Spain
proved to be advantageous. Her father cared not a whit; the dowry was being
paid by the crown. Her mother was powerless save the advice she could give
and support she might be able to offer, albeit from a distance. So
Margarethe found herself in Spain with only Anna, maid in waiting.

Ferdinand had leveraged Margarethe's handsome dowry by buying land, olive
groves and regional markets making significant additions to his meager
holdings in Leon. The additions of olive tree plantations and the
encompassing small towns and villages greatly expanded the responsibilities
of Ferdinand. These he assigned to overseers, as was often the custom.

Margarethe had spent the five years prior to Isabella's birth learning to
manage her husband's house, gaining mastery of the regional dialect,
Leonese, and becoming a fixture as she rode the estates with her Stable
Master. It was, after all, her money that had purchased these lands,
groves, and villages. She meant to know every face and every tree to the
extent possible.

Anna, clever, intelligent and wise, learned both Castellan and the Leonese
dialect of the house servants. Though held at a distance since her arrival,
the birth of a baby and her place in the family hierarchy gave her added
gravitas. She continued to work tirelessly to engage and win over the house
staff. With constant planning but without any perceived pressure she became
part of the grapevine that carried the important and vacuous news of the
day.

>From birth, Anna was present with the child, holding, loving and
nurturing. Austrian was spoken in the nursery part by nature but also as
part of the developing plan. As the child matured and began to develop
basic facility with language, Leonese was introduced. Basic phrases that
would engage the staff were first drilled until the child could charm
anyone in the house with the stumbling phrases and words of thank-you,
please, and the various nouns that were of importance.

Quickly, she became the darling of both the casa and the surrounding
town. Carefully dressed, both in appropriate attire for an Infata and at
times in clothing seen around the estates and towns the message was
received. This child would not be remote but would be part of her culture
and the heritage that surrounded her each day.

When she was able to sit at table, her language lessons expanded. Castilian
only was used and she quickly adapted. The discipline fell to the adults --
Austrian in the nursery, Leonese in the house and in traveling nearby and
Castilian in the dining room. The diligence of Margarethe and Anna paid
rich and quick dividends. The children began to master and segregate each
language appropriately.

Just before her fifth birthday, Margarethe arranged for train passage to
take her daughter home to visit her Austrian family. Ferdinand could not be
bothered with details, gave her permission and busied himself with other
endeavors. It was as Margarethe had hoped and planned.

It was an arduous trip by carriage and train. However it proved to be the
beginning of the key to the emerging plan. Margareta was determined that
Isabella would be free from required servitude of marriage and child
bearing expected within the Castilian royal family.

She was welcomed by a car with royal livery at the train station in
Vienna. Escorted by the Emperor's guard she reminisced briefly about the
charm of her childhood. Quickly putting that wasted fantasy behind her she
began to plan for Isabella's entrance into the royal court of the
Hapsburgs.

On arriving at the Schoenbrunn, she went immediately to her mother's
suite. The reunion there was all anyone could have wished for. Her mother
swept Isabella into her arms with compliments and praise. The child,
prepared for the moment responded in perfect Austrian that she was pleased
to meet her grandmamma, and glad to be in the palace of her cousin the
emperor. From there on out the child was golden.

Her birthday at the palace was a quiet affair, punctuated by a brief
surprise appearance by Franz Joseph. On being presented to the emperor,
Isabella performed a deep curtsey and spoke in flawless Austrian that she
was glad to meet him and hoped that she would see him again soon and
often. Franz Joseph, smiled broadly, picked up the tiny girl and gave her a
kiss on the cheek, promising her he would see her soon and inviting her to
join him for tea. Her grandmother and Margarethe beamed.

During their stay at the Schoenbrunn, Margarethe worked to build bridges
long neglected by time and distance. Isabella's childhood mastery of
Austrian quickly became part of the palace gossip and afforded her numerous
opportunities to `show off' her skill.

One of Isabella's favorite pastimes, to the delight of her grandmother, was
playing princess. With her grandmother's older dresses and jewels the young
Infata imagined the far away places of childhood stories. Her grandmamma
was a willing participant and reveled in the child's pleasure. With ropes
of pearls and diamond tiaras the image Isabella saw in the mirror was in
every inch a fairytale princess.

Far too soon the month was past. Margarethe and Isabella began the long
train ride home. All communication switched to Spanish and Isabella fell
into the rhythms of home far easier than her mother.

During the balance of the year Margarethe directed the education of her
child. On returning home from her visit, an instructor of English was
invited to the casa. He found there a bright and inquisitive student who
readily picked up the new language. He schooled her in enunciation,
vocabulary, grammar and reading.

She continued her mastery of riding, as well as lessons in dressage, dance,
language and poetry. Her knowledge of the business of the family estates
and the lessons in court politics and society were well modulated and
carefully directed by Margarethe and Anna. She seemed to intuitively know
that some of her schooling was only discussed in the nursery away from the
staff and particularly her father when he was home.

The activities of her husband kept him at court and away from the
casa. Margarethe and Isabella attended court at appropriate times but
otherwise stayed in Leon. Profits rolled in and Margarethe was sure to post
them to him so he would not be concerned as to the activities on the
estates. He was not in the least concerned about a daughter he'd have to
marry off in the future. The less he knew of her, the better, as far as
Margarethe was concerned.

They continued their birthday trips, as Isabella began to refer to
them. With each visit, her grandmamma greeted her with joy, laughter, and
to continue their favorite game of princess dress up. Margarethe knew that
though seen by Isabella as only a game played with her treasured grandmamma
she was learning court manners and courtesy expected at the Schoenbrunn.

Save for the punctuation of visits annually to Vienna, time seemed
suspended for Isabella. Her world was secure. She continued to grow in all
areas. Her increasing mastery of English and Austrian along with her dark
beauty gave Isabella cachet to any future men in her life.

Margarethe received a telegram prior to Isabella's thirteenth year that her
mother was dying. Arrangements were made for an earlier trip to Vienna and
they traveled with the dread that this would be the last visit with
grandmamma.

On arriving at the Schoenbrunn and being shown to their suite, Margarethe
rushed to her mother's side bidding Isabella to wait until they had had a
brief time together. Her mother was ashen and in obvious pain though she
tried to contain it. She gently let her daughter know that it was a matter
of weeks and of the arrangements that had been made.

Custom bade that the estate of a deceased member of the Habsburgs reverted
to the Emperor. However Franz Joseph had made an exception that allowed
fifty-thousand Krona to be left to Isabella in that she was of Hapsburg
blood. The personal effects of Margarethe were passed without claim from
the crown. This included an extensive collection of precious and
semi-precious gems.

During her visit to her grandmamma that afternoon, the fatigued lady did
her best to enjoy a game of make believe princess. Isabella could tell it
was a drain on her beloved grandmamma and welcomed her invitation to sit
and chat. Her grandmamma gently told her of the illness, believing that
children of Isabella's age need not be shielded from reality of life and
death. They shared favorite stories of Isabella's visits over the years and
Isabella was retold events from her grandmamma's life. Isabella promised to
remember it all and to tell them to her own children.

Margarethe was called and the three women visited for a while
longer. Finally, grandmamma told Isabella that all her jewels were to be
given her as a reminder of their special times together. As an adult she
could wear the jewels and could smile a secret smile when matters of court
were tedious remembering special days playing make believe princess.

Sophia died in her sleep two days later. After the final visit with her
beloved Isabella, her doctors kept her heavily sedated to minimize the
pain. Margarethe was with her when she passed. It seemed to everyone, as
they spoke quietly before the funeral mass less than a week later, that
Isabella's grandmamma had waited until she could see her grand-daughter one
last time.

During the trip home Isabella and her mother told and retold stories of the
regal lady. Laughter and tears were their friends during the long hard
journey. Gently Margarethe reminded Isabella that these gifts to her would
be another secret shared by mother and daughter.

As a young lady of fourteen, at court of Alfonso XIII, Isabella behaved
perfectly doing her father and mother proud and catching the eye of many a
family with young men of marriageable age. As she matured past her
childhood and blossomed into a young lady she gave evidence of the perfect
blend of the elegant carriage and bone structure of the Hapsburg blood
complimented by the darkness of her Spanish father's family.

After that season at court, the first offer of marriage came. She cried in
her mother's lap that she didn't like any of the boys she'd met and refused
to marry. As Margarethe stroked her daughter's hair she knew it would be a
battle of wills with her husband but she had not nurtured this child to
live a life like hers had been.

She parried each thrust as proposals were made. With each event at Court
interest in Isabella grew stronger both as a beautiful princess and as the
only daughter of a rich member of the family. On her fifteenth birthday her
mother began to talk of a grand tour to America. It would round out
Isabella's education. Of course, it was the capstone of her grand plans for
Isabella.

Ferdinand at first absolutely refused to consider such an outlandish and
expensive venture. However, he began to weaken as Isabella hinted that on
her return she would seriously consider the offers for her hand by some of
the richest and best connected families in Spain. This caught her father's
imagination and finally he conceded. With his permission in place,
Margarethe completed the last details that she had been working on for the
past six months.

Anna would accompany her. Her first visit would be to the Austrian
Embassy. Franz Joseph had given her a letter of introduction which would be
an entrée for Isabella wherever she went in the social circles in the
cities she planned to visit during her tour. It was 1913 and unknown to her
father, both she and Anna would be leaving Spain forever.

Eighteenth century Europe's colonial domination still had tentacles that
reached around the world. They were however weakening as the indigenous
people of various countries, having grown in their understanding of a new
order of governance, began to throw off the shackles of foreign power. The
cost of maintaining a strong military presence to enforce the foreign
government often came at a price greater than the benefit of maintaining
power far from the home countries.

As in other parts of the world, in Mexico, the grip of European domination
and influence was steadily weakening. After an Austrian venture to
influence Central America by imposing Emperor Maximilian I failed, the
Mexican people won their freedom and elected their own government. In 1876
Porfirio Diaz overthrew the elected president of Mexico and set up, by
proclamation, the Plan de Tuxtepec. It was a leveling of Mexican society
and was seen as a threat by the wealthy, some of whom were related to
Maximilian I, Emperor, deposed in 1866.

Juarez Algara was one who looked to distant economic and political
horizons. The money required for the Plan de Tuxtepec would come from the
wealthy via taxation of monies or lands and likely both. Juarez, a
substantial landowner, was determined not let his fortune be caught in
political unrest and crossfire. He kept his wealth in as liquid a position
as possible.

Recently widowed he decided, in 1880, to leave and packed a small train of
wagons with chests of Mexican gold coins and silver ingots. Crossing into
Texas he made his way to Austin and converted his silver and gold into US
dollars. Business interests that he had developed in the United States over
a decade helped him focus on two things he knew best -- cattle, and the
slaughter and sale of beef. Earning his credentials as a cattleman in Texas
was tough. Fortunately money talked and even though tongues wagged behind
his back, his money required people take him seriously.

He learned all he could about the trail drives, the large spreads and the
cattlemen who mostly ran the industry of moving meat on hoof north to
Chicago. Within a few years he struck out, sold his holding and accompanied
a drive of his cattle to Chicago. There he began to carve out a place for
himself in the burgeoning city. By 1895 he was settled and was known as a
very available bachelor. Money, connection to royalty and distantly related
to the powerful Hapsburg dynasty gave him entry into salons in the city
that would normally be closed to a Mexican, no matter how rich.

The Chicago Board of Trade building, with its electric lighting was an icon
of the coming twentieth century. It was ompleted in '85 and the first with
electric lighting. Juarez Algara set a goal of owning a seat within ten
years. He began laying groundwork to buy a seat on the Board. Fortunately,
the way was made smooth by his introduction to a headstrong, beautiful
debutante and daughter to a committee member of the Board.  Within a year,
their marriage was announced and his place on the Board secured. Juarez
success on the Board, buying and selling beef, enabled him in very few
years to build both a new fortune and a name for himself. It would be ten
years before a child was born. His namesake, Salvador Algara was born in
1895.  He judiciously bought positions on foundation boards and charities
with his money.  His influence was significant at Holy Name Cathedral. As a
practicing Catholic, even though he was of Mexican birth, his faithfulness
to the sacraments and his generous contributions to both the Cathedral
School and charities as well as to the discretionary fund of the Bishop
gave him status. In Chicago, with its significant portion of Catholic
population, this influence reached into layers of government, city service
and finance.

As it always is with the second generation of immigrants, the passage is a
bit easier. Salvador was born into Chicago society. His grandparents
ensured that, at least socially, he would never be shunned. A charming
child, his complex racial heritage served him well as he grew. His dark
eyes and hair provided a certain charm that blended with his sunny
disposition and made him a sought after friend.

His academic work gave evidence of a good mind. Disciplined by his father
to the tasks of learning and sport, Salvador grew into a well-rounded young
man. Juarez watched at a distance and with some amusement to see the
independent streak that Salvador developed as he matured. It would, Juarez
knew, serve him well, if kept in check.

Though he was on every socialite's "A" list, Salvador didn't intend to
settle down into matrimonial bliss and avoided the numerous `opportunities'
that seemed ever present. On completion of his formal schooling he began
working with his father in the various businesses.

Well versed on the buy and sell orders and the workings of the Board,
Juarez occasionally sent him with an official company representative to
evaluate the market and to give orders for buying long or selling short. It
was exhilarating as well as frightening. There were days when he made or
lost tens of thousands of dollars. His father just laughed and commented on
the continued expense of Salvador's education. Secretly he was proud that
Salvador was learning quickly and would be a great asset and someday a
worthy heir.

Adroitly, Salvador Algara managed to charm both society matrons and their
daughters while avoiding any commitment. His life was devoted to the family
businesses and his friends. An avid sportsman, Salvador was as comfortable
astride a horse as he was with a fencing foil in his hand. He disciplined
himself in the manly art of boxing and enjoyed bird hunting on the game
preserves owned by friends of the family.

During the Season, as it was called, his evenings were filled with dinner
parties, dances and the multitude of social activities that engaged the
Chicago wealthy. Though pleasurable, it was an unspoken requirement for a
young man of his standing. Most evenings were a game to him. As a twenty
year old, he would soon have to settle into the expected protocol of
married life.

The year was 1915. One evening, as a guest of the influential and wealthy
Pullman family, he was introduced to one Isabella de Leon. A beauty with an
air and grace he had not seen before, Salvador's imagination was
captured. With discrete inquiries he learned she was a member of the
Castellan Royal Family with ties to the Hapsburgs and Austria. As
mysterious as she was beautiful, Salvador wanted to see her again and
called on her with Mr. Pullman's permission the next afternoon.

Their interest and affection one for the other seemed to bloom
overnight. Using contacts through his businesses, Juarez made diplomatic
inquiries to confirm her background. They finally led to the Austrian
Embassy in Washington where a secretary to the Ambassador affirmed that she
was indeed an Infata of the Castellan Family and was traveling under the
protection of the Emperor Franz Joseph.

After a bit more than a month of seeing one another, Salvador told his
father that he wanted to marry her but under the circumstances had no idea
of how to proceed. Salvador's mother had, through her social channels,
learned that Isabella's feelings were the same but with no family present,
she and her guardian had no idea how to accept the proposal and carry
forward with marriage. Remembering her youth and headstrong nature,
Salvador's mother began to plan.

She and Juarez discussed the challenges with their son and when sure of his
intent and commitment they moved forward with the plan. The Archbishop
agreed to marry them if proof could be given of her baptism and
faithfulness as Catholic. The Pullman family, host to Isabella and Anna,
met with the Algaras and with Isabella to hear the story of her history and
desire to remain in the United States. The Pullmans then contacted the
Embassy letting them know of Isabella's wellbeing and intention and
inquired if permission of the Emperor could be arranged in lieu of her
father.

Once documents were obtained to the satisfaction of the Archbishop that the
sacraments of the Church were in order and that the couple, in lieu of the
father's blessing had instead an Emperor's blessing he happily agreed and
set a date for the nuptials. The year was 1915.

World War I and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire left Isabella in a
mild state of shock. The Hapsburg monarchy had seemed immovable and
impermeable, and now it had all but disappeared. Occasionally, she wept
quietly at night thinking about her beloved grandmamma and her childhood
memories. In those days when Salvatore was busy with work, Isabella would
open her jewel chests and pull out the long rope of pearls and her favorite
tiara that she had used in her dress-up games in Vienna.

Though beautiful, she knew these were baubles from another era -- of course
with intrinsic value -- still part of a time now lost. She smiled quietly
at the secret treasure, thinking that someday she would share them with
Salvador.

As had been the case with her mother, Margarethe, Isabella had difficulty
conceiving. Finally, in 1921 a son was born to the couple amid great
celebration by the extended family. It seemed a good omen in a time of
great prosperity and growth at the beginning of the Roaring Twenties. Named
after his father, Salvador Jr. grew from a healthy, strong and curious
toddler into his promise of a handsome and capable young man.

America began a decade of riotous growth and change after the war. Business
expanded for both Juarez and Salvador and their wealth increased along with
their position in Chicago society. Isabella watched all this with a wary
eye. It was touted as a new era for the United States as a time to stand
alone and grow to the fulfillment of her manifest destiny. With all
evidence against it, Isabella continued to harbor her own distrust at the
sudden, rapid growth that seemed to be built more on promise than
accomplishment.

Late in 1927 her building sense of ill omen finally forced her to confront
Salvador and share her concerns with him. Much of their fortune was founded
on the Exchange and the Stock Market. They held controlling interests in
two banks where they kept their money. All was well, insisted Salvador.

Undaunted, Isabella reminded him of her mother's and grandmamma's bequest
to her. It was her family that had collapsed, she reminded him - the might
of the Austrian Empire and its seeming permanence; and the house of Castile
now beset by revolution. Salvatore listened in an attempt to humor her.

With a building sense of desperation she made him wait in her sitting room
and brought the chests of jewelry given her by her grandmamma. Somewhat
dumbstruck by the jewels, he asked about them and she reminded him of the
days of her childhood spent in Vienna emphasizing that they could not
depend upon the current economy, no matter how attractive.

Later, talking with his father Juarez, Salvador related the stories and
surprise at the chests of jewels. Juarez sat, his fingers tented and
listened. After a few moments of reflection he began to tell Salvador of
his family history, his own distant relation to the Hapsburgs through the
Mexican Emperor Maximilian I. Finishing the conversation he added, "Perhaps
we should heed the voice of caution. I will talk with your mother and
perhaps we can sit and discuss this together."

During the next two years they followed a plan hatched from that
conversation. Juarez and Isabella both knew first hand that one had to live
in the present but must remain aware that change can occur with sudden
ferocity.  Isabella, keeping only the ropes of pearls and her favorite
tiara slowly sold all the jewels to jewelers in New York. They were
disassembled and recreated into Art Deco masterpieces one of which Isabella
kept as her own memento. Along with the jewels, she and Salvador began to
exchange paper currency for gold pieces.

Juarez began in the same way to liquefy as he had done in Mexico.  Slowly
he sold off majority interests in the banks and stored both currency and
gold in a fire proof vault at his home. By the end of summer 1929, while
many of their friends were sipping martinis and bragging on their latest
investment, the Algara families were quietly selling stocks and withdrawing
cash to the degree possible without causing concern at their banks.

In late October and on into Christmas of 1929, they watched in horror as
the glittering Chicago society shattered and fell to pieces around
them. With a suddenness of a storm cloud darkening the sky, the Great
Depression was on them. Having learned in his youth, Juarez was cautious to
retain cash and move with care into any investment. Whereas in Texas he had
flashed money to gain acceptance, now he knew that to do so would earn him
the enmity of long-time friends.

Both he and Salvador continued their trade on the Board of Exchange and
began to expand exponentially their real estate holdings using shadow
corporations that would remove them by name from the purchases. Thanks to
the spur provided by Isabella's concerns, the family had been saved and
would continue to prosper in future generations.

Salvador Jr. matured into the hoped for promise of his childhood. With his
father and grandfather he learned and began to manage portions of the
family business. Excelling in academics and gentlemanly sport, he followed
in his father's footsteps and became one of the more eligible bachelors in
Chicago.

Finally in 1940, his imagination and heart captured by one of the
`worthies' of an old Chicago family, he began his courtship as the clouds
of war gathered over Europe. Though his fiancée pushed for marriage,
Salvador insisted that he would not leave a war widow behind and promised
marriage on his return from the war.

Heedless of the plea by her mother to wait for a `proper' wedding, the
Archbishop performed and blessed the union and amid all the celebrations in
late September 1945, Salvador and Anna were married. As snow flakes fell
late in the fall of 1946 Alejandro Davila Bojorques Algara was born. He was
never to taste the milk of his mother's breast or know its comfort. Anna
Algara died in childbirth.


Thank you, reader, for your patience as the background is laid for
Alejandro.

Remember that writers are fed by comments from readers. It is the meat and
drink of the creative drive.  firehosejoe@yahoo.com