I nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes you did.”

“I, by the way, am an expert when it comes to reading people. Take José, for example: I know how to tell his false smile from his real smile. See, watch.” He pointed his fork at the tall woman leaning her heaving breasts toward José as she tilted her head and spoke to him, batting her eyelashes the whole time. “You see she just told him that she has a very large…er…dowry. Oh, now look, see that smile, right there? The corners of his mouth go straight out toward his ears.” Griggs popped some chicken into his mouth and quickly chewed, swallowing it with a gulp. “You see, when José smiles, truly smiles, the corners of his mouth go up toward his eyes.”

“You must really know José.”

Griggs shrugged. “I only know what I see, and what I see is that José only truly smiles when you are around.” He slapped his leg. “Now you. What’s that one saying?”

I looked to where Griggs’s gaze led. Frog Girl was making her attempt to flatter José. She pushed the tall girl out of the way and giggled so loudly that the whole camp could hear her. “She’s telling José that she makes the best quindim in all Santa Catarina. What she doesn’t know is that José hates coconut.” As soon as I said the words, a false smile broke across his face.

“What’s quindim?” Griggs asked.

“It’s a dessert made with egg yolk, sugar, and coconut. My friend’s mother, Dylla, made it for us once. José’s face turned the most awful shade of green as he tried to swallow it down.”

The memory of José’s face as he tried to eat the food without gagging made me start to laugh all over again. “When he finally managed to get it down, he complimented Dylla. She was so pleased that the Great Garibaldi liked it, she tried to give him more. He looked horrified, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Griggs and I broke into uncontrollable laughter.

We were too busy laughing to notice that José had walked up to us. “And what has gotten you two into such a fit?”

I tried to stifle the laughter that bubbled out of my chest. It was working until Griggs said in a shaky voice, “The finer points of coconut.”

I couldn’t hold the laughter in anymore as I bent forward, giving in to it, fat tears rolling down my cheeks. José looked stone-faced as Griggs and I carried on laughing.

“I take it my food is by our tent?” José asked.

“Yes,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes. “I will be there shortly.” I regained my composure and looked at Griggs. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, ma’am,” he said with a smile. As I walked away, I heard him call, “Does anyone know where I can find some coconut?”

Nine

October 1839

Word reached us that the Imperial navy was going to begin a campaign against the shores of Santa Catarina, moving toward Rio Grande do Sul. The legion received orders to sail out and patrol the waters off the coast of Laguna. It was to be an expedition that lasted weeks. The night before we left, I was rushing around the tent preparing for our departure when José walked in, his attention focused on a paper that he was reading. He stopped short, looking up at me.