URubi wazalwa ngo-1909, engoyena mntwana wokugqibela koyise owayeneengcwangu kwaye engumama ozinikeleyo. Utata, uDon Pedro, wayeyimbonakalo yobuso, into leyo uMnu. Levy ayibizayo tíguere , okanye ihlosi, uphawu oluchazayo olubalulekileyo lwe-alpha eyindoda yaseDominican. A tíguere ithwele ivumba lemvelaphi ephantsi kunye neminqweno ephezulu, kunye nebhongo elithile elikhohlakeleyo elingathinteli ndlela yokufezekisa iinjongo zakhe: ubundlobongela, ubuqhetseba, ubuxoki, ukungabi nazintloni, isibindi, kwaye, ngakumbi, ukusetyenziswa kwabasetyhini njengezixhobo zokuhamba ekuhlaleni. A tíguere soloko etshatile kulunge. Tígueres babemhle futhi, benobabalo, bomelele, kwaye baboniswa kakuhle, babephethe into engento yanto. UDon Pedro wayefanelekile kulo lonke ubalo, kodwa wayeza kuthabatha yonke iminyaka, abe ngunozakuzaku omsebenzi wakhe wamsa eParis xa uRubi wayeneminyaka eyi-6-eParis, eyayiza kuhlala kwikhaya lokomoya likaRubi, ukuba ngokomoya ligama elinokuthi isetyenziswe kuye.
Ukubiza imfundo esemthethweni yeRubi kutshekishwe kukuyicenga, kodwa ngokungazenzisiyo waziqonda kakuhle izinto ezazibalwa-iimpahla, ezemidlalo, ukuthanda ezesondo; izinto ezazifuneka ukuze abe yile nto wayezazi ukuba uyiyo: Ndim, kwaye ndiyakuhlala ndiyindoda eyonwabisayo.
Ngexesha lokufika kwakhe ebudodeni, ilizwe lakhe lalisele liphantsi kolawulo lwendoda eyomeleleyo eyaziwayo uRafael Trujillo, owayenothotho woonopopi owanyula umongameli ngelixa wayekhetha ukulawula njengo Generalissimo, esongeza inkwenkwezi yesihlanu engazange ibonwe ngaphambili i-encomia awayefuna ukuba isonjululwe ngayo. (Ukusetyenziswa okungazange kubonwe ngaphambili kwe-encomia manyani Umrhumo, a tíguere Iprose yesiNgesi. Yima eminye imizekelo yendlela yakhe yoqobo ngamazwi.)
Zisuka nje, zinxulunyaniswa nobomi bukaRubi njengendoda yolonwabo ngamanye amaxesha yayisesikweni, ngamanye amaxesha ifihliwe, maxa wambi ubudlelwane bokuchasana noTrujillo, inkokheli yakhe, umphathi wakhe ngamanye amaxesha kwaye-oh, ewe-utata womkhwe wakhe wokuqala. Intombi kaTrujillo, uFlor de Oro, wayethunyelwe eParis njengentombazana encinci ukuba iyokufumana ipolishi yaseFrance. Ebizelwe ekhaya nguGeneralissimo eneminyaka eli-17 ubudala, wakhawuleza wakhukuliswa ziinyawo ngoyena mfana welizwe lakhe opholileyo. Kubonakala ukuba wayemthanda naye, kodwa phantsi kweengxaki zobundlobongela bukaRubi kunye nokuthembeka kukaFlor, umtshato wawa, ushiya uRubi engathandwa ngutata wakhe kunye noFlor esiya kumyeni wakhe onguNombolo 2… kwaye ekugqibeleni waya emadodeni. Amanani 3 ukuya ku-9. URubi wayephethe kuphela imitshato emihlanu, kodwa wayenzela imicimbi engenakubalwa, i-flings kunye nokukhawuleza.
Abafazi bakhe be-post-Flor baquka inkwenkwezi ye-movie ehlawulwa kakhulu eFransi, uDanielle Darrieux, kunye nabafazi ababini abadumileyo emhlabeni, uDoris Duke noBarbara (Babs) Hutton. UDoris, onethamsanqa elingaphezulu kwe-3 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kwimali yanamhlanje, ubonakalise uthando lwakhe ngeRubi ngezipho ezisusela kumasimi abuyela emva kwiRiphabhlikhi yaseDominican ukuya kwibhombu ye-B-25 eyalungiswa njengenqwelomoya yabucala. Umtshato wawuziindaba ezinkulu kuyo yonke indawo (uDoris Duke Weds Ukutshaya isiLatin). Uqhawulo-mtshato, olwenzeka kwiinyanga ezili-14 kamva, lwaluzolile, iRubi ibambise indlu yabo entle eRue de Bellechasse kunye ne-alimony yeedola ezingama-25,000 ngonyaka (ngaphezulu kwama-200,000 eedola namhlanje). Kwakukho iinzame zoxolelwaniso, nangona ephantse wambamba ebhedini noChristina Onassis, kodwa ayiphumanga. Nangona kunjalo, uDoris, ngokuka-Rubi umntakwabo, u-Cesar, wayeyeyona intle kubo bonke abafazi baka-Porfirio.
Phakathi kwabafazi (abaninzi) awayenxulunyaniswa nabo ukusuka kuDoris ukuya eBarbara yayingabalingisi abanjengoGene Tierney, iDolores Del Rio, kunye neVeronica Lake; isiPhuthukezi esikhulu isiphelo imvumi u-Amelia Rodrigues; akukho magama akubonisa ntombazana eLondon naseParis; amakhosikazi kunye namantombazana athandana naye kwipolo yakhe kunye noontanga bokuqhuba iimoto; abasetyhini abavela kwizangqa ezihloniphekileyo ezinje ngeContessa Nicola-Gambi yase-Italiya, uQweqwe uMarita waseSpain, kunye noKumkanikazi uAlexander waseYugoslavia. ` ubudlelwane obunokuhlangana. Ekuphela kwendlela uRubi anokuthandeka ngayo kwiRiphabhlikhi yaseDominican kukuba akaphulukani nesibheno sakhe sezesondo, yindlela elibekwa ngayo elinye igosa. IGeneralissimo (ngoku eyaziwa njengoMncedisi) uyibeka ngolu hlobo: Ulungile emsebenzini wakhe kuba abafazi bayamthanda kwaye ulixoki elimangalisayo. Isalathiso esingoyiswayo.
Kwakuxesha lokuzola phakathi kwabafazi be-billionaire apho uZsa Zsa wangena emfanekisweni, kwingqungquthela yodumo kunye nokuzinza. Badibana kwilifti yehotele eNew York, kwaye uRubi wafumanisa ukuba u-agog. Ngephanyazo, wazifaka kwigumbi elikufutshane nelakhe kwaye, ngekhe uyazi, wayengenako ukuyiphuca ilokhwe awayeyinxibile kwi-premiere ye-movie yakhe Isigayo esibomvu . Umnxeba okhawulezileyo kwaye wayephezu kwesibane, wamvala iziphu, wamnceda ngengubo yakhe: inene elipheleleyo. Kodwa umoya phakathi kwabo wawungqindilili nombane njengaphambi kwesiphango. Wazikhupha kwikhefu lokukhulelwa kwaye wenza inkulumbuso yakhe. Awuyi kumangaliswa kukuva ukuba isaqhwithi kungekudala saqhekeka. Kwiinyanga nje ezimbalwa wayexelela umama wakhe, iRubi sisifo segazi. Andinakuba ngaphandle kwakhe.
Iidrama ezininzi zaziza kudlalwa phambi kwakhe wayenjalo ngaphandle kwakhe, eyona idume kakubi ibandakanya ijab emehlweni xa uZsa Zsa wamcaphukisa esithi, nangona konke, wayesamthanda owayesakuba ngumyeni wakhe, inkwenkwezi kumdlalo bhanyabhanya uGeorge Sanders. NDITHI HAYI, NGOKU PORFY POKED ME, ndibeke isihloko se Iindaba zeNew York Daily . Kwaye kwiphepha le-1 ngosuku olulandelayo: I-BABS WEDS RUBI-IGCINA IMALI / ITHI 'SÍ' NJENGABOMI BASEDOMINIKA. Inkqubo ye- Thumela ? IINTSAPHO EZIQHELEKILEYO ZINYANZELELA UMSANA; IZICWANGCISO ZESIBINI UKUHLALA EPARIS. Ngosuku olulandelayo kwi Iindaba ? URUBI UYAHAMBA KWI-WARDROBE YAKHE; UYAHLALA. UBarbara Hutton wayefumene indoda yakhe (phakathi kokuthengwa kwakhe kwangaphambili yayinguCary Grant) ngentlawulo encinci yesixa semali esiyi- $ 2.5 yezigidi. Kwisithuba seenyanga, umtshato wawusele ugqithile-ungathi uBabs umqeshele ixesha lonyaka-kwaye uZsa Zsa ubuyile. Kodwa hayi ngokusisigxina. Andinakutshata neRubi. Ufuna ndiyeke umsebenzi wam kwaye ndihlale naye eParis. Andinakuze ndiyeke ukubambela. Bubomi bam.
Nangona wayenentliziyo ebuhlungu, uRubi wakwazi ukuzithuthuzela. Ngexesha yena kunye neqabane lakhe lomphefumlo waseHungary bayigqibayo ikharavani yabo yovalo, waye wadibana phakathi kokuthandwa nguEartha Kitt kunye noAva Gardner noRita Hayworth kunye ne-Empress Soraya yase-Iran. Okanye wayengafakwanga. Kwimeko ye & shy; Hayworth, i-rumor yayikukuba iRubi & shy; & shy; khange ihambe nayo kuba u-Aly [Khan, ex Rita's ex) uthe uyakuyithatha njengenceba ukuba akenzanga njalo. Nantoni na yomhlobo. Ngokubhekisele kwiAva, uyikhanyele yonke into phezulu nasezantsi.
Ngaba ibalulekile into yokuba bayenzile okanye abenzanga? Owona mbuzo wokwenyani kukuba yintoni kanye le wayenayo eyatsala onke la manenekazi ukuba eze kuye. Ingoma ethandwayo yaseCuba yama-50 yabeka ngolu hlobo: Yintoni Into Yakho, Rubirosa? (Yintoni Onayo, Rubirosa?) Kwaye ukuba unento enye oyaziyo malunga nePorfy, sele uyazi impendulo, nangona ithatha uMnu Levy amaphepha angama-125 ukuya kuyo: Akukho ndlela yokuyithetha ngokuvakalayo: Indoda yayixhonywe kakuhle, yayixhonyiwe, inene, ngokwesiqhelo, isiphiwo sayo esingaphezulu kwesomntu ikhadi lokufowuna elalimcebisa ukuba ajikeleze apho ngekhe afumane khona. Abafazi beva ngayo, bazibuza ngayo, behlebeza ngayo, kwafuneka bayibone, bayibambe, babe nayo-kwaye ngubani yena ukuba abaphike?
Kwaye ngubani esifanele sithandabuze? Ubungqina buyintsimbi. Umfoti woMbutho uJerome Zerbe, ngesibindi, walandela iRubi ukuya kwigumbi lamadoda. Waye watyibilika kamnandi, ibali lahamba, kunye nobukrelekrele, 'Kubonakala ngathi u-Yul Brynner kwi-turtleneck emnyama!' Esicenga ngakumbi: UDoris Duke uxele ku-godson wakhe, Yayiyipenisi ebalaseleyo endakha ndayibona… i-intshi ezintandathu kwisazinge… kufana nje nonyawo lokugqibela lwebhola yebhola yeLouisville Slugger ngokungaguquguquki kwebhola yevoli. Andikwazi ukuyifanisa, kodwa ndiyachukumiseka.
Iivenkile zesini kunye nemidlalo yayingezizo zodwa izinto ebomini bukaRubi, nangona kunjalo. Uchithe ixesha lakhe elininzi kwizikimu zokwenza imali tawdry ezingazange zihlawulwe-wayengenguye, wayevuma ngembeko, uninzi losomashishini. Waqhubeka nokuzenza luncedo kuTrujillo, owayesele ethembele, enomdla, koqhakamshelwano lweRubi, udumo, kunye nokudityaniswa kwepalaver kunye nomtsalane njengezixhobo zobuchule ... Ngubani onokukholelwa ukuba umntu onje ngenene wayeyinto ebalulekileyo kumatshini kaTrujillo wamandla? Wabizwa ngokuba ngu-Ammeli eCuba, emva koko waba ngumhloli woonozakuzaku, igig ebonwabileyo eParis. Kwaye xa wagwetyelwa uNcedo, uRubi wenza uhlobo olufanayo lweenkonzo kunyana wakhe ophakathi kwengqondo, uRamfis. Wenza iphulo elikhulu lokufuna izinto zaseDominican, ezama ukweyisela uWashington ukuba ulawulo lukaTrujillo lwaluyinto ebalulekileyo yokulwa ubuKomanisi kwiCaribbean, kwaye wachukumisa uKennedys, awayenobungane naye — ukuhamba ngenqanawa eHyannisport, ehamba noMongameli kunye neSinatra kunye Lawfords….
Xa ubukhosi bukaTrujillo ekugqibeleni bachithwa kwaza kwafakwa idemokhrasi ebuthathaka, umsebenzi kaRubi waphela. Ngenxa yoko, ukungaziphathi kakuhle kwakhe kwakungasekho, kwaye ekugqibeleni wayenobungozi kuphando olwenziwa yiNew York D.A. ngokuzibandakanya kwakhe ekucingeleni, kumashumi eminyaka ngaphambili, kunye nokubulawa kwabantu abaninzi abachasene noTrujillo. Wabaleka engenzakalanga, kodwa ubomi bakhe obusebenzayo babuphelile.
Wayemkhathalele umfazi wakhe wesihlanu kunye nowokugqibela, u-Odile Rodin, ongumdlali weqonga oneminyaka engama-28 emncinci, kodwa wayekhula ekhululekile ngokuhlala kwabo eParis. Wayeneminyaka engama-56, kwaye nomzimba wakhe usuthatha kancinci. Nge-8 kusasa ngoJulayi 5, 1965, emva kobusuku obuchithwe kubhiyozelwa itumente ye-polo eyimpumelelo, wayiphazamisa iFerrari yakhe yesilivere eBois de Boulogne. Wayehamba iikhilomitha ezingama-80 ngeyure, kwaye wayeyedwa.
Emva konyaka, uHarold ( Abaphethe iikhaphethi URobbins wapapasha inoveli ethengiswa kakhulu egxile kubomi bukaRubi. (Igama elithi loins lidlala rhoqo.) Kwabizwa Abakhenkethi , iqhawe layo labizwa ngokuba nguDax, kwaye abalinganiswa babandakanya abalingisi abafihliweyo abanjengoKennedys, uDoris Duke, uOleg Cassini, uMaria Callas, uElsa Maxwell, uZsa Zsa Gabor, uDanielle Darrieux, uTrujillos-ufumana umfanekiso. Zonke zazichongwa ngephanyazo, kwaye kwakungekho nanye kuzo eyayikholeleka ukude. UDax wayenesidima kunoRubi-ukuthanda ilizwe ngokunyaniseka- kodwa, ndiyoyika, kancinci ukuhlekisa. Kwiminyaka embalwa kamva, eli phephancwadi linamaphepha angama-781 (ndibeka intlawulo yokulwa) laguqulelwa kwiiyure ezintathu ze-schlock-fest yomdlalo bhanyabhanya, obonisa njengoDax umdlali weYugoslavia oselula ogama linguBekim Fehmiu, onguMnu. U-Levy ubeka, kujongeka njengomnqamlezo owonakeleyo weRingo Starr noJean-Paul Belmondo. Olunjani ukudana usizi ngobuhle, umtsalane, iRubi yehlabathi.
Kwelinye icala, kukho le biografi intsha, eyenza into enokuba ligalelo elihlala lihleli-hayi nomxholo wayo, kodwa ngokusebenzisa ngobuqhophololo uhlobo lolunye uhlobo lwesiNgesi. Ngokuphindaphindiweyo, uMnu Levy ufumana amagama namabinzana phantse ngokuchanekileyo; uqala ukuzibuza ukuba ingaba nguye okanye nguwe ophambeneyo. Imizekelo nje embalwa: Kwakubonakala ngathi isiphelo selizwe sihlala sihamba; Ingubo yangaphantsi yabantwana awayeyinxiba njengobomvu kubanda obumangalisayo; ikharavani yeelori… ijikelezwe kwikomkhulu; Yanceda ukuba nokulingana nokuhlekisa ngawe; Wadlala okwexeshana; Emva koko uBarbara wafika, kwaye olo lonwabo lucime ngokukhawuleza; waziphalaza uAlexis; Ubukho bakhe babugqityiwe; ishiya ngasemva inqaku elifundwayo, kumongo walo, 'Ndiyadika'; Waqhuba iRamfis ngesandla sejinja; Ngentsimbi yeshumi elinanye wonke umntu wayefile.
Ngaba abahleli eFourth Estate bacoca kude ngaphambili Umdlali wokugqibela wokudlala uye ku cinezela? Hayi. Kwincwadi yakhe yokuvuma, umbhali utyhola uRachel Safko, owayesebenza kwi-ofisi yamapolisa ezendlela, noDavid Falk, owayekwangumnumzana ngokulinganayo kwikopi yakhe. Umnumzana uLevy ukwakwelityala elingapheliyo learhente zakhe uRichard Pine kunye noLori Anderman, amaqabane am amade kulwaphulo-mthetho lwe-genteel. Endikhumbuza ukuba ndivume apha ityala lam elingapheliyo ku-Adam Begley, umhleli wam wexesha elide we-genteel.
Uh-oh-ingaba olu hlobo lwento lunokubamba?
URobert Gottlieb wayengumhleli oyintloko we Knopf kunye nomhleli we ENew Yorker. Ngu Umjongi ’Umgxeki wokudanisa.
