Prairie Fire

by Djuna Shellam

  Dot smiled at Em. “I’m not so sure that’s true. I truly believe all of us becoming family was in our destiny. And anyway, what a damn shame that would be not to, hmmm?”

  Wondering the connection all night long, and seeing the perfect opportunity to inquire, Jill asked innocently, “How did you three meet?”

  Em, Eve and Dot looked at Jill, then each other, then back to Jill.

  “Oh, boy,” Dot said slowly, “Now there’s a story.”

  5.7—By Accident

  Dot hemmed and hawed. “I don’t know if we want to go into all that tonight.”

  Awkwardness blanketed the moment until Em made a decision.

  “It’s okay, Dottie,” Em interrupted. “It’s okay.” She exhaled slowly, then said solemnly, “I’ll tell the story.”

  Eve put her hand on Em’s. “You sure?” she asked quietly and with concern. Em never talked about the accident with anyone except for Eve, and only on rare occasions. Sometimes she and Dot would reference it, but always obscurely.

  Em nodded.

  Jill was puzzled, wondering what the mystery and apparent drama was surrounding their friendship. Waverly had never told her the ins and outs of the relationship between Eve, Em and Dot. He always felt it was something Jill should learn directly from them.

  Em hesitated. She had never told the story to anyone outside of the three of them, Prairie and Fiona. She’d referred to it in her writings, and spoke vaguely or in general terms of her accident, but never specifically or in detail. But for some beguiling reason, Jill reminding her of Prairie compelled Em to share her tale. She drew in a deep breath, searched her memory for the best place to start, and began.

  “I was in the Air Force, stationed on the same base with Eve’s sister, Alice, and Dot—Dottie was our Base Commander.” Em looked at the tiled floor. “Alice and I were best friends and eventually, lovers,” Em said softly.

  Jill’s eyebrows rose as she sucked her breath in and stole a glance at Eve, trying desperately not to show her shock, but failed miserably.

  Em continued. “Everything was good between us. Great. Amazing, really. We were totally in love. We had to keep the nature of our relationship a secret because of military regulations, but it was working. Over the Memorial Day weekend we went to Dallas, alone, away from the military and the world and had an incredible time. It was…” Em momentarily drifted back in time. She could hear the hum of the hotel room air conditioning, hear Alice’s voice, feel her touch. Em shook her head to bring herself back to the present.

  “When we came back, our sweet little world blew up.” She stopped, remembering driving onto base and standing in the parking lot waiting for Alice to come back, not knowing what was happening over on Mitch’s street. “While we were gone, a friend of ours killed himself.”

  Eve softly rubbed Em’s back, giving her comfort and support.

  “Somehow,” Em continued softly, “I still don’t really know how or why, but the brass…” Em cast a regretful glance at Dot. As much as she didn’t want to divulge that Dot was part of the tragedy, it was the truth and an important part of the story. “The brass determined that he killed himself because he was gay—he wasn’t—which started a base-wide investigation by the OSI. Um, that’s the Office of Special Investigations.” Dot nodded for Em to continue, though she was ashamed of what was coming. Her pride over Em sharing her account of what happened, however, trumped any shame she might have had. Eve gripped Em’s hand firmly.

  “When she figured out what was happening, Alice completely freaked out and pulled away from me. It was like she just shut off her feelings for me. In an instant. I was… devastated. Beyond sad. I didn’t know how she could just… transform.” Em stopped as she was awash in memories from that time.

  “Anyway, right after our friend’s funeral, there was a tornado, and Allie and I got trapped in the storm cellar in the chapel, and, we, um…” Em blushed, hoping no one would see the passion she was remembering, especially Eve.

  “We made up. Suddenly everything was great again. I thought we were… But our reconciliation was short-lived.” Em stopped again. She hated to think of what happened next, especially with Dot sitting right there. She had forgiven Dot once Dot explained what had happened and why she felt she had to do what she did, but it still made them both uncomfortable.

  “Em, darlin’,” Dot said gently, “let me tell this part.” Em nodded while Jill and Waverly watched, mesmerized. Something was happening between the three women Jill and Waverly didn’t understand, and they were completely intrigued and engrossed in the story. Dot gently twirled Sweet Pea’s ears with her fingers while she told her part of the story.

  “The head of the OSI and the Wing Commander started a witch hunt hoping to find a hotbed of homosexual activity—their words, not mine. I knew what was coming and I couldn’t bear to see those girls found out and drummed out of the service, or worse, so I…” Dot hated this part more than anything. It was one of the worst things she’d ever done in her life and regretted it every day since. “I gave Alice a job she wanted, desperately needed, but in exchange, she had to stop seeing Em. It was not my finest hour a’tall. To my regret, she agreed.”

  “My sister,” Eve said to Jill, “had her priorities mixed up. She… didn’t know who she was. And she wasn’t brave. Not really. She immediately started seeing a guy to give the impression she was straight, and, as it turned out, he was undercover with the OSI. Yeah. He probably didn’t even care about Alice, but she…”

  “Broke my heart,” Em said, finishing Eve’s sentence. “I was destroyed and, I…” Em closed her eyes, embarrassed. “I started drinking. Heavily. I’m not proud of it, and regret it more than…” Em blew air, puffing her cheeks.

  “I got really drunk at the base Fourth of July picnic; I mean, blind. Apparently, I was passed out when Alice found me. She and the OSI guy were driving me back to base when we were hit head on outside the base by a drunk driver.” Em closed her eyes again, trying for the millionth time to remember, but she only ever got glimpses of being in the back seat of the car. “Everyone… died, but… me.”

  Jill gasped. No one said a word for several minutes, trying to absorb what Em had just shared. Eve couldn’t bear thinking how Em must feel, and hated that she was moved to tell the story. Dot wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek.

  “Emmy was in bad, bad shape,” Dot continued. “She almost lost her leg, had lost the will to live, especially after Alice, and, it was awful. I felt responsible. I was responsible. But… I saw her. I understood her. I felt I had to fight for her when she couldn’t and wouldn’t fight for herself.”

  “If it weren’t for Dottie,” Eve added, “Em might never have walked again, and probably would have died from a broken heart.”

  “It’s true,” Em agreed somberly.

  “Now, now.” Dot protested. “I know y’all want to give me the credit for Em… y’know, being in the shape she is today, y’all gettin’ together and all—” Dot began solemnly, but was briefly interrupted.

  “Because you deserve it, Dottie,” Eve insisted.

  “No, no, now, listen to me, Evie,” Dot urged. “I merely got the process started. The one you should be thankin’ every single day, the real miracle worker, is that little red-headed firebrand, Prairie Vaughn. You know I’m tellin’ the truth, right, Em?” Dot looked to Em.

  Em looked into Dot’s face and shook her head affirming Dot’s proclamation. Yes, Dot may have gotten her to California, and got Prairie to take her case, but it was indeed Prairie who put her back together.

  “That’s true,” Eve admitted. As much as she wanted, for Dot’s sake, to herald her as the one and only savior, she knew that Prairie had made the difference in her life. That she was not permanently crippled, and mostly able-bodied, was testament to Prairie’s talent, patience, perseverance, and love.

  Jill’s mind was reeling. She didn’t realize when she asked about their relationship that it was that deep and dramatic. But she was still confu
sed.

  “I had no idea when I asked.” Jill paused. “How did, how did the three of you… how did you become… so close? I mean, you really are closer than any family I’ve ever met.”

  The three women smiled because it was true. They had been through a lot together, and the truth was, the story of the accident merely scratched the surface.

  5.8—The Rest of the Story

  Dot chose to begin, to tell the connection from her perspective.

  “After the accident, I spent a lot of time with Evie here and her momma, Ev, at the hospital while Alice was in a coma. We became real close in those days of waiting. After the… the unthinkable happened…” Dot still couldn’t bring herself to say out loud that Alice died. “… and Ev and Eve went back home, we stayed in touch over the years. Phone calls, letters, Christmas and birthday cards, visits here and there—all the normal stuff. At first, it was that I felt responsible for everything happenin’, but after a time, I just fell in love with them, especially this one,” Dot smiled lovingly at Eve.

  “And we loved you, too, Dot,” Eve responded fondly. “And you know we never blamed you. It was an accident. And anyway,” Eve sadly conceded, “Allie would have died at some point with that horrible thing in her head, so…”

  “Well…” Dot shook her head, unable to separate herself from the responsibility no matter what anyone told her.

  “Dot kept in touch with me, too,” Em added. “All through the years. No matter what, she would always get a hold of me to see how I was doing. She wrote letters, beautiful letters, sent cards, postcards whenever she traveled, lunch or dinner when she and Ivey were in town—she called me almost every week…” Em stopped speaking and patted her chest, still moved by Dot’s devotion to her.

  “After mom was… after she died,” Waverly interjected, hating to think of those days, but felt it was an important aspect to the bond that had formed between them all, “Auntie Eve came to stay with us, and whenever she had to leave for work, Auntie Em would come to… help.”

  “It’s true,” Dot agreed with a mixture of sadness and pride. “I don’t know what we would have done without these girls.”

  Em and Eve nodded, remembering what a terrible time it was for Dot and Waverly, grateful they were each available to help when needed.

  Jill snuggled up to Waverly, filled with emotion at what she was witnessing. “I had no clue,” she marveled. “But…” She looked to Em, then Eve, still not understanding how they got together, and wondered how they dealt with Em’s previous relationship with Eve’s sister, Alice.

  Eve smiled mischievously. “Oh, you’re wondering how we got together through everything that happened?”

  Jill breathed a sigh of relief and flashed a big, bright white smile. “Yes!”

  Em and Eve looked at each other lovingly, remembering what brought them together. Eve looked at her watch. “Well, it’s late so I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version.”

  Jill laughed. “Okay, I’ll take it.”

  “Shall I?” Eve asked Em.

  “Be my guest, love.”

  “Okay, here goes,” Eve said, chuckling to herself, happy to introduce some levity into the serious subject. “Once upon a time there was a big earthquake—I mean, a really big earthquake—a homeless girl, a rich girl with a mansion, a secret journal, a ginormous boat and a terrible storm. Mansion girl gives homeless girl a place to stay, former homeless girl rescues mansion girl and… they lived happily ever after.” Em and Eve laughed, Dot and Waverly who knew the more detailed story groaned, while Jill furrowed her brow, completely lost.

  “Evie, ugh, that was terrible!” Em chided good-naturedly.

  “You can say that again,” Dot proclaimed. “Don’t quit your day job, gal,” Dot added, laughing heartily because Eve’s day job was actually acting and directing, and sometimes writing scripts.

  “I thought it would make a great movie of the week,” Eve quipped. “No?”

  “Well, maybe a version of the story,” Dot teased, “but not that version.”

  “I don’t get it,” Jill complained.

  “What?” Eve exclaimed with feigned confusion.

  Waverly scoffed. “Let me tell it,” Waverly suggested confidently. “I’ve heard the story a million times, y’know.”

  “Oh, this ought to be good,” Eve quipped, winking at Waverly.

  “Okay,” he began in earnest, speaking directly to Jill. “Remember the Northridge earthquake, Jilli?” Jill nodded her head. “Well, it left Auntie Eve homeless and she couldn’t find anywhere to stay. She found Auntie Em who let Auntie Eve stay with her. One thing led to another, they fell in love on Em’s yacht, and… well, the rest is history!” Waverly looked smug in his telling of Em and Eve’s story. “And now you know… the rest of the story,” he said with a poor imitation of Paul Harvey.

  “Oh, son, you are no Paul Harvey,” Dot quipped, shaking her head. “That’s for danged sure.”

  “Well, um… okay, Wave. But you only left out, well… everything,” Em teased. “But that’s all right. We’ll save that epic story for another time. I hope you don’t mind, Jill. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m about ready to head upstairs.”

  Dot involuntarily yawned. “Ahhh! I’m right with ya, kid. What a lovely evening with y’all. I just love havin’ my tribe near me all the time. Best birthday ever! Wave, Jill, don’t worry about the kitchen. I’ll attack it in the mornin’ when I get up with the dadgum birds.” Dot gave hugs to Waverly and Jill.

  “Go on up to bed,” Waverly said as he hugged Dot back. “We’ll close the house up before we head over to the guesthouse. I love you, Mama.”

  “I love you back, son. C’mon, Sweet Pea. Let’s go beddy ‘bye.”

  Em and Eve stood up and hugged both Waverly and Jill. “Good night, you two,” Eve said. “Jill, it was so wonderful to meet you.”

  “You, too,” Jill replied warmly. “Thanks for sharing your amazing story. See you in the morning?”

  “You will,” Em said. “Thanks for the incredible dinner, Wave. You did a wonderful job, honey. I’m so impressed by you. Good night. Come on, Dottie,” Em said, taking Dot’s arm as they headed into the house. Em was still limping, with each step being a struggle.

  “You alright, gal?” Dot asked as the three of them walked arm in arm, slowly through the house toward the stairs.

  “A-okay, Dottie.” She wasn’t really, but Em knew it was temporary. She’d be fine the next day or the day after that.

  “I’m proud of you, sweetie,” Dot said softly to Em. “I know it wasn’t easy to tell your story. You’ve not done that before, have you,” Dot stated.

  “No… I haven’t. There was something about Jill that reminded me so much of Prairie… I don’t know what came over me. I felt almost compelled to tell her. And… you know, it was fine.” Em looked at Eve who seemed bewildered at Em’s revelation. “I’ll tell you about it upstairs, babe.” Eve gently squeezed Em’s arm.

  “I knew she’d remind you of Prairie. That’s the first thing I thought when Wave introduced her. Things are good with y’all, didn’t you say?” Dot inquired as they reached the bottom of the stairs where they stopped.

  “Yeah. I guess. I get the odd postcard when she’s traveling with the team. A brief phone call here and there,” Em admitted regretfully, silently vowing she would make an effort in the future to stay in touch more often.

  “She was really somethin’, wasn’t she?” Dot asked, then said to Eve, “I know you didn’t know her, but she really was somethin’ else. You would have loved her. I know I did. Well, she and Jill could be sisters.”

  Em looked startled. “That’s exactly what I thought, Dot!”

  Dot chuckled. “Great minds, eh kiddo? Come on, let’s get upstairs. I’m bushed.”

  “I’m with you,” Eve said sleepily.

  As they climbed the stairs, single file, Em was silent as she had mini flashbacks of her time with Prairie, her emotions. Why was thinking about Prairie evoking
such strong memories?

  Dot, too, was thinking about Prairie as she went off to her own room, recalling how it all started. She smiled as she remembered Prairie’s nickname. “Wonder Woman. That you were, gal,” Dot said under her breath and grinned as she entered her room, waited for Sweet Pea to follow her in, and then closed the door.

  SIX

  Wonder Woman

  6.1—1976

  “She’s not gettin’ any better and I want to know why,” Colonel Dorothy Baverstock complained sternly. “Every time I go over to the hospital to see her, I see no change a’tall, ‘cept maybe she’s worse. Please educate me—how is that possible, Mr. Waits?”

  Dan Waits, exasperated, clutched the receiver of his beige phone, momentarily feigning strangling it. “Ma’am, as I told you many times before, Sergeant Martín will only improve when she wants to improve,” he said for what he thought might be the thousandth time. “And right now, she doesn’t. She’s belligerent, and frankly, downright nast…”

  “Mr. Waits,” The Colonel interrupted condescendingly. “Your job is to help injured people rehabilitate and get on with their lives—it is not to judge them. And despite you telling me the same thing again and again, it doesn’t change the fact that you are not doing your job.” The Colonel banged her fist on her desk. “Sergeant Martín has suffered a terrible, terrible trauma in her life—you should understand by now in your career how to handle that sort of thing.”

  The forty-two year old Waits sighed. As always, The Colonel’s tone was firm and protective, and it was obvious to Waits the conversation would end as it always did—he was a good-for-nothing loser who should consider digging ditches instead of doing the important and life-changing work of a physical therapist, blah, blah, blah. According to Colonel Baverstock, anyway. It was time to shut up and transition into his “yes, ma’am” mode and pray she’d end her tirade sooner than later so he could get back to work, where he might perhaps perfect being a “good-for-nothing.” Unfortunately, today was not going to be a typical day.