Jenny strolled down the winding stone path, her feet crunching the thyme between the stones giving off its intoxicating aroma. It joined the fragrance released by the other flowers and then as she got close to the gazebo platform the scent of her beloved wildflowers kicked in. By the time she sat on the wooden arm chair she was dizzy from the overwhelming dazzling colours of the different flowers and the unique perfume each gave off.
She was so happy the milkweed plants had attracted the Monarch butterflies so quickly. The landscaper was surprised to see so many. In all the years of landscaping in the city he had never seen such a multitude of them. He attributed it to the array of flowers and wildflowers. The yard was literally bursting with so much colour that the butterflies couldn’t help but notice as they flew overhead and wanted to spend the summer there.
Jenny liked that analysis and yet she felt there was something else. She had a special bond with the Monarchs and often thought that amongst all of the ones in her yard there was one for each of her loved one’s. It would only be a matter of time for her to recognize Tammy, her dad and mom. Jenny would know when one sat on her hand which it was, just like Carlos knew when one came in his mother’s spirit each year.
Henry’s letter fell on her lap as she opened her diary. She read it and then reread it. She could feel his love so strong and deep. Hers was the same for him. A tear fell on the letter as she turned to the inside back of the front cover and got the key out of a little paper pocket and opened up the back half of her diary. The part where she had written so many private thoughts over the years since she was fifteen.
She unlocked it and paged through to where she had penned a prayer of hope and love inspired by the closing sentence of the last letter she’d written to Henry, the one that contained the pewter angel. “Even though we are far apart, you are forever in my heart.”
Jenny was still in awe that Henry would close the letter to her, not only with the identical pewter angel inside, but also with this very sentence as well! The only explanation Jenny could think of was that it was their guardian angels who had prompted such a miracle to occur.
A tear fell on the page beside the stain of other ones that had fallen over the years as she softly whispered the poem once more.
The star of the east we both can see,
its bright rays your warmth caressing me.
I long for evening on this special day,
for the star of the east to gleam my way,
to fill my heart through our star
with all your love, though from afar.
Jenny ran a finger over the words and smiled. How true the poem was. Each time she gazed at the star in the eastern sky, she felt enveloped by its shimmering rays as if Henry were there, holding her hand. And then the warm love from the star began to fade and Jenny now knew why. It was when he had met Julean and got married. Tammy had found out from a conversation she had with Henry’s mother that he had gotten married at that time. What puzzled Jenny though was why was she feeling the love return? For the past few months when she gazed at the star that same warm feeling was coming back and growing stronger each time.
Jenny gazed at the poem she had added exactly a year later to the one she just read. It was 1959, three years to the day that they had met in Mr. Engelmann’s store. The yearning and longing for her first love was so strong that she just had to share that magic moment with her diary:
I’ll always remember the day we met,
Into your arms I was easily swept.
‘Twas your eyes drew me, clear and bright,
Into the depth of your heart with pure delight.
Oh, dear, sweet Henry on our anniversary day
I send an angel just to say
I’ll love you forever, come what may.
Amazingly, that same yearning and longing for Henry was still the same. She could very well have written that same poem just now.
Jenny recalled how beautiful that day was as she sat in the garden of her parent’s estate. Just as she had finished writing the poem, Carlos came by. He was not only an incredible gardener but became such a dear friend. Besides, Tammy, he was perhaps the only other person who could see into her heart.
When she spoke of Camilla that morning, he knew instantly that Camilla was her daughter. He knew too, that she missed and loved Henry. He was so insightful and his words so heartfelt she found herself opening up to him as easily as if he had been a life long friend. Jenny would never forget that as they spoke a blue butterfly had landed on her arm and the words he spoke, “A beautiful butterfly sometimes appears following the departure of a loved one. It is an expression of love and comfort to the one who remains behind.”
His words were so soothing, sincere and described perfectly what she was feeling and thinking. She, too, thought the butterfly was a gift to comfort her and that there was a spiritual side to nature and its creatures, especially butterflies. She had felt silly at the time sharing that with Carlos but he quickly confirmed the possibility with such faith and sharing that she never questioned her belief in butterflies, and how they come at times in disguise as angels, again.
“Oh, no, Senorita Jenny, butterflies remind us of the beauty of love and our loved ones.” Carlos had said, and later he confirmed that the blue butterfly resting on her hand was a gift of love from her loved one and that he could see in her eyes how deeply her love was for Henry.
She missed Carlos and wished he were there now, walking up the stone paved lane coming to her to stop and chat for a moment or two. Tears surfaced as she thought of those memorable times in the estate garden.
She thought when she wed James that she would never be able to recapture the beauty of her parent’s garden and the work Carlos had done to make it so beautiful. But Carlos had tried to console her, that the estate she was going to the gardener there would surely fill her heart with just as much beauty.
As usual, the insightful gardener was right. Thomas was an amazing gardener, too and had created for her a haven that assuaged her heart time and again during those lonely and difficult years in Greystone Manor. Thomas became a dear friend too, just like Carlos. His heart was filled with beauty as well, and was just as insightful and sensitive to others. Jenny concluded that it just couldn’t be any other way for both men to be so. It was just a natural by-product of being immersed day in and day out in God’s creations.
Jenny raised her chin upwards so the sun could catch her entire face. She loved the warmth her friend always gave to her. From previous habit on the estate, Jenny pushed her feet against the floor of the gazebo thinking she was on a swing. It jarred her and she opened her eyes only to see the glistening wildflowers and the butterflies flitting about them, touching each flower as if kissing its petals.
It was such a beautiful day and the garden looked so beautiful. If only James would send her the Angel of Thanksgiving, the garden would be complete and perfect. She missed the peace and memories it gave to her of her father.
She allowed her gaze to return to the diary and read the poems again. She knew by doing so she was torturing herself but couldn’t help it. The yearning and longing was so deep in her heart. Jenny could hardly wait for evening to gaze at the star of the east and feel the warmth of the rays.
Just then a blue butterfly landed on her hand. Blue always reminded her of Henry as blue was his favourite colour. Sunlight glowed through its gossamer wings. As Jenny studied and admired the depths of its colours she knew if Carlos were here he would say the butterfly was sent from Henry as a message of love on the wings of a butterfly.
“Oh, thank you, Henry,” Jenny whispered, wanting so deeply to believe in the possibility.
“Yes, Carlos you are so right. She could feel the comfort and message of love.”
Perhaps it was the coolness of the evening or the warmth of the stars rays sneaking through the tall fir trees that woke Jenny. The first thing she notice
d was the first star of the east shining directly on her. She must have fallen asleep earlier that afternoon. Her diary still lay open on her lap. It was too dark to read the poems not that she needed the light anyway. She knew every word by heart.
She rested her head once again on the back of the high lawn chair and gazed at the star feeling its shimmering rays as if Henry were there placing his arms around her. She couldn’t get over how strong she felt Henry’s love. Could it be possible that he was sending out his love to her? She knew Henry’s heart, he would never do anything to hurt his wife…what was happening, she wondered?
She recalled the night when Tammy told her about making a wish on a shooting star. She believed that if you made a wish as soon as you saw a star streak across the sky, the star’s dust would settle in your heart and your wish would come true. It did for Tammy. She wished that Robbie would come back to her and that they would get married, and they did.
She had shared her deepest wish with Tammy that night too when they revealed their hearts desire to one another. She had always prayed to her guardian angel that she wanted to look into Henry’s green eyes and kiss his warm, tender lips. It was denied to her the day she left Regina with her father to fly to Ottawa.
Henry had come to see her off and her heart fluttered with joy. She ran into his waiting arms and just as they were about to kiss and gaze into each other’s eyes, her mother grabbed her arm and tore her from Henry’s embrace. She pleaded to her mother to let go but she was unrelenting and dragged her to the taxi. Jenny had never got over that longing desire to kiss her sweetheart, and it was something she wished for to this very day.
Well, at least she had received some closure to it all by finally receiving Henry’s letter. It was so good of her Mom to give it to her. They had kept their promise to one another to write, and it seemed that their love was still so real and alive.
Jenny gazed into the evening sky. The star of the east was no longer visible as more and more stars budded in the growing night. She wondered if her wish would ever come true. She had made her wish on a shooting star. It was the night she and James had visited Tammy and Chloe in her parent’s basement suite. After James brought her home she went out to the patio and gazed into the sky, and saw a shooting star streak across the sky. And she had made her wish. She felt so hopeful at the time, as the star dust settled in her heart, but nothing ever came of it.
Tammy said that it sometimes takes a long time for a wish to be answered. In fact, she had even forgotten about hers until one evening when she saw the sky filled with a bunch of shooting stars. It was such a festive, spectacular array of dazzling colour. It reminded her of the wish she had made and moments after, Robbie called. The rest was history.
Jenny wondered, if she saw a kaleidoscope of shooting stars in the sky would it mean that her wish just might be coming true?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mary had been cleaning out the bedroom closet for an hour when she thought she heard the telephone ring. She laid the dress down, which she was considering giving away, and ran to the kitchen to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, Mom, were you out in the garden? I was ready to hang up. It rang at least eight times.”
“Oh, I was in the bedroom sorting out the closet, deciding what to give to the Salvation Army. I thought the phone was ringing, but I guess I was too deep in thought.”
“Well, I’m glad you caught it in time. Have you started lunch, yet?”
“No, not yet, but I can make a lunch soon enough, it’s still early.”
“Are you sure, Mom? I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“Oh no, it’s no problem, at all. You know how much I enjoy having you come home.”
“Okay, then, I’ll be by around noon.”
“Yes, I’ll look forward to seeing you, then. Bye.”
Mary returned to cleaning out the closet for another hour before stopping to prepare lunch for her and Henry.
The thought of Henry coming for lunch made her look up towards the top shelf of the closet before she closed the door. She stepped back and raised herself up on her tiptoes. Even though it sat at the very back of the shelf, the shimmering light surrounding her treasure chest was clearly visible. Mary knew the unexplainable light was from Jenny’s letter. A chill swept through her as a constant reminder of the decision she’d made many years ago.
She stepped forward with the intent of bringing the chest down, but then decided not to. It still bothered her that she kept it from Henry and that she hadn’t kept her agreement with Mrs. Sarsky to destroy the letter.
Mary looked into the dresser mirror. She recalled vividly that day she decided to keep the letter from Henry and store it in her treasure box. She remembered looking into the mirror hoping to see in her eyes that she had made the correct decision. But, like back then, the reflection before her only confirmed that what she and Mrs. Sarsky had agreed to do was wrong. No one, not even the love of a mother has the right to decide the fate of their child.
Henry had a right to know and a right to decide his own future, but so many circumstances at the time all seemed to work against doing the right thing: Henry and Julean were getting married in less than two weeks, Jenny too, was engaged and soon to be married, the pact she made with Mrs. Sarsky, and Henry had seemed to have forgotten about Jenny and had moved on with his new love. The uproar and trouble and turmoil it would have caused for all concerned would have been too formidable.
It all made so much sense then, what she and Mrs. Sarsky had done, and yet, a brief glance into the mirror was all it took to convict her, again. Immediately stirring up the guilt she’d felt all these years. Not even a Novena to Saint Therese could absolve her of her wrongdoing. She had prayed to her patron Saint, over and over again, but all to no avail. Finally Mary accepted the fact that neither a Saint nor God could absolve her for what she had done. She’d made the wrong decision and peace would elude her until she corrected it.
As Mary shuffled her way to the kitchen, she unlocked the front door in anticipation of Henry’s arrival. She, like Henry, tried to revive the good old days when Henry lived at home and he would burst through the front door hardly able to contain himself from devouring the meal she always had prepared for him. Oh, how she missed those days, those precious days.
Mary opened the cupboard and took out some vegetables, deciding to make Henry his favourite meal. She carried the vegetables over to the sink, took out a knife, and began peeling the potatoes, reciting Hail Mary’s as she did so. When she started peeling the onions, tears welled up in her eyes, but it wasn’t because of the sting from the onions, rather it was the sting of guilt that she just couldn’t seem to shake herself loose of.
The gallery had been bustling all morning. Henry spent most of it with a couple just starting their art collection. They decided to take two of his works home on approval for a day or two. They liked both paintings, but could only afford one. “On approval” would allow them to see how the paintings looked in their home so they could decide which painting they like best. Most times, the customer ended up keeping both.
Justin had been busy as well helping the framer assemble some of the framing orders. Both the framer and Henry were impressed with Justin’s skill for his age. Henry hadn’t had a chance to tell Justin about his plans to see Mom for lunch and hoped he could help look after the shop till he got back.
Finally, the last customer left and Henry told Justin he was going to Mom’s for lunch.
“Not a problem, Dad. I can have my lunch in the back. I don’t need to go to the café. Besides, there is an article I want to read in the framing magazine that came yesterday, about cutting V grooves.”
“Well, I hope you get time to read it. If it’s anything like this morning you may have to put it off for another day. How are you and Doug coming along with Lydia’s paintings? Have you started to frame them for the up
coming exhibition next month?”
“Yeah, I have assembled two of the small ones, still another 18 or so to go. Doug will have to do all the large pieces, but don’t worry, Dad; we’ll have them all done in time.”
“I know you will, Justin, and I know they will look great, as usual.”
Justin smiled then headed into the back of the gallery and the fitting room. Henry followed to retrieve his jacket.
“We’ll see you in an hour and half. I have a meeting with the accountant at one-forty-five, so I should be back by one-thirty. If it gets too busy call Doug to help and Lauren too, if she’s not busy in the café.”
“Have a nice lunch, Dad, and say hello to grandma for me.”
“I will for sure.”
“Hi, Mom,” Henry shouted as he let himself in the front door. The pungent smell of fried potatoes and onions hit his nostrils and stirred his appetite.
“I’m in the kitchen.”
“Where else would you be,” Henry chuckled as he entered the kitchen. As usual, his mother had her hands in the sink.
She turned to him. “Hi, son, I’m so glad to see you.”
Henry stared at his mother standing there at the sink, the light streaming in from the window casting soft shadows on her face.
“I’ve just got to paint a picture of you standing at the sink, Mom, and the way the light brings out your features.”
Henry remained speechless for a few more moments, trying to burn the image of her standing there into his mind’s eye. She ducked bashfully away. Her soft kindly face contained such a quiet strength. Henry hoped someday he would be able to capture that in a portrait of her. He knew it came from her faith.
Henry walked over to Mary and kissed her cheek.
The Angelic Occurrence Page 27
