by Ruth Hay
“Ah, there speaks a parent!”
“Don’t laugh! It’s no joke, believe me.”
“Listen Simon, here’s why I am calling. I have been trying to fathom this Helen Dunlop connection and I am stuck in some family history that was news to me. Did you know that our grandmother was married twice and that our mother once had a half sister named Aileen Anne?”
“What! Where did this come from?”
“I take it you are no wiser than I was? It’s a long story. I’ll forward documents to you by e mail in the next few days, Simon, and you can catch up with the research the solicitor in Scotland has been doing on my behalf. I have a sheaf of papers spread out on the floor in front of me at this moment.”
“Wow! You have been busy, Anna Banana.”
“Don’t you dare call me that, Simon. I mean it! If the grandkids get wind of that name, I’ll never forgive you.”
“No danger of that, sis! The grandkids are skiing in B.C. with their parents this week.”
"Good for them! I’ve often wished I had learned to ski.”
“Seriously, though, sis, I did find out some stuff about the more recent past from an unexpected source right here at home.”
“What do you mean? What source?”
“Well, remember when you asked me to check in the old bureau of dad’s for family information? Honestly, I had never really investigated it before. It’s been stuck upstairs in the spare bedroom with other old furniture and I haven’t even glanced at it for years.”
“What did you find Simon? Get to the point! Please!”
“OK. Calm down, I’m not sure it will help us find Helen, but when dad died there was a letter detailing his funeral arrangements and a bequest or two to various charities.
I remember reading the letter as executor and taking care of dad’s wishes but, I have to confess Anna, I did not read right to the end of that letter. I stuffed it back in the bureau with other family papers and forgot about it.”
“Typical male! Curiosity was never your strong point, Simon. So what vital information have I missed?”
“You know, it’s more sad than instructive, sis. The letter was about dad’s regrets in life; a kind of last message to me about things he wished he had done differently.”
“For example? What regrets did he have? You were there when he died Simon.”
“He said he was sorry that he hadn’t spent more time with us when we were children and that he could have been a better father and husband despite the pressure to earn a living for us and provide money for our education, but what surprised me was the part where he claimed he had disappointed our mother by doing something in haste that he later deeply regretted.”
“What on earth was he referring to? I can’t recall mum saying anything like this.”
“It didn’t really resonate with me either until you called today with that question about our grandmother. Now, I’m beginning to think there might be a connection.”
“Simon, if you don’t tell me right now what you are talking about I swear I’ll strangle you over this phone if necessary!!”
“Easy, Anna! I’m just putting it together in my own mind for the first time. Dad wrote that our mother got a strange phone call a day or two before they were leaving for Canada. It was from a woman who claimed she was an aunt who was trying to trace her family.”
“Interesting, but what did this have to do with our dad’s regrets?”
"He warned mum not to have anything to do with this woman in case she was a confidence trickster and only after money. He told mum they had no time to deal with the matter since they were far too busy with packing and other details of the move.”
“So mum never found out who the woman on the phone was?”
“No. Later on, she did write and ask her own mother about this, but was told to forget the whole thing as it was likely a wrong number.”
“Why did dad regret this incident so much that he wrote about it at the end of his life?”
“I can only tell you what dad wrote. It seems that our mother suffered greatly from homesickness in the first years of their life in Canada. She often talked about the strange call and wished she had been able to pursue the woman’s claims. Something about the voice and the woman’s emotion struck a chord in mum that remained with her through the years. She blamed dad for turning away the chance to meet a relative who could have been a real friend. Apparently it was a bone of contention between them for years.”
“How sad! Of course mum had very few relatives that we know of. So, our mother had no clue who this woman might be?”
“No. It seems she gave no name or contact number. She was to call again but, of course, our parents would be gone on their way to Canada by then.”
“Hmm! Simon, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Perhaps I am? You go first.”
“Is it possible that the woman claiming to be an aunt was, in fact, the Helen Dunlop who left money to you and a farm house in Scotland to me?”
“It sounds crazy, all right, but I suppose it’s not impossible.”
“Think about it, Simon, and don’t stop digging through that bureau. I’ll be searching for more evidence at this end and I just might have a place to start.”
“Good luck, Anna. Isn’t this a strange business? All these years in Canada never hearing much about our Scottish roots and suddenly, out of the blue, a voice from the past brings a possible family history to life.”
“History or mystery, Simon, I am not sure yet, but I’ll be working on the answers.
By the way, see if you can find any reference to this Aileen Anne anywhere. It seems she is a lost child.”
“I certainly never heard of her, Anna, but I’ll start looking in earnest now. I’ll send on to you anything I find that might be helpful.”
“Thanks, Simon. I have to go now. Love to all the family.”
“Right! Take care and keep warm, sis. Bye.”
* * *
Well, now, the circumstantial evidence mounts up, thought Anna, as she replaced the receiver and sat back in her chair. She turned to the paper where she had started a family tree and tried to insert the new information, or perhaps new invention was a more accurate term at this point, she admitted to herself.
Using pencil to signify the temporary nature of the notes, she scrawled the name Aileen Anne beside her grandmother Aileen’s name and added a question mark. Another larger question mark followed the name Helen Dunlop and the initials AKA for ‘also known as’. Feeling like some detective on a TV murder mystery show, Anna sighed with frustration. How could she prove Aileen Anne and Helen were the same child?
She knew there had been an adoption. Helen’s admission of this to George McLennan was proof enough, but the link from Helen to Aileen Anne was a pure fantasy of Anna’s and not even tangible enough for Anna to have mentioned it to her brother.
What significance could be placed on the phone call Simon had uncovered from a possible unknown relative to Anna’s mother so long ago? It seemed strange that her mother had clung on to this incident and even blamed her husband for what could only be termed unfortunate timing. Was her mother so homesick that she would grasp at this slender link to family so tightly? Did this mean that her mother missed the few family members from her years in Scotland? Anna knew her mother believed she was an only child. Perhaps there was some reason that deprived her mother of family connections and this was one of the factors that contributed to the move to Canada.
Once more Anna felt annoyed and frustrated. More questions than answers presented themselves. Everywhere she turned there were unknown elements and few people who could be expected to know the answers.
The inevitable conclusion seemed to be that an expedition to Scotland might bring her closer to the source of the information Anna sought. But, was that realistic or magical thinking again?
Who was left alive in Scotland who could help solve the mystery? George had actually known Helen. Were there others who knew
Helen when she was younger or who might have shared confidences with her in the nursing home in Oban?
Anna thought back to her meeting with Bev. A month or two in Scotland was not beyond her means financially. If she was ever to get any peace from these endless questions she might have to make the journey.
Not such a bad choice, she concluded. It would certainly shake me out of my rut and at least I could settle the property issue before I returned home again.
Suddenly, with this tentative decision, Anna was galvanized into action. If the venture was to be brought into the realm of possibility there were so many things to be done.
Immediately, she started an action list on the back of the family tree paper.
Work: (what will Andrew think?)
Apartment: (must talk to Joseph).
Samba: (the girls will be so excited).
Travel arrangements: (where is my passport?)
Accommodations in Scotland: (can I move into the farm right away?)
Packing: (where did I put the cases?)
Weather conditions in Scotland in winter: (I really need more information about the area where Helen’s farmhouse stands).
“Lots to do!” Anna declared to the empty room. “I’d better get started!”
* * *
“Alina, just a quick message. I’ve decided to go to Scotland to find out more about this legacy. I’m off to work now but I will talk to you soon.”
* * *
“Susan? Oh, hi Jake! How are you feeling? Yes, I heard you got a great report from the doctors recently. Good for you! Can you ask Susan to give me a call? I’ll be home tonight after 9:00pm. Thanks and give those beautiful dogs a pat from me. See you soon.”
* * *
“Maria, you’ll get this when you get home tonight. I am going to need some help packing for Scotland since I have no idea about what I’ll need there. Don’t you have a cousin in Glasgow? Any advice will be gratefully received.”
* * *
“Bev, I won’t keep you from your work. I am going to take a couple of months off to investigate the situation in Scotland. Can you check over my accounts and make sure that all possible bills can be paid directly through my bank here. I am thinking I should leave you with a power of attorney for this period. What do you think? I’ll be at the Library until late tonight so you can send me an e mail there if you want.”
* * *
By 8:00pm the Samba group had assembled in the Public Library downtown.
Anna was behind the circulation desk arranging books on the returns cart and when she turned around she was amazed to see them there. They were practically jumping up and down with excitement.
“We just couldn’t wait to see you Anna!” they cried, in chorus. “The news about Scotland is just wonderful. What can we do to help?”
“Well, for one thing,” replied Anna in an urgent whisper, “you can pipe down. My boss doesn’t know about this yet, I was planning to talk to him tonight at closing time.”
“Oops! We’ll wait over here in the conference room if that’s all right.”
Signalling to a junior to take over the desk, Anna followed her friends into the conference room and closed the door firmly.
“Look ladies, I appreciate your enthusiasm but you really didn’t need to come here tonight. I have already asked for your help in the voice messages I left for you earlier. Susan is the only one I didn’t talk to and....”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Anna,” Maria jumped in, “we have agreed to take care of all your requests. I have talked to my cousin Tony’s wife in Glasgow and made a list of packing requirements for Scotland. Bev and Susan will fast track the power of attorney and Alina is standing by with ideas for your apartment’s sublet if you want.”
“Really? You people are fantastic! You certainly don’t let the grass grow under your feet, do you? Or is it that you can’t wait to get rid of me?”
“You know better than that, Anna.” soothed Alina, coming over to put her arms around her friend. “We are just so pleased you have made this decision. Does it mean you know now who the mysterious Helen is?”
“I wish I could say that’s true, Alina. I have learned a bit more from Helen’s lawyer but I can’t really make a solid link from Helen to me that would justify the generosity of the legacy. That’s one of the reasons why I need to go to Scotland. I am hoping to find missing pieces of the puzzle there.”
“Well, you know we are with you one hundred per cent, Anna,” said Susan in her decisive way as she rounded up the other three and headed for the door.
“I suggest we meet together at my place in a week and see what progress we have made. Send any suggestions to me and I’ll set up an agenda.”
“Good grief, Susan!” exclaimed Bev in mock alarm, “it sounds like an official board meeting instead of a Samba help committee.”
“Time is of the essence, my dears,” stated Susan with a chuckle. “Let’s leave the woman in peace to break the news to her boss and don’t forget to keep in touch with me about details.”
Maria shook her head at Susan’s manner and passed an envelope to Anna on her way out.
“This is the suggested clothing list. I’ll put a few things aside for you at the store. Come down next week.”
Anna could hear the chatter as her friends exited the Library. They seemed more excited than she was herself, but the encounter made her realize that the die was cast now and she really did need to start the process of moving to another country and an unknown adventure.
A quiet knock interrupted Anna’s sombre thoughts.
Andrew’s head appeared around the door and with a concerned tone in his voice he asked if everything was all right.
Anna took a deep breath and started to fill him in on all that had been happening in her life in the last week or two. Andrew did not seem completely surprised. The request to change her hours to the evening shift had alerted him that something unusual was occurring but he was gracious enough to offer to keep her position open for two months.
“You know how much we value your work here, Anna. I don’t want to lose you but I wouldn’t dream of standing in your way. Let me know what you decide to do if you want to return.”
“Oh, I fully intend to return, Andrew. I should be back in a couple of months, in time to train the summer Library Pages for you. Thank you for being so considerate. May I work for another week or two and sort out everything I can for my replacement?”
The remaining time before closing sped by as Anna and Andrew compiled a list of tasks to be completed. Anna had the distinct feeling that list-making would become increasingly important to her in the next few weeks.
Now that Andrew was aware of the situation, Anna’s mental state shifted into high gear as the reality of her decision struck home. Her mind was so occupied with details that the winter weather made no impact on her at all on the way home to her apartment.
Despite another exciting day full of surprises, she could not sleep immediately and found herself in bed making notes at midnight. It was essential to complete some research before her work at the Library came to an end, so she had to arrive early on Friday and also produce a schedule of work over the next two months for whoever filled her position.
She fell asleep, finally, with the bedside lamp shining on pen and papers scattered over the bed covers.
Chapter Nine
On the last day, Anna was in a fever of excitement and frantically dashing from place to place making the final arrangements before she met the ground transportation bus to Toronto airport.
Alina was by her side, attempting to create a calming influence, but Anna’s fear that she was making a huge mistake in pursuing this mad dream in a foreign land was causing her to be so distracted that she could not complete even a simple task without panicking.
Two substantial cases were open on the bed and a packing list supplied by Maria was almost checked off.
“I don’t know, Alina, these new clothes are all too good to wear
on something described as a farm house. I’ll throw in some jeans and a sweatsuit, I think. What about this lined raincoat Maria made me buy? Do you think it’s warm enough for March?”
Fearing that her friend’s second-guessing might lead to a last-minute re-packing episode, Alina agreed with everything Anna said and deftly closed and locked one of the cases.
A quick glance at her watch confirmed they should be on their way downtown to the bus terminal in case they were delayed by rush hour traffic.
At least the weather was on their side for once, she thought. It was a good day for the beginning of March. ‘In like a lamb’ as they said, but Alina guessed they would pay for this later in the month. Anna would be well established in Scotland by then, of course.
A shudder went through Alina at the thought of her friend alone, a stranger in a strange land. She wished she could accompany Anna on this trip but spring craft fairs and her contract obligations made it impossible, and perhaps it was more important for Anna to judge the situation for herself and stand on her own two feet. Alina’s mother had always insisted that the A Plus duo were unable to think independently. This opportunity should prove her mother wrong, once and for all.
“I’ll take this case down to the car, Anna. Take a last look around and meet me at the entrance in a couple of minutes. I’ll send Joseph up to lock up for you and give you a hand with the other case.”
The two-hour bus trip to Toronto sped by for Anna. She had begged the women of Samba not to see her off as she suspected an emotional farewell would totally unnerve her.
A final hug from Alina was bad enough, but settling herself in a seat with carry-on bag at her feet and purse on her lap occupied the first few minutes and allowed Anna to compose herself.
In fact, she was worn out with decisions and organization. Never having left home for such a long period, she had no idea how much effort it would take to get to the actual point of departure. Yet, she was unable to relax. There was no incentive to sit back in comfort and watch the scenery roll by. The Ontario farmland’s wintery bare fields punctuated by clumps of stark trees held no fascination. The cars and trucks streaming by on the multi-laned 401 highway flashed past so quickly that there was no chance to make even brief visual contact with the occupants and wonder where they might be heading.
