Celebrations With Jake and Joe

by Roger W Buenger

  “He apologized for getting you involved in looking for my son and said he was sorry about all the trouble he’d made.”

  Typical George, Henry thought. Always trying to help me out.

  “I told him that I understood but then he said something else that got me to thinking,” she said as she stopped cleaning and turned to Henry. “He said that if he could, he would do anything to have just one more second with Claire. That part of his heart was missing, and he would give anything to find it.”

  Henry listened intently to try and follow where this was leading.

  “He asked if maybe my heart was missing a piece too and if I could, would I still want to find my son and get to know him before it was too late.”

  Same old George, working his magic. Henry knew that George was only thinking about Millie’s sense of guilt and loss and he remained silent to allow her to continue,

  “I’ve been thinking, Henry; he’s right. I won’t ever feel totally at peace until I find my son. Let’s find Edward.”

  Chapter 21

  Building on a Strong Foundation

  The week that followed was filled with notable events that were impactful for the residents of Oak Forest. First thing on Monday, Henry traveled to Lewis to do the banking that he had neglected over the weekend. In addition to his usual dealings, he spent nearly an hour in a closed-door meeting with the bank’s president, Tom Donaldson. Both men emerged looking pleased with the meeting, and Henry walked out of the bank with particular vigor in his steps.

  Later that same day, Anne left for New York to attend to her affairs there. She was uncertain exactly how long she would be gone but thought that it might be at least ten days or more before she would return. Henry was unclear as to why she did not have a better idea of when she would be back but gladly assured her that they would hold down the fort until whenever that was. Unbeknownst to him, in addition to gathering more of her belongings and meeting with her publisher, she had a private agenda to pursue. Regardless of the duration of her absence, Henry and Millie offered to check on her house periodically and collect her daily mail.

  Also on Monday, Henry called Carl Johnston and authorized him to follow up on the lead for the Edward James that was born in Athens, Georgia. Henry wanted to know anything and everything about this man, including his current whereabouts. Carl was very understanding of Henry’s situation and apologetic about his role in the mishap. He agreed to devote his full attention to the location of this person and promised to report back to Henry as soon as possible.

  On Tuesday, Joe made a visit to Dr. Miller’s office to get a checkup and to see how her pregnancy was progressing. The veterinarian was extremely pleased with her appearance and weight gain and pledged that Joe was “right on schedule” to deliver her babies. Also, she could see no reason why the expectant mother would have trouble delivering her litter naturally.

  “Any idea how many of the little scamps there are going to be?” Henry asked.

  “Well, I felt around and I’m thinking you’re looking at five. I might have missed one, though,” Dr. Miller replied. “If you like, we can do an x-ray and see for sure.”

  “Isn’t the radiation bad for those little ones?” Millie asked with concern.

  “It shouldn’t harm them to take just one if you are curious,” she replied.

  Shouldn’t harm them?

  “No thanks, we can wait to find out,” Henry stated firmly. He had no intention of risking anyone’s well-being over his own curiosity or impatience.

  “All right then, Mom and Dad, I’d say you have a very healthy little momma here,” the doctor declared as she gently petted Joe’s neck and then handed her over to Millie.

  “Are we still thinking sometime mid-June?” Henry inquired.

  “Let’s see,” she said, looking at a calendar hanging on the wall of the examination room. “Today is May 12th, so based on her size and the way the kittens feel, I’m thinking we’re looking at more like that first week in June.”

  The day of the kittens’ arrival was nearing, and their excitement about becoming grandparents was growing. As they all drove back to Oak Forest, Henry and Millie speculated about what Joe’s offspring might look like and how many there might actually be. It was a fun diversion, and they felt like doting parents who were proudly envisioning their daughter’s future children. The sense of family that he was feeling reminded Henry of another matter that needed attention.

  “One of these days, we need to figure out how and when we’re going to get married.”

  “Any way you want to do it is ok by me,” Millie offered.

  “Well, I know you go to church and all, but that isn’t really my thing. Were you expecting we’d get married at Calvary?” he asked, referring to the Lutheran church in Lewis, which had long been her parish of choice.

  “I don’t know, Henry. I mean it would be nice and all but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Isn’t that where you and Mary had your wedding?”

  “It is.”

  “What would you say about getting married at Oak Forest?”

  “I don’t know,” he wondered. “Would that be ok with you?”

  “Of course! I think it would be just perfect. Most all of our best times have been there, and it’s so pretty this time of year.”

  Henry considered her suggestion while weighing all of the other possible choices to serve as a venue for their wedding. The only thing that exceeded his devotion to the beloved estate was his love for his family. He concluded that there was no place on earth better suited for the auspicious occasion.

  “It’s settled then. We’ll get married at Oak Forest. When should we do it?”

  “I’d kind of like Anne and George to be there, wouldn’t you?” Millie asked.

  “Yes, for sure. I think that would be really nice.”

  “Then we better wait until she gets back and talk to her and George before we decide when to do it. When we find out what works for them, we can set a date. Does that sound ok to you?”

  “It sure does, honey.” Henry was in complete agreement with her on the matter. It was worth it to delay the event in order to ensure that it would be a perfect ceremony.

  On Wednesday, Henry spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon in his office. Millie was unsure about what he was up to, but she didn’t disturb him. She had business of her own to deal with, and spying on him was not of interest to her. While he worked, she plotted and planned how to rearrange drawers, closets, and cabinets in the home to accommodate her things when they combined households. Henry made and received multiple phone calls and on two occasions closed the doors to the office for privacy. Though he intended to allow Millie the power to veto the plan he was constructing, he was not yet ready to unveil it to her. Just before 2:00 p.m. the whir of a motor and a rap on the front door announced the arrival of Lucy Dawson with the day’s mail.

  Millie was standing in front of the hall closet and called to Henry that she would receive the delivery. Once all was in hand and Lucy was back on her way, she stepped into the office with a pile of correspondence and handed it to Henry.

  “You’re sure a busy bee in here. What are you up to, sweetie?” she asked with mild curiosity as she glanced at his desk. It was covered by a myriad of papers and files, and she couldn’t make much sense of it.

  “I’m cooking something up, but I’m not ready just yet to talk about it. Don’t worry, you’re going to hear all about it real soon. I’ve just about got the outline worked out.”

  “Is it something big or something little?” she asked, becoming considerably more interested.

  “Big. Now scoot,” he directed with a devious grin as he patted her behind and sent her out of the room.

  With the knowledge that something “big” was in the works, Millie’s curiosity now went into overdrive. She attempted to move around in the family room from time to time to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, Henry was through with telephone calls, and all she could hear was the occasional movement
of papers or tear of an envelope being opened. She imagined that perhaps he was planning a surprise trip for them or had some new idea for the estate. She wondered if maybe he was thinking about adding on to the house but then quickly hoped that wasn’t the case because she already had more than enough to clean. Soon, she abandoned her speculation and became occupied with thoughts of what to prepare for their dinner.

  Henry emerged from the office just before 5:00 p.m. ready to conduct a very important meeting. He asked Millie if she’d like to sit on the porch, and she accepted. In moments, the pair were having a chat with Jake as Joe peered at them from the dining room window. Millie was expecting to hear all about Henry’s day and what this secret plan was. However, what she heard was more shocking than anything she had expected him to say.

  “I’m thinking about calling Bill,” Henry opened the conversation.

  “What? Your brother? Really?” Millie couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s wonderful, Henry, but why? I don’t mean it in a bad way; I imagine he’d love to hear from you after sending all those letters. I just mean, why all of a sudden now?”

  “That’s just it. I got another letter today.”

  Millie was having a difficult time discerning how he was feeling. His face was calm and pleasant, and his demeanor was peaceful and almost emotionless.

  “Well, come on now, what did it say?”

  “It was a lot shorter than last time.” Henry was referring to the most recent letter received prior to this one. In it, Bill had revealed his attempt to woo Mary from Henry’s side. It had gone on to inform Henry about Bill’s wife and his sons as well. “It just said he was really sorry that I had never answered any of his letters, and that he would never lose hope that I still might someday.”

  “That sounds kinda sad to me,” Millie said as she took a sip from her drink and looked out at the horizon.

  “You know something, for the first time ever, it kind of felt sad to me too to think about how he’s tried for so long to make amends. I don’t know, maybe it’s time. I’ll have to sleep on it some more.”

  Millie didn’t speak and just let Henry’s words float off into the air. She wanted him to absorb all of their meaning and to truly feel his emotions. She imagined that perhaps now that she was searching for her son, he might see the value in reconnecting with his brother.

  “Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to discuss with you,” he said, breaking the silence.

  “No? You’ve got something bigger than that to talk about? Well then, are you planning to give me a million dollars for a wedding present?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Funny you’d say that. No, actually I’m thinking about giving away a million dollars and then maybe a few million more after that,” he announced proudly.

  “You what?” asked Millie stunned by the news.

  “Don’t worry, if you don’t like my idea, we won’t do it, but I’d like you to hear me out first before casting your vote.”

  Millie was caught off guard by the mention of such a sum of money. However, she was absolutely floored that he was actually asking her opinion about what he intended to do with it. It was not something she had given any thought to before this.

  “All right Henry, but you certainly don’t need my say so about what you do with your money.”

  “Honey, it’s our money now and as my wife you absolutely get a vote,” Henry explained. His words made her extremely proud. She was to become Millie Engel and apparently Henry was determined that meant she had an equal hand in all of their affairs.

  “Ok then, what’s this big idea you’ve got?” she asked, eager to hear every detail.

  “It started the other week when we were sitting around at Anne’s house. There we were, relaxing at Molly Stewart’s table and all of a sudden it hit me. That dear woman had worked and sacrificed for a lifetime to better those around her. She touched generations of kids from Lewis. I mean every one of us practically had passed through her classroom. When someone didn’t have a notebook or a pencil, Molly gave them one, paid for from her own pocket. She tutored kids at home for free and donated all of her time to any cause she could find. When she died, she didn’t have two pennies to rub together. All she owned was a little bit of furniture and that house. What family she did have, came through and cashed out without ever having known her or how important her life had been to the people around here.”

  “That’s sad,” Millie thought aloud.

  “Anyway, her generosity got me to thinking. I’ve been very blessed in my life, and I’ve always tried to help out when asked. But after sitting in Molly’s house, I realize that isn’t nearly enough. I’ve got millions of dollars, Millie, far more than we could ever spend in five lifetimes living the way we do. I don’t want to die and leave a pile of money behind for someone else to carve up and burn through on diamonds and trips. I’d like to see it really help people who need it while I’m still here to enjoy it.” He paused to take a sip from his drink. Millie’s chest swelled with pride at the sincere goodness of the man she was lucky enough to now call her own.

  “I don’t want a bunch of fanfare or congratulations, believe me. I’ve worked hard over the years to keep my name out of the headlines. I’ll leave that stuff for guys like John Everett.” She may not have known every charitable deed he did, but working for him for over two decades had afforded her hundreds of occasions to see firsthand how generous he was.

  “So, I talked to Tom the other day at the bank and went over my accounts there. Today, I was talking with all of my brokers and other financial people to get a real handle on what we have. We’ve got a lot of money, my dear,” he declared with a smile as he finished off his drink. Seeing the devilish look in his eyes, Millie started to feel slightly faint and guzzled the remainder of her drink as well to steady her nerves.

  “Like how much is a lot of money?” she asked cautiously with a nervous smile.

  Henry leaned over and whispered the approximate total into her ear.

  “Holy Lord!” Millie shouted. “You have got to be kidding me, right?”

  Henry shook his head; this was not one of his famous pranks.

  “Five lifetimes? Henry, that’d pay for twenty!” she proclaimed in astonishment at the wealth he had accumulated.

  Henry laughed. “I honestly had lost track. It’s definitely more than I realized. How about we go inside and reload and I’ll sketch out my plans for you?”

  Millie followed Henry into the house and listened attentively as he went over his ideas. While he spoke, he refreshed their drinks and then joined her at the kitchen table. The proposed plan was to create a charitable foundation funded initially by a large pool of money they would donate from their personal fortune. Later, fundraising could be organized to perpetuate the endeavor.

  To start, the work of the enterprise would be to assist children of families in dire need and to support causes that would benefit the people of Lewis and the surrounding area. To that end, Henry’s first priority was to build the Molly Stewart House. He wanted it to be a place where impoverished and disadvantaged kids could turn for help.

  Millie was overwhelmed with emotion. Tears began to well in her eyes as he finished his impromptu presentation. Henry misunderstood her display and moved to dispel her fears.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I intend to keep enough to make sure that you are always well taken care of for the rest of your life long after I’m gone.” Henry was acutely aware of their age difference and thought that her reaction was based on the fear that her money might run out without him around. In fact, nothing was further from the truth.

  “Henry, I’m not crying because I’m worried about me. I’m crying because I’m proud. I’m proud of the man you are, and I’m proud that I’m going to be your wife. It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard, and I am all for it.”

  Henry was thrilled to have her support. He had hoped that she would be understanding and in agreement with him but was prepared to scrap the idea if she dissent
ed. With the issue now settled, there was another pressing matter to decide.

  “Good! Now, we need to figure out what to call this thing. I don’t want our name anywhere near it,” he declared emphatically with genuine modesty.

  They sat back and consulted Jake for a time as Joe sat on the staircase and watched. She had little to say but was there to offer her moral support. Suddenly, Millie lurched forward in her chair as if she had been struck by lightning.

  “I’ve got it!” she cried.

  “Yeah? Well, what is it?” Henry asked with excitement.

  “It’s perfect!”

  “Come on, give! What is it?” he demanded.

  “The Oak Forest Foundation!” she proclaimed.

  Henry stood with his drink in his hand. By God, she’s right. It was absolutely perfect. He raised his tumbler as Millie stood to join him and did the same. Henry proposed a toast and they touched their glasses. In that instant, the fortunes and futures of children and families they had yet to meet were altered for the better as The Oak Forest Foundation was born.

  Chapter 22

  A New World

  Anne called on Friday of the following week to let Henry and Millie know that she had returned home safely. She thanked them for keeping tabs on the house and for collecting her mail. Her Jeep Cherokee was loaded to the breaking point, and she was thoroughly exhausted, but she assured them that the trip had been well worth the effort. Not only had she accomplished everything she had set out to, but she had also even found the time to write a half-dozen more chapters for her latest book. Anne was still unwilling to reveal what it was about, but she said that she was steadily marching toward the conclusion and reiterated that she believed it was the best work of her life. At least, Anne said, she hoped that Henry and Millie would think so.

  The world-famous author’s homecoming was made extra special by the invitation to serve as Millie’s maid of honor. She gleefully accepted and after a round of phone calls between Henry, Anne, and George, the newly appointed best man, it was determined that the couple would be married at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. A reverend friend of George’s had agreed to officiate, and all that remained now was to decide where on the grounds to hold the ceremony.