The townsfolk weren’t too surprised when she won her first election for city council. Many found her opinionated ways offensive, but they feared her retribution if they crossed her. Her family had long been connected with local politics beginning with her incompetent uncle who had cruelly tormented the area as county sheriff for several decades. The wrath of Wanda Sullivan-Langston was something to avoid at all costs.
Katherine knew that wrath well. She still felt sorrow when she thought of the destruction of the white rabbit fur muff orchestrated by Wanda, the intentional hurtful things that she had said about the disappearance of Katherine’s father, and of course her attempt to thwart Katherine’s marriage to Murphy.
Rapping his gavel, Mayor Phillips began, “I’d like to welcome you to our December Kingston City Council meeting. I’m especially excited about this evening’s events. I have a declaration prepared I’d like to propose to our city council for their approval. We have a well-deserved honor to bestow on someone who has proven exemplary citizenship during this special time of year.”
The crowd murmured with excitement. Katherine and Lily Mae looked at Sam, anxious to see if he realized what was about to happen.
Mayor Phillips continued. “We all know the unpleasant news of the disappearance of baby Jesus from St. Thomas’ beautiful outdoor nativity. And unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard the story of Sam Higgins finding Jesus in the dumpster at First Bank of Kingston. But that’s really just the beginning of the story.”
Mayor Phillips went on to explain Sam’s self-appointed role of sentry, standing watch over the nativity, like the North Star.
“This Kingston citizen has reminded our city what valor looks like these days, and his commitment is one of the most selfless things that has happened in Kingston for a very long time.”
The audience erupted in boisterous applause. Katherine leaned toward her friend and whispered, “Everyone’s clapping for you, Sam, because they admire your loyalty.”
Unaccustomed to the attention, he hung his head low, the tip of his chin nearly touching his chest, rocking slowly back and forth, his fingers splayed as they gripped his thighs. His reddened face showed no emotion.
Resting her arm across Sam’s shoulders, Katherine looked up to exchange appreciative glances with the city council members. All but one eagerly participating in the applause. Wanda sat stoically with her hands in her lap, looking straight ahead with an icy stare at an unremarkable door jam, as if she were posing for an 18th-century portrait.
William leaned in close to Katherine and whispered, “What’s up with that one? The one who refuses to clap or look this way?”
Lily Mae responded succinctly with two words which instantly told him who this glaring woman was. “Peach cobbler.”
A thought crossed Katherine’s mind, but she shooed it away. Certainly, Wanda knew better than to cause a scene on such a lovely occasion.
Mayor Phillips proceeded to read the declaration aloud, “Hear ye, hear ye good citizens of Kingston. Whereas, the City of Kingston each calendar year shall recognize a member of the community as the Citizen of the Year, and now, therefore, be it resolved, that the City Council hereby appoints this year’s…”
Wanda Sullivan-Langston’s caustic voice brought the mayor’s speech to a sudden halt. “Need I remind you, Mayor Phillips, that you are obligated to follow the established Robert’s Rules of Order while conducting the city council meetings? I’m disappointed I have to remind you, but this is a blatant disregard for process. You’ve failed to ask for a motion, a discussion, and a vote.” She turned this time to the audience, expecting their appreciation for her willingness to put a stop to the foolishness of rewarding a man who spent his time digging around in other people’s trash.
It was insulting to hear a member of the city council talk to Mayor Phillips in such a way during a public meeting and he had had enough of her. Judging from the crowd’s reaction, the town of Kingston had, as well. But he couldn’t dispute her insistence on following Robert’s Rules of Order, so, in an attempt to mollify her, he called for a motion which he received immediately. He then asked if there was any discussion.
Wanda slowly stood and turned to face the crowd. After a dramatic pause and an attempt to make eye contact with anyone of importance seated in the audience, she addressed them with command in her voice, honing her retort, “This trivializes all other Citizen of the Year proclamations ever presented. A mentally deficient man who lurks around our town does not deserve this honor. If you want to present a proclamation to someone who has brought honor and dignity to Kingston, I suggest you look for someone who is smart enough to understand what they’re actually receiving.”
She sat back down and deliberately stared at Katherine with utter hatred. Then she diverted her contemptuous stare on Lily Mae. Retaliation at its best.
Lily Mae never took her eyes off Wanda as she leaned over to Katherine and asked, “Are you going to handle this, or am I?”
Katherine gracefully rose from her chair, walked past Mayor Phillips at the podium, passed the bannister, ascended the two steps elevating the semi-circle of city council members, and stopped when she was face-to-face with Wanda.
In a hushed voice only loud enough for Wanda and the other aldermen to hear, Katherine spoke calmly, eloquently, and deliberately. “Wanda, you need to stop that vicious tongue of yours right this minute. I will not allow you to get away with what you’re trying to do. How you’ve gotten away with it all these years I’ll never know, but I’m putting a stop to this right now.”
Wanda’s face was a study of contradictions. Her smirk indicated she was undeterred by Katherine’s words, yet her eyes reflected a look of fear. She knew Katherine had plenty of ammunition, but she played her poker hand well.
“Sit down and shut up, Katherine. No one on the city council has given you permission to speak. We don’t care to listen to another word from you. For that matter, we couldn’t care less about what you think about anything,” drawing out the syllables for emphasis. She then looked to her fellow council members expecting their approval, knowing they didn’t dare disagree with her. She was surprised to find all seven faces regarding her with disdain. Clearly, her power had been eclipsed.
Katherine continued, her voice galvanized with determination, but still hushed enough to prevent the audience from hearing. She had words she’d wanted to say for a very long time. Placing both of her palms flat on the table in front of Wanda, she leaned in and began. “I’m telling you now, and I mean every word of it, if you prevent this from happening, I will stand before this crowd and recite, in great detail, a very long list of things you have done to lie, cheat, and steal your pompous way around this town. Many of them are the cruel and deceitful things you have done to me personally. I know other things regarding some indescretions that Doc shared with me about you over the years. Since he is no longer with us, I won’t have a problem telling the gathered assembly here what you thought would never be exposed due to Doc’s Hippocratic oath. It might have very little evidentiary value in court, but that doesn’t mean people in this town won’t regard it as true. Now, do you really want to prevent this very decent man from receiving an honor he so richly deserves?”
Wanda bolted out of her chair so quickly it fell backward. “Go straight to hell, Katherine. No one cares about anything you have to say, and they certainly don’t care about some idiot that digs around in dumpsters. He wouldn’t have even found it if my son had done a better job of hiding…”
Mayor Phillips was already pounding his gavel. All city council members were instructed to meet immediately in his inner office.
When the aldermen returned, they numbered seven. Wanda Sullivan-Langston had exited the building. The mayor’s proclamation was approved, unanimously, and Sam stood before all as the mayor draped a beribboned medal around his neck. While the term standing ovation was not in Sam’s vocabulary, he learned w
hat it was to be honored and loved.
When they returned to Sam’s house that evening, he smiled sheepishly at his transfigured image in the mirror. Admiring the medal hanging so majestically around his neck, he said aloud to no one in particular, “Know what? They think I’m somebody.”
And that year, it was Sam P. Higgins who rode atop the finest fire truck in the Christmas parade, and the roaring crowd gave him a hero’s welcome.
The Revealing
It was late summer of the following year. Katherine knew Lily Mae’s days were numbered, and soon they would be reduced to a countdown of final hours. Lily Mae knew it, too. The cancer diagnosis felt like a death sentence when it was delivered nine months earlier. It was Lily Mae’s decision to decline treatments, knowing her liver was old and tired. She was ready to go. She had lived an entire life anticipating her homegoing, and she knew it was time.
Father Drew brought by a still-warm loaf of banana bread and asked if he could sit with Lily Mae for a few minutes. Katherine knew he wanted to do more than just sit and the knowledge pleased her. She ushered him to Lily Mae’s room and stood stoically by the door as he lowered himself into the armchair and reached out to hold her withered hands. Lily Mae opened her eyes and gave him a nod as he offered a prayer, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.” Katherine stepped out and quietly closed the door behind her.
Katherine saw wet streaks on his cheeks when he suddenly emerged from the bedroom. Frightened, she watched him rush to his car as if he’d just been called to an emergency. He turned just before climbing in the front seat of his sedan. With a sense of urgency, he said, “I won’t be gone long. There are some,” he faltered briefly before continuing, “things I need to gather.”
This frantic behavior from Father Drew was unexpected, but she realized he must have surmised these were Lily Mae’s last few hours on earth. Whatever he was sent after, he was obviously intent on carrying out his mission.
Katherine entered Lily Mae’s room and sat quietly by her bedside watching as she slept, her breathing labored. Looking up from checking her pulse, Katherine was surprised to see Lily Mae gazing at her with that tender smile she had loved almost all her life.
In a whisper, Lily Mae asked, “Queenie, do you remember the first day I met you when you were nesting up in that shade tree, the day you and your mama moved above the diner?”
Katherine took Lily Mae’s fragile, aged hand and gave it a slight squeeze to let her know she remembered it well.
“Queenie, do you remember asking me to promise to come back and see you the next day?”
“I do remember.” Katherine smiled at the thought. “I’m surprised I let you go without following you home that day. I just remember always wanting to be by your side, no matter where you were.”
“I told you that day I always kept my promises.”
“Yes, and you’ve never disappointed me.”
Lily Mae’s tired old face winced. “Queenie, I’m asking you now to forgive me. You might think I did a terrible thing, something that might fill your heart with hate for me but before you hear it, you have to know I did it because I made a promise. But it was a promise that has done nothing but eat at me every day of my life since you’ve been in it.”
Lily Mae stopped, drew a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Her frail body began to shake as if she had been exposed to a cold north wind. Katherine covered her tightly and checked the thermostat. As Lily Mae struggled with her breathing, Katherine sat steadfastly, holding Lily Mae’s tired crooked fingers tightly in her own.
When her breathing seemed to stabilize, Katherine stepped into the kitchen to prepare a warm cup of broth in hopes she could entice Lily Mae to take a sip or two of nourishment. It was then she heard not one, but three cars pull into her circular drive. Looking out to see who might have arrived, she was surprised but delighted to see Thomas, Lily Mae’s beloved nephew, climb out of one vehicle. Anyone who knew Lily Mae knew how proud she was of her nephew who served as an illustrious judge on the Federal Court bench. To many folks in Kingston, his claim to fame during his childhood was his brilliant mind. As an adult, his claim to fame was his record for the least number of overturns in a federal courtroom. Katherine knew, however, in Thomas’ eyes, his claim to fame was the honor of being Lily Mae’s nephew.
She was equally delighted when she saw Clarence emerge from the second car. Lily Mae’s suggestion for Murphy to hire him after Beechwood’s fire was one of her wisest decisions. Neither he nor Lily Mae had lost their desire or ability to outthink, outsmart, outtalk, or outwit each other. Mentally, they were equals. They shared a rare bond, a friendship, a powerful connection. Katherine was saddened to know his life was about to change as drastically as her own. Together they would have to figure out how to live life without their Lily Mae to guide them.
She wrinkled her brow, confused and surprised, when she saw who sat in the front seat of Clarence’s car. Sheriff Washington, the county’s youngest but widely respected sheriff, slowly emerged. He’d promised justice in his campaign, and he kept his word. She saw integrity in his eyes and his actions. The county had been held under the grips of a scoundrel of a sheriff for three decades, and the two before that were not much better. Sheriff Washington had never called on her before, and Katherine was certain he had never had any reason to call on Lily Mae. His arrival was bewildering.
William, Father Drew, and Clark emerged from the third car. It was evident Father Drew must have summoned this unusual congregation, realizing how close Lily Mae was to departing this life.
She watched as the six men shook hands and exchanged somber looks. They engaged in a quick, hushed, huddled conversation. Each nodded in agreement and walked single file to her back door, with Clarence leading the queue.
Now Katherine knew something was wrong from the look of dread on all six faces. Opening her door, she frantically searched each face for a clue to what could possibly bring such torment and pain to each of them.
Clarence was the first to speak. “Katherine, we’re here to fulfill a promise we made to Lily Mae. We ask that you join us now in her room.”
Katherine protested. “She’s just had a terrible spell and has fallen back to sleep. Whatever this news is you have to tell me, I promise you, we can take care of it without disturbing her.”
The men exchanged glances and then they all focused on Katherine. Thomas, the retired federal judge, emerged as the speaker of the group.
“Miss Katherine, your choice of words is commanding. I understand your reticence and it is not our intent to disturb her. We have gathered today at her insistence for the sole purpose of fulfilling a promise. One she made to Clarence exactly sixty-six years ago last month. She wants to be with you when it is explained, and it will take all of us to tell the story from beginning to end.”
Katherine searched each of their faces, hoping for a clue to help her understand what they were thrusting upon her. Tears began to fill in her eyes as she recounted what Lily Mae had said only minutes before. “She was trying to tell me something about a promise she made a very long time ago. She said something about being afraid I wouldn’t understand and then began to shake terribly. Violently. I was afraid I was losing her. I don’t think she has the strength left in her to survive the weight of whatever this information is you’ve brought me. I’m begging you that we not do this in her presence.”
Although she didn’t understand what was happening to her and around her, Katherine suddenly felt the enormity of the situation and for one of the few times she could remember she was terribly afraid.
Father Drew rested his hands on her shoulders and said, “Katherine, earlier today I asked Lily Mae if she would like to receive the Lord’s Supper, and she had one request. She doesn’t think she’s worthy of receiving her last communion until she’s had an opportunity to make peace with you about a promise from years ago.” Pausing to
give Katherine time to let his words sink in, he continued. “She acknowledged it’s the one thing in her life she has not finished, and she feels God is expecting her to make it right before He calls her home. These gentlemen are here to help her do that, and I’m here to offer communion to all of us when the story’s been told.”
For the first time since entering her kitchen, the sheriff spoke. “It isn’t by accident you have a judge, a member of the clergy, a lawman, an attorney, and one of her oldest friends gathered in your home to help her make this right. We wouldn’t have participated in this if we didn’t believe it was our duty to see that justice prevails.”
Katherine leaned against the kitchen countertop to steady herself. Trying her best to comprehend all that had been laid at her feet, she slowly and deliberately chose her words. “There’s nothing in this world you could ever tell me that would change the way I feel about Lily Mae.” She paused, trying to control her trembling voice and hands because she needed to say the next part forcefully. “I will participate in this only because it is her wish.”
Whatever this debacle entailed, it was powerful enough to cause both a dying woman and a healthy one to tremble. None of them knew it at the time, but the situation had the same impact on the sheriff, which he covered well by standing tall with both hands in his pockets.
As if they’d rehearsed it earlier from a script, all seven of them entered Lily Mae’s bedroom and took their place. Katherine sat at Lily Mae’s bedside and instinctively held her left hand. Father Drew stood at the foot of the bed. Clarence pulled the wingback chair to the other side of the bed and perched on the edge, giving Katherine reason to think he might bolt at any second. Thomas settled on the ottoman. The sheriff stood propped against the doorway, with his hat resting on the top of the chestnut dresser. William stood an arm’s length from Katherine, knowing his role was to support her and Clark positioned himself in the far corner, using the top of the bureau to support the legal pad he would use to record an account of all they were about to hear. From the brief amount he was told beforehand in the car, nothing at Harvard Law had prepared him for what they were about to hear.
Letters on the Table Page 19
