Ties That Bind

by Debbie White

  “I bet. I was scared of Irma too.” I exclaimed. “Teresa was mean to me. She’d slap me, push me down in the dirt, and pull my hair. I bet these were all learned traits, from Irma,” I added.

  “Lyle did the best he could. But as you know, he was a man of few words. He probably gave up on her. But boy was he protective of you,” she chuckled.

  I paused a moment, taking in everything Mary was telling us. My throat felt dry, and I cleared my throat. “We went out to the nursing home to see Teresa. She wasn’t very receptive to our visit. She told us to leave. I think we should make another visit out there. Maybe this time, I can get her to talk.”

  “What more do you want to know?” Mary said cocking her head.

  “I don’t know. I guess I’d like to ask her one more time if she knew who my real mother was.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “You’ll just be setting yourself up for more heartbreak. Let sleeping dogs lie,” she added.

  Changing the subject, I asked, “How did Thomas die?”

  Mary looked past us and gazed out the large picture window. I could see a small tear forming in her eye. After all these years the memory was still painful. “That was such an awful time for me, and for Elaine. They’d only been married a year when the accident happened. He was on a ladder to get up on the roof of their new house. He was going to do some repair work. The ladder slipped, and he fell 25 feet, hitting his head on a rock as he landed. He died instantly.”

  I reached out and gently touched her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  “He was my only child,” she quietly said.

  The room went suddenly quiet. A moment of silence seemed appropriate.

  “One last question, and then we’ll get out of your hair. Why has Louise been so secretive about things? What does she have to gain?” I asked.

  “Louise always has been . . . well . . . strange. I think she’s lived in the country too long,” she added laughing.

  I nodded. I was aware of all the game playing this family could do, but I was always surprised by the next level of game playing we came across.

  “Well, we’ve probably taken up too much of your time this afternoon. It was a pleasure meeting you. I can see what Lyle loved about you. You seem like a very sweet woman.”

  “Well dear, it’s nice seeing you again. You’re all grown up now. Do you have children of your own?” She asked.

  “Oh yes. We have three children. Charlie, Carole, and Peter.”

  “Grandchildren?” She asked.

  “Yes, we have a few,” I smiled thinking of them as I dug in my purse for the pictures.

  After a few moments of showing off the children and grandchildren, I hugged Mary good-bye, and Charles and I left the big stone home on the tree-lined street.

  We sat in the car staring out onto the street. I looked at each house with an investigative eye. I looked intently at every window, every shrub, and every small detail I could focus on. Charles knew my wheels were turning.

  “You heard what Mary said. Let sleeping dogs lie,” Charles said.

  “I know. I just want one more try with Teresa. She is my sister,” I reminded him.

  He reached over and kissed me on the nose. He leaned back into the seat and sighed. “Are you sure?” he said turning toward me.

  I nodded. “I’m sure. This is my last opportunity.”

  * * *

  “You wait in the car,” I ordered when we pulled up to the nursing home.

  Looking rather shocked, but nevertheless obedient, Charles stayed in the car.

  When I found Teresa’s room, she was reading a book.

  “Oh so you enjoy literary works, do you?” I sneered.

  “What are you doing here?” She smirked back.

  “Listen. You can hate me if that’s what you want. Me? I prefer not to hate. It takes too much energy, and I don’t have time for it. I’ve met a lot of friendly and interesting folks this time in Iowa,” I said pulling up a chair.

  “Well, I’m glad. But, like I told you, Lyle and Irma were your parents, and as much as I hate admitting it, Daddy loved you more than me.” Then she added in a whisper, “That’s always bothered me.”

  Feeling somewhat sad that she’d always felt this way, I softly said, “He did not love me more. I was little. You were a pain in the butt teenager. He just wanted me to have every opportunity for love and acceptance, which I’m sure you had too.”

  “My mother was not that kind; especially after Lyle— she and daddy divorced. I went to live with Irma and Daddy, and that got under Mother’s collar.”

  I nodded. I knew how that felt. “I don’t want to rehash old stuff. I just have a couple of questions. You insist that Lyle and Irma were my biological parents. Ok, I can’t prove otherwise, but what about Thomas? Why did you disown him too?”

  “I was hurt. I wanted Daddy all to myself. It just propelled me into hate and eventually, I didn’t like anyone or anything. Heck, I didn’t even like Irma,” she confided.

  “She was a hard one to like,” I agreed.

  “Anyway, Thomas is dead, Daddy is gone, and so is Irma,” Teresa said.

  I nodded. I wanted to stay focused on my line of questioning. I locked eyes with Teresa. “What about Priscilla? Did you know about her?

  “Priscilla? I don’t know anyone by that name.”

  “She was better known around here as Inez.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “How’d it go?” Charles asked as he started up the car.

  “Just as I expected. At least, she didn’t throw anything at me,” I laughed.

  “Did you find out anything?”

  “Yes. She said she knew Inez.”

  Tilting his head toward me, he said, “Oh, do tell me more.”

  “She confirmed that she is still alive. She said for me to ask Francis the details. She didn’t want to get involved anymore. She said too many years had passed and that I should just go about my business.”

  He took my hand and held it firmly. “We mustn’t give up. We’re close. I can feel it.” Nodding my head, I agreed. “What’s next on the agenda?”

  “Well, I think we should meet with Louise again. After all, she was the one who introduced Mary to your daddy. And now we have confirmation of Inez from both Mary and Teresa. Besides, I’m curious what other curveballs she’ll throw at us.” He said amused.

  We didn’t bother to call her, just showed up on the stoop. After all, we were family. Louise opened the door and invited us in.

  Motioning for us to have a seat at the table, Louise went straight to the cupboard to get cups for coffee. As she prepared our drinks, she talked from the kitchen, raising her voice slightly.

  “Mary called. I’m glad you went and talked to her. She’s a great lady. I know your daddy loved her to pieces, Pat. I’ve been told they were the cutest couple despite the age difference. And, Thomas, well, he was the most adorable little guy. He turned all the girls’ heads here in town. He ended up marrying Elaine.”

  “Yes, Mary told us about Elaine. Do you know her last name?”

  “Elaine Panelli. A local girl. Her parents owned the meat market.”

  “The meat market,” I echoed. “The one around the corner from the pool hall and apartment we lived in?”

  “Yes, that one.”

  “I just had a flashback of Daddy giving me a quarter and telling me to walk to the meat market and get three pork chops. The butcher would select three meaty ones, wrap them in paper and tie it up with string.”

  “They had the freshest meat,” Louise said. “Anyway, your daddy loved Mary with all his heart. What that bitch Irma did to him was evil. Plain, simple evil.”

  “Well, maybe so, but he did cheat on Mary,” I said. “You reap what you sow,” I added.

  “Cheat on Mary? Did Mary tell you that?”

  Looking puzzled, I nodded my head slowly. My brain quickly checked to see if maybe I had heard Mary wrong. But wait, no, I couldn’t have. Charles was with me. He must have heard the
same thing. I looked at Charles, and he nodded.

  “Yes. Mary told us that Daddy messed around with Irma, and she held it over his head. He divorced Mary so that they could live in peace.”

  “After all, this time, I thought Mary knew the truth. We never speak of it. In fact, you coming here to Iowa is making all this stuff resurface. Stuff we’d just as soon forget about. Lyle didn’t cheat on Mary. Lyle got drunk, and Irma made him think something happened between them. That’s the only way she could ever get a man. She was mean, not the most attractive woman, so she had to stoop to a new low to get a man.”

  “What? He didn’t cheat on Mary. Irma tricked him? That makes total sense to me. I knew he couldn’t have done that to Mary. Louise, you need to contact Mary and tell her the truth. You’ve not been a good friend letting her think the worst about Lyle all these years. Why are you all so hell-bent on keeping these dirty little secrets alive, especially ones that aren’t even true?” I said in a sharp tone.

  Suddenly I grew a backbone. I was tired. Fed up. The lies, the distortions, had to stop. Charles leaned back and observed. He lightly chuckled. This was a different side of me.

  “I’ll give you to the end of the week to tell Mary the truth. I’ll be checking in on her before we leave,”

  Louise lowered her head. “I feel awful for not telling her the truth. It just seems around every corner something has to be clarified, apologized for, and well—”

  I cut her off. “Is Mary my mother?” I asked pointedly.

  “Oh no, dear. She’s not. We don’t know who your mother was. Lyle always said you were discovered inside their house after returning from church.”

  I shook my head, “I can’t believe there isn’t one living person in this whole darn town who knows the truth about my birth. I didn’t just drop from the sky. I am someone’s child. I have a biological mother and father, and it doesn’t make sense, after all these years, to still keep who they are a secret.”

  Charles broke in, “Listen, Louise, Pat doesn’t mean any harm. She’s feeling a bit frustrated with the turn of events. She finds out that Lyle has been married more than twice, and she finds out she has not only a half-sister but a half-brother. You can imagine her disappointment in not finding out the information that was the main reason for our visit here in Iowa, the name of her biological mother and/or father, “he said.

  “I understand completely. I really do. All I can tell you is that Lyle announced to us that they found you in their home. I will say that the stories that have been handed down always cast suspicion on the story of you, but no one could ever prove it. Family stories passed down always painted you as an adorable child.”

  I pushed back my chair and stood up.

  “Thanks, Louise. I’m exhausted by today’s events. Heck, I’m exhausted period. We’ll talk again before we leave town.”

  “Leave town? Are you . . . —” She stammered.

  “Yes, we only came to get answers. We didn’t get what we came for. It’s time for us to head home,” I said.

  In a last ditch effort to pull any more information from Louise, I blurted out, “Did you know Irma’s sister?”

  Louise frowned. “Yes, Inez. Irma raised her. She went off to Texas to be with the Brown family. She came to visit once in a while. I don’t think they had the best relationship. They were several years apart. I think Irma saw her as more of a burden.”

  “That’s ironic. She thought of me as a burden too,” I added.

  “So not only did you know the Bowman’s, you knew the Brown’s as well,” I said giving her the look of disapproval.

  “Guilty as charged,” she said, her face flushing.

  “Remember what I told you. You make it right with Mary, or else.”

  Looking down at her feet, Louise said in nearly a whisper, “I will dear, I promise.”

  Louise walked us to the door. It was a quiet walk. No one had anything else to say. As we drove away, I saw her looking out the battered screen door. She looked as if her best friend was leaving, never to return.

  * * *

  Arriving back at our bungalow, I walked straight into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of wine. I didn’t usually drink before eating, but this had been one of those days I made an exception.

  I opened up cabinets to find something to prepare for dinner. I wasn’t in the mood to cook, but I decided to make a tuna casserole anyway. I gathered all the stuff needed to make it, and I guess I made a bit too much noise as Charles came into the kitchen and asked me if everything was ok.

  “I heard cabinet doors slamming and pots clanging. Can I help?”

  I broke down right there in the kitchen. “It’s so unfair,” I cried.

  “Listen, Pat, I told you this wouldn’t be easy. If you’re ready to go back home, let’s do it. No harm done. We turned over a few rocks and found out a few interesting facts. I was hoping for more, but . . . What do you say? Shall we head home?” He said hugging me and wiping my tears away with his hand.

  In between sobs, I said, “We’ve come so far. Let’s see it through to the end.”

  Charles hugged me tighter. “That’s my girl,” he whispered.

  Chapter Seventeen

  With renewed vigor, I reviewed the new information. Daddy hadn’t cheated on Mary. All, this time, she thought he had. Why in the world did she think that, and moreover, how were they able to convince her he had? Even more importantly, how in the heck did Irma convince Lyle that he had? That was a new puzzle for me to put together.

  Charles and I needed to meet with Francis again. We were convinced he’d give us the final information we needed to conclude our visit. He knew so much about my family and little oddities that only family or close friends would know. Charles arranged for a meeting for the following day.

  Clenching my hands, I paced the room until it was time to go. “Is it time yet?” I said looking at my watch once again.

  Charles sighed and got up from the sofa. “Not yet, but let’s go anyway. We’ll just be early, drink some coffee and have some pie.”

  * * *

  “Thanks for meeting us today, Francis,” I said as I considered how I was going to approach the subject with him.

  I witnessed him squirm a bit in his seat, and a bead of sweat appeared on his brow. He started rapping his fingers on the table. “Is everything alright?” I asked him, staring him down, hoping I would break him down as well.

  He nodded. “I’m good,” he said.

  Charles started the conversation. “There has been a chain of events since we last spoke. We met with Mary. She was very nice.”

  “Yeah, she’s a sweetheart,” Francis agreed.

  Charles responded, “We’ve met with Louise again. She spilled the beans. Lyle hadn’t cheated on Mary as everyone was led to believe.”

  Shaking his head, Charles tapped his fingers on the table and continued, “I don’t understand how Lyle could have been so naïve to think he’d been unfaithful to Mary with Irma.”

  Francis clenched his jaw. “Well, you didn’t know Irma,” Francis replied. “She was something else. Her family was part of a gypsy clan that had settled in the area. They originally came from Texas. She had all kinds of tricks up her sleeves. That’s how she survived on the streets.”

  “A Gypsy Clan?” I asked louder than I had intended.

  “Yep, she found her way here as a teenager and brought her little sister with her. They ended up in that convent.”

  “Are you saying that Irma and Inez both were at the convent as youngsters?” I blurted out.

  “Irma and Inez also known as Mary and Priscilla left Texas and came to Iowa because they had family here. Once they arrived here in Iowa, that family didn’t help them, so Irma did what she could, and sought the help from the convent.”

  “What about Irma’s sister? Do you have any information about her?” Charles asked.

  “I know that she lived most of the time in Texas after she turned eighteen. She occasionally came here to visit. Thei
r relationship was volatile, so she didn’t stay long. Irma always thought she was after Lyle.”

  Charles and I looked at each other. “Do you think that Inez could be my mother?”

  “Rumor had it she was in town for a few days before the news was leaked out to the police and press that you had been discovered in their house,” Francis revealed.

  Charles and I exchanged looks of surprise, but also of relief. We may have hit on something, finally.

  “Do you have an address for Inez in Texas?” I asked.

  “She doesn’t live in Texas anymore. She moved back here not long ago,” Francis added.

  With a surprised look on my face, I searched his face for more clues. “Do you have her address here,” I asked.

  * * *

  We drove in silence to the address that Francis gave us. It was only a few blocks away from Mary’s home. We walked up to the door and knocked a few times. A woman, dressed in casual clothes answered.

  “How can I help you?

  “My name is Patricia Bowman-Phillips. Does an Inez Brown live here?

  “Inez does live here, but her last name is Ramos. Her maiden name was Brown, however,” she added.

  The woman invited us in. “Please, sit down,” she said gesturing to the couch. “How do you know Inez?

  “Well, that’s the million-dollar question. I could be her daughter,” I blurted out.

  “Patsy?” She asked smiling

  I gasped, “Yes. How’d you know that?”

  “I know all about you. Inez has dementia and will not remember you at all. But up until about three or four years ago, she told me the story of her and Lyle . . . and you, all the time. She loved you a lot, but she was very young, and, unfortunately, didn’t make the right decisions regarding you.”

  “What else do you know?” I asked.

  “I know that Inez and Irma were sisters and that Irma and Lyle raised you. But, it was too hard on Inez to see you all the time, so she moved back to Texas. She got married but never had any other children.”

  “I see,” I whispered.

  “Her husband was a wealthy oilman, and she has been set up for life in this charming home,” she said taking in the room’s grandeur.