Ruth shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“What would I say to her? She’ll want to know why I gave her up. I can’t.”
“Norman explained it to her. That you were both too young and wanted her to have a good life. Her adoptive parents are dead, Ruth. She needs family.”
Ruth shook her head. “How does one meet their child after thirty-three years? What does one say? Norman told me about her a week before he died. Been seeing her and sending her money all those years and just got around to telling me. What man does that?”
“Her mother was still alive. Sylvia didn’t want her to know she’d reconnected with Norman. But now her mother’s dead, passed away a couple months ago.”
Tears rolled down Ruth’s face. “Not a day went by that I didn’t think about her. Wonder where she was. What she was doing? If she’d married, had kids. If she was happy. I didn’t want to give her up. Norman insisted.”
I let her cry. They say it’s good for the soul. ‘They’ sure say a lot of things, but I believe this time it’s true. How does a person give up their child? Ain’t no man alive would make me do that.
Ruth dried her tears. “I know what you’re thinking. I was eighteen, old enough to take care of a child. Wasn’t like I needed a college education and Norman only had a year more to go. We could have swung it. It would’ve been a struggle, but so what. She was our baby. I didn’t even get to see her. They whisked her away almost before she cried. But I heard her. That cry haunts me to this very day. I should have stood my ground.”
Before I could say anything, she continued and I let her talk.
“Norman handled everything. Said she was going to a good home. It tore my heart out. Took me a long time to recover. Took even longer to forgive Norman. Not sure I ever really did. I feel the pain even now.”
“You need to see her, Ruth. Let me take you to her, or I can arrange for her to come here.” I knew Norman was controlling, but never realized how much. It hurt to even think about it.
“Do you think she’ll forgive me?”
“She forgave Norman. She had a good life, Ruth. She’s not angry with you. She wants to meet you. Wants you to meet her kids, your grandchildren.”
Ruth shook her head. “Not right away. I need time. Maybe next week.”
“Fine. I’ll let her know.” I stood to go.
“What’s she like? I mean…”
“She’s a beautiful young woman. Kind of looks like Shirley. A little thinner. Oh, and she’s a red head.”
“A red head?”
“Yes, and with the prettiest green eyes you’ve ever seen. She was quite personable once she got over the shock of who I was and why I was there. She’s a bit on the shy side, unlike Shirley. I think you’ll like her.”
“And the kids? What are they like? Two boys and a girl, I think Norman said.”
“I didn’t see the kids. I’m sure they’re adorable.”
“What will I say to her?”
“Everything you just said to me. She needs to know that you care about her.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Do you need anything?”
“What I need you can’t give me.” Ruth swiped at another tear.”
I hugged her and left. I knew what she meant. I couldn’t give Norman back, but I could give her their daughter and grandchildren. What a shame Norman didn’t tell her about them right away, So much lost time.
* * *
Later that evening, Ed and I took a walk. It was nice being out, enjoying the crisp fall air. The odor of burning leaves brought back memories of my childhood. Every year, us kids raked the leaves and Daddy built a fire out behind the shed. He burned the leaves and then we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Funny how a smell brought back memories. This time of year our kitchen was filled with the aroma of Mama’s baking, apple pies, bread, rolls, and pumpkin cakes. How she found the time, working a full time job, was beyond me, but she did it.
Yet, it’s always been a sad time of year for me. The trees became barren and people stayed indoors. No more chatting across the fence, hanging clothes to dry. Flowers dried up and died and only a cold, dreary winter to look forward to. I never liked the cold, despised snow and hibernated until spring. Okay, not entirely, but I seldom went out. I refused to drive in the snow. One of the few things that made me insecure, my inability to handle the car on icy roads. Not that the town didn’t clear the streets, they did. At least the main roads, but our side streets, well forget it. By time they got around to us, it snowed again. Give me spring and summer any day.
“Ed, look.” I pointed to someone’s trash. A statue about a foot tall of a gray elephant with a baby elephant under its trunk sat on the tree lawn.
“What about it?”
“It’d make a great gift for Christmas. We need to take it home.”
Ed shook his head and laughed. “You guys and your joke gifts.” He bent down to pick it up. “Holy crap, it’s heavy.”
“Come on, you can do it. Think of the fun we’ll have with it.”
Ed grunted and picked it up. “It’s a long way back home.”
“We’ll stop and let you rest any time you want.”
“I swear, woman, the things I do for you. You’re going to pay for this.”
I smiled. “Nothing I’d like better, lover.”
“Oh, you’re definitely going to make this worth my while.”
“You won’t be sorry, trust me.” I’d promise him damn near anything to get that elephant home. A plan already formed in my mind how I’d decorate it. Gold spray paint, large green beads for his eyes. Oh yes, he was going to look elegant. Elegant and ridiculous. I could hardly wait until Christmas. Now to decide which of my siblings deserved such a magnificent gift.
We only had to stop twice for Ed to rest. I made him his favorite dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. Debt paid in full.
After dinner I looked at the elephant more closely. Talk about detail. There was a place on its head for gemstones. Someone had painted it gray. A cloth, saddle or whatever it was called, imprinted on its back showed reds, greens, blues and yellows where the gray paint had chipped away. This was going to be fun to decorate. My biggest decision was who would be the beneficiary of this magnificent creature.
The phone rang, startling me. “Hello.”
“It’s me, Ethel. I need a favor.”
Typical Ethel, no hello, just straight to the point. “Sure, what do you need?”
“You know Greg’s aunt, Delores Batherschmidt, lives in the Pine Haven Retirement Home.”
“Yes, what about her?”
“She told Greg earlier this evening something strange is going on around there.”
“Strange, like what?”
“I don’t know. Greg didn’t ask her. You know how men are.”
“Okay, so what’s the favor?”
“I thought you’d take a ride with me, go see her, find out what she’s talking about.”
“Why don’t you just call her?” Made the most sense to me, quicker, too.
“I’d rather talk to her in person.”
“Why?”
“Because you know the right questions to ask. You know how I get all flustered.”
That was true. Whenever Ethel got nervous, she stuttered and forgot half what she wanted to say.
“Okay. I’ll go with you. When?”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Okay. What time?”
“Is seven too early?”
“Make it seven-thirty.”
“Okay, see you then. And Beatrice Lulu, thanks.”
I hung up and shook my head.
“What was all that about?” Ed came up behind and hugged me.
“Ethel wants me to go to the nursing home with her tomorrow to see Greg’s aunt.”
“Don’t figure you can get into too much trouble at a nursing home.” He kissed my cheek. “I’m going up to bed.
You ready?”
“I’ll be up in a minute.” Already my mind reeled with questions for Delores. I couldn’t wait to hear what was going on. If recollection served me, Aunt Delores was near ninety. More than likely she either wouldn’t remember or was imagining things.
Chapter Nine
Early the next morning I drove to Ethel’s. As usual, Ethel stood in the drive waiting for me. “You have the directions?”
“Yes, Greg wrote them out for me. Here.” Ethel handed me the paper.
I glanced at it. “Good, keep it. You’re going to direct me. I can’t read and drive.”
Ethel pulled her hand back. “You know we have to take the interstate?”
“I figured as much. We’ll be fine. I’ll just take it slow.” I pulled out of the drive and headed toward the freeway. “Are you sure Aunt Delores isn’t imagining things?”
“Greg said she’s got all her faculties. She just doesn’t walk well anymore. Her knees are bad. She’s been walking with a walker for five or six years now.”
“I wish he’d have asked what was going on. Would have given me a better idea what to ask.” I eased on to the freeway, the part I hated the most was merging into traffic. Fortunately, everyone was headed into town and traffic was light going the opposite way. I hated freeways and avoided them whenever possible. Everyone drove so damn fast. The higher they raised the speed limit, the faster people drove. Seventy wasn’t quick enough, they had to go seventy five, eighty. Should have left it at fifty-five, then everyone drove sixty, sixty-five. That was plenty fast enough. Seventy was too damn fast. Not that it mattered, I’d stay in the right lane and let the fools pass me. Damned if I was going to drive those breakneck speeds. Sixty was plenty fast.
Before I knew what happened someone came up alongside, too close for comfort. I pressed the horn, but the damn fool moved closer, sideswiped me and cut in front of me, damn near taking my front bumper with him. Took everything I had to keep the car on the road.
“Jerk!” Of course, he didn’t stop. I sped up against my better judgment. I’d be damned if he was going to get away. Least I could do was get his license number. I pressed down on the gas, watching the speedometer. Sixty five, seventy, seventy five, edging close to eighty. How the hell fast was the damn fool going? Never a state trooper around when you needed one. I eased up on the pedal. I wasn’t going to catch him. No point killing myself in the process. “Damn jerk is going to cause a major accident swerving in and out of traffic that way.” I slowed to my comfortable sixty. Damn it, I didn’t even get a number off the license plate.
Poor Ethel looked terrified. Her face paled, hands clenched in her lap, eyes squeezed shut and her lip bled from biting it. Once I slowed down, she opened her eyes, looked at me and screamed. “What the hell is wrong with you? You trying to kill us?”
“The damn jerk sideswiped me and didn’t even stop. I don’t suppose you got his license number?” Of course she didn’t, her eyes were closed.
“I think we better go home.” Ethel loosened her grip on the crumpled paper.
“Why?”
“I can’t read the directions, and I have to go to the bathroom.”
“I’ll stop at a gas station. We’re halfway there, no point turning around now.” I pulled off the next exit and headed to the closest gas station.
Ethel shook her head. “I can’t go in there. It’s a gas station.”
“Fine, I’ll find a Wal-Mart or a restaurant.”
“Please, Beatrice Lulu, I just want to go home.”
“You’ll be fine. We’ll get a cup of coffee. How about McDonalds? We’ll grab some breakfast.”
Ethel shrugged as I pulled into the parking lot.
I got out and checked out the car. Wasn’t as bad as I thought, but there was still a nice scratch along the front fender. Not much I could do about it now. Hopefully, Ed could fix it. I went inside and ordered two big breakfasts and two coffees. Once Ethel ate she’d be fine.
Ethel came out of the bathroom and handed me the crumpled up directions. “Can you read those, ’cause I can’t?”
She sure did a job on them. “Can you text Greg and ask him to send them to you on your phone?”
“I could if I’d brought it.”
“Here, use mine.” Who goes anywhere without a cell phone these days? Sometimes my sister doesn’t use the brains she was born with. A few minutes later, I copied the directions onto clean notepaper so it was easier for Ethel to read. “You okay now?”
“I’m okay, but you have to promise never to do that again. What’s come over you? You were never a reckless driver.”
“The jerk sideswiped me.”
“So driving like a maniac changed that?”
“No, I wanted to get his license number.”
Ethel shook her head. “And did you?”
“No, he was going too fast.”
“So then what was the point?”
“Okay, okay, you’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I don’t know what came over me. I won’t do it again, I promise. Can we go now?”
An uneventful half hour later, we pulled up to the nursing home.
“Can you tell me where to find Delores Batherschmidt?” We stopped at the reception desk and signed in.
“She’s in room 116, but right now I believe they’re in the Solarium, down the hall and first door on the right.”
“Thank you.” I followed Ethel. “I’m going to let you take the lead on this since she knows you.”
Ethel’s face paled and I laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll pick it up once I know she’s comfortable.”
“What should I ask her?”
“Tell her Greg sent you to find out what was going on. If she’s anything like most older people, she’ll tell you everything, and we won’t have to ask her anything.”
“I don’t know if Aunt Delores is like that. She’s always been pretty quiet.” Ethel twisted her rings.
“If she didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t have told Greg. Just do what I said and I’ll pick it up from there. Okay?”
We reached the Solarium and Ethel didn’t have time to answer, I pushed her inside. “Well, where is she?”
“Over there in the corner.”
I pushed Ethel toward the group in the corner, trying to figure out which one was Aunt Delores. I figured she was the one sitting quietly, while the others all seemed to talk at once, waving their hands excitedly. Something was going on.
The tallest and thinnest of the group looked up and yelled, “Ethel Capony is that you? Let me have a look at you. It’s been far too long since you’ve visited.” She stood and came toward us, pushing her walker faster than anyone I’d ever seen. Her bright blue eyes, accented with blue eye shadow, sparkled and crinkled at the corners.
Flaming red hair curled about her face, and I wondered what bottle that color came from. I’d never seen anything so bright red. Weathered skin indicated she’d spent a lot of time outdoors. Red blush covered her wrinkly cheeks and bright red lipstick lined her narrow lips. Obviously the woman liked bright red. Even her blouse had bright red flowers. All things considered, she looked pretty good for her age. Definitely not the one I’d suspect from Ethel’s description. She hardly appeared shy. In fact, I’d say she was the ringleader of the group.
“Look at you, child, you’ve put on some weight.” Delores turned Ethel every which way. “Come here, darling, meet my friends. She pulled Ethel toward the group. These here are my good friends Blanche Addamson, Elmer McFarland, Gladys Day, Edith Worthington, and Genevieve Goodrich.”
Elmer McFarland – a weasely little bald-headed man, with a bulbous nose and squinty eyes, weighed maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet, stood about 5’3 with shoes–put his arm around Delores and smiled a toothless grin at Ethel. She backed up and stepped on me. I pushed her forward, and he turned his attention to me. “Well now, who’s this pretty little thing?”
“Introduce us to your friend, Ethel. Don’t be rude.” Delores turned her attenti
on to me also.
As usual, Ethel began stuttering, so I took over. “I’m Beatrice Lulu Eberhardt, Ethel’s sister.” I extended my hand to Delores.
“Nice to meet ya, honey. So, Ethel what brings you to this neck of the woods?”
I cringed at her calling me honey, but ignored it. Calling her out wouldn’t work to my benefit.
“Um…Uh…Greg…um…”
Good grief, my sister couldn’t get a complete sentence out. “Greg said something strange was going on around here. We thought we could help.” I finished for her.
“Greg told you that?”
“Yes, last night after he talked to you.” Finally, Ethel completed a coherent sentence.
Delores laughed. “Oh, that.”
I was beginning to lose my patience. Whatever Delores told Greg, apparently it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. We drove all this way for nothing. But I had to know exactly what she was referring to. “So what did you mean something strange is going on?”
“Come on over here and sit down, honey. You, too, Ethel.” She led us to a corner and sat in an antique rocker.
Now we were getting somewhere. Her friends followed, and everyone sat around a table. Elmer pulled his chair a little too close to mine. His breath smelled of garlic. I pushed my chair back a bit and turned my attention to Delores.
“Everything started about six months ago. That’s when Elsa and Mike were here.” Delores laughed. “Those two were a piece of work. Went around stealing the nurses’ lunches, filling the coffee pots with ice, and mixing sugar and the creamer. What those two didn’t think of.”
“Ran off one day, they did. Ran off and got hitched,” Elmer added his two cents.
“Cutest little love birds you never saw,” Blanche said.
“I’ll never forget the day Mike dumped George’s tray in his lap. Funniest thing you ever saw. George was so mad.” Edith added. “George was sweet on Elsa, but she didn’t want nothing to do with him. Not that anyone does. Acts like a spoiled brat most the time.”
“So what happened that caused concern? You said it started when Mike and Elsa were here. Where are they now?” My patience was wearing thin. Cute stories, but get to the point already.
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