The Widow's Friend (12 page)

Okay, I’m back, the first part of this e-mail was written on
Saturday, and right now it is Sunday, about nine p.m., so here we go again.

I looked up the movie, “The Holiday” and watched the
trailer. I might be able to tolerate it, but I’m afraid it’s a bit too much of
a chick flick for me. You can watch that one with your girlfriends. I’m sure we’ll
find plenty of other common ground—sorry.

I understand now why your name has tortured you, but I still
think it’s cute as heck: Calliijo, three dots in a row. I agree that your
mother is clever.

I’m glad that you’re active in your church, simply because
that’s such a core part of who I am. But it really wouldn’t matter, because I
really am accepting of other people and their assorted choices—believe it or
not!

Other than eggnog and vanilla, I have plenty of guilty
pleasures, but the biggest one right now would be you! You please (or is that
tease) me almost more than a man can bear, and I’ll bet you taste good too. And
unfortunately you make me feel guilty, but I’ve learned to live with it.

Well, I’ve changed my mind about the road trip. Not because
of any of the concerns that you raised, but simply because something clicked
off in me. I think it’s just because it’s gray, cold, and hazy out there
nowadays. Maybe later though. I’d love to spend a full day with you—trust me.
Maybe the old phrase, “See you in the spring”, will be effective here.

I am going to drop in and visit you sometime though, and
quite soon if it’s okay with you. I finally have my new book in the barn and I’m
ready to deliver it, not just to you but to many others as well. With your permission
I will visit you twice, the first time with at least two full sets of books,
one set for you and one set to farm out to the kids and the grandkids. You just
have to tell me which night would be best and what time to show up and voila, I’ll
be there. There will be a night here or there that I will not be able to make
it, but we’ll work that out if there happens to be a conflict. Then I’ll visit
you again a few weeks later with Hollow Chill, the book I’m editing right now.
I don’t have any copies at the moment, so I’ll bring you a few after I run the
next print. So let me know, and if you’ve changed your mind and don’t want me
to come, let me know about that too. The last thing I want to do is be too
aggressive, and after all, it is your house!

So let me know when to show, and I’ll be there with bells
on.

And so, Callpurnia Jo Von Rothstein Wilson, it seems like a
very long time since I’ve talked to you. I guess I must deserve it, Levi

P.S. Have you ever done that personality test that tells you
if you’re red, blue, yellow, or white? I’m just curious to know, and I hope
this is not some redundant comment that you get all the time out there on the
dating circuit.

Also, have you been hit on much over the years by married
guys? Again, I’m just curious. I hope you’re not getting too tired of me, or
some of these questions could really be annoying. Good night, kid.

Your friend, Levi

***

From Callii Wilson (One hour later)

Hey friend, so good to hear from you. It is late so I am
going to bed—alone again, darn it! I will write to you tomorrow. I hope you
have a good night and a good day tomorrow.

Your friendly friend, Callii

***

From Callii Wilson

Dec 6th

Hello again to you, it is getting late again so this is a
short one. I heard about your aunt today. I am so sorry to hear of her death. I
talked to Julie last month at club and she said then that her mom was doing
okay, but she required help. But then I understand from talking to Lil Swenson,
that last week she took a turn for the worse. I am glad that she didn’t have to
suffer very long. That is always a blessing for her and the family both. Were
you close to her?

I have spent the day chasing things down for a party that I’m
having on Friday. It is my turn to host our sibling Christmas party. My mom
used to do it every year, but since she left us we each take turns. Do you
remember the old candy called Ice Cubes? It is a really smooth chocolate from
Germany. It was easy to get when we were kids but now you can only find it in
specialty stores. My mom used to get it for us every Christmas. It was one of
our favorite things as far as goodies were concerned, and we looked forward to
it every year. After a determined search, I finally found it at a place in
Pocatello, so I took a trip today to pick some up. I am so proud of myself
because I think the family will love it, but now I have to figure out what else
I am going to feed them.

I will take time tomorrow to answer the rest of your
questions. Have a good sleep and we will talk tomorrow.

Your hostess with the mostest, Callii

From Callii Wilson

Dec 7th

Good evening, I can finally sit for a bit. I have the
fireplace going and I’m snuggly warm, so now I will answer some of your
questions.

Yes, I do slow down. Usually about this time of night I have
nothing else to give, so I give up.

The baby business is really slow, but it is my own fault. I
haven’t done anything to promote it. It seems like I keep finding other things
to do. I am going to be sorry later in the year when I have to go out and find
a job. I like so much just to stay home—In fact I love it.

I appreciate the compliment about me being a doll, but in
all actuality I am a big baby most of the time.

The children I tend are the children of my son who lives in
Vancouver. They are trying to work things out, so they are not filing for
divorce until they give things some more time. They’re trying hard to make it
work. I hope they’re successful.

I have never taken one of those personality tests, or even
really thought about it. I’m not sure that I believe in them. I guess I would
have to try it to decide.

I never have married men hit on me. For that matter, I never
have unmarried men hit on me. Why would they? I am much too old and way too
tall.

Remember when you asked me what I remembered about our past
relationship? I mentioned that you came and picked up your music from me. You
had left it behind for safe keeping. Did that really happen because I think it
did? The more I hear about your love for music, the more I think I am right. I
also remember you were a man of few words, but now I find that hard to believe.
This morning they had Sting on TV. I had forgotten how much I love his music. I
am thinking I need to get some of it. Do you have an ipod? I got one a few
months ago and I think it has something wrong with it, or I just don’t know how
to work it. I bought a sound system with remote speakers that I can place out
in the yard or in the house somewhere. I tried to get it to work all day today
and I can’t make it happen. I am a dummy! I’ll have to wait for my kids to help
me figure it out.

So, to be honest, I really didn’t see the road trip thing
happening. I don’t know why but it just didn’t sound like it would. The perfect
road trip for me would be a trip to the beach somewhere. As far as when a good
time to come by is concerned, this week I have club on Thursday, and then on
Friday I have my family party here. Any other time would be just fine, but
please don’t surprise me. You might get more than you bargained for!

Do you want any dolls? I would love to give you some. Just
let me know how many and I will have them ready for you.

Well, I guess it is your turn now, so have a lovely evening
and a fun time with your family tomorrow.

Write soon, Calliijo

***

From Levi Stone

Dec 11th

Hi Calliijo Von Rothstein Wilson, it’s Wednesday night and I’ll
write a bit, and then add to it for a few days, so if the time frames get
skewed a bit you’ll understand. I sent out some major e-mails on Monday night
offering books (for free) to about fifty people. I’ve only mailed out about a
dozen books so far to the few who’ve responded. It seems like only the closer
friends dare ask. That’s just the way it is I guess.

It’s been fun having the kids the last few days. Last night
I was the storytelling grandpa. I was gonna tell them the story about the time
that I hid in the ditch in my underpants—I was about three years old at the
time, and some older girls were walking down the street. My kids laughed a bit
between themselves and said that they’d already heard that one. So I told them
about the giant spider. I was shimmying around a brick pillar on my neighbor’s
porch, when suddenly the monster appeared—about one inch in front of my
eyeballs. It scared me so bad that I fell backwards off the porch and into the
shrubs. I got stuck in there pretty good. Then they said, “We want another
story!” I said, “What kind of a story?” And they said, “Like that one!” So I
told them about the snake that reared up to attack me while I was mowing the
lawn. (It scared me to death – I hate snakes!) Then when I circled back around
I saw that the skin had been partially peeled off its back because it had
already got caught up in the lawn mower—No wonder it attacked!

Then they said, “We want another story!” I said, “What kind
of a story?” They said, “Like that one!”

So I told them about the old days when there were giants in
the hills above Sugar City. They were large stupid creatures that were half
animal and half human, and you had to watch out for them all the time. If you
looked into their eyes you could tell that they weren’t very smart. They were
like dog eyes. Then they asked Mary, “Grandma, did you have giants when you
were little?” She said, “No, I didn’t have any giants.” The kids looked a
little confused, so I told them, “They were all hunted out up in grandma’s
town, but we still had some down there in Sugar City.” Then I told them one
more tale, but I can’t remember what it was about. I just thought I’d share a
bit. Bailey’s kids are such innocent little tykes.

Our early Christmas party this evening was as good a one as
we’ve ever had. If every day was like today my life would be a lot easier. I
won’t bore you with the details but it was fun for all. It’s always fun when
you have nine little kids running around.

I’m going to my Aunt’s viewing tomorrow evening to support
Mary, because she won’t be able to go to the funeral with me on Friday.

***

Okay, now it’s Thursday night at nine forty five. Everyone
is in bed except me. Bailey and her family are still here. I think they’ve
decided to stay until Saturday. I feel no desire to go to bed right now because
I’m calling in sick tomorrow for the funeral. I’m going by myself. Mary has to
work, but all my brothers and sisters will be there.

I had fun at the viewing tonight. It was good to see you
there for a minute, surprising but good. You were the prettiest of your group,
but also the tallest. Were you wearing heels? Did I embarrass you or anything?
Do any of your friends even know that we talk back and forth on e-mails or even
that we dated back in the day? What is Lil’s maiden name? Now keep track of
these questions – I want to know.

I believe you saw my old friend Lon Moore as you left the
room. We pulled him into line with us and visited. It was good to catch up. I
also saw other old friends there, from years ago. Lon kept pointing at one
little guy with a moustache and saying that we knew him, but he didn’t look
familiar to me at all. I stopped him on the way out and the first thing he said
was, “Hi Levi.” It turned out he was a guy from Sugar City named Brian Hanks, a
few years younger than you. Did you know him? Tommy Thompson, Steve Fairchild,
George Weaver, and plenty of relatives were there. I’m excited to hear the
family speak tomorrow. Much will be boring and much will be repetitive, but
much will make me laugh and much will make me cry.

I think you think that I LOVE music, but that’s only half
right. I like music, mostly the old stuff, and I have a couple of hundred CD’s.
But I can go for long stretches of time and not listen to much of anything at all.
I listen to talk radio as often as I do music. I flip between politics, sports,
and music stations, depending on how I feel. The real issue between me and you
and the music involved is romance. I’m an irretrievable romantic, and you have
drawn that out of me. The music is just one vehicle with which to communicate
with you, and it’s a lot of fun doing so. I would hope that it’s fun for you as
well, and I know that I’m sometimes a little over the top.

I have an ipod, just like you. I put it away shortly after
Christmas a couple of years ago and have never touched it since. The directions
were too much for me, yet I’ve learned since that it was because the website
never did load properly on my computer, so I didn’t have a chance. Bailey has
offered to show me how to transfer songs from CDs, since she’s learned how, but
I have little interest. I prefer a room full of sound rather than a bud in my
ear. It probably is easy to use, once you’ve been shown the way, kind of like
those electronic watches back in the seventies.

***

Well hello again, it’s still Thursday night, but now it’s
late. I just pulled up your picture on Facebook and I’m viewing it now. I think
you need a reality check of how you actually look, and you could probably use a
mental makeover of how you view yourself as well. You’re a very attractive
woman, Callii. Older? Of course, but still very attractive. The first thing I
notice are your eyes. They look blue/gray in the picture—is that a true
reflection? But the other thing I can see through your eyes is the former you,
the beautiful young girl from years ago with hopes and dreams. It was a time
when you were struggling to raise your little daughter and somehow make it in
the world. You were the desirous girl that sought love and affection, and the
nice little girl that drove me away, simply because you gave me too much of the
same. You were so nice Callii. I’m sorry I was so stupid. And then I see your
button nose. Not a large nose, but a cute little nose that belongs only to you.
And then I notice your smile—what a wonderful smile. It’s a beautiful white
smile that reveals the real Callii within, the same Callii that writes fun
little notes to me, showing the still upbeat attitude about life and all that
it has to give. And did I mention your hair? It is frosted, trimmed, and
modern, prepared for the reunion that you were so excited to attend. And look
at that neck, long and lean (and kissable) and dropping down to the trim and
slender you below. It seems like quite a package to me, little girl.