Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (13 page)

Chapter Eleven
 

Grace

It did not take long for Fergus Falls to fall in love with Miss Grace O’Malley. The town appreciated her devotion to them. The women flocked into Claire’s Dress Shop for her advice on the latest fashions and a special dress for a special event. She made sure that no woman in town was embarrassed by wearing the same outfit to the same party as someone else. Grace also had developed her own unique style, which was always up-to-date and well groomed, with some extra little something to make her stand out. She had her own large collection of pins, scarves, and jewelry that always helped her make a statement. Claire was working less, and Grace was working more. When Claire treated her to a dinner to celebrate her fifth anniversary with the store, she was amazed at how quickly time had passed.

Claire had become a devoted admirer of Grace. She enjoyed watching her grow into not only a stylish woman, but also a woman with a gentle heart. She taught Grace everything she knew about operating a retail business. Then one day, it became obvious to Claire that her student now had more knowledge and a better business sense than she had. Instead of becoming jealous, Claire was filled with the joy of knowing that she had a little something to do with this young woman’s dynamic personality. With no family of her own, she started to plan for the shop to become Grace’s one day.

*

Grace became involved with fundraising, not only for the theater club but also for the churches, Lake Regional Hospital, and any other good cause that needed her. She was laughingly nicknamed “Amazing Grace” by people in Fergus Falls. She was content in a way she never had dreamed possible.

Grace discovered that she loved going on buying trips. Twice a year, she left for Chicago to view the latest trends in fashion. She always made it a point to stop in Minneapolis and see what the big department stores were displaying in their windows and on their mannequins.

*

Rebecca and Grace always got together on those trips to Minneapolis. They would stay up all night, laughing and sharing their lives’ twists and turns. When Rebecca’s relationship with Jeff had fallen apart, she turned to Grace. Grace helped convince her that she needed to let go and move on with life.

Rebecca now lived in a quaint condominium, which she had purchased after graduation. She was constantly begging Grace to move to the big city. Grace always said that she would rather stay in Fergus Falls, where she truly enjoyed a good life.

The two of them valued their friendship. They were always honest with each other, and yet they respected each other as well.

*

The Fergus Falls Theater Group had also become a popular pastime for many of the residents. The group attracted people of all ages—from cute little five-year-old girls and boys to some lively senior citizens. No one was ever turned away from the group. A job was found for everyone—painting scenery, making costumes, acting, selling ads, and ushering. The Fergus Falls Theater Group belonged to the town.

When the announcement for the casting of the semiannual play was printed in the
Daily Journal
, it became the talk of the town. A steady buzz of gossip could be heard at the Viking Café as to who would be the stars for the latest offering. The newspaper had become a big supporter of the dramas. Cliff Petersen, the editor, was well aware of the number of subscriptions that had increased since they started running weekly articles about the theater club. If Grace did not perform, she was always involved in some way. No one knew that she was secretly writing a few plays of her own. Perhaps someday she would have the courage to present the plays as an option for one of their productions.

*

All of the other O’Malley children married and moved away. They scattered to Fargo and Minneapolis. Grace helped all of them with their weddings, from loaning them money to getting huge discounts on their wedding outfits. It became a family joke that Grace’s bank was always open. None of them ever guessed what she had given up for them. All she ever asked was that the family be together for Christmas Day and July 4, which was Denny’s birthday. She simply could not bear to be alone on either of those days.

*

Grace always found a date for any important event in town. She had dated Tom Wilson, who was the assistant manager at Lincoln Bank, for over a year. Although they enjoyed each other’s company, there were never any real sparks in their relationship. When Tom told her about his transfer to a bank in Breckenridge, she was relieved. Six months later, she received a letter from Tom saying that he was engaged and hoped that she, too, would find happiness.

In some of her lonely days, she would laugh about trying to imagine how her love of fashion would mix with being a nun. Grace often talked to Sister Vincent, who had become her spiritual mentor. Sister Vincent often told her that God had a special plan for her, but she did not think being a nun was Grace’s calling. She told her that when God’s time was right, she would know what to do.

And so, life continued for Grace. She loved working at the dress shop. Each week, she changed the windows, put up new displays, and designed the ads for the
Daily Journal
on their sales and specials. She looked forward to the weekly theater club meetings and volunteered each Saturday at the hospital. Late into the night and during slow times in the store, she worked on writing her plays. She dated every now and then. Grace knew she had a good, steady life.

*

Her parents were getting older, and keeping up the church and school properties had become more difficult. During a winter storm, Paul O’Malley was shoveling the walk to the convent when he felt the first stabbing pain. Within minutes, he was lying on the ground, struggling for each breath. Anna saw him fall and ran across the street. Sister Francis rushed to his side and then called for an ambulance. Paul had suffered a major heart attack, with severe heart damage. His days of hard labor were over.

After he spent more than two weeks in the hospital, it became obvious that the O’Malleys were in for another change. The day he came home from the hospital, Anna, Paul, and Grace sat at the kitchen table in a strained silence. Anna finally spoke. “We have decided to move into the senior citizen apartments next month. Your father is no longer able to keep up with the physical demands of his job and this house. We have been offered free rent for managing the apartments’ front desk and organizing weekly activities for the residents. Both of us feel that this is another gift from God that we cannot refuse. Just to show you how the timing is right, Father McNulte has already found another couple to take over our duties. In many ways, they remind me of us so many years ago. There is a time to move on, and this is that time. We trust that you will understand and honor our decision.”

Father McNulte had offered to let them stay in the house for six months or until they found somewhere to go. However, both Paul and Anna knew that the new caretaker’s family needed the house. Nevertheless, they all felt the deep pain of leaving the home where there had been so many memories. They believed that their life needed to change; however, it did not change without a lot of sorrow for the O’Malleys.

*

Grace found a cozy and sunny apartment on Union Street. Because the O’Malleys’ new apartment was so small, they divided the furniture between the two new apartments. They had a rummage sale, where strangers bartered for the excess furniture. After it was done, Anna handed all the money to Grace. She told her to buy herself some special dishes and something nice for her new place.

Grace moved first. Overwhelmed at the pain of leaving her tiny bedroom in her simple little house, she felt alone for the first time in her life. Her parents helped her move, put her things away, and made her bed. Anna made a pot of her special stew and a loaf of warm bread baked in her new stove. Anna told Grace that it was an Irish tradition that the first night in a new home, there must be a freshly baked loaf of bread in the oven. It was a symbol of good health, happiness, and new beginnings.

As Grace lay in her bed in her strange new surroundings, she began to feel a new sense of peace. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew that this was for the best. Another new chapter of her life was beginning to unfold.

*

Life was never quite the same after the O’Malleys moved. The big family dinners were no longer possible in their tiny apartment. Grace went over every Sunday for dinner, always leaving with leftovers for the week. The O’Malleys quickly adjusted to their new life. They ran the bingo games every Wednesday night, card night on Thursdays, and special trips for all the senior citizens who lived in the building. Within a short time, the residents all adored them. Anna and Paul felt welcomed and happy with their new life. Family Christmas now rotated between Minneapolis and Fargo.

However, the big problem was July 4. Grace was the only one who went to the cemetery. She would sit on a small bench, staring at Denny’s simple headstone, and talk to Denny about all the events of their family for the past year. She would cry, laugh, and try to imagine what he would have looked like as a grown man. Grace decided that he would look like a mix of Josh Groban and Tom Hanks. She spent the day alone; and as the fireworks would begin to sound, she would cry for the brother whom she still loved and missed.

The next day, Grace would begin again. Life was kind to her in so many ways. She was truly grateful for the life that she had been given. Fergus Falls had proven to be a delightful place to live her life.

Chapter Twelve
 

Lindy

New York was overwhelming, even to brave, bold Lindy. She loved the sounds and hustle of the city but hated the constant stream of people pushing everywhere. She had become accustomed to a much quieter way of life in Minnesota. For some reason, people were always commenting on her cute accent. She was never quite sure if they were making fun of her or just making an observation. Lindy thought that all New Yorkers talked far too fast.

It did not take her long to see that her style made her stand out in any New York crowd. It seemed as though every person in New York owned the same tan raincoat and umbrella. When Lindy walked down Fifth Avenue in her bright red coat, boots, umbrella, and scarf, people actually stopped to stare. She simply smiled and kept on walking.

*

Lindy’s graduation gift to herself was that she would not work for the first month in New York City. She planned on taking in all of the many things that New York had to offer. On her first day, she took the bus to Central Park. She sat in amazement at how big it was, spreading over many acres and right in the middle of the city. She quickly discovered the discount ticket booth, where she bought bargain tickets to some of the top Broadway shows. After an evening in the theater, she would take the bus to their apartment. She would fall asleep dreaming of being the star of the show.

Their loft apartment was located on the fringe of the popular Washington Heights district. Both Carol and Lindy laughed as they thought about their parents’ reactions to their new home. Their apartment was a fifth-floor walk-up with only two windows and bugs everywhere. They felt lucky that the windows overlooked the street. Many of the lofts overlooked the next building, which was sometimes only a few feet away; they never received a ray of sunshine. The loft came furnished with the essentials but completely lacked color or style.

Lindy went shopping for anything that would bring life into their drab new home. Bright colored silk screens were used to separate the large room into a bedroom, living area, and kitchen. She covered the dull brown furniture with bold striped material. A variety of brightly colored pillows were scattered everywhere. Forty different-shaped wicker baskets were nailed on the walls in interesting patterns. By the end of the first week, their loft looked like a fun place to live, and Lindy felt at home.

Although Lindy put on a brave and bold face to the world, inside she was still frightened and crying for acceptance. As she looked around, all she saw were the women of fashion in New York City; she felt completely out of place. Depression began to overtake her. Her self-doubts began to multiply. During her alone times, Lindy questioned everything about her choices, from her appearance to her choice of a career. Yes, she did want to stand out in the crowd, but she could not bear to be thought of as a clown and laughed at. Lindy felt ashamed of who she was for the first time in her life. She told herself that it was time to get over the depression, so she kept up her happy façade while feeling empty inside. Lindy decided that no one was going to see the sad and weak side of her … no, never.

*

Lindy soon realized that it was time to find a good-paying job. Living in New York City was far more expensive than she had ever imagined. Her roommate, Carol, was already settled into her new job. She left early in the morning and often did not get home until after midnight. Their friendship became strained as they both realized that they had nothing in common.

For three weeks, Lindy went on interviews with both theater companies and nursing jobs. She decided that whichever job offer came first, it was a sign that it was fate. Lindy signed up with a nursing temporary help agency while waiting for her real job to come along. Most of her nursing jobs were in busy doctors’ offices, where she filled in for vacationing regular staff. After a few months, she started to become comfortable with hopping from job to job. She loved meeting new people in every office. Her bubbly personality won her new friends with each new job.

In November, she received a call from the nursing temporary help office asking her to consider taking an assignment as a personal nurse for a Parkinson’s disease patient. Lindy knew she would work well with an older person and quickly accepted the assignment. To her surprise, the address was on Central Park Avenue, where there were many million-dollar condominiums overlooking Central Park. Lindy even asked Carol to help her dress for this very important interview. She had a gut feeling that this was the job that she had been waiting for so patiently.