Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (16 page)

The next morning, the village of Clonea closed all the small shops and came to honor Patty at his funeral Mass. The church had standing room only. After Mass ended, there was a procession with Patty’s casket to the cemetery at the outskirts of the village. Once again, prayers were said and people sobbed as one by one they took a small wildflower and placed it on his casket. Then the crowd turned around, and the procession walked through the narrow streets while singing hymns.

To Rebecca’s surprise, the path went straight to Muldoon’s, where Patty’s wake was held. For the rest of the day, people drank and celebrated Patty’s life by sharing stories about him, toasted some more, and laughed. The only difference between Patty’s birthday and his wake was that there was no dancing. Patty was given a wonderful Irish send-off, and all agreed that he was now dancing with the angels while he shook St. Peter’s hand at the pearly gates of heaven.

It was after 10:00 PM when the Delaney clan wandered back home. Ever since Patty’s death, Connor had stayed with Grandma Mary. He tried to comfort her and give her the assistance she needed to make all the arrangements. As Mary crawled into bed that night, she was overwhelmed with the loss of Patty’s bright spirit, but nonetheless amazed at the joy she had experienced when celebrating his life at the wake.

Rebecca left a few days later, promising to return during the next month for a large wedding shower that was being arranged for her and Connor. Unlike American showers, which were only for the women, an Irish wedding shower included both the bride and the groom. Once again, the village would gather at Muldoon’s Pub for the celebration.

*

Two weeks later to the day, Monica called Rebecca to tell her that Grandma Ruby had died in her sleep. Rebecca now called Connor and arranged to have his airline tickets waiting for him the next day. It seemed like a nightmare to relive all the emotions of a few weeks ago, only this time it was Connor who drove himself from Fargo, North Dakota, to be with Rebecca in Fergus Falls. When he arrived, Monica greeted him with a soft hug and told him that Rebecca was taking Ruby’s death very hard.

The funeral home visitation was that evening, with a funeral service the next day at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The experience of the two funerals could not have been more opposite. The quiet funeral home, with people coming to talk softly to Monica and Rebecca, was scary to Connor. He finally had a chance to meet Grace O’Malley, whom he had heard so many good things about. He now understood why Rebecca considered Grace such a close friend. She was delightful and obviously cared a great deal about Rebecca.

The next day, with the church almost empty, the funeral service was brief, with the minister announcing at the end that all were invited to have lunch in the church hall, the food provided by the women of the church. The tables were set with fresh flowers. A lunch of ham, potato salad, fruit, homemade cake, and coffee was served to the few who attended the funeral. There was neither drinking nor toasts. There was no celebration or even going to the graveside. People sat politely discussing Ruby but also talking about the strange weather they were having.

Connor left the church hall feeling sad and confused. He was sad for Rebecca’s loss of her grandmother and confused at the lack of celebration of the dear, sweet woman’s life. A week later, he flew back to Ireland and was happy to be back with his people. He knew life in the United States was going to take a lot more adjustment than he had earlier thought.

*

Because of the funeral and staying with Monica for a while, Rebecca missed a fitting for her bridal gown, an appointment with the minister, and the deadline on ordering the special cake she had wanted for the wedding dinner. During her time in Fergus Falls, Rebecca often went to lunch with Grace. They talked about Connor and what a handsome man he was. Rebecca told Grace all about Clonea and the difference in their backgrounds.

The day before Rebecca was leaving to return to Minneapolis, she received a call from Pastor Meissner, asking her to stop by for a chat. When she arrived, the pastor immediately started discussing the preparations for the wedding, which was going to be held in the small prayer chapel in the back corner of the church. Without warning, Rebecca began to sob. Pastor Meissner tried his best to console her, but nothing seemed to help. Rebecca finally composed herself and told the pastor that the wedding would not be taking place as scheduled.

She went home and told her mother that the timing was just not right for the wedding. With two deaths of loved ones so close together, she felt that they needed to postpone the wedding for a respectable period of time. She called Grace and asked her to cancel her wedding dress and Grace’s dress, which she had ordered as maid of honor. Five minutes later, Grace appeared at her front door and took her by the hand into the backyard. They talked for hours as all of Rebecca’s fears for the marriage came tumbling out of her. They hugged, they cried, and Grace gave Rebecca the comfort and courage she needed to make the call to Connor.

The next morning, Rebecca sat in the dining room by the only phone in her mother’s house and made the most difficult call she had ever made. She quietly explained to Connor that she felt the timing was wrong. Connor quickly agreed and told her that perhaps they both needed time to take care of their loved ones and mourn their losses. He would cancel his flight and call her in a few weeks.

Crying, they said their good-byes. When the call disconnected in Fergus Falls and in Clonea, there was a painful disconnect in their two lives. Although they had not spoken the words, they both knew that their futures would never blend. They had loved much and lost much; however, they had both learned much. Neither of them would ever be the same.

Chapter Fourteen
 

The Invitation

Grace was appointed chairperson for the Fergus Falls High School twentieth class reunion for their graduating class. She enjoyed designing the invitations and announcements that would appear in the
Daily Journal.
The reunion would take place in October, a perfect time to return to Fergus Falls. It was during the week of the Fall Festival, when all the trees would be at the height of their colors of gold, orange, and amber; the weather promised to be cool and fresh.

Grace had already reserved rooms at the Holiday Inn for her returning classmates who would not be staying with family. The Eagles Club, which looked like a ship in the middle of a field, had been reserved for the Friday evening get-together. The Elks Club, which had been remodeled, was the perfect place for the reunion dance and dinner on Saturday night. The weekend would finish with a breakfast in the church basement of Our Lady of Victory and a parade of cars that would make their way through the town and end at Dairyland, where Grace had arranged for the owner to make their favorite chocolate with chocolate chip ice cream. She knew that many of her high school classmates had not been home for many years and would be surprised by the changes in Fergus Falls these days.

The once busy downtown now had many vacant stores due to the new mall that was built right off the new highway exit. However, a few of the stores kept Lincoln Street alive. The Viking Restaurant and City Café still served wonderful food six days a week; they had both decided to stay closed on Sundays. Claire’s Dress Shop remained the best place for miles to find or order that special outfit. Grace was now the full-time manager and buyer. She never missed her weekly lunch with Claire, who was retired. Grace kept her up-to-date with the latest styles and town gossip. Victor Lundeen’s bookstore had expanded and had recently started selling some local artwork. The movie theater had been renovated and now hosted special concerts, plays, and recitals. Its new red velvet seats and matching red velvet stage curtain made it a very impressive place. Olsen’s furniture store remained downtown; however, they had built a separate funeral home a few blocks away. The men continued to shop at St. Claire’s for their church suits, as well as their flannel shirts and coveralls in the basement. J. C. Penney and Woolworth’s had moved to the mall, leaving large, empty buildings for rent. Most of the folks had mixed feelings about the mall and considered it both a curse and a blessing.

Grace had every intention to track down her Sisterhood of Lake Alice girlfriends and persuade them to come home for the reunion. However, her days became busy with work and performing in the Fergus Falls Theater Group play of
Camelot
. The retired high school assistant principal, Mrs. Klein, took over the project of trying to track down the classmates and mailing out the invitations. The search for the students became her mission. She put ads in the
Daily Journal
asking for the whereabouts of the missing classmates. She was amazed that she found almost every graduate.

*

The invitation to the reunion was in the midst of piles of mail that had been stacked, wrapped in rubber bands, and saved for Lindy while she was on her trip. She had surprised her parents with a two-week trip to Poland. With no responsibilities back home in Florida, they decided to roam around the country.

Lindy hired a chauffeur named Walter, who took them anywhere they wanted to go. They saw the scars of World War II. In painful silence, they stood in a graveyard that had been lovingly cared for. It was the final resting place for the people of an entire small village, all of whom had been killed by the Nazis. The town now stood silent as a memorial to its brave citizens. They drove through areas where the beautiful green hills reminded them of Fergus Falls. They saw the industrial towns filled with large factories billowing thick, black smoke in the air. Every day brought a new emotion. What had been planned for two weeks quickly turned into a month. Finally, with extra-large suitcases packed full of all their treasures, they returned to Florida.

It took Lindy over a week to sort through all of her mail, magazines, and catalogs. She was sitting out on her veranda with her morning cup of coffee when she opened the invitation to the class reunion. As she looked out over the simmering waters of the Gulf of Mexico, her mind raced back to her bright pink bedroom above the Fresh Daisy Dry Cleaners and Laundry. Memories washed over her as she thought of her loving Grandma Flo. As she sat there, she could almost hear the machines as they tumbled clothes with their distinct rhythm.

She knew she would attend the reunion, if for no other reason than to revisit the Fresh Daisy Cleaners. It was the place where her life began. Now she lived in a million-dollar condominium, with furniture that cost more than the entire building where she had been raised. Her memories were good ones. She was looking forward to returning to her old stomping grounds.

Lindy immediately called her parents and invited them to make the trip with her. To her surprise, they quickly agreed. The only condition was that they could bring their new puppies along. The thought of seeing Fergus Falls in the fall was exciting to all of them. The following day, Lindy purchased a forty-foot RV loaded with all the comforts of home to take them back to Fergus Falls. It had a leather sofa and chairs, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom area for her parents. There was plenty of space for her to sleep on the sofa, which folded out into a bed. She hired a driver and told her that the trip would probably take a few weeks, with time to visit friends in Fergus and also some stops along the way. Lindy looked forward to sharing this adventure with her parents.

With the travel plans done, Lindy went to her dressmaker and ordered six special outfits for the reunion. She was a big woman, still a size 22, with the same love of sparkles that her mother had long ago. She enjoyed bright colors, unusual fabrics, and outlandish styles. Lindy had developed a dramatic style over the years; she looked like an overweight Dolly Parton with her high hair and glittery outfits.

As she mailed in her RSVP with her check, she began to think about the SOLA girls and hoped that they could all come back together for some good girlfriend time. Lastly, she called the Holiday Inn and reserved the biggest suite they had available, with adjoining rooms to each side of it. She wanted to make sure that there was enough room for at least one PJ party with the girls while she was home.

She smiled as she went to sleep, thinking about the dreams of the little girl who sang her heart out at the county fair. It was an interesting journey so far, and there was much more to come. Look out, Fergus Falls, Lindy is coming back to town!

*

Rebecca had heard all about the reunion from Grace on their many late-night telephone calls. She had agreed to help Grace in any way possible. However, the school year and all of its challenges quickly got in the way of her best intentions. As Rebecca opened the beautiful invitation, she was sure that Grace had designed it.

Rebecca could not help but think about the fact that twenty years had slipped away. As she sat on her sofa, she thought back to the days when Fergus Falls had been her universe. Life was so uncomplicated then. She smiled remembering Grandma Ruby’s humming as she made lefse. Now Ruby was gone, but the memories remained. Monica still lived alone in her tidy little home on Bancroft Street. She worked long hours at the Pioneer Nursing Home as an aide. She had a special gift of working with the elderly and truly loved her job.

Rebecca thought about how different life had turned out for her. She had just assumed that she would get married and have two or three children. She would teach piano so that she could stay at home with the children. Instead, she had remained single, devoted to the girls in her English classes and choirs. She traveled each year with the senior choir as they toured Europe. Although she found great rewards in her profession, she always felt unfulfilled at the end of each year. Yet each September, when her classroom filled with a new group of girls who were eager to learn, she felt renewed.

Her health had been a constant problem. She was hospitalized three times in the past year with serious breathing problems. Nevertheless, she did not want her mom or friends to worry needlessly, so she kept the poor test results to herself. Just last week, her doctor had insisted that she see a cardiologist. He was very concerned with her declining health.