Laura Ray (Ray Series) (14 page)

Little Ed brushed her hand away.

“This one is my oldest. His name is Samuel. He got married last year.” She picked another photo of a young couple, with the young man decked out in black suit and the girl in a lovely white wedding gown. “This is his wife. I just love her to death. She is already carrying my first grandbaby. I can hardly wait.”

“This is a family picture taken at the wedding. This is our other son, Eli. He’s eighteen. He stood up at the wedding for Sam. This one is Laura, who is sixteen, then Brenda who is fourteen, and Debra who is twelve.” Becky showed another picture of Little Ed walking down the aisle carrying the rings for the newlywed couple. “He looked like a little cherub.”

“Aw, Mom,” Little Ed said trying to brush off his embarrassment.

Laura turned to Becky and said in a thin voice, “You named your daughter Laura?”

Becky stepped back a moment and looked down. Gathering courage, she glanced at Laura and alleged softly, “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. I wanted my daughter to remind me of you.”

This brought tears to Laura’s eyes. She reached over and hugged Becky. “I didn’t think anybody cared about me except John.”

Becky shook her head and said, “No. That’s not true. You were so head over heels in love with John, you couldn’t see anybody else.”

Laura trembled, “It is amazing how tunnel visioned a person can be!” Laura pushed her hair back and wiped her eyes. “As a teenager the thing I remember most is how poor we were and Dad griping about how hard it was to feed so many kids. He wished we were boys so that we could help bring in some money to help out. I felt that he would be happier if I wasn’t around.”

“I’m sure that there were times when we all felt that way as teenagers, but as adults I think we learn a little better perspective on the bigger picture,” Becky admitted. “Would you like to come to the kitchen and get a glass of iced tea?”

Laura stood in the kitchen in shock looking at all the pies and food Becky had spread around on the cabinets. “Becky, the aroma is enough for a person to gain ten pounds without eating a bite. I can’t believe all the food you have cooked up.”

Becky laughed, “Remember what I told you earlier. I had to do something to calm my nerves. I am so happy to see you. I can’t wait for you to meet all of my children.” Becky merrily said as she prepared them a glass of iced tea. “Tomorrow bein’ Sunday, I’m having all my family here for Sunday dinner.
” With a wave of her hand, she continued, “You don’t have to worry about any of this food goin’ to waste. If there’s any of it left til’ tomorrow, they’re be sure to take care of the rest of it then.”

Laura looked around at all the food lining the cabinet and thought
‘them and whose army’?

Danny already was inspecting and sniffing a coconut
crème pie nearby.

Becky noticed which pie Danny seemed to favor and
cut a large piece and placed it on a small plate. “Here,” she smiled, “Nobody will notice one little ol’ piece missin’.”

Little Ed gave his mom a pouty face so she handed him a couple of chocolate chip cookies out of a cookie jar on the back of the cabinet. He rewarded her with a smile of thanks.

Soon Little Ed led Danny outside to show him around while Becky and Laura visited.

“How is Daddy doing?” Laura asked Becky.

Becky thought for a minute and replied, “Not too well, actually since Mama died. He depended on her so much. It’s been just the two of them for years now. He seems set back some. In spite of all his gruffness, they really were close.”

“It seems strange to think of them that way. I remember the arguments and complaining the most. It’s hard to think of them in love.”

Becky laughed. “You’re still thinking as a teenager. If they didn’t love each other, do you think they would have had five children?”

Laura smiled and scratched her head.

“Do you think they would have stuck together through the thick and thin? They’ve been together for forty-seven years. That takes a lot of commitment,” Becky smiled again at her joke, “even for old people.”

“How did you get so mature and wise?” Laura laughed. “Somehow, I feel stagnated compared to you.”

“No, Laura. You’ve done a lot of maturing yourself. It’s different when you’ve been away. You only remember what it was twenty-five years ago,” Becky replied kindly.

“Tell me about John, I understand that he had a heart attack? Is Danny your only child?” Becky asked.

As the afternoon progressed Becky’s children one by one returned home from whatever they were doing and met their Aunt Laura and Cousin Danny.

When Laura met her namesake, tears sprang to each of their eyes and they met in a fierce hug. Younger Laura spoke through her tears, “I’ve wanted to meet you all my life. And here you are. You are so beautiful. I’ve always wondered if I did your name justice. Mom has always spoke
n so highly of you,”

Laura glanced at Becky, “I had no idea
.” Laura touched the side of younger Laura’s face, “Of course! You couldn’t do anything else but do my name justice. You are beautiful in your own right.” Laura stepped back and looked at her. “Funny,” Laura grinned, “you don’t look anything like me.”

The younger Laura had red curly hair, blue eyes, and a smattering of freckles across her nose, but it was her fun loving spirit that shined from her face that distinguished her the most. Laura on the other hand had
straight blond hair that hung to her shoulders, creamy white complexion along with her blue eyes. She, on the other hand, always had been serious and very goal oriented. The only thing they shared in looks was their blue eyes but they still felt a strong connection of the heart.

Laura could see the love for her husband that sparkled in Becky’s eyes when Ward walked in the door. He obviously was the one who blessed Becky’s children with all the red hair. She could immediately notice the apparent resemblance to most of the children, especially in young Laura. Ward
Garner stood almost six feet tall and had broad shoulders and a portly waist, probably from Becky’s love of cooking.

After the meal, Ward walked over and put his arm around Becky and asked Laura, “What do you think of my Becky’s cookin’?”

“That was a wonderful meal,” Laura bragged.

“I married the best cook in the county,” he said tugging on Becky’s shoulder.

Becky shyly declared with a smile, “Ward, you’re just partial.”

“You better believe I’m partial, I got the best one!” he professed.

“I’m inclined to agree with you, Ward,” Laura pitched in. “From what I’ve seen today, Becky would be hard to beat.”

The next morning Becky and Ward collected all the kids together and herded them toward the car for Sunday school. Laura and Danny were invited along.

As the service began with the old hymns that Laura remembered from childhood, involuntary tears sprang to her eyes. Nostalgic memories flooded her mind of setting in class with Becky, of her singing by her mother these same songs, of old preacher Brother Sam Morris preaching until the blood vessels bulged in his neck and spittle collected on the sides of his mouth, and many more memories flooded her mind.

Some of the memories good and others she wanted to shudder. She remembered the time
when she was about the same age as Little Ed; she had sat on the front pew. A visiting minister moved around while he preached. In order to deliver one of the points of his message he charged straight toward her holding up his forefinger on his right hand. In fear of being run over she quickly crawled under the seat. He stopped and apologized to her right in the middle of his message so she would get back up in her pew. Laura snickered to herself. She had no idea what the message was about but she would never forget the minister. She never sat on the front pew again either.

Laura noticed that her Dad wasn’t at church that morning.
If he wasn’t at Becky’s house for dinner, Laura decided that she would drive over to see him later in the afternoon. A young couple came in after the service started. Becky reached over and pecked Laura on the shoulder. Becky mouthed the words, “That’s my son.”

As the service progressed, Eli, Becky’s eighteen year old son stood to sing the special before the preacher delivered the message. He sang with a
rich, clear tenor voice. Laura glanced at Becky who watched her son. Laura could see the proud Mama look on her face.

While Becky and her daughters prepared the Sunday dinner, Laura had opportunity to visit with Samuel and
Hannah. Samuel stood an inch taller than his Dad, which he proudly bragged in front of his Dad in jest. Laura noticed he didn’t have the same robust frame. He seemed to take after the Gilbert side of the family. He had gone to VoTech during and after high school and earned his electrician’s license. Hannah had been a nurse’s aide until she became pregnant.

Becky must have cooked more food while the rest of them slept this morning because Laura saw dishes that must have been prepared this morning. The family approached the meal with gusto. Each time a compliment about the food came forth one of the girls claimed credit for the dish. Laura and Danny wat
ched in amusement at the family’s banter and friendly interaction.

Later in the afternoon Laura approached Danny
, “I want to visit with my Dad and I would rather go alone. Do you understand?”

Danny hesitated. He wanted to meet his grandfather he had never seen.

“Danny, I don’t know how he will react when I get there. You will have plenty of time to visit with him before we go home, I promise.”

“Okay, Mom.” Danny was already distracted when his pretty cousins Brenda and Debra came out of the house looking for him.
He took off to join them, hardly giving Laura a second thought.

Laura smiled to
herself; Danny’s hormones are kicking in.

Danny stopped to pet a golden Labrador named Sugar, the family pet. They had already become fast friends. The girls had changed into jeans and pulled out their bikes including another one for Danny to ride.

She went in the house to tell her intentions to Becky, now she was free to meet her fate with her Dad. She hoped he would be in a kindly frame of mind.

Chapter Fourteen

Laura approached the old Gilbert farmhouse warily. She didn’t remember her Dad with kind thoughts but she needed to make amends if it were possible. There was no way she wanted to go to the funeral if he might explode with ill will toward her in front of others.

She noticed that apparently her mother had prevailed in getting the house painted. It looked like maybe ten years ago according to the places where it was beginning to peel again. There was hardly any grass because of all the trees shading the yard where the chickens ran loose. An old dog lay on the porch with a black cat
lying on his back. When the dog noticed Laura he raised his head and the cat hopped off and jumped on the porch banister. The cat arched its back in a stretch and raised his tail, yawned indifferently and sat down. The dog stood on his arthritic legs and said, “Woof.”

Laura stepped out of the car and went to the screen door taking time to pat the dog’s head,
which rewarded her by wagging his tail. She could see her father sleeping in his old ragged chair. His scraggly beard unclipped and his bald head exposed above wirier, gray speckled hair.

She lifted her fist to knock on the door and call out when the dog uttered another, “Woof.”

Her Dad woke with a start. He saw her standing framed in the door. He rose and grabbed his right hip as he walked toward her. “You Laura?” he asked peering at her.

“Well, come on in,” he said gruffly as he motioned
with hand for her to come in. “You don’t have to stand out there. It ain’t like you’re company or somethin’.

He turned around and walked back and plopped down in his chair where the cushion had taken on the image of his behind.

She gingerly walked to the old sofa and sat down on the edge, not sure where to begin. She opened her mouth to speak when he said, “I knew it must be you. You always did favor your mother.”

She wanted to tell him she was sorry that she hadn’t been back. That she knew that she hadn’t been there for her Mom. That she wished she had known
that her mother was sick. She had two beautiful children that she had kept away from them because she didn’t want to come home herself.

She opened her mouth but the only thing that came out was, “John died. Over two years ago,” she choked out.

Her Dad nodded staring at the floor. Finally, he said, “It’s a bitch, isn’t it.”

Laura nodded with tears in her eyes. Strange but she and her dad hit a cord that they had in common.

Laura comprehended that Becky was right. Her Dad had mellowed in his older years. She knew that they had many more things that they needed to hash out, but she also realized that some things are better left unsaid. Her Dad had unbeknownst to himself taught her a lesson.

She sat back and they begin to visit. He told her about her brother, “Jimmy joined the Army right out of high school. After he got out he went to college using the GI bill and became an industrial engineer.” He waved his hand in a derisive way, “I never could understand what he does with that. I know for sure he don’t ride on no train.”