The sofas and chairs were missing some of their elaborate tassels, the wooden frames worn in spots and the velvety cushions threadbare and pale. Everything looked a bit dusty and neglected, the room resembling some chamber forgotten a long time ago, left to come to a standstill just like the small grandfather clock. I wondered if Mrs. Stanton had entertained any guests for years. She didn't seem to notice any of the imperfections and made no attempt to apologize for the room's condition.
To our left on entering was the doorway to the dining room.
It
was dark. but I could see a very long table with upholstered high-back chairs and a chandelier above. There looked to be a long mirror on the right wall and a long china cabinet on the left with dinnerware visible behind closed glass doors.
"Please, just make yourselves comfortable. I'll see to some mint iced tea."
"Don't go out of your way, please." I said.
"Oh, it's not out of my way. darlin'. It's just across the hall," she said with a laughing voice that seemed to ring back to younger days.
Heyden smiled and shook his head. "I feel like we're on some strange movie set." he said. "Maybe they shot a scene from
Gone With the Wind
here or something."
"This is very lovely." Uncle Linden declared. As before when he first viewed the motor home, he seemed either unwilling or meapable of seeing imperfections and disappointments. He was certainly looking at the world through different eyes since we had left Florida, I thought, and wondered if that was something good or bad,
"I remember when Joya Del Mar had
glamorous rooms and exquisite furnishings like this. Once it, too, had style. That was before the Eatons came in and turned everything into glitz and opulence. Those people had no taste, no sense of elegance."
Maybe he was right. I thought, and looked again at the old artifacts, pictures, and statuary. As old and neglected as it all was, it at least had character.
"Well. I got good news and bad," Chubs said returning just after we sat. "Billy's got an engine that surely has what we need, but he had to leave to go to his son's house to celebrate a weddin' anniversary. We can't get what we need until tomorrow. I'm afraid.'
"Oh," Heyden said. despondent.
"That's not such bad news," Lilliann Stanton declared as she walked in carrying a silver tray on which she had tumblers of iced tea. "Y'all will just stay over here at Casa de la Luna."
"Thank you." Heyden said. "but we can probably return to our motor home for the night."
"Don't forget what happened to the electricity," I whispered. "We can make do." he said sharply.
"You got problems with the electric, too?" Chubs said, picking up on it.
'Refrigerator went out," Heyden said. "I haven't gone through the rest of the appliances yet."
"Well, all your food's gonna go bad."
"Charles, how could you leave that there?" Lilliann chastised. He didn't know about it. Mrs. Stanton."
"Well, you just drive right back to that vehicle and get their things, hear? We'll put them away here and save what we can," she insisted.
"That's very kind of you." Uncle Linden said. "It's been a long time since anyone's been that kind to me."
Mrs. Stanton beamed, "Why, sir. I can't imagine why not. What's this world comin' to when people can't treat each other with some common decency?"
Uncle Linden nodded, "Exactly." he said sipping the iced tea. He held up the glass, twirling it in the light like some child mesmerized by the dancing colors and twinkling ice. "This is wonderful iced tea.
I
haven't had as good in years."
"Well, thank you, sir." she said.
It
was my husband's favorite." Then she looked at Chubs. Are you still here. Charles?"
"I'm goin'. What we might want to do." he added. Talking directly to Heyden now, "is tow that motor home back here tonight. Get it off the road. We're going to have to work on it here anyway. We'll take the tractor. I'll get everything together,"
Heyden jumped up. "I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"That's a good idea. Heyden. If we're going to sleep here, we'll need some things from the motor home." I told him.
"Let me go along then and do what I can to help. too." Uncle Linden said.
"Oh, that ain't necessary. Mr Montgomery. The young man and me can do what has to be done," Chubs said. "You just make yourself comfortable."
Just at that moment we heard footsteps on the stairway. Chubs looked at Mrs. Stanton and then at us. The worried expression on his face stirred my curiosity. Who was coming? Both Chubs and Mrs. Stanton had said Mr. Stanton was dead. and Chubs hadn't mentioned anyone else to us.
Whoever it was did not come to the sitting room doorway. Instead this person went directly into the dining room from the other side. I soon saw that it was a younger woman with long strawberry-blond hair that dropped limply down and over her shoulders. Even in the dimly lit roam. I could see her bangs were too long. She practically had to part strands of hair to see. She was wearing a marine blue robe with a pair of what looked like men's soft leather slippers.
She turned so slowly toward us, it was like looking at someone in a dream. For a moment it did seem as if the world had came to a standstill. She was so frozen, and then she lifted her arms and cried. "Rosemary!"
Chubs didn't see her, but he immediately looked down at the floor. Mrs. Stanton hoisted her eyebrows and tucked her mouth in at the corners, releasing a small, but audible groan of despair.
The young woman started toward me. Heyden stepped up beside me protectively. The young woman stopped a few feet in front of me and shook her head. She was very pretty with an appropriate peach complexion to compliment her dazzlingly turquoise eyes. She had high cheekbones and a perfectly shaped mouth with full lips. There was a very slight cleft in her chin,
"When did you come home? Why didn't you come right upstairs to see me. Rosemary. Grandma." she said, turning to MTS. Stanton, "why didn't you tell me Rosemary was home?"
To my surprise. Mrs. Stanton replied. "She just this moment arrived. Bess."
"Where's Nolan?" Bess asked, looking around. "Isn't he back, too?"
MTS. Stanton shook her head slowly, her eyes blanketing with sadness.
I
looked at Heyden, whose eyes were wide with confusion. Chubs closed his and then turned slightly away. Uncle Linden looked pensive, concerned.
"Oh, well, at least Rosemary is back." Bess declared and threw her arms around me, pulling me close to her. She had the aroma of lavender about her, something that smelled like scented bath oils. I thought. Her embrace was strong. tight. I didn't struggle against it, but looked instead at Mrs. Stanton, who now seemed on the verge of tears.
Bess finally released me and then put her hands on my shoulders to hold me away stiff-armed while she looked into my face and scowled.
You naughty, naughty girl, running off like that with your father and leaving us worried sick. I should be very, very angry with you. Rosemary. but I won't be," she said, dissolving the scowl into a soft, loving smile. "I'll be goad and I'll make sure you're not unhappy anymore."
She dropped her right hand to seize my left and turned,
"Come along with me immediately." she said. "and see what improvements I've made in your room. Come on," she urged, tugging harder,
"But
I'm
not Rosemary," I protested. Bess stopped, but clung tightly to my hand. She scowled again.
"Now, don't start that business again. Rosemary. You are who you are no matter what anyone tells you. Besides," she added. smiling. "why would you want to be anyone else?"
"But..."
"Tell her. Grandma."
I
looked at Mrs. Stanton. She appeared to be breathing hard, her shoulders rising and falling with great effort. Whatever was happening was so terrible it was causing her to choke on her internal tears. Her face was losing color. She looked as if she might collapse.
"It's all right," I said quickly, indicating I could deal with this.
Bess didn't appear to be dangerous. She was someone who had obviously suffered some terrible emotional trauma. Years and years of nurturing Uncle Linden gave me the patience and compassion I needed for something like this. I thought, and besides. whether I wanted to admit to it or not. I was my mother's daughter.
"I'm fine, It's all right." I whispered with assurance.
Mrs. Stanton's face took on color immediately. The relief traveled up her neck and relaxed her shoulders. She looked at Bess, who was waiting anxiously for her response. She looked like she was holding her breath, in fact.
You are Rosemary," Mrs. Stanton said to me and then recited. "You are your mother's daughter, my great-granddaughter, and you should be happy here. You never have run off with your Daddy."
"See?" Bess cried, releasing her breath. "Come along." she urged again and tugged my arm as she stepped toward the doorway, "Let's not waste another moment,"
I followed her, glancing back once at Heyden, who looked frightened for me. I nodded my head to indicate I was fine and then continued to follow Bess, who rushed toward the stairway,
All I have done since the day von left is plan and plan for your return." she said as she marched up ahead of me.
Heyden was at the bottom of the stairway, looking up. Chubs moved to his side.
"I'll be all right. Get the motor home,"
I
said.
"We'll be back as soon as we can." Heyden promised.
I continued after Bess, who was now waiting at the top of the stairway.
"I can't forgive your father for telling you a story like that. Why, anyone who looked at the both of you for only a moment would see how strong the resemblance is. Of course Nolan is your father.
"He's ashamed of what he's done, I'm sure. That's why he's not back. too. I know. I shouldn't be able to forgive him for taking you away from me. but I will. We'll all forgive each other for everything and be a happy family again, won't we?"
I
glanced back and saw Mrs. Stanton looking up at us with great concern.
"Yes," I said. "We will."
This is so wonderful. so wonderful." she said and clapped her hands. "Come along. No, wait." she said, stopping me. "Close your eyes. I want this to be a really big surprise. Go on. Close your eyes."
I
did so and she took my hand again. I opened my eyes enough to see that we were moving down the corridor toward a door on our right. She stopped before it and turned back to me. so
I
closed my eyes tightly.
"On the count of three, you can open your eyes. Rosemary. Ready?"
"Yes," I said.
"Good. One..."
I heard her open the door.
"Two. And three!" she screamed.
I opened my eyes and looked into the room.
To my surprise it was a beautiful room and a room obviously well kept. There was a four-poster canopied bed with a pink-and-white bedspread and large, fluffy pillows, at the center of which was the most beautiful stuffed black panther. It had absolutely luminous eyes and looked as if it was made with a rich velvet. On both sides of the bed were nightstands of the same eggshell white. One had a beautiful carousel on it. and the other had a Wizard of Oz clock with a replica of Dorothy with Toto at her feet.
Everything in the room was coordinated. from the white curtains with pink trim to the milk-white area rug with its apricot-tinted spirals. To the right was a long vanity table with an oval mirror framed in a pinkish white wood at the center. Everything on the table was neatly organized. Just to my left inside the door was a real old-fashioned school desk, the kind that had the desk attached to the seat. Books were stacked on it, the top one being a textbook for an American literature class. Next to the books was
a
notebook with a pen beside it. In the armoire on the right was
a
television set. On the walls to my left were shelves of books, dolls, framed art prints, and on the wall to my right was a poster from the Wizard of Or film with Judy Garland.
Whereas the rest of the house I had seen looked stuck in time with its tired vintage furnishings, this room could be featured in a modern-day House Beautiful magazine. I thought. From the lamps to the fixtures. door handles and dresser drawer handles. it all glittered like new. The windows glistened. the colors were vibrant. It was like watching a black-andwhite movie suddenly turn to Technicolor.
Bess moved quickly to the closet and opened it. "Look!" she cried, standing back.
I
walked in slowly and gazed in at the rows of what looked like brand-new clothing, some with tags still hanging from sleeves.
"Every time
I
go into Anderson.
I
find something you would Eke, Rosemary. I've. even bought you new shoes to go with some of these outfits." she said, kneeling down to open a shoe box and show me its contents.
She stood up. "I knew you were coming back. my darlin'. my sweet. darlin'. I knew it." She held my hands and smiled.
"The room is beautiful," I said.
"Yes. As it should be. as it should always be. Now come. Sit with me." she said, pulling me to the bed with her. "And tell me everything you've been doing.
"No, wait." she added quickly, putting her finger to my lips. "Don't tell me anything. I don't want to know anything about all that. It doesn't matter. What matters is you are here now, and we'll be a family again."
She pouted. "You should never have believed him. How could you believe him? He was just angry at me for other things, and that was his way at getting back at me. Rosemary," she said and turned away to look down at the floor.
"Sometimes," she continued. "sometimes a woman needs to be left alone. She has other problems, woman's problems, and men just don't understand. Rosemary. They can't understand.. They're selfish that way. They want to please themselves, satisfy their own needs,
"I thought you were too young for all this. but I was wrong. I was wrong, so wrong.
But don't blame me for that. A mother doesn't want to admit that her little girl is grown up. Grownup little girls don't want to be with Mommy all the time, now, do they? When you're a mother, you have to give up your baby, cut the umbilical cord, and let him or her go off, and no mother wants to do that, no real mother, no mother like me. "Can you understand that? Can you?" she asked, pleading for the answer she wanted.
I
stared at her. Yes.
I
could understand that, but it all made me think of Mommy and how little Claude's birth and death served to cut that umbilical cord abruptly. Part of us wants our mothers to let us go. and part of us resents it.