A Memory Unchained (4 page)

“Surprised ya, huh!” he laughed. Tom knew this was

her dream, to have a place of their own at the beach.

“Come on lets look the place over. See, we are on a

cul-de-sac, on this hill with lots of ground,” he pointed to the path that lead to a private beach below.

“It’s perfect, just perfect,” she sighed.

“Wait until you see inside, come on,” Tom had been so

excited and now he was getting the joy of watching Pam

begin all the plans that would make the little cottage like home.

Pamela remembered all the fun they had fixing up the

beach house. They hung wallpaper and painted, purchased

new furniture and picked out just the right dishes to match everything. She remembered how much it felt like starting all over again, falling in love again.

The beach house had filled a void in Pamela’s life. She

needed something to help occupy her time after Jill left

for college and Tom had been busy with the business. The

cottage had been just the ticket. She and Tom spent time

enjoying their honeymoon cottage overlooking the bay.

As the model glided across the runway to the exit,

Pamela remembered the final day following Tom’s death

when she closed up the beach house. Tom had been gone

a year and life had lost all meaning. The joy of the little cottage was gone and Pamela’s life seemed to be at an end.

She left everything just as it was the last time they spent 32 __________________Gloria Graham

together at the cottage on Back Bay Harbor.

“I know you are definitely in another world my Chéri,

but do you really like the blue chiffon that well?” Rex knew she was in another world watching the presentation of the blue chiffon.

Pamela jumped as Rex offered her his handkerchief.

“My beautiful blue creation is quite moving but not worth your tears, Mi Chéri!” he joked.

“I will go and get the other gowns organized. Please sit

and relax until I return,” he excused himself. The memo-

ries Pamela had experienced had not left her mind. She

had returned to the beach house. This time it was the very first time they stayed in the beautifully redecorated home.

This night was to be a get acquainted party for them at

the clubhouse. She had been undecided on what to wear.

As usual she had tried on at least three outfits and none seemed right. “What on earth shall I wear?” she finally

asked Tom. “Why do you ask me? You will wear the first

thing you tried on!” he laughed. Then he yelled back,

“Wear that blue one, you know my favorite!”

“That one is a little fancy don’t you think?” She called

back.

“Hey, we want the neighbors to see you at your

best.”

“Okay, blue chiffon it is!” she said with a lilt in her

voice.

Tom had been waiting for her on the balcony when she

came down the stairs. He was speechless for a moment.

“You are beautiful, that’s for sure.”

Tom kissed her sweetly.

“My hair, Tom,” she nudged him gently away.

A Memory Unchained___________ 33

“What would you say to staying home tonight?”

Pamela smiled. “What will our neighbors think?”

“Who cares?” he insisted. “This is our place, our time

together!” He pulled her close and she melted into his

arms. She forgot about her hair, her dress, everything

except loving Tom.

His kiss stirred up the desire that he always managed

to make her feel. The oneness they felt flowed between

them. Since a cool breeze flowed into the room, whipping

the drapes about.

“It’s like a kiss, the breeze,” he whispered softly.

“Oh yes,” she murmured.

“It’s like my kiss for you, beautiful and unending,” he

whispered softly. Pamela felt the winds of love.

As the moon spilled its soft iridescent glow around the

bedroom, it had been a new beginning for them. Their love had taken on a new dimension, a second honeymoon. Only

this time each one knew what to do to make it special. A

gift of love shared by two.

She was lost in those memories when Rex called her

name! She flinched. She was back to reality.

“Are you with me?”

She quickly answered him. “They are wonderful, every

design is a masterpiece!”

“And especially the blue chiffon I would guess!” He

smiled, “I saw the look on your face.” She hadn’t hidden

anything from him!

“Just a memory,” she managed to say.

The fashion show Rex had arranged for her was like a

professional production! She could have been more atten-

tive, if it hadn’t been for the exquisite blue chiffon gown 34 __________________Gloria Graham

captivating her thoughts.

“Now let me show you more of my beautiful Paris, out-

side this clothing department!” Rex took her arm and led

her out of his salon to the waiting maroon limousine.

“It’s easy to see why you Frenchmen say you’ll fall in

love with Paris!” Pamela pointed to the small sidewalk café with freshly painted tables and chairs and bright colored umbrellas.

“How do you manage to live through this traffic every

day?” She caught her breath as three automobiles came

directly toward them, dodging and turning abruptly into

separate lanes!

“It’s the worse mess I’ve ever seen and no one gets hit!”

She shook her head in amazement.

Rex continued their trip around the city.

“And this is the Louvre, we shall tour it next,” Rex

pointed to the very drab gray but ornate building ahead.

All the buildings began to look alike to Pamela. Every

building had its huge columns adorning an endless climb

of stairs and more stairs!

After hours of walking, Pamela’s feet felt as if she had

walked a thousand miles! Rex was still in high gear as they toured the endless rooms of the Louvre.

“You go ahead, I’m going to sit down and wait for

you!” she insisted.

Rex walked on to an area that intrigued him. Pamela

watched as a large tour group gathered in front of her.

The guide was explaining, “And this room is the room of

statues,” he said pointing to the room she was resting in.

The guide’s words jolted her memory.

A Memory Unchained___________ 35

She heard them the day the real estate agent brought his

client to view her beach house. She really had not wanted to sell. But he hounded her, insisting it would bring quite a price! Tom had left her with a small insurance policy

making it necessary for her to work.

When the couple arrived with the agent, Pamela

agreed to stay out of the way. It wasn’t until the woman

commented loudly on the bad taste in wallpaper that she

interrupted! They had not been concerned about her feel-

ings. Her temper got the best of her.

She promptly ushered them to the door, informing

them the house was no longer for sale! They left with their mouths still hanging open!

It was at that moment the shock of returning to her

beach house was gone. Tom’s memory flooded the room.

She felt his presence, his love surrounding her, comfort-

ing her.

It was a good feeling. She realized that she needed to

keep their place and his memory a part of her life.

She would never love any other man, she thought, as she

reveled in her memories. The time since Tom’s death had

been long and lonely, and not long enough to forget!

The Parisian guide ushered his tourists on. “And in this

room..,” he began. Pamela chuckled watching the group

of Japanese tourists pass by with all the different expensive cameras. “Just like home!” she thought.

She looked around her. The room was filled with male

statues twelve feet tall, of white plaster and without a stitch on! She blushed.

“If Jill could see me now with all these men!” she

laughed. Jill had been avid about the recluse her mother

36 __________________Gloria Graham

had become. “You’ve got to get out, be with people again, start dating! Please Mom!” she insisted.

Pamela knew Jill meant well, but it wasn’t so easy for a

woman of forty to begin the dating scene again. “I will, I will,” Pamela promised Jill. “I’ll really try to get out.”

“You know dad would never have wanted you to be

this lonely – you know that!” Jill had never mentioned

that fact to Pamela before. She was right, Pamela knew

it, but it wouldn’t be easy for her to start over. In fact she was scared to death.

For the past year and a half she had buried herself in

her work, designing clothes, working late until she fell into bed exhausted, too tired to care about anything!

She thought about Janice Monroe. It had been at her

recommendation that she landed her job at Orlands De-

partment Store. She owed her one, she reminded herself!

Pamela smiled and waved as Rex across the huge room

in the Louvre. Rex waved as he wandered into another

alcove. Rex told her he never got bored in the old historic museum. Each visit always turned up something he had

never seen before.

“No wonder,” she laughed. “This place is huge. I’ve

never seen anything like it!”

She leaned back against the hard bench. Her thoughts

were of Janice again, how she really owed her not one but two. It was her dinner party that pushed her back into the dating world.

When the gold engraved envelope popped up on

Pamela’s desk, she had tried to ignore it. When she finally opened it, the gold words jumped out.

SATURDAY – 8:00 PM.

A Memory Unchained___________ 37

MONROE ESTATES, EAST BOSTON ROAD.

RSVP

Pamela had laughed out loud. “I finally made her list!

Well I’ll be!” she thought. It hadn’t been so many years ago Janice Monroe wouldn’t give Pamela Thornton, Designer,

the time of day.

Pamela remembered her refusal to take a dress she had

designed for her. It made her look fat, she snapped! She

had saved their relationship by taking her to the stockroom and letting her pick anything she wanted. She was pleased as punch! Little did she know that there were a dozen more just like it on the rack. From that day on Pamela could do no wrong in Janice’s eyes.

Pamela laid the gold invitation aside. Jill’s words vi-

brated in her head. “Get out a little Mom, you’re working too hard!”

The weekend before had been hard on Pamela. Entering

the beach house again for the first time since Tom’s death, then Jill’s insistence she get back into circulation. She had second thoughts about Janice’s party and had almost decided not to attend when the phone rang.

“Hi Mom, what’s new?”

Jill’s voice always made her day. She missed her daugh-

ter. But she would never let her know how much or Jill

would move home in a minute. College for Jill had been

her dad’s fondest wish.

“How about if I come down this weekend and we go

shopping?”

The whole world looked brighter to Pamela. Just the

thought of seeing Jill made it that way!

Pamela tried to put Janice’s party invitation out of her

38 __________________Gloria Graham

mind. But every time she shuffled through her papers,

there it was, staring her in the face!

When she told Jill about the invitation, she was de-

lighted. She bubbled with excitement as she began her

plans. “You have to go,” she insisted.

“Now,” she said, “You need a new hairstyle, something

short and bouncy, and maybe something to cover the little gray hairs. Let me think on it Mom. I’ll figure out something scrumptious for you to wear!” Pamela laughed and

agreed to think about it.

She finally decided to go. “Besides, what could she lose

at forty? She assured herself.

Pamela had answered the RSVP and Janice gushed

with sweetness.

“Wonderful darling!”

Pamela could still hear the drawl of Janice’s d-a-r-l-i-

n-g!

That night Jill’s call woke Pamela!

“Do you know what time it is young lady?” she

yawned.

“Sure Mom, but listen. I have a surprise for you, I’m

going to design your dress for the party!” she paused,

“On the order of the blue chiffon Dad liked so well, but

more modern!” Jill waited for Pamela’s response. Pamela

was especially proud of Jill’s design ability. She would be graduating with honors. How could she discourage her

now?

“My blue chiffon with rhinestones?” Pamela hesi-

tated.

“We can use the trim off one of your other gowns, or

the rhinestones off the blue, you know which one don’t

A Memory Unchained___________ 39

you?”

Pamela knew. She would have preferred to leave that

one in the closet, sealed with her memories, but she would never discourage Jill.

“It sounds elegant, I’ll be the hit of the party in my own daughter’s creation!” Pamela beamed with pride already.

“I’m still not sure I should go, but,” her voice trailed

off. “You’ll have fun, don’t be an old fuddy-duddy, you

hear! Try to have fun. You need it. Now you call for that hair appointment, please!”

Jill had actually made Pamela feel excited about the

party. When she hung the phone up she realized she hadn’t ever asked about Jill’s new boyfriend.

Pamela worried about her. She wanted her to find a

love like she and Tom had shared, a love built on trust and caring. Jill seemed to be searching for Mr. Right!

Pamela looked around the immense room of the Louvre

again. “Yes,” she thought, “If Jill could only see me now.”