Red Clover (37 page)
Authors: Florence Osmund
Henry waved Lee over as soon as he saw him.
“Hello, Henry.” As soon as he said it, he realized that was the first time he had ever called him Henry to his face.
The man looked like a complete stranger to him now. It was hard to imagine having lived under the same roof with him, having eaten at his dinner table, enduring his subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle put-downs, internalizing the pain of his hurtful words to the point of physical illness, living life in constant fear of being a failure. It all seemed quite surreal now, even though the effects of it still lingered.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked Lee.
Lee joined him on the bench.
“I’ve been sitting in my car for the past hour trying to think of the right words to say to you.”
“You don’t have to say anything to me.”
“Yes, I do.” He shifted his position to face Lee. “And let me preface it by saying I fully understand that nothing I say will make up for the way I’ve treated you over the years.”
Lee sensed Henry was looking directly at him but couldn’t bring himself to look at him. Not yet.
“I know you know the whole story about your mother and Nelson, and the first thing I have to say is that we were wrong to handle it the way we did, by covering it up. It was selfish of us and not fair to you, and for that I’m sorry.” His voice was soft yet resolute.
Lee breathed in, and after a long moment, turned to face Henry. He studied the seriousness of his face and then nodded. He believed his sincerity...but wasn’t ready to accept his apology. “I’m sorry too.”
“I don’t think I could have been a worse role model for you if I had tried. Instead of helping you through the tough times, I contributed to them. I’m not going to make any excuses for my behavior. All I can say is you deserved better.” He glanced around the property. “This is some place you’ve got here.”
“Thank you.”
Henry pulled an envelope out of his breast pocket. “When Nelson and Bennett turned twenty-five, I gave each of them an early inheritance.” He handed the envelope to Lee. “I want you to have the same.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“No, I suppose I don’t. But I want to. And last year you told me the University of Wisconsin was planning to build a medical research facility outside of Lake Geneva.”
“That’s right.”
“You asked me for help making contact with the right people, and I didn’t do it. I hope this isn’t too late. The name of the person you should contact is in the envelope. He’s very interested in Dr. Rad’s work and is expecting your call.”
He stared at Henry for several seconds. “What changed your mind about helping me with that?”
“Your mother.”
“How so?”
“She told me it was one thing to treat you like I did when you were young and under the veil of secrecy we were all living, but to continue to do it now made me less than a man.” He pursed his lips and closed his eyes, as if trying to prevent his emotions from escaping. “Those words got me to thinking, soul searching I believe they call it, not only about you and your mother...about a lot of things.” He touched the top of Lee’s hand. “Look, I wouldn’t blame you if you never spoke to me again, but if you do find it in your heart to forgive me someday, I hope we can find a way to develop a new relationship, an honest one this time.”
After an awkward moment of silence, Henry withdrew his hand and continued. “I suppose you know your mother is leaving me.”
His mother hadn’t shared that with him. “No, I wasn’t aware of that.”
“I’ve been living in the Lake Geneva house for a while.”
“Does she know you’re here?”
“No.”
“Are you going to tell her you’re here? She’s inside.”
“Yes, I know.” His eyes focused on the spot where Lee and his mother had talked earlier. “I’m trying to get up enough nerve to ask her to come home with me so we can talk things through.”
Lee gazed at Henry’s profile—the slight hunch in his posture, the nervous tick in his chin, the soulful look on his face. He sensed the scared little boy that still lingered inside him, giving reality to how self-destructive not facing your fears could be.
“I hope everything works out for you, Henry. I really do.”
After Henry left in search of his wife, Lee walked to the edge of the expansive field of red clover, breathing in the sweet powerful fragrance of the blossoms. He stepped into all its splendor, and letting the tops of the flowering plants grace the tips of his fingertips, looked up into the limitless sky and felt blissfully whole.
The End
On The Outside Looking In
By David Harris
The peels of laughter emulate from within
and he stands on the outside forever looking in.
He stands the stranger, which no one wants to know.
Sadness always etched across his brow
with a lonely heart beating inside.
He sees the smiles radiate from within
while he stands alone
always on the outside looking in.
The one who stands apart from any joyous crown
with only tears and a lonely heart.
He is the one who never is invited
to parties at anytime,
but has to watch from outside a window
on the outside always looking in.
He is that someone everyone rejects as a friend.
One day he can only hope and tables will turn.
Until that day arrives
and his loneliness evaporates he will remain
the one who stands
on the outside always looking in.
Reprinted with permission from the author
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THE FENCE-POST LETTERS?
On the next page, you’ll see the letters Lee painted on the 109 fence-post signs. The message Lee wanted to convey made use of all the letters and punctuation marks found on the signs, just not in the same order he painted them.
Hint: The first word is
My.
The code is fairly easy to crack, but if you must, look on the back for the deciphered message.
Lee’s Message to the World
My name is Lee Oliver Winekoop. I am proud to say my father is Nelson Oliver Sambourg. I may be south of center, but at least I’m whole.
Other Books by Florence Osmund
The Coach House
(2012
B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree)
This book is not only thought evoking but also a genuine pleasure to read.
—BestChickLit
1945 Chicago. Newlyweds Marie Marchetti and her husband, Richard, have the perfect life together. Or at least it seems until Marie discovers cryptic receipts hidden in their basement and a gun in Richard's desk drawer. When she learns he secretly attends a mobster’s funeral, her suspicions are confirmed. And when she inadvertently interrupts a meeting between Richard and his so-called business associates in their home, he causes her to fall down the basement steps, compelling Marie to run for her life.
Ending up in Atchison, Kansas, Marie quickly sets up a new life for herself. She meets Karen Franklin, a woman who will become her lifelong best friend, and rents a coach house apartment behind a three-story Victorian home. Ironically, it is the discovery of the identity of her real father and his ethnicity that unexpectedly changes her life more than Richard ever could.
Daughters
(sequel to
The Coach House,
2013
B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree)
Civil rights, gender roles, and political postures are carefully, realistically, and sensitively present in this story.
—Pens and Needles
Twenty-four-year-old Marie Marchetti has just discovered her father’s identity, the father she never knew. She hopes the invitation from him to spend two weeks with her newfound family over Thanksgiving will help uncover vital truths about herself. Discovering who her father is also means discovering her own ethnicity, and her strong need to understand who she really is and where she belongs drives her to seek peace and truth in her life.
A lot happens as a result of Marie’s visit. But the most life-altering consequence of it unexpectedly grows out of an encounter with a twelve-year-old girl named Rachael.
Available at …
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/author/florenceosmund
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/FlorenceOsmund
Author’s website: http://florenceosmund.com/buy_the_authors_books
Retail stores: Through distributors Ingram and Baker & Taylor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After more than three decades of working in corporate America, Florence Osmund retired to write books. She earned her master’s degree from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and forged an active career in administrative and human resource management. She currently resides in Chicago where she enjoys all the things that great city has to offer and (of course) reading and writing.
If you are a new or aspiring author, Florence invites you to visit her website where she offers considerable writing advice, book promotion and marketing strategies, and many helpful website links.
Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
www.florenceosmund.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/florenceosmundbooks
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/florenceosmund
Table of Contents
3 | “Don’t Expect Him to Change”
16 | “What Do You Want from Me?”
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THE FENCE-POST LETTERS?