Secrets in the Lowcountry--The River (24 page)

Taylor hesitated
then blurted out, “
W
hy did Dad marry her
w
ith her drinking problem?”
She flushed and covered her mouth in shame for speaking her thoughts aloud.

Mary patted her
other
hand
offering comfort.
“
After your dad gradu
ated from Beaufort, he started Chiropractic C
ollege in Chicago. He graduated in 3 1/2 years because he
w
ent
to summer school each year. H
e seldom came home
.
W
hen he did get to Beaufort for holidays, Julia Ann almost never drank. 

“
W
hen
she
learned about her
pregnan
cy,
w
ith you, she stopped drinking completely.
Everyone marveled at the change.
T
w
o years after your birth, she’d reverted to her old habits.
      
Mary stared into Taylor’s green eyes.
“
I attended a fe
w
Al-Anon group
s
w
ith and
w
ithout your father.
You’ve gone
, too
.
”

Taylor remembered her deep embarrassment at the first meeting.
She bobbed her head.

“
AA tells family and friends only the person drinking is responsible.
W
e can enable, but
w
e can’t be responsible.
Alcoholism is a disease.
Please remember that.”

Taylor embraced
Mary’s hand and tightened her grip.
“You’ve been a surrogate mother to me for a very long time.
Thank you.
I love you.”

Mary sniffed.
“And you dear girl, have been the child I never had.”
A
w
atery smile filled her face.

“Can I ask another question?” Taylor needed to change the subject and
craved additional
information.

“You certainly MAY, if you can.” Mary grinned.

Taylor giggled. As long as she could remember, Mary had corrected her grammar. A born English teacher, she had taught high school for years, before she started
w
orking for the Harris family. “Dad says you
’
r
e
psychic.”

“Sometimes I am blessed and can ‘see’ things.”

She dre
w
a deep breath. “Can you see if Rod’s alive?”

Mary fro
w
ned as she stared at Taylor. “
W
hy? Do you think he has passed on?”

“No. If he had, I’m sure I’d kno
w
.” She gathered her thoughts. “Earlier, Dad and I talked about feeling, experiencing, kno
w
ing if a person one loved
w
as dead.
He told me he had no indication Mom had had an accident.
”
Clearing her throat, Taylor charged on. “
As an engaged couple,
w
ho love one another, shouldn’t each of us
, Rod and me,
be abl
e to sense if one of us had …
”
She stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

Mary’s eyes focused on Taylor.
“
Some people c
onnect
in a
w
ay that allo
w
s th
is to happen. Most don’t. D
oes
that mean their love is
less strong or deep
? No
. I can’t explain
w
hy this happens
or doesn’t. If you don’t sense he’s departed from us, hold on to that
,
strongly. Your belief could make a difference.”

Taylor hugged her.

* ~
*

W
hen Jeff had spoken to Doc, they’d agreed to meet in the sunroom directly behind the living room.
W
hen he
pulled open the side, screen door and let his dad enter
, Doc stood
w
aiting
.

“Thought
w
e’d enjoy the beautiful vie
w
, rather than meet in my stuffy office.”

The t
w
o older men grasped hands. “Al
w
ays the gentleman, Martin
,
too kind to say climbing the steps might be too much for this old geezer.”
He
chuckled.

“Since
w
e’re the same age, are you saying I’m an old geezer, too?”
He eyed his friend and
the
t
w
inkle
sho
w
ed in his
eyes
.

Trey surveyed
his friend. “Take
w
hat I said any
w
ay you’d like.”

All three men laughed before taking seats.

As Trey sat do
w
n, he sighed,
“
W
onderful spot; t
he live oak, the river, and the camellia garden.
” He shifted his attention from the outside to Martin.
“
W
e had lots of good parties here.”

For the next
fifteen
minutes
or so
, his elders recalled common experience from their mutual past. Jeff
w
atched both men’s faces.
Mary
w
as right. Each
w
as helping the other.
Jeff listened and laughed at some of the tales.

Eventually, his dad
said, “Although I can’t help much physically right no
w
, my ears still
w
ork.”

Doc nodded. “I do have a question
or t
w
o
.”

Trey bobbed his head encouraging his friend.

Jeff spoke up, “
W
ould you prefer me to leave?”

“No, no.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’ve been like a son to me.” Martin said.

“Have to agree. At time
s
, I
w
ondered if my darling
w
ife
had an affair before your birth, boy.” A hearty chuckle burst from Trey.

“Dad!”
Jeff felt his face redden.

Martin blushed. “Let’s not go there, Trey.”

Although Jeff glanced from one to the other, neither added any additional i
nformation nor did they appear
truly embarrassed.
Suddenly, his elders dissolved
w
ith laughter.

Finally,
w
hen he controlled himself,
Trey said, “A total misunderstanding, but the tale
w
ill
w
ait for another day.
W
hat’s your quest
ion?
”

“Julia Ann. I can’t talk to Taylor or even Mary about this.” Doc stared at the scene outside the
w
indo
w
. “I adored her for so many years
, c
are
d
for her
, p
rotected her. But i
n the last five years,
w
e met infrequently.
”

Trey nodded his head
, as if Doc’s comment was well known to him
.

In a small to
w
n little gossip remained a secret
.
Jeff thought.

“
Fr
om various people
, I learned she still favored the hangouts from our youth
, t
he type
w
ith loud music and
lots of noise. She favored people
I no longer sa
w
or cared to see.
W
ith my busy practice and
w
orking a couple of
evening
s
, I prefer
red
dinner at home.
W
e seldom sa
w
each other.
W
hen I heard she’d joined AA, yet again, I didn’t hold out much hope.
But, she succeeded. I did call
and congratulate her. She misunderstood
,
accusing me of never believing in her.
” He paused, placed his hands bet
w
een his
out-stretched
knees
,
and bo
w
ed his head, as if avoiding their faces.
“Right no
w
,
” h
e stopped, shifted his gaze
from the floor
to the
w
all, and cleared his throat.
“
I
almost
have a sense of relief
.” Martin
w
iped his knuckles across his eyes.

Jeff
w
ished the men had excused him; he shifted uneasily in his chair.

“Martin, you did everything you could for Julia Ann.
You rescued her from many an uncomfortable situation.
Not
w
anting to be unchristian,
but
that
w
oman loved stirring up a beehive.”

Doc started to speak.

Holding up his hand, Trey continued,
“
Let me speak.
Even in high school, she
fermented
trouble. Most of the ideas for the riskier high-jinks came from her. I remember
…
” He cleared his throat. “Not
w
ith the boy present.”

Jeff’s eyes and ears opened
w
ider.

“So, your emotions are understandable.”

“
W
e never really mended our life.”

“I suggest you talk to Father
Mike
about that.
My vie
w
is
w
hile she lived, you did everything possible to help.
W
ith her passing, your job is to say prayers for her and not lament
w
hat you could not change.”

“Mr. Trey!” Taylor burst into the room. She dashed to his side, knelt do
w
n and thre
w
her arms around him. “You look
w
onderful!”

“Martin, your daughter certainly can stretch th
e truth.” He returned her hug, s
at back in the chair and touched her hair. “
Darling, girl, never forget I’m here for you, too.”

Sitting back on her haunches, she managed a smile and nodded.
A mischievous look filled her face. “If you
’
r
e
Trey,” She looked from Jeff’s dad to Jeff, “
W
hy aren’t you Fourth?”

“I am the fourth.” He fro
w
ned at her.

She nodded. “But no one calls you ‘fourth’
or quarter.
” She giggled and the men groaned.

*~*

After finishing a light dinner on the deck,
w
hich neither Taylor nor her dad did justice too, the doorbell rang.

“Stay, Dad. I’ll find out
w
ho’s here.” A
s she approached the back screen
door, she sa
w
their guest. “Father
Mike
!” She hurried do
w
n the hall
w
ay just as
he stepped inside
. Running into his arms, Taylor sobbed.
The last time, she’d seen him
w
as on her
w
edding day. She kne
w
he’d talked to her dad that day. He’d visited t
w
ice since then. Each time, she’d missed him. Perhaps, if she hadn’t, she’d have more peace no
w
.