The Geranium Girls (19 page)

Beryl has her party on the Saturday night of the Labour Day weekend. She knows she’s taking a chance. The weather could do anything, but she has a feeling it’ll be okay.

And it is. The day is as hot as mid-July, not a cloud in the sky and just a hint of a breeze. There have been enough cool nights that most of the mosquitoes are dead.

She spends the day sweeping the deck, hosing down her lawn chairs and preparing snacks. Her wooden lanterns are stuck into the grass here and there around the front yard to give the place a festive air. It’s the first time she’s used them. She’d bought them from Winnipeg Supply during the closing-out sale of its retail store.

Dhani helps her, as he said he would. He places a metal wash tub on a corner of the deck and fills it with ice for beer. He hauls an old table up from the basement, scrubs it down, and shouts out for a tablecloth.

“This will be the bar,” he says.

The snacks are things that Beryl won’t have to fuss with once the festivities begin. Like vegetables and dip and hot pepper poppers. And she asks each person to bring something. It’s going to be great.

Beryl feels perfect the night of her party, as perfect as one of Hermione’s haircuts. She wears Dhani’s favourite dress, the blue one, and no shoes and no underwear.

The heat from the day lasts into the night. The guests spend the whole time outdoors and no one even needs a sweater.

Rachel Frobisher brings devilled eggs and celery sticks filled with Cheez Whiz.

Frank brings a watermelon and some chocolate chip cookies that his daughter, Emma, made. He doesn’t bring his wife.

The Kruck-Boulbrias bring Camembert in puff pastry. It needs to be heated. But they did it already, at their own house, since they live only thirty seconds away.

Beryl chose not to be acknowledged by the police department so Frank honours her at the party. He stands up and makes a short speech and proposes a toast. They all clap and drink and shout, “Speech! Speech!” but Beryl gets away with not making one. It’s her party; she can do what she wants.

Her ghetto blaster is set up on the deck with the speakers pointing toward the house, for all the good it will do. She doesn’t want to piss off the neighbours, the ones that aren’t there. Burton Cummings is singing “Fine State of Affairs” and Stan Socz turns it up loud.

“I love this song,” he says.

The neighbours that are there seem to be enjoying themselves.

Clive comes with a long-legged friend, a couple of cans of smoked oysters, a bag of limes, and three bottles of tequila.

“That oughta do us,” Hermione says, helping him set up his supplies at the bar. She brought her trusty bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a huge bowl of guacamole with corn chips.

Ariadne Kruck-Boulbria gets drunk. So drunk she kisses all the men on the lips and hugs all the women. No one seems to mind, except perhaps Mort.

Raylene passes around the asparagus and cream cheese roll-ups that she made. She also takes it upon herself to pass the other dishes to the people that find a chair and don’t leave it, like Rachel.

Roy, the builder who constructed Beryl’s deck, arrives, and she sees him talking to Clive. Maybe they’re talking about fixing the holes in Clive’s house. She’s glad she didn’t have to involve her neighbour with the police. Clive is oblivious and it suits him.

Frank has a faraway look in his eyes. He looks as if he needs comfort, but Beryl knows she is not the one to provide it.

She watches while Dhani flips burgers on the grill.

“These are ready for anyone who likes them crunchy!” he hollers. He is cooking vegetables in a foil boat.

Beryl suddenly sees Beatrice, the picture of her that is burned into her memory. She shivers at Dhani’s side.

He puts his arm around her. “Are you cold?” he asks.

“No,” she says, “just…nothing.” She slips out of her yard and walks past three houses to Lyndale Drive and approaches her house from the river end of the street. The breeze has picked up a little and for a moment or two she loses herself in the wind in the trees.

“Hi, Beryl.” The small voice startles her back to reality.

“Russell! Hello! You took me by surprise.”

“You look like you’re missing your own party,” Russell’s dad says and smiles.

“Just taking a breather.” Beryl smiles back. “I hope we’re not bothering you with the noise.”

“Not at all,” the dad says. “I like the sound of a party.”

“Me too,” says Russell.

“Aren’t you up kind of late, Russ?” Beryl asks.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Well, why don’t you two join us for a drink? You might even know one or two people.”

“I can see Clive,” Russell says. “Come on, Dad. Let’s.”

“Well, okay. Maybe just for a few minutes. Thanks. Beryl, is it? I’m Paul Hearne, Russell’s dad.”

They shake hands and walk toward the party.

The deck is magical in the dark with the flames from the lanterns. The fragile sound of women’s laughter sails out on the night air, disappears far above the tree tops.

Beryl feels a small movement at her side. Russell slips his grubby little hand into hers as he and his father accompany her back to the party.

She stands beneath her willow tree and gazes up into its depths. Everywhere she looks she can see new growth. It’s decided to have another go at it, even this late in the season.

Alison Preston was born and raised in Winnipeg. After trying on a number of other Canadian cities, she returned to her hometown, where she currently resides. All of her mysteries are set in the Norwood Flats area of Winnipeg, including 
The Rain Barrel Baby
, 
The Geranium Girls
, 
Cherry Bites
, and 
Sunny Dreams
. 

A graduate of the University of Winnipeg, and a letter carrier for twenty-eight years, Alison has been twice nominated for the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer, following the publications of 
The Rain Barrel Baby
 (Signature Editions) and her first novel 
A Blue and Golden Year
 (Turnstone Press). She was also shortlisted for the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award for 
Cherry Bites
 and the Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher for 
Sunny Dreams
.