"You've really been married sixty years?" Raven asked, lowering herself to a chair slowly. Nana sat in the rocking chair
"Sixty-two years this coming November fifth," she said proudly.
To Raven this was like meeting someone on the pages of Ripley's Believe It or Not. She stared, amazed.
"Seems like yesterday to me," Nana continued. "I can see him coming around to my parents' house down in Denton, his hat in hand, under his arm a small box of chocolates for my mother and a bottle of his mother's homemade blackberry brandy for my father. He had a bunch of baby yellow roses for me. Very expensive in those days. 'I come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage,' he declared. You could tell he had been rehearsing the line all the way over. Daddy pondered just to make it seem like it was a whole new idea, when everyone who knew us and knew how long we had been courting expected it.
"Do you think you can make her a good life?' Daddy asked him. 'Yes sir, I do. It's a farmer's life,' Norman said, 'but it will be a good and honest one.' " She laughed. "We've been here ever since."
"You mean you've lived all these years in one house, in one place?" Raven asked.
"Why, yes honey. Norman wouldn't move off this property no matter what. He plans to die here and so do I, if the good Lord sees fit. That's why Gerry's just barking up the wrong tree with all his talk of rest homes and the like. He might as well howl at the moon. Now you girls tell me about yourselves," she said looking from Crystal to Butterfly and then me. "How do you come by sleeping in a car? Where are you from? Where are you going?"
I looked at Crystal. It was time for her to reach back into that imagination and provide some sort of cover story for all of us.
"We're good friends who attend an all girls' school back east," she began. "We hung out together because we're the poorer girls, all there on
scholarships. I invited everyone to my home for part of the summer vacation and we were heading there and trying to economize on the trip, so we came up with the idea of sleeping in the car to save on motel money. We thought it would be safe and it was fun, like camping out."
I sat amazed at the way Crystal could spin a tale. All those books she read really gave her a wild imagination.
"But won't your mommies and daddies be worried if you don't call them and let them know where you are?" Nana asked.
"Oh we did, just before we pulled in for the night. They know we're taking our time, seeing some sights," Crystal replied.
Nana shook her head and rocked.
"Ain't you kids something nowadays. When I was your age, I was afraid to go fifty miles by myself and here you are going all over the country.
Of course, you can't be too careful now," she warned.
"Oh we're careful," Crystal assured her. Nana looked at Butterfly.
"I bet you're not much older than my granddaughter Lindsey. How old are you, sweetheart?"
"I'm nearly seventeen," Butterfly said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Really? I thought you were closer to twelve. I'm sure your mother misses you and those golden curls something awful," she said.
Butterfly pressed her lips together and glanced quickly at Crystal.
"Her mother's passed away," Crystal said. "She lives with her father and he travels on business a lot."
"O000h," Nana said sympathetically. "I'm sorry about that."
"Butterfly's talented. She's going to become a famous dancer someday," Raven said. "Butterfly?"
"That's her nickname," I said quickly.
"You do remind me of a beautiful butterfly. What sort of dancing do you do, sweetheart?"
"Ballet," Crystal said. "She can dance to this," she added indicating the music playing on the ancient record player.
"Oh, how wonderful. I'd love to see that," Nana cried clapping her hands together.
Crystal looked at Butterfly, who went from a look of terror to a look of pride. Maybe she wasn't good enough to make some big dancing school, but she sure could get lost in her dancing when she started.
"Show her a little," Crystal urged.
"Yeah," Raven said. "Show her."
Butterfly looked at Nana, who smiled with expectation and then she stood. She took a position and we all sat back just as Norman appeared with the hot chocolate.
"Here it comes," he cried.
"Just be quiet and sit down," Nana ordered. "We're being entertained."
"What's that?" He looked at Butterfly. "Oh. Sorry," he said setting the tray down and taking a seat quickly.
Butterfly began. She didn't dance long or do anything very special. We had seen her practice the movements often, but to Nana and Norman, it was as if some prima ballerina had wandered into their home. Nana clapped hard when Butterfly finished.
"Well, I'll be, I'll be," Norman said. "That's very good. Are you in shows?"
"No," Butterfly said, her face crimson.
"Well, you certainly should be," he remarked. "She will," Raven said.
"Raven's a singer," Butterfly said, trying to shift the old couple's attention.
"Really?" Norman said, impressed.
"She can do show tunes. Do that one from The Phantom of the Opera, Raven," Butterfly urged. "I love that one."
"Well . . . okay," she said hesitantly. She got up and walked to the fireplace. Norman served everyone the hot chocolate as quietly as he could while Butterfly settled down near Nana, who leaned over to stroke her hair and smile.
Raven began, her voice as melodious as I had ever heard it. Everyone was impressed, even us.
Nana clapped hard again and Norman sat back shaking his head with amazement.
"Are you girls from some sort of artistic school?" Nana asked.
"There is an emphasis on the arts, yes," Crystal said in that teacher's voice she could put on as easily as I put on a tee shirt
"Crystal's going to be a doctor," Raven said, wanting Crystal to feel included. "But she writes poetry sometimes, too."
"You do? Well, let's hear something," Norman asked and sipped his hot chocolate.
Crystal thought a moment, gazed around the room, and then stood by her chair
"I wrote this for my own grandparents a long time ago," she said. My eyebrows rose as if they were going to fly off my face. How did she come up with this stuff so fast?
"I do not know my past, except through you," she began, her eyes focused on the ceiling. "I do not know my name, except through you. When I wonder about my own voice, my own face, why I laugh and cry at different things, I stop and think of you, the roots of my being, my grandpa and grandma, who shared their own love and dreams with me whenever they could. Even now, I think of them whenever I think of myself."
She paused, looked down and then took her seat again.
"Oh, that's beautiful, honey," Nana said. "Norman?"
"I'm overwhelmed," he said. "I think I understood it, too," he added and we all laughed.
"Go on with you," Nana said and then turned to look at me expectantly.
"I don't sing or dance or write poems," I said quietly.
"Brooke is our star athlete--she's good enough to compete in the Olympics," Butterfly happily piped up.
"That so?" Norman said, nodding at me. "I was an athlete myself, back in my day. Never was one for being cooped up indoors--can't keep me out of the fresh outdoors. Not that you could tell by the state of things around here," he added with a sad chuckle.
"Well, the lawn does look like it could use a good mowing," I agreed slowly.
"Can't deny that. I was getting around to it." "You should be ashamed of yourself, Norman Stevens," Nana scolded kindly.
"The place is getting away from me some," Norman confessed with a smile.
"Oh, it's hard work to keep up a yard," Crystal broke in. "We should know, yardwork was our assigned chore at school."
"Maybe you girls would like to help Norman clean up a bit out there in the morning," Nana said after a moment. She put her cup and saucer down and nodded firmly.
"In the morni
ng?" I looked at Crystal, who started to shake her head.
"Yes, of course. You don't think I'm going to let you girls go back out there and sleep in a car when I have two perfectly fine bedrooms, each with a pair of beds in them, do you? There's fresh linen on them, too. Always is because I like to be ready for my family, should they come," she said, and from the sad tone of her voice it was obvious that they didn't come very often.
"That's very kind of you, but . . ." Crystal began.
Nana stood, cutting her off.
"In the morning we'll have an old-fashioned country breakfast. I haven't been able to make one for some time now, being there is only Norman and me. I eat like a bird and he's happy with a bowl of oatmeal these days."
"And prune juice," he said, smiling.
"Let's not get into that. You girls are probably exhausted, being woken up and all. Let me show you the rooms. No argument now," she finished as Crystal raised her eyes. "This way, sweetheart," she told Butterfly, putting her arm around her. It was amazing how even strangers could pick up on Butterfly's special need for love and acceptance.
Butterfly beamed a smile at her. Raven looked at me. I shrugged and the three of us followed Nana and Butterfly up the stairs.
Each of the bedrooms had beds with fluffy comforters and plush pillows. There was pretty light blue wallpaper on the walls of both rooms, each with dark blue curtains on the windows. The beds were separated by nightstands which held brass lamps with frilly shades. There were oil paintings of sweet country scenes hanging on the walls; one had a man and a woman looking out at a herd of cows and the other had two girls with pails coming up from a pond.
Each room had two dressers with pictures in pewter frames on top. Nana explained which ones were her children and her grandchildren. She told us how much she missed them and how happy she was whenever they did come to stay with her.
"Nothing's as happy as a house full of family," she said sadly.
The four of us gazed at each other. If she only knew how much we wanted that, too, I thought. I felt bad lying to her, and saw that Crystal was
uncomfortable about it, as well.
"The bathroom's right across the way," she explained. "Does anyone need something to sleep in? I have some pretty things to share with you girls."
"I could use something," Raven said, happy to change out of her rumpled clothes.
"I'm okay," I said, thinking I would sleep in my tee shirt.
"Me, too," Crystal added, pulling out a nightshirt from her back pack that she'd brought into the house.
Butterfly had left her things in the car and told Nana she'd like to borrow something if she could.
"I have just the nightie for you, dear," Nana said, looking at Butterfly. She went to one of the dressers and opened a drawer to produce a pink and blue nightgown with a bow at the collar. "Just the right size, I bet," she said.
Butterfly took it and looked at it as if it were gold.
"Well, now, you girls decide how you want to pair up," Nana said.
"We'll pair up as we do at the school," Crystal explained.
"Anyone need anything else?" Nana asked. We shook our heads. I was really feeling tired now, as was everyone else. "I'll get you that pretty nightgown, dear," she told Raven and left to get it.
"Look how nice this is," Butterfly said, sitting on one of the beds. "I used to sleep in a room like this when I lived with Celine and Sanford."
"I'm so tired, I could sleep on a park bench," I moaned. "See you guys in the morning."
"Is this really okay?" Crystal wondered aloud. I shrugged.
"Okay by me," I said. "It's better than the front seat of the car for sure."
"I wish this was really our home," Butterfly said, "and they were really our grandparents."
Everyone was silent, each of us agreeing in her own thoughts.
Nana returned with Raven's nightgown.
"It was mine when I was younger," she told her. "I hope you like it."
Raven's eyes were full of pleasure when she saw it and held it against herself.
"Thank you," she said, rubbing the fine white linen against her cheek, running her fingers over the tiny embroidered flowers along the collar.
*Seeing Raven in the beautiful antique gown made me wish I'd asked to borrow one too. I imagined I would feel like a princess in such a gown, but I'd had enough of pretty things and pretending. I wouldn't let myself hope for things I'd never have, never be. It was much better to be satisfied with my life as it was, that way I knew I couldn't be -disappointed.
The moment my head hit the soft, fluffy pillow, my nostrils filling with the sweet scent of flowers, I fell asleep. It was the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time, and apparently, from what everyone said the next morning, it was; the best each of them had, too.
The aroma of fresh bread, coffee, eggs and bacon was better than any alarm clock. As soon as my nose filled with the scent, my eyes snapped open and Raven's weren't far behind. In seconds my stomach was churning.
It was a beautiful morning, too. Birds were chirping outside our window. Sunshine poured through the curtains, brightening all the colors in our room. What a difference waking up here, I thought, and seeing beautiful things as opposed to waking up in that dreary room we called home for so long back at the Lakewood House.
When I poked my head out into the hallway I was surprised to see Butterfly and Crystal already heading downstairs. Raven was just emerging from the bathroom and from the look on her face I could tell that she, too, was happy to be in a nice, safe home.
"Hurry up, Sleepy," she called to me as I headed into the bathroom. "I'm so hungry I just might eat all of your breakfast, too, if you don't get downstairs soon."
I chuckled softly to myself. It was nice to have the old Raven back.
As soon as I sat down to breakfast Norman came in through the back door, huffing and puffing up a storm.
"Land sakes, Norman, what's got into you?" Nana asked.
"Oh, it's that darned old lawnmower. It's acting up again." He sat down with a groan.
"Did you check the gas?" I asked.
"Hmm . . . I forgot to check that," Norman admitted and got up.
I followed him outside. He went straight to the lawnmower and unscrewed the gas cap. He gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, be," he said, scratching his head.
"Do you have any gas around here?" I asked, hoping he wasn't too embarrassed.
"Oh, I've got a bit in the shed, I believe."
"Let me get it for you," I said as I started walking toward the tool shed.
After I brought Norman the gas I went back inside. Everyone was waiting, Nana standing by the window with a sly smile on her face.
"You helped old Norman out there a bit, didn't you?" she asked.
"Oh, not much really," I answered quickly. I wasn't sure how much she'd seen.
After breakfast Raven, Crystal and Butterfly helped Nana clear the table, and I went out to help Norman rake up the grass after he'd mowed it. I was glad to see Raven, Crystal and Butterfly come out to help us shortly after we'd started out in the yard. There really was a lot to be done.
We each took turns keeping Nana company as she sat on the porch and knitted, talking into the lazy afternoon. She brought out fresh lemonade for us and then suggested we have lunch behind the house on their picnic table.
"We haven't done that in years," Noi man said.
The two of them looked as happy about it as we did.
A number of times during lunch, Butterfly, and even Raven, almost gave away the truth about us. References to the Lakewood House, to Gordon and Louise brought questions to Nana's lips. Crystal always came up with some logical explanation, but it put some strain on us.
"We should get back on the road," I suggested as lunch came to an end.
"Oh, why don't you all stay another night. I'm roasting a turkey and planning on making my special mashed potatoes."
"She's famous for her mashed potatoes," Norman said. "No pie, Nana?"
"That was going to be a surprise, Norman." She turned to us. "I do an apple that's won some compliments."
"And prizes at fairs," Norman added.
"I love apple pie," Butterfly said. She looked at me hopefully and I looked at Crystal and Raven.
"Another day off the main highway might not be so bad," Crystal said. Raven nodded.
"Why is that?" Nana asked. "Why off the main highway?"
"Oh, I just meant, another day not fighting traffic," Crystal said quickly.
Nana's eyes shifted from Butterfly to me and then to Raven before she nodded with a soft smile. The longer we remained here, I thought, the thinner our story was going to get.
"Maybe we'll leave after dinner," I said.
"You'll do no such thing. I'll tell Norman to block the driveway if you try," she said. "It's better to travel in daylight. You girls earned your keep, helping Norman with the lawn. The grounds almost look the way they used to when Norman was young enough to take care of them regular."
"Okay, Nana," I said, giving in. "We'll stay."
Butterfly beamed.
"Maybe Janet will do some dancing for us again and Raven will sing a song. I bet if we leave Crystal alone out here, she'll write a nice new poem," Nana added. "I got some groceries for you to pick up at the corner store, Norman. Maybe Brooke will ride along and help you."
"Sure," I said.
"That'd be fine," Norman said. He looked at all of us and smiled. "Some grandparents somewhere are sure lucky folks," he said.
If we could, we would have all burst out with the truth, just to keep the tears from clouding our eyes.
I was happy to ride along with Norman and I enjoyed hearing him talk about his farming days, his family and growing up in the area, how he met and fell in love with Nana and how much he loved his grandchildren. He wished he could see them more, for Nana's sake as much as his own, he said, and I wondered why they weren't brought around more often. I gathered from what Norman said that his daughter-in-law wasn't fond of visiting the old homestead, as he called it.
He started to ask me questions about my own family and I found myself backed into a corner once or twice. I wasn't as good at making up stories as Crystal. Usually, it was better to let her come up with everything. I know I contradicted myself a few times and made statements that made little or no sense.