Prairie Fire

by Djuna Shellam

  “I wanna make a little toast, if y’all will indulge me for a minute or so.” She looked at the faces around the table and smiled.

  “Tonight…” Dot cleared her throat. “Tonight is more about family than my upcoming birthday. It’s about my family—and sharing this special meal together. A meal beautifully conceived and prepared by my gorgeous boy—for the people I love most in this world. I couldn’t have asked for a better, or more perfect birthday present. At my age, you don’t much want birthdays to come early, but I’ll make an exception this year.” Dot grinned and winked.

  Dot looked to Waverly. “Wave, my son, you have been a blessing I never ever imagined. My whole life before you, I never even considered, not in my wildest dreams, that someone so small could steal my heart like you did. I just wish your sweet mother, Ivey, the love of my life, could see you today. If I didn’t know for a fact that I didn’t, I could swear I gave birth to you myself—I love you that much. I know she wouldn’t mind me feeling that way, either. She knew how much I loved you. I wish with all of my heart she could see the brilliant, wonderful, loyal, talented, handsome, sweet man you’ve become. She would be so incredibly proud.” She bowed her head momentarily to steel her emotions. “I am so incredibly proud.”

  Dot then turned her attention to Jill who was already fighting back tears, touched by Dot’s vulnerability. “Sweet, sweet Jillian, Jill… Darlin’, you have brought such joy and love to Waverly’s life, which fills me with joy and love… you, my child, are heaven sent. You truly are. I’m not sayin’ a thing, but… in my mind… in my heart, Jill, you are already part of this precious family of mine. I’m so glad you’re here tonight.” Dot winked at Jill who quickly wiped a tear away with her napkin.

  Dot turned to look at Em and Eve and just smiled at them, beaming, taking in the vision of them. “My girls, Emmy and Evie… My beautiful, beautiful girls. For the life of me, I cannot imagine my life without either of you in it. And I don’t want to, because it would be so much less… and that’s not a world I want to live in, anyway. We three were made from a terrible, terrible tragedy so many years ago, one that might have broken each of us, but like forged steel, together, we are all stronger for it. To be honest, I don’t know if I’d’ve made it through Ivey’s…” she shook her head. “If not for… for y’all and what we went through together,” Dot said, her voice quivering. “Lordy,” she wiped her eyes with her free hand.

  “I love you both. I cannot get enough of you two. Every minute I spend in your presence is a minute when my life gets better than it was, and all things considered,” Dot said, pouring on a thick Southern drawl, “it ain’t a bad life. The only thing missin’ is our sweet Ivey. Then it’d be perfect in every way.”

  Em and Eve held hands and smiled, eyes glistening, loving Dot with all their hearts. They knew what she meant because they felt it, too. She was barely old enough to be a mother to either of them; yet, they both felt Dot was the mother they never had, but always wanted. Her toast touched them deeply.

  “I may not have come by my family here in a traditional way—not by any way, shape or form,” Dot continued, fighting back her own tears, “but y’know what? I’ll put this family up against any run of the mill biological family any day of the week, any time. I love you all… to Pluto and back.” Dot looked to each person at the table, made eye contact with each one, and then said, quickly wiping a tear off her cheek, “Now, before I go causin’ a flood here… Cheers!”

  “Cheers! Happy birthday!” everyone said in unison, raising their glasses, then clinked them, one by one, until all had made contact with each other.

  “Now, let’s eat!” Dot said, attempting her most authoritative voice.

  5.4—Dessert

  Waverly set the final dessert plate down in front of Dot, “And last, but certainly not least, for you, birthday girl,” he said, then kissed her on the top of her head before he sat back down next to Jill.

  “There’s a smart boy,” Dot laughingly said to the group around the table. “I trained him right. He knows better than to put any candles on this cheesecake or try to sing to me. And he definitely knows better than to order me a stripper!”

  “Oh hush,” Waverly teased back. “There’s more coffee, so…” Waverly said to everyone, then carefully placed his napkin on his lap. “Chow down,” he said as he sectioned off a large bite of the Italian cheesecake with his fork.

  Eve was the first to taste the dessert. “Oh, Wave… Yum!” she exclaimed, sounding almost orgasmic. “I know we keep asking, but how do you do it? How do you make such amazing creations?” She took another bite as she moaned with delight. “Ah, so good!”

  Jill’s face was filled with pride as she answered Eve. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? He scares me a little because everything he makes is so good I just have to eat it. If I don’t watch out, I’m going to gain a hundred pounds!”

  Everyone roared with laughter at the idea that little Jill could ever gain ten pounds, let alone a hundred. At barely five foot three, with a small frame and hardly tipping the scales at a hundred pounds, Jill was tiny compared to everyone else at the table who towered over her in height and build. They were all physically fit, not an extra pound between them, but they all had larger bone structure than Jill, which made her seem diminutive in comparison.

  “Well, I could,” she insisted, looking around the table for an ally or a smidgen of understanding.

  “You’re so itty bitty, a few pounds probably couldn’t hurt ya,” Dot quipped. “You’d like to blow away in a strong wind.” She winked at Jill. “It’s hard to believe you haven’t already with the kinda gale force winds we get around here.”

  Jill rolled her eyes and made a face at Dot that made Dot laugh.

  “Wave, this really is delicious,” Em said between bites. “Jill’s right, you’re dangerous!”

  “I like to think so,” he replied, smiling cockily.

  “Oh, brother,” Dot groaned. “Y’all have got to stop telling that boy how amazing he is or there won’t be any room left in here for anything ‘cept his ginormous head.”

  “I think it’s too late for that,” Jill quipped, then quickly leaned over and put her head on Waverly’s arm and giggled.

  “Alright now,” Waverly said as he attempted to tickle Jill.

  “Watch it, buster,” Jill warned while skillfully evading Waverly’s fingers.

  There it was, Em realized. All night long she had been quietly observing Jill, wondering what it was that was so familiar about her; and then, in that moment, she knew, without a doubt, what it was. Jill could have been one of Prairie’s younger sisters. Em stopped breathing for several moments as a rush of memories hit her. The more she watched Jill, the more Prairie-like she became. It wasn’t that they looked alike—to the contrary—but it was more her mannerisms and her personality. She was flirtatious, funny, boisterous, and outspoken, but also sweet and kind.

  Though they had spoken several times each year, Em hadn’t actually seen Prairie in nearly fifteen of those years, but she thought of her almost every day. She owed her ability to walk to Dot and Prairie, but mostly to Prairie who stuck with her, put up with her stubbornness and stupidity, and ultimately saved the quality of her life—if not her life.

  She had mixed emotions about Prairie that had stayed in the back of her mind for all those years since her rehabilitation. There was the deep, abiding love she had for the woman who helped save her life and who became her friend; but there was also the regret, sorrow, sometimes anger, over the woman who became her lover, and then left her behind. Em often feared that she and Prairie had become lovers not because she was in love with Prairie, but because she was grateful to her. She loved her, it was true, and was brokenhearted when Prairie left her, but there was always the doubt that lingered. Em closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

  Eve looked at Em, aware something was bothering her. She lightly touched Em’s thigh to get her attention.

  Em smiled and put her hand on Eve’s, rea
ssuring her with her eyes she was all right. She would tell Eve what was going on later, in the privacy of their room.

  Seeing that everyone was finished with their dessert, Waverly announced with glee, “I think it’s… Sambuca time!” He stood up and began collecting dessert plates. “Shall we have our after dinner drinks away from the table?”

  “Oh, there’s an idea. Yes, let’s go sit outside,” Dot suggested. “It should be perfect right about now.”

  5.5—Nightcap

  Waverly entered the veranda with a tray of five snifter glasses of Sambuca, a half-filled bottle of the liqueur, and a shot glass of roasted coffee beans. Each snifter had three coffee beans already floating at the top of the liqueur. He carefully set the tray on the tiled table.

  “Alrighty,” Wave announced with flair, pulling a barbecue lighter from his back pocket. “Everyone gather ‘round. This is what’s called Black Sambuca. It’s a little more intense flavor-wise than clear Sambuca, which, if you’ve had it before is most likely what you had. Okay, so now I’m going to light these on fire, let ‘em burn for a few seconds, and then we’ll blow them out together. And then… we drink.”

  “What’re those black floaty things?” Dot asked, peering at the drinks somewhat squeamishly.

  Em and Eve snickered, loving the way Dot could be so in charge one minute and completely vulnerable the next.

  “Those are roasted coffee beans, Ma,” Waverly replied with bemused authority. “They represent health, happiness and prosperity. You chew them as you drink the Sambuca.”

  “Oh, I like that, especially the happiness part,” Dot said. “Have any of y’all had this concoction before?” she asked. “You sure I’m not gonna burn my face off?” Dot looked to everyone, obviously worried. “I don’t wanna catch on fire.”

  Em and Eve laughed. “No, Dot,” Eve answered. “The fire’s out by the time we drink them. Lighting the drink just warms up the alcohol and enhances the flavor, right Wave?”

  “Yup.”

  “Light ‘em up, Wave,” Jill urged. “Let’s get this party started!” She laughed heartily.

  Em quickly caught her breath. There it is again, she thought to herself, not knowing if Fate was being cruel or kind to remind her so vividly of Prairie. She could barely do so, but Em forced herself to look away and focus on Waverly and the task at hand.

  “Ready?” Waverly asked, poised with a long lighter.

  “Let ‘er rip, son. I guess,” Dot added with some reservation. “I’m a little bit scared…” She made a worried face.

  Waverly lit each glass to collective oohs and ahhhs from all the women as each glass produced blue flames. “Let ‘em burn for a few seconds…” He began to count out loud. “Five, four…”

  The women joined in, counting in unison. “Three… two… one…” and then as a group, blew out the flames.

  “Okay, drink up!” Wave instructed.

  Everyone grabbed a glass, and then tried to drink the warmed liqueur and chew coffee beans at the same time. Eve giggled as a bit of Sambuca dribbled down her chin.

  “Oh my word,” Dot exclaimed as she finished the drink. “That was mighty tasty. Dadgum, that was, mmmm… what is that, licorice?”

  “Yum,” Jill said, smacking her lips. “Do we get another, babe?”

  “It’s actually Anise, Ma. You want another?” he asked as he began to pour Jill a second drink.

  “Nah, I’m good,” Dot proclaimed. “That experience will stay with me for a while,” she almost said to herself, rather enjoying the warm oozy sensations she was experiencing in places that hadn’t felt warm and oozy in a long time.

  “Me, too,” Em agreed. She glanced quickly at Dot in solidarity. Neither drank alcohol other than a token drink for special occasions such as this. Never mixed drinks, rarely wine or beer. Their histories with alcohol suggested moderation, if not complete abstinence.

  “Okay, babe,” Wave said to Jill as he finished dropping three coffee beans in Jill’s glass and prepared to light her drink. “As long as you’re staying over.”

  Jill smiled. “If you’re lucky, big fella.”

  “Funny. You’re staying” Wave replied with authority and a big smile, then asked Eve as he lit Jill’s second drink, “You want another, Auntie?”

  “I think I will, Wave.” Eve knowingly smiled at Em, enjoying her own warm and oozy sensations. “Thanks, Wave.”

  5.6—Daddy's Girl

  The normal desert sounds with the addition of sprinklers filled the night air as they relaxed on the veranda, enjoying the late spring evening. Eve and Em were getting to know Jill, and as always, Dot a little better. It seemed as if they learned something new about her every time they saw her.

  Jill had been telling a story about her students and how her first year of teaching had been an interesting challenge.

  “Did you always want to teach?” Eve asked. She was always curious about how people chose their professions. Jill looked like a teacher, Eve thought. Even in her basic black cocktail dress, pumps and pearls, she had teacher written all over her.

  “Actually,” Jill began, “I didn’t.”

  “Really?” Em asked, surprised.

  “I didn’t know that,” Dot added.

  Waverly knew, and sat back, waiting for Jill to tell her story.

  “No. I really didn’t know what I wanted to be. My dad wanted me to be either an accountant or a lawyer in his firm, but I knew right away, that wasn’t for me. I never even considered teaching. There were times I thought I would get an MBA and work for some corporation, or even go into sales of some kind, but…”

  “Really,” Dot commented, completely absorbed in Jill’s history.

  “Yeah. But, you know, when I was growing up, I always thought the principal was the cool one in the school. I didn’t realize it until I was almost finished with college that that’s what I wanted to be—a principal.”

  “No kidding,” Dot said.

  “Yeah,” Jill affirmed. “But then, it occurred to me, to be a really good principal you probably should be a good teacher first. So that’s what I did—or, am doing. Originally, I was going to go into the public school system, but the more I thought about it, I knew I wanted to do something… more important. Public schools are so regimented by the State and…” Jill stopped. She didn’t want to talk politics. If she kept going with her thought process, it would turn into a political discussion which she preferred to avoid.

  “That’s pretty forward thinking,” Em commented, impressed, and was once again reminded of Prairie. Prairie always wanted to work for a professional sports team, and figured out all the steps she’d have to take to get there the quickest—and then did it.

  “I wanted to be a teacher,” Dot interjected. “For a little while, anyway.”

  “Really, Ma?” Wave asked, as surprised as everyone.

  “Yep. I had plans to teach high school world history. That’s what I was going for in college, anyway.” Dot stopped for a moment as she mentally went back in time. Everyone focused on Dot, interested in this new revelation about her.

  “My daddy was a Major General in the Air Force.” Dot acknowledged the surprised faces looking at her. “Oh yeah, Daddy was a career man through and through. And a big honcho, to boot. Of course, WWII and Korea played a big part in that, helping his career along considerably. Nothin’ like a war or two to fast track promotions.” She shook her head slightly, thinking how unsavory that might sound to most people, civilians especially.

  “Well, I was an only child—his child, which is an important distinction—and there were a lot of expectations put on me.” Dot looked at Em, nodding her head slightly. She knew Em understood. “Even though I was a girl, Daddy didn’t care. We had a military tradition in the family and he was hell bent on continuing that tradition. I told him I wanted to be a teacher, that I always wanted to be a teacher. He said no, we were military people. My mama was on my side, but Daddy’s word was always the final word.

  “I graduated college in
1958, two years early,” Dot smiled shyly. “Yes. I have always been an over-achiever. I was twenty years old and Daddy said things were getting better for female officers, and I should take the bull by the horns. Said it was the right time and the right place to be, so… I did it. I mean, it might sound like I had a choice, but… I didn’t.”

  No one spoke as Dot continued her story. She’d never told anyone about her past but Ivey. Telling her story somehow brought Ivey closer to her, so she continued.

  “Daddy was right, naturally. I worked my tail off, but I found that with my degree in World History and growing up with a career military man as my daddy, well, I always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

  “Nepotism was always a fear of mine. It was hard enough being a woman in the service, but being my daddy’s child made it even more difficult. So I always worked extra hard. But, it didn’t matter how hard I worked, or how much I deserved what I worked for. Seems every time I got a promotion or some sort of recognition, the whispers would start that it must have been because of her daddy, or later, Affirmative Action. It was frustrating, but what could I do? I was a woman in a man’s military with a General for a daddy. Kinda came with the territory.

  “Still, I enjoyed it immensely, except, of course, for the hiding my true nature part of it.” Dot sighed. “When I think of the extra years Ivey and I could have had if I had walked away from the service when we first got together…” She shook her head. “Had I known she wouldn’t be around for long, I would have… Well, that’s water under the bridge. Anywho, I think I would have made a pretty good teacher, but…” Dot shrugged.

  “You were an awesome commander, Dot. You would have definitely been a wonderful teacher,” Em interjected. “But… if you had become a teacher, we would never have met.”