The Gift of Goodbye

by Kleven, M. Kay

  “I’m going to watch the store for the next few days so Thomas can take care of the arrangements for Mr. Cutler.” I began to cry. Chase held me until I stopped crying and was able to speak again. “I needed to be busy when I arrived back here at the apartment, so I fixed us a pan of lasagna, which is baking in the oven right now, along with garlic toast and a chocolate chip cookie from Sophie’s Bakery for dessert.”

  “You have been busy. The aroma of the lasagna has my mouth watering. Can I help you with anything?”

  “No, but thank you. I’ll pop the toast into the oven, then we’ll be all set.”

  Chase’s phone rang. Checking caller ID, he signaled to me that he’d need to take the call. He walked out into the living room as he answered his phone. After hanging up, he told me he’d have to return to the newspaper as soon as we’d finished eating. That more information on the bombing victims was coming in fast and furious. Articles would need to be written as soon as possible, so he’d probably be working all night again tonight.

  “Please sit down. I’ll grab the lasagna and the garlic toast so you can eat and run.” I set everything on the table while Chase poured us each a tall glass of iced tea.

  As we ate, I told Chase about the bombing that had taken place in front of the Emporium. “Thank you, Chase, for stopping by this morning to let me know about the bombs going off. I’m so glad I got there in time to help Thomas.”

  “It was pandemonium, Anna Louise. The chaos went on for hours and hours as the first responders took care of the injured, then those that had died at the scene. I’d never witnessed anything like it. My adrenaline must have kicked in and carried me through the day.”

  “I’m sure you saw things you wished you’ve never had to see.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’d better let you get back to the newspaper so you can finish your work. You’re already tired.”

  “Thanks for dinner, Anna Louise.” As we stood up, he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “I do need to get back to the newspaper, but while I’m there, I’m going to write a story about Mr. Cutler and Thomas. I’ll be back in touch as soon as I can.”

  “Maybe by then I’ll know when the funeral for Mr. Cutler is going to be. Do you think you could go with me? Thomas is going to close the store for the day.”

  “I’ll be there. It’ll be a hard day for all of you.” Chase gazed into my sorrowful eyes and hugged me tight. “See you later, Anna.”

  ~ ~ ~

  As I cleaned up the kitchen, I thought about my dad, wondering if he’d heard about the bombings near Times Square in New York. I’d email him as soon as I was finished with the dishes.

  Dad,

  You’ve probably heard about the bombings in New York by now, but I wanted you to know that one of the bombs went off right outside of the Emporium where I work. I wasn’t there at the time, but my boss, Mr. Cutler, was struck in the head with flying shrapnel and has died. I still can’t believe it. My heart aches for him right now.

  A side note. Mom tried to call me a few minutes after I’d found out that Mr. Cutler had died. I knew it would be about Charlotte’s wedding, so I didn’t answer. I just couldn’t.

  Hope all is well with you,

  Anna Louise

  ~ ~ ~

  Anna Louise,

  I did hear about the bombings, but had no idea the Emporium was involved. I’m so sorry about Mr. Cutler. Know you thought the world of him. I’m just glad you weren’t there at the time, and are unhurt. My thoughts are with his family.

  Don’t worry about your mom. I’ll tell her about the bombings.

  Love you,

  Dad

  ~ ~ ~

  I couldn’t have made it through Mr. Cutler’s funeral without Chase’s support. Thomas and his family sat up front, but their sobs could be heard throughout the church. Friends and family filled the pews to overflowing. Flowers were everywhere. The songs being played on the church organ sounded like something Mr. Cutler would’ve chosen for himself. Each one more beautiful than the last, making the grief and sorrow even more painful as I sat there listening, thinking about all Mr. Cutler had done for me. I could feel myself sobbing inside. Damn my mother. I knew if I started crying, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I began to shake.

  “Are you okay, Anna Louise?” Chase whispered, putting his arm around me, pulling me close.

  “Oh, Chase. Mr. Cutler put his faith in me from the very beginning, from the first day we met. Now I need to put my energy into accomplishing what he had seen for me on the piano. I’m more determined than ever to become a concert pianist and to one day honor his memory by playing at Carnegie Hall.”

  After the funeral, a reception for Mr. Cutler was held at Thomas’s home where Chase and I met the rest of his family. His wife, Beth, his sons, Daniel, Lucas, and Benjamin, and his young daughter, Ashley. The sadness was palpable and I could tell Thomas was still physically in pain, too.

  Hugging Thomas lightly, I said, “How are you doing? I’d like you to meet my friend, Chase Monroe, who is my neighbor at the Blue Sky Apartments and a news reporter for the New York Times.”

  “Nice to meet you, Chase,” Thomas said. “I’m feeling pretty numb right now. I still can’t believe Pop is gone.” Tears began to run down his cheeks.

  “It’s an honor to meet you,” Chase replied, putting his hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “Anna Louise has told me so much about you and Mr. Cutler. She lights up whenever she talks about the Emporium and taking music lessons.”

  “Anna Louise put a smile on my father’s face from the first day she started working at the Emporium.” Thomas put his arm around me and continued. “Pop sensed her talent and enjoyed listening to her practice after hours for her lessons with Ms. Thompson. He was so proud of her.” A small smile escaped Thomas’s lips.

  “I’m sure he was.” Chase smiled at me with a glint in his eyes. “Why do you think it is, Thomas, that wonderful people like your father are always dying at the hands of those whose hearts are filled with so much hatred? I still can’t believe the carnage I saw that day.”

  “My father was a man of great faith, so I know he’d forgive those who murdered him, but it’ll be a long time before I’m able to forgive those who just randomly took the life of my father.”

  “You have a house full of people wanting to pay their respects, so we’d better let you go.” I hugged Thomas, then took Chase’s arm. “See you in the morning.”

  Chapter 5

  The days following Mr. Cutler’s funeral turned out to be some of the hardest days Thomas and I had ever experienced. The boarded-up front window, as well as the broken and marred pianos, were replaced with new ones, but other than that, Thomas sat behind his father’s computer every day hardly saying a word to anyone. Even though my heart was hurting, I did whatever I could to wait on the customers and answer the phone. The ugly yellow tape outside the front door remained a constant reminder of what had happened. It took the police nearly a month to complete their investigation and finally take down that distressing yellow tape.

  Two of the depraved bombers had been captured alive and two had been killed in a shootout with the police. Their murderous actions had caused twenty wonderful people, including Mr. Cutler, to die, and hundreds of others to receive serious to life-threating injuries. Most of the people had been visitors who had come to Manhattan for a day of shopping and sightseeing, enjoying a sunny day in New York. They had probably planned to attend a Broadway play that evening, but instead, found themselves in an atmosphere of chaos that had changed their lives forever.

  “Thomas,” I called out, “Mrs. Harrison is on the phone and would like you to come tune their grand piano. She said they’re having a party for one of the senators and his wife. Do you think you could do it?”

  Thomas looked up at me, and for the first time seemed to hear what I was saying.
“Pop would want me to. Tell her I’ll be there.”

  As he walked around the small, dark-walnut writing desk and chair, where I’d just hung up the cordless phone, Thomas gazed into my eyes, then hugged me as we both began to cry out from deep within ourselves.

  Finally, when the tears stopped flowing, Thomas said, “It’s time to get back to work, Anna Louise. I have to keep my father’s dream alive. My oldest son, Daniel, is in college, but I’m going to talk to him about working part-time here at the store. I believe you met him at the funeral.”

  “I did. To me, he looked a lot like his father and grandfather. He’s tall, with the same sparkling blue eyes, and his college-cut dark hair matches yours. I would guess Mr. Cutler’s white hair had once been dark like yours and your son’s.” I smiled for the first time since hearing Mr. Cutler had died.

  “Pop’s hair turned white at a young age, even younger than I am. Don’t know if I was the cause, but white is all I remember him being.” The sparkle I’d known before, returned to Thomas’s eyes in that moment.

  “I’ll watch the store while you go tune Mrs. Harrison’s piano. The first one will be the hardest, but hopefully each day will get better and better for all of us.”

  “I hope so too, Anna Louise. Pop knew what he was doing when he hired you that day.”

  “I’m going to make him truly proud, Thomas, by becoming the concert pianist he wanted me to become, and I’m going to play at Carnegie Hall one day just for him.”

  “I know he’d love that. And because he believed in you so much, even though you’d never taken a lesson, Beth and I have decided to continue the scholarship program at The School of Musical Arts in memory of both my mother and my father.”

  “That’s great news,” I exclaimed. “I can hardly wait to tell Ms. Thompson at my next lesson.”

  Thomas grabbed his brown leather bag and headed out the back door.

  ~ ~ ~

  The days at the Emporium did get better. Thomas and I fell into a routine with the help of his son Daniel on the weekends and on those busy afternoons when his father was out tuning a piano. All I’d have to do was text Daniel and he’d come flying in as soon as he could.

  “Hi, Daniel.” I smiled and waved as he came in the back door. “We’ll need the big Piano Emporium truck today. That shiny mahogany grand piano over there needs to be delivered to the Goldberg residents approximately twenty miles from here according to the address they gave me. I’ve called Bob and Carl to come in for a few hours to help you.” Bob and Carl were two retired brothers who used to be furniture delivery men. The Emporium was lucky to have them.

  “Hey, yourself. I’ll open the double doors of the garage out back and get the truck ready to go. The guys will probably be here by then.”

  “Here’s the order and driving instructions you’ll need. Thanks, Daniel.”

  All of a sudden, the front door banged open and in popped Mara—and I do mean popped—wheeling luggage with one hand while carrying artwork under her other arm.

  “Sorry. Had a hard time opening the door with all this stuff in my arms.” Setting it down, she raced over and hugged me.

  “What are you doing here? School isn’t out yet,” I nearly shouted, holding her by the shoulders. I could tell she’d changed a lot since going off to the Art Institute of Chicago. “I love your two-toned hair. Pink and purple suit you.”

  “I had to come see you after getting your emails about Mr. Cutler and the bombings. How are you doing?” Mara asked, running her hands through her colorful curls. “My instructors let me test out early so I could come here.”

  Daniel cleared his throat behind me.

  “Oh. Mara. This is Mr. Cutler’s grandson, Daniel. He’s been helping us out since Mr. Cutler died,” I said with a shaky voice. “Daniel, this is my best friend from high school, Mara Holbrook. She’s an artist, attending college in Chicago, who, as you may have noticed, is never seen without a few of her paintings under one arm. She flies around like the butterflies she sometimes paints.”

  “Holbrook. Holbrook. That name rings a bell,” Daniel said out loud.

  “Being New York, maybe it’s my brother Blake Holbrook you’ve heard of. He’s attending Julliard and played a solo concert in one of the halls here not long ago.”

  “That’s it. Blake Holbrook. He played at my college a few weeks ago. He’s amazing on the piano.” Daniel kept his eyes on Mara as he remarked. “As you can see, I grew up around pianos, but I’d rather be an actor on Broadway these days.”

  Bob and Carl rapped on the back door as Daniel continued to stare at Mara. “Oh. Gotta go. A delivery to make.” Daniel grabbed the order and directions that were still in my hand and headed out the back door.

  “How long are you staying?” I asked once the men were on their way with the piano.

  “Probably through the holidays, if that’s okay with you,” Mara replied, sitting down on one of the round piano stools. “This is quite a place you work in. Right up your alley.”

  “I stopped in here to fill out an application for a job and Mr. Cutler interviewed and hired me right on the spot. I’m taking piano lessons, too. I even had my first recital not long ago.”

  “I know. You told me. I’m really happy for you, Anna Louise. Bet you’d be good on any one of these pianos.”

  “Not sure about that, but Ms. Thompson, my piano teacher, says I play by ear and can play most anything after only hearing it once or twice.” I laughed. “Never did understand all of that music rolling around in my head when we were younger, but I do now.”

  “I don’t mean to change the subject, but do you remember your sister is getting married this weekend? Your mom got in touch with my mom, when you wouldn’t answer your phone. Mom then got in touch with me and suggested you at least send a gift home to your sister and Frank.”

  “Oh no. Would you like to go shopping with me tonight to do just that? What would I do without you, Mara Holbrook?”

  “I’ll go shopping, if you’re buying dinner. I’m pretty much broke, so hope I can sell a few paintings during the holiday season.”

  “You’re on. But we have to get my sister’s gift in the mail before we have one bite to eat, okay?”

  “Okay. Your apartment sounds horrible, but I’m anxious to meet that good-looking neighbor you’re always talking about.” Mara raised her eyebrows and winked at me.

  “Stop it. We’re just friends, but I certainly do enjoy his company. He’s a journalist at the New York Times. Covered the bombings that killed Mr. Cutler. He’s a rookie reporter right now, but dreams of winning a Pulitzer Prize one day.”

  “So you’ve told me,” Mara teased, moving her luggage and paintings away from the front door. “By the way, what time does the Emporium close?”

  “Five o’clock, but I’ll need to wait until Thomas and Daniel return for the day. Thomas is Daniel’s father. Spitting images of Mr. Cutler, except for Mr. Cutler’s white hair.”

  “When do you go for your piano lessons?” Mara inquired. “I hope not today.”

  “No, but you’ll have to come with me,” I replied. “They’re every Monday afternoon at five-thirty. You’ll love Ms. Thompson. She might even be able to teach you a thing or two.”

  “Fat chance of that, my friend, unless she likes an ‘ants in her pants, always on the move’ kind of gal.”

  “Never know,” I responded, hearing the back door open as Thomas walked in with his tuning bag.

  “Hi, Anna Louise,” Thomas said, noticing Mara twirling around on one of the piano stools. “Who’s that?” he whispered to me, pointing at Mara.

  “Mara. I’d like you to meet my boss, Thomas Cutler. He’s just returned from tuning a piano on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. You know, like in really rich folks.”

  “Nice to meet you, Thomas. I surprised An
na Louise this afternoon by showing up with my suitcase and paintings in hand to spend the holidays with her.”

  “Was she surprised?” Thomas asked with a grin as he stared at Mara’s hair.

  “Shocked is more like it, but I think she’ll survive now.”

  “Mara is my best friend from high school and attends the Art Institute of Chicago now, but she has always carried a few of her paintings under one arm for as long as I can remember.”

  “Let me see them,” Thomas said.

  “You mean it?” Mara replied.

  “Sure. This place could use something colorful to brighten it up.” Thomas winked at me as Mara retrieved her paintings.

  Displaying two of her paintings for him, Thomas pointed to the one with the bright yellows, oranges, reds, purples, and blues that resembled the sun coming up over the horizon in the early morning. “I like that one he said. Reminds me of Pop. How much is it?”

  “Don’t think that one has a price on it. Just want you and Anna Louise to enjoy the colors as you start your day.” Mara passed the painting to Thomas.

  “What do you think, Anna Louise? Can we accept this beautiful painting from your friend?” Thomas glanced over at me.

  “Like every artist, I’m sure the painting is autographed, so guess we’ll be good advertising for her along the way. Clever, huh?”

  “Clever, like my father was. He’d like you, Mara. It was love at first sight between him and Anna Louise.”

  Mara was about to tell Thomas how sorry she was about Mr. Cutler, when Daniel and two burly-looking men crashed through the back door, having delivered the grand piano to the Goldberg residence. “Hi, everyone. Here’s the money, Anna Louise.”

  “You can give it to your father, Daniel.” I turned to the other two men. “Bob, Carl, this is my best friend from high school, Mara Holbrook. She’s here to spend the holidays with me.”