When in a sitting position, Lucille had to have a stool beside her in order to lean her arm on it. The arm had swelled a great deal, and now her throat also became affected by cancer. Bobo often licked her arm to make it better.
Ivan, who never missed a happy or sad situation at the Zantons’ place, found it almost unbearable to see his sister. “This can’t be for real. I keep trying to wake up from this horrible dream, but without success,” he told Marie, when, on one occasion he found her soaked in tears alone in the kitchen. “This is not the way the story goes. Not the one I am reading, anyway.” He could hardly remain composed, even for Marie’s sake.
“Uncle Ivan, I think we are reading the same book.”
“I don’t know how you do it, Marie. You have the children, your husband, the farm, and now an ailing mother to look after. If there is anything I can do, just let me know. I can always get away from the shop, I just don’t want to impose on you if you would rather I didn’t.”
“Oh, I will be all right. I am used to all this by now and I don’t mind . . . but I feel so helpless for not being able to help Mom. She is the one suffering, not me.”
Then, there was Leni, who had given so much of herself to the family for so many years. Tears would come down her mother’s face and she would gently wipe them away. Lucille just prayed that everything would end soon. Leni was able to do things that her mother instructed in preparation for her dying, while Marie was too emotional to even talk about it.
Lucille prepared herself for the end very well. She had accomplished more than she ever thought possible. When you are willing to compromise, you have a greater chance to reach high and dare to expect success. “We must all go,” she told her children, “when the time is right. I have given you girls most of my life and now I must go.”
In July 1972, the church bells rang for Lucille. She was finally spared the suffering!
Through all the years, she had made many friends and few enemies. She was a tower of strength for the whole Zanton family. She would no longer be physically there, but it was certain that she had made a lasting impression on many people.
The day had come for people to come and pay respects and condolences to the family. The Zantons had different breeds of horses, and some of those were used for funerals. In this case, they were used for Lucille’s funeral.
This was definitely Lucille’s last ride!
Poor Mira; for years she could barely walk, and on this day it was definitely even harder. She had lost not only her sister but her best friend as well. Mira felt it unfair that she was still alive, while Lucille had to go. After all, she had been unable to do much for years and had very little to look forward to.
The hired help had their share of sorrow with Lucille’s passing. Everything was in excellent order on the day of her funeral; for the last time, serving their mistress, their friend, to whom they were very loyal. Anna spoke for all of them: “She was always kind to us and helpful when we needed her.”
After the funeral, someone suddenly mentioned poor Bobo — how badly he would miss Lucille. But where was Bobo? He went missing. They searched the house, the barn, and the surrounding structures in case somebody had accidentally locked him in somewhere. They even searched the creek behind the house.
Everybody felt bad about this, for they had not only let Bobo down by losing him on this particular day; they had let Lucille down as well by losing her best friend.
The mysterious disappearance of Bobo quite spooked them all. It was assumed that he had gone away to die. He never returned.
Bobo sensed that this time, Lucille wasn’t coming back.
About the Author
CILIKA KUNOVIC was born and grew up in the former Yugoslavia. Then, in 1958, after spending a year in Austria, she immigrated to Canada. She worked as a hairstylist for twenty-five years.
When her husband passed on, it was the end of forty years of a marriage that produced three children, seven grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.
She is now happily retired but is still contributing to the family in a number of ways.
Her inspiration for writing began many years ago, but her life circumstances were not amenable to writing. This novel is her first book.
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