All Roads Lead Home (Bellingwood)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  "Thank you for everything, Aaron. For everything."

  "Your truck will be back tomorrow. I'm sorry it wasn't here today, but the boys down in Boone told me they needed to check a few more things on it."

  "I didn't think I was ever going to see it again. That was one of Dad's favorite purchases. He'd waited for years to buy a brand new truck." Polly's emotions were running so high, she began to cry again. She looked up at Aaron, whose face had turned a little pink. He kept his arm around her and looked over her head for his wife, who smiled and waved at him and continued with her conversation, turning her back so she didn't have to see his pleading eyes.

  Polly blubbered a little and Aaron reached in his back pocket for his handkerchief. "Here, keep this. You might not be done blubbering yet this evening." He pressed it into her hand and steered her toward another cluster of people waiting to greet her.

  She finally made her way into the kitchen. Several card tables were set out with drinks and cake, appetizers and other goodies. Beryl looked up from the cake she was cutting, dropped the knife on the table and rushed to hug Polly.

  "I told Lydia we were coming to get you back if you weren't on that plane today. I have friends in Boston too, you know and I was ready to call them all to make sure you were alright out there. Then, Lydia told me you mentioned something about hot Italian boys and I figured you had it covered."

  Polly blushed. She remembered her comments to Drea in her exhausted, drunken state about her friend's older brother. Drea had only teased her about it a few times, ensuring that Polly would never forget she had exposed her unspoken passion for Ray.

  "OH!" Beryl exclaimed, then poked Polly's hot cheek. "I may want to hear more about your hot Italian boys!"

  "Stop it," Polly sputtered, "Sheesh."

  Andy and Sylvie were in the kitchen, chuckling as they watched the encounter. Both women hugged her and welcomed her home.

  Sylvie said, "Lydia wouldn't let anyone but us deal with your bedroom and clothes. Tell us if you want some help rearranging things, would you? We did what we could, but don't know what you want."

  "Oh, you guys. This is too much! I can't believe what you've done here,” Polly said.

  "Henry was all worried about scratching the floor up because we were moving too fast, so the furniture is up on heavy felt pieces and if you look, no one has any shoes on," Andy said.

  Polly looked around at the feet of the people in her apartment and laughed. "That's hilarious!" she said. "I spent the last few days with my friend, Drea, who won't let anyone into her apartment with their shoes on. She worries about her white carpet. I will never have white carpet because of that." She glanced around and said, "So, where are all of the shoes?"

  "Downstairs in the auditorium, all locked up tight. The Sheriff wouldn't let us in there because of the crates on the stage unless he or Stu was there to make sure no one bothered them," Andy said, "Did you see Stu out there? He brought his cute little wife along. He's the sweetest thing ever."

  "Have you guys done any more work on the crates?" Polly asked as she peered around the people looking for Stu. He caught her eye and waved.

  "We sure have. I suspect we're about 80% finished. Oh!" she exclaimed. "Aaron says that when we're done and if we haven't found anything else, the crates are probably yours to deal with since they came with the school and there wasn't any theft involved."

  "What are you going to do with all of those things?" Sylvie asked.

  Polly thought about it a moment and said, "I hadn't given that any thought at all. I dunno."

  Beryl stuck her head into the conversation. "I think we should get yearbooks for all these years, maybe the library will let us borrow them. Then, we photocopy the pages, put them in the crates where we think they belong and start advertising around here to let people know we have their stuff. We'll get rid of things we can, then auction off the rest and do something way cool with the funds here in town." She stopped and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Polly. It's your stuff. You can sell all of it on eBay if you want and take the money."

  Polly responded, "That's a great idea, though! I don't want this stuff, it's not mine. Anyone who wants a memory should have it and after that ... do you guys know any good charities here in Bellingwood?"

  "Welcome home, Polly. I'm glad you're back and safe." Polly spun around as Henry's voice spoke over her shoulder.

  "Henry! Hi! The floor is amazing." Looking around at all of the woodwork that was up, she said. "Actually, everything is amazing. This is so much more than I could have ever expected."

  "We do good work around here," he replied. "How are you doing?"

  "I'm fine. I'm glad to be home."

  "You've got some good friends here, Pol. You can't believe the number of people who showed up today to haul your stuff out of the basement and get this party ready for you."

  Polly put her hand on his forearm. "I can't believe this. I've never known anything like it." She paused for a moment. "You know, that's not true. When Dad died, there were a lot of people taking care of a lot of things for us, but I wasn't paying attention. It seemed like it all happened so fast and before I knew it I was back in Boston and the whole world was upside down.

  "Dad's brother, Clyde, and his lawyer were the ones who took care of everything and got Dad's house packed up and in storage. I just realized," she said, "I have more furniture over there. I'd completely forgotten about that!"

  "I didn't know you had family still around here," Beryl said. "Oops, sorry, was I not supposed to be listening in?" she giggled.

  "Clyde's family lives over east of Story City. He bought Dad's part of the farm when Dad wanted out. Their kids were a lot older than me. You know ... Mom and Dad were older when I was born. They didn't think they'd ever have kids, so they didn't plan on it. It was kind of a surprise when I was born. Clyde and Ivy weren't terribly happy with me when I moved to Boston and I guess I didn't figure they'd care whether I was back in Iowa or not. After Dad died, they never called or tried to stay in contact with me. Maybe one of these days I will let them know I'm here. We'll see."

  "Polly, oh Polly!" Lydia's voice rang out across the hubbub. "I think you might want to come see this!"

  Polly went back into the living room and saw Billy peek out from the bedroom door, then quickly close it. Everyone in the room was whispering.

  "What?" she said.

  "It's not quite as inappropriate as this is going to sound, but you need to go see Billy in the bedroom."

  The entire room giggled as Polly went to the bedroom door and timidly opened it. Billy stood there with a huge bundle of something in his arms. She got closer, trying to figure out what it was.

  "I know how much you and Big Jack like each other, Polly, and Doug and I thought maybe you'd like to have someone strong around when we no longer live here, so we went down to Ames to see if we could find another German Shepherd and Labrador mix like him and we did! We got him before you left and have been training him for the last couple of weeks as a surprise. He's getting a lot better about telling us when he needs to go outside. What do you think?"

  The words had come spinning out of his mouth and Polly could tell he was terrified she would say no, but when both the dog and the boy looked at her with anticipation in their eyes, she realized she was thrilled with her new best friend. She took him out of Billy's arms, the dog turned to look up at her, and then slurped her right across the face. She grinned and hugged him close and the room erupted in applause.

  "Thank you guys,” she said, her voice choking up. “This is the best homecoming present. Did you give him a name?"

  Billy looked a little sheepish. "Well, we called him Obiwan," then he rushed ahead and said, "But, he's still young and you can call him anything you like. He'll learn it. He's smart." He rubbed the dog's head.

  "Obiwan it is. I love it. Those are my favorite movies in the world, anyway."

  "Really?" Doug said. "Really? Oh, you're just so cool."

  Polly laughed, then turned and lo
oked around the room at the people who were gathered.

  "Thank you all for everything,” she said, her voice rising to be heard. “I always thought that I had great friends, but nothing compares to this. I'm not very good at speeches, so I'll say thank you and you are welcome here any time."

  She blushed and turned back to Billy. "This is the best gift, Billy. I love him!"

  "Doug helped me pick him out. The shelter just got a litter and we couldn't believe it! He might shed a little." Billy paused. "He might shed a lot. But, we got you a brush for him and there's a bunch of food here. They said he has his first shots and when it's time, there's a certificate to neuter him." Billy shuddered and said, "I know it's the right thing to do, but man, it seems wrong. Anyway, that's all in a package on your desk over there."

  Polly buried her face in Obiwan's neck and smelled the joy of dog in his soft fur. He wiggled and wiggled and she could feel his tail trying to wag.

  Doug came over with a purple leash. "We can take him outside and walk him if you'd like, Polly."

  "Cool," she said. "If you think he needs it. Oh, nice leash, Doug,” and she laughed.

  “What?” he asked innocently.

  “Purple?” and she pointed at the leash.

  “Oh,” he said. “Billy, why didn’t you stop me?”

  “Because, dude,” Billy said. “It’s funny!”

  Billy took the dog out of her arms. "This has been a lot of excitement for the little dude. He'll settle down when the two of you are alone. He and Big Jack already like each other, so it will be cool when we bring him over too."

  "You guys are my Jedi Knights," Polly said. "Thank you."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Rousing early the next morning, Polly was ready to get moving. The party hadn't lasted too late and everyone pitched in and cleaned things up. There were several things she wanted to move around and she discovered the extra boxes containing her decorations were still across the hall, but she was thrilled. The kitchen was still empty of appliances, but Polly didn't think she needed to be in too much of a hurry to finish that since she had that great kitchen downstairs.

  She sat up and heard a strange sound coming from the end of her bed, so she pulled on some sweats and a shirt, slipped into her tennies and unlatched the kennel. Obiwan bounced out and she picked him up.

  "Good morning, Obiwan! Look at us, living in our own place." Her things were all in one place, her dresser and bedside table, her vanity and chair. "It's our home. You and me, Obiwan. All ours. This adventure is actually going to happen!"

  She grabbed the leash and clipped it to his collar, then let him down to the floor. He wiggled his entire body and headed for the door.

  "That's right, Obiwan, we're going outside. Are you ready for this?"

  The two of them went down the steps and headed out the front door. The morning was crisp and darkness still held its own against the day, but Polly's front lights came on as she and Obiwan walked to the side of the school. She knelt down and praised him over and over, remembering her Dad's admonition to always talk to animals, using their name often so they could make the connection. After walking around the school, by the time she returned to the front door, she was a little chilly.

  "Can we go in now, Obiwan?" He stood at the front door as she unlocked it and headed for the stairs. "You are such a good boy." She sat down on the third step and he came back down to nuzzle her face. "Okay, okay. Let's find us both some breakfast."

  Before heading back upstairs, she trotted to the kitchen and flipped the coffee pot on. Then, she ran back up the steps with him, poured food in his dish and went into the bathroom to shower and get ready. She left the door open so she could hear him moving around and when she came out of the shower, he sat in the doorway to the living room as if waiting for her.

  "Well, either you're a really good dog, Obiwan, or Billy and Doug are good trainers. We'll see how this goes the rest of the day."

  She put Obiwan back on leash and they walked downstairs. The coffee was ready and she opened the cooler to forage for breakfast, not surprised at all to find a container with a label that said, "Eat me for breakfast, Polly." Inside was a sausage biscuit and instructions for microwaving it, as well as a large chunk of breakfast casserole. "Welcome home," she said, "to the town where food shows up in your refrigerator."

  Polly looked down at the dog, who was standing patiently, while panting. "It's a good thing you're around, Obiwan. We're going to have to go for a lot of walks to keep up with the food intake." She warmed the sandwich and sat down at the table to eat, looking out of the window. They had started destroying the playground. As soon as everything was hauled away, she would have the ground tilled and seeded. It would be wonderful next spring.

  Her front door chimed and Obiwan jumped up and pulled at his leash, barking at the sound. "It's alright. You're going to have to get over that. Let's go see who it is."

  Three of Henry's workmen: Ben, Leroy and Marvin were standing at the door, tools in hand.

  "Good morning and welcome back, Polly," Leroy said. "Ben and Marv said you had a great party last night. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Something came up."

  "Thanks guys," she replied. "You're a little early this morning." Polly checked her watch, it was only seven fifteen, but she stepped back to let them in.

  "I know, but Henry wants to get going on the flooring in the rooms upstairs. We lost all day Monday, what with everyone being worried about you. We're going to spend a long day today and maybe work tomorrow, too. I hope that's alright. Didn't he talk to you?" Ben apologized.

  Obiwan sniffed at all three, then sat down. Ben reached over to scratch his ears, Leroy ignored him and started up the steps and poor Marvin looked lost, as if he didn't know which way to go.

  "Oh, that's alright, and Henry doesn't need to talk to me about scheduling time here. Go ahead, and thanks!" She watched as they headed up the steps. "Oh," she said, "Coffee is done already, so come down any time."

  Polly tripped the locks open on the front doors and went back into the kitchen to finish her breakfast.

  "Here’s the deal, Obiwan. Today's going to be a busy day and there will be a lot of people in and out of here. I don't want to leave you alone up in the apartment, but you're going to have to be good, got it?" Polly put her hand on his head and rubbed it down his back.

  The puppy panted and shivered under her hand. Before she could pull it away, he licked it again.

  "So, that's a promise? You'll be good today, Obiwan?" she asked.

  He stood up and wagged his entire body.

  Polly ruffled the fur on his neck and said, "Alright. Well, then. Let's get going!"

  The two of them walked out to the foyer and out the front door. Doug and Billy pulled into the lot and jumped out of Doug's car.

  "How was he, Polly? Did he cry all night or anything?" Doug asked.

  "No, was he supposed to?"

  "Oh, no, I just wanted to make sure you guys were fine."

  "We were absolutely great, weren't we, Obiwan," she said to the dog. "We've already walked the perimeter of the building once this morning and were about to head back to the creek before everyone arrives and gets started. What are you two working on today?"

  "We're back in the bathrooms first thing this morning," Billy said. "Doug wasn't too sure about it, but," he punched his friend in the arm, "we decided he wasn't going to be a scared wimp, so he got to go in first. We're nearly done up there. After that, we'll be back in the auditorium to finish wiring the place."

  "Great. It looks like I'm back on stage today with the girls. See you guys later."

  Polly took off at a slow trot around the side of the school with Obiwan following close behind her. They headed for the creek which ran through the edge of Bellingwood behind the school. It was never very full, but big Sycamores lined the banks. There was a beautiful grove of them that she could see from her windows, so today she thought she might go exploring.

  Obiwan began sniffing around and ma
rking trees and bushes, rocks and grass as the two enjoyed being out. The sun was coming up and it occurred to Polly that Sunday would mark the end of Daylight Savings time. More sunshine in the morning and less in the evening. Fabulous. The sunrise was spectacular, filled with pinks and oranges and deep reds. "So, you're going to make me be outside in the morning, eh. I might have to start bringing my camera with me."

  They continued to walk the outer boundaries of the land on which the school resided, stopping every so often so the dog could again leave his mark. Polly hoped that would help as he began to explore his territory. She watched more and more vehicles arrive and figured they should probably head back in and say hello.

  She walked back in the front door to the sounds of people talking and clattering around. Saws were humming, hammers pounding, electric nail guns slamming. Polly leaned on the door sill and smiled. It would be fine with her if these were the sounds she was greeted with every time she opened her front door. Obiwan barked as Leroy came around from where Henry's makeshift shop was and headed up the steps.

  "You're going to have to get used to people, Obiwan. There will be plenty of them showing up around here, I hope. Let's go upstairs and see who is here." Keeping him on the leash, she started up the steps. He followed her, then ran ahead of her and attempted to pull her after him. "Oh no you don't, Obiwan. I'm the alpha on this team." He stopped on the step, turned around and looked at her and waited since she'd pulled the leash taut and he could no longer move. As soon as she got closer, he took off again and she stopped him. "Stop, Obiwan," she commanded in her sternest voice. He sat down on the next step and waited for her.

  "Yep, we have some training to work out, don't we? But, we'll both get there, I promise." She ruffled his fur again and walked into the first classroom. Obiwan greeted the workers and moved from person to person waiting long enough for a scratch or a rub. They all greeted Polly and then went back to work, so she headed back dowstairs. Stu Decker was walking in the front door. "Right on time," she thought to herself.