Elmer and Hazel married when she was five months pregnant, something that shamed her and her family. Their son, Warren, was born premature with several health problems, and then a month later was diagnosed with spina bifida, the most severe form of it. Hazel blamed herself for their son’s illnesses since she had not sought medical treatment during the early months of her pregnancy when she was so desperately trying to hide it. Apparently, that burden was more than she could bear, and she took her own life.
Warren is currently twenty-five, cannot do anything for himself, has serious gastrointestinal problems, is learning disabled, and has gradually gone from wearing braces on his legs to using crutches to using a wheelchair to now being bedridden. The finest doctors in the world could have helped him at one time, but not now. Sadly, it’s too late. All I can do is ensure his basic needs are met and he’s as comfortable as possible.
I do not regret being the catalyst for Elmer’s incarceration—prison is where he belongs. But that doesn’t mean I have no respect for him. You see, I realized something profound from Elmer’s actions. I realized that things that happen to you in the past can mold you into someone you’re not. I think about that often and how it holds true for so many people in my life, but especially Elmer.
Since opening its doors in January, I’m proud to say NSU Immigration Services has helped forty-seven adult immigrants on their way to becoming productive U.S. citizens—people who want better lives for themselves and their families and are willing to work for it. All twenty-three of their children are enrolled in school and doing well. I know this because my services require them to check in with me periodically. And they’re happy to do this—they are proud of their accomplishments, proud of their contributions to the good of this country they now call home. I love what I do, and I’m good at it, if I do say so myself.
All 772 hundred-pound Irish notes are still in a safe deposit box. My boyfriend has Irish roots, and we’ve talked about going to Ireland someday. I don’t know how serious he really is about me, or I am about him, but it sure would be nice to find Marcus O’Gowan’s relatives and give them the money he won—relieving me of the burden of having something that doesn’t belong to me.
The Attic Finds case is now closed. Even though I wasn’t very good at PI work, I guess I did okay with my most important case. I may have taken too long to solve it, floundered at times, botched some things along the way, and broken some rules, but I did discover the truth I was after. Perhaps others wouldn’t have gone through what I did to reach this point, but for me, I couldn’t face the future without understanding my past.
Discovering the truth about my parents didn’t make me a different person like I thought it would—but it did allow me to shed the veil of uncertainty I was wearing so the real me could shine through. I visit their graves on holidays and anniversaries. I visit Rosa Lindroth’s grave too—usually with Fern.
I look toward the neighbor’s lilac bushes and smile—the stray black cat I see every once in a while sits motionless on his haunches among the bright purple flowers, eyes fixated on me. As soon as I look away, he’ll quietly disappear—he’s done that before. I pretend he’s a descendant of Tobias, the black cat my mother had when she lived here. And that connection warms my heart.
Other Books by Florence Osmund
The Coach House
This book is not only thought evoking but also a genuine pleasure to read.
—BestChickLit
1945 Chicago. Marie Marchetti flees from her devoted husband when she realizes he is immersed in local corruption, only to discover it’s the identity of her real father that unexpectedly changes her life more than her husband ever could.
Daughters (sequel to The Coach House)
Civil rights, gender roles, and political postures are carefully, realistically, and sensitively present in this story.
—Pens and Needles
Discovering who her father is leads Marie Marchetti to discover who she really is and where she belongs, driving her to seek peace and truth in her life. But unexpectedly, the most life-altering consequence of her reunion grows out of an encounter with a twelve-year-old girl named Rachael.
Red Clover
Red Clover is a wonderfully written detailed story about a man overcoming his upbringing and becoming his own. The finished product, both the man and his story, are exemplary.
—Ray Paul, Windy City Reviews
The troubled son of a callous father and socialite mother determines his own meaning of success after learning shocking family secrets that cause him to rethink who he is and where heʼs going. Lee Winekoop’s reinvention of himself is surprising; the roadblocks he confronts are unnerving; and the cast of characters he befriends along the way is both heartwarming and amusing.
Books are available on Amazon www.amazon.com/author/florenceosmund
Or the authorʾs website florenceosmund.com/buy_the_authors_books
Or at book stores how order from distributor Ingram and Baker & Taylor
If you enjoy my books, I would greatly appreciate your taking time to write a short review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
—Florence Osmund
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After more than three decades of working in corporate America, Florence Osmund retired to write books. She earned her master’s degree from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and forged an active career in administrative and human resource management. She currently resides in Chicago where she enjoys all the things that great city has to offer and (of course) reading and writing.
If you are a new or aspiring author, Florence invites you to visit her website where she offers considerable writing advice, book promotion and marketing strategies, and many helpful website links.
Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.florenceosmund.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Florence Osmund Books
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/FlorenceOsmund
Twitter: @FlorenceOsmund
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/8800692-florence-osmund
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/florenceosmund
Table of Contents
DISCLAIMER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ONE The Kindness of Strangers
TWO The Back Room
THREE Saved By the Bush
FOUR Rumors
FIVE That Was No Poker Game
SIX Indigent, Unclaimed, and Unknown
SEVEN “Arrest That Woman!”
EIGHT “I Hate Coffee”
NINE Ties to Mexico
TEN The Real Bird-Dogger
ELEVEN She’s No Misstep
TWELVE “She Called Him Al”
THIRTEEN He Pulled Into Where?
FOURTEEN The Ninety-Pound Wuss
FIFTEEN An Ethical Dilemma
SIXTEEN Doing the Right Thing
SEVENTEEN One of Us Is Wrong
EIGHTEEN The Cavalry
NINETEEN Treasures or Trash?
TWENTY The Key
TWENTY-ONE She Wants to Talk
TWENTY-TWO Minnie
TWENTY-THREE Emotional Overload
TWENTY-FOUR The Will
TWENTY-FIVE “You’re Not Alone”
TWENTY-SIX A Loud Knock
TWENTY-SEVEN Desperation
TWENTY-EIGHT Roommates
TWENTY-NINE The Connecting Puzzle Pieces
THIRTY It Was Elmer
THIRTY-ONE Revoked
THIRTY-TWO Happy Birthday to Me
THIRTY-THREE The No. 54 Bus
THIRTY-FOUR The Floor Safe
THIRTY-FIVE Open Floodgates!
THIRTY-SIX The Trunk
THIRTY-SEVEN Anna’s Letters
THIRTY-EIGHT Bad Timing
THIRTY-NINE The Photo
FORTY A Rhetorical Question
FORTY-ONE Regarding Anna
Epilogue
Other Books by Florence Osmund
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Regarding Anna Page 31