by Dan Walsh
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know you were stressing out over the money.”
“We’re doing okay. I just thought we were going to be doing a lot better than okay. Truth is, if I’d known about these things, I might have just stayed put. This job is helping my resume some. It’s definitely another rung up the ladder. Though right now it doesn’t always feel worth it.”
“Is there anything we can do? Are we stuck here for good?”
“For now we are. I had to agree to stay in this job for eighteen months before I can transfer out. That’s a year from now. But I’m seriously thinking of keeping my eye out on the job board for transfers back to Florida about ten months from now.”
“Really?”
“I can tell by the smile on your face, you like the sound of that.”
“I don’t hate it here, Todd. Not totally. I mean, I love our new church. I will definitely miss that. But I’m ready to go back to Florida whenever you are.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Hopefully, God will open a door just about the time I’m freed up to start looking. But you know, with the money being tight again, that means we’re really not going to be able to save anything for any trips back home.”
“I know.”
21
Several days had passed. Nothing much had changed in Judith’s disposition, although after some continued prodding from Stan and Betty, she had decided to say yes to teaching that ornaments class at the craft store. She picked up the phone to call Betty.
“Well, hello,” Betty said. “How are you doing this fine December morning?”
Judith had forgotten the calendar page had turned. “A little better.” Which wasn’t totally true.
“Given any more thought to teaching that class?”
“I have. I talked about it again last night with Stan. He thinks I should do it too. I guess I will.”
“That’s great. Have you called Doris?”
“Who’s Doris?”
“I never told you her name? That’s the craft store owner. I went downtown yesterday to get my hair done, so I stopped in to see her. She remembered me. First thing she did was ask about you.”
“I guess that means she’s still interested,” Judith said.
“I’d say she’s a little more than interested.”
“Why? What did she say?”
Betty hesitated. “Guess it’s okay to tell you, now that you’ve decided to do it. She showed me the poster she’s made to promote the class.”
“She’s made posters already? I haven’t even told her I would do it.”
“I know. She said if you said no, she’d just toss them out. But she had a lull this week and decided to make the posters up in case you said yes.”
Well, sounded like she was serious then.
“So are you going to call her?”
“Do you know her number?”
“She has a website,” Betty said. “I’m sure her number’s on there.”
“I could do that, but I think I’m just going to go down there. It’s not that far, and if I’m going to do this, I should probably talk to her face-to-face. Besides, I need to look over what she has in terms of craft supplies so I can get an idea of the ornaments we might make in class.”
“I like hearing you talk this way, Judith.”
“I think it will probably do me some good. Get my mind off the things that are keeping me down.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
Judith wouldn’t go that far. “Well, I’m ready to go. I just wanted to call you first.”
“If you can, call me after with the details.”
It was much easier to find a parking place today than it had been Saturday. Judith was able to park right on Donnelly Avenue, just a few doors down from the craft store.
The air was a bit cooler today than Saturday also. The weatherman had said a cold front was moving in and would probably drop the temperature into the low forties. Of course that would happen overnight when they were all asleep. But during the day tomorrow, she would need a light jacket if she ventured outdoors.
Judith walked down the sidewalk, nodding and smiling at a few passersby. As she approached the glass door, she began to tense up. She wasn’t sure why. Once she was inside, she noticed a woman about her age near the front of the store. She looked up. Judith saw her name tag. It wasn’t Doris; the tag said Marlene.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Doris. Is she in this morning?”
“Yes, she is. She’s in the back doing some paperwork. May I tell her who’s asking?”
“Sure. My name is Judith Winters, although I’m not sure she knows my name. I was in here Saturday with my friend Betty. That’s who Doris talked with.”
“Is she expecting you?”
“I don’t think so. I’m here to talk with her about that mother-daughter craft class, the one about making ornaments from scratch.”
“You are? We haven’t really confirmed that we’re having that class yet. How did you hear about it?”
“I’m the woman who’s supposed to teach it. That is, if Doris still wants to have it.”
A big smile came over Marlene’s face. “Oh, she definitely does. And she’ll definitely want to speak with you. Let me go get her.” Marlene headed toward the back of the store.
Judith took a few more steps inside, partway down the craft supply aisle. A few moments later, both women came out. Doris extended her hand and shook Judith’s warmly. Marlene excused herself, seeing a customer standing by the cash register.
“I’m so glad you’ve come back,” Doris said. “Does this mean you decided to do it? To teach the class?”
“I have. I thought I should meet you in person, see what you have in mind.”
Doris started walking down the aisle toward the back of the store. “Maybe we should talk down here, so you can see what’s available. And you can let me know if there’s anything you need.”
Judith followed her. There was quite a selection. “I really like some of the ornaments I saw in the front half of the store when we were here last week. I’m guessing you’d like me to work with those?”
“That would be nice, since I have all the supplies for those. But only if you find ones you’d like the class to make. Your friend Betty said you’ve been making homemade ornaments with your kids for years. I’d be open to you making some of those, since you’re already familiar with them. As long as I could get the materials.” She made a face, like she was embarrassed about something. “And as long as they don’t cost too much.”
Judith realized money must be pretty tight for her. “I’m sure I can find some ornaments in here that’ll work just fine. As long as I can figure out how to make them.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” Doris said. “Most of them are pretty simple.”
“So,” Judith said, “where would we do the class?”
Doris pointed to an open space at the back of the store. “I thought right here. I don’t have a separate room, but I thought we could just set a table up. There’ll be some separation because it’s in the back of the store, but I thought it might actually be nice that other customers could see it. It might stir some interest in the things you’re making.”
“I wouldn’t have a problem doing it here,” Judith said.
Doris turned toward the front of the store. “Why don’t we go look at some of the finished ornaments, see what you think?” She led Judith down that aisle.
“Just so you know,” Judith said as they walked, “none of the ornaments I made with my kids cost very much. Some of them didn’t cost anything. My oldest daughter’s favorite was just a big painted pinecone.”
Doris laughed. “I’m not surprised. I think for the kids it’s more about getting to spend that time with their mom and other kids their age, doing something fun.” She stopped in front of the ornaments. “Well, here we are.”
Judith looked them over, picked up several, and spun t
hem around. They really were pretty simple. She doubted she’d have any problem figuring out how to make them or something similar using the materials Doris had in the back. But she also realized that although they were handmade, they were pretty polished looking. She thought again about Anna’s blue pinecone, Brandon’s snowman skeleton, and Suzanne’s nativity aliens. Then about some of the other ornaments in that box.
“What’s the matter?” Doris said. “You look a little concerned.”
“It’s nothing serious. At least I don’t think it is.”
“What is it?”
“It’s just . . . I think I should make you aware of something, so we’re both on the same page before we finalize anything.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Just share whatever you’re thinking.”
She picked up one of the nicer ornaments. “It’s about expectations. What you expect, and maybe what some of the moms think we’ll be able to make in my class.”
“I’m not following you.”
Judith held up the ornament. “Like this one. If I picked this one for the class, and even if I taught the kids the right way to make it, it may not look exactly like this when we were done.”
“It wouldn’t?”
Judith shook her head no.
“What would it look like?”
“To give you a clue, my husband Stan labeled our kids’ homemade ornament box ‘the ugly ornaments.’ I like the kids to have fun, but I’m not a perfectionist. And sometimes the end result doesn’t always turn out like we planned. Are you okay with that?”
Doris looked up at her. “I’m more than okay with it, Judith. It’s perfect. Having fun and making memories is what it’s all about.”
22
Early the next morning, Stan and Barney were fishing on Lake Dora just after sunrise. Surprisingly, both had the morning off. The cold front had moved in overnight, so they wore jackets. Fortunately, the wind was calm and the water still as glass.
“I got a good feeling about this morning,” Barney said. “These bass are hungry for breakfast.”
“Think so, do ya?” Stan said.
“And I’m itching to try out this red rattle bait I bought at Bass Pro Shop last Friday.”
Barney was in the back of the boat, holding the new lure in his hand. Stan was in the front, steering the electric trolling motor, which hardly made a sound. They had switched to the trolling motor because they were close to the water’s edge and near their intended fishing spot. They didn’t want to scare the fish away.
“Think that bait’s gonna make a difference?” Stan asked. “It’s the man holding the rod and reel, you ask me.”
Barney smiled. He knew Stan had him with that one.
“Not sure you really believe that,” Barney said. “Considering you were crediting this here bait the last time we were out.”
“Well,” Stan said, “guess this time we’ll know for sure, won’t we? Since we’re both using the same bait.” He said the last line in a loud whisper. “We better talk quieter. We’re almost there.”
Barney looked around. “Oh, right.”
They rode the next few minutes in silence. Stan loved how quiet and peaceful it was out here on the water, especially in the morning. It was light enough to see where they were going but dark enough for several of the lakeside houses to still have their lights on.
“The GPS says we’re there,” Barney said.
Stan slowed the boat to a crawl, then shut it off and let them glide into some reeds. This was one of several fishing spots they’d worked over the years. One or both of them would always catch at least a fish or two here. After a few casts, things got pretty quiet. A picture of Judith came to Stan’s mind. When he had gotten home from work yesterday, she had seemed as down as she’d been on Thanksgiving. She hadn’t even plugged in the Christmas tree lights all day. In the past, that was the first thing she’d do every morning during the Christmas season, even before starting the coffee.
Over dinner, he’d asked her about how her day had gone. Come to find out, she’d decided to go ahead and teach that ornament class downtown, like he and Betty had suggested. Stan was glad to hear it and told her so. But she hadn’t shown any excitement about it while they talked. No more than when she talked about doing the laundry.
Stan thought about the big boat parade tomorrow night. It was one of the annual Christmas events held every year in Mount Dora. Dozens of boats, all lit up with Christmas lights, paraded by on the waterfront downtown. He and Judith went every year. He was thinking about suggesting they go again this year but wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Last week at the Light Up celebration, all she seemed to focus on were the memories of previous years when all the kids and grandkids were there to enjoy it. Would that happen again if they went to the boat parade?
He tried to shut all this out of his mind. It just confused him. She confused him. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t accept things the way they were. Kids grow up. They move out, start their own lives. He would’ve liked to see them all at Christmastime too. Though it was nice having a quiet Thanksgiving. But there was nothing to be done about it. Those three phone calls to his kids confirmed it. She had to let it go, or it was just gonna tear her up inside and wind up making them both miserable.
“Are you gonna fish or not?”
Stan looked up at Barney.
“That spinnerbait’s just sitting there dead in the water. No bass is gonna hit that.”
“All right. Hold your horses.”
Just then, there was a splash and Barney’s rod bent almost in half. “Here we go,” he said, snapping the rod back to set the hook. “Feels like it’s got some size.”
“You want me to get the net?”
“Give me a minute.” He continued to wrestle the fish as he reeled it in. “I think I got it.”
As it neared the boat, the fish splashed some more. Stan could see the silver of its side just beneath the water’s surface. “Looks like at least a two-pounder.”
“Some good eating then,” Barney said through gritted teeth.
“We ate the bass we caught last Friday for dinner last night. Judith panfried ’em in a garlic and lemon butter sauce.”
Barney finally brought the bass to the side of the boat and lifted it over the edge. It was definitely a keeper. After Stan removed the red rattle bait from its mouth, Barney lifted the lid to the livewell and set her in.
“So, whaddya think?” Stan asked. “Did you catch that fish or was it the new lure?”
Barney spun around in his chair, smiled. “A little of both, I guess.” He checked the bait over, then cast it out again.
Stan cast his bait out again too. As it plunked in the water, they heard the unmistakable sound of a motorboat cruising by behind them, maybe about a hundred yards away.
Barney turned first. “Well, would you look at that? Stan, you gotta see this.”
Stan spun halfway around in his seat.
“That’s almost exactly like our boat,” Barney said. “Our dream rig.”
“I think you’re right.” There were two guys inside. “That’s gonna be us,” Stan said. “In just a few weeks. Hard to imagine.”
Barney reeled his lure in the last few feet, then cast it out again. “Not for me. I imagine it all the time. I was thinking about it this morning as we lowered this baby in the water. And as I stepped into it, and it rocked back and forth like it always does. And I thought about our dream rig, how sturdy it’s gonna be. Solid as the dock.”
The boat sailed out of view. “It’s gonna be nice.”
“So nice.” Barney cast out again. “Seeing that boat reminded me of something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s that?”
“I had an idea. Something I’ve been thinking about for a week or so.”
“Okay.”
“You know they got that big bass fishing tournament in the Harris chain of lakes the week between Christmas and New Year.”
“I recall something ab
out that.” People from all over participated in it every year. Barney and Stan had never given it a serious thought before. They wouldn’t be caught dead in a prestigious event like that in this old thing.
“It only costs a hundred dollars to enter. The winner walks away with thousands. It falls on the twenty-seventh this year, two days after Christmas. We’ll have our dream rig by then.”
“You think we should enter? You think we have a chance?”
“I think so. We do pretty good in this piece of junk. Think of how we’ll do fishing in a boat like the one that just went by, with all that new equipment. It’s a three-bass open tournament. So it’s the size, not the quantity. And it’s open to anyone. You don’t have to be a member of any club.”
Stan thought a minute.
Barney continued. “But there’s another aspect of this idea. I’m thinking if we pick up our boat on Christmas Day, or even the day after, that won’t leave us any time to try it out, to work out the kinks.”
“You think our dream rig’s going to have kinks?”
“I don’t think the boat will, but you and I will. We won’t know what the heck we’re doing. I don’t think we have a chance of winning that tournament if we don’t get some time in the boat before it starts.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“I suggest we come up with the money three or four days before Christmas and take possession of it then. That way we’ll be able to go out at least once or twice before the tournament.”
That was a great idea.
“I know I’ll have my share of the money before then,” Barney said. “Almost have it all together now. Can you be ready a few days early with your part?”
“I should have it all by then,” Stan said. “I’ll have to crunch the numbers to make sure.”
“Then why don’t you do that?” Barney said. “And I’ll find out what’s involved in registering for this tournament.”
23
Taryn Simpson was finishing up her caramel macchiato at her favorite coffee shop on Donnelly Avenue when her friend Samantha happened by. Samantha was inside now getting her coffee. Taryn was sitting at an outdoor table. She was happy to see Samantha, but she didn’t plan on staying very long. Her daughter Madison’s school let out in ten minutes.