Gemstones and Gravestones

by Sandra Whinnem

  Chapter 22

  After Sal and Phyllis left for the funeral, Henry sat on the steps front of the Senior Center. Henry hung his head when he noticed Danny and his friends approaching the foot of the stairs.

  Oh no, not again… not today, he thought.

  Danny thrust out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout. “Why so glum, Henry? Was the dead lady your girlfriend?”

  “Yeah, girlfriend….” Alex repeated half-heartedly. Jason was chewing gum; his mouth was open and it was making loud popping noises. Henry noticed that Jason had a black eye; he felt sure that Danny had given it to him after the spitting incident.

  “Don’t talk that way about Betty,” Henry said through clenched teeth.

  “Aw… you’re not gonna cry again, are you?” Danny asked mockingly.

  On the day Ernest died, Henry sat waiting for him in front of the senior center, oblivious to the old man’s fate. Danny and his friends were watching when Mrs. Michaud informed Henry of Ernest’s death. The kindly old lady tried to tell him as gently as she could, but Henry could not hold back the tears when he heard the news.

  “Well?” Danny asked impatiently. “Are you gonna cry, or not?”

  As Danny taunted Henry, his friends hung back. Henry saw that Jason’s eye was almost swollen shut, and how he and Alex were keeping a watchful distance from the bigger boy.

  Henry suddenly felt bad for Jason and Alex; it was obvious that Danny treated them even worse than him. With the sudden realization that he’d be standing up for Jason and Alex as well as himself, Henry mustered the courage to finally speak up.

  Henry faced Danny, and took a deep breath. “Look Danny, I know you hate me, so I get why you pick on me,” he began. “But they’re supposed to be your friends.” He pointed at Jason and Alex. “You’re always hitting them and calling them names; it makes me glad that you don’t like me!” He turned to Jason and Alex. “I don’t understand why you guys put up with it.”

  Danny scowled at Henry. “Shut up, Henry! They’re my friends… I can hit them if I want!” he yelled.

  “See what I mean?” Henry said, pointing at Danny. “He just made my point.”

  Danny’s face was red. “Don’t listen to him, you idiots!” he said. He gave Alex and Jason a slap behind the head, causing Jason’s gum to fly from his mouth.

  “Ow!” Jason cried, “Stop hitting us already!” He picked his gum off the sidewalk; bits of grass clung to it.

  “Yeah, stop hitting us…” Alex echoed.

  “Both of you are so stupid! I can’t believe you’re actually listening to him!” Danny raged.

  “Well, he’s right!” Jason yelled back. “You are mean, and I don’t know why we stay friends with you!” He grabbed his bike angrily. “C’mon, Alex, let’s go.”

  Jason put the gum back in his mouth before he and Alex got on their bikes and rode away.

  Danny watched them leave with a look of stunned surprise, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

  Suddenly, Henry came to the terrifying realization that he was alone with a very large and very angry bully.

  Danny stood with his fists clenched. His face was twisted in a grimace. Henry wondered if he should run.

  Then to Henry’s surprise, Danny’s lip began to tremble.

  “They were my only friends…” he said in a choked voice.

  As Danny began to cry, Henry wondered what he should do. It didn’t seem right to leave, but it didn’t seem right to stay and watch either.

  Henry decided to go.

  As he walked away, he wrestled with his own feelings. Part of him wanted to make fun of Danny for crying, just as Danny had done to him. Another part of him felt bad for Danny, and wanted to apologize.

  Apologize for what? he thought, for telling Danny that it’s not nice to beat up your friends?

  Henry paused behind a tree, where he could watch Danny without being seen. It still seemed wrong, to just leave him there, crying.

  Then Henry saw Mrs. Michaud, tottering down the sidewalk. She stopped when she noticed the big boy crying, and wobbled over to him. Henry wanted to warn her to stay away from him, but before he could step out from behind the tree, he saw that Mrs. Michaud was speaking softly to Danny. Then, to Henry’s amazement, Danny wrapped his arms around the little old lady and clung to her as he cried.

  Chapter 23

  Again, Agnes stomped into her extravagant home, this time dripping pasta sauce on the marble floors. She angrily wiped her face and wondered how her dress could have become tied to the tablecloth at the funeral.

  Someone must have hid under the table, she thought, a jealous person, who couldn’t afford a dress as pretty as mine. Well, I’ll show them; I’ll wear an even fancier, more expensive dress next time, Agnes decided.

  Noticing the trail of pasta sauce on the marble entranceway, Agnes reached for the servant bell before remembering that she had yet to hire a new maid. Agnes sighed, went into the bathroom, and began wiping her face with a towel.

  Agnes’s plan to snag Sal as her next husband was not going well. Lately, every time she saw him, she wound up humiliated; covered in bird droppings, champagne, or pasta.

  Perhaps I shouldn’t get married again, Agnes thought.

  After all, Agnes’s previous marriages hadn’t exactly turned out as she hoped they would. Agnes sighed, remembering her wedding day; the first one, to Newton Imrich…

  Agnes felt beautiful as she walked down the aisle in her designer wedding gown. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was making a horrible mistake.

  Newton had announced their engagement during the annual party at the country club. He hadn’t bothered to ask Agnes if she wanted to marry him beforehand; Newton had just assumed she’d be honored to be his wife.

  Since her engagement, everyone kept telling Agnes how lucky she was, and how happy she must be.

  I should be happy, Agnes had thought, most girls would eagerly trade places with me.

  After approaching the alter, Agnes faced her husband-to-be. Newton’s friends had thrown him a bachelor party the night before, and he looked awful. He blinked at Agnes with bloodshot eyes and seemed to sway as he stood before her.

  Agnes barely heard a word the preacher said, until he bid Newton to take her as his wife; “until death do you part?” he asked.

  After stating the customary “I do” Newton glanced at his best man and whispered, “Or at least for now.”

  Newton’s friend snickered and Agnes’s face went crimson under her veil. Newton put Agnes’s ring on the wrong finger, and his kiss hurt her lips.

  During the reception, Newton told the waiter not to bring Agnes a piece of cake; he didn’t want her getting fat, he announced loudly.

  This began Agnes’s first marriage. In the years that followed, Newton and his family dictated what Agnes wore, what she said, and who she could see. Agnes’s own family and most of her friends quickly became off-limits; they weren’t deemed ‘good enough’ to associate with a member of the Imrich family.

  All the while, Agnes continued to be told how lucky she was and how happy and grateful she should be. But Agnes wasn’t happy. She felt cheated; cheated out of the happy life everyone assumed she had. Now, the only way Agnes could feel better about herself was by making others feel bad.

  Agnes had just given birth to her daughter when Newton left her for another woman.

  Agnes blinked and looked at the sauce-stained towel that hung forgotten, in her hand. She sighed, and began taking off her ruined dress, reflecting on her life, and the decisions she’d made.

  Through her string of wealthy husbands, Agnes had gotten everything she thought she wanted: money, cars, jewelry, prestige… and yet, happiness eluded her. Agnes still felt lonely and empty inside.

  Agnes wondered how her life would have turned out if she’d accepted Billy’s proposal.

  Billy couldn’t offer Agnes a big house, fancy clothes, or even a notable last name. All Billy had offered h
er was a lifetime of companionship and unconditional love. Looking back, Agnes realized her choice should have been clear, had she not valued other people’s opinions more than her own.

  Billy was the only man Agnes ever really loved, and Billy had loved her, too. He’d even promised that he would still love her when they were old and grey. She sighed and wondered what had ever happened to Billy.

  Agnes put on a robe and went to the kitchen to put the ruined dress in the trash. As she opened the lid, she felt a prickle on the back of her neck, and a newspaper seemed to jump out of the garbage to land on the counter in front of her. The newspaper fell open to reveal a photo of an old man, with an honest face and deep brown eyes.

  Agnes grabbed the paper and read the caption. “Local Hospital Names Volunteer of the Year” it read.

  Agnes’s heart skipped a beat as she read on. “79 year old Billy Commonson retired from Specter County Hospital 15 years ago-- but he didn’t stay away for long. He began volunteering at the hospital after the death of his wife, Gertrude. Billy is well loved by both patients and staff and we hope he will continue to volunteer his services for a long time to come.”

  Agnes hugged the newspaper to her chest. She suddenly felt light, as 60 years’ worth of bitterness and resentment began to fall away.

  Perhaps it’s not too late for me, Agnes thought. She smiled as she made plans to start eating lunch in the hospital cafeteria. The thought of seeing Billy again after all these years made her feel both excited and scared. If she encountered Billy at the hospital, would he be able to forgive her after what she’d done to him? Agnes decided that whether Billy forgave her or not, she was going to make some changes in her life.

  Agnes bit her lip and picked up the phone. She hoped Mildred and Priscilla could forgive her, as well.

  Chapter 24

  Spring was in the air and Phyllis opened the windows in Sal’s house, where she spent most of her time lately. Sal’s formerly bleak home was now cheerfully decorated, thanks to Phyllis, who had hung curtains in the windows and put bright throw pillows on the sofa.

  Phyllis and Sal’s relationship had blossomed in the months since Betty’s funeral. They spent many hours together: talking, shopping, watching movies… each appreciating the simple pleasure of the other’s company.

  Sal in particular, was enjoying a kind of happiness that was entirely new to him. He doted on Phyllis with obvious delight; buying her flowers and candy, and leaving little notes for her to find.

  It had been a long time since Phyllis had felt so special, and she was cherishing every moment of it.

  True to his word, Sal had taken Henry fishing. Sal had created their fishing equipment using random objects he salvaged from the boxes and bags that crammed Phyllis’ apartment. It made her happy to see the unwanted items finally being put to good use.

  Sal and Henry caught quite a few fish, despite their lack of experience and their homemade tackle.

  Right now, Sal and Henry were working in the garage. They were using more of the salvaged items to invent a new fishing contraption. Their device was like a crossbow mounted on a bucket, and was designed to launch a hook and bobber farther than a traditional fishing rod could.

  Henry couldn’t wait to try it out. Sal was having fun just building it. They planned to go back to the pond with their new gadget that weekend.

  “I’ll bet it shoots it to the other side of the pond!” Henry said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “I wonder what the bait-worm will be thinking, as he flies through the air,” Sal mused.

  “I’ll bet he’ll think he’s the early bird, instead of the worm!” Henry said, laughing at his own joke.

  Henry looked at their creation for a long moment and said, “I wish Ernest could see it… he’d think it was pretty neat, huh, Sal?”

  “Yes… I think he would, Henry,” Sal said thoughtfully. “Hey, do you think Phyllis would like to see it?”

  “Yeah!” Henry agreed excitedly. “Let’s show her!”

  Sal called to Phyllis, and she came out to the garage with Teeny bounding along beside her.

  “Oh, my,” Phyllis exclaimed when she saw what they had made.

  Teeny gave the contraption a thorough inspection; sniffing it curiously while Henry proudly explained what it was and how it would work.

  “How clever… I bet you’ll catch a lot of fish with it,” Phyllis commented.

  “Yeah, we’re going to try it out this weekend, and we’ll bring you back the biggest fish we catch!” Henry promised her.

  He looked at his watch, and said, “I’ve gotta go do my papers now. See you later!”

  Henry gave Phyllis a quick hug before grabbing his satchel and leaving.

  Sal smiled and wiped his hands on a rag as he watched the boy run down the sidewalk.

  Phyllis went back inside, and Sal could hear her singing to herself through the open window. Sal thought about Phyllis and Henry, and how their presence in his life had changed him. The empty feeling he’d had since retiring from the Army was gone. He felt his life was now complete…

  …almost.

  Sal leaned on his cane and drew a small velvet box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a beautiful, antique diamond ring. He admired how it sparkled, and tried to imagine how it would look on Phyllis’s hand. The ring had belonged to his mother. He planned to give it to Phyllis, and ask her to be his wife.

  But the thought of actually proposing to Phyllis made Sal’s mouth go dry, and his stomach flip-flop. He had chickened out several times already. Sal closed the box and clutched it tightly in his hand.

  Tonight, he thought.

  Chapter 25

  It was coupon day, which meant each newspaper a contained a thick packet of local store flyers. Henry’s shoulder ached with the weight of the satchel. He trudged up the sidewalk to Reverend Smith’s house, hoping the newspaper would fit in the slot.

  After successfully delivering the Reverend’s paper, Henry turned to see Danny, sitting on his bike across the street. The big boy was by himself, with no sign of Alex or Jason.

  Henry braced himself; was Danny going to come bully him, he wondered? Would he beat him up for speaking out that day?

  Henry adjusted the strap of his satchel; heavy as it was, he wanted to be able to drop it quickly if he needed to run.

  Henry tried to stare straight ahead as he walked by Danny, but he couldn’t help looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

  What he saw surprised him… Danny waved.

  Puzzled, but happy that he didn’t need to run for his life, Henry waved back.

  Chapter 26

  Sal was cooking dinner for Phyllis, and a delicious aroma wafted in from the kitchen. He stirred a pot of stew, and checked the bread in the oven. He peered around the kitchen door and smiled when he caught sight of Phyllis, curled up on the couch with the crossword puzzle. Teeny slept near her, his leg twitching as he dreamed.

  Sal drew the velvet box from his pocket, took a deep breath, and stepped into the living room.

  Phyllis was frowning at the paper, chewing on the end of her pencil.

  “What’s a seven letter word that means ‘ghostly presence’?” she asked. “The second letter might be an ‘H’,” she added.

  “Um…could it be ‘phantom’?” Sal offered. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he sat beside Phyllis and opened the velvet box.

  “Yes! That fits.” Phyllis smiled as she wrote the answer.

  Sal took another deep breath, leaned over and held out the ring.

  Phyllis looked up from the newspaper. Her eyes went wide when she saw the ring in Sal’s trembling hand.

  Sal had practiced how he wanted to propose to Phyllis, but he now couldn’t seem to get the words out. Instead, he placed his other hand on Phyllis’ knee, and looked imploringly into her eyes.

  Phyllis knew what Sal was trying to ask her. With tears in her eyes, she nodded, and held out her hand.

  Sal�
��s hands were still shaking as he placed the ring on Phyllis’s finger.

  “It’s beautiful… thank you, Sal,” Phyllis whispered, pressing her hand to her heart. She leaned against him, and Sal wrapped his arms around his wife-to-be, sighing contentedly. They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying the closeness of one another, each imagining what it would be like to be married.

  Suddenly, the smoke detector went off.

  “I guess that means the bread is done,” Sal said as he hurried back into the kitchen.

  While Sal tried to rescue dinner in the kitchen, Phyllis admired her engagement ring. She wished she could tell Betty and Ernest the news. She chuckled, thinking how Betty-- the old Betty-- would have had the entire wedding planned before they finished supper.

  She imagined how Ernest would react. He would hug everybody, of course, and then he’d probably start giving Sal all kinds of husbandly advice.

  Thinking of Betty and Ernest reminded Phyllis of something. She began rummaging around in her giant purse. “You’re lying down on the job,” Phyllis whispered to Teeny, who opened one sleepy brown eye to look at her.

  Phyllis smiled with satisfaction when she found what she sought.

  “I have something for you,” Phyllis called to Sal.

  Sal wiped his hands on his apron, and limped over to Phyllis, who had a flat, rectangular package on her lap.

  Sal smiled and sat next to her. “What’s this?” he asked, taking the package.

  “Why don’t you open it, and find out,” Phyllis said.

  Sal tore the paper to reveal the photograph that had been broken when Betty’s house was ransacked. Phyllis had promised Betty she’d put it in a new frame.

  “I think Betty would have wanted you to have it,” Phyllis told him.

  Sal studied the photo for a moment. “Are you sure this is the same picture?” he asked.

  “Yes, I only changed the frame. Why do you ask?” Phyllis said.

  “It looks different now,” said Sal.

  Phyllis peered closely at the image of the four old friends. It was different.

  In this photo, the spray from the waterfall sparkled in the sunlight, creating a glowing nimbus around Ernest and Betty. Ernest still had his arm around Betty’s shoulders, but his hand now appeared to be giving the ‘thumbs up’ sign.

  As before, Sal and Phyllis stood close to one another, but now, their hands were clasped affectionately, and Betty seemed to smile approvingly at them from inside Ernest’s embrace. Of the group, only Teeny remained unchanged.