Gypsy Spirits

by Marianne Spitzer

  Annamarie realized no matter what approach she used, Daniel would believe what he wanted about spirits.

  She’d had enough. Tired, frustrated and dejected, she picked up the phone and dialed George’s number. Daniel tried to grab the phone, but she quickly backed away from him.

  “Hello, Daniel’s home. He’s in trouble and you need to come here immediately.”

  Annamarie knew calling George was the right thing to do, but she may have lost Daniel’s trust. More worried about his sanity than his trust, she wasn’t going to be blamed for any of this.

  “I’m not talking to my father on the phone. I don’t want to talk to him at all,” Daniel growled.

  George said, “I’m on my way.”

  “Your dad did everything he could to try and get me out of jail including telling the sheriff he would see he wasn’t reelected. He’ll help you, too if you let him. Daniel, the two of us, can’t cope with this alone.”

  ***

  Enraged, he paced up and down until they heard his father’s car. George refused to wait for Maureen to dress. He dragged her, still in her bathrobe and curlers, hurriedly into the house. Daniel could tell his father was beyond angry.

  Annamarie invited them to have a seat in the living room offering them coffee, but all George wanted to do was get Daniel to answer the questions he was asking. George posed so many questions in rapid-fire succession Annamarie had a hard time keeping up. Daniel sat there exhausted, looking dazed.

  George finally stood up declaring, “I’ve had enough of whatever you’re up to, boy. I’m going to end it now whether you like it or not. Maybe you’ll finally get the help you need at the hospital in Oaklin.”

  “What are you going to do?” said Maureen, her voice shaky.

  “What I should’ve done a long time ago. Call Dr. Norse and have him committed tonight.”

  “Oh no, you won’t!” Daniel yelled, springing to his feet to face his father eye to eye.

  “Don’t argue with me, boy.”

  “I won’t. You have no say in this. Annamarie is my wife and closest legal relative. Only she can have me committed,” Daniel answered defiantly.

  George knew Daniel was right. He glared directly at Annamarie. “Pick up the phone, call the doctor, and get him some help.”

  Annamarie regretted calling George, her mistake all too clear. She knew the time had come when she had to stand her ground against him. She was afraid of the outcome.

  All she could do was shake her head. Annamarie could see George’s anger grow, and he began shouting at Daniel and Annamarie.

  All of a sudden, newfound courage surged through her. “Please leave my home now,” speaking directly to George.

  George hollered. “Your home? Maureen and I purchased this home, missy. Never forget that.”

  “I won’t,” she fired back, “but Daniel and my names are on the deed. We own this home, so please leave now.”

  George’s face turned bright red, and she thought he would have a stroke, but he headed for the door. Maureen followed behind him without saying a word.

  ***

  Daniel locked the door behind them, turned around and said, “Baby where did that come from?”

  “I’ve no idea. I’m shocked. I don’t talk to adults that way.”

  She was barely nineteen and didn’t stand up to adults. She was used to listening to them. She had done it twice in two days. She wasn’t sure if she was growing up or hitting a late phase of rebellion.

  “Maybe it’s spirit power.”

  “Daniel,” she said.

  “Oh, okay. No more.”

  She smiled. “You’re home again. I think I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t even think about leaving again.”

  He promised.

  Sitting down they wondered what George might do next, and decided they had more than George to worry about. Tomorrow would be difficult. Ben’s visitation would begin at four in the afternoon. If they were going to get through the day, especially the afternoon, they needed sleep. Snuggled in each other’s arms, they both fell into dreamless sleep.

  Sleeping in late, they spent a lazy day at home before it was time to get ready for Ben’s visitation. Annamarie was surprised neither George nor the sheriff had called. George must still be angry, but not angry enough to tell the sheriff Daniel had returned home.

  “I’m supposed to call the sheriff the minute you come home,” she explained. They decided if the sheriff asked, they would tell him Daniel arrived home early that afternoon.

  “We can always say we thought it was more important to go to the visitation, and I could talk to the sheriff later,” Daniel suggested. Once they had their stories straight, they left for the church.

  ***

  Holding hands, they walked toward the front doors of St. Therese Church. Annamarie was uncomfortable in the black dress her mom insisted she buy during a shopping trip a few months earlier. She could still hear her mom’s words. “Every woman should have a nice black dress Annamarie. You never know when you’ll need it.” She wished she didn’t need it now.

  Entering the church, she saw many people from town. The closed bronze casket sat amid numerous floral arrangements at the front of the church.

  She stopped suddenly and began to cry. “I can’t do this. I want to go home.”

  Daniel put his arm around her and whispered, “I’ll stay by your side and be your strength every minute. Lean on me and remember I love you.”

  Even though they’d been fighting and she didn’t know what Daniel was up to, she loved him more at that moment than she ever thought possible.

  Daniel kept his word and stayed by her side when they talked to Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, and when they walked up to the casket to say a prayer for Ben. Daniel’s arm tightened around her, but she had a feeling it was more for his benefit than hers. She had never seen a deceased person before, and part of her was relieved the casket was closed. She knew this wasn’t the time to break down, and mustered all the courage she had. She could do this with Daniel at her side.

  They stood there for a few minutes after saying their prayers before finding a place to sit in an empty pew near the back.

  Most of their friends from school were there along with their parents. Grandpa Logan came in and walked past George and Maureen to sit down next to Annamarie. He looked stricken. Gazing up at him, she took his hand.

  “I’ll be okay. I’m more concerned for Ben’s family,” grandpa said.

  Eyes watchful, Daniel kept waiting for Bulk, but he never came. Annamarie didn’t think Garret would show up which was probably the best thing. Sheriff Richardson stood at the back of the church watching everyone as if he expected something to happen. Annamarie was afraid he would walk over and arrest Daniel for some trumped-up reason, but he never moved. Her parents saw them and sat next to her and Grandpa Logan.

  The time passed by somehow until finally Father Mueller took his place in front to say a prayer and talk a bit about Ben. Annamarie began to cry again and even Daniel’s arm could not stop her tears this time. She didn’t remember anything that was said and before she knew it, people were standing to leave. Annamarie and Daniel walked up to Ben’s coffin for a final goodbye. She felt her knees buckle.

  Daniel caught her murmuring, “It’s time to leave.”

  She hated leaving Ben there alone. Her mind knew his soul was in heaven, but her heart wanted to stay with her friend. Grief is an extraordinarily strange state of mind. At that moment, Annamarie believed grief was a thin line somewhere between insanity and hell.

  When Daniel and Annamarie walked to the back of the church, she noticed the sheriff was gone, and mentioned it to Daniel. Daniel was sure he would be waiting outside. He was right. They barely made it down the stairs when the sheriff approached them, and said Daniel needed to accompany him to his office.

  Annamarie’s new found courage kicked in, and she told the sheriff if Daniel was going, then she was, too. The sheriff tried to convince her she couldn’t go when s
he poured all her grief out onto him.

  “We have just been through the worst experience of our lives, and it’s not over. There’s no way you’re going to hassle my husband when he’s in this state of mind. If you pursue the idea he has to go with you, I’m going to scream loud enough to attract both George and Mr. Townsend. You still won’t get Daniel into your office, but you’ll end up with a major headache,” she glared at him.

  Both the sheriff and Daniel stared at her, as if she was some sort of alien life form.

  Relenting, the sheriff said, “Okay, Daniel can come to the office after the funeral tomorrow.”

  Daniel thanked him and said he would be there.

  Whispering to her, “I think I married a tiger,” he took her hand.

  ***

  Morning brought more anxiety than the previous night. Daniel and Annamarie knew what they had to face, and neither were ready. Dressing in silence, they left earlier than needed. They wanted to be there for the Hansons. Mr. Hanson came up to them as soon as they entered the church.

  “Daniel, I wanted to ask you last night, but I forgot,” began Mr. Hanson. “Would you be one of Ben’s pallbearers?”

  “Of course, I’d be honored. Ben was my best friend.”

  Mr. Hanson gave Daniel a big hug. Annamarie had never seen him hug anyone, even Mrs. Hanson, but then she had never seen him cry before either.

  He continued, “I’ll be one of the pallbearers along with two of Ben’s cousins, Steve Dunley and Tim from the dairy.”

  With that settled, Daniel and Mr. Hanson went to sit in the front pew reserved for the pallbearers. Annamarie was proud Daniel could be there for the Hansons, even though she was anxious sitting alone. Suddenly Grandpa Logan was at her side, and she saw her parents. They walked up to her and Annamarie was surrounded by family and friends that attended the night before.

  She wanted to be alone hiding in the back, but her dad took her hand, and she knew she’d be okay. After all, she’d been to Mass more times than she could remember, but she wasn’t ready for the eulogies and music.

  Father Mueller spoke about when Ben was an altar boy and how he brightened everyone’s day. Two of Ben’s relatives from out of town related stories from his childhood. Their high school principal read the “Twenty-Third Psalm.” The choir sang a hymn in Latin she didn’t know, and then the service closed with a blessing from Father Mueller. The choir began to sing “Amazing Grace” when Ben’s casket was carried from the church.

  That song made her cry when she was happy and it was more than she could handle. She began to sob. Her mom and dad sat with her for a few minutes, giving her a chance to compose herself before they left for the cemetery. When they walked out there weren’t many people left, and that’s when she saw Bulk and his brother in the last pew. She wondered if Daniel had seen him.

  When she drew close, Bulk pulled away from his brother. He approached her, hugged her tight, and whispered, “Annamarie, tell Daniel and Garret they have to help me get away. Dr. Norse had me committed to the psychiatric ward in Oaklin. They just released me to my brother. Please Annamarie tell Daniel that I can’t take anymore.”

  He let her go and she smiled encouragingly, telling him to take care of himself. She knew Bulk’s plight would add to Daniel’s stress. She took a few moments in the church vestibule to wonder about Bulk’s emotional plea. She couldn’t think about it now. She had to bury a friend.

  Annamarie hurried to catch up with her parents, and her mom asked what “that boy” wanted with her. She told her that he was sad about Ben and needed to connect with someone. That seemed to satisfy her. They decided to walk to the cemetery. Daniel had left in a car to travel less than a block behind the hearse to Ben’s final resting place. Ben had loved the woods, and his parents chose a plot close to the trees. It was a short walk through the parking lot, past the Lutheran church, and through a small stand of oak trees. The path was well worn, and Annamarie wondered how many broken hearts had walked the path. They emerged approximately twenty feet from where everyone was gathered.

  Father Mueller blessed the ground and Ben’s casket with holy water, and they all recited the Lord’s Prayer. It had been Ben’s favorite. Father Mueller announced the church’s ladies auxiliary had prepared a lunch that would be served in the church basement hall. No one stayed for the burial, choosing to walk slowly back to the church.

  Annamarie didn’t understand why people ate lunch after a funeral, but sitting with others who knew Ben and talking about him helped her relax. It also reminded her that she’d barely eaten in days and was hungry.

  Annamarie truly enjoyed the food although her heart was breaking. It was an odd mix of emotion, and she noticed many people who must be feeling the same way.

  After lunch, she remembered their promise to the sheriff. She whispered to Daniel that he should tell his father because this was going to get nasty. She also told him what Bulk had said to her in the church. Daniel shook his head knowing he couldn’t help Bulk and worried what Bulk might say. He walked over to talk to his father.

  Returning, Daniel said, “Take the car home. My father is going with me and will drive me home. Mr. Townsend is also accompanying us.”

  Annamarie felt relieved Daniel wouldn’t be alone.

  That relief was short lived when Daniel whispered, “I have to go now and once I leave the church, I know the spirits will be waiting. Annamarie I believe I’m truly cursed.”

  Chapter Twelve: Garret and Bulk

  Driving to the sheriff’s office, George advised Daniel, “Don’t say a word unless Mr. Townsend agrees to it first. I’m not sure what the sheriff’s up to. I don’t know what you know or may have done, but I’m not going to let the sheriff drag you into some unnecessary criminal investigation.”

  “Okay. I don’t have anything to hide. I truly don’t know what happened that night.”

  He wasn’t concentrating on his father’s words. Instead, he was rehashing last night’s conversation with Garret. One wrong word guaranteed the sheriff would know there was more going on, and Daniel had some of the information.

  “Let’s go, boy,” George said when he parked the car.

  George’s icy remark was the last thing Daniel needed. He longed for understanding and some reassurance he wasn’t going to be blamed for Ben’s death. The last place he should be was the sheriff’s office.

  ***

  The sheriff was aware of that. He thought it was the best time to get information out of Daniel. Hoping grief would cloud Daniel’s mind, he wasn’t pleased to see Daniel and George walk in with Mr. Townsend, although he should have expected it.

  With George and Townsend here, the interview would be more difficult. Damn, he swore silently.

  The sheriff said, “Come into my office gentlemen and sit down,” motioning toward his office door.

  Before they could be seated, Mr. Townsend made it clear they were there to help the sheriff, although they had no additional information about Ben’s death.

  Sheriff Richardson wasn’t only interested in Ben’s death, but where Garret might be hiding. Unable to locate him anywhere, he was sure Daniel knew more than he was admitting. Opening with the same routine questions Daniel had answered twice before, Mr. Townsend’s nerves were beginning to fray.

  “If this is all you have, I’m going to advise my client to refuse to answer. We’re leaving.” Mr. Townsend stood.

  “Not so fast, Townsend,” the sheriff shot back. “I have questions for Daniel on a different subject.”

  Daniel knew the sheriff was going to ask him about Garret’s and Bulk’s whereabouts.

  “I’m sure Daniel knows where Garret is. It would be in his best interest to share that information with me.”

  “I don’t know where he is.”

  “You, Garret, and Bulk had something to do with Ben’s death. Make no mistake, I’ll find out what it is.”

  “But I didn’t.” Daniel leaped from his chair shoving it all the way to the wall.

 
“Sit down, Logan before I put you in a cell.”

  “Don’t treat my son that way. Townsend do something now,” George yelled.

  “Gentlemen, please,” Mr. Townsend said in vain, trying to quiet the room.

  “I’ll have your job, Richardson. And you know what you can do with your idea of putting my son in a cell,” George said.

  “Daniel is going to be a guest in my cell until he talks,” the sheriff replied, “It’s a damn shame he’s not telling the truth. He knows more than he’s willing to share.”

  “You can’t do that to me,” pleaded Daniel.

  “Shut up, Daniel. Townsend do what I pay you for,” George hit the desk with his fist.

  The interview had become chaotic.

  Mr. Townsend repeated his efforts to calm everyone down. When both men were seated, George told the sheriff his idea about Daniel and the boys was wrong. Mr. Townsend did his best to divert George, but once George got started there was no stopping him.

  “I’ve no idea why you think these boys would have anything to do with hurting Ben in the first place. They certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to burn down the cabin to destroy his body.”

  “Why not?” asked the sheriff.

  “Because all of them know about oak,” and before George could continue, the sheriff ordered him, none too politely, to “put a lid on it.”

  The sheriff’s mind was off in a new direction.

  “This question is for Daniel only,” he began. “Tell me what you know about oak?”

  Daniel thought it was the dumbest of all the sheriff’s questions, but began to answer.

  “I’m not sure what you want to know, but as a scout, we learned all about Joshua Timmus and his love for the oak trees because they were not only beautiful, but strong and would last for centuries.”

  “Anything else?” inquired the sheriff.

  “Well, their timber is pretty sturdy so the original buildings that were built would withstand time, which they have. Most of them are still here. Joshua Timmus thought oak would be safe for buildings because it’s slow to burn. That was important back before Timmus Woods had a fire department. Want to know anything else?”