By Tuesday morning breakfast, Rebecca had completed a schedule for the sisters’ visits to their men at their new residencies. She explained to Claudia and Gracelyn that these visits should occur at regular intervals and must be grandly orchestrated, in order for their community profile to be maintained.
“Claudia, you keep standing up in church service, and every time we go visit the men, make sure you make an announcement afterward to report on their progress. We’ll always travel in the Mercedes, because people notice that car. After awhile, when they see us driving off together, they’ll know we’re going to visit our sick. Gracelyn, you make sure Raphaela and Lucy always know when we’re about to take a trip to see the men, ‘cause they’ll talk it up.”
Rebecca’s sisters both understood that the desired image of the Cates women’s devotion to duty would be upheld.
The remainder of the week leading to the women’s Saturday departure was hectic. Gracelyn hustled through her usual cooking and light housekeeping chores, all the while maniacally pausing to jot down ideas for costuming and casting. Claudia was assigned the job of packing Bernard’s suitcase and sorting through the items of his clothing to be given away.
“No point cluttering up the closet longer than necessary,” Rebecca had said. “But don’t let Gracelyn know what you’re doing, sweetheart. She’ll be upset enough without dwelling on all of that. Hard for her to let go, even after everything he did to her. Love’s a wonder.”
“It is that,” Claudia agreed emphatically. “Gracelyn’s so excited about her play, I hope it will keep her mind off things.”
“I truly believe it will. But we’ll keep an eye on her just in case. You can cart some of those things over to Raphaela’s. I know she has the big boy over there who can probably fit some of that stuff. See you at the market.”
“Bye, Rebecca.”
The sisters’ activity was fueled by an understanding that they were about to take the first big step toward starting their lives over, and their energies remained high. They went through their motions as caretakers, but their hearts were in their burgeoning passions. As they anticipated more and more reemergence into lives as independent women, the Cates mansion took on new significance for them as their place of origin, a symbol of their status and the things they cherished most about their identity as Cates women.
Rebecca, when not with her orchids, directed the laborers who manned the grounds and did the indoor maintenance. She homed in on a problem with the dimmer lights for the hallway chandeliers and had one of the workmen totally remove the ornate fixtures to investigate the wiring. Claudia saw the three chandeliers lying dormant on the dining table and decided to clean the massive crystal lights with a solution of vinegar and water. This done, Rebecca oversaw the rehanging of the lights, and Claudia took on Mattie Cates’s pewter collection, polishing dozens of vases, bowls, and serving pieces brought up from the cellar. Gracelyn, engrossed in her children’s play, took evening hours to meticulously archive family photographs; she kept a notepad by her side to record spurts of creative thought. Periodically, she accosted her sisters with an idea about her Tubman play.
By Wednesday evening, tensions in the Cates household were high. The week of impending freedom had presented unexpected travails. Timothy’s newly introduced sedative caused him to be incontinent, which generated an immense amount of laundry. The odor emanating from his bedroom at one point threatened to overtake the entire second floor of the house. Gracelyn made two additional trips to Raphaela’s, enlisting Claudia to make the third. Rebecca repeatedly changed his bed linen. While Rebecca fought thoughts about Leighton, Jake’s memory confusion segued to a time during their marriage when he and Rebecca were companionable and happy. He rambled about the large house more than usual searching for her, looking at her dreamy-eyed, and calling her name out loudly and frantically when his sedative wore off.
The commotion continued the next day, and the sisters focused on Saturday as their day of salvation. When the various emergencies disrupted the women’s cleaning, polishing, and archiving of estate items, the emptied rooms each had the appearance of an elaborate still life. Rebecca kept a watchful eye on Gracelyn, and with both her sisters busy and close at hand, she was able to reinforce each’s role in her overall strategy, frequently mentioning their time frame and specific tasks. Rebecca could not curtail her fantasies about Leighton, but managed to talk offhandedly about men, arousal, and courtship. At dinner, after she outlined Saturday’s trip to Springfield one last time, she intentionally turned the conversation to what her sisters would perceive as a lighter theme.
“Now, Gracelyn, you know when Bernard leaves this world, don’t you sit around being lonely.”
“Oh, Rebecca, I can’t think about that now.”
“Didn’t ask you to. I’m thinking about it. You’re beautiful and intelligent. Any sane man would fall all over himself to be with you.”
“Do you think so, Rebecca?”
“Stranger things have happened.” Gracelyn smiled at Rebecca’s sarcasm. “And don’t you or Claudia worry about what our neighbors have to say. I’ll make sure everything appears in the right light. You take your time, but don’t be too long turning away suitors. When the right man comes along, I expect both of you to do exactly as your heart tells you. And if your heart’s not talking too loud, there’s nothing wrong with a tune-up from time to time.”
Gracelyn managed to laugh, while Claudia was faintly shocked.
“But Rebecca, I’ll still be married when Timothy goes in,” Claudia said delicately.
“Honey child, a woman has needs. We’ll get these menfolk situated, get rid of that pastor, and by the end of the year, Gracelyn will be a widow and you and I will be free agents.”
“You’re right.” Claudia, her usual way, totally acquiesced to Rebecca.
“And both of you, this time around, study your mule. You can’t dream some of these people up. We’ve all had awfully bad luck and we don’t want to go down the same road twice.”
“But Jake—” Gracelyn started to point out that Rebecca’s marital life was altered because of Jake’s accident.
“There’s things you don’t know and don’t need to know. The same goes for me. I don’t know everything about what went on with you and Bernard. I only know how Claudia suffered because she told me everything. And it was fine with me if she wanted to unburden herself. Not one of us has been a happy woman, I do know that. That’s all I’m looking at now for myself and I want the both of you to follow suit. And Claudia, you in particular need to get used to a man touching you in a tender way. Because any man who does a woman like Timothy did you from the start, that man needs to be horsewhipped. Lord, sometimes I wish we could hand all the rotten apples over to the white women. Lord help me for thinking that evil thought.”
VIII
REBECCA, UP EARLIER than dawn, met Claudia frantically scurrying down the third-floor hallway.
“Rebecca, did you hear?”
“I heard. I’m going up there and see if I can calm her down.”
“Shall I go with you?”
“Yes, please. But calm yourself down first.”
At Rebecca’s instruction, Claudia took several measured breaths, then followed her sister, already advancing swiftly up the stairs to the attic.
Rebecca pushed open Gracelyn’s door and walked over to her bed, where she sat upright, crying hysterically. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rebecca put both arms around her.
“Oh, Rebecca, he’s leaving me! What do I have now? I wanted us to be lovers again, even if he couldn’t touch me anymore. We don’t have a chance now. Why is God taking my life away?”
“Gracelyn. Gracelyn. I’m here. Claudia’s here. You’ll have a good life. This is a wall you can’t push against, but it will go away soon. It will go away on its own. Have I ever lied to you? You’ll be strong very soon. Just let go. Let go. Turn your mind to the things you can have, the things you can’t see now.”
“Rebecca, I’m
trying.” Gracelyn’s cries subsided as she leaned against Rebecca.
“He’ll be taken care of where he’s going. And when the cancer takes him, he’ll be in a better place. It’s out of your hands now, and you need to let it go. You’ve done what you could do. Now the Lord has another work for you.”
“Do you mean my play?”
“Yes, that’s one thing.”
“Just think how wonderful it’s going to be for all those children who never heard of Harriet Tubman,” Claudia said gently. “You never know what kind of seeds you’ll be planting.”
“That’s true, dear. Claudia’s right.”
Gracelyn sniffed back tears and nodded her head. “I want that so much. I’ve been so excited over doing it. It just seems like it shouldn’t make me so happy right now. I feel like I should be thinking more about Bernard.”
Rebecca, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped Gracelyn’s wet face.
“Of course you’re thinking about him. He’s been your husband for a long time. But you can still have your joy. It’s the Lord’s will for you to turn Bernard over to Him. That’s the power he needs now. Your power is for other things.”
“Joy always comes in the morning, Gracelyn,” Claudia said brightly.
“I love that song,” Gracelyn replied thickly. “Can you put that record on for me, Rebecca?”
“I sure can. I know right where it is.” Rebecca paused for a moment, still holding Gracelyn, then turned to Claudia. “We better get our day started.”
“It won’t take me long to get dressed, and I’ll go ahead and put breakfast on so Gracleyn can take her time.”
“Thanks, dear. Gracelyn, I’ll put that record on soon as I go downstairs, and I’ll see about Bernard. Don’t you worry about anything except getting yourself together.”
“All right. I’ll be downstairs soon. I don’t want to be by myself too long.”
The Cates women ate breakfast in relative silence. Claudia, noting Rebecca’s expression, did not find extraneous things to chat about. She announced, “I picked up these apricots yesterday. They’re early, but they should be sweet enough. If not, I can squeeze some more juice.” When the other two did not respond, she let the matter drop. Though nervous, she understood the best thing was to let Rebecca manage the day’s ordeal. Gracelyn had been distraught, and only Rebecca could bring the situation back to normal.
Rebecca herself spoke then. “They look fine to me,” she said calmly, slicing one and arranging the pieces on top of Gracelyn’s bowl of oatmeal. “Gracelyn, you get down as much of that as you can.”
“Yes, I will.”
“You finish that up, then go and sit out back until the paramedics come. I want you to see how well that side garden is doing. All the sedum came back strong this year. The azalea blooms are about to go, but with the sun getting stronger, the caladium will make up for the color; their leaves are looking pinkish already. And you should see those begonias. Such pretty girls. You head on outside and think about all those flowers coming and going every spring, about how everything comes and everything goes. It’s all beautiful, honey child. Even when we’re losing something, we’re gaining something.”
“Yes, Rebecca,” Gracelyn said weakly. “Can you play that joy song again?”
“Certainly.” Rebecca moved quickly from the dining table to the library and restarted the cassette tape. Coming back in to finish her coffee, she watched over Gracelyn’s progress with her oatmeal, and after she had eaten, led her by hand to the backyard. Pulling a handkerchief from her skirt pocket, she wiped the dew from a wrought-iron garden chair and motioned for Gracelyn to sit in it. “We’ll be leaving in an hour or so. You just sit still till then and keep your mind peaceful. It’s out of your hands what happens to Bernard, but only good things will happen to him now.”
Rebecca and Claudia awaited the medics in the front hallway, taking turns pulling aside the front door curtain panels to look for the ambulance. The car arrived noiselessly, without lights flashing, and backed up the long driveway, stopping just abreast of the porch.
“Claudia, open up for them. Maybe move that urn out of the way. I’ll bring Gracelyn inside.”
Claudia, instantly obeying, dragged a large urn holding several umbrellas out of the front hall and into the library. She opened the heavy door and placed the doorstop in position. Stepping out into the sunlight, she called to the two men, wearing white uniforms and caps, unloading equipment from the back of the vehicle.
“Door’s open. We’re waiting inside.”
The taller of the two looked Claudia’s way and, with both his hands occupied, nodded his head vigorously to acknowledge her instruction.
“Won’t take us long to finish this up,” he called back.
Rebecca led Gracelyn, an arm around her waist, through the kitchen and into the dining room. “We can wait here for the men to bring Bernard downstairs, honey,” Rebecca told her.
“I want to go upstairs and say good-bye,” Gracelyn said brokenly.
“Well then, let’s go on up.”
Maintaining their embrace, Rebecca and Gracelyn climbed the broad front stairs to the second floor and entered Bernard’s room. Gracelyn walked over to the bed where Bernard lay sleeping. Bending over, she kissed him lightly on the forehead. His eyelids fluttered briefly, but closed again.
“Maybe this is one of those times he’ll sleep through the day,” Gracelyn said, glancing back at Rebecca.
“Probably will, dear. That would be best. You know the Lord has a blessing for us every moment.”
“Yes, Rebecca, I know.” Gracelyn remained silent for a few moments, then, hearing footsteps on the stairs said softly, “Good-bye, love.”
The medics, working efficiently, placed Bernard, still attached to his IV, on a stretcher and expertly descended the two flights of broad, high stairs. The Cates women watched as they loaded Bernard’s lifeless form into the back of the ambulance.
“We’d better load up ourselves,” Rebecca said, and the sisters began gathering their purses and travel paraphernalia. Seated in the Mercedes, they followed the ambulance down the driveway and progressed up the street. They drove through Peoria’s main thoroughfare to the notice of several passersby. It entered Rebecca’s thoughts that before long, they would follow the same route in a funeral procession. She looked over frequently at Gracelyn, who was pensive but seemed all right. Once on the highway, she reached over to hold her hand. Claudia kept up intermittent chatter from the backseat. One hour after leaving home, the Cates women pulled up to the stately redbrick building.
The hospice staff was courtly and professional. Gracelyn signed off on forms already completed; then she and her sisters were invited by a nurse to go look at Bernard’s room. The nurse waited with them until the paramedics brought in their new patient, transferring him from the stretcher to the bed. The hospice staff left and the family of women looked down at the anguished body. Rebecca, placing an arm around Gracelyn, said quietly, “We should go and let Bernard rest.”
Riding back to Peoria, Rebecca and Claudia alternately kept an eye on their younger sister, watching for signs of distress. But her beautiful face was serene, and halfway through their return trip, she began to talk about the Tubman play.
“Raphaela is sending over all five of her children,” she began tentatively. “I guess I need to decide what to do with that blind boy.”
“What blind boy?” Claudia wanted to know.
“Her big boy, Herbert, is blind in one eye. Raphaela told me he reads well with the other eye, but he loses his glasses all the time. She can’t afford to keep buying them. He’s awfully good-natured.”
“Oh, I’ve seen that fellow. He’s sweet as pie. We could get him some glasses, couldn’t we?”
“Sure could,” Rebecca replied. “What about that, Gracelyn?”
“That would solve the problem. Especially if we got him a spare pair.”
The three women were in mutual agreement.
• • •<
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The play rehearsal brought out thirty children to the church’s basement auditorium, some of whose families did not normally attend Peoria First Baptist. Raphaela and Lucy had done their work successfully as unofficial information disseminators. Herbert was there, and at fifteen, was one of the oldest children. Surprised at the turnout and forced to think quickly, Gracelyn told everyone to take a seat.
“I’m so glad you could all be here. The name of our play is Harriet Tubman’s Triumph. I need to learn all your names, but first, does anyone here know anything about Harriet Tubman?”
A skinny red-haired girl raised her hand.
“You, over there, give us your name, please.”
“I’m Renee Bartleson.” In an assured voice she recited, “Harriet Tubman was a freedom fighter who escaped slavery, then led other slaves to freedom.”
“Very good. Does anyone know when this activity took place?”
Renee immediately raised her hand.
“Yes, Renee.”
“In the 1800s.”
“Thank you again. Why don’t I describe the action of the play; then all of you can be thinking about parts you might play. Remember, every part, no matter how large or small, is very important.”
Gracelyn gave a brief description of the play, act by act, then began a discussion of the characters.
“Herbert is going to lead our chorus,” she told the entranced gathering, “and the chorus narrates the action of the play. Everything I just told you the members of the chorus will announce to our audience. We’re doing our play the way the Greeks did their theater thousands of years ago. We need eleven more people to be part of our chorus.”
Several excited children raised their hands. Gracelyn selected eleven. Then, taking Herbert by the arm, led them to one side of the auditorium. She arranged the group in three rows in order of height and instructed Lucy to hand out bound scripts to each child.
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