Sisterhood Of Lake Alice

by Mari M. Osmon

  People came from Dalton, Detroit Lakes, and Fargo. Great reviews were written from as far away as Minneapolis. Grace’s family came to every performance, cheering her on. Her father often sat there with tears in his eyes, while her mother smiled brightly. As an added surprise, Grace realized that she had feelings for Roy. They began to date, spending hours talking about their dreams for the future.

  *

  When the play ended, the group immediately started planning for the spring musical production of the roaring ’20s play called Flapper. There were parts for all ages. Grace put an article in the Daily Journal for auditions. More than a hundred people of assorted ages from as young as six to as old as eighty tried out for the various parts. The play called for thirty-two actors. Those who were not chosen eagerly signed up for the production crew. Sets were created and clothes collected from those that still had their old raccoon coats, ukuleles, and flapper dresses.

  Grace took a smaller part this time. Once again, the play was a huge success. This time people came from as far away as Alexandria and Breckenridge. The Fergus Falls Theater Group was now in great demand. They came together every Tuesday evening. When they were not rehearsing for a play, they practiced their singing, dancing, and acting skills.

  This lighthearted group truly enjoyed their time together. Grace and Roy became a couple, with dates on Saturday evenings. They both knew that they would always be good friends. When Roy left to go to Mankato State College the next year, once again Grace cried and felt abandoned. However, she had so much to be grateful for this time. She loved her job at Claire’s, liked taking some classes at the junior college, and never missed a Tuesday night with the theater group.

  *

  The two years of junior college passed by quickly. Each summer, she spent some time with Lindy and Rebecca when they came home. It became more obvious that they were changing and growing in different directions. The close bonds of high school were disappearing. They never heard from Emily. After many discussions, they all decided that Emily had replaced them with new friends in Madison and no longer cared about them.

  When Grace graduated with a two-year degree in business, she knew she had to face the decision about what to do next. She had been saving her money and now had enough to go away to school. She applied and was accepted at Mankato State, St. Catherine’s College in Minneapolis, and Duluth State College. All of them had strong programs in business and a drama department. Grace had all the college information spread out on the dining room table one evening, when her sister Faith came running into the room. She gathered the family together around the table for important news. She had just become engaged to her high school sweetheart, Rodney. Everyone hugged and congratulated her.

  Faith immediately started making plans for a June wedding. She wanted a large wedding with all the fancy fixings. Anna and Paul sat silently listening to all of her plans, knowing there was no money that would allow her dream wedding to come true. It seemed to be a simple decision for Grace. She offered to loan Faith her college money for her wedding. Therefore, Faith had the wedding of her dreams and Grace remained at home.

  *

  The same thing happened when Hope needed money for her wedding. It seemed that every time one loan was repaid, there was another O’Malley in need. Grace was always happy to help. She often thought that perhaps this was a sign from God that she needed to stay in Fergus Falls. Much to her surprise, she did not mind. She had found friends, purpose, and a good life in Fergus Falls. After awhile, she could not think of anywhere else she would rather be. Most days, as she curled up in the special quilt from Isabel, she felt content and at peace.

  Chapter Eight

  Lindy

  Lindy graduated with top honors from high school. She worked hard all summer helping her parents and training her replacement at the dry cleaners. She went on shopping trips with her mother, but in the end, Mom made most of Lindy’s college wardrobe. It seemed that every one of her outfits had something that either sparkled or glittered.

  The last week of August, she left for Mankato. In a borrowed pickup truck, Papa, Mama, and Lindy squeezed into the front seat, with the back loaded with all of Lindy’s possessions. Mankato State College was a small campus with less than two thousand students. It was growing in popularity each year and was in a constant state of expansion. The two steep hills in town were located on campus. The campus buildings were divided into the lower campus at the bottom of the hill, which was close to downtown. Most of these buildings were older buildings with lots of character. The upper campus sat at the top of the hill with the newer buildings. Lindy loved the feel of the old buildings. She was happy when she found out that more than half of her classes would be held in the lower campus.

  As the family toured the campus, her parents could not hide their pride. Lindy would be the first person on both sides of her family to go to college. They were optimistic for her. Just before her parents left to return to Fergus Falls, they took Lindy out for dinner. Her dad handed her an envelope with ten $10 bills. Lindy hugged them both, knowing how hard they had worked for that money. She promised to make them proud of her. She already had a part-time job at a local restaurant as a waitress. She was excited about her new life and all the adventures that were ahead.

  *

  When Lindy arrived on campus, she quickly discovered that she seemed to stand out wherever she went. At a size 22, she towered over all of the petite girls who ran around campus in their miniskirts. Her dark, thick, black hair added several more inches to her height. Her wild, colorful clothes and makeup caused many to turn their heads. Lindy decided to just be herself. There would be no changing into a preppy college coed for her. Her style was her statement, and she wore it with flair and no apologies.

  Shortly after her parents left, her new roommate arrived. It turned out that her roommate, Catherine, was the worst possible match. Lindy was full of energy, while Catherine was quiet and loved to sleep. Lindy was a night owl, while Catherine was up at dawn. Lindy hated exercise of any type, while Catherine worked out daily. They never really quarreled; they just ignored each other. When forced to, they would tolerate each other’s presence. Lindy just figured that it was yet another of life’s little jokes. Catherine, on the other hand, did not find any of the situation amusing.

  *

  Lindy had known for years that she wanted to be a nurse. She felt her talent for brightening up any place she went would be very useful as a nurse. She was especially fond of the elderly. All of her special times with her grandma had made her very comfortable in relating to them. For some strange reason, the older folks accepted her bigger-than-life style more than people of her own age, who thought she was just plain weird. On the outside, Lindy looked brave, bold, and ready to take on the world. Inside, she was often hurt and carried much insecurity. Instead of an active social life, Lindy studied hard, taking twenty credits each semester. Her goal was to graduate in three years.

  In addition to a heavy class schedule, Lindy worked long hours at a restaurant and bar called Molly’s. It was the kind of place where all the college kids loved to hang out. Every Thursday evening, the bar offered beers for $1 and sponsored a talent show. The winner received dinner for two and a cheap plastic trophy. Lindy sang almost every week in the talent show; she also won almost every week. The crowd grew to love her big bold country-western style.

  After six months, Molly offered Lindy a job singing on the weekends. The standing-room-only crowds would cheer her on as she sang her heart out every Friday and Saturday night. Lindy had never been happier. She knew she was going to love being a nurse. However, she loved singing on her little stage at Molly’s in her homemade fancy western outfits. It was a place where everyone accepted her just as she was. For those few hours each week, Lindy forgot all her insecurities.

  *

  By the end of her first year, she was making enough money that she could aff
ord to stay on for summer school. Just before school started in September, she found a furnished one-room apartment where she no longer had to worry about roommates. Lindy had only been home for one week during the summer. Although her parents missed her, they understood that Lindy needed to get on with life.

  Her parents came to visit her over Labor Day weekend. They were anxious to see her little apartment and go to Molly's. They were overwhelmed with pride as they listened to Lindy singing. They were truly touched when they experienced firsthand how much everyone adored their little Lindy. They watched her light up the tiny stage. She made the room come alive with the special way she moved with each of the songs. By the time they left, they knew that Lindy was going to become a star and probably would never come back to Fergus Falls.

  *

  Just as she had planned, Lindy graduated from nursing school in three years with honors. She immediately had several excellent job offers. The most exciting one was at the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She was getting ready to accept the offer when a friend from Molly's called her with an interesting idea.

  Carol Ignace had become a close friend of Lindy’s during college. She was the one person that Lindy knew she could go to whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on or an opinion on anything. Carol was the exact opposite of Lindy. Where Lindy was bold, brave, and full of energy, Carol was quiet, thoughtful, and conservative. The two of them quickly discovered that they balanced each other very nicely. They laughed, cried, and celebrated on a regular basis.

  Carol was also graduating and had accepted an internship with a large brokerage firm on Wall Street in New York City. She was shocked by the salary she had been offered working as an actuary. Carol and Lindy had many conversations about how different their everyday life was going to be once college was behind them. Carol was extremely nervous about moving to New York. Being born and raised in Minneapolis, New York still seemed huge and far too cosmopolitan for a girl from Minnesota. Finally, she worked up her courage to ask Lindy if she wanted to move with her. At first, Lindy was going to refuse because the Mayo Clinic was a wonderful opportunity. Then she started to think about the magic of New York City. The Broadway shows, the energy, the excitement would be within her daily reach.

  Within ten minutes, Lindy went from a safe bet at the Mayo Clinic to an exciting new adventure in New York City. Look out, world—Lindy is on her way!

  Chapter Nine

  Rebecca

  When Rebecca’s father, Tim, returned home to Minneapolis, he immediately arranged for three very profitable apartment buildings in Fergus Falls, which he owned, to be transferred to Miss Rebecca DuPree. All rental income from that date on was to be deposited into an account at Lincoln Bank in Fergus Falls. He instructed his attorney to notify her in writing, with an additional note stating that neither Rebecca nor Monica were to attempt to have any contact with him. He promised himself that his family would never know about the graceful young woman that he watched crossing the stage at graduation.

  Tim had convinced himself that doing this would remove the guilt that stained his soul. It did not. His wife saw a changed man when he returned from his mother’s funeral. She assumed that the death had somehow been more traumatic than he had acknowledged. Whatever had happened, Tim had a deep, empty look in his eyes that she had never seen before.

  *

  Rebecca’s mother received the certified letter from Tim’s attorney. For several weeks, she thought about how she was going to tell Rebecca that her father thought money was a substitute for a relationship with his daughter. She almost felt sorry for him. He had missed knowing a truly exceptional young woman.

  Ever since graduation, Monica was haunted by the look on Tim’s face. His expensive clothes could not mask the empty man who wore them. In July, Monica was shocked when she received the first bank statement from Lincoln Bank showing deposits of more than $5,000. Monica would tell Rebecca that weekend. She decided to get the weekly wash going before starting the emotional conversation.

  As Monica was carrying the clothes into the basement, she was daydreaming about the money when she lost her balance. She fell down the flight of stairs, landing on the hard, concrete basement floor. She cried for help for almost an hour before Ruby heard her. By the time the ambulance arrived, Monica knew that she had broken both her left leg and arm.

  *

  Rebecca received the call at Emily’s house, where she had spent the night. Grandma Ruby was so excited that she had been difficult to understand. Rebecca had no idea what to expect as she rushed to the hospital. She found her mother being prepared for surgery to set both her arm and leg. As she was being wheeled into surgery, Monica looked at the two people she loved most in this world and simply asked them to pray for her.

  The following day, Rebecca came to visit Monica with fresh-cut roses from their garden. Monica smiled as she told Rebecca that she needed to share some news with her. She told Rebecca about the transfer of the properties and the joint account that now held $5,000, with more to come each month.

  Rebecca was startled by the news. She had worried for a long time about the financial burden for college, which was placed solely on her mother’s shoulders. Even with a full scholarship, there were still many extra expenses. Now with her mother out of work, the news seemed to be a small miracle for them. Instead of being hurt by her father thinking money made up for his absence, she was convinced that this was a gift from God to help them. She took it as a sign to do well at college and to be assured that her mother and grandmother would be okay financially.

  Monica simply hugged her positive-thinking daughter and once again said a prayer of thanks to God for her wonderful gift named Rebecca.

  *

  By the end of August, Monica was beginning to heal. She still wore her arm in a sling and a cast on her leg. However, she was now able to move around their little house with ease. Grandma Ruby had taken over some of the household chores, which she seemed to enjoy more these days. It looked as though everyone was going to survive.

  After much discussion, the decision was made to take a small amount of the money out of the bank each month for daily living expenses for Monica and Ruby. They traded in their old car, which broke down on a regular basis, for a newer model. Rebecca would receive a monthly allowance so she would not have to work during school. Monica decided to go from full-time to part-time at her job, which would give her more time to spend with Ruby. She also hoped to do some volunteer work at the hospital.

  Because they were fearful of driving in the big city, Rebecca boarded the Greyhound bus to Minneapolis. She was confident that all would be well at home. She was ready to begin her new life at college.

  *

  Rebecca arrived at St. Catherine’s in the heart of Minneapolis. For the first time in her life, she was in a big city alone. Her clothes, books, and dorm room things had been shipped in advance. St. Catherine’s campus was a women’s college with beautiful, old, red brick buildings that had ivy growing up the walls. There were hundreds of graceful elm and oak trees scattered throughout the small campus. Once you entered the campus gates and found your way to the center of the campus, you would never know that you were in the middle of the city. As she walked into her dorm for the first time, she was overwhelmed with thoughts of what lay ahead for her.

  Rebecca’s roommate, Katie, was already settled in and unpacked. As Rebecca unpacked her belongings, Katie sat on her bed and told her all about herself. She was from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and had six brothers and three sisters. She had received a full academic scholarship and was planning to teach biology. Katie laughed as she told her that she was grateful Rebecca had not arrived yesterday as the entire family had driven in three cars to make sure that Katie was settled in and comfortable. Her twin brother named Kevin was also on full scholarship at their all-male brother school, St. Thomas, just a few miles away. She had already made plans for
Kevin to introduce her to some boys from his dorm.

  Rebecca listened as Katie seemed to talk for hours without taking a break. At first, she felt intimidated by her bubbly personality. However, by dinnertime, she realized that Katie would become a friend and perhaps force her to get out of her self-conscious shell. She also discovered that Katie loved to sing.

  *

  Life quickly settled in for Rebecca. She found each class she took to be challenging and exciting. She saw a notice for auditions for the St. Catherine’s international choral group. Both Katie and Rebecca were accepted on the first round of tryouts. Her days were filled with music and studies.

  Within a few weeks, both girls had gotten into a comfortable routine of classes and studying hard. Every Saturday evening, they met Katie’s brother Kevin and some of his friends. It was normally just an evening of pizza and laughs.

  By Christmas break, Rebecca realized that she had changed. Both her mom and Grandma Ruby commented on her new self-confident personality. Rebecca carried herself with pride. She laughed more, talked more, and in general, looked happier.

  By spring, both Rebecca and Katie had received invitations to go to Europe during the summer for a concert tour. Katie worked extra hours at the dorm cafeteria to raise the money, while Rebecca knew she would be able to tap into her newfound money. The tour to Germany and Austria was a huge success; the choir received rave reviews. Rebecca’s name was mentioned in almost all of them.