*
Two weeks later, Grace stopped over at the high school to apologize to Mrs. Klein for neglecting her duties in organizing the twentieth reunion. She was shocked to learn that more than 70 percent of her old classmates had already mailed their reservations in to her. As Grace looked down the list of those who had registered, she found the names of Lindy, Rebecca, and to her surprise, Emily. Grace took this as a sign of good times to come. The reunion was going to be a time to remember. She was anxious to share this time with her childhood friends.
Fergus Falls in the fall was the perfect place to renew their friendships. As Grace walked home that night, she thought to herself, “Life is good.” Then she started singing “Singing in the Rain.”
Chapter Fifteen
Coming Home
When the big red, white, and blue giant RV pulled up in front of Loretta and Lenny’s condominium building, it created quite a scene. A special paint job made it look like a forty-foot flag on each side. Lindy went to escort her mom and dad to their new home on wheels for the few weeks. Lindy led Sammy and Nani, the Pulaskis’ two dogs, to the RV while their driver helped Lenny carry their luggage. Loretta began giving all of her friends the tour of the RV. Lenny quickly began interrogating the driver. The RV was stocked with all their favorite foods, two doggie beds, and all of Loretta’s favorite magazines. As they pulled away from the driveway, the small crowd stood waving good-bye as Loretta hung her head out the window, blowing them all kisses. It was quite a send-off.
Their route would take them to Atlanta and then on to Nashville, where Lindy would surprise them with front-row seats at the Grand Ole Opry and a special backstage party. The next stop was St. Louis for a few days. Then they would go to visit Milwaukee and see Lake Michigan. From there, they would spend some time in Minneapolis.
They planned to arrive in Fergus Falls a few days before the reunion, so that they could visit with the new owners of Fresh Daisy Dry Cleaners and Laundry and visit Grandma Flo’s grave. Both Lenny Jr. and Lana were planning to surprise their parents in Fergus Falls for a family reunion. Lenny was a mechanic in Fargo, married to Marion, and had three boys—Larry, Leon, and Luke. Lana owned a tiny beauty shop called Curl Up & Dye in Alexandria, Minnesota. She was recently divorced, and she was bringing her twins, Lucy and Lucky, who had just turned nine. It was always interesting to see Lana with her latest style and hair color.
The trip went better than even Lindy could have imagined. Their days were filled with fun new adventures. All of them fell in love with the RV, now named Old Glory. Their driver, Sally, was immediately adopted into their family. Sally was sixty years old and had been a long-haul truck driver for many years. She thought driving the luxury RV was a real cakewalk. She was the perfect match for this family—loud and a real character. As they rolled down the highways, they sang songs and laughed. They listened as Sally would tell them about what they were about to see. She had studied all the places they were going to stop and see. She often filled in with spicy stories about her time on the road in a man’s world. Old Glory arrived in Fergus Falls three days before the reunion. As the RV pulled into the Holiday Inn, Lenny, Lana, and all the grandchildren rushed out to greet them.
After screams of surprise and lots of hugs, they went inside for a special dinner that Lindy had arranged for them. During dinner, it seemed that everyone was talking at the same time. Lucky announced that when he was old enough to drive, he would take Old Glory out for a spin. At almost the exact same time, all the adults turned to him, saying, “No way!” Lana’s daughter, Lucy, had become a mini-Lana. She had bright red hair, looking like her namesake, Lucille Ball. Lana was now a platinum blonde with long, flowing curls. Sally commented that all the beautiful women at the table sparkled and glittered in their outfits. Everyone laughed, thinking back to their days at Fresh Daisy with Grandma Flo upstairs, who with great love was always cooking and sewing new outfits for them.
After dinner, they all piled into the RV and took a ride around Fergus Falls. They noticed that downtown was quieter than they remembered. They drove past the fancy new library and the high school with its large new addition. Grotto Lake had not changed at all. When they drove around Lake Alice, Lindy was shocked at the Larsons’ house. In the past, it had been the showcase of the town. Now it sat vacant, looking neglected and abandoned. Then they drove by the new junior college campus, which had once been a cornfield.
Their last stop was pulling into the parking lot of the Fresh Daisy Dry Cleaners and Laundry. A large banner hung on the front of the building, saying, “Under new ownership—open 24/7.” Their entire family sat quietly for a moment, remembering the good life that they had in this funny-looking, long and narrow white building. As they filed out of the RV, they walked quietly inside. The walls were now painted army green. The floor was the same one that Lenny had installed more than thirty-five years before; it looked worn out and dirty. Two rows of washing machines were in the middle of the room, with the dryers on the outside walls. Their beautiful, handmade wood counter had been replaced with a Formica counter behind a small area that was walled off for the dry cleaners. The place looked unkempt and shabby.
Within minutes, Loretta and Lenny turned and walked out of the building. All the rest of the family followed in silence. As soon as they were all back in the RV, Lenny cleared his throat and said, “Well, sometimes it is better to leave well enough alone. Our life in that building has nothing to do with what it is today. As for me, I don’t care to see it again. My memories are far too good to be spoiled by someone else’s business. Let’s get this buggy on the road and go get some ice cream.”
Everyone agreed, and minutes later, they were at the Dairy Queen enjoying some root-beer floats and once again, all talking at the same time. The Pulaskis were a colorful and delightful family anywhere they happened to be.
*
Rebecca’s last day of school at Holy Angels Academy had been bittersweet. She had decided that she did not want anyone at school to know about her diagnosis. So instead, she gave her reason for leaving that her mother needed her back in Fergus Falls. Everyone seemed to accept that without asking any further questions.
There had been a large going-away party with more than two hundred people. Her girls took turns singing her favorite songs and thanking her for her guidance. Rebecca’s fellow teachers and the nuns each spoke of their admiration for her. As she sat in the chair normally reserved for the bishop at graduation, she wiped away the steady flow of tears, while at the same time laughing at some of the stories being told. The nuns had also arranged a private dinner party for her, where they gave her a watch, with diamonds that surrounded the face made of mother-of-pearl, as a token of their love for her. By the end of the night, Rebecca was exhausted.
For two months, she made her final arrangements for the move back to Fergus Falls. At first she thought of surprising her mother, but then decided that would not be smart. Rebecca called Monica and asked her if it would be all right for her to move back home for a while. She did not tell her about the health issues; she simply said, “I felt it was time for a change, and Fergus Falls seemed like the right place for me to be.”
Monica was both surprised and excited to have Rebecca back with her. Her days were full with working at the nursing home. Nevertheless, her evenings remained lonely. She looked forward to sharing an evening meal with someone again. As a special surprise, Rebecca told her mother that she had arranged for a contractor to remodel the house. The back bedroom that had been hers was very tiny, as was the small bathroom. Rebecca knew that in time, she might be in a wheelchair and would need more space in both rooms. Therefore, she hired a builder to expand both rooms, making them handicapped accessible, as well as to put in a new kitchen and all new carpeting.
Rebecca asked Monica if there were any changes she wanted to make. After a slight pause, Monica told her that she had always dreamed of having the washer and dryer o
n the first floor. Rebecca quickly called Mr. Jensen and asked him to add that to the plans for the house. He advised Rebecca that the project would be started immediately, with a completion date set for October 1. Rebecca smiled as she thought the timing was just right. She would make it home in time for the reunion. Only this time, she was coming home for the last time.
Rebecca was shocked at how painful it was to give up her teaching career. She kept busy finalizing the arrangements to transfer some of the properties that she had received from her father to a private foundation. The balance of the properties would go to Monica. Rebecca sat each day sorting through all of her precious possessions. She had two china cabinets that displayed the many special things she had purchased during her European trips with the choirs and special gifts of gratitude that her girls had given her over the years. She had kept one large box of things that she could not bear to give away, so she decided she would take it home.
Finally, the last week of September, Mr. Jensen called to tell her that the remodeling was done. He also reported that Monica was very pleased with the new addition, including her new laundry room off the kitchen. She called the Women’s Resource Center in St. Paul to come pick up her furniture, except for her bedroom set and television, which were being shipped to Fergus Falls. Rebecca spent her last evening in Minneapolis at the downtown Hyatt.
As she went to sleep that night, her mind was filled with memories of the past. She was surprised at how peaceful she felt. Her life had been meaningful and full. What more could anyone ask for? She had mixed feelings about her move back to Fergus Falls. On the one hand, she looked forward to being with her mother again, enjoying their everyday simple life. On the other hand, she wished that she did not have to cause her mother the sorrow that she knew was going to be in the future. All she could do was to live each day the best that she knew how. As she slipped into sleep, her thoughts were all about the upcoming reunion. She looked forward to seeing her old girlfriends and hopefully finding something to laugh about for a few days.
*
Emily was sitting in absolute shock. For the first time in her memory, she was speechless. She was sitting in a board meeting at the Women’s Center. The state of Wisconsin had notified her that the budget committee had just voted to cut all of their support for the Women’s Center. The unnamed person on the other end of the call coldly informed her that it was time for the center to stand on its own. The financial support would end within sixty days. This announcement meant the center would be losing more than $150,000 of support. Emily was so shocked, she never asked a question or made a plea for the committee to reconsider. She knew enough about politics to know that her request would only be ignored. While she was receiving the bad news, her board of directors were making plans to expand the day care center and possibly looking to purchase a small apartment building to be used as a halfway house.
When Emily walked back into the meeting room, all conversation stopped. Everyone seated around the conference table looked at Emily with concern for her. Her face was pale, her hands were shaking, and she appeared to be distressed. As she sat down, she remained silent for a few uncomfortable moments. Finally, Marlene asked her what was wrong. Emily took a deep breath and proceeded to inform the group of her conversation. Everyone sat in stunned silence, contemplating what this meant for the future of the center. They agreed to adjourn and reconvene the following week. In the meantime, Emily was instructed to contact the state and get a detailed report from them. They all promised to think about what they would do if this were, indeed, true.
The following week, Emily confirmed that they had lost all of their state funding. She presented the board of directors with copies of the current budget. The evening was a painful process for everyone involved. They immediately discarded all plans for expansion and improvements to the existing buildings and programs. Even after all of that was removed from the budget, they were still well over $80,000 short of the needs to keep the programs alive. As they adjourned the meeting that evening, they again committed to thinking of new ways to raise the money needed.
The Women’s Center had served as a model for many other communities. Not only were the women and their families given refuge from violence, they received tools to reenter the world with new skills and some healthy self-esteem. Most important of all, they were given hope for a better tomorrow. From the shelter program, the day care center was born. It had the combined benefit of teaching women good parenting skills while providing safe day care. The day care center was available twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. For those who found a third-shift job or worked on holidays to receive double pay, this day care center was a blessing. The donut shop helped give jobs to people who otherwise would have been unemployed. The counseling services were key to everything the center stood for. There was not a single program that they could cut.
Emily lost sleep night after night trying to think of a solution to this crisis. At the time, her salary was $40,000. She sat at her kitchen table trying to figure out the minimum she needed to survive. It still would not be enough. It was while she was struggling with this dilemma that she remembered the letter from her parents’ attorney regarding the house in Fergus Falls. She finally knew in her heart that she had found the answer. Perhaps this was God’s way of telling her that it would all work out.
The following week when the board of directors met, Emily opened the meeting by announcing that she had found a solution. She told them about the house she had inherited in Fergus Falls located on Lake Alice. She continued by saying that she was cutting her salary, effective immediately, to $25,000. After their big fundraiser dinner and auction in September, she was going to take a two-month leave of absence. Ann Conrad, who was her assistant, would fill in for her during her absence. She would go back to Fergus Falls, fix up the house, and sell it. The profit from the house would be enough to keep the center going for at least a few more years.
The board sat in silence, pondering all that Emily had offered to sacrifice for the Women’s Center. Finally Pastor Paul spoke. “My dear Emily, we cannot allow you to donate your inheritance to the center. What if, after two years, we are still faced with the same issues? You will have lost your family’s home, and we still might have to close. No, we must find a permanent solution to this matter. I know a consultant who deals with these types of situations. He has offered to donate his services to us. Because he recently retired, he can start tomorrow to do an audit of all of our programs. He will make recommendations on what we need to do to keep the center going. I believe this is a much better solution.” The board of directors took a vote to approve hiring Gerald Willis to assist in deciding the future of the center.
Two days later, Mr. Willis appeared at Emily’s office door. He wore an expensive suit, a white starched shirt, and a silk tie. His expression was very stern. Within an hour, Mr. Willis took over one of the counseling offices and was hard at work. He handed Emily a list of all the information he would need. Emily assured him that he would have complete access into their computer system and to all data. Returning to her office, she closed her door—and then she allowed the tears to flow.
As she was entering his access information, she knew that this man would never understand the heart of the Women’s Center. She knew that he thought only in terms of dollars, spreadsheets, and bottom line. Emily was equally sure that he was the only person who might be able to save at least a portion of the programs that she had given most of her adult life to offer to those in need. Only someone without a heart could make the cuts that needed to be done. As much as she hated him for what he was about to do, she also respected him for having the courage to do this terrible task.
Her predictions were accurate. By mid-September, Mr. Willis asked to have the board of directors convene for a special meeting. Two days later, they gathered in their conference room. It was the first time that Emily had ever seen this devoted group of volunteers sit in comp
lete silence, waiting for Mr. Willis to enter. All of them knew that the news would be extremely painful.
Mr. Willis arrived with a neat binder for each attendee. He immediately got to the task of discussing the future of the Women’s Center. No one made a comment as he read his recommendations. They included selling the donut shop, as well as cutting the day care center staff in half and going to “normal” hours of operation from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM. The fees for the day care would be increased 30 percent, with penalties for anyone picking a child up late. The Women’s Center would let go three of their counselors and cut an additional 25 percent of their staff. No one would be allowed to stay in the center for longer than thirty days. Finally, he explained that all the residents of the center would be charged a daily fee based on their ability to pay.
Emily sat in stunned silence as she watched one program after another be ripped apart. It was obvious that Mr. Willis had no idea why the day care hours were important or that the residents, for the most part, had no ability to pay. She waited for others to start fighting for the programs; however, as she looked around the table, all she saw were people with their heads bowed down. She could not bear another moment of this insanity. She rose from her chair and for the next fifteen minutes proceeded to shoot down each of Mr. Willis’s recommendations. When she was done, she again noticed that no one in the room stood to support her.
Then it hit her. This was not a debate; this was a done deal. She tried to compose herself, taking a few deep breaths, but it did not work. In his low monotone voice, Mr. Willis simply replied to her by saying, “The reason I was called into this task is because I have no attachments to any of the programs. My recommendations are based on the best possible outcome for this agency. You can put your head in the sand, Miss Larson, and be noble about all the services you offer. On the other hand, you can be realistic and attempt to save at least some of the programs. At least under my options, there will be something left to offer. By ignoring the severity of the matter, there will be no services left in a year. Which do you prefer?”
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