Bridges
Page 2
Could there be two in existence? Eve pondered as she gazed at the sparkler. Aunt Helen’s necklace had been custom designed just for her, to the specifications of an adoring husband. But, there it was or her name wasn’t Evelyn Gladwell! As the evening progressed with courses of delectable food, laughter and chit-chat, Eve knew she must find a way to engage Miss Hemings in a conversation that would lead to the beautiful necklace and how it had been acquired. Perhaps she would see her in the powder room after dinner.
As the ladies politely excused themselves and made a mass exit to the LLA, Ladies Lounge Area, Eve fell into step behind the gaggle of talking women, while trying to keep an eye on Rochelle Hemings. At the paint and powder stage of the operation, Eve and Happy were positioned at the mirror and making repairs when Rochelle nestled herself right between them, lip stick in hand. Eve locked eyes with Rochelle in the mirror, flashing her a winning grin. Rochelle smiled back making some comment about the wonderful dinner they had just consumed and something about exploding. Eve and Happy gave each other a knowing glance. What’s not to love! Eve then took a long, slow breath and turned to the subject at hand. “I couldn’t help noticing,” Eve said, as she casually diddled with her hair, “your beautiful necklace, it has such an unusual mounting, where ever did you find something so unique?”
Rochelle gently caressed the stones at her throat with her fingertips and looked at Eve with appreciation for noticing their beauty and fine craftsmanship. Turning to face Eve, with a quizzical smile she said, “It’s actually a family piece.” “I received it on my 21st birthday from my parents.” “I am the fourth generation to enjoy wearing it”, and with that Rochelle turned, and waved to Eve and Happy as she made her exit from the lounge.
Eve, stunned by this news, held on to the dressing table for support. Happy, perplexed by Eve’s behavior, reached out for her friend’s arm and asked if she was alright. Eve made her way to the nearest chair in the lounge and motioned for her friend to sit beside her. During the next few minutes Eve explained to Happy her interest in the necklace and her own family history with the piece. “Do you really think it is the same one?” Happy asked, her voice filled with intrigue? It was an original, custom design, Eve reminded her. “I will simply need to know more about Miss Heming’s family to make a connection”.
Their first night at sea turned out to be an interesting one to say the least. Now back in their room, Eve and Happy had wandered out onto their balcony to take in the warm, sea breeze. Overhead hung a plethora of bright, twinkling stars in the midnight sky; again reminding Eve of the diamonds. Soon a discussion ensued about how to make contact with Miss Hemings and find out more about her family without seeming inquisitive to the point of embarrassment. How had a young woman from Wisconsin come to possess a lovely, antique pendant, loved by another in Florida so many years ago? Yes, this adventure to Bermuda had taken a new turn for Eve, but Happy was also drawn in by the mystery of it all and wondered if her penchant for crossword puzzles could help them connect the dots. They needed more information.
At the on-deck Café Royal, Eve and Happy munched on delectable, buttery, warm croissants and hot, Jamaican coffee for breakfast, while wondering what the day would bring. There were shops to explore, entertainments to see and later a dip in the pool would be grand. Eve looked around the classically designed café situated between enormous, potted palms that punctuated the room. It was truly exotic and luscious. She observed many other patrons enjoying their food and conversations. Eve smiled about the wonderful time she was having when she noticed a slender woman in a bright, red sundress moving toward a table situated along the back wall of the café. The woman pulled out a chair and turned to look at a man and woman already seated there; it was Rochelle Hemings.
Eve nudged Happy and with a directing nod of the head they both looked at Rochelle. “I wonder who she is sitting with?” asked Happy. Rochelle made a comment to her companions and lightly touched the man’s arm as she seated herself. All three laughed, smiling at one another. Eve explained to Happy that she mustn’t lose this opportunity to speak with Miss Hemings or she would need to contrive another chance meeting. Eve was determined to satisfy her curiosity about the necklace.
Eve motioned to Happy and off they went. When they approached the table at the back of the room, Rochelle looked up; noticing them she waved. Eve strode up to the table with her most engaging smile and bid Miss Hemings a chipper good morning. Rochelle gave a friendly response then turned to her companions and proceeded to explain that these two ladies had dined with her at the Captains table the night before and that she could only remember their first names; Eve for the mother of us all and Happy, that which we all wish to be. It was a little name game Rochelle played with herself to remind her of people’s names. Rochelle then introduced her table companions. “Eve, Happy, this is Irene and Harold Hemings, they are my parents”. “How delightful to meet you,” said Eve with enthusiasm. “I know you are so proud to have such a beautiful and charming daughter”; mother and father smiled in agreement. “Mom”, said Rochelle, “Eve was interested in our necklace,” “I wore it to dinner last night”. “Oh yes” said Irene, her warm, brown eyes expressing her fondness for the piece. Irene confirmed she had worn the pendant for years and now it was Rochelle’s turn to enjoy it. Eve commented again on the unique, antique design, setting the stones in a dazzling display to catch the eye. “And so they did,” Irene retorted, “but that’s a story for another day”. Eve’s eyebrows rose in amazement as she said; “Irene, I would love to talk more with you about this necklace”. “There is a reason I am so interested in it”. Irene, now intrigued said they all had arranged to meet for a swim on E deck at 4:00pm and if Eve and Happy hadn’t other plans, were welcome to join them for refreshments and they could talk more then. And so it was agreed, “Thank you for your invitation”, said Eve “we will see you at four”.
The pool area was a festive place, dotted with mini cabanas providing refreshment and shade where many had gathered. Others clustered about the pools edge on lounge chairs, like so many lizards out soaking up the tropical sun. The Heming’s were spotted by Eve, under a thatched roof at the leeward side of the deck already with drinks in hand; sunglasses positioned and snacks by their side. There was a Reggae band that tinked away in the background, adding to the joyful atmosphere.
Eve and Happy made their way to the Heming’s location where they exchanged friendly greetings and more chairs were pulled into the shade; and more drinks were ordered as they got settled. After the usual small talk about the beautiful weather and how the water was, the conversation moved on to the subject of their meeting. Eve began by saying, “Irene you indicated this morning that there was a story to be told about the necklace and it catching some ones eye”. “What did you mean by that?” “What I meant by that,” Irene said, “was that it had caught the eye of someone and they stole it”. “You are kidding” said Eve, “tell us what happened”.
Irene relaxed back in her chair, with elbows planted on its arms, she exercised her finger tips together in a spreading fan, her mode of concentration, while she recalled the details. “You see,” she went on; “I received the necklace from my mother when I graduated from Duke University in North Carolina during the late 60’s”. “While at school I met Harold”, she gave him a smiling glance, “we fell in love and after graduation we married”. Irene went on to explain that Harold was offered a job in Madison, Wisconsin with an engineering firm that made steel trusses used for large super structures like sky scrapers and bridges. We moved to Madison and rented an apartment. We had been there only six months when it happened. We had gone to a large public gathering, a fund raiser for a local charity that Harold’s company sponsored. I wore the necklace that night with a green, chiffon dress I purchased especially for the occasion. As the evening progressed, I received a few compliments on my necklace. During our many conversations with various people, questions like; what is your name? Where do you work?
And where do you live in the city, were freely discussed. That night was the last time I saw my necklace for the next three and a half years. Two days after the charity benefit, I came home in the late afternoon from a little part-time job I had, to discover the apartment had been robbed. Our TV, stereo, cameras and jewelry had all been stolen. We of course, called the police and made an inventory of what was missing. From time to time that first year we checked with the police, but to no avail. There had been a rash of break-ins, but no leads to the identity of the thieves. Three and a half years after the necklace was taken, the police ran a sting operation on a male and female, suspects they thought may be part of a drug operation. One afternoon they followed the couple to their home in the suburbs. The raid on their house revealed a stockpile of drugs, lots of cash and various other stolen goods. As the police did a sweep of the residence, they discovered my necklace in a jewelry box on the dresser in the master bedroom. Evidently, the thief decided she wanted the necklace for herself and had no doubt been wearing it.
Eve was impressed with Irene’s story. The lovely necklace could have been gone forever. What good fortune to have it recovered after all hope was lost. Life is often full of surprising twists and turns and this was surely one of them. Irene now turned her gaze on Eve and said, “You mentioned earlier there was a particular reason you are so interested in the necklace, what is it”? Eve, now feeling more comfortable with the Hemings, launched into her story about her great aunt Helen Marcum and her husband Jim. She told them her grandfather Eugene was the brother of Helen and her twin sister Suzanne. The Hemings were totally fascinated by this bit of information and looked at one another with sheer astonishment. Irene then shared that her mother Angela was the daughter of Suzanne who had been a Gladwell before her marriage to Eric Stevens. Stone silence fell over the group as each tried to grapple with this news. Happy, believe it or not was the first to connect the dots and jumping from her seat and blurted out, “You are distant cousins, you are related, you belong to each other”. There was another moment of silence, then first a giggle, then out and out laughter from them all. Eve clapping her hands for joy proclaimed, “This is so incredible, that we should have this chance meeting”. “I suppose fate has its own way”.
For the next two hours the Heming’s and Eve Gladwell remained in a huddle under their thatched roof, filling in the blanks of their individual family histories for one another. There were minimal interruptions when the waiter occasionally inquired about the need for more food or drinks; and the lounge lizards made a mass migration from their pool side perch to the cooling waters with a splash. However, some interesting facts came to light as the group shared. For example, great aunt Helen died young in the 1930’s from tuberculosis and how uncle Jim struggled on through the Great Depression without the love of his life by his side. They had tried to have a baby, but remained childless. As Helen lay dying in a sanatorium, she gave her twin sister Suzanne her necklace as a keepsake, a special gift, a token of remembrance to the sister she had loved.
Suzanne had met Eric Stevens at a dance in Jacksonville, Florida, they dated and eventually married and later had two sons and a daughter Angela, who was Irene’s Mom. Suzanne’s husband Eric was a veterinarian, working in the newly established dairy industry in south Florida. He had been one of the early investors in the first state certified dairy in Miami, owned by Jimmy and Madie Ives. Today there is a large boulevard, as you approach Miami from the north, sporting their name, Ives Dairy Road. Suzanne’s daughter Angela, who would later become Irene’s mother, was all of twenty and working the front desk of the Flagler Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, a historically rich seaside resort; when Fredric Coleman, a young executive with Southern Bell, Florida’s telephone company, walked to the desk and reached for the registry to sign in. It must have been that crooked, cheesy smile on his handsome face that made Angela notice him. Fred was in town for a conference and needed accommodations for a three night stay. Over the course of those few days the two shared casual conversations. A date for coffee was made the afternoon of Fred’s departure that lasted well into dinner. With many shared interests and a love for the ocean, they began to correspond and date as their schedules permitted. It was at the beach one moonlit night that Fred proposed. With the answer to his question being, yes, a grand reception was held at the Flagler ballroom and friends from far and wide were invited to share in the couple’s joy. Angela received the keepsake necklace on her wedding day. It was the perfect complement to the stunning, satin wedding gown she wore.
As the situation heated up in Europe, Fred felt duty bound to join the service and fight against the Nazi onslaught. By this time, Angela had given birth to Irene and a baby brother Rodney. Fred threw his hat in to train as an aviator, who would later duel with the Third Reich’s ace pilots over the not so friendly skies of Germany. On his twenty—seventh bombing mission, Fred’s plane was shot down over Kaiserslautern, the area where the huge Opal Works factory made tanks for the German Panzer Division. Unfortunately, Fred’s body was never recovered. In the immediate years that followed, Angela honed her skills as a secretary and began working for a law firm, raising her two children on her own.
And so it had all been mapped out and explained even to Happy’s satisfaction. All the dots were connected and new alliances formed. As it was understood, Suzanne received the necklace from her dying sister Helen in the 30’s. Suzanne gave the necklace to her daughter Angela on her wedding day in the 40’s. Angela then gave Irene the necklace when she graduated from college. In the 60’s, Irene gave the necklace to Rochelle on her 21st Birthday in the 80’s. How astounding that this precious, delicate antique had survived the transitioning years, even lost, and in the end was right where it belonged, around Rochelle Heming’s neck.
The remainder of the cruise was a pure delight. The duty free shops held enticements of every kind and description, food came and went in a sumptuous stream and yes there was exploding, or at least a feeling that came close to it; and Rochelle had to even admit on occasion, how the lavish entertainment rivaled her beloved Broadway. Bermuda was all that had been hoped for. It was every bit the lush, balmy, tropical paradise featured in Happy’s brochure. They had strolled and frolicked on its expansive, white beaches and been there at dusk, when the sky was a brilliant, crimson blaze and sea birds rode the waves for their evening catch. They toured villages, visited the Bizarre and fruit markets, and ate native foods bought from street vendors. Happy even picked up a fine pair of hand tooled leather sandals for a song. Throughout their travels Eve and Happy were frequently in the company of the Hemings and found themselves together that last day of the cruise, as the Oceana pulled in to dock at Miami. Phone numbers, addresses and e-mails were exchanged. What a fabulous trip this had been. No one had imagined when the ship left port over a week ago that long lost relatives would be found and a mystery solved. As Eve and Happy now neared the gangplank to disembark, hugs and kisses were freely given as Eve and the Hemings pledged to stay in touch through their joyful tears of new found sentiment.
Hubert greeted the girls and stowed their luggage, that had grown considerably, into his old SUV. “So how was it then?,” he asked, as he navigated the parking lot and headed toward the freeway. Eve and Happy laughed as they rolled their eyes at one another. “Oh I’ll tell you all about it when we get home” said Happy, “It was quite a trip”. Hubert then glanced in his rear view mirror and shot Eve a mischievous grin, as she sat in the back seat. He said, “Now how many cats did you tell me to feed while you were gone”? “I could only find ten”.
Just at the moment when time and circumstance are perfectly aligned in a sublime sweetness, almost incomprehensible, fate steps into the breach between reality and perception, changing two lives forever. In one devastating instant, two perfect strangers; Robin Walker and Gary Owens are caught in the unrelenting jaws of the unforeseen and struggle against all odds to survive in “Here and Beyond”.
HERE AND BEYOND
Robin, having been engrained with a strong work ethic by her mother and a love for math by her father, had carried those attributes to the University of North Florida where she graduated top of her class with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. She then went on to secure a top job with a leading financial institution in Tampa; where she now worked as a Financial Strategist. Given the keys to the executive wash room and a six figure salary, she had successfully negotiated the treacherous corporate waters and proved her worth to the firm. Now two years later, she was no longer considered the new kid on the block as she sat in her corner office on the twelfth floor at the age of twenty—nine, fully engaged in building the career she had only dreamt of during her college years.
Robin was looking forward to the weekend at St. Pete Beach with friends; a good chance to decompress from a hectic work schedule and the large project that had consumed her for weeks. Having moved over the bridge, she now took the 22nd avenue exit from the freeway where she would cut across town and head north a short distance up the Gulf Coast to the bungalow she and her friends rented for the weekend. How she longed to just lie in the sun and let her mind wander and later enjoy the salted rim of a frozen Margarita, as she tossed a nice, fresh salad with juicy, red tomatoes and ripe avocado while shrimp kabobs sizzled on the grill. Yes, this was a perfect day in a perfect life and she was determined to make the most of it.