LIZZY

by Jim Wetton

  Lizzy couldn’t help herself from staring. She wasn’t accustomed to such fine jewelry, especially the watch. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wristwatch, Edith. Did your husband design it?”

  “No, he purchased these beautiful items after our last trip to Europe,” Edith answered quietly. “He was a good man, taken far too early, but a good man. Believe it or not, I actually come from a very poor upbringing, so please don’t have any preconceived. . . .”

  “Edith, you needn’t worry in this house.” Lizzy turned to face her. “We’re a loving family who gets by. My late husband was first a politician then a financial advisor.” Lizzy ended her sentence with a laugh as she looked around the room. “I guess he didn’t invest in the right things, but we’ve always been happy and well taken care of.”

  “Please forgive me, Mrs. McKeever, but I believe it’s what’s in your heart that counts. Each one of us, married or not, have something very unique to offer while we still remain on this planet. I learned my roots from my mother and though I’ve been blessed to have married into some wealth, I will never forget my roots. She taught me that, as a woman, I must aspire to be the best of what I am and what I do, despite the men in my life.”

  Lizzy sniffed in and put her hand on her chest. She looked over at Nellie who was grinning from ear to ear. Caroline looked over at Lizzy with her eyes narrowed in thought.

  “Lizzy, I mean, Mother?” Lizzy’s eyes were transfixed on Edith as Caroline spoke. “Mother, if it’s just the same to you, I think I’d like to pass on the visit to say goodbye to Mr. Roosevelt.”

  Lizzy could sense the reaction that came from Edith by the word Roosevelt.

  “He’s actually a very good friend of mine, been one for years,” Lizzy interjected. She turned to Caroline. “Don’t know what you’ll be missing, Caroline; I heard the going-away cake is the size of a table.”

  “No, I think I’d like to visit with Nellie and Edith, if you don’t mind.”

  Lizzy smiled at the young women. “It’s an age thing, right?”

  The comment made them all burst into laughter, including Edith.

  “Still, we may never get another chance to pitch our suffragist cause with a president who has always stood by us. Never know if we’ll meet another who carries such power and support.”

  “No, you go and have fun.” Caroline added, “Please do give him my regards.”

  “Mine too, Momma!” Nellie added from across the room.

  Lizzy looked at Edith one last time before rising from her chair. “Anything you’d like me to tell our outgoing president, Edith?”

  “Just tell him thank you for his service and for supporting us women.”

  “That, my dear ladies, I can surely do.” Lizzy snickered as she went down the hall to change.

  “Teddy, want to come with Nana to meet the president?” she yelled out over her shoulder at her now ten-year-old grandson.

  “No, thank you, Nana; think I’ll stay here with Aunt Caroline.”

  Lizzy’s smile widened at the thought of the past three years and of Caroline’s state of mind.

  Yes, she’s going to be just fine.

  *  *  *  *

  Thunder boomed outside. Nellie looked out the window through the thin drapes. A car horn honked, an odd sound that no one had quite become used to. The street was littered with parked cars, an unusual sight these days. The strange part was that not only were they all black and looked the same, but it was a sight never seen just ten years ago. A gun shot off in the distance. Nellie shuddered, wondering if it was truly a gun. The sound had become another familiar yet not welcomed sound of the times. Though she guessed where the obnoxious sound had come from, she was not going to let her guard down, not just yet. She shook her head and sighed loudly.

  “We’ll never know if it’s an actual shoot out like the OK Corral or just a silly backfiring from another one of Henry Ford’s apparatuses,” Caroline said with a bit of disgust.

  Nellie took one last look out the window before straightening the drapes, knowing all too well how particular her mother was about her window coverings.

  “I see that you drive one of those contraptions, Edith,” Caroline proclaimed, eyeing Nellie’s friend. “You must have a pretty penny in the bank to be able to own. . . .” She quickly gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “Oh, please forgive me, Edith. That was absolutely rude of me. Oh, my word, that didn’t come out the way I wanted.”

  “Nonsense, and don’t ever apologize.” Edith leaned in and patted Caroline’s arm. She turned in her chair to face Caroline. “Granted, my late husband did leave me—well, how shall I put it?—comfortable. But, I hope once you get to know me the way Nellie has, you’ll see that I’m just a plain ol’ girl that grew up with nothing and yet is blessed with everything.”

  Edith continued. “I can’t tell you what a joy it’s been to get to know your sister-in-law. When Norman died, I was completely lost. I had no friends. I mean no ‘real friends.’ Trust me when I tell you that many will be your friend if they think you’re a person of substance. Your sister-in-law saw me for who I really am. I was hurt. I was down. I had lost my identity and had no idea where I was going to find it until I ran into Nellie. I’d heard of the suffragist movement, but always thought of it as either a fad or a group of men bashers. No, when Nellie explained to me what was really going on, what she and her mother, your mother-in-law, were doing, I couldn’t wait to get involved. I heard that you were just as passionate on the West Coast as these ladies are here. Even heard that those out west were even farther along in the movement than the women out here.”

  Edith paused in thought. “Must have convinced the men folk in the west that we women are someone to reckon with, right? Or was it that your husband . . . ?”

  Now it was time for Edith to turn red. She covered her mouth and lowered her head. “Oh, dear God, I can’t believe that came out that way; I am so very sorry.”

  The awkwardness in the room was interrupted by loud footsteps coming up the front porch. The front door plowed open and, with clothes soaking wet, in ran Nellie’s two daughters.

  “You two need to relax,” Nellie said as she rushed towards her soaking wet girls. She took hold of the girls and guided them to one side of the foyer before addressing Caroline and Edith. “I think I’m going to need your help before my momma’s house gets demolished. Can either one of you go into the bathroom and fetch some towels before these daughters of mine flood their grandmother’s house?”

  The first to receive a towel was Nancy Lee. She was Henry and Nellie’s youngest, just turning eight. Although she wore a raincoat complete with hood, she was drenched. To any onlooker, the child looked to be in bad shape, but by the smile on her face, she’d been overjoyed by the sudden downpour that soaked her through and through.

  Standing in the corner, closest to the still-opened door was Nellie’s second, Bonnie Louise. At twelve years old, Bonnie still couldn’t make up her mind whether it was more fun to get muddy or follow in her oldest sister’s footsteps of teenage distinction. Tonight, she looked to be enjoying herself and quickly went to chase her younger sister across the parlor.

  Nellie’s face turned to a scowl as she looked to the front door, still very open yet very empty. “Girls?!” she forcefully yelled out but before the two younger sisters could even reply, Nellie heard the whimpering sounds of her oldest daughter coming up the porch steps.

  Hannah Elizabeth, named after her great-great-great-grandmother, slowly entered through the front door, emotionally distraught. Nellie, knowing full well that no one else was coming, quickly reached out and closed the door behind her trauma-stricken daughter, a knowing grin hidden on Nellie’s face. Hannah Elizabeth, at age fourteen, could be a bit overly dramatic.

  While Caroline and Edith tended to the two younger girls, Nellie helped Hannah out of her rain gear, draped a dry towel around her and hugged her tight. Hannah stood motionless, no return hug back, which Nellie had lately come to expect fro
m her oldest. “Oh baby, what’s got you in such a tizzy? Was it the rain? Or are your siblings getting the best of you?”

  “Oh, Mo . . . mma!” Hannah let out a startled cry.

  “Wh . . . what happened, girl?” Nellie bent down and turned Hannah around.

  “My hair!” Hannah cried out again. “Look at my hair, Momma. It’s a wet mop and Rupert Johansson just saw me before I could make it in here!”

  “I’m sure it was far too dark and rainy for anyone to see anything.” Nellie did her best not to laugh.

  “Oh Momma, I’m ruined!” Hannah melted into Nellie’s arms, sobbing.

  “You look like you’ve just fallen into the Potomac, Hannah!” Teddy laughed out loud as he walked into the living room. “Don’t know what’s the big deal; Bonnie and Nancy Lee are still all giddy about it. It’s only water; ain’t gonna kill you.”

  Nellie could tell by the tightness in Hannah’s body that her son’s comment was not received well and, she’d admit, not the best timing. She remembered when she was Hannah’s age and every little thing meant that the world was crashing in. Although humored, Nellie maintained her composure and began to escort Hannah towards the back bathroom.

  “May I?”

  Both Nellie and Hannah stopped and turned around at the sound of Edith’s voice. “If you don’t mind, I have a great talent with hair styling. How about if I join you in the bathroom and let’s see what we can do to make Mr. Johansson take notice again.”

  Nellie looked at Hannah for an answer. Her nod and smile spoke volumes as the two women went their separate ways, both to recover a young lady’s sense of self-worth.

  Nellie smiled at Hannah and also appreciatively at Edith.

  She turned around at the sight of her other two daughters, both with mouths wide open, looking over at her.

  “What?” Nellie said with a forced scowl. “Your sister’s in a time of need. Your time will come too, someday.”

  “Yes, even you, Teddy!” she added with a sharp tone towards her son who was grinning mischievously while sitting on his Aunt Caroline’s lap.

  Nellie turned to ask a question. “Anyone heard from your father?”

  Bonnie and Nancy Lee, each draped in a towel, shrugged their shoulders. With their hair still dripping wet, they both instinctively headed towards the window as if their father was about to arrive.

  “Is he coming here, too?” Bonnie yelled to her mother. “Hope he’s wearing his raincoat.” Bonnie’s voice was muffled by a loud gun shot from the street, followed by the sound of a woman screaming.

  Nellie ran in to the living room, her eyes wide with fright. She scanned the room to make sure all of her children were where they should be. She looked towards Caroline, holding tight to Teddy in her lap. A deep frown appeared on her face as well.

  Nellie’s whole body shuddered when another round of gunfire erupted right in front of her house.

  “Edith!” Nellie tried to muffle her cry with her hand, but everyone in the room still heard her. Now all the girls were huddled together in the corner. Teddy had left Caroline’s lap and had run over to the window trying to see who was firing what and at who.

  “It’s too dark, Momma,” Teddy yelled out.

  Nellie’s heart pounded in her chest. All forms of imagination took control of her every thought.

  “Surprise!” the loud baritone voice bellowed as the front door crashed open.

  Nellie fell backwards at the sudden entrance. She fell hard with a thump that vibrated the entire room.

  “What are you doing on the floor?” Henry looked down at his wife with a laugh.

  The rain had stopped but the ground in front of the porch was still wet. Nellie, still dazed at the whole scene around her, looked up at her husband and with a furrowed scowl yelled out, “Are you drunk?”

  “No, my lovely and endearing, always giving, and never questioning, beautiful and always younger each day, wife. No, I’m not drunk!”

  “You scared me half to death with all that backfiring and all,” Nellie retorted, her face scarlet red.

  Edith laughed as she entered the room and abruptly stopped in front of Nellie. “What are you doing on the floor?”

  Edith, seeing the look on Nellie’s face, knew all too well that she was in the wrong place and, most assuredly, at the wrong time. She quickly retraced her steps back to the bathroom where Hannah was eagerly waiting.

  Nellie huffed and snorted. She jerked around and scowled up at her husband, her lips pierced tight.

  Henry, looking like a whimpering dog, asked with a pleading half grin, “W-want to come outside to see our new car . . . , dear?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Tragedy Brings Hope

  1912

  1912 had begun full of hope and optimism. It was going to be the year of a new election. A year for change. Four years under the leadership of the Taft Administration had been rough, to say the least. The promises and gains made during the Roosevelt years had dissipated and no one was at odds with the way the country was going more than the previous president himself, Theodore Roosevelt. Once aligned and supportive of Taft, Roosevelt had grown weary of the lack of progress not only with the infrastructure of the country but also with the social issues at stake, primarily the right for women to vote. Roosevelt now vowed to run against him and finish what he’d started over ten years before.

  Yet, with all the plans in place to take back the White House and erase the disappointments over the past four years, the mood in the country took a sudden dagger to her heart. One that no one could have ever predicted. Politics which absorbed the country would continue to evolve. The fight to gain the rights for women would not skip a beat, but it was the horrific sinking of the RMS Titanic in April that would forever change the lives of so many and in an odd string of events, would also change the course of some of those still living in the Monroe household.

  Of the 2400 passengers on board, only 900 or so survived. One of the survivors, Maggie Brown, had booked a ticket to return to New York City to tend to the health of her eldest grandchild. An American socialite and philanthropist, Brown had been active in the women’s cause for years. Although Lizzy had met with her only a few times, the two had grown close. It was Lizzy’s desire to meet once more during the Roosevelt Administration, but that never happened. To everyone’s delight, it was Edith who became connected with Brown not long after she’d been rescued and finally returned to New York City.

  *  *  *  *

  Smoke filled the depot. The tired but resilient lead engine let out her steam as she slowly came to a stop with one last gust, not out of exhaustion but in delight that she’d delivered her load of passengers into Central Station, Washington, D.C.

  Nellie, Edith and Caroline waited patiently on the depot’s platform. Through the cloud of steam, they glimpsed the appearance of feathers coming towards them. The woman’s gait was strong and her wide grin told them that they’d found the person they’d come for.

  It was Edith who made the first move. She walked up to the woman and without hesitation embraced her. Nellie followed in a kind gesture that was filled with compassion for what the woman had just been through. When it came to Caroline’s turn, she hesitated at first, and then gingerly opened her arms to accept the woman’s embrace. Much to everyone’s surprise, instead of a joyful hug, Caroline began to sob.

  It had been six years since Caroline had lost her family. Although loved by her husband’s family, she was still at a loss. The thought of what this woman had just gone through brought back too many memories for Caroline to deal with and at the moment of contact, she fell apart.

  “Whoa there, child, it’s not that bad,” Molly Brown called out, not knowing why Caroline was so upset. “I’m alive and I’m kicking so there’s nothing to be upset about, girl.”

  Nellie looked at Brown with a newfound admiration. She knew of the woman only from what her mother had told her, but it all came to fruition after just a few words crossed her lips. Nel
lie knew that she was the real deal and would fit in perfectly with what they all were fighting for.

  Nellie caressed Caroline’s shoulders, knowing all too well the fragile state her sister-in-law was in. “Ms. Brown, this is Caroline, my sister in law,” Nellie announced. “My mother sends her apologies for not coming herself, but she knew you’d understand.”

  “And I’m Edith, Edith Gault. I’m the one who’s been corresponding with you ever since you, well I mean, ever since.”

  “Oh, come on girly, the ship hit an iceberg; it sank; too many lost their lives because of the rich wanting to get richer. See, I said it; it’s out there, now if it’s just the same to all of you, I’d like to move on and do something productive, like casting a vote, what say you?”

  Nellie looked at Edith and smiled. She put her arm around Caroline and squeezed her tight. “You OK?”

  By the slight smile and nod from Caroline, Nellie knew her little whisper hit its mark.

  *  *  *  *

  Lizzy tried to lift her head off her pillow. Her muscles ached every time she tried to move. Not a good time for the flu there, Lizzy girl.

  “What are you doing, Momma?” Nellie’s voice was curt as she entered the room. “You know the doctor gave you explicit orders to stay in bed, drink lots of water and wait until this passes.”

  Lizzy guffawed at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “You sound like me thirty-odd years ago.”

  “Well, you taught me well, now didn’t you?”

  Nellie helped Lizzy back down on her bed and fluffed the pillow before placing it back under her mother’s neck. She tucked the covers back around her and stepped back, listening to the talk in the outer room.

  “Are they all in there?” Lizzy whispered. “I should at least thank them for coming.”