Weeping Willows

Chapter 25

The Closest Betrayals Cause the Biggest Sorrows

                “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me Lizzy.”  Agnes’s statement caused Elizabeth to be taken aback momentarily.  This was a completely different woman then the one who argued with her sister all the time.  This woman was composed, calm, and almost professional in her demeanor.

                “What can I do for you Agnes?”

                “All I ask is that you don’t judge my sister Bertha too harshly.  She admires your spunk girl and it would hurt her if you thought ill of her too.”  Intrigued Elizabeth leaned closer allowing Agnes to see she was listening.

                “Why on earth would I think ill of her?”  With a heavy sigh Agnes looked down and twisted her fingers in nervousness.

                “Bertha’s different from others and many, including our own father, have treated her poorly because of it.”

                “Go on.”

                “You see it’s my fault that my sister drinks.  I left her to our parent’s tender care when I met the man who I married.  Bertha had been hiding her difference from everyone and I never knew what pain she was in until it was too late.  My sister was never destined to get married and start a family of her own one day.  She bats for the other team you see and like Alice said it was a different time back then.  I suppose I should have figured it out early on but when a boy flirted with her, she would flirt back.  She joined in on our discussions of latest crushes and talks of what our married lives would be like one day.  Maybe at that time she was confused herself, or maybe she was just in denial.  It’s hard to be sure what was going through her head then, and bringing it up now would only dredge up a painful past for her.”

                Elizabeth was floored, it took a moment for Agnes’s words to sink in but once they did, she was horrified.  When she saw the two of them the first day, like everyone else she had assumed they were both fighting for the orderly’s affections.  She had dismissed it as that and hadn’t thought it was anything more.  How wrong she had been about more then one of these people.

                “I confess Agnes after the first time I met the two of you I had no idea that she wasn’t flirting with that male nurse.”  Agnes burst out laughing at her.

                “Oh, honey she was.  She could care less about getting him because obviously he isn’t her type if you get my meaning.  Bertha was doing that partially I believe to keep him away from me and partially because that was the way she was made to act in a way.  Daddy never raised her to be a harlot by any means, but he expected her to want a husband one day and any time she acted otherwise, Bertha was disciplined for it.  All of us siblings had moved away and by the time we figured out what was going on the damage was done.  My husband, James, and I had been away for nearly two years ourselves after we were first married.  Upon our first visit home I found my sister very much a changed person.  The vibrant girl who use to have shy smiles and such a bubbly personality was cold and distant.  Her whole world had become about what was practical and expected.  And of course, she had developed a taste for liquor.  I think it was what she used to chase her demons away.”

                “How does Margaret fit in to all of this?”  Elizabeth asked fearing the worst, but it wasn’t nearly worse enough.

                “Margaret was Bertha’s best friend growing up.  The two of them were inseparable once.  When we all left Margaret was the only person Bertha could turn too.  She thought that being like a sister she would be understanding and accept her the way she was.  Bertha was very wrong.  She agreed with our father just not with his methods.  Margaret turned to religion thinking she could use the bible to make her normal.  The more Bertha fought the two of them the more of a fanatic Margaret became until she no longer resembled the friend Bertha once knew and had trusted.  It broke my sister’s heart to lose her best friend in the whole world.”

                Elizabeth took a moment and thought about her eclectic friends from her childhood.  For the most part they were all thick as thieves still and she truly couldn’t imagine not being supported by them or being supportive of them.  How would it feel if she confided in one only for them to not have her back when she really needed them?  Worse yet if they essentially became part of what she needed protected from.  The thought of any of her friends turning their backs on her caused a deep ache in her heart and made her want to bawl in a dark corner somewhere.  Oh, poor Bertha how had she managed to survive her world falling apart?

                “What about your mother?”  Elizabeth broached knowing full well the woman could have been as bad as her husband was with his daughter.  Agnes shook her head sadly.  “She never approved of what she thought was a choice for Bertha, but she never took after her like our father did either.  I think seeing her baby being hurt by those that should protect her made mother more sympathetic at least.  She couldn’t offer Bertha protection from him however, but she tried to mend her after.  In those days wives were expected to support their husbands and defer to them in all decisions.”

                “That’s ridiculous!  Women aren’t brainless tools.”

                “Of course, they aren’t dear.  And some of us got lucky enough to find someone who bucked the norm.  Why my James treated me as his partner in all things.  And if I had an opinion that differed from his we would discuss the subject and decide together.”  Elizabeth smiled at Agnes as her gaze drifted somewhere to the past.  A soft smile graced the older woman’s face as she thought about the years with her husband.  Elizabeth waited patiently for her to come back to the present.  Soon enough Agnes’s eyes refocused on her as she smiled widely at her.

                “My James was a real go getter I tell you.  I met him after WWII, he had flown planes in the navy.  Once we met there was no stopping the two of us.  We were real jetsetters.  He ended up getting a job with an airline when he came back stateside.  That’s how we met you see.  I went to go visit Kenneth and his new wife.  She had served as a nurse and he had been stationed near her.  I was excited to go see him and meet our new sister-in-law.  Bertha wasn’t keen on flying so she didn’t come with but sent a letter and a congratulations gift.  She was going to wait until they had time to come see everyone.  Anyway, I met James at the airport as I had gotten lost looking for my flight and as it turns out he was the pilot.  Once I got home, he came calling on me and we were engaged in six months, then four months after that we were wed and off to take on the world.  I know that seems awful sudden especially back then but when you know you just know.  I ended up becoming a stewardess so we could see each other more often than just when he was in town.  We had an adventurous life.”

                “What happened to him, if you don’t mind me asking?”  Elizabeth cringed inwardly at herself for asking but she was so intrigued she just couldn’t help herself.  Instead of making Agnes sad however she just smiled serenely.  It was tinged with a bit of sadness, but she seemed to be at peace with it.

                “James passed on not long after we retired from the airline.  He had an aneurysm that we weren’t aware of.  It was sudden and he didn’t feel any pain just slipped away in his sleep one night.  I had a good long life with him, and we had as much time as we were supposed have together, I guess.”

                “Did you ever have any children?”

                “Heavens no dear.  We had discussed it early on in the courtship and found neither one of us ever wanted for any children.  We just never felt the need to be parents.  We had each other and for the two of us that was enough.  Once we were married James went in and got snipped and that was that.  It’s not like neither of us didn't like children, but if we wanted to spend time with some, we would just visit our sibling’s kids.  Besides it was more fun to spoil them rotten then give them back.”  Agnes confided with a wink that made Elizabeth laugh.

                “Is that when you moved back to Crystal Springs?”

                “Shortly after yes.  My health had declined a bit and if I’m being honest, I wanted to be with my sister again.  So, I moved back home and in with Bertha so she could take care of me.”  Startled, Elizabeth leaned back and took a good long look at her.  

                “You don’t need to be taken care of, do you?”

                “Not really no.  It gave Bertha a purpose though and I could keep an eye on her.  Her health wasn’t the best due to all her years of heavy drinking.  We had gotten into more then one fight over the years about that.  Once she started having liver troubles, I thought I could get her to finally give it up.  I was wrong she just made sure to hide her stash outside of the house.  Ultimately, she ended up drinking enough she was plum gone, and Bertha fell down the front stoop.  I had to call an ambulance for her, turns out she broke her hip.  That’s how we ended up in here.  She needed extra care until she’s better and it would look too suspicious if I made a miraculous recovery.  So here I am stuck until Kenneth and I can get Bertha sprung from this place.”

                Elizabeth couldn’t help herself she burst out in a fit of laughter over Agnes becoming her sister’s prisoner in a way because she had been trying to give her sister a purpose in life.  Perhaps it was Agnes’s way of trying to make up for feeling like she abandoned her in her time of need even though she hadn’t known at the time.  Now here she was a captive of her own making.  Pretty soon Agnes joined in with the laughter and they both hooted in amusement until they were sprouting tears.  Elizabeth wiped at her cheeks as Agnes took deep slow breaths as the pair of them tried to get themselves back under control. 

                “Thank goodness for Kenny is all I have to say.  He sometimes gives me a jail break for an hour or so.  I don’t know what I would do without him.”  This just set them both into another fit of giggles that luckily didn’t last quite so long.  While they had been laughing together neither noticed the man approaching them.

                “Agnes are you ready to go back to your room now?”  The elder woman turned in her wheelchair until she could look up at the person that had spoken.  A smile came across her overly painted red lips.

                “Of course, I thank you for coming to escort me.”  She batted her eyes at him sweetly.  When Elizabeth looked at Agnes in confusion the older woman mouthed new nurse.  Elizabeth looked at the young man then back to Agnes.  As he bent over to unlock the breaks the older woman did a quick adjustment of the girls trying to perk them up.  Elizabeth snorted realizing exactly why Agnes was dressed the way she was today.  As he wheeled the elder woman away Elizabeth waved sweetly at her shaking her head at her antics.  She’d bet money Agnes’s husband never stood a chance the day he met her.

                Still smiling to herself Elizabeth vacated the seat and gathered up her things.  Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could have the kind of love that Agnes had once possessed?  It’s too bad they don’t make them like James anymore.  A strong soldier home from war but who is so devoted to the one he cherishes the most.  A reverent sigh escaped her as Elizabeth swooned at the thought.  When she thought of a man sweeping her off her feet however it was a visage of a black haired golden eyed stranger that came to mind.  As she turned around the boxes were lifted from her hands breaking her out of her daydreams.  Ryan stood there smiling down at her as if she hung the moon in his world.  It wasn’t a pair of whiskey amber orbs that gazed down at her but a pair of vibrant, sparkling blue ones instead.  Despite her earlier thoughts these baby blues still managed to make her heart skip a beat or two.  Ryan began to walk away with his cargo sashaying his hips just for her.  Elizabeth snorted and hustled to catch up to him.   

                “So, I was thinking we could catch a bite at the diner if you want.  We may get lucky and run into Jan there.  I will do everything I can to persuade her to participate in whatever you’re cooking up for the joint project.”

                He had stopped to hold the heavy door open for her as he was talking.  She smiled as she passed him and waited so they could walk together to her car.  Maybe, just maybe, she had found a James of her own even if he wasn’t a war vet from a bygone era.  Perhaps she had been wrong in thinking men like that didn’t exist anymore.  Possibly Ryan would turn out to be the man of her dreams, then again perchance it’s someone else entirely.