Texas Gal
by  C. Sprite
© 1999

 

Chapter Four     Despair & Hope 

I was sure that somebody had just punched me in the stomach. I couldn't get my breath. I got dizzy. I would have fallen but for my sisters holding onto me long enough for the police officer to reach me from where he had been standing a few feet away. I thought, 'Daddy dead. Mommy dead also, maybe?' The world started to spin. The police officer picked me up and carried me to the police car. He set me in the rear seat and went around to the back of the car, then returned with a green cylinder that had a mask attached by a small hose. He put the mask over my face and told me to breathe slowly. In a few minutes everything returned to normal. I thanked him and he stood back so that my sisters could get in the back of the car with me. "What happened?" I asked.

Mary, in between sobs, told me that they had missed the exit, and then gotten a flat tire before they got to the next exit and could turn around. While Daddy was changing it, a truck ran into the back of the car. Daddy was kneeling in front on it, lowering the car back down with the jack, when it was hit. Mother was in the passenger seat and was thrown from the car by the impact. Because it was a warm, sunny day, the car was heating up as it sat next to the highway. My sisters had all gotten out to stand under a nearby shade tree until the tire was changed or they would have been injured, and possibly killed, as well. Just minutes before, a state police car had stopped to check on why they were stopped on the Thruway. He had passed, then pulled over and backed up. He had determined that they didn't need a tow, and was preparing to leave when the truck hit my family's car. My father was instantly crushed between the two cars. The state police officer just narrowly missed being crushed as well. The front passenger side door was open and Mother was thrown about thirty feet. Her broken and bloody body landing not far from my sisters. They ran to her but were afraid to touch her for fear of injuring her more.

The police officer used his still functioning radio to call the accident in, and other police cars started arriving within five minutes. Two ambulances came and the attendants all worked at stabilizing my mother and preparing her for transport. My father had been killed immediately and there was nothing that they could do for him except cover his body. The truck driver staggered from his cab and the police officer had gone to find out the extent of his injuries. Upon finding that the man had no injuries at all, but could not stand up without holding onto something, he arrested him for driving while intoxicated. With his hands handcuffed behind him, the driver was left to sit off the side of the road until a car was available to transport him. Within minutes, my sisters said, he had fallen asleep and was snoring as he lay on his side in the dirt.

 Mother was transported to a nearby hospital and my sisters were taken there by a state police officer. The police officer filled out a report as soon as my sisters were coherent enough. Since Father was an only child and both sets of grandparents were deceased, our only living relative is Mother's sister Katherine, who lives somewhere in Texas. Mrs. Marcoti had been contacted, since my sisters had named her as the nearest family friend. Mrs. Marcoti and her husband immediately left for the hospital, while Mrs. Marcoti's sister came over to stay with Gina and Maria. The trip to the hospital in upstate New York took three hours. When the Marcotis' arrived, my sisters again broke down as they recounted the tragedy. After several more hours, someone thought to inquire about my absence and a plan was adopted to find me with the help of the New York and New Jersey State Police agencies. My two younger sisters were transported to a NJ Police Barracks and then to my home to find out if I was there. Judy remained with the Marcotis' until they learned Mother's status. The state police officer took us to the Marcoti's house to await the news after Mrs. Marcoti's sister was notified that we would be coming. The New York State Police said they would locate my Aunt Katherine and inform her of the accident.   

I was still in shock as we were led into the Marcoti's house. Gina and Maria kissed and hugged Susan, Mary, and I, and then we all cried together. The State Police officer had left after talking with Mrs. Marcoti's sister briefly. My sisters, the Marcoti girls, and myself sat up all night, sobbing and crying with one another. Mrs. Marcoti's sister wisely did not try to force any of us to go to sleep, but went into her sister's bedroom to take a nap herself. Eventually, we all fell asleep in each other's arms during the night and we slept fitfully. The next morning, we sat around spiritlessly waiting for word of Mother's condition. Around noon, Mrs. Marcoti called to say that Mother was in critical condition in the intensive care ward, but the doctors were optimistic that she would live. They would know for sure within 48 hours. It would be that long before anyone would be allowed to see her, as she was heavily sedated following the hours of operations. For that reason, she and Mr. Marcoti were returning home, with Judy.

The news that Mother was alive and would probably recover was welcome indeed. We would now begin to grieve over Father, whose death had taken a back seat place to Mother's condition. It wasn't that we had forgotten about Father, rather the condition of the living, remaining parent had taken an uppermost place in our minds. In spite of the grieving that we were enduring, fatigue caught up with us and we were forced to go to sleep. My sisters and I lay down together, fully clothed, in Maria's bed while Maria shared Gina's bed.

When we awoke, Mrs. Marcoti and her husband had returned. It was six o'clock Monday evening and we awoke to the aroma of pasta sauce cooking in the kitchen. I had not eaten since the 'Dodge City' hot dogs, and my sisters hadn't eaten since Sunday breakfast. We pulled ourselves together and went downstairs to find out what was going on. Judy was asleep on the couch in the living room. We went into the kitchen and Mrs. Marcoti walked over and embraced us. She said that they had arrived home several hours ago but did not want to wake us. Mr. Marcoti had gone out to get some milk and things and should be back any minute. As she finished, the front door bell rang. She said that her husband must have forgotten his key again. She asked me to please let him in. I went to the front door and pulled it open. There, in front of me, stood my mother.

"Mommy," I shouted and jumped to embrace her. Then I stopped when I realized that it wasn't her. The woman in front of me looked just like her but the hairdo was different and she looked a little younger.

The woman gave me a sad smile and said, "Hello, David."

"Aunt Katherine?" I asked meekly.

She nodded and stepped forward with her arms out. I went into her arms and hugged her while she hugged me. My sisters had heard me when I shouted and had come running. They saw me hugging my mother's look alike and ran up to us. They realized as quickly as I had who it was. We had never met our aunt before, but there was no doubt as to who she was. Mrs. Marcoti had come out of the kitchen, and now Mr. Marcoti returned from the store. My sisters had joined us in the embrace.

"Welcome to our home, Mrs. Bliss," Mr. Marcoti said. "Let's get inside and we'll do proper introductions."

 Judy had awoken with all the commotion, and Gina and Maria had come downstairs. They now joined the crowd as everybody was introduced.

After kisses, hugs, and a little more weeping, Mrs. Marcoti said, "Dinner is ready. Everybody into the dining room. There's no food worse in this world than over-cooked pasta."

Over dinner, my sisters related the events again. They sobbed as they told the story. In spite of the solemnity, they ate their meal in order to satisfy the pangs of hunger, which resulted from a day and a half without food. Aunt Katherine listened in silence. When they finished, Mrs. Marcoti filled in what she knew of Mother's current condition. Then, Aunt Katherine indicated what she would like to do. We should return to our house and get cleaned up and organized. First thing tomorrow we would drive up to the hospital to see Mother and talk with the doctors. There were other things to do such as talking to our school, and the police, and making…. Funeral arrangements.  Mr. Marcoti gave her directions to the hospital and the State Police Barracks. We finished eating and Aunt Katherine said that we should be going. We all thanked Mr. and Mrs. Marcoti for all that they did to help us. We said goodbye to them, and to Gina and Maria, and left after promising to keep them informed about Mother's condition and the other matters.

It was good to get home. Being back in comfortable and familiar surroundings helped to reduce the anxiety that we were feeling. It didn't diminish our grief, but it did help us to deal with it a little better. We were able to clean ourselves up and change our clothes. Once we finished, we all sat down to talk with Aunt Katherine at the kitchen table. This was the first time that any of us had met her, but it turned out that she would have instantly recognized any of us. Mother had been sending her pictures of us since we were born. I couldn't help but grin a little when she said that it was nice to see that I had finally grown some hair. I knew she was trying to lighten the conversation a little by referring to the old B&W pictures of me where I looked bald because of my short light hair. I asked why she had never come to visit us. She said that it was a silly reason and now she regretted it more than ever. Prior to Mother's marriage, she had gotten into a terrible argument with Father. She vowed never to visit while Mother shared a roof with Father. She advised Mother to break her engagement because Father was a ne'er-do-well who would never amount to anything. Mother was heartbroken when she even refused to attend Mother's wedding fifteen years ago. But in spite of Aunt Katherine's dislike for Father, she and Mother maintained a close, sisterly relationship over the years through the post. Father refused to allow any mention of her name in our house.

Aunt Katherine told us that she regretted her words, and although Father had proved her predictions to be wrong, her stubborn pride had prevented her from trying to mend the broken fences. She said that father had shown himself to be a good and dependable husband, and father. She was sorry that she was not able to tell him, and apologize for those words spoken in anger so many years ago. As she talked, we began to see how very much like Mother she was.

At ten o'clock, Aunt Katherine told us that it was time for bed. We had a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. We all went upstairs together, prepared ourselves for bed, and retired for the night. Aunt Katherine would stay in Mother's room. I lay awake for sometime thinking about the events of the past two days. I wept again when I thought how I would never again talk with Father. And I wept as I imagined my mother's broken body on the highway. I wanted to be brave tomorrow, so I was hoping to get cried out tonight. I finally drifted into a fitful sleep. I dreamt about trucks crashing into our car, and our bodies flying through the air to land broken and bloody. I woke up very early, my pillow and sheets soaked from sweat. I got up and went into the bathroom to take a bath, where I allowed myself to soak in the warm water. It relaxed me after the tense night of constant nightmares.

When I got out, dried off and dressed, it was still dark outside, so I went downstairs. I made a cup of cocoa for myself and sat in the dimly lit kitchen to drink it. Susan came in just as I was about to take my first sip. I asked her if she'd like some and when she said yes, I got another cup out of the cupboard and divided it up between us. I had brought down two of my new vitamin capsules since I had not taken one yesterday. Susan asked me about them and I told her what they were. She asked if she could try one. I told her that Mother had made me promise not to share any as they could cause her, Judy or Mary to become very sick. "You know that I would give you anything that I have," I said, "but I don't want you to get ill." We sat there in silence, holding hands, and sipping our cocoa, until the first rays of the sun peeked into the kitchen window.

Judy and Mary came into the kitchen to find us still sitting there. They came over to us and we embraced as a group.

Aunt Katherine walked in to find us like that. "Good morning children. It looks like it will be a beautiful day for our drive to visit Liz.. er, your mother."

"Good Morning, Aunt Katherine" we all chorused.

 My sisters unlocked from our embrace and began to prepare breakfast. A whirlwind of activity produced the meal in record time. Aunt Katherine busied herself with the telephone. She carried a book, about the size of a diary, but many times thicker. As she spoke on the phone, she made constant notes. I heard her call our school and inform them of the events, and she told them that we would be out for the remainder of the week. She requested that copies of homework assignments be given to Gina Marcoti so that we could keep up with our schoolwork. She called the car rental agency and arranged for her car to be picked up, as she would use mother's car for the duration of her stay. She was incredibly organized and each call lasted only long enough for the purpose to be achieved. She didn't employ any of the chitchat and social pleasantries that Mother always used when making calls. When breakfast was ready, Judy called to her and she joined us.

While we sat and waited for her to say grace, she started to munch a piece of toast and look at her notes. She suddenly realized that we were staring at her. She stopped eating, and noticing our hands on the edge of the table, put down the toast and folded her own hands. She said, "I'm sorry, too many years of living alone. Judy, would you give the invocation."

 "We thank thee Lord for this thy bounty," Judy stated, then added, "We would like to ask that you look after Mother and speed her recovery, and please look after Daddy. He's with You now. Amen."

"Amen," we all echoed.

As we started to eat, I asked, "Aunt Katherine, I thought that you were married, but you just said that you had spent years alone?"

 "Yes, David. Do you remember about five years ago, that your mother came to visit me for two weeks?"

 "Yes."

 "Well, that was when my husband passed away. I know that my stupid feud with your father prevented any contact with all of you, or even of my name being mentioned openly in this house. It is my own fault and I don't blame your Dad. Anyway, my husband, Gregory Arthur Bliss, 'Gabby' to his friends, because of his initials, not because he talked too much, passed away after being injured at an oil drilling site. Your mother flew down immediately to help me through that darkest period of my life. I loved Gabby fiercely, and have not remarried. I run our little oil drilling company and that keeps me pretty busy."

"How long can you stay with us, Aunt Katherine," I asked.

"I am here to help get you through this terrible chapter in your young lives. We're family and family does for one another. I hope that we can become good friends now that we have been brought back together by this unhappy circumstance. I don't want you to worry. I'll take good care of you until your mother is able to resume the job."

I got up from my chair and went over to her. I put my arms around her neck and hugged her saying, "Thank you, Aunt Katherine, I'm glad that you're here. We need you."

My sisters all came over and joined us in the embrace. When we had straightened back up and returned to our seats, I noticed that Aunt Katherine's eyes were a bit misty.

She took a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. "It makes me sad," she said, "when I think of what my stubborn pride has kept me from enjoying all these years."

I understood, at that moment, that Aunt Katherine had intense feelings of loneliness in her heart. They were feelings that I recognized well since I shared those same feelings. I felt even closer to her now.  

Within an hour we were on our way to the hospital where mother was. Once there, we were able to look into her room and see her prone form on the bed, but only Judy and Aunt Katherine were permitted inside the room. The nurse said that she was still 'doped up', and would probably be kept like that for several days. She directed us to a small waiting area, and told us that a doctor would be with us shortly. When the doctor arrived, we sat quietly and listened as he talked with Aunt Katherine. He said that the prognosis was good at this time. He firmly believed that she would, in time, make a full recovery. Her broken legs and broken arm should mend properly. The breaks had, fortunately, all been 'clean.' The internal bleeding had been stopped. There did not appear to be any permanent damage to the spinal cord or cranium. Her broken ribs had punctured one lung but it had been re-inflated without difficulty and the ribs would mend. The lacerations had all been treated, many requiring stitches. It would be many days before all the swelling went down and other tests would have to wait until then. Since she was still young, the doctor felt that her basic recovery would be fast, and if no complications arose, she could have visitors in about 5 to 7 days. Full recovery would be at least a year. There would, of course, be scars. But even they were not so bad that a decent plastic surgeon would have any difficulty in making them all but invisible on face, arms, and legs.

We were all very relieved and thanked the doctor. Aunt Katherine asked how long it would be before Mother could be moved. She said that she was sure that Mother was receiving the very best of care, but since we were from out of state, and the trip was a long one, it would be easier on the family if she could be transported to our home town hospital, as soon as it was safe and reasonable. The doctor said that he understood completely and that she could be safely moved in about two weeks, barring any complications of course. Aunt Katherine thanked the doctor, and told him that Mother should receive anything she required. Money was no object; Mother must have the best care.

We drove to the State Police barracks after leaving the hospital. Aunt Katherine had a conference with an investigator while we sat in a waiting area. When we left, she told us that the drunk that had rammed the car was still in jail because he was unable to make the bail that had been set at a hundred thousand dollars. Our car, the trooper car, and the truck, had all been taken to an impound lot as evidence. Since a State Trooper witnessed the accident, and the man's blood alcohol level was three times the allowable limit, my sisters wouldn't have to testify because of their ages. Conviction was, of course, certain. Father's body would be sent to a funeral home in our hometown today in preparation for burial. The funeral home would make most of the arrangements. The obituary would appear in this evening's paper although everybody in town already knew about it. Because of the 'sensational' news of the crash, pictures of the accident scene had appeared on the front page of our hometown paper.

The wake for Father was held the next day in two time periods. In the afternoon from one o'clock to three o'clock, and again from seven o'clock to nine o'clock. We, of course, attended both sessions. The number of people who showed up for the afternoon viewing astounded me. The sensational headlines must have reached everybody who had ever purchased a house from father, or had construction work done by him, because I didn't recognize most of the people even though they spoke glowingly of him. The evening viewing looked like a rock concert attendance. I recognized father's employees, and many of his fellow tradesmen, architects and contractors. Aunt Katherine spent a great deal of time talking with people and collecting business cards.

 The next day, we attended the funeral mass, and the church was filled to overflowing. The Thursday service was reminiscent of a holiday service, where everybody makes a point of attending even though they may not go every Sunday.  Father John spoke so well of my father that I started to weep again even though I had thought my tears to be ended by now. He told of construction work that Father had performed for the church over the years at no charge, and what a fine man, good husband, father, and friend he had been. He said that his passing will leave a large void in our community, but he knows that father is with God now and we will all carry on until we join him again someday. The funeral procession to the cemetery must have stretched out for a mile. After the burial, we returned to the house. Family friends flocked back with us bringing assorted dishes of food. For the next several hours, the house was filled with visitors, then all had departed and the house returned to silence once again.

On Friday, we somberly settled into a kind of limbo. Gina Marcoti had brought our homework assignments and we spent the day studying and catching up. It was good to get our minds off the events of the past week. Aunt Katherine left in the morning and said that she would return at dinnertime. She had to meet with a lawyer and tie-up a number of loose ends. My sisters prepared dinner that evening, and all was ready when Aunt Katherine got home. The timeliness and quality of the food preparation surprised her. Judy explained that on weekends, the sisters always cooked the meals and cleaned the kitchen. After dinner, Aunt Katherine rose to assist with cleanup but my sisters shooed her and I out of the kitchen. This was their job and they were sure that we had other things to do. Aunt Katherine went into the living room and started working on papers that she was carrying in her briefcase. I went upstairs to read.

I chose 'Hamlet' thinking that it would take my mind off things, but the violence in the book repelled me. I went to my bookcase and scanned the titles. I was aghast. I had never before realized how much violence was recorded in my small library. All the 'classics' were ripe with violent episodes. I finally settled on a non-fiction book about whales. But in the first chapter, they showed pictures of the 'gentle giants of the deep' being harpooned and ripped apart for oil and other products. I put the book back in the bookcase and took out my chessboard. I set the men according to layouts in a book that I had about famous chess games and then worked on solutions by trying different moves. A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts and when I said, "Come in" Aunt Katherine appeared.

At my invitation, she sat on my bed. She looked around and said, "It looks like you got the smallest bedroom."

"Well, since I don't have anybody to share it with, it makes sense that the larger rooms would go to my parents and sisters."

"David, I hope that you can come visit with me, for a while, in Texas. Would you like that?"

I thought about it for a few seconds and replied, "Yes, Aunt Katherine, I'd love to come visit you sometime."

 "That's wonderful, honey. I spoke with your teacher today. She told me what a wonderful student you are. Almost straight A's in all your subjects. Just a B+ in history, but your recent work and weekly test scores have raised that to an A even though it will not be posted until final report cards. She said that under the extenuating circumstances, she would go along with a recommendation to allow you to finish the school year a little early and still receive all A's on your final report card."

"What do you mean a 'little early.'"

"Well, normally you finish around June 20^th. Instruction is actually completed by mid-May with the rest of the time allocated to review, testing, grading, and end-of-school-year activities such as graduations and things. Your school has said that because of your excellent academic record you could leave on May 20^th with a final grade of all A's. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes. I guess so. But why would I want to leave early?"

"So that you could come with me to Texas."

I stared at her for a minute, and said, "I thought that you were going to stay until Mother had recovered?"

"Sweetheart, I said that I am going to take care of you until your mother is able to resume the job, but that won't be for about a year. Maybe less, but maybe more. I have a business to run just like your Daddy had a business, and I have to get back to tend to that business. I just can't stay for a year, much as I would like to. Now, what I would like to do is spend the next several weeks getting your Daddy's business affairs taken care of. Since there is no one in the family to take it over, the best thing to do is sell it while it is still a viable commodity with a staff of employees. Do you agree?"

I thought it out and had to concur. There was nobody to run the business now. It was best to sell it as a going company. I nodded.

"Then if your sisters agree, we'll do it. We don't want to bother your mother with such matters, and I know that she'd agree anyway. Then, in three weeks, you and I will travel to my home in Texas."

"What about my sisters?"

"I'm getting to that, sweetheart. Mr. & Mrs. Marcoti have agreed to let the girls stay with them for a month until the end of school. Then they will join us in Texas. About that same time, your mother can be flown down to a local hospital. By then she'll be strong enough to make the trip. That way, we'll all be together and you can all be near your mother while she recuperates. How's that sound?"

The last part sounded terrific. "Why can't I just stay here until my sisters go down?"

"The Marcotis would love to have you but their house is a bit small. Since you're a boy, it would impose too many difficulties. They're very sorry. They don't want to see you four split up as they know how close you all are, but it will only be for a month. Think of it as a trip to camp. And you'll still have your Aunt Kathy nearby."

I knew that Aunt Katherine was doing the best that she could for us. We had to understand that she had duties and obligations other than us. I told her that while I wished I could stay, I understood the reasons for what she was saying, and I would go with her, as she was requesting.

She hugged me and said, "I knew that you would agree, your mother always tells me how bright and supportive you are. I am just trying to do what's best for all of us. Let's go talk to your sisters now. I wanted to discuss it with you first, because it will have the biggest impact on you."

My sisters were reluctant at first. Having just lost my father, and with Mother in a hospital, the further erosion of the family frightened them. But my agreement with the plan ultimately swayed them. They realized that it would not happen for three more weeks and there would only be about a month of separation before we were all reunited.

That weekend we traveled up to New York and got motel rooms near Mother's hospital. Mother was still taking heavy pain medication but was awake. When she saw us come into her room, she started crying and we started crying too. We wanted to hug and kiss her but had been warned in advance that her broken ribs would not permit it. We had to settle for lightly kissing her face and squeezing her right hand. Her other arm had been broken and was in a cast. She was physically a mess, but we told her she looked wonderful to us. We were being sincere, as we had thought a week earlier that she might not live.

The hospital staff had filled her in on what had happened. Aunt Katherine had been calling every day and leaving encouraging messages and passing on get-well sentiments from friends. Mother's private room was filled with flowers and get well cards. She started crying again when we told her about the wake and the funeral. She had not yet fully come to grips with Father's death. We tried to do what we could to cheer her up. When the nurse came in and said that the time was up, Aunt Katherine asked us to step outside so that she could discuss a few important matters with mother. She had her briefcase with her, and after we said goodbye to mother and told her that we would return tomorrow, she opened it as we walked out of the room. We waited outside until Aunt Katherine came out. We left the hospital and looked for a restaurant. We ate dinner in silence. It had only been six days since the accident, and seeing Mother's condition had brought the memories of it flooding back into our minds.

After dinner we returned to the motel. In Aunt Katherine's room, we held a family meeting. She told us that Mother had signed a 'power of attorney' naming her as agent in all legal matters on mother's behalf. An attorney had drawn up the papers. Over the next several weeks, she intended to sell all the assets of father's company and the company itself. I asked her if she was aware of the big land deal that father had just arranged. She said that she was. Father had left very good notes and she'd found the contracts. She had also spoken with father's attorney about the matter. In addition, she had found numerous deeds and contracts in Father's safe at his office. A number of contractors had left their cards with her at the wake and she intended to invite them to tender offers for the company, land deals, and building contracts. She would also solicit offers from other large construction companies on the East Coast. After we moved out of our house it would be placed with a realtor to be rented out until Mother decided its disposition. A very good law firm had been engaged to file suit against the company that owned the truck, their insurance carrier, and the drunken driver himself. Aunt Katherine had been busy and she appeared to have matters well in hand. The next day, we returned to the hospital and were able to spend a full hour with Mother before being chased out by the nurse. We told her that we would be back next weekend, kissed her, squeezed her hand, and left.

Mother was transported to nearby St. Augustine's Hospital on Tuesday May 3^rd. We had seen her on Saturday and Sunday again and now would be able to see her every night. The doctor told us that we were the best medicine for her. So every night, at seven o'clock we walked into her hospital room. Since her friends wanted to visit, and only so many were allowed at a time, she told everybody else that evenings were only for her children and sister, and begged them to come during the afternoon hours. One of her visitors was Dr. Clark, who had been away to a medical conference the weekend of the accident and had only learned of it when mother was admitted to the hospital. She visited Mother every time she was in the hospital, which was about five times a week. Because she was a doctor, she could visit during non-visitation hours when there was no competition for Mother's attention, and her time with Mother draw them closer in friendship. Mother told her that I would be traveling to Texas in a few weeks and would not be here for the six-month checkup. Dr. Clark asked her to have Aunt Katherine bring me in just before we left, for a quick checkup.

May 4^th was my birthday and we brought a small cake to the hospital so that we could celebrate with Mother. After I blew out the eleven candles, Mother gave me a small package that Judy had wrapped. When I opened it, I saw the small gold cross and delicate chain that Mother had lent to Darla Anne to wear. She said, "I haven't been able to do much shopping lately. I'm sorry but this little token is all I have to offer for your birthday."

"I love it," I said. "I can't imagine a nicer present. Thank you Mommy, I love you."

"And I love you honey. Happy Birthday. I promise that for your next birthday I'll be up and walking around."

"That would even be a better present that the one that you've given me today." Then we all had a piece of the small cake.

The next weeks were a blur of activity. I studied extra hard to make sure that there wouldn't be any problems with my final grades. We chose to pack up all personal belongings in the house and ship them to my aunt's home in Texas. We expected to be there for at least a year and wanted our things around us. We packed all of Fathers things so that Mother would be able to decide what she wanted to keep or discard, when she was fit again. When we were done, the house was stripped of personal items except for the clothes and things that my sisters would require for their final month here. Rather than tax the limited space at the Marcoti's house, many of the remaining possessions would stay here and the girls could come retrieve it as it was needed, and leave items that were not needed. It was like having an enormous suitcase that you could pop under the bed when you were through. A shipping company would pick up the few remaining boxes just before the girls left to join us in Texas. The already packed items would be picked up a week before Aunt Katherine and I left, so I had to keep a week's worth of clothes out when we finally sealed the boxes. 

On Monday, May 16^th, the shipping company picked up our boxes of possessions. Friday was my last day at school so I went around at recess and said goodbye to all of my classmates. The yard warden even permitted me to walk around, unrestricted, on the girl's side to say goodbye to my female classmates. When school let out, I stayed behind, while my sisters waited outside the school, to say goodbye to my teacher and thank her for her considerations. She said that I had earned everything I received as grades and that she, and my past teachers, had been lucky to have such a wonderful pupil in their classes. We hugged and parted. She wished me good luck in all my studies, and in my life. I joined my sisters and we walked home. It was our last walk home together from St. James School and we thought of it as a sad journey. They would be walking this route for four more weeks, while I would be in Texas.  

The next day, Aunt Katherine took me to see Dr. Clark for my checkup. Dr. Clark ushered me in after greeting me as David. This was the first time that I had appeared as David to her. She had me strip down and began to fill out a form. She weighed me, measured my height, head size, neck, chest, waist, hip, and foot size, recording all measurements on her form. She listened to my heart and lungs. Looked into my eyes, ears, nose, and throat. Then she took another blood sample, before telling me to get dressed. As I dressed she asked me if I had been taking the pills each day.

 "Yes, Dr. Clark," I said, "but I'm almost out."

 "That's Okay David, I have a new supply for you. I was going to mail them but after I spoke to your mother and arranged for you to come today, I decided to give them to you while you were here. All dressed? Come sit down with me."

 I sat on a stainless steel stool across from her chair.

"How have you been feeling? I mean physically, not the sadness of your parent's accident."

"I feel fine, Dr. Clark; aside from the depression of my life being turned upside down."

"You've grown about ¼ of an inch and put some weight on in your bottom since you were here five weeks ago."

"I haven't been getting much exercise lately. Just studying and sitting around too much I guess."

"David, has Darla Anne visited lately?"

"No, Dr. Clark. Not since my last checkup."

"Do you still wish that she could stay permanently?"

"Oh, yes. But until Mother is well, I guess that she will have to stay away because Aunt Katherine…. has never met her."

"I see," she said, then looking at her watch, "Well, time for my next patient. Let's go into the office." She gave me a box, which contained my pills. "Your mother and I have become close friends. I'll continue to look in on her at the hospital at every opportunity. Her progress has been wonderful. She'll be ready to travel to Texas as soon as your sisters are finished with school. Take care of yourself, Darla Anne, I hope I get to see you again."

 I smiled at her use of 'Darla Anne.' I told her that I too hoped we would meet again, and I hoped to see her two beautiful daughters again also. We walked out into the waiting room and she said goodbye to Aunt Katherine. She added that the family resemblance between Mother and Aunt Katherine was striking, and beauty must run in the family because all the Drake women were beautiful. She winked at me and I smiled. Her next patient arrived, and we left.

 Aunt Katherine asked me what was in the box and I told her that it was just my vitamins. We drove back home and arrived in time for lunch with my sisters. Gina and Maria Marcoti were there and we invited them to stay for lunch. Meals were a bit limited since most of the kitchen items had been packed and sent to Texas, but we made out. After Aunt Katherine and I left tomorrow morning, my sisters would pack up the rest of the kitchen and take their meals at the Marcoti house. We spent the afternoon together with Gina and Maria. Aunt Katherine was taking us out to dinner so we said our good-byes when the girls left at 5:30. I hugged and kissed Maria and told her that I would miss her. Then I hugged and kissed Gina and told her the same. She bent down and whispered in my ear, "You're my woman. I own you, and don't you forget it." Then she kissed me on the lips and smiled.

I smiled back, and said, so that only she could hear, "Oh Milord, thou art incorrigible." We both giggled and then they left.

The next morning was hectic. We had to finish packing for the trip and rush to catch the plane. Extra clothes, that I would not need right away, were packed to go with the shipper. The goodbye was tearful but we knew we would be together in one month. We left mother's car in the driveway and took a cab. The dealer, who had purchased it, would pick up the car on Monday. My sisters would close up the house and move to the Marcoti's house this afternoon.  I waved to my sisters as the cab pulled away from the house. It reminded me of the times that David had left to take a trip while Darla stayed.

The airplane trip was exciting. We rode on a brand new Boeing 707. It was an enormous plane, and the trip only took a little over four hours. It was still morning in Texas when we arrived and took a cab to the downtown area. It dropped us off at a parking garage. We walked inside and Aunt Katherine led the way to a light blue Cadillac. She opened the trunk and we put out suitcases in. She slammed the lid and we got inside the car. She waved to the attendant at we exited the garage, and he smiled and returned the wave.

We drove for about 30 minutes, then turned into a gated driveway. Aunt Katherine said, "We're here. Home Sweet Home!" I couldn't see a house, but she said that it was just out of sight on top of the mesa. When we reached the summit, the largest house that I had ever seen came into view. It looked more like a hotel, then a home. It was a two story wood frame house with a roof that looked like it housed another story.

We stopped in front, and I half expected to see a staff of servants come running down to the car to greet us. When none came, I asked, "Do you live here all alone?"

She smiled and said, "Yes. Since Gabby passed away. I hire daytime servants as needed. My cleaning lady left just two days before I was summoned to New Jersey. I had just started to interview new help. We'll have to find someone now that we are back."

"Why do you live in such a large house," I asked.

"It was Gabby's inheritance, and we wanted to have a large family, but it wasn't meant to be. We entertained quite often back then, so a large house was nice. We completely gutted the house and remade it inside. We could have visitors stay without being cramped. Come on, I'll give you the tour." We walked up the steps of the enormous porch and while she unlocked the door, I looked at all the rocking chairs, and other furniture arrayed along the porch which ran the length of the house.

As soon as we were inside, she turned to a keypad and punched in a code. Several seconds later the phone rang, and she said, "Yes, I've just returned," into the receiver after she picked it up and listened for a second. "Thank you for checking."

We were standing in an enormous foyer. We put down our suitcases and she led me around the downstairs areas. She showed me to an enormous kitchen at the rear of the house. Many restaurants would be envious I thought. There were four stoves, side by side, in the center of the room, with an enormous hood over them. I saw a walk-in refrigerator, a walk-in freezer, a walk-in pantry, and work counters, with mixers and other devices, ran around all of the walls. This would be heaven to a cook.

Exiting the kitchen through a side door, we walked into a dining room. Six very large, round tables, each with eight chairs, occupied the room and a head table with ten chairs reigned over the area. A quick count told me that a party of fifty-eight could be seated very comfortably, and many more if other chairs were added.

Off of the dining room was a sitting room that contained half a dozen couches and two dozen chairs, in intimate clusters.

A ballroom, complete with a small stage, came next.

We crossed the foyer and entered a barroom that had a twenty-foot mahogany bar, and a back bar with full mirrors and shelves full of different liquor bottles. Beer taps stood prominently mounted on the back of the bar, waiting to serve patrons with three different brands of beer. Half a dozen poker tables filled most of this room. There was a regulation-sized pool table as well.

She led me down a hallway and showed me a sewing room that resembled a tailor's shop, an office with a copy machine, conference table, and two desks holding a half-dozen telephones, and then an enormous library filled with wall-mounted bookcases that extended from floor to ceiling. The bookcases were filled with books. My eyes glazed over a little in ecstasy as I scanned the titles. This library rivaled the ones found in some small New Jersey villages. She said, "Well that's the highlights for this floor. Let's go upstairs."

We returned to the foyer and walked up a large circular staircase. At the top, halls extended in three directions. We walked straight ahead and turned into the first doorway on the left. We walked in and I saw the boxes that I had packed with the things from my bedroom. Aunt Katherine said, "I instructed them to put your things in here for now. I'm sorry, this is one of the smaller bedrooms, but it is the only one that is somewhat masculine. I'm afraid that I have decorated most of the bedrooms with a feminine look."

One of the smaller bedrooms, I thought to myself. This bedroom was as large as my sisters' bedroom, my parent's bedroom, and my bedroom all put together. I walked around and spotted another door. I thought that it probably led to an adjoining room, like they do in hotels. But instead I found a full bathroom. Just inside the door of the bathroom, was a door to a clothes closet that was larger than my old bedroom. I walked back outside and said "Aunt Katherine, it's wonderful. Thank you."

She smiled and said, "Good, I'm glad that you're happy with it. Would you do me a favor?"

"Anything," I said.

"Please stop calling me Aunt Katherine. I think that we've become close enough to be a little less formal."

"Of course. What would you like me to call you?"

"How about 'Aunt Kathy' or just 'Auntie.'"

"Okay, Auntie."

"Much better. Now come on, I'll show you the rest of the floor."

She put out her hand for me and I took it. She led me back into the hallway and we retraced our steps, and walked into the hallway that's on the left when you get to the top of the stairs. There were five doors in this wing. We stopped at the first door on the right. When she opened it, I saw a bedroom even larger than mine. It was decorated in a feminine motif as she had indicated. The next door on the right opened to a similarly sized bedroom but with a different color scheme. Then we walked directly across the hall from that bedroom and she opened the door to another bedroom. This one was feminine to the extreme. We entered and walked around. She had a sad and wistful expression on her face so I knew that this room was special.

"It's absolutely beautiful, Auntie," I said. "Did you decorate it yourself?"

"Yes, I had hoped that I would have a daughter. It was to be for her. I would have given you this room, but I thought that its feminine look would probably upset you. Gabby hated anything feminine. The bar downstairs was his idea of the perfect room."

I smiled and she smiled back. I walked over to a door that I assumed to be the bathroom and opened it. It was a hallway. On the left was another door and upon opening it I found a walk-in closet almost as large as my new bedroom. In fact, closet did not really describe it; it was more like a clothes room. Clothes racks and shelves lined the walls and two rows of clothes closets and shoe closets extended from floor to ceiling, in the middle of the room. If anybody had enough clothes to fill this place, then they would never have to wear the same outfit twice. The other door in the hallway led to the bathroom, and what a bathroom. A circular tub that could almost be considered a small swimming pool was the highlight of the room. A double sink counter, shower, toilet, bidet, makeup counter, and a couch filled the rest of the room.

 I walked back into the bedroom and looked at Aunt Kathy, "This would have made your daughter very happy. Any girl would feel like a fairy princess in this bedroom. It's wonderful, and you've decorated it so beautifully." I walked over and ran my hand over the bedspread on the king-sized canopy bed.

Aunt Kathy looked at me and said, "Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely, if Gabby didn't like then it was his loss."

"Thank you David. I put my heart and soul into designing and decorating this room. You're one of the few to even see it since it was completed. I come in here sometimes to just daydream about what might have been. I so badly wanted a daughter to share things with. Your mother has been so fortunate to have you children. I have been so envious, for such a long time." She walked over to me and hugged me. "I'm really glad that you're here now. I've been so lonely out here. Thank you for coming."

"It's me that should be thanking you. You dropped everything and rushed to help us when we needed you. Thank you, Auntie. I love you."

She took a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. "Come on, on with the tour."

The next door in the hallway was a large walk-in closet with cleaning supplies and clean towels and linen. At the rear of the closet was another door. I asked where that went, and she said that it was the access to the attic. "A lot of dusty memorabilia and old clothes. It was Gabby's ancestor's old stuff." The last door in the hallway was her bedroom door. When we entered, I felt like we were in a small auditorium. The giant circular bed was lost in the beautiful bedroom, which was wonderfully feminine and soft in its decor. Several couches, chairs, and tables were scattered around the room. Her bathroom and closets dwarfed the ones that I had just looked at. The old cliché about everything being bigger in Texas were certainly true in this house.

We walked down the hallway and she showed me the rooms in the other wings. The first room, in the wing on the right, was an eat-in kitchen. Much larger that our kitchen at home, it was but a miniature of the one downstairs. It was fully stocked with food including fresh fruit and vegetables. She said that this was where she ate and prepared her meals. The one downstairs was really only for parties, except for when she really felt in a mood to cook. Her secretary had brought fresh food when she had come to let the shipping company move the boxes in. Next in the hallway was a set of double doors. I assumed it to be some kind of closet but when she opened them I saw a full sized elevator. She said that she rarely used it, but was inspected once each year to keep it in good working condition.

The rest of the floor was dedicated to bedrooms. They were all about the size of the second and third rooms that we had looked at, and each having a private bath. The exception was the end room in the right wing. That was the one at the opposite side of the house from Auntie's. That room was double the size of the others. I counted a total of eight separate bedrooms, in addition to the four in Auntie's wing. Auntie said, "Well that's it, except for the basement, garages, stables, and aircraft hanger. The ranch is comprised of about ten thousand acres. We are at the front of the property here. The road that we came on is our boundary."

"Ten THOUSAND acres?" I asked.

She looked at me and said, "Oh David, out here that's a hobby ranch. And I lease most of it to my neighbors for their farming and ranching operations. We only have about a thousand for ourselves. The rents pay for all the taxes on the property and give us a decent profit too. Well, I have to put the car away. The sun is murder on paint finishes down here. Then I'm going to take a nice hot bath and soak for a while. Why don't you start unpacking some of your stuff and organize your room? Feel free to move the furniture around to suit you if it's not placed to your liking."

"Okay, Auntie. Thank you."

She left to move the car and I went to my bedroom. 

I started carrying the boxes into my walk-in closet. When they were all arrayed along the walkway, I started to open them and store the contents. Hanging clothes were hung on the racks and folded clothes went into the built in drawers. I put my games, and books on the shelves. One box contained the feminine clothes that Mother had given me. I put all those things in the bottom drawer furthest from the door, along with my makeup and jewelry. My pink skirt & blouse were concealed inside a winter coat that was zipped up. The only clue was the extra hanger that hung over the bar and disappeared into the coat. I wore the delicate gold chain around my neck. Since Auntie had already seen it, there was no need for concealment. After storing everything, I cut the tape on the boxes and folded them flat, like they had been when we had picked them up from the shipping company.

I walked down to the kitchen and got an apple. I munched on it as I retraced much of our earlier tour, bypassing Auntie's rooms, of course, so that I would not disturb her in her bath. I again explored the beautiful rooms that Auntie had intended for her daughter. I marveled at the workmanship in the clothing room. The built in racks for shoes, boots, and hats intrigued me. I looked at the shelves that extended all the way to the ceiling. A ladder like the one that you see in libraries, ran along a rail mounted a couple of feet below the ten-foot high ceiling. All the rows were equipped with the rail and the ladder could be lifted off and put on any of the others. There was a full-length mirror mounted on one wall that opened to reveal another panel that contained a mirror. When that was opened, three full-length mirrors allowed someone to view himself or herself from almost any perspective. The mirrors that swung out were like wings and could be set to any angle.

I left the clothes room after learning most of its secrets, and walked into the bathroom. I had heard of bidets but had never seen one, so I spent a few minutes examining this one. The bathtub was marvelous. There was enough room for an adult to stretch out on the bottom without touching the sides. I resolved to ask Auntie, after we had lived together for a while, if I could try it out. The makeup table had rows of lights around the mirror. A switch on the side of the table turned them on. It wasn't actually a table. It was more like a desk. It had a row of drawers extending down either side of the leg opening. The drawers were only about five inches high and there were six of them on each side. When I opened them I was surprised to find them filled with makeup. Lipsticks and nail polishes of every imaginable color. Foundation, blushes, mascara, cremes, and facial items filled the drawers. I found nail clippers, files and emery boards, tweezers, and eyelash shapers. In short, everything that a girl would need to get made up. I turned off the light, and went to the sinks. There were two sinks mounted on one counter so that two people could wash at the same time.

 I turned off the lights and left the bathroom. As I exited the short hallway into the bedroom, I saw Auntie coming into the bedroom. I thought that she might be upset about my invading this special room so I said, "I hope that you're not too angry, Auntie, I was just looking around again."

 "Oh David, I'm not angry. I was coming in because I thought that I may have left the lights on earlier. This is your home now too. You can go anywhere in it. I do expect you to respect the privacy of my bedroom, and I will respect yours as well."

"Of course, Auntie."

Spotting the apple core in my hand, she said, "I see that you've been eating. Are you still hungry?"

"Yes Auntie, I only had one apple."

"Come on then, I'll fix us some lunch."

We walked to the second floor kitchen and I sat at the table while Auntie made some ham and cheese sandwiches. She brought them over, along with a container of milk and two glasses. We talked the whole time that she was preparing the food, and in between bites and drinks. She told me about her and Mother growing up. I had never heard the stories, since Mother was not allowed to mention her name in our house. It was the only thing that I ever knew Father to be totally unreasonable about. I repeated this thought aloud to Auntie.

"I have to take most of the blame, David," she said. "I really caused the argument when I told your mother that your dad would not be a fit husband. I even tried to split them up. I was convinced that your dad would never be a good husband, father, or provider. I was totally wrong on all counts and I am very ashamed. I further compounded the error by refusing to attend their wedding. It hurt your mother deeply. She wanted me to be her maid of honor. Your father took it as the final insult, and forbid your mother to ever mention my name in their house. When their marriage proved successful, I should have swallowed my pride and begged his forgiveness. But I kept procrastinating, and wound up cheating myself out of a relationship with a beautiful and loving family. I am so sorry that I can't fully put it into words. Your mother and I corresponded regularly, and she sent me pictures of you children growing up. I'll show you the albums sometime. I would occasionally dream that it was my family. As I told you before, I have been very envious of your mother at times. I'm so happy that you're here with me now. And soon, your sisters and mother will be here. This old house will finally have a family in it again. At least, for as long as it takes for your mother to fully recuperate."

"I am very happy to be here Auntie. I too, am sorry that you were absent from our family for so long. Daddy was a good father. My sisters and I loved him with all our hearts. The love that he shared with Mommy was obvious. They were always kissing, hugging and joking around. We shall miss him tremendously."

"You're father was also an acute businessman, David. The deal that he put together just before the accident, will bring in a substantial sum of money. With the sale of his business and the other assets, your family will be secure for life. A father could not want for more than to make sure that his family was provided for in the event of his death. The lawsuits against the drunk driver, his company, and the insurance carrier should easily pay for all of your mother's very considerable health expenses." She changed the subject then to avoid our getting too melancholy, and told me story after story about her short life with Gabby. He sounded wonderful, and I was going to say that I wished I could have met him but decided against it because it would lead to thoughts of lost family years again. Instead I told Auntie stories about we kids growing up. It turned out that she had heard many of them already. I had had no idea that she and Mother had been in such close communication over the years.

After several hours of talking, we walked downstairs. She said that she had a surprise for me. She took me into a room, next to the barroom, that we had not seen earlier. It looked like a small movie theatre, and she said that that was exactly what it was. It could also project television images onto the screen. So she turned it on and we watched some local programming. At six o'clock, we called the Marcoti's and spoke with my sisters to tell them that we had arrived safely. I told them about the plane ride and about the beautiful home than Aunt Kathy has. After spending twenty minutes on the phone with them, we wrapped up our call by telling them how much we loved them and wishing them good luck with their schoolwork. Then we called mother's hospital room to tell her of our safe arrival. Aunt Kathy and I spent another twenty minutes talking to her before we expressed our love, and our desire to be together again soon, then hung up.

Auntie prepared a dinner for us, and after she cleaned the kitchen we went to the little theatre and she showed me how to put on a 16mm movie. We watched an Alfred Hitchcock movie about a man who, quite innocently, got tangled up with spies and almost wound up falling off of Mount Rushmore. It was a great movie, full of romance, suspense, and action. We rewound the reels and stored the movie, then headed up to bed. At my door she kissed me on my cheek and said that she just wanted to tell me again how happy she was to have me there. I hugged her, kissed her and told her how happy I was to be here. Then we retired to our bedrooms. I guess that I was really tired, because I had almost no sooner climbed under the covers then I was asleep.

I slept soundly that night. In the morning I couldn't recall any dreams. That was most unusual. I arose from bed, went to my bathroom and took care of urgent business, then washed, brushed, and dressed. Auntie was in the kitchen when I walked in. She was cooking bacon and eggs. She brought me a plate and some toast, and I dug in. After breakfast she told me that she had to go to her office, and asked if I would be Okay by myself. I said that I would be fine. She gave me the telephone numbers of her office and her car phone, showed me the codes for the security alarm, and how to summon help in an emergency. Then she kissed me goodbye, said that she would be home at six o'clock, and left.

I wandered around the house again, exploring the first floor. When I had finished, I felt that I had a good feel for the layout. I went to the library and spent some time looking at the titles. After a couple of hours, I started to feel a little bored and lonely, so I went up to my bedroom. I lay down on the bed and thought about what I should do. Then I remembered the makeup supplies that Mother had given me. Since Aunt Kathy would not be back for hours, I decided to experiment. I took all the facial makeup and went into the princess bathroom. I started practicing applying the makeup. At first, the results were terrible. I wiped it off and started again. Then again and again and again. By late afternoon I had started to get the hang of it. I took it a step further, and borrowing some things from the makeup desk, I worked on my eyes. Mother had said that a young girl does not wear eye makeup but I saw no harm in practicing its application. After a number of attempts, my work started to look passable. I was very pleased with the face that looked back at me. Glancing at the time, I realized that I must start to clean up. Auntie would be home within an hour. I removed all vestiges of the makeup and put everything away. Then I double-checked to make sure that I did not leave any sign of make-up on my face, neck, ears, or hair. I lay down on my bed and started looking through the book that I had brought up from the library.

Auntie arrived home at exactly six o'clock. She immediately started supper and called me when it was ready. She had stopped and picked up a cooked chicken, and then cooked a package of frozen peas and frozen french fries. The chicken was rubbery, but edible. As we ate, she told me about the things that she had done today and whom she had seen. I was amazed at the number of things that she had accomplished. She asked me about my day. I told her that I had explored a little and now felt comfortable that I knew the layout of the house. Then I told her that I had spent some time in the library and I told her about the book that I was reading. After she cleaned the kitchen, we went downstairs and watched some TV until bedtime. When we later climbed the stairs to the second floor, she kissed me goodnight. I reciprocated and then we each went to our bedrooms. I brushed my teeth and examined my face. I saw that I would have to pluck my eyebrows again. They had not been done in the weeks since Susan had done it. I went to the princess bathroom, got a tweezer, and returned to my bathroom.

I wanted to pluck them tonight so that the redness would be gone by morning. After I was finished, I examined the job, and satisfied, I went to bed.

The next morning I arose and went to the kitchen after taking care of my bathroom needs. Auntie was there already, dressed for work, and making pancakes. As I started to eat, she said that she had a very early appointment. She told me just to leave my dish in the sink and she would clean up when she got home. She kissed me and hurried out. I heard the front door close a few minutes later. I finished my breakfast and put my dish in the sink. Then I stopped and looked at it. I thought that since I had nothing to do, I might at well wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. As I started to put on an apron, I decided that Darla Anne would be better doing this 'women's' work.

 I went to my bedroom, got my clothes and cosmetics, and went into the princess bathroom. I took a bubble bath and shampooed my hair.  I felt wonderful when I started to get dressed. I put on a new pair of the panties that Mother had purchased for me, then the panty girdle to hide my little secret. The girdle was tighter than I remembered, then I thought about my last checkup. Dr. Clark had said that I had put on weight in my bottom. After I hooked up the waist nipper part of the girdle, I looked at myself in the mirror. The extra weight that I had put on gave me quite a shape when added to the special padding of the girdle. My bigger hips made my waist appear to be smaller. I put on the padded training bra and reached my arms behind me to clip it. I looked at myself and saw that my lack of exercise was giving me a flabby chest as well as a bigger bottom. The excess flab was being squeezed into the cups of the bra giving me the appearance of tiny, budding breasts. After rolling a pair of nylons up my legs and attached them to the garters, I put on my tight half-slip and camisole, then slipped on my pink pumps. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, so far, so good.

 I used the curling iron that I found in a makeup table drawer to curl my hair as Mother had done for me. Then I applied my makeup and applied my pink finger nail polish. After two perfect coats and a clear coat had dried, I examined my nails. They looked quite good. In the five weeks since my sisters had first worked on them, I had let them grow and been careful not to break them or damage them. Also I had continued to file and shape them with a file that Susan had given me. I got up and put on my blouse and skirt, applied my pink lipstick, and let my gold cross and chain dangle outside my blouse. Then I stood up and went into the clothes room to look at myself in the triple view mirror. I looked at myself from every angle and said, "Darla Anne, you are one hot looking girl." I giggled to myself for my lack of humility. Then I went back into the bathroom and picked up my wristwatch and bracelets. I had not put them on yet because I was going to be washing the dishes. I had found some bottles of perfume in one of the drawers so I sprayed a little and walked into it.

I walked to the kitchen, donned an apron and washed the dishes. Then I cleaned the table and wiped down the chairs, and finishing up by sweeping the floor. I looked around and was pleased with the tidiness of the room, so I removed the apron and put on my wristwatch and bracelets. I went down to the library and selected a romance novel that had caught my eye yesterday, Taking the book, I went to the sitting room where I curled up on one of the couches beneath a window and read for several hours, until I started to fell hungry. I looked at my watch and seeing that it was noon, I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a lettuce sandwich. I was concerned about the flab that I was developing, so I contented myself with just the sandwich and an apple.

After lunch I returned to the sitting room and read until four o'clock. I book-marked my page and got up to go upstairs to change back to David. Aunt Kathy would be home in two hours and it would take me at least an hour to clean up and change. I left the sitting room and walked to the foyer to climb the circular staircase to the second floor. As I reached for the stairway railing, I realized that I was not alone. Aunt Kathy was standing by the front door, eyeing me warily. With a sharp edge in her voice she said, "Who are you and what are you doing in my house." I didn't know how to respond, and I just stood there trembling.  She said, "Speak up, I say. Who are you? Where's my nephew?"

"It's me, Auntie."

Her jaw dropped when she heard my voice. Her hand flew to her mouth. After a minute of staring at me she said, "Come into the parlor," and she led the way to the room that I had been calling the sitting room.

She walked over near a window and turned to watch me as I walked towards her. I hung my head as I stopped in front of her. She walked all around me as I stood there. She touched my hair, waist, and hips, and then put her hand on my back and felt the bra straps. She said, "Walk over to that end of the room and then back." I did as she instructed. "You not only look like a women," she said, "you walk like one as well. I'm surprised that I didn't notice it before. Now sit down and tell me why you're wearing your sister's clothes. She indicated a chair that I should sit in so I walked to it, smoothed my skirt, sat gently down, and crossed my legs. She sat across from me. I launched into my story, telling her of the Monopoly game and how my sisters had dressed me in their clothes. I told her about mother finding me like that and carrying on the game for the rest of the day and into the next. She interrupted then saying, "Okay, your sisters dressed you and your mother got mischievous and extended it for the weekend. Why are you dressed like that now, your sisters are two thousand miles away?"

"Well… that was the best weekend of my life. Daddy was still alive, Mother was healthy, my sisters had a lot of fun playing dress-up with their live doll, and I got more attention than I had ever had before. I loved being one of the girls. But Daddy said that I had to be back as David on Monday morning. Before then, my parents had had each other, and my sisters had each other, but I didn't have anybody. I mean, I had my parents and my sisters, but nobody to really share things with. Do you know what I mean? In a house full of people, I felt lonely. I know that you know what loneliness is. I've seen it in your eyes.

"Anyway, being alone today, I wanted to relive those happy days of being with my sisters and mother. I didn't expect you to come home so early."

"I'm not early. It's 6:15."

I looked at my wristwatch. I said, "My watch says 4:15." Then we both realized my mistake at the same time. When I had adjusted my watch for the time difference, I had set it wrong. I was thinking that this time zone was two hours less that East Coast time, so I had set it two hours less then the clock on the wall. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I said, "I guess that it's true what they say about us blondes."  I started laughing at my mistake and this caused Auntie to laugh as well.

Just then the front doorbell rang. Auntie got up and said, "Wait here, I'll see who it is." She was gone for some time. I heard voices in the hall, and after about a half an hour, Auntie came walking in to the parlor with a much older woman. She was saying, "why don't you have a seat. I'll just put some water on for the tea."

The older lady spotted me immediately and said, "And who is this pretty, young lady?"

Aunt Kathy turned suddenly to look at me. She had apparently forgotten that I was in here. She stammered out, "P..p..pretty young lady? Th.. This is my ……niece."

I stood up and said, "Hello, I'm Darla. Darla Anne Drake. I'm visiting Aunt Kathy."

"Uh, Darla, this is Mrs. Moore," Auntie said.

"Mrs. Moore, I'm very pleased to meet you."

"And I'm pleased to meet you Miss Drake."

"Darla Anne, please"

"Very well, and you must call me Mabel."

"Thank you, Mabel."

"Kathy, why didn't you tell me that you had such a charming niece. Shame on you for keeping her hidden away up here in this monstrosity that you call a house."

"Now Mabel, you know that my little house is like a cottage compared to yours." They both laughed. I just smiled. Since I had never seen Mabel's house, I did not have a point of reference.

"Why don't I put on the water while you two talk," I said. "Excuse me for a minute." I walked into the large kitchen and in a few minutes had located the teakettle and had it heating on the stove. I then found the tea, honey, milk and some sugar cookies. I also located a teapot, tray, cups, saucers, spoons and a small dish for the cookies. I arranged the cookies on the dish, and waited for the kettle to finish heating. As soon as it started to whistle, I made the tea. I put the teapot on the tray with the other things, and carried it into the parlor where I placed the tray on the coffee table near Auntie and Mabel. I poured the tea and handed each a saucer with a cup and spoon. I placed the milk carafe and honey container where they could use them, and put the cookies within reach.

"Thank you, dear," Mabel said. "Come sit down with me and help me convince your Aunt to join our cause." I smoothed my skirt as I sat on the couch near Mabel. I leaned back, crossed my legs, and put my hands on my lap. I know that Auntie was watching me closely.

"Mabel," Auntie said, "You know that I agree with the basic premise of your group. But some of your members are a little too fanatical for my tastes."

"Darla Anne," Mabel said, "I belong to an organization that wants more consideration paid to the environment here in Texas. Too many farm owners, oil producers, and ranchers have little or no regard for the land, even though that land gives them their living. They plunder, pillage and destroy the very resources they seek to profit by. It's done out of stupidity and greed. We're having a fundraiser to send a delegation to Washington to see about getting some reform laws enacted. If the wrongdoers won't take care of the land voluntarily then we will legislate them into taking care of it."

"Mabel, I can't openly join your group because of the circles that I do business in, but I will support your platform as best that I can from behind the scenes," Auntie said.

"Well," Mabel said, "not what I was hoping for, but I understand your position. We know that you're one of the 'caring' oil drilling companies, and that you work hard to avoid unnecessary damage to the land that work on, so our members will support you as well."

"Thank you," said Auntie, "I'm still interested in those oil rights on your big ranch upstate."

Mabel laughed. "Maybe one on these days, Kathy" she said.

Changing the subject, she said to me, "Darla Anne, tell me about yourself. Where do you live? How old are you? That sort of thing."

"At the moment," I said, "I'm living here, but I come from New Jersey. I'm eleven years old."  I paused for a few seconds while trying to decide how much I should say.

"Darla Anne's parents, my sister and brother-in-law, were involved in a terrible accident several weeks ago," Aunt Kathy said. "Her mother is hospitalized, and will be for some time, and her father was killed. They were the victims of a drunk driver." She went on to tell Mabel all the details of the accident.

I began to weep as I relived the tragic day. I hadn't thought about it for several days, and now the emotions came flooding back. Mabel slid over to me and hugged me, saying "Oh, you poor dear. So young to have such tragedy in your life."  She held me and gave me a tissue that I used to wipe away my tears.

Then she pushed me away to arm length and said, "Do you know what I do when I'm sad, I pamper myself. I have an appointment at my hairdresser's tomorrow morning and I want you to come with me. You really do need a haircut. You have such beautiful hair, just like your Aunt's, but it's cut all wrong for your face.  A girl's hair should reflect her personality and announce that you're a woman. I know that Janet will fit you in. I'll call her as soon as I get home. Kathy, can you drop Darla Anne off at Janet's tomorrow on your way to work?"

"Mabel," Auntie said, "I don't think that Darla Anne wants to have her hair cut."

"That right," I said, "my sister wants it to grow out so that we can put it up in braids."

"Ugh, braids. They'll make you look like an Indian squaw. But Janet won't shorten it, just style it. Okay, it's all set. I'll meet you at Janet's tomorrow. Now, I have to run. I have a few more people to call on yet today. Kathy, I appreciate your support even if you can't come out in the open with it." As she talked, we had walked towards the front door. I was desperately hoping that Auntie would find an excuse to relieve me from having my hair cut. Then Mabel was gone and I had a beauty salon appointment for tomorrow.

"Well, that's Mabel Moore," Auntie said, "I've been trying for seven years to get her to let me drill her big ranch, but so far she's resisted. I want to thank you for not refusing her outright. If she gets angry at me, then I'll never get those drilling rights."

"Are they that important?"

"The land that we're talking about has been in Mabel's family since before people looked for oil. Nobody has ever been able to convince the family to allow drilling because they're afraid of the damage it might cause. They raise cattle and don't want to do anything to endanger the health of their herds. I take pride that my drilling operations do as little damage to the land as possible and we clean our site completely when the well comes in. It costs a lot more than leaving it a mess like some do, but I sleep real good at night because of it."

"Do they have a lot of cows?"

"Honey, if you've ever eaten a steak or a hamburger, then chances are that it came from one of Mabel's ranches. They also have cotton farms and mills. And up in the Northwest, they have huge logging operations and processing plants. Chances are good that you father used a lot of their lumber in his homes. We have a saying in Texas, "Mabel Moore has 'moore' money than the Almighty." 

"In a week, she'll be leaving for her summer house in Europe. This environmental cause is just one of her latest fads. She'll throw a bunch of money at it and then turn it over to somebody else to follow through with it. She spends every summer in Europe. This is the first time that she has even stayed here in three years. She spends most of her time at her other homes. We could call her in the morning and tell her that you're not feeling well, but knowing her, she'll come over to nurse you back to health. Do you think that you could stand to have your hair cut? It would mean a lot to me. It might help me get those oil rights some day."

"If you want me to, then I will be happy to do it, Auntie. I'm sorry to have caused you so many problems."

"No real problems, honey. We'll just humor Mabel until she leaves. Do you think that you can stand to be Darla Anne for one more day?"

"For you, anything," I said, inwardly smiling to myself.

"Okay then, today is Tuesday. Until Thursday, you're Darla Anne Drake. So that we will both feel comfortable with you in the disguise, and to help us avoid any slip-ups in the presence of others, I shall only refer to you by that name and shall talk to you and treat you only as a young lady. I love that name by the way. Did you just come up with it on the spur of the moment when you saw Mrs. Moore."

"No, it's what my sisters and the Marcoti sisters named me when they dressed me up. Mother liked it too. It uses the same initials as David's name."

"Well, it's time to start dinner if we ever want to eat tonight."

"I'll clean up the tea things down here," I told her.

"Okay, I'll start preparing dinner, come up when you're done," she told me.

I went to the sitting room before starting to clean up. I smoothed my skirt and sat down to concentrate for a minute. I visualized myself as David leaving, in a cab, for the airport, and then myself as Darla Anne coming back into the house. To pass muster in a beauty salon full of women, no trace of David may appear. Now that he was gone, I rose and carried the tea service to the kitchen. I removed my wristwatch and bracelets. I found and donned an apron, then washed everything. I found the dish towels, dried everything and put it all away. I glanced around to make sure that everything was done, and then walked upstairs to the small kitchen. I had left my apron on since I thought I would still need it.

Auntie was busy washing a chicken for roasting. I was glad that we would not be having another rubbery meal like last night. She had washed several potatoes and placed them on the table, where she would peel them and cut them up so that they could be put in the roasting pan. I sat down, and without asking began to prepare the potatoes. She finished washing the fowl and placed it in the pan. Then she put several pats of butter on it and turned to the table where she saw me peeling the potatoes. She came over and said, "Thank you for washing the breakfast dishes. It was a pleasant surprise. That's a pretty skirt and blouse that you're wearing today. Whose is it? Susan's?"

"No, it's mine. Mother bought it for me."

"Yours? Do you have any other clothes?"

"No. No other skirts or dresses, just my undies. I just wore Susan's old clothes."

"Well, you can't wear that skirt again tomorrow. We'll have to look through Susan's things to find something for you to wear."

"There's a pretty, white dress that I've worn. It looks good on me and fits fairly well."

"Okay, while dinners cooking we'll find it and press it." I finished with the potatoes, and she took them and placed them in the pan. Then placed the pan in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.

We walked down the hall to a bedroom where boxes had been stacked. We started at one end and worked our way down the line until we found the dress. It wasn't too badly wrinkled. Aunt Kathy took it and held it against me. "Yes. This will look quite nice. Okay, Darla Anne, I'll go iron it while you make a salad for us and set the table."

"Alright, Auntie."

I returned to the kitchen and completed my tasks. There was still about ten minutes left on the timer, so I cooked a package of green beans to go with the meal. Auntie returned just as the timer buzzed. I took the potholders and removed the pan from the oven. I cut into the chicken between one of the legs and the body to see if I could spot any blood, but it was well cooked. I put the potatoes in a serving dish and did the same with the chicken after I cut it up. Auntie had prepared a fresh oil & vinegar dressing for the salad. We sat down, said grace and started to eat. Auntie commented on the salad that I had made. She was surprised that I had cut up cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and a green bell pepper to add to the lettuce. "Usually, a salad, in this part of the country is just lettuce," she said.

"I'm sorry Auntie, I won't do it again."

She started laughing, "Oh Darla Anne, I wasn't criticizing honey, just commenting. I love your salad." She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"I'm glad. This is the way that I like it," I said.  We chatted all through supper. I told her about the books that I had read, and which were my favorites. She told me more stories about her and Gabby. She told me about how broke they were in the first couple of years. This house was in Gabby's family for generations but had lapsed into total disrepair. After they got their first big strike, they totally renovated it. Gabby had planned the first floor and let Aunt Kathy do the second floor, hence the feminine motif throughout. I could see how much she had loved her husband from the way that she talked about him. She had a far away look in her eyes when she said, "A good man is hard to find Darla Anne. When you find the right one, hang on to him and fight to keep him if necessary. I meet so many stupid women. They drive their men away and then cry about how their husbands left them. Men may not be the smartest critters that God put on this earth, but even they will eventually bolt if you dig your spurs into them enough. I just wish that I had had more years with my Gabby…. My, that was a delicious meal."

We put the leftovers away, washed the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen. Auntie said, "lets go try on that dress while there's still time to find another if we need to." We walked out into the hall and turned right. I started to turn into the rear wing but Auntie stopped me. "No, Darla Anne, that's David's room down there. I put your dress down here," and she led me to the large princess bedroom. The dress was lying on the bed. We walked over to it and I unbuttoned my blouse, removed it, then stepped out of my skirt.  Auntie commented on my tight half-slip. I told her that I have a tendency to use long strides and this forces me to take more dainty steps. I put the dress on over my head and let it fall in place. Auntie zipped it up for me then told me to walk around the room. I walked, turned, and twirled. She had me stand in front of her while she pulled at the sleeves, bodice, and waist. She smoothed the skirt portion over my hips and derriere, then checked the length against my legs. Finally she said, "It's a little big in the shoulders, but it will have to do." I took it off and put it on the hanger that she handed me. She carried it to the clothes room and hung it on a rack while I got dressed again.

I went into the bathroom and sat at the makeup table. I touched up my makeup and lipstick. Auntie had come in and stood behind me, watching me, until I was finished. You're quite adept at putting on your makeup."

"Mother made me practice, over and over again, until I could put on lipstick without thinking. I practiced by myself with the makeup until I felt comfortable with the look."

"We'll just call this Darla's bedroom for now. Do you have any sleepwear with you."

"No. I don't have any."

"Let's go into my bedroom, I think I can find something for you." We walked into her bedroom and then her clothes room. She looked in several drawers, then found what she had been searching for. She pulled out a beautiful sleepwear set. It was pink satin and appeared to have never been worn. She said, "I received this at my wedding shower but it was much too small for me. I think that it would look darling on you. Why don't you go put it on and we'll watch some television until bedtime. I have a nice beige set that I will wear. Here are some slippers to go with it." She handed me a pair of pink mules.

I returned to the princess bedroom next door, and got undressed. I hung my skirt and blouse in the almost empty clothes room, put my shoes in the shoe rack, and went into the bathroom to remove my makeup. I cleaned my face and examined it. Then I removed my camisole, half slip, nylons, girdle, and panties and bra. It was great to be naked for a few minutes. I scratched and rubbed everywhere that I itched. The only thing I left on was my necklace. Then I pulled on the panties from the sleep set and let the spaghetti strapped, full-length gown fall over my shoulders. I put on the silken kimono that was part of the set and slipped into the mules. It felt heavenly, and fit well, if just a little large. I brushed my hair and went to Auntie's room.

 When I knocked at the knock, she called me to come in. She was just finishing her nightly 'ritual' and stood as I came in. Her sleep set was gorgeous. A silk, full length gown with matching dressing gown and beige slipper mules.

"You look wonderful, Auntie."

"You too, Darla Anne. Come over here to the mirror." I walked over to her and we stood, side by side, in front of the mirror. "Look," she said, "with our same hair color and facial features, people will think that you're my daughter."

"Or your younger sister," I added.

"Oh, Darla Anne, don't be silly."

"You're younger than Mother even though you look almost enough alike to be twins. If you were to dress with a younger style, and I made myself up to look a little older, people would think of us as sisters."

"You think I dress too 'old.'"

"I'm sure that in the business world, you want to appear older so that you get more respect, but you're not that much older than I am, AUNTIE."

"Darla Anne, I am thirty. That's almost three times your age."

"You make it sound so terrible. I prefer to think that you're only 19 years older. I'm sure, that with only a little effort, and the right clothes, you could pass for say, 23. You have beautiful skin, a wonderful figure, and a gorgeous face. I could pass for fourteen, maybe fifteen, with the proper makeup, and stuffing up front. There are lots of sisters that have an age difference greater than 8 years."

"Do you really think that I could pass for 23?"

"Absolutely, but you'll need to get some new clothes. And maybe a newer hair style."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I've worn my hair like this for years."

"Exactly, if you were 23, you would NOT have worn your hair in the same way for years. You have to start thinking a little younger too."

"You're right. I have been thinking like an old lady. Oh Darla Anne, thank you. You are a dear. It's so good to have another woman around. This coming weekend we can do a little shopping and I'll get some newer style clothes. Then we can put your idea to the test and see whom we can fool. Come on, let's go see who's on the boob tube tonight." We walked arm in arm to the theatre and watched TV for about 2 hours, and then retired for the night. I slept in Darla's bed that night and felt every bit like a fairy princess.

 As Susan had told me, there are a number of fairy tales about princesses being rescued by princes and that's what I dreamt that night. An evil sorcerer who was attempting to force my father, the king, to relinquish his throne, had locked me in a tower. A handsome and charming prince from another kingdom, came and slew the evil sorcerer. With his sword, he broke the chain from the wall to which I was attached in my tower cell, and carried me off on his white steed. As we rode off, the chain from my iron collar dangled against the horse's neck. The prince cradled me in his arms and bent to kiss me.

"Milord," I said, "my hands are still chained behind me and my ankles remain chained. Won't thou remove my bonds?"

"You have no need for your hands or legs right now," he said. "We'll find a blacksmith soon enough." Then he pulled me closer and kissed me in a long passionate kiss that seemed to last forever. He said, "You're mine now. I own you." I woke up startled. I looked around at my surrounding unsure of where I was. My arms were no longer fettered. Then I realized where I was, and that I had been dreaming.  

 

(continued in Part 5)

 

 

 

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