Looking back on my life, I'm
often surprised that the happiest times were the most frightening. The
meeting of my beloved's parents is the first on this list. Little did I
know her Mama got this letter...
10 July,1962
Dearest Clara,
I
hate to notify you of this by pen and paper, but my family and I have
to leave at short notice and and go visit my father in the hospital.
A
few days ago, I was walking up to my sitting room on the second floor
passing Jennifer's room. My Jennifer and your Denise were acting like
school girls. The giggles and then I heard a sound of shock/awe and a
few tears. After a few judicious questions to my Jennifer, she wouldn't
answer them fully. She was 'sworn' to secrecy.
My
heart tells me you must investigate this matter further. A visit to Dr.
Montgomery might be in order as well. It seems like yesterday we were
carrying our little girls and we met in his office.
If you feel the need to contact me by phone, my number at my father's is Alpine6-754.
All my love,
Elizabeth
Little
did I realize the hullabaloo the overhearing of an concerned mother
would cause in my life. I wasn't coming because Denise was with child
(though that had something to do with it). It was because I loved her.
I wanted a bit of the happiness that GrandDad and GrandMother had. It
wasn't to 'do right'. It was to prove to her folks that we were meant
to be together. Hopefully they would give their blessing so we could
start planning our life together.
I
revved the engine of my 1961 Corvette, just like I used to do before I
walked to the sitting room door at the dorms. I had GrandMother's
engagement ring in my watch pocket and my wand in my sleeve. With the
hopes of the forces of Light, I would need one and not the other. I
opened the car door to my future. The dozen or so strides to her front
door seemed like the longest in my life.
***The Johnsons***
As
I approached the house, I barely noticed the vining roses on the
trellis. I'm glad the steps were wide or I would have ended up with
scratches by the time I got to the front door. Fear and adrenaline does
that to a body, I suppose.
In
school, I had faced boggarts and all sorts of beasts that would
frighten almost anyone out of their skin if they weren't properly
trained. But like all fears, they are first in your mind. But even
combining them and multiplying them by a factor of ten, it would almost equal the fear of reaching for her doorbell.
I
twisted it and heard the chime announcing my presence. Several
subjective years later the door was opened. LORD GOD! On the other side
of the portal was a very large man, atleast 6'5'' and weighing 250
pounds or more. With hopes that my knees weren't knocking too much, I
reached out my hand.
"Hello Mr. Johnson. My name is George Rotheri. May I speak to Denise, please?, I asked with what I hoped was a normal voice.
Watching
this 'mountain of a man' clench his hand into a fist the size of a
country ham, then opening it, he grasped my hand. He clasped my hand
with a ferocity I have rarely felt. I could almost feel the bones of my
hand rub together. I hope I returned it with enough power so he could
feel me. The circulation in my hand was failing by the time he let me
go. (Please God and the forces of Light. Don't let me do any accidental
magic now! I should have outgrown that along time ago. I just don't
want to take any chances!)
"Come with me into my study, George. We have things to discuss.", he said.
I loosened my wand in my sleeve and followed him down the hallway. I just hope it wasn't to my doom.
Mr.
Johnson's study was a lot like Papa's office. Brown leather furniture,
well lit with quite a few windows. He offered me a cup of coffee and I
accepted. After smelling its aroma, I decided Pappaw would approve. The
coffee was just like he taught me to like it. Strong as a mule and
black as the darkest night. The small cup shook in its saucer as my
left hand trembled a a bit. As I sat my cup on an nearby table, he
began to speak. With his deep voice, my world began to shake.