ALL THE WAY
Chapter Ten
Late October, 1926
Rose sang to herself as she expertly moved
the broom across the kitchen floor. She was enjoying the afternoon all to
herself. Danielle was off playing at a friend’s house and the older three were
at school. Earlier that morning she and Danielle and ran to the store before it
had started raining heavily, almost dangerously. Danielle though had been
adamant about getting to go to her friends house and Rose couldn't help but let
her. It was just across the street anyway. But she couldn’t help and wonder how
muddy and dirty all four of her children were going to come from their various
locations.
The clock began to suddenly chime from the
living room and Rose realized that it was three-thirty. In about three minutes,
exactly, Rose predicted, her oldest three children would come through that
door. Michael would be "starving and so bored," Jillian would be in a
good mood because it was raining and she liked rain, and Luke would be upset
because he wouldn't be able to go play baseball that afternoon. So quickly Rose
put her broom away and took one last look around the clean room. She knew that
in a matter of minutes, her efforts would have been for naught.
Jillian was the first to come running into
the kitchen. She dumped her book bag on the floor and immediately ran to the
window, looking out at the ocean.
"Hello Jillian," Rose said from her
place on the couch. Jillian spun around and smiled. "Hi Mom!"
Rose got up and walked over to where her
daughter was. "How was school?" she asked, taking her wet coat.
Jillian shrugged and plopped herself down at
the table. "Boring, as usual," she mumbled.
Rose nodded and went to go hang up the coat
in the front hall. "What was so boring?" she yelled from where she
was. The coat was dripping wet, and she didn't know what to do with it. When
she hung it up, there was going to be a giant puddle of water on the floor.
Spotting a basket of clean towels sitting on the stairs, Rose grabbed one and
laid it out under the coat rack. It solved her problem and the water began to
collect on the towel instead of the floor. Rose walked back into the kitchen
and repeated her question.
"What was so boring Jill?"
Jillian shrugged once again and laid her head
down on the table. "I don’t know. I guess I would just rather be outside
then stuck in school on a day like this."
Rose smiled. "I don't think I want you
out today anyway Jillian. You would likely catch a cold, give it to the rest of
us, and then were would we be?"
Jillian got up and started toured the icebox.
"I don’t know," she said again before opening up the door and looking
around. Her head popped out again a minute later and she brought with her a
bottle of milk. Rose watched as she poured herself a glass and then grabbed two
cookies from the Cookie Jar. Jillian put the milk back and then sat back down at
the table. "When is Dad going to be home?" she finally asked.
Rose sat down and took a sip of her
daughter's milk. "Around five, like always. Why?"
"Because for school I have to do this
thing were I talk about the most artist person I know. And there is a list of
words or something I have to include in it. And I have to have quotes from the
person on what he or she thinks about the project. So I was going to talk to
Dad about it."
Rose smiled, "Well, your father is a
very artist person. And I think he'd be great at this. But did Miss Whitney say
you could use your parents?"
Jillian nodded. "Yep, as long as we do
the assignment right she said she don't care who we-"
"I'm hungry!"
Rose started laughing when she heard the
voice from the front hall. "Hello Michael!" she called back to him.
Michael came running in a minute later,
yelling hello, and started going through cabinets. Luke came meekly in behind
him and quickly ran over to Rose. "Here is the mail Mom," he said
handing it to her. There was a loud cheer as Michael found the cookies just
then and Rose saw him take a few before running out of the room.
Luke looked up at his Mother. "Can I
have a cookie too," he asked softly.
Rose kissed his nose. "Yes you
may," she said setting the mail on the table, where Jillian quickly
snatched it back up and started looking at it. Luke grabbed two cookies for
himself and then started out of the room as well. In the door way though he
stopped and turned to Jillian and Rose. "Where is Danielle?" he
asked.
"At Christina's house," Rose
answered as she got up and put the lid on the cookie jar.
"Oh," Luke mumbled and then he ran
off. Rose sighed and turned back to Jillian.
"Any good mail?" she asked.
Jillian shook her head and flipped through
the mail again. "Not really...a bill, another bill, catalogue, oh...there
is a letter for Dad. Who's Sarah Kate, Mom?"
Rose looked at Jillian with a confused look
on her face. "Sarah Kate?" she repeated. Jillian nodded.
"Yeah...see..."she handed the
letter to Rose.
Rose took the white envelope and started at
the return address. "Sarah Kate Dawson Bradshaw," she read out loud.
"From Wisconsin." Rose turned the letter over and held it up to the
light, trying to see what was inside. "Its got to be one of Jack's relatives,"
she mumbled to herself.
"Hmm...yeah," Jillian said,
sounding distant.
Rose turned and saw her flip through the
catalogue they had gotten in the mail. Suddenly her face went white and she
gasped. "Something wrong?" Rose asked, confused as to why Jillian had
just done what she did.
"Do people actually wear that
stuff?" Jillian asked in amazement turning the catalogue around to show
Rose. She had come across a lingerie part of the booklet and there were some
rather indecent things. Rose blushed and gently took the catalogue, wondering
what store it was from. "Do they Mom?" Jillian repeated, her eyes
wide at the newfound discovery.
Rose cleared her thought, wondering when the
particular dress store had started carrying that sort of thing. "Um, yes
sweetie...but, you shouldn't worry yourself with such things. Only women wear
them when they are older. And hopefully married."
Jillian gasped again and jumped up. "So
you have-"
Rose cut her off right then. "How's
about you go get Danielle for me, it will give you a chance to get out in the
rain." She started ushering her daughter out of the kitchen and toward the
front door. Jillian forgot all about the catalogue and quickly grabbed her
coat. "See you in a few minutes!" she called and then was out the
door. Rose watched as she ran down the front steeps and then started walking
across the street. She closed the door and sighed, remembering the letter she
still held in her hands. Rose turned it over and looked at the address again.
The name of Dawson meant that she must be someone in her family. But she had
never heard of Jack talk about a Sarah Kate. In fact, the only people he ever
talked about were is parents. And that was very rarely, usually when he got a
memory of them. Sighing once again, Rose walked back into the kitchen and looked
at the clock. Jack would be home within the next hour and a half. She would
have to wait until then to find out where the letter was from.
*****
"Rose?" Jack called as he entered
their bedroom later that night. He had just gotten home from work and was anxious
to see his wife. Losing his tie, he called out to her again before closing the
door.
Rose came out of the bathroom and smiled when
she saw him. "Hay," she said excitedly, coming over to him. "How
was work?" she asked before lightly kissing him.
Jack rolled his eyes as he started over
toward the closet. "Same old, same old," he mumbled. "How was
your day?"
Rose took a seat on the bed and sighed.
"Oh, pretty good. I the children were all gone from about eleven until
three-thirty, so I got some stuff done. It was so quiet, I don't think the
house has been that empty in a long time."
Jack turned around and gave Rose a big grin.
"Maybe I should have come home from lunch," he said, raising his
eyebrows.
Rose laughed as she reached over and pulled
something off the nightstand. "Next time I'll call you," she
promised. Jack grinned again and then went back to changing. Once he was
finished Rose cleared her throat. "You got a letter today Jack," she
said softly.
Jack shrugged his shoulders and then came
over. "So?" he asked, sitting across from her on the bed.
"Well, I...here," Rose finally
fished. She handed him the letter and watched as he read the return address.
"Oh my God," he whispered after a
minute. "Sarah Kate! Geez, I haven't heard from her in....let's see...we've
been married fourteen years...plus five...oh my God...nineteen years!
Wow..."
By now Rose was really confused. Jack
obviously knew the girl, woman, from before he met her. "Who is she
Jack?" she finally asked.
Jack looked up at her, his eyes filled with
shock. "My cousin.... man...I grew up with her Rose. She and I were like
brother and sister, always getting into trouble and into things we couldn't
handle. Everyone called her SK back then. Her first name's initials. She used
to hate Sarah Kate; wouldn't let anyone but her parents and teachers call her
that. Wow. S.K and Dawson, that’s who we were. I wonder how she got our
address. I had sort of forgotten about her. Her family moved right before my
folks died, I didn't hear from them before I left. She must have moved back to
Wisconsin when she got married or something. "
"Do you have any other cousins"
Rose asked, amazed at what Jack was telling her.
"Nah….just SK. My mom was an only child
and my Dad only had one brother; Sarah Kate's dad. She had an older brother
that died when he was born. And a little sister that died from some sort of
sickness right after she was born. We were both only children...lived right
next to each other for the longest time. We did everything together...double
dated, pulled pranks, hell, we got the same grades and were like the same
person half the time. We fought a lot too," Jack laughed," about
stupid things. We both wanted to be in control over the other...got us into
lots of trouble. But geez, last time saw her was when she was fifteen. Still
wearing her hair in two braids, still wild as a three year old. Rose, you would
have loved her."
Rose early moved closer to Jack and looked
over his shoulder. "Well, open up the letter," she said excitedly.
"I want to know what she has to say."
Jack turned his head slightly and kissed his
wife on the forehead. Rose grinned back at him and then motioned for him to
open the envelope.
Jack smiled and then tore into the letter.
Finally he succeeded in pulling out several sheets of white paper. Fairly nice
handwriting graced the pages and the tops were little drawings of roses. Jack
cleared his throat and then began to read the letter.
My Dear Cousin Jack Dawson-
Good Lord, Jack, I am guessing I was the
last person you expected to hear from today. I really don't think you got out
of bed today and thought 'I just know I am going to get a letter from my cousin
whom I haven't talked to in seventeen years.' Well...surprise...I guess. You
are probably wondering how in the world I got your address. Let's see, I was in
Eau Clare last week, wondering through shops when I spotted some art hanging in
a window. I thought the style looked familiar, so I went into the gallery and
asked who the artist was. As you may have guessed, the dealer or whatever you
call them, told me it was by a man named Jack Dawson who lived in California. I
was shocked out of my mind. I had sort of forgotten about you Jack, sorry.
Anyway, I got your address, promising that I was only writing a praise letter,
and here I am. I did some research (you will not believe what a celebrity
you've become in these parts Jack) and found out that you had a wife and some
kids. But that’s about all I know.
Well what happened to you Jack? We moved
and the next thing I hear Aunt Maddy and Uncle Andrew have died and Jack has
skipped town. We tired looking for you. But we never found you Jack. I, more
then anyone, was worried about you. You were on my mind for a long time and
then slowly started to drift out. And finally one day, I woke up and you were
gone. You're memory was no long really there. Even when I moved back to
Wisconsin, I didn't think of you. I am not sure if I was just ignoring and
refusing to believe it or if I had really had forgotten you.
You're probably wondering about me, aren’t
you...
Jack paused here and rolled his eyes.
"She can be so conceded," he mumbled to himself, making Rose laugh.
She squeezed his shoulder. "Keep reading," she urged softly. Jack
continued...
Well, lets see. I actually managed to
graduate from High School. Without you around there weren’t much to do so I
actually paid attention in class. I didn't go to collage, but got a job in Eau
Clare working at paper. So I moved back to Wisconsin in 1910. There I re-met
Robert Bradshaw. Remember him Jack? Geek kid who was always getting beat up and
teased. He is not tall even now. But boy how he changed. Other then the height
I would have never have recognized him. Stylish glasses, money, the best
personality. He is so sweet Jack, everything I ever wanted. Well, you may have
guessed, we fell in love and got married in September of 1913. In 1916 we had
our first children, twins, Theresa and Marie. Then in 1919 another child, a boy
this time, Alexander, who we call Alex. And finally, in 1921, one last
Bradshaw. Little Deborah, or Debbie as she prefers to be called. That’s pretty
much my family Jack. We live in a reasonable size house in Eau Clare and are
pretty normal family.
Jack, I think we should get together. Both
of our families. Either our house or yours. Or even somewhere totally
different. Please, cousin, write back and at least let me know how you are and
what you are doing.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Kate Bradshaw
PS: I DID eventually grow out of my SK
phase when I was in High School. Just in case you were wondering.
Jack put the letter down and leaned back
again Rose. She studied his face while combing her fingers through his hair.
"Well," he finally sighed, looking
up at her, "I think we should invite them for Thanksgiving Week. The
children all have off school, as I do work. Why not?"
Rose nodded softly. She leaned down and
kissed his forehead. "Sounds wonderful," she whispered. "I am
looking forward to meeting them all."
Dear Sarah Kate,
You were right; your letter shocked me
beyond words. We have much to talk about, many stories. My wife, Rose, and I
are inviting you and your family down for Thanksgiving Week. I can arrange
train tickets and everything. But please write back if you are coming, and even
if you are not.
I guess I should tell you a little of what
happened to me. I wandered around for about five years after my parents died,
not doing much. I never had more then about ten dollars at a time, but I made
my way to Europe, mostly France and England. In 1912 I won a ticked home to America,
got on a boat, and met my beautiful wife. We married in May of 1912 and moved
to Santa Monica. Rose and I lived in an apartment for about a year before I got
a big art break. We then moved to a big house that still amazes me. In 1914,
before the war had headed up in France, we went over to Paris and spent about
three weeks there. Then, in 1915 the first of our four children was born,
Michael. Jillian, who is around the same age as your twins, quickly followed in
1916. And just like your Alex, Luke was born in 1919. Lastly, Danielle was born
in July of 1922. I am still working as an artist, although I have been doing a
lot of dealing. And Rose teaches a few times a work at a local theater.
There is a lot more to our story, believe
me. There are a lot of tears, laughs, and tender moments. The story of how Rose
and I met is hard to tell in person, and even more so in a letter. But we will
tell you when we see you.
I am thankful, Sarah Kate, that you are
well. Please write back soon and let us know your plans.
With love,
Jack