The Letter - Chapter 24

I looked at the forbidding, dark clouds as I walked up the steps to Beverly’s front porch.  Her front door was painted a friendly lime green.  I clenched my hand to knock and then remembered my own recent admonition and pushed her doorbell.  I heard chimes ring inside her house.  Then, Beverly’s voice from deep within the bowels of the structure.

“Just a minute!”

I stood waiting and looked again at the clouds.  Rain again?  I heard we might actually get some snow.  The door opened with a whoosh.

“Ellie!  What a surprise!  I thought you were in Pittsburgh.”

“I leave tomorrow.  Groundhog’s Day.  Remember?”

“Oh yeah.  That’s right.  Won’t you come in?”

“I was out walking for some exercise and fresh air.  I was hoping you might join me.”

“Sure, sure, Ellie.  But it looks like rain.”

“I think it will hold off until the afternoon.  But you might want to bring an umbrella, just in case.”  I pulled my mini-umbrella from my purse to show her.

“Good thought.  Come in for a second.  I need to get better shoes and my coat and umbrella.  It will just take a minute, but there’s no sense in your waiting outside.”

I stepped into her entranceway.  “Mmmm.  That coffee smells great!”

“Perfect day for it, said Beverly pulling on her coat.  I bought a coffee cake.  Please say you’ll have some after we walk a bit to work up our appetites.”

“I’d love some.  Let’s go.”  As Beverly and I walked down the sidewalk, a thin ray of sunshine broke

through the dark clouds.

“An omen,” said Beverly pointing to the break in the clouds.  But a few minutes later, the break in the clouds closed back up restoring the gloom as we continued onward.  After about ten minutes, I felt a fat drop of rain strike my hat.

“I think we are about to be caught in a deluge,” Beverly opened her umbrella.  “Time to head back for that coffee cake.”

“Yes, I agree,” I said. “Let’s turn around post-haste.”

We were about fifty yards from Beverly’s front door when the few scattered droplets multiplied into a downpour.  We hustled inside and hung our wet coats and hats on her coat tree.  I followed Beverly into her kitchen.  The smell of coffee was inviting. Beverly poured two mugs and set them on the table.

“Cream, no sugar, right?”

“That’s right, thank you,” I said as she set a small pitcher of half and half on the table in front of me.  Beverly placed two small plates and the coffee cake on the table.  She got two forks from the silverware drawer and placed a generous piece of the pastry on each of our plates.

“Dig in!” she said with a smile.

 

“Thank you.  It’s delicious, I said pushing a forkful into my mouth.”

“So when are you leaving?”

“Around ten o’clock tomorrow morning.  I’ll get into Pittsburgh around seven in the evening.  There’s a brief stopover in Chicago.”

“And your nephew’s game is on Friday?  By the way, your hair looks lovely.  Did you go to my place?  Looks like you decided to get rid of the gray.”

“I wasn’t going to color it, but Jillian talked me into it.”

“She’s great.  She knows what looks good.  That color and style remind me of Elizabeth Warren.”

“I know.  Does it suit me?”  I struck a pose with my hand behind my head.

“Perfectly.  Have you heard from George?  With that new look, I hope he’s a Democrat.  Anyway, he should have gotten your letter by now.”

“Not a peep.  We’ll see if he shows up at the game.”

“Nevertheless, she persisted, right?”  Beverly laughed at her own reference to a phrase that had become synonymous with Elizabeth Warren.

“We’ll see.  I’m not sure how far to persist in the case of George.  Anyway, I like Senator Warren.  I hope she decides to run for president.”

“You could be her body double,” smiled Beverly putting the last forkful of cake into her mouth.

I finished mine and drank the last sip of my coffee.

“More coffee, Ellie?”

“No thank you.  I’ve got to be getting back.  I haven’t started to pack yet.”  I stood up.

“Dear Ellie.”  Beverly came toward me and gave me a fierce hug.  “Safe travels, my friend.”  She took a step back.  “This George better treat you well, or he’s going to answer to me.”

I wiped away a tear.  “I am so blessed to have you as a friend.  Take care of yourself, Beverly.  I’ll be back in a week and will tell you all about it.”  I walked to the front door and got my hat and coat with Beverly right behind me. 

“Oh my goodness,” a thought occurred to me.  “I forgot to stop the mail and paper.  Do you think there’s still time to do that today?”

“Don’t you worry about it,” Beverly said.  “I would be happy to pick it up for you.  That way, you’ll be forced to see me as soon as you get back.”

“That would be great.  Thank you.”  I gave my friend a quick hug and started back to my house.  The rain had slowed to a mist.  Now what should I pack to wear at a high school basketball game?