Clattering Sparrows (18 page)

23

DANNY MADE THE SHORT trip from Manhattan to Nyack Monday evening. He and Katherine were leaving at dawn for Rochester, and he wanted to retire early and get a good night’s sleep. He had been in meetings all day, and knowing the drive in the morning would take between five and six hours, he wanted to make sure he was well rested so they could be on the road no later than 5:00 a.m. Katherine prepared a light supper and after clearing the table, she went upstairs to pack a small bag.

In the morning, they had coffee before leaving the house, and planned to stop in a couple of hours along the way for breakfast. Their conversation began on a light note, but the trip was a long one, and they soon began speculating about the attorney’s request to meet with both of them. Katherine was equally as puzzled as Danny, since her friendship with Natalie Parker had been almost non-existent for most of Danny’s life.

Highly recommended by the Heller family’s general practitioner, she paid Dr. Parker a visit when she became pregnant shortly after she and Jack married. After several miscarriages and by the time she finally carried a pregnancy full term to deliver a healthy baby boy they named Daniel, she and Natalie had become good friends.

Following the expansion of the plant in Rochester to accommodate the Company’s continued growth, Jack decided that strategically relocating the offices of Heller Pharmaceuticals to Manhattan would prove beneficial, and allow them to better serve both their existing and future clients. He was right. He signed a lease for the top floor of an office building under construction on Fifth Avenue, and by summer of the following year, their new corporate headquarters would be ready for occupancy.

With the office plans in place and on track for completion, he concentrated his efforts on finding a place for them to live. His preference was the Hudson River Valley, which begins just above Manhattan and stretches north for over a hundred miles. The real estate agent pointed out to him that the elite area offered awesome scenic beauty, historic significance, and a rural environment all less than an hour’s drive from Manhattan.

When they visited the town of Nyack, he knew he had found the place for their new home. He bought a large parcel of land overlooking the Hudson River and built a stately riverfront manor. When Danny was four years old, they sold the house in Rochester and moved to their new home, just in time to celebrate his fifth birthday and for him to begin kindergarten.

Except for sparse visits, rare phone calls, and exchanges of holiday cards, the distance between them cooled their friendship. From time to time when Katherine accompanied Jack to the plant in Rochester, she made plans to have lunch with her friend, and on those occasions, typically at Natalie’s request, she always came prepared with pictures and news about Danny. Over the many years that followed, their friendship would ultimately be reduced to solely the exchange of holiday cards, and the birthday card she received each year without fail from Natalie.

Danny glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “It’s a little past eight and we’re coming up on I-81. I think this would be a good spot to pull off and have breakfast.”

“That’s fine with me Danny. I could go for a cup of coffee, and I’m a little hungry too.”

Danny took the next exit and pulled into The Pancake House parking lot. The restaurant was moderately busy, but they were seated immediately.

After placing their order and as they sat sipping the fresh steaming cups of coffee, Katherine said, “I guess we can come up with a million situations, but we won’t know why the attorney wants to see us until we’re sitting face to face with him.

“I’ve racked my brain since he called me, and although Natalie and I saw each other quite frequently when we lived in Rochester, it’s been many more years that we weren’t such close friends, and virtually knew very little about what was going on in each other’s lives. I do know she never married, and continued to practice almost up to the time she passed away, although she had scaled back several years ago. In fact, I didn’t learn she was ill until just prior to my trip to England when she called and asked if I could possibly come up for a visit. I told her I was going abroad for a month, but when I returned, I would certainly come to see her. Then as you know, she died while I was away.”

“Well in a few short hours we won’t have to assume anything Mom. We’ll have our answers.” The waitress brought their breakfast, refilled their coffee cups, and soon they were back on the road heading up I-81 towards Rochester. Their appointment with Natalie’s attorney Charles Carter was scheduled for noon.

They arrived shortly before eleven, and pulled into the Strathallan Hotel where Katherine had made reservations. The all-suite, full-service hotel was a favorite of theirs, and as usual they were greeted warmly. Their suite was ready, and they were ushered upstairs to the eighth floor. After freshening up a bit, they left for their appointment.

The law offices of Carter and Carter were located downtown in a small office building exclusive of small law firms. Taking the elevator to the third floor, they exited to the right and entered through the double doors. The receptionist welcomed them, and notified Charles Carter that they had arrived.

Moments later, a tall thin man entered the reception area. Extending his hand, he introduced himself. “Good morning. I’m Charles Carter, and I thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. Please come into my office where we can talk.”

They followed him down the hallway to a beautifully appointed room, where he indicated that they should be seated at one end of the large conference table. “Before we get started, may I offer you a cup of coffee, water, a cold drink?”

Katherine and Danny both requested a glass of water. At last they were all seated, and with his hands resting on the folder in front of him, he began to speak.

“As you know my name is Charles Carter but to most people I’m known as Carter, mainly because my Dad was also Charles Carter, and when I joined the firm, it simply made things easier around here. Actually Dad was Natalie Parker’s attorney, but when he passed away a few years ago, I took over the handling of her legal affairs.

“I’m quite certain that you are at a loss as to why I requested our meeting, but I hope to clear that up for you. In the short time that I was Natalie’s attorney, I grew to know what a warm, generous, and dedicated person she was, but beneath all the warmth, generosity, and dedication to her patients, I soon learned that she lived a lonely life, marked by heartbreak, misfortune, and reluctance that few people knew about. In all the years that she lived in Rochester, she made few friends, and you Katherine were by far closer to her than anyone else in the short time you lived here.

“Her parents were killed in an automobile accident during her first year of medical school, and being an only child she was left with no close family. Two years later, she became engaged to a fellow student, and they planned to marry when he finished law school. After Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered the War, he put law school on hold and enlisted in the Navy. Unfortunately, he was killed in combat only days before the fighting ended. Devastated at his loss, Natalie finished her studies, and after completing her residency opted to remain in the Rochester area and open her practice in a nearby suburb. She quickly became a favorite for the many young couples who were starting families in this area after the War, and her practice grew rapidly.

“Her hard work and dedication paid off, and she was appointed Chief of Obstetrics at City General, but she continued her private practice after the appointment and moved her offices to the hospital. She became a big supporter of the Florence Crittenden Home for Unwed Mothers when a local teenager, who was rushed to the hospital after a botched abortion, bled to death. She was instrumental in initiating the program at the hospital to give pro bono prenatal care to all of the residents at the Home, including delivery of their babies.”

He stopped momentarily and reached for his glass of water. Taking a deep breath he continued. “In Natalie’s own words, through me, she wanted you to know what occurred that fateful day. On August 16, 1955, her day started quite routinely—office hours until noon, rounds after lunch, a late-afternoon meeting at the hospital, and time to go home and change for dinner with her good friends, Katherine and Jack, at the Inn on the Lake to celebrate your Birthday Katherine the following day.

“When Natalie noticed your discomfort during dinner, she suspected that you were in the early stages of labor, and the three of you proceeded to the hospital where she delivered your son shortly after midnight on your Birthday.

“Delighted for the two of you, she approached the waiting room to tell Jack that he had a son. As she passed the elevators, a young unwed mother from the Home arrived, and since Natalie was already at the hospital, delivered her son as well.

“During the time she was busy delivering the two babies, a horrific head-on collision on the nearby interstate turned the Emergency Room into complete chaos, and drained each floor of all medical help that could be spared. As Natalie was about to leave for home, she was requested to examine a pregnant casualty from the accident which delayed her departure further.

“After an extremely long day, she briefly looked in on you and the teenage girl, and finally left for home just as the sun was rising. She managed a few hours of sleep, before heading to the Crittenden Home for her weekly examinations of the girls. When she checked in with the Director, she learned that the baby she had delivered for the teenager had died of respiratory failure. Quite upset, she vowed to look into the matter.

”When she reached the hospital, she went to visit you. You were feeding your son, and you chatted for awhile. As you lifted Danny and turned him towards her, she was taken aback. She knew instantly he was noticeably bigger than the child she had delivered to you and Jack.

“Leaving your room, she immediately went to check the records on the baby that had died. His weight at just over six pounds confirmed her worst fears. Somehow, someway in the chaos of the accident that had drained each floor of personnel, the two babies were inadvertently switched.”

Danny and Katherine sat unmoving staring into space as they digested the words Charles Carter had spoken. They did not look at him nor did they look at one another.

He continued. “For the remainder of the day and all during that night, Natalie was distraught, wrestling with her thoughts—morally, professionally, and personally. Although not deeply religious, her strict Catholic upbringing weighed heavily on her mind. She felt she had to do the right thing, but what was the right thing? Her dear friends Katherine and Jack were certainly in a position to provide a wonderful home and future for any child lucky enough to have them for parents, and the child born to the unwed teenager was slated for adoption. Maybe, just maybe, God had intervened and placed this child himself. With that thought in mind, she finally fell asleep.

“The next morning, Natalie rose early, showered, dressed, and headed to Saint Andrew’s. Arriving at the Catholic Parish, she entered the Confessional. Twenty minutes later, when she left the church she was satisfied that Confession had provided the catharsis and absolution she had sought, interpreting the Priest’s words to mean that she had made the right decision.

“A few years later when you and Jack were told there would be no more children, it further reinforced her resolve to remain silent and leave things as they were. Over the years, even after you moved away, she kept in touch and learned about Danny and how he was doing. Her main concerns were that medical problems could create a situation where you would discover that he was not your biological child. Fortunately, that never happened.

“Natalie discovered that she had ovarian cancer earlier this year. Her prognosis was not good, and she began a period of renewed soul searching. She visited Saint Andrew’s frequently whenever she felt up to it, and Father Ralph would often find her alone at the altar her head bowed in prayer, mostly at times when the church was empty.

“With only months left to live at best, and knowing all too well that she was the only person who knew that the babies had been switched, her visits to Saint Andrew’s Parish consumed her days. Eventually Father Ralph gained her confidence, and she purged her troubled soul to him. He became her friend and gently pointed out to her that although the decision was hers and hers alone to make, he urged her to reach a resolution before it was too late. She interpreted his words to mean that she should tell both of you what happened that August night in 1955.

“Once she had made her decision, she called you Katherine and requested that you pay her a visit. She really wanted to talk to you in person and beg your forgiveness. Upon learning that you were going abroad for a month, she immediately contacted me to make certain that if she died before you returned I would meet with you and relate her story to you. She passed away two weeks later.”

Katherine sat outwardly composed, but inwardly her heart was pounding and her thoughts were raging. At last, she spoke, “I was quite young when I met Natalie, newly married, and living miles from my family in my husband’s hometown. I didn’t know anyone, just a few neighbors, and Natalie and I became friends immediately. After what you said, I realize our friendship was invaluable to both of us. She took very good care of me through my miscarriages and through my one full-term pregnancy. When Danny was born, Jack and I were overjoyed. He was such a beautiful, happy baby and easy to take care of. I miscarried three times after he was born, and a hysterectomy ended our hopes of having any more children. Once or twice, she suggested we adopt, but when neither Jack nor I pursued it, she never mentioned it again.