Sintown Chronicles I: Behind Closed Doors (34 page)

Tim let his skepticism show by saying, “We'll add your idea to the list of possibilities, Vic. Perhaps that is something we can add later."

Vic felt he was in trouble. “I know a man,” he said, “who put the Graylyn International Conference Center at Wake Forest University on the map. He's retired now, but stays busy doing consulting work. He doesn't come cheap, but I think a study and recommendation from him would be money well spent."

“Add that to your list of responsibilities,” Sandra said, aware that Tim was about to pass over a potentially lucrative source of income.

“I'm getting hungry,” Tim observed. “There's just one more thing. I want all of you to go by Microchip World in Charlotte one day this week. Ask for a salesman named Sean. One of these days I'm going to find out what that boy's last name is. Anyway, he has a complete computer setup for each of you that is exactly like the ones Sandy and I use. Some of you may not like this, but I am requiring you all to become computer literate by the end of the year. In your folder you will find more information on this."

Sandra slipped her hand to the inside of Tim's thigh and noticed that the speedometer on the Mustang was showing sixty miles an hour. The speed limit on the Old Charlotte Road was fifty-five, and Tim never exceeded it—except now. “Where's the fire?” she asked, but he did not seem to hear her.

It had been a long day, and although it ended pleasantly, she was glad it was over. She acknowledged she was rather cross most of the day, but that wasn't entirely her fault. Her visit to Dr. Honneycutt on Friday produced information she was not prepared to receive. She realized Mary Lou was experiencing considerable stress, trying to move to the pastorium while leaving enough furniture and cooking utensils for Susan to use. Even so, Sandra thought Mary Lou could have been a little more diplomatic.

She glanced out the window and saw utility poles flashing by, illuminated by the Mustang's headlights. She checked the speedometer. Tim had increased his speed to sixty-five. It had been a hectic day. She tried to accomplish too much that morning and wound up rushing to get dressed. Tim insisted on leaving for Winston-Salem two hours before the wedding, when an hour and a half should have been sufficient. She hated it when Tim was right. They took the wrong off ramp from Interstate 40 and got lost. They arrived at the chapel just minutes before the ceremony began.

She was amazed at the number of people from Dot who made the trip to Winston-Salem. It apparently caught Mary Lou and Mack off guard also, for they ran out of food during the reception. As a writer, she thought she should have a vivid imagination, but never in her wildest fantasy could she have envisioned Mary Lou looking pretty, but the doctor had been absolutely radiant in her wedding gown. Nevertheless, Sandra remained determined to wear a nice dress or perhaps a pantsuit at her wedding instead of the traditional white gown and veil.

“Tim, slow down, damn it,” she screeched. “You're doing seventy-five."

“Sorry,” he replied, immediately removing his foot from the accelerator and looking at his watch.

“Why are you in such a hurry to get home?” she asked.

“Well, I have one more surprise for you,” he replied. “There's a special on PBS tonight on George Eliot and her novels. It starts at 8:00 o'clock."

“Oh,” she laughed. “Well, step on it then."

He had already surprised her once today. He insisted on staying at the reception far longer than necessary, and drove at a maddeningly slow pace on the return trip. When they arrived home, Sandra was ready for comfortable clothes, a hotdog and
Adam Bede
, but not Tim. He insisted that they go to Charlotte for dinner in a swanky restaurant—something they had never done before. Even if they must go out to dinner, she would have preferred McDonalds's or Western Steer. She didn't mind spending money, but she didn't like to waste it. Paying fifty dollars for a two-dollar steak rubbed her the wrong way. Besides, she was afraid she would embarrass Tim by using the wrong fork or something like that.

There was some embarrassment, she recalled with a wry smile, but it was Tim who embarrassed her. As they finished their meal, several waiters appeared bearing a small cake with a single candle. Right there in front of everybody they sang “Happy Birthday” to her. The other diners applauded and some sang with the waiters.

Tim explained that when she had showed him her research on George Eliot he noticed her remark that Eliot's and Sandra's birthdays were on the same day, November 22. He made a note of it on his computer calendar. After blowing out the candle, one waiter cut the cake in half, making two nice servings. Tim presented her with an unwrapped case, which contained a beautiful pearl necklace. She thought the pearls were real, but she didn't dare ask.

All of their house lights were out when they arrived at 7:58. She was certain she had left a couple of them on. Tim ignored her comment about the lights and urged her to hurry to the den and turn the TV set on while he hung up their coats.

When she snapped on the den light switch, both light and a chorus of “Happy Birthday” filled the room. She felt overwhelmed with emotion. She had never had a birthday dinner, a birthday cake, a birthday gift, and certainly, she had never had a surprise birthday party. She thought that everybody she knew in Dot must be there. Even the newlyweds were present.

While the guests were still shaking her hand or giving her a hug, eyes turned to the door and the group launched into another chorus of “Happy Birthday to You.” Dottie Frank made her entrance carrying the beautiful cake she had created, complete with twenty-seven lighted candles. Sandra did not have the heart to tell Tim until the following summer that she was only twenty-six.

Tim urged her to make a wish and, if she blew out all of the candles with a single breath, he promised it would come true. She wished that it would snow on Christmas Eve, and she blew out the candles with almost enough force to blow the icing off the cake.

People stood around eating cake, drinking spiked punch and watching her open the gag gifts they had brought. Tim quietly mingled with the group, thanking everyone for coming and giving special thanks to Dottie Frank for baking the cake and to Victoria White for sending out the invitations. When he saw that Sandra was opening the last gift, he and Bobby slipped out and brought in one final surprise.

Sandra could not imagine what the oddly shaped package might contain. She thought it must have taken a whole roll of wrapping paper to cover it. She ripped away the red foil and beamed with delight.

“I thought it was time the place had a name,” Tim explained as he lifted up the bright green three by four-foot solid pine sign for all to see. Lettering, grooved into both sides and painted white, read:

“How clever,” someone said. “Double D for the two Dollars."

“No,” Sandra said as she gave Tim a look that made him want to get rid of the guests in a hurry. “It stands for Dude and Dudette."

The following Thursday was Thanksgiving. Sandra enjoyed preparing the meal during the morning as well as the compliments from her guests, who began arriving at noon, although 1:00 o'clock was the scheduled time.

Mack received some good-natured kidding about his long blessing, but Sandra had a different problem with it. She knew there was more to be thankful for than ever before in her life, but Mack was thanking God for all blessings. She thought it more appropriate for her to thank Tim.

Even though everyone was already stuffed with turkey and numerous side dishes, including especially delicious fresh baked yeast rolls, they all topped off the meal with a delicious slice of pumpkin pie, crowned with real whipped cream—a delicacy several had never before experienced. Mack, Vic, Bobby, Carl and Tim retired to the den to watch football on TV. Mary Lou, Susan, Adele and Victoria began cleaning things up, with Sandra supervising.

It was during the cleanup period that Sandra's “renewal of wedding vows” plans were expanded and formalized, and she later relayed them to Tim, who seemed overwhelmed. Everyone in Dot was to be invited. The Thanksgiving Day guests would prepare a buffet style dinner, and serving would start at 6:00 p.m. At eight o'clock the festivities would move to the small pond to the right of the house where the ceremony would take place followed by the singing of Christmas carols. Sandra insisted that everyone should dress for the snow that she so badly wanted.

December passed with startling speed. In addition to progress towards their own goals, Tim was nearly overwhelmed with reports from various committees created at the town meeting. Business people agreed to pay for street lighting that would be installed as soon as Duke Power could get to it. The Mecklenburg County Bookmobile would visit Dot weekly on Thursdays, beginning the first of the year. Although not enough, certain funds were available from both the county and the federal governments to apply to the building of a clinic, and it appeared there was the probability of the clinic being located in the old hotel building. Dr. Honneycutt found not only a dentist who was interested in establishing a practice in Dot, but also an optometrist.

Sandra began setting her alarm clock for 5:00 a.m. each day because there was so much she wanted to do. In addition to participating with Tim in their business affairs, she was nearing the completion of the first draft of her novel. She sent letters to thirteen agents who advertised in
Writers’ Digest
, requesting a copy of their submission guidelines. She allowed herself to believe that there was at least a slight possibility she might actually get her book published.

For the first time in her life, she had money with which to purchase Christmas presents, and people to whom she wanted to give them. While Mary Lou Honneycutt McGee or Victoria White occasionally accompanied them, it was usually Susan and Sandra who made frequent shopping trips to Charlotte.

Additionally, Sandra discovered how difficult it was to decorate a large house for Christmas and she welcomed Susan's excellent taste and assistance. She was pleased with the artificial trees they purchased, placed in the den and living room and carefully decorated. But she was most pleased with the two forty foot cedar trees growing on the house side of the small pond on which they strung outdoor lights with the help of a borrowed Duke Power Company cherry picker. At night, the 2000 lights on each tree adequately illuminated the area and their colorful reflection in the water was visible from Highway 13. The ceremony was to take place between these trees, and the guests would sing carols around them.

Weather conditions during December in this part of North Carolina are difficult for even certified meteorologists to predict. There is always the possibility of snow, but the probability, if there is frozen precipitation at all, is sleet and/or freezing rain. Weather conditions during the first part of the month were about average, with lows near forty and highs in the low fifties. However, a change in the jet stream influenced the second half and the weather turned warmer than usual. The temperature actually reached eighty degrees one day. It was so much warmer than normal that on December 24
^th
the forsythia bushes on either end of the house were in full bloom as were the spireas lining the front of the house. The Christmas Eve official weather forecast called for clear skies, a high of sixty-five degrees and a low of forty. Sandra was not pleased.

Sandra prayed her daily prayer hourly. The friends occupying her kitchen all day kidded her mercilessly and even suggested that if snow were so important, perhaps she should postpone the ceremony. Even as Bobby worked in a tee shirt stacking wood for a bonfire near the small pond, Sandra angrily replied to Tim's suggestion of dropping confetti on the ceremony from a cherry picker by tartly insisting, “It will snow tonight."

While a few guests arrived at 5:30, most straggled in between 6:00 and 7:30. There never seemed to be long lines at the buffet set up in the dining room. Children played on the lawn. Adults wandered both outside and in, some dressed casually, and some in their Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes. Many of the guests neither Sandra nor Tim knew, but they were genuinely welcome. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and at one point Tim and Sandra agreed to make this an annual holiday event. As quickly as food disappeared from the buffet table, more appeared. The cooks had anticipated the large turnout.

At one point Sandra slipped away and prayed her “daily” prayer one final time. She added, God, if it doesn't snow tonight, you and I are going to have a long talk tomorrow. She wondered if God appreciated humor.

Shortly before 8:00, Bobby torched the two huge piles of wood on either side of the lighted cedars. The leaping flames called the guest to the pond. Only Sandra slipped on a coat.

Okay God, Sandra silently prayed as she stood, holding Tim's hand while Mack recited the marriage ceremony, Maybe it was wrong of me to try to put you to such a test. It's still the happiest day of my life. It's a beautiful setting on the edge of the pond with the tree lights glowing and the bonfires burning. Marrying a man like Tim and surrounded by so many friends and neighbors is an experience I thought I'd never have. I'll forgive you this time, she concluded.

She smiled and relaxed. It did not bother her that some of the children jumped the gun and were toasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate that her friends had provided for the final event of the evening. She was unaware that many of her guests were beginning to shiver.

Meteorologists do not understand the jet stream. They don't really know what it is, what creates it, what causes it to be stationary, what causes it to move slightly at times and sharply at other times. During the early morning hours of this December 24
^th
, the jet stream, which had been running in something of a straight line across Canada, suddenly began to dip sharply into the United States. About 7:00 p.m. it reached and then passed through Dot, North Carolina, bringing with it very cold air out of Canada which collided with the moist warm air that had been stagnant over the Carolinas for two weeks.