The Widow's Friend (17 page)

Well, that is enough for tonight—that story wore me out. I
look forward to hearing from you Brother Stone. Have a good sleep and I will
visit with you again soon.

Merry Christmas and Ho, Ho, Ho! Calliijo

***

From Levi Stone

Dec 21st

Good evening Sister Wilson, you silly girl.

I’ve been thinking about Mary Lou lately. That push up bra,
that sly little smile, and besides that, the girl has food. I’m sure she would
feed me, if nothing else. I wonder if I could turn her. One night with me in
that dark little basement and I’m sure she could be swayed to go straight. But
on the other hand, with a babe like you hanging around, I probably wouldn’t
have much of a chance. But I think you’re right, she’s definitely gay or she’d
surely talk about it. And besides that, her personality is a little wooden.

I was leaving for work this morning and saw that Mary (Not
your Mary. Funny, huh, we both have a Mary living with us and they both give us
about the same amount of love.) was going to wrap up some presents, so I
grabbed the bag with the two dolls in it from the garage, and I asked her to wrap
them. She said, “Where did you get these?” I said, “A lady down in Rexburg
offered to trade them for books.” Then I rushed off to work. Sometimes being in
a hurry is a good thing. No sooner did I shut the door to the garage than I
heard her say, “Oh, these are cute!” Then she followed me out the door and said
it again. So I sputtered, “Gotta go,” and I hurried off. I didn’t want to talk
about it. And now she doesn’t want to give them to the girls for Christmas
because she thinks the other girls will be jealous. She’s a little nutty about
it. I’ll try to convince her, and besides, I know where I can buy some more.

I marvel at the fact that you ever went out with Tommy
Thompson, both all those years ago and now. Now this is just my perception but
you’re a definite nine, both then and now, and he’s about a four. I just don’t
get it. Maybe you see something there that I don’t, both then and now. It’s
just hard for me to understand.

So did your daughter turn on you a bit yesterday? That’s too
bad—it really is. It sounds like you are your son’s sole defender. That must be
a lonely battle. If you ever need to talk or a shoulder to cry on, just shoot
me an e-mail. I’ll be there as quick as I can, assuming that I see the e-mail.
We can drive around Sugar City in the dark or just sit and talk. Sorry, we are
still in somewhat of an awkward stage. It’s kind of like being fourteen again.

Your story about the car and the keys was quite
entertaining; though I’m sure it wasn’t fun at the time. Sometimes I think we
can be a little too independent. A knock on a door can sometimes be the best
answer, but you, my dear, are a very independent soul.

I was thinking that it was very considerate of you to wear
socks and no shoes when I visited last week. I think you worry about it a bit
more than I do, but it was still nice of you. You’re not tall Callii, you’re
delicate and feminine, that’ why I hang around—besides the fact that Mary Lou
lives there.

Our Christmas Eve party will be held in Rexburg, at my son’s
house. It’s a small party of about twenty, and it’s a place to go. I don’t
think his house could hold many more people than that. Christmas day will be
dinner at my house with both my son’s family and Mary’s parents from Driggs
attending. Then we’ll probably have another dinner on Sunday for Bailey and her
family, because they’re coming late.

New Year’s Eve is usually a nonevent for us. We’ve hosted a
few parties over the years and attended others at the homes of friends, but
more often than not we just stay home. The last several years it’s been all
about setting off fireworks in the road with Lexi and the neighbor kids. I
believe I’ve told you already, I’m a pretty boring guy. Are you beginning to
believe me?

Well, Callii dear, I’m signing off already. I think I’m
going to slip in the Christmas Carol DVD tonight and actually watch it in the
same room with Mary while we wrap gifts. She’ll probably do most of the
wrapping. She is fastidious and I am a gorilla, but I’m willing to help. She
doesn’t really know how lucky she is, does she? (Please agree :-)

That reminds me, I read something at work today, and the
subject was, what do men want and what do women want? The following paragraph
hit me right between the eyes, “One thing that is the most devastating thing a
woman can do to her man is to hold him in contempt. That is so devastating to a
marriage that, over time, it is often more toxic than an affair. I am fairly
certain that more marriages survive an affair, as difficult as that is, than
contempt. Of course, this goes in both directions, but when a woman shows
contempt towards her man, his very manhood is called into question.”

I have time and again thought to myself, I can’t continue in
a relationship where I’m treated with contempt! So you can see why this
paragraph struck me so hard.

And then the guy says, “So then, if what a man most wants is
to be admired by his woman, what is it that a woman most wants?” So Callii, we’ll
have to tune in next week to see what that answer is.

And now, Dr. Freud here, signing off to go watch Scrooge.
Goodnight Jo.

Your friend, Levi

***

From Callii Wilson (One hour later)

Hello to you again. How’s the movie? I just wanted you to
know that I am thinking of you. Also, I don’t understand your last statement on
your last e-mail. Will you explain it a little more, please?

I am running away from home tomorrow. I have no idea where
to run to or what I am running from. Want to join me? Just kidding—kind of.

I gave my eight year old grandson a copy of each of your
books today. He was thrilled. He loves to read and he’s very good at it. He
even loves reading the scriptures. I’m not sure where this kid came from.

Anyway, have a nice evening and sweet dreams, Jo

P.S. I did get some 9 volt batteries today. I even installed
one. I also shoveled about 20 inches of snow from my driveway and sidewalks.
What a woman!!!!!!

***

From Levi Stone (Thirty minutes later)

Hi again Jo. I have to agree—what a woman!!!!!!! Also, just
one week ago Wednesday, I didn’t run away but I slipped away to one of the
great days in my life. I hope tomorrow treats you just as well. Have fun little
grasshopper, but we ants have to work.

Sleep well and play well, Levi

P.S. I just e-mailed you the article to help explain.

***

From Callii Wilson

Dec 22nd

Good Late Evening to you my good friend and author, Levi. I
just finished the book, and what a tale you can weave. I really can’t get over
what a great writer you are. You need someone to advertise for you somehow. I
think you could be famous. You are already famous in my eyes.

I am babysitting two grand kids tomorrow. They’re coming
bright and early so I am going to bed now, but I wanted you to know that I
really enjoyed the book.

I hope everything is going well for you. I will write again
soon.

Night, night, from your friend Callii, the Black Widow

From Callii Wilson

Dec 24th

I hope you have the best Christmas ever. I am happy this
Christmas that I have you for a friend.

Thanks, Callii

***

From Levi Stone (Two hours later)

Hi girlfriend. I thought you’d be up until midnight cleaning
up your eighty-two year old father’s house. I didn’t think I’d hear from you
until sometime after Christmas. It seems that you transform from a grasshopper
to an ant during the holiday season as you serve your role as the hostess with
the mostest. You’re a good woman, grandma Callii.

The holidays have been good so far, no problems to report.
Mary bought me some cowboy boots today for my Christmas present. I’m now
officially one inch taller, and now almost as tall as you are. It was one
hundred and fifty bones for the boots. I thought I might as well get some good
ones—they’ll last me until I die. I can only imagine what they’ll look like in
thirty years.

Tomorrow will be the first morning ever that I’ll wake up on
Christmas morning with no Santa Clause and no kids here—weird. We’ll have
dinner here later on, however.

I’m gonna give you an assignment if you don’t mind. Write me
a note on Sunday night, just a little something that I can look forward to, and
I will be—trust me.

Your friend forever, Levi

***

From Callii Wilson

Dec 27th

Hello Levi, it is finally quiet around here, so I am doing
as you told me to, I am writing you an email. See how obedient I am? Don’t tell
anyone—it would ruin my reputation.

How was your Christmas? Mine was good, but I am still working
on cleaning up the mess. It was pretty quiet until about 1:00, and then all
Hell broke loose! There were hyped up kids all over the place, but I think they
all had a good Christmas. All of my kids came for dinner and so did my dad,
along with one of my brothers and his family. My daughter-in-law’s mom and
sister came also. It was a free for all for anyone that could come, but the
more the merrier is the way that I see it.

Today I went to Chu****

***

Well, it is now Monday and you can see I had problems
getting my email to process. I tried to copy so I wouldn’t have to rewrite it,
but everything froze up. I am going to try to send this on to you and then I
will write you again. This time it is my router, I think, because I had to turn
it off and restart my computer and…. So this is a test, only a test.

Until I write again. Your computer challenged friend, Callii

From Callii Wilson

Dec 28th

Hello, my friend, hello. Okay, so I think it might work this
time. Sorry about not getting my assignment done on time, and what’s more, I
opened your email on my phone this morning and then accidentally erased it
again. It is set up so stupid! My finger just has to be near this one spot and
it erases it without me doing anything else at all. I know you think I am incompetent,
and I guess you’re probably right, but I’ll have you know I spent a lot of time
on my assignment, and then I wasn’t able to get any credit for it. I am upset
about that, mainly because now I am going to have to try to remember what I
told you, and then tell it to you all over again. I guess there are advantages
to phone calls.

I think I was telling you about going to church with my dad
and brother. We went to my old church on fourth north. They held the final
meeting there last Sunday. They are going to tear it down and build a new one
in its place. My dad was a Sunday school teacher there many years ago. It’s all
really kind of sad.

I guess the church I go to will also be sold fairly soon. We
have a new church that is almost finished. It is south and west of me. That is
also kind of sad but I guess changes have to be made.

So what are you looking forward to now that Christmas is
over? I always have to have something to look forward to or my spirits can get
low. Right now it is going to Disneyland with my kids and grandkids. We are
leaving on the 7th of January.

My daughter and her family are flying, but the rest of us
are driving there. Mattie is going with me. She is so excited, as are the rest
of the grand kids, but I hope we don’t get on each other’s’ last nerve. We all
have rooms in the same hotel so we will be close but not too close. We’ll be
gone for a week. I think that by the time we get back I will be ready to be
home again.

Today my washer bit the dust—not good! I went to buy a new
one, but now I am thinking I will cancel it and have a repair man come and look
at it first to see if it can be fixed. I think it is the belt because
everything seems to work except the spin cycle. I had a heavy blanket in it and
I think it was too much for the poor thing.

I went to lunch with my husband’s kids today. It was fun to
catch up. His daughter is here from Iowa.

It was also my anniversary today—kind of bittersweet.

I was talking to my brother and his wife on Sunday. We were
talking about the good old times. Penny, formerly Penny Peterson from Sugar
City, mentioned an old sleigh riding hill in your little home town. I asked her
if she knew any Stones from over that way and she said she knew a Levi and a
Sherry. She also said she was a good friend of Sherilyn, Matthew’s sister. I
told her about the books you have written and she is going to borrow them from
me. She knew Matthew quite well, and she is excited to read the book you wrote
about him.

I read it on Christmas Eve day. I enjoyed it, but it made me
sad. It was such a waste of a young life. Kids are really hard on other kids
and I think it is worse now than it was back then.

Well, I think I’m going to quit while I’m ahead. You never
know when I will crash again. This computer has to gain my trust again before I
get too carried away.

Write when you have time—soon I hope. And will you send me
the one from yesterday again please? Sorry.

Till we meet again in cyberspace, your non computer geek,
Callpurnia

***

From Levi Stone

Dec 29th

Hi Callii, it’s good to hear from you, even if it is at five
in the morning. I couldn’t sleep, but what else is new? Anyway, I got up to
check my e-mail and surprise, here you are. I need to let you know that my
computer is whacked now too, so I’m writing this on Mary’s Mac. School teachers
are given Macs you know, but her computer doesn’t recognize the name Callii – imagine
that? Anyway, answer a couple of quick questions and then I’ll write you a long
one, probably on Wednesday night.