The Widow's Friend (5 page)

“I’m going to Boston,” I muttered. I turned and stared at
the laptop. Should I or shouldn’t I? The little….

She deserves to wait! I’ll let it rest. I smiled
perniciously and clicked it shut. I didn’t know what to write anyway. I was
really, at this moment in time, so very confused.

From Levi Stone

Oct 18th

(Back from Boston—One week later)

Hi Callii, are you home or have you left for Iowa? Let me
know and I’ll write when you get back, Levi

“Friendless”

I hadn’t heard from Levi for about a week now, and I was
feeling a bit testy. Was he playing games or was he just busy. It was surprising
to me how much I looked forward to hearing from him. He was fun and he made me
laugh, and he also seemed like somewhat of a support system. I mean, really,
how many other men did I have in my life? And now, finally, an e-mail had
arrived. Should I respond, or should I play cat and mouse? Hmmhh, I’m gonna
write. It’s been awhile and I want to talk. I have to admit he adds a little
spice to my life, and besides, what harm can it do? After all, I’m in total
control. I always am, but I do miss him—kind of.

From Callii Wilson

Oct 19th

Hello old friend, I thought you had dropped off the face of
the earth, or you were mad at me or something. I am not in Iowa, I am home.
They decided not to do the surgery until Nov the 4th, but I think I am not
going to be going there until after Thanksgiving. My sister has other people
that are going to be there to help out, in fact my daughter is going there and
I am going to stay home and tend her kids. She lives in Idaho Falls, so I will
be staying there each day until her husband gets home from work. It should be
interesting because he leaves at about 5:00 each morning and he doesn’t get
home until late, so I guess I will be getting up really early to get there
before he leaves for work. I could stay there but I am not a very sound sleeper
and I will sleep better in my own bed. The things you do to try and help out.

How are things going at your house? Are you enjoying this
beautiful weather? I sure am. I wish it would stick around for half of the
winter. When do you go on your vacation? How’s the book coming? You didn’t tell
me who did the cover.

My daughter is doing a fund raiser next Saturday for a local
charity. She’s a great little artist and I’m really proud of her. Would you
like to come? We’ll be there from noon until six. It’s just here in town.

I spent the day cleaning out a room for my son to stay in
while he is down here from Vancouver. It seems that he and his wife will be
getting a divorce. It makes me really sad but it is not my decision to make.
They are the ones that have a new baby coming. It is due in about two weeks.

It’s funny, but when you just start to think that your
family is perfect, all Hell breaks loose. I guess it will all work out somehow.

Well, I guess I had better start making more babies.

You have a good evening. I look forward to hearing from you,
Callii

***

From Levi Stone

One hour later

Hi Callii, it’s nice to hear from you. I’m sorry I dropped
off the face of the earth. I read your message last Tuesday night and flew to
Boston the next day. We got back yesterday. It was a good trip and a lot of
fun. It was good to reconnect with Mary for a few days. Everything was pretty
good—really. But there are other times that I yearn for a good wife—like
tonight for instance, but that’s a tale that I won’t elaborate on. (Got a week
or two? Heh, heh…).

You sound a little down tonight. I’m sorry. Life is just the
pits sometimes. I feel bad for you. Hang in there girl, you’re usually so
upbeat. My two kids both have good marriages, I feel lucky that way, but I have
some nieces and nephews that had some tough times this year. My sibling (I won’t
tell you which one) unloaded on me one day last summer about their kids and all
their troubles. They wouldn’t even let me tell Mary about it. So far I’m
completely leak proof.

I’ll try to answer most of your questions from your previous
e-mail tonight. We’ll see how I do.

I’m sorry but I can’t make it to your art show, even though
I would really like to come and support you. I would love to see you, but my
niece is getting married that day in a little town about two hours from here.
Both events are at about the same time, so there’s no way I can go to both.
Sorry.

About five years ago, when I was writing my Halloween book,
we had a contest at Idaho State University for an artist to create a cover for
the new book. A guy named Craig Hanson was head and shoulders above everyone
else. He drew up the picture and got paid handsomely to do it, at least for a
college student he did. I contacted him about the cover for this new book and
he agreed to do it for $600—it was less than he got paid the first time. I told
him what I wanted and he came through with flying colors, as you’ve seen. It’s
just what I’d envisioned. Anyway, the book will be fun. In the book my friend
and I work for the carnival, the summer before high school, and we have eight
different adventures in eight different towns. It ends up a little spookier
than I wanted it to, dealing with the mysterious gypsy women that we work with,
but oh well—I’m a spooky kind of a guy.

You said you threw away a bunch of shoes and then you asked
me what I collect. I seem to collect shirts, mainly. I’ve got so many shirts I’ve
never worn all of them, and ties too. I’m also big on coats. The way I see it,
you wear your coat every day in the winter, so you might as well get a good
one. I also collect ball caps. I bought a Boston Red Sox cap on this last trip
and I’m going to go online and order a Patriots hat as well.

One day I’m going to build a shelving unit to display all of
my hats on. I’m gonna build it with knotty pine and baseball bats. We’ll see if
I ever get it done.

Mary is a sucker for old things: Chairs, plates, furniture,
pictures and picture frames; but I like new things—like houses and cars.

When mom died she seemed to have at least a hundred pairs of
shoes. It was amazing to me. Mary picked through them and took the ones that
she wanted. She was the only one in the family that could fit into them because
they’re all size five—but Cinderella she’s not. :^)

I was curious who your best friend is. Anyone I would know?

You told me you thought it was odd that we “guys” get
together like we do. I thought it was kind of odd that you would say that. Our
friendships go long and deep. I met those guys all the way back in Jr. High,
and we have done much together over the many years. You see in high school, for
us, it was never about girls but only about friends. We did everything
together, in school and after: ball games, dances, basketball, etc. There were
a couple of years, when we were in our mid to late twenties, when we were all
newlyweds, that we would meet on the high school tennis courts every Saturday
morning at seven. We would play for hours. Girls were one thing, guys were
another. And Rand Liston, Dennis Bird, and Lon Moore (All of them your age.)
may have been even closer friends. After school we cruised everywhere together.
I have fond memories of those good old days.

There is much that is different between you and I, but that
is what makes the world go around. It seems that I am a country mouse and you
are a city mouse. You wear high heels and I wear sneakers. I thought about you
often on the trip. There were several times a girl with long legs and high
heels walked the sidewalk in front of me. What else was I to think?

Tonight, when I was at the grocery store, I noticed two
different tall women, and they were both delicious. One of them was “showing”
herself in the checkout line, if you know what I mean. Her fourteen year old
daughter was standing between us and she was totally oblivious to what her
mother was doing, but I knew, and the mother knew. The woman had a great body,
but just an average face. I’m a sucker for a body but not for a woman that acts
like that.

A couple of weeks ago I was at a yard sale with my granddaughter.
There was a pretty little girl there, probably about twenty five years old I
would have guessed. I didn’t pay much attention until I heard another twenty
five year old girl call her mom, and that drew my interest. Then this five foot
little woman came up and answered a question I had. So the first thing she does
is press her soft little body up against mine. Why do women do things like
that? I couldn’t stop thinking about her for an hour. But my ten year old
little granddaughter was just as oblivious to what was going on there, as the
fourteen year old was about what was happening in the checkout line. Women! You
know?

Do you have any pets? Just curious.

And finally, it’s quite fun for me to talk to you. I want
you to know that. It’s funny how you can talk to some people and some others
you just can’t, even with e-mails. Anyway, you’re a fun girl, but you know that
already.

And again, my heart goes out to you. Your pen pal, Levi

***

From Levi Stone

Oct 21st

Hi Callii, good luck with your art show today. I wish I
could have dropped by. We’re leaving at two o’clock for the wedding. It seems
that we have to help. I know you’re swamped right now with your son coming down
and everything.

Hang tough, Levi

***

From Callii Wilson

Oct 23rd

Hello there and a happy Monday evening to you again. How was
the wedding? The art sale went great. She sold all but one of her paintings,
and I think she had about forty-five of them. She is a great little artist. She
and my son are friends with Holly and Emma Morrison, Ty’s girls. They had it at
the Morrison girls’ Spa. His girls have done several events to raise money for
cancer research over the last few years. My son and daughter in law are always
doing something, or giving something, to someone that needs help. I am very
proud of them both.

Today I spent the day bringing in tropical plants from the
pool area. I am thinking that their days outside are over until spring. I hate
to just let them freeze so I brought them into my kitchen. I am sure they will
thank me for that someday. I also cleaned out my garage. Now I can get my car
in it. It has been a month or two since I could do that. I’ve had it full of
doll stuff, you know?

Okay, I think it is time for a true confession. Remember
when I said I do my yard work in high heels? I was just kidding. You knew that
didn’t you? I am just a country girl, not at all a city slicker. I wear heels
only to church, or when I go out or something. My feet don’t like them very
much. I am just as frumpy as the next country bumpkin. I love jeans and
sometimes when it is cold I like to wear sweats around the house to keep warm
in. I am into comfort—sorry to disappoint.

Are you open to telling me why you stick it out with your
marriage when you don’t sound like you are very happy? If it isn’t something
you want to talk about, I understand. It just seems to me you are looking for
something or someone, but you don’t want to let what you have go until you have
a replacement. That’s just a feeling I get from some of the things you have
said. Again, I understand if you are not comfortable talking about it.

Thanks for the cute Halloween e-mail you sent me. I loved
it. You made my day.

Do you know that there are only 2 months left until
Christmas? Can you believe it? Do you have your shopping done yet? I love
Christmas. Kevin used to make Christmas so much fun. I think I miss him the
most at Christmastime.

You said that you thought I was a little down when I wrote
last time. I really don’t get down. I guess sometimes I am just a little more
serious than others, but I am a very happy person. I have so much to be
thankful for and I love my life. I do wish I had someone special to share it
with, but I guess you have to put yourself out there, and I just don’t do that,
if fact I won’t do that, so I guess it is what it is.

Well, it’s about time for my show again, so write soon.

I love hearing from you, Callii

***

From Levi Stone

Oct 27th

Hey, garden girl, thanks for the last note. Will you do a me
a favor and answer three quick questions? First, do you have any pets, or not?
Second, what TV show is it that you like on Monday nights? And third, who is
your best friend? You don’t have to answer that one, but I’d like to know.
After I hear from you I’ll answer back with another long meandering harangue.
Sorry it had to snow on you last night, but I’m glad you got your plants
indoors.

I’ll be checking my e-mails, Levi

***

From Callii Wilson

One hour later

Do I need to be careful when I answer these questions?

1 – I have a pet frog. It appeared in my pond this summer. I
have no idea how it got there but it was fun to watch. I used to have fish in
the pond but they all froze last winter so I decided not to replace them—maybe
next year. I love cats but I don’t have one right now, and I like dogs if they
are outside. My mom had a phobia with animal germs. If we touched an animal we
were told to scrub clear up to our arm pits, so that is why I don’t have
animals in my house. How about you?

2-The TV show I like on Monday nights is called Castle. Do
you ever watch it?

3- Who is my best friend? I guess that depends on how you
look at it. The friend I do the most with is Anne Richardson. She is a single
gal that has been divorced for about twenty years. We got to know each other
when she was taking porcelain doll classes from me many, many years ago. She is
a real sweetheart. She is a little like your friend. She is very heavy. She is
pre-diabetic and has other problems. She has a child right now that is having
problems with drugs. We can tell each other most anything and we know it will
not go any further. We usually spend the weekends together shopping and going
to dinner.I also consider my daughter to be my best friend. She is the best. My
mom was one of my best friends too, and my sister is a good friend as well. But
they are also family, so that makes them very special friends.