Given that it was late March, the sun set later. However, the low, billowing gray clouds, emitting a soft glow, moved quickly overhead and blotted out the sun.
Someones coming,
Tucker barked.
Many someones. The Jameson Singers gathered outside the front door. Their first song, Charleston, brought back Tallys youth.
Big Mim, upon hearing the lively song, opened the door. Come on in. Its bitter cold out there.
The young women filed in to the parlor, formed a triple row semicircle, and began to sing the songs that Tally and Inez would know. Soon the two old ladies sang along with them.
I Wonder Whos Kissing Her Now led into Black Bottom. Song after song recalled a past, at once near yet far. Tears rolled down Tallys cheeks, then Inezs, and soon everyone was crying.
Harrys grandfather had had an affair with Tally. This had all come to light a few years ago, but Harry was reminded of it now, reminded of how bittersweet Aunt Tallys life had been.
After the songs ended, Aunt Tally laughed and said, Were all a bunch of big babies.
Everyone laughed with her.
Big Mim and Little Mim had known of the serenade, so they brought back from town a smorgasbord of food to augment what Trudy Sweetwater had supplied. The students dove in. William Woodss cafeteria food was good, but students did get bored with it. Champagne was uncorked, and Aunt Tally as well as the more rigid Big Mim chose not to ask anyones age. Surely one glass of champagne to toast a grand old gal was not out of order.
Finally, by eight, all had left. The Albemarle County contingent and Inez recapped today, and Tally and Inez reminisced about their wonderful, funny experiences when they were students in the late twenties and early thirties of the twentieth century. A sharp wind rattled one of the front windows.
That packed a punch. Harry rose to see. Oh, my God, its snowing. Really snowing. I didnt think it would get here until tomorrow afternoon.
Aunt Tally, Inez, Big Mim, and Little Mim came to the windows. The cats jumped on the back of the stuffed chair to get a better look.
Sweeps over the prairie like wildfire. Nothing to stop it, Inez remarked.
I had no idea. Harry wished she could see the prairie, which she figured started in Kansas. Harry had never seen the west and longed to do so.
This old house is in good shape, but it isnt insulated the way newer ones are. Better put an extra blanket on the bed, girls. Aunt Tally remembered her first year adjusting to Missouri weather.
Harry looked down at Tucker. Oh, little one, wed better get our evening constitutional in right now.
Im not going out in that,
Pewter quickly spoke up.
Im using the dirt box.
Harry had put the dirt box in the basement and left the door ajar. She cleaned the box about every hour on the hour.
Outside, the snow, coming down in large flakes, was beautiful. Tucker, in her blue collar and blue leash, looked smart as she, Mrs. Murphy, and Harry took a brisk walk.
Harry figured that walking behind the stables was the best idea. Just in case Tucker couldnt make it that far, she had a yellow plastic bag unwrapped over her arm. Her winter coat somewhat got in the way.
Fortunately, Tucker waited until behind the stables. When the corgi was finished, they walked by the manure pile.
The last stall-mucking had been completed, and steam rose off the piled-up mixture of bedding and manure.
Blood.
Tucker sniffed, pulling Harry to the pile.
So it is.
Mrs. Murphy put her nose at the bottom of the large manure pile.
Come on, Tucker, youve smelled horse poop before. Harry tugged at the leash.
Mom, blood. Fresh blood. If I can smell it through all this, theres a lot of it!
To no avail, Harry chirped to her friend, Come on, Tucker. It really is cold, and its snowing harder.
Reluctantly, Tucker gave up. She knew that when the pile froze, no scent would lift off.
Later, as everyone retired to their quarters, Inez rapped on Aunt Tallys bedroom door. Awake?
Come on in.
The two sat there, wrapped in heavy robes. Across her lap, Inez had a long, wrapped gift.
I brought you a present.
Lets celebrate it with a dash of gin and a cigarette. Im dying for a cig.
Thought you gave them up, Inez remarked, who smoked three cigarettes a day, no more, no less.
Did. But being back at college reminds me of when I smoked like a chimney.
Inez laughed. We thought we were so daring.
Modern. Aunt Tally got up, retrieved her gin from the chest of drawers along with a bottle of vermouth.
Glasses?
Brought two up.
She mixed a martini, sans olive, and handed the stiff drink to Inez.
Potent. Inez smiled broadly.
Im not a wimp. Neither are you. None of these designer drinks. Gimme the real stuff. May I open my gift?
Please. Inez placed her glass on the nightstand and gave Tally the present topped off with a colorful burgundy-and-forest-green bow, school colors.
Like an eager child, Aunt Tally removed the bow and tore off the paper. Its a cane, just like my silver one but with a gold head! Oh, Inez, gold is frightfully expensive.
Pull the head.
As Tally did so, a long, straight sword slid out with a quiet swish from the ebony cane, which was a scabbard. Glory be.
Sharp, sharp, sharp.
What an extravagant present.
Youre worth it. Keep it close, Blossom. These are crazy times, what with young people hooked on meth, some on PCP. Makes marijuana and cocaine look benign. Drugs mystify me. I cant understand why anyone would do them.
Me, either. Gin is much better. Aunt Tally laughed. What a beautiful, beautiful gift. Youre a sweetie to worry about me. No crackhead will get me, Chickpea. Im too mean.
Youve got a point there. Inez savored her martini.
It is a crazy world, isnt it? I never thought Id live to see my
country topsy-turvy, the lunatics running the asylum. Drugs, a fence at the border with Mexico, religious nuts. Crazy.
Though not particularly nostalgic, Inez did think things were better in her youth, with the exception of entrenched sexism and racism; even then, in most situations people behaved with good manners in daily discourse, regardless of hardships. Inez took another sip. You asked earlier if I feel old. When I look at the world now, I dont feel old but I dont understand, and the loss of civility truly upsets me.
Me, too. And the language. Vulgar. Shows a pathetic lack of imagination. If youre going to insult someone, be creative. The F word is so well, noncreative.
Tis. Inez inhaled the smoke Tally exhaled. Oh, give me a cigarette.
Tally lit one for Inez off hers and handed it over. Another nail in your coffin.
Inez laughed. You do bring out the worst in me.
I hope so. What are friends for? Aunt Tally glanced at the small electric clock by the bedstead. Another four hours and I will be one hundred. I was born at 2:02 A.M. She leaned forward, placing her hand over her friends. I wish I could do it all over again.
Me, too.
You know, Inez, I really dont want to die.
I dont, either. I know many of our classmates suffered so at the end that they wanted to die. Were still healthy. Its a game of chance. We drew lucky cards.
So we did, but if its my time, then I hope its fast. No lingering.
I feel the same way. Inezs eyes misted. Oh, Tally, where, where did the time go? Like you, Id do it all over again, even those times when my heart was barbecued on a spit. I love this life.
Aunt Tally finished her gin. Me, too. And one of the reasons I love it is because I have you for a friend.