Untitled

Chapter Nineteen

The reunion of the Simmon family was complete. The voids that Mama, Sissy, and Lisa had been carrying around in their hearts for so many years were now removed.
Walking toward the house with their arms around one another, Lisa in the middle, Sissy asked. "Les, where you been? I thought you was dead maybe. I prayed all the time you weren't though."
Lisa's face registered the guilt she was experiencing. "Let's go in the house, we have a lot of catching up to do," she said.
Mama kept up with the girls quicker pace despite her arthritis. The medication administered by Doc Summers, coupled with the ecstasy of the moment, served to release her from her earlier pain.
Inside, Sissy's house was remarkably clean and nicely furnished. Judging from it's outside appearance this surprised Lisa.
"Sit down and let's git to talking," said Sissy anxiously. "I got some coffee and cookies. Be right back."
"Let me help." Lisa followed her sister into the kitchen while Mama sat catching her breath. The two girls were alone and Lisa impulsively wrapped her arms around Sissy and started to cry. "I'm so sorry about what I put you and Mama through."
"What do ya mean?" replied Sissy with a puzzled look on her face.
"You know, taking off on you and Mama like I did with Willy around." Sissy blotted her sister's tears with her dish towel. She kissed her on the forehead like she had done religiously as a child when saying good night or as an expression of appreciation or sympathy.
"Les, you got it all backward. Weren't for you getten up the gumption like you did, no telling what might a happen. Mama blamed herself and even took to drinking more after you left. Mama didn't blame you, and I sure didn't either.
"Let me tell ya what happened later. About two years after you was gone, Willy came in my bedroom one night and started messing with me. He didn't git to do nothing but it scared me bad."
Lisa hugged her sister again, and they rocked back and forth. This was a distress ritual they had always practiced.
"The next morning I went and told Mama. Well, she grabbed a long fire log and ran into the bedroom and started beatin on Willy something fierce. She had fury in her eyes like I never seen. Willy took the log away and hit Mama back. That just made her madder and she went for Daddy's shotgun and told him to git out and never come back or come within a mile a me or she'd shoot him in the head.
"That man was scared, Les. He went running around the house gathern alla his stuff he could with Mama yellen at him all the while. I was never more afraid in all my life, Les. I thought Mama had lost her mind.
"She wouldn't say so but she knew that's why you ran away and she would die before letten it happen to me. She stopped drinking right away. My life was good after that. Me and Mama did for ourselves and talked about you a lot. Wasn't a night go by I didn't pray you was alright and would come home ta us." Tears came to Sissy's eyes and this time it was Lisa's turn to do the blotting. "Your leaving changed all our lives, probably saved yours, and later, mine too.
"It weren't your fault Les, you did what you had to do and I always thought of you with love and so did Mama."
With a lighthearted sense of relief, Lisa gazed out the kitchen window, her ears trained on Sissy's every word.
"And it's not Mama's fault either. She couldn't git over Daddy and that's what started the drinkin and her getten on with Willy. Remember, that's when all the trouble started?
"And believe it or not, I don't think it was all Willy's fault either," declared Sissy.
Lisa did an about face from the window, shocked at her sister's last statement. Sissy put her hands on her sister's shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "What I mean to say Les, is that Willy came from a bad home. When he was a little boy his daddy would beat up on him and his brother and sister and mama all the time. He got trowed out when he was fourteen. He growed up to be just like his daddy.
"I found out from our Pastor at church that the whole family went bad. All cause of Willy's daddy, and maybe his daddy before that. Well anyway, ya gotta wonder if he'd a been a better man if he'd had a happy family life."
She didn't like admitting it but Lisa knew there was a lot of truth to what Sissy was saying. She had personally known enough kids and adults from the streets to validate the point.
"Sad thing is though," said Lisa glumly. "Every minute of every day another Willy is destroying another family and propagating his kind in the process." The thought occurred to her. 'Bernice hit the nail on the head that day back on the ship when she said that violent, abusive adults produce disturbed children who often, as adults, go on to repeat this learned pattern of behavior.' She understood what her sister was saying but at this point she could not bring herself to forgive Willy for what he did.

Sissy peeked around the corner and saw that Mama was fast asleep in the lounge chair. "She's napping so we mize well set here at the table and have our coffee."
The kids came in just long enough to inhale a glass of lemonade and grab a handful of cookies. "Lisa, Jake, come here, I want you to meet your aunt Lisa." Curious looks and a courteous hello and out the door they went.
With a happy smile on her face, Lisa squeezed her sister's hand. "Why Sissy, you named her after me."
Sissy went on at length telling Lisa all about her life with Jake and the kids. This was fine with Lisa as she wanted to know everything and did not particularly want to get into the details of her own lost years.
She didn't get away with it though. Sissy pressured her into telling all, and so she did. Sissy listened attentively, trying not to reveal her remorse over the trying times her sister had endured.
She became excited though, over the present state of affairs. "Oh...Les, I think what you and Bernice are working on is wonderful. I'm so happy and proud for you."
"I'm afraid my plans are going to have to wait. Right now my place is here. I plan to stay with Mama as long as she needs me."
Sissy jumped to her feet, pointing and shaking her index finger at her sister. "Ohhh...no yer not," she exclaimed. "You have a mission to accomplish. Can't ya see that's maybe what God's been preparing ya for? Your suffering was for a reason."
"What makes you think you know so much about that?" snapped Lisa.
"Because my dear sister, it's true." she replied in that smart-alec yet serious tone of voice she had often displayed in their youth to make her point. She only did it when she was sure of herself. This compelled Lisa to acknowledge with a nod, a half grin and listen.
"It's because I go to church on Sunday and study the Bible. The answers are all there. It says suffering builds perseverance and character. And by the grace of God you can be perfect, strong, and great in faith through your weaknesses.
"You and me learned all about how the people in the Bible suffered when we was in Sunday School. There was Moses, Job, Joseph, Paul and of course, most of all, Jesus. And there were lots of others too. Even in our time, some people come out of tragedy, or even away from a life-saving miracle and dedicate themselves to doing good for others. Why, I just read about Candi Lightner who started up Mothers Against Drunk Drivers after her two daughters were killed by a drunk driver. It grew into a nationwide organization. And there are a lot of others you hear about. And even more you don't hear about.
"What I'm saying is this. If you look hard around ya, you will see that something good can come from something bad that happens. But there's also a lot of folks who drown in self-pity when something terrible happens, and never seem to get over it. And there are those who hurt other people and kill themselves with alcohol. Like Willy did.
"You gotta choose which way you wanna go. I believe you and your friend Bernice are gonna do a lot of good. And I think it's mainly because of what you both went though. If only more people felt like Candi Lightner and you guys, this would be a better world to live in. And remember, you're owing to God first and then yerself. Me and Mama love you so much and want you ta stay here but I think you been called. I just feel it."
Sissy started to weep and Lisa leaned over and hugged her. Deep down, in her own way, she intuitively knew that her sister was right, but she still felt confused and torn.
"Please help me Sissy, I don' know what to do." The sisters once again embraced and Sissy stroked the back of Lisa's head. But this time it was to offer comfort rather than to seek it, a reversal of roles from when they were young and growing up together. In those years, Lisa had been Sissy's comforter and protector.
"I really ain't got no say in what you do Les, I just know you wanna do what's right. I think you believe like me. That we're here to serve, not to get. And that through serving we automatically get what we need. Let's pray on it and you think about it and we can talk some more later. And when you make up yer mind I know it will be the right decision." Sissy led them in a short prayer.
"Thanks little sister," said Lisa, lovingly stroking her sister's cheek. "I guess I better get mama home now."
Still groggy from the pain shot Doc Summers had given her, Mama catnapped most of the way home, giving Lisa a chance to reflect on her visit with Sissy. 'When I first saw her chubby frame standing in the doorway I felt pity. How quickly that impression changed. My little sister has grown up and, among other qualities, possesses a deep faith, common sense, insight, and a wisdom that I would never expect to find in a little hick country girl from rural Georgia.
'Maybe I do have calling. As Sissy puts it, we all do, even the least of us. We need but to see beyond our selfish egos, and recognize and choose to accept it. There will always be some people who will and some who won't.
'Sissy said it could be as simple as raising a family and teaching them Christian values and helping other people. She works out of the church, helping and counseling others, teaching Sunday school, and conducting Bible classes. That's her mission right now and she knows it because it feels right. And I believe she is making a difference.'
Sissy's last words hung in Lisa's mind. She said that she believed that, at some level, every soul on this earth knows what he's doing wrong and how he really ought to be thinking and behaving.
Thinking back, Lisa could see the profound truth of that statement. Yet, in the mind of Lisa Simmon there was still a measure of doubt as to the path of her destiny. However, she was inspired and motivated as a result of their talk. She knew that if she only waited and quietly listened, clarity would come and doubts would fade. And she would, indeed, participate in establishing a facility, to help abused and wayward girls much like Granny and Pop did. Time and faith would bring the answers she sought.

???????????????

"Mama, Mama...wake up now, we're almost to town." Mama slowly opened her eyes and began to rub them with her right hand. Her deformed knuckles, so ever obvious, jerked an emotional string within Lisa.
"I'm sorry honey, I musta dozed off. I ain't felt this relaxed in a long time. Guess it's cause I'm happy." There was a tiny smile on her face and a loving aura about her. She reached over and placed her hand on her daughter's leg with an affectionate stroking motion.
"Mama, let's make it easy on ourselves tonight and get some already cooked food to take home. Is there any place in town where we can get some chicken or something?"
"No, I'm gonna cook for ya!"
"I insist Mama, do it for me, OK?"
"Down at Grump's store you can git already cooked up fried chicken," said Mama in mild protest, with a smirk on her face. But you could tell she didn't mean it.
Lisa opened the door to Grump's store and entered with Mama close behind. A little bell hanging above the door announced their arrival. "Why Mama, that's the same little bell they had in here when I was a little girl." As she looked around the store, feelings of nostalgia swept through her. A tall wiry looking man stepped from the back room and took his place behind the counter.
Imitating her typical childhood greeting to her old friend Mr. Grump, Lisa did a little curtsy and addressed him in a slow southern accent. "Why good af-ta noon Mister Grump, yo looking mity fine ta day." Mr. Grump burst into a roar of laughter at this little antic and reached his hand out to meet Lisa's. She and Mama both laughed too.
"Lisa Simmon, you're back," exclaimed Mr. Grump. His voice cracked with emotion for he had always been fond of her and acutely aware of how much her return meant to Mama, a dear friend of his and his wife Elsie. Elsie came out and they all happily chatted for a brief time. Then Mama and Lisa headed home with chicken and homemade potato salad, compliments of the Grumps.
After dinner they sat in the swing on the front porch, sipped coffee and held hands and talked. Both exhausted, they retired to bed early. And sleep came easy to these two lovely ladies.