Anjelica walked through the park that crisp autumn afternoon allowing her senses to take in everything. There were boys playing touch football on the leaf dappled grass. Their voices echoed against the public amphitheater. The air was scented by spicy beef from the taco truck at the curb mixed with crisp drying leaves, and somewhere someone had built a backyard bonfire. She smiled. Was it any wonder that this was her favorite season?
A crew was setting up for a film at the amphitheater. It was part of the “Family Film Festival” project the city had devised to try to bring families back to the city parks. Her family had seen so many films here over the years. She hoped this one would be as successful, but there were so many digital options available to families these days.
Anjelica remembered the first film she saw in the park the night she and her Jim met in their final year at University. Her roommates had dragged Anjelica away from her books forcing her to attend. The promise of wine and Chinese food from their favorite take out place had finally won her over.
They sat on a blanket near the back surreptitiously sipping wine from a thermos and trying to enjoy a film noir classic. There was a group of guys next to them who were making so much noise they could barely hear the dialogue from the speakers. She finally went over to tell them to quiet down and Jim stood up. He was the nicest looking man she had ever seen.
“ Do you mind? We actually came to see the movie. We can’t hear the dialogue because you and your friends are drowning out the speakers.”
“I’m sorry. We finished our midterms today. I guess this was not the place to celebrate.” His smile made him even more handsome if that were possible. “I tell you what, his entire face became a glowing smile, “ go out for ice cream with me after the movie and I promise they will be perfect gentlemen the rest of the night.”
Anjelica blushed but agreed. He turned back to his friends and told them to pipe down so the beautiful ladies sitting next to them could hear the movie. There were a few cat calls, and the start of one rude comment but Jim’s well aimed elbow ended that. True to his word the rest of the film they were totally quiet.
The entire group went for ice cream. Jim arranged it all and that was the start of their whirlwind romance. Within a month they were engaged and they got married right after graduation.
“Behind you” the cyclist warned as he rode around Anjelica on the park pathway, forcing her thoughts into the present. She turned onto Lombard Street bordering the park heading toward town. She could see the steeple of St Andrew’s a few blocks away. She and Jim got married there. She loved that old Church. It had saved both of their lives at different times.
Her salvation came early on in college when she was ready to give up on faith and had stopped attending Mass because the Campus Church was too liberal and did not speak to her heart. She had been away from Mass for months when she stumbled upon St Andrews one Sunday morning. She had taken to going for bike rides to avoid hearing the Campus Church’s bells ringing for morning Mass.
One Sunday as she rode miles from Campus she rode right past St. Andrews just as Mass was about to begin. Somehow her Catholic heart made her stop her bike and go in. The elderly priest who could barely make it up the altar stairs gave the most rousing homily about not being able to leave the faith, because God will always be waiting, watching patiently for you to return. By the end of the liturgy, when she had received communion she was openly crying and the old priest winked at her, as if he knew that his homily had been just for her.
Years later she had found out Jim’s story. In college was driving back from a party well after midnight when his car broke down. It was only a few blocks back to his apartment, so he decided to walk back and call a tow truck. His walk became one of deep introspection about how deeply he had fallen into despair about the direction his life was taking.
He heard the words look up as he was passing St. Andrew. He decided to see if he could go inside and pray. He tried the first door, but it was locked. He tried the second door and got the same result. He was about to give up when he saw another door around the side. He tried the door and it opened quite surprisingly. He went inside the dark church, only lit by the red candle on the altar there to signify the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle on the altar.
He sat in a pew in the middle of the old church and asked for help. He didn’t get any big revelation, just a sense of peace that so long as he kept doing the right thing everything would be okay. He left feeling much better expecting that somehow, someday he would understand. That was Jim, his faith was as solid as a rock, not riddled with doubt and questions like hers.
Anjelica was standing outside St. Andrew’s looking at the sign on the door that read:
Doors are locked between services to deter criminal activity.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
What about those who needed comfort? Anjelica wondered, I guess we have to make appointments these days. She sighed and was about to leave when the doors swung open. A young couple burst into the afternoon sunlight laughing, holding hands and talking excitedly, they almost mowed Anjelica over but she moved out of the way just as they noticed her in their path.
“Oh heavens! We’re so sorry! How rude of us!” the young woman, touched Anjelica’s arm to steady them both.
“No damage my dear, I was in your way. I was lost in an old memory. I got married here ages ago.”
The two looked at each other conspiratorially, “Really, what a coincidence! Therese and I are going to be married here next month. This was our final Pre Cana visit with Father.” Said the young man, “When was your wedding? Last year?”
“Sam! “ Therese punched him in the side playfully, “Isn’t the most beautiful Church you have ever seen? Sam’s family goes to church here, my family well, our church is so plain, I begged my parents to let us get married here.”
Anjie nodded remembering how beautiful her wedding day had been. Jim and his Best Man and Groomsman decked out in Morning Suits, and she and her sisters in quaint old fashioned gowns, so different from the current fashion. “I remember it was so beautiful we didn’t use any flowers inside the Church.”
“Because it was hard to decide where to put a flower basket that wouldn’t cover up something beautiful like the carvings on the pews or the stonework on the altar?” We did the same thing!” Therese said with the glow of a soon to be Bride.
“It’s nice to know the old place still looks as beautiful now as it did for our wedding day almost sixty years ago.”
Wow, sixty years of marriage!”
Anjie nodded.
“Do you have any advice for some newbies?” Sam inquired, slipping his arm around his fiancé.
“Never forget what makes the other person happy, and date nights are essential, even if it is just running errands or a nice walk through the park at least once a month, have a no kids outing.”
How sweet,” Therese hugged Sam, “ that sounds like great advice. Do you still have date nights?”
“As a matter of fact I am going to meet my date right now.” Anjelica looked at her watch, “and if I don’t hurry he will wonder why I am late. You two have a wonderful wedding and I will say some prayers for your marriage.”
“Thanks so much, sorry again for almost knocking you over. Can we give you a lift somewhere?” Sam asked.
“No, it’s not far, and it is such a beautiful day.”
Anjelica turned toward her destination. Her marriage had been a happy one on the whole. There had been stressful times, but always they had faced each trial together, stronger because they were a united front.
This was their toughest test. Their last year had been filled with turmoil. Jim got sick, and then they were told that he would no longer be able to live in their home safely. The kids had encouraged her to place Jim in a skilled care home. He had been so weak that there were days she could barely support his weight to help him get up to the bathroom. Anjie had finally made the agonizing decision to place him in the best nursing care facility they could afford, The Carriage House. There he was safe and had the care he needed that she could not provide. She visited him every day.
Some days they had good visits, some days not so good. He wasn’t the best patient. But they were in this marriage till the end and she was going to see it through. She still loved him, even when he was the angry old man.
She decided to make one final stop before the nursing home today. She turned into the street just before the one the home was on and walked up the steps to their favorite book shop. The door chime rang as she walked inside.
“Well, hello!” the bright eyes girl with magenta ombré hair called out from behind the counter. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Hello Celeste, I know, things have been a bit crazy lately. I was wondering. Do you have one of those, oh - what is the name of that series? You know, the graphic novel thar my Jim reads all the time?”
“Dark Avengers? Yes, a new one dropped last week. I think we might still have a copy back here.
Celeste disappeared behind the counter for a moment and reappeared triumphant waving a copy of the graphic novel.
“This is our last copy. It was on hold for another customer, but I don’t like him so you can have it for Mr Jim and the other customer can wait for the reorder.” Celeste winked conspiratorially as she walked to the cash register. “Anything else today?”
“No, that will be perfect.” Anjie handed over the money for the book and received the package.
Just a few more blocks and she would be there. The nurse on duty would be able to tell her if Jim were having a good day or bad day, so she would not be blindsided when she reached his room. She still spent these last few blocks making heself ready, just in case he was the angry Jim and not her Jim, the man she had spent sixty years loving so deeply.
The Carriage House was a beautifully planned community. It had four wings, each for a different level of care for the disabled and recovering. Jim was in the furthest back wing. It was locked and had a special keypad restricted entrance to protect the memory impaired clients from wandering off on their own.
Once Anjie entered the code she could access the wing. It was as different from a hospital floor as anyplace she had ever seen. People milled around in their own clothes, and the rooms were set up like hotel rooms rather than hospital rooms.
There was a central common area with a small market where they could “purchase” small items like treats and newspapers for tokens, a library where they could borrow books or books on tape, a restaurant for their meals, and a quasi movie theater/ television room. It was built to make the residents feel as though they had some autonomy. The Nurse’s station was centrally located but meant to blend in well in the town-like setting.
Anjie always stopped to see the Nurses first. Claire, the head duty RN on the day shift was the same age as their daughter Jannie. They had been friends all through school. Claire loved Jim and Anjie like her own parents. In fact she had taken to calling them her bonus parents after her own parents split up and her home life got rocky. In those High School years she spent as much time at their house as she did at her own. It wa comforting to know Claire was here looking after Jim.
Claire saw Anjie just as she came through the door. She walked down the hall to meet her, pulling her into a warm hug.
“He’s having a good day today Mama Anjie” Claire said, kissing Anjie on her cool, dry cheek. “He had a bit of a rough night, but has been better since breakfast.”
Anjie let out a deep sigh of relief. She let go of Claire after one last squeeze and turned toward Jim’s room. He was sitting on the edge of his bed looking out at the bird feeder just outside his window. The boys gave it to him for his birthday just after he got to The Carriage House. Jim loved watching the birds at the feeder outside their kitchen window at home.
“ Hi” she said quietly. He looked so like the young man she met in the park that night all those years ago she could barely speak. He looked up at her and for a moment no recognition registered in his eyes.
“I was wondering when you would show up.”
She held up the package, “I had a stop to make. The new issue of Dark Avengers came out last week!”
Jim’s eyes lit up like a child, “Dark Avengers is my favorite!” He reached for the package, slipping the book out of the brown paper sleeve. He opened it and started reading it immediately.
Anjie sat next to him on the bed leaning on his arm looking at the pages as he read. “Do you like Dark Avengers best of all?”
He looked back over his shoulder toward her and recognition dawned slowly as he shook his head. “ No,” he said, patting her hand with his. “I love Anjelica best of all.”
Yes, it was a good day, thought Anjelica. She wanted to hold this day firmly in her memory because she was not sure how many more they would be allowed to have. She was content that today, her Jim was there with her holding her hand, loving her forever.
Maggie Scheck Geene describes herself as a Catholic wife and mother of five adult children who knits and reads in her spare time. She has been a lover of the written word since she was very young. She began writing a journal in late childhood and has carried that through her entire life. She has recently begun to expand into works of fiction and non fiction essays on spirituality and prayer. You can follow her musings about her love/hate relationship with her kitchen on Facebook at Maggie's Cooking MisAdventures.