Anna's Visions (21 page)

“Well, your parents were in Indiana that day,
attending a funeral for Ed’s aunt. My parents were in Texas, helping my grandma
move into a rest home. I was in Lexington visiting Billy. So nobody was in
Madison the day you came home.”

All the hurt Tori had been holding inside for so long
finally came to the surface as she cried, “And I thought nobody wanted to see
me. I was totally broken-hearted – and Cody said, well, never mind what that
moron said.”

“He probably told you that none of us cared – but he
was dead wrong!” said Jill.

“Dead wrong,” Tori repeated, and then smiled as the
irony of that statement sank in.

“Okay, I’ve told you my story,” said Jill. “Now it’s
your turn.”

Jill’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering
wheel tighter. Like she was trying to buck up for whatever came her way.

* * * *

For the next several miles, Tori rambled on, beginning
with the day she first met Cody and ending with the moment that Jill had
pounded on the front door.

“Well, dear me! I’m so sorry, Tori. Nobody deserves
that kind of misery,” Jill said, and leaned her body over to give Tori a big
hug. “But you did learn some valuable lessons even if you did pay a high price
for them, right?”

“Yeah, I sure did,” Tori answered with a heavy sigh.
“I guess I’m one of those people who have to go through the school of hard
knocks to learn anything.”

“I want to hear what you’ve learned from all this.”
Jill scolded Tori with her eyes the way a mother often did after giving a child
a time-out.

Tori stuck her left hand in the air and raised a
finger as she went down her list. Never take up with a stranger no matter how
handsome, charming, or rich he is. Never take a pill unless it’s prescribed for
you. Never use alcohol to drown your sorrows.”

“Hum. Is that all,” Jill asked.

Tori placed her hand on Jill’s shoulder and continued.
“I’ve also learned to stop being hardheaded – pigheaded as you called me. I’ve
learned to put a damper on my temper. I’ve learned not to do stupid things out
of spite.”

“I’d say that about sums it up,” Jill said with a
smile.

“Not quite. The most important lesson I’ve learned is –
I never want to be away from my family again – or you.”

Jill patted Tori’s arm again. “And none of us want to
be away from you either. You and I are kindred spirits. We can’t be separated,
remember? Grammy told us
that years
ago.”

“Not even death will part us,” Tori said. “Grammy told
us that, too.”

“Yep, she sure did. And we almost went out together –
but that’s behind us now. We’ve got to look toward the future. I think it’s
going to be bright. The best is yet to come.”

“Yes, I think so, too, but you know,” Tori said
thoughtfully, “I really miss the days when we were happy-go-lucky high school
kids. I miss the four musketeers.”

Though neither of them said it aloud, Tori knew what
they were both thinking,
And Wes.

As the miles clicked on, Tori started out the car
window, and it was wonderful seeing the world through clear eyes instead of
peering through a drug induced haze.

Anna’s Note

September 16, 1976

It finally came to me this morning as to how Jill fits
into the picture. I’ve always known she would play a part in the danger that
awaited Tori. I thought she had played her role when she was with Tori the day
of the accident. If she hadn’t been thinking fast, Tori would have died. Now I
think her role was to rescue Tori from the evil man who was keeping her
captive. I pray they have a safe trip home.

Anna West-Morgan

Chapter Fifteen

The trip back to Madison seemed to take forever.
Tori’s heartbeat quickened as they reached the city limits and rolled down the
familiar streets. “There’s no place like home.”

Jill smiled. “You’re so right, Toto. And you ain’t in
Kansas – or Atlanta anymore!”

“And you can bet that I’m never going to leave Madison
again!” Tori proclaimed, shaking her head with sheer joy.

“That’s nice to hear. That means I won’t have to keep
traipsing all over the country looking for you!”

As they turned onto Maple Street, Tori’s heart beat so
fast she thought she might faint. Finally, Jill pulled into her parents’
driveway. Tori threw her hands to her face, and cried, “Oh, graces sakes alive!
Momma and Daddy’s car is here. Poppy and Grammy’s pickup is here, too.
Everybody I love with all my heart is here to greet me.”

Everybody but
Wes
.

Tori leaped from the car as her mom and dad came out
of the front door and ran across the lawn. She raced up to them and they
embraced in a tear-filled hug. A few moments later, Tori looked over her dad’s
shoulder and saw Grammy and Poppy coming across the yard.

Grammy walked with a cane and it sent a pain through
Tori’s heart. She ran toward them and smothered them in another joyful embrace,
holding them as if she never wanted to let them go – which was exactly the way
she felt at that moment.

“I’m so happy to be home,” Tori managed to say through
her sobs. “And I’ll never leave again.
Never!”
Tears
of joy streamed down her face. Tori’s family gathered around her as if they
thought she might slip through their fingers and disappear into thin air.

Tori lightened the mood by saying, “The two
scatter-brained duffs are together again,” as she pointed toward Jill.

Wiping her tears, Grammy hugged both Jill and Tori.
“It’s good to have you two imps back together again. That’s what I used to call
you when you were little.”

As happy laughter rang out all around her, Tori said,
“Well, Grammy, you can add moron to that list of names, because that’s what
I’ve been – but I’m home now, and I’m not going anywhere that is any farther
than the Morgan farm!”

As everyone laughed again, Tori slipped her right arm
around her mother’s waist, and mischievously asked, “So, Momma, now that I’m
back, did you happen to bake something special for my homecoming?”

“Well, now that you mentioned it, I just happened to
bake your favorite chocolate cake. What else?” She tweaked Tori’s nose.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Tori said. “Let’s go
inside and celebrate!”

Tori took Grammy’s hand and gently led her back
inside.

They gathered around the kitchen table and Momma set
plates in front of them. “Everybody cut a piece the size you want, and then dig
in! I think you should go first, Tori.”

“If I cut a piece the size I really wanted, there’d be
nothing left for anyone else.” Tori smiled as she looked at the faces of the
people she loved. “I just want to thank you all again for putting up with me
all these years.”

With that, Tori cut a huge slice of cake and dropped
it onto her plate. Then everyone else dug in, and soon they were eating,
talking, and laughing. Tori kept waiting for someone to start asking the hard
questions, but nobody did – and she was glad. She wanted to enjoy her
homecoming as long as she could.

After they were done eating, they went back to the
front porch and everyone took a seat in lawn chairs. Tori forced
herself
to lose her shame and said, “Okay, I know you all
want to know where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing all this time, so get
comfortable, because it’s a long story.”

She began talking, and after nearly a half hour, had
finally told them everything – from how she met Cody, to her bout with drugs
and booze. They listened and she saw many tears, but no one scolded or recoiled
in disgust. Their eyes told her they understood, forgave, and continued to love
her unconditionally.

Tori ended her monologue with the words, “Your love
and forgiveness means everything to me. I won’t make you go through anything
like that again. I promise!”

There were very few questions, which again made Tori
glad. She could feel love and support all around her, and that was all she
really needed.

Basking in the glow of her family, she didn’t want the
day to end, but as dusk approached, Grammy picked up her cane and announced
that it was time for them to head on home.

Tori’s
heart pained as she watched
Grammy reach for her cane, stand
, and hobble a few steps.

Tori stood and gave Grammy a hug. “Where did you get
this old cane? It’s downright tacky.”

“It was Great-Grandpa Morgan’s,” Grammy said, holding
the cane up for Tori to admire. “He carved it himself and then put this lead
tip on it. Poppy always says that he made it to use on the heads of anyone who
tried to cheat while playing poker at the tavern. Story has
it,
he used it a few times.” Grammy chuckled. “Personally, I don’t believe he ever
whacked anybody with it. I think it’s just a bunch of talk.”

Tori took the
cane from Grammy’s hand and was
surprised at how heavy it was. “Good golly Miss Molly! This thing could give
you a hernia. And it could definitely crack a skull, but a lady doesn’t need
this ugly thing. How about you leave it with me? I’ll buy you a fancy lady-like
one, and I’ll bring it to you as soon as I can.” She cocked her head, and shifted
her eyes enticingly.

Grammy smiled. “I think I’ll take you up on that
offer, sweet. It can be an early Christmas present. I think I need something
fancy, myself. I’ve just been too preoccupied lately to go shopping. I’ve got
another one I can use until you find what you want me to have.” She kissed
Tori’s cheek. “Don’t take too long before you come see me. We’ve got a lot to
catch up on,” she said, and tears filled her eyes.

“I’ll be out tomorrow. I promise.”

“Tomorrow works for me,” Grammy said as she held onto
Poppy. “Let’s go Poppy. We’re having company tomorrow. I’ve got things to do.”

Poppy held Grammy’s hand and aided her to the pickup.
Tori watched them walk away, and sadness flooded through her as her eyes beheld
Grammy’s deteriorated condition. “I’ll buy you the prettiest cane that can be
found in Madison, dear, sweet Grammy.”

When the pickup pulled out of the driveway, Tori
walked into the living room and hooked the cane around the stair railing.
“There. It looks better as a decoration.”

Momma ran her hand across the cane. “I agree. Maybe
we’ll hang a stocking on in for Christmas.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. And this is going to be the
happiest Christmas of my life,” Tori said, and then added, “Let’s start
planning for the big day before we go to bed.”

Tori, Jill, and Momma giggled like little girls as
they huddled on the couch, each of them talking over the other. First, they
appointed Tori’s dad to play Santa.

Her dad stuck out his stomach, and said, “Ho, ho, ho.”

They all laughed and started talking at the same time
again.
Even Daddy joined in with the girly giggles and
planning.

By ten o’clock Tori’s parents were yawing, so Daddy
stood and kissed Tori on the forehead. “Well, sweetheart, we’ve got to get up
early tomorrow. It’s great to have you home again.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” her mother said as
she kissed Tori’s cheek.

Tori hugged and kissed her parents. “Okay. Sleep
tight. I love you,” she said, again choking back her tears. “I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

After her parents went to bed, Tori and Jill decided
to unload the car. Jill helped Tori put her dolls and her albums back in place.
Jill looked around the room. “Oh, there it is!” She walked over to Tori’s
dresser and pulled the tin box to the edge. “Let’s open this thing and see what
it holds.” Jill tried to lift the lid. “Well, crapola! It’s locked. What did I
do with the key ring? Maybe there’s a key on it that fits.”

“You’re the one that had the key ring last. I don’t
know where you put it,” Tori answered. “Look in your purse.”

Jill dug through her purse.
“Nope.
I didn’t put the keys in here. Check your purse.”

Tori dug through her purse.
“Nope.
No keys,” she said. “Oh, we’ll worry about it later. There’s nothing that
belongs to Cody that would be important to me anyway. And I do mean nothing!”

“Fine with me.”
Jill returned to Tori’s side.

They pounced into the middle of the bed, fell against
the soft feather pillows, talked, and giggled like six-year-olds. Before they
knew it, it was midnight.

Jill announced, “I need to get some sleep, girl. I
have classes tomorrow. But it’s so wonderful being with you again I don’t want
to tear myself away.”

“Hey, go get some sleep,” Tori said, tapping her
thigh. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

“You’re welcome. Just don’t pull another bone-headed
stunt like that again, okay?”

“I won’t – you have my word on that.” Tori sat
cross-legged on the bed, the position she usual assumed when she wanted to talk
about something that was weighting on her heart.

Jill followed suit and sat facing Tori. “What’s
bugging you? I can tell by the look in your eyes that it has nothing to do with
Cody.”

Tori paused, pursed her lips, and then asked, “Does
Wes still have a girlfriend? Is he in love with her? Does he ever mention my
name?”

Jill sighed deeply. “Yes, he has a girlfriend, but
every time I try to broach the subject with Billy, he just tells me it’s none
of my business and to leave it alone.” Tori hung her head and nodded. Then Jill
added, “But I can tell you that Wes was crazy with worry when you went missing.
Billy said that Wes cried for days.”

“Really?”
Tori said, her mood brightening. “That means he still
cares, at least a little bit, and that means there still might be a chance for
us.” When Jill didn’t reply, Tori asked, “Would you mind sleeping over tonight?
I’d rather not be alone.”

“Sure. I don’t want to leave you, either. I want to
grab you, hold on to you, and never let go.” Jill gathered Tori in her arms,
rocked back and forth as if she were a tiny baby. “Never leave me again, Tori.
Promise?”

“I promise. You promise never to leave me?” Tori
rested her forehead against Jill’s.

“Till death do us part,” Jill answered.

“Till death do us part,” Tori repeated.

Jill yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “I’m
beat. Set the alarm for seven o’clock. Okay?”

Tori set the alarm. Only after her head hit the pillow
did she realize how exhausted she really was, but even as tired as she was,
thoughts of the last three months kept tumbling through her mind and kept her
from falling asleep.

She tossed and turned as a terrifying jumble of images
flashed before her eyes. Finally, she eased out of bed, careful not to wake
Jill, and headed down the hall, thinking that a long soak in the bathtub would
ease the tension and relax her. She wanted a good night’s sleep without pills or
booze. Those demons were behind her, too.

As the water filled the tub, Tori undressed, grabbed a
towel and washcloth, and stepped in. She turned off the tap and lay back in the
clear water glistening with bath oil, letting it relax her. She was home. She
was safe. Yet she couldn’t stop thinking of Wes. Her cheeks grew hot. She told
herself that she had to stop her thoughts of him – but she couldn’t. She just
couldn’t.

When the water became cool, Tori climbed from the tub,
vigorously towel dried, and slipped into her pajamas. Then she quietly made her
way downstairs and into her dad’s study, where she found a pen and some paper
and sat at the desk. She rested her chin in her left hand as she thought,
chewing on the pen and drumming her fingers on the desktop.

Then she began to write, and once she started, the
words seemed to fly out of the pen as if they were being written by someone
else. When she was done, she picked up the paper and read the words. At first
she started to wad it up and toss it into the trash, but then she reread it and
her vision blurred with tears.

Hello Wesley, my dear friend,

How I would love to see you again.

If I could hear your tender voice,

Laughing and singing, I would rejoice.

I’ve finally shed my last bitter tear

Over heartaches
from the past year.

I’m feeling fresh and almost new,

The missing link … is you.

I’m needing
you, if you need me at all,

Pick up the phone and give me a call.

Tori