Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (9 page)

She wrote a few letters to her parents, but they had no idea how Emily had transformed. When she wrote to tell them that she felt it was time for her to leave the noisy dorm life for a more suitable small apartment, her father agreed. She also told them that she had enrolled in summer classes and would not be coming home. The letters from her Fergus Falls girlfriends sat unopened. She had moved on.

In August, she received a letter from her father telling her that due to her mother’s poor health, they had purchased a home in Scottsdale, Arizona. They would be living there during the winter months, and he hoped that she would come for a visit sometime. He closed by telling her that he was proud of how hard she was studying; he knew she would continue to do well. He also informed her that he had deposited another $15,000 into her bank account, which she could use for her upcoming school expenses and new clothes. For some strange reason, Emily decided that she did not want anyone to read the letter. She burned it in the ladies room at Memorial Library and then flushed the ashes down the toilet.

*

Emily had planned on surprising Danny by renting a small apartment near campus for the two of them. She dreamed about fixing it up to be a cozy place for them. When she finally shared her idea with Danny, he was outraged. He called her a selfish little princess. He told her that her money was needed at the Mifflin house. All they needed was a small bedroom, which would also serve as their headquarters for organizing the demonstrations.

At last, Danny agreed that they could move into a bigger bedroom in the back of the house. The room had a mattress on the floor and a small metal desk and lawn chair in the corner where Emily could study. She soon discovered that she had a strong desire to become a journalist. Studying became impossible in the house, so she spent hours at the library. Danny was often gone on trips to help organize other college campuses. He was always welcomed home with a hero’s greeting from the others.

Maxie had moved into the house as well. She kept Emily company while Danny was out solving the problems of the world. She was Emily’s only true friend. Maxie warned her to watch out for some of the people that stayed in the house. She often told Emily not to come home until late because of the wild parties, drugs, and trouble.

*

Nothing changed for the next three years, except that the parties became more out of control. The demonstrations had several times turned violent. The police were always driving past the house, keeping their eyes open for any trouble. Almost everyone in the house had been arrested a few times for everything from illegal trespassing to drug possession.

The house was in a constant state of turmoil, filth, and people. Emily went from being repelled by all of it to feeling like a powerful leader. Her emotions ranged from a high when she was recognized, to complete depression when she did not sleep or study for days because of the partying. Her only refuge was the Memorial Library, which was always beautiful, clean, and quiet.

Danny and Emily remained a couple. When he was there, she never left his side. Danny continued to teach her how to work the crowd and often wrote her speeches. Emily enjoyed being a passionate speaker. It was always Danny who picked the issues. They had been arrested six times. With each arrest, they wore their probations like a badge of courage. Emily was known as fearless—willing to take a strong stance on any issue. She had stood in front of buses that she accused of polluting the lungs of innocent children and cut her hair off as a symbol of protest in front of a drugstore that sold
Playboy
magazine. She sprayed red paint on the sidewalk in front of the dean of students’ office after he refused to let her speak about women’s rights.

Yet, back in the shabby little bedroom, Emily was weak, disconnected, and longed to be cared for by Danny. She knew she had become his puppet. She was willing to accept Danny’s terms for whatever love meant to him. She had nowhere to go. Whatever Danny wanted from Emily, she gave to him.

*

In the beginning of her senior year, she took some of her secret money to start an underground newspaper called
One Voice.
The paper was quickly noticed by school officials, who banned it on campus. The action drew the attention of the media, and soon there were stories on television and radio stations through the state. Danny immediately jumped in front of the cameras, claiming the paper was his idea. He swore to bring a lawsuit for violation of his constitutional rights. The press kept the story going for months. It made Danny Driscoll a spokesperson for the radical community.

Emily was outraged that Danny had taken credit for her paper. Yet at the same time, she was relieved that her picture had not appeared in any of the articles. It was the first time that she realized she no longer trusted Danny. She became withdrawn and depressed. All the others in the house believed that
One Voice
was Danny’s.

Day by day, Emily became angrier. Finally, she confronted him and demanded an explanation. He just patted her on the top of head, telling her that she was once again behaving like the little rich Minnesota princess. He warned her to mellow out. If she continued to be such a drag, he might decide it was time to move on.

Emily stomped out of the house carrying her box of precious possessions—her quilt, which was still wrapped in the gift paper, her sweater, photo, locket, and a notebook filled with poems and short stories. She walked for blocks, tears streaming down her dirty face. Finally, she found herself standing in front of the stately Edgewater Hotel. As the desk clerk looked at her with disdain, she pulled out her credit card and took an expensive room overlooking Lake Mendota.

At the exact moment she walked into her clean hotel room, she had a revelation. She knew that she must stop smoking, drinking, and using drugs. She knew that never again would she allow herself to be demeaned and compromised. After a much-needed nap, she walked down State Street to buy new, clean clothes.

She stayed in the plush hotel room for two weeks, enjoying the peace. She bought lavender-scented bubble bath and honey shampoo. She soaked in hot baths. She ate delicious meals, which she ordered from room service. She studied for her finals. To her complete surprise, she passed all of her required exams with a 4.0. She felt better than she had in four years.

Alone, she walked to the graduation ceremony. Held in Randall Stadium to accommodate the thousands who were graduating with their families and friends cheering them, it was overwhelming to her. Some of the graduates decorated their caps so their family could find them in the massive crowd. Emily did not have to worry about anyone looking for her as she marched up to the large stage. There was no one there to cheer when they called her name. It surprised her how good it felt to hold her diploma in her hands. She clutched it close to her as she left the stage.

Emily came to the realization that she had just stumbled onto another turning point in her life’s journey. She was leaving this life with nothing more than a small box of special things and her red VW. She had no idea where the thousands of dollars had gone that her parents had given her. Her current bank account balance was $500. However, she knew deep in her soul that she was ready to finally grow up. She was ready for the challenge to face the world, not as a crazed radical but as a woman with intelligence and value. She was determined to replace her freestyle life with a life of dignity.

That afternoon, she made an appointment with the doctor, who would tell her what she already knew.

Chapter Seven
 

Grace O’Malley

The day that Emily left for Madison was Grace’s day off. She sat on her front porch waiting for Emily to make one last stop to say good-bye. After she sat there for several hours, Grace’s mom came out to sit next to her. She told her, “It is time to get over the pity party. You need to accept your life as it is and move on. There is going to be little sympathy from anyone around here. You should be counting your many blessings. Be thankful for food on the table, a roof over your head, and a good job to go to each day.”

Each day as she walked to and from the dress shop, she dreamed of the adventures that she would never have. She often took the route home that went past Emily’s house on Lake Alice. The beautiful Victorian house now looked abandoned and uncared for. It broke her heart, especially when she remembered all the wonderful times she had in that house. She tried hard to accept her life without her friends. However, she could not seem to let go of her dreams. For the first time in her life, she felt poor. She hated herself when she finally acknowledged that she was jealous of Emily, Lindy, and Rebecca for their ability to go off to new adventures. She felt angry some days, but most days she was just plain lonely.

Her mother told her she was a foolish dreamer. She told her that she would never find a man if she kept that depressed look on her face. Her father spent most of his free time sleeping in front of the TV, never really talking to anyone in the family. She enrolled in Fergus Falls Junior College, which was in the new addition of the high school. She took business courses, working during the day while attending classes in the evening. She was thankful that she kept busy. She hoped to get her two-year degree, save some money, then leave for a big city and finish her college education.

*

As the leaves turned shades of red and gold, Grace’s mood became a little more lighthearted. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed her classes. She was learning more about the business world each day. Claire Klopetek, who owned Claire’s Dress Shop, had taken her to Minneapolis for a buyers’ convention. Grace was amazed by the large crowds attending the show and the miles of exhibits. She loved the experience and promised Claire that she was dedicating herself to her job from that day forward. Claire began to give Grace more office duties, carefully explaining the importance of each task. She even helped Grace with her homework.

In spite of their age difference of almost thirty years, they became close friends. Grace loved her job and most days looked forward to going to work. Claire worked with Grace to develop her own style in clothes and appearance. She gave Grace one outfit a month, making her promise that she would only wear clothes from the shop to work. Grace bloomed into a young woman with interesting fashion flair.

*

At school, Grace quickly made friends with the others who had graduated with her. They started to call themselves the LBG Club for
left behind gang
. Although there was no one who could replace the Sisterhood of Lake Alice, she made a few friends and went out on an occasional date to the movies and Dairyland Drive-in for ice cream. What surprised her most was that some of her classmates from high school, whom she had never given the time of day to, were actually very nice and lots of fun.

Grace received letters on a regular basis from Lindy and Rebecca. They told her about getting lost on campus, new roommates, boyfriends, parties, and their classes. They invited her to come for a weekend visit. Lindy came home twice the first semester, and it was wonderful to see her. It was also obvious that their connection had changed in just the few months away from each other. Rebecca wrote that she would be home for Christmas break, asking Grace to be their social director and to arrange as many get-togethers as possible. Grace smiled as she read each letter over and over again. It shocked her that Emily had not written or responded to the many letters and silly cards that she had sent to her. It was so unlike Emily.

*

One day as she passed the movie theater, she noticed an announcement for tryouts for a city theater group in Fargo, North Dakota. She quickly wrote down the address and the next day mailed a letter explaining who she was and her achievements and enclosed copies of some of the articles about them that had appeared in the Fergus Falls
Daily Journal
. Two days before Christmas, she received a response. The letter stated that auditions were being held in Fargo in mid-January for a new musical production of
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
.

Grace’s spirit seemed to perk up at the thought of singing again. When it was quiet in the store, she sang; in the evening at home, she sang; she sang walking home, and she sang in church each Sunday. She dreamed of singing on stage to an audience of adoring fans. She called and set up an appointment for her first audition.

*

When Rebecca and Lindy arrived home for the holidays, they all met at Skogmo, the local coffee shop, which was right down the street from Claire’s Dress Shop. They smiled as each of them walked in the café wearing the sweater that Emily had given them with the locket from Grace hanging around their necks. They spent hours laughing, talking about their new lives and how much they missed each other. All of them were concerned about Emily. No one had heard from her except for a Christmas card, which said she would not be home for the holidays.

Too soon, Grace waved to her friends as they left to go back to their new lives. Lindy went back to nursing school at Mankato State and Rebecca to the Music Conservancy in Minneapolis. Grace was thrilled that she had the auditions to look forward to in a few weeks.

*

She was anxious but also confident and prepared as she hopped on the bus for a one-hour ride to Fargo. The city theater auditions were held at the movie theater on Main Street. There was a large group of people waiting their turns to show off their many different talents. Grace signed up, was handed a number, and found a seat in the back row of the darkened theater. She watched as people sang and danced to their chosen music. It suddenly hit her that she did not have a chance of being selected for any role.

Although she sang better than any of those she had heard, she had no dancing ability at all. The most dancing she did was at the VFW Post for their Friday night dances. Knowing that her number was going to be announced shortly, she quietly got up to leave the theater. Just as she reached the door, they called her name and number. For a brief moment, she wanted to run as fast as she could; but instead, she slowly turned around to walk down the aisle.