Chapter Four Sunnydale Do-Over-Again #2
“No.” She let out another big sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Henry encouraged her, and Theresa felt the need to unburden herself with the oddities of the day.
“A few weeks ago, I received a letter from someone who informed me that my estranged aunt was in a nursing home. I say estranged because I never knew her. She was my mother’s sister, who left home when they were teenagers.
My mother’s family lost track of her, or she lost track of them.
My mom told us about her sister Dottie, and how they had been best buds until Dottie got herself into trouble. ”
Frida shot Theresa a look. “What kind of trouble?”
“Oh, no, not that kind of trouble!” Theresa knew Frida was referring to being pregnant.
“At least not according to what my mother knew. She would send an occasional postcard, and a couple of Christmas cards. The postcards came from New Mexico and Arizona, but there was never a return address.” She paused to take another swig of water.
“My mom passed away two years ago, and I thought it was my duty to check it out. I flew in from Virginia to see if Dottie needed anything.”
“Were you able to see her?” Frida asked.
“That’s the thing.” Theresa wasn’t sure how many of her concerns she should share without sounding like a complete loon. “When I first arrived, I was turned away because I didn’t have an appointment.”
“Really? I didn’t know you had to do that,” Frida said, frowning.
“This place has some funny rules,” Henry chimed in. “I don’t mean this side of the property, but I’ve heard they don’t make it easy for visitors at the long-term care building.”
“Have you been there?”
“Thankfully, no,” Henry replied.
Theresa leaned closer. “I was there two days in a row. It reminded me of that movie Coma.”
“Oh, the one with Michael Douglas and—what’s the French actress’s name?” Frida tapped her middle finger and thumb to gether.
“Geneviève Bujold,” Henry assisted.
“Yes, that’s the one.” Frida nodded. “I always had trouble pronouncing her name.”
Theresa appreciated the easy conversation, but she wanted to continue dispatching her weighty thoughts, and plowed ahead.
“When I was finally allowed into the building, they took me down a long hallway with the residents behind enclosed glass. My aunt was hooked up to hoses and machines. They wouldn’t let me into the room.
Said it was a precautionary measure to prevent infections.
I had to communicate through a speaker on the side panel.
Of course she didn’t respond. Not even a flinch. ”
“Oh, that’s such a shame.” Frida shook her head.
“You haven’t told us about you and ‘the other guy’.”
“Sorry?” Then Theresa remembered what her face looked like. “Yesterday, as I was leaving, a dump truck sideswiped me, and I ran into a pole.”
“Oh for!” Frida exclaimed. “Are you alright?”
“That all depends on the subject. Physically I’m fine. They did tests at the hospital, and then I went back to the hotel. I took a taxi here today.”
“And what happened?”
“It’s all very strange.” Theresa took a deep breath. “Dottie passed away while I was there.”
“Oh, my! That’s dreadful!” Frida’s hand flew to her mouth.
Henry patted Theresa’s arm. “I am so sorry. Are you alright?”
“Yes, and no.” This was where the rubber was going to meet the road. “Can I tell you something?” She leaned in closer to the couple.
“Of course.” Frida was sympathetic and encouraging.
Theresa dug through her purse and pulled out the photo. “This is a photo of my mom and Dottie.”
“Sweet-looking girls,” Frida said.
“You see the ring on Dottie’s finger?”
“Oh, yes. I had something similar. Art deco. Was all the rage at one time.” Frida looked closer at the photo.
“Here’s the thing.” Theresa had no idea who these people were, but she felt they could be trusted.
At the very least, they were the only people who had been nice to her since she arrived.
Granted, Smiley Face was nice, but Theresa knew it was an act.
She continued her story. “The woman, who they told me was my Aunt Dottie, was not wearing the ring. They said she didn’t have any jewelry.
But my mother told me that Dottie swore she would never take it off. ”
“Well, dear, a lot of years passed. She may have lost it, gave it away?” Frida suggested.
“Then how is it that another woman a few windows down was wearing the ring?”
“Oh, goodness. Do you think she stole it from your aunt?”
“No. I think the woman wearing the ring might actually be my aunt. She looked a lot like my mother. Her face was slack, but there was definitely a family resemblance.”
“Did you tell the staff?”
“I went to the front desk and asked about the woman in the wheelchair, and they told me there wasn’t a woman in a wheelchair.
They even walked me back to the window where I swore she was sitting.
” Theresa waited a moment to see how the two would react to her story.
Neither said anything in response, but they also didn’t show signs that they thought Theresa was crazy.
“Today, when I stopped to see the woman named Dottie, she was ashen. I ran to the door and got someone to check on her. It took a few minutes, and when they returned, they told me the woman had passed away.” She paused again.
“I asked if I could see her one more time, and they brought me to the window and quickly pulled a sheet over her.”
Theresa tilted her head. “Here’s where I start to sound like I’m suffering from heatstroke.
” She took another deep breath. “As they were shuttling me down the hall, I purposely dropped my phone in front of the window of the woman in the wheelchair. Nurse Ratched quickly got between me and the window, but I managed to snap a photo as I fumbled with my purse.” Theresa took her phone out and showed them the picture.
Henry and Frida peered at the screen. Then Theresa pulled out the old photo of her mother and Aunt Dottie.
She tapped the phone. “I really believe that this is my Aunt Dottie.”
Frida and Henry listened intently to Theresa’s story. “You must think I’m nuts,” Theresa said as she gulped more water.
Frida shot a glance in Henry’s direction. “Not at all, dear. Some people hallucinate from the heat.” She grinned at her newfound friend. “I’ve met people who claim they’ve seen strange lights at night.”
“Well, we are in the land of UFOs,” Theresa replied.
“Area Fifty-One is in New Mexico,” Henry corrected her.
“I’ve been told they are now referred to as UAPs—unidentified anomalous phenomena.” Frida choked out the word anomalous.
“Oh, right. I thought I heard something about that.”
“And, my friend has witnessed such unidentified phenomena, or so he says.” Frida was enjoying teasing Henry. “Isn’t that right?”
Henry stifled a chuckle. “Yes, it’s true, but I didn’t see the lights in the sky. It looked more like swamp gas.”
“Around here?” Theresa questioned.
“Tempe Town Lake has quite an ecosystem,” Henry remarked.
“Huh. I would never have guessed.” Theresa massaged her forehead with the water bottle.
“Yes, the Army Corps of Engineers began a restoration program to restore portions of the Salt Riverbed,” Henry informed his new friends.
“Well, aren’t you a wealth of information, Mr. Pushkin,” Frida remarked.
“I’m retired. I bore easily,” he said, and grinned.
“But let’s get back to swamp gas. Have you seen it?” Theresa prodded him.
“Let’s just say I’ve seen a few things.” He raised his eyebrows.
The shuttle bus was nearing the roundabout.
Theresa excused herself. “Give me a minute.” She quickly phoned her friend Lizzie Cricket in Washington, D.C.
If anyone could help her figure things out, it was Lizzie.
Theresa left a brief message, giving her the bare details about her aunt, Sunnydale, and her car accident.
She swiftly walked back to where the couple was waiting as the bus pulled in front of them.
Theresa was slightly breathless. “I’d love to hear more. At least I won’t be the only goofball!” Theresa laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like it sounded!”
“It’s alright. I’ve been called many things in my life, but I think goofball is a new one. At least someone saying it to my face.” He gestured for the women to advance onto the bus.
One side had a row of single seats; the opposite had doubles. A brief awkward moment arose when they were deciding who should sit where. Theresa solved the issue and took a single seat across from a two-seater. Frida climbed into the window seat, and Henry took the aisle.
Theresa leaned in his direction. “Tell me more about the swamp gas.”
Henry looked around at the other passengers and made a gesture that said, I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Theresa got the message. She was glad she found someone who took her seriously.
Or were they simply humoring her? She didn’t think so.
They gave her the impression they were genuine, and she could not wait to hear Henry’s swamp gas story. It would be a good distraction.
Henry leaned over and muttered to Frida, “Do you mind if I invite her to lunch with us? She seems in an awful state.”
“I think that’s super,” Frida whispered back.
“Theresa, Frida and I are going to grab a bite. Would you like to join us?”
“Oh, that is very nice of you, but I wouldn’t want to impose.” She actually wanted to impose but was being polite.
“No imposition whatsoever,” Henry replied.
Frida leaned in. “Yes, please join us.”
Theresa let out a long exhale. She hadn’t realized how stressed she was. The massage from the day before was a long-gone memory.
The ride to town was a short one, and soon Theresa, Henry, and Frida were back in the heat. Thankfully, their destination was just a few steps away from where they were dropped off.
Just as they were entering the café, Theresa’s phone rang. “Excuse me a sec.” It was Lizzie, returning her call.
“Hey. Got your message. Are you okay?”
“Better. I’m just about to sit down to lunch with some new friends who may have some information about that place. I’ll call you later and fill you in.”
“Sounds good. In the meantime, I am going to talk to a few people and see if I can get the skinny on Sunnydale. Sit tight until you hear back.”
“Got it. Thanks, Lizzie.”
“No problem.”