Page 27 of Memories of the Past

She nodded, set the tray on the bedside table, and made her way back to the door and continued her way the down the hall. I looked back to Jed, who sat there staring at me. “Now back to what you were saying. What makes you think you know all this?”

“I read all about you. Now, eat up your lunch, and then I will take you for a walk and show you what I mean.”

“I told you…I’m not hungry…and I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to lay here in peace. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have some time to myself.”

Jed refused to look my way. I sat there for a couple of minutes more, then I got up and made my way to the door, looking back at him, but he still hadn’t looked my way. Jed was still as stubborn as ever, and if he wasn’t willing to come with me, that was okay. There was more than one way to do this.

* * *

I wandered down through the halls of the retirement home, following one of the employees to the crafts room. “She’s normally in here in the early afternoons. She really enjoys working on her floral arranging, and sometimes she works on her needlepoint, or she reads. Just depends on her mood,” Florence, the girl who’d been asked to take me to see Vi, said. “You say you’re an old friend of her niece, Trinity?”

“That’s correct. I just came into town and heard she was here. So, I thought I’d stop by and see how she was doing.”

“Not a problem, sir,” she said, pushing a door open. “Yep, there she is, over by the window.” She nodded toward where Vi was sitting.

“Thank you so much.”

I entered the room and walked over to where Vi sat. “Hello, Vi!” I said sitting down across from her.

She looked up from what she was working on, a surprised look on her face. “Well, if it isn’t young Thomas Jenkins. How are you doing, dear?” Vi asked.

I was surprised that she recognized me after all these years.

“I’m doing well, Vi. How are you? I see you’ve decided to retire,” I said, looking around the beautiful sunroom.

She smiled and placed her needlepoint down on her lap. “I have. My Trinity is now running the store. Have you stopped by to see her yet?”

I nodded. “I have. She’s still as stubborn as ever.” I smiled. “Although, I’d expect nothing less.” I chuckled.

“I must talk to her about that. There is no need to be so stubborn. Is she doing okay? I worry about her. I ask, but she tells me not to worry.”

I nodded and smiled. “No need to worry. She is doing fine.”

“Good. You are right, you know, with her stubbornness. I never know if she is telling me the truth. You were always a good boy, though, and I know if there was something wrong, you’d tell me.”

“I would, although that would mean she’d need to tell me, and since she is barely speaking to me, it makes it difficult.” I laughed as Vi giggled.

“You know, it’s too bad you and Trinity never stayed together,” Vi said, looking down at the needlepoint that she had in her lap. “I always thought that you would have made an amazing pair. I always thought a lot of you, Thomas.”

I grew quiet, then nodded, swallowing hard. I’d thought of that myself, often, of what might have happened had I stayed in Willow Valley, or if Trinity had come with me. Those thoughts haunted me for many nights while I’d been on the road. They still haunted me today.

“So I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve stopped by.”

Vi nodded. “A little bit, yes. My first thought was that you were here to ask for my Trinity’s hand, but that was a long time ago. I lose track of time sometimes.”

“That’s okay. It was a long time ago. I’m not here because of Trinity. I’m here because there is someone that I’d like you to see. An old friend.”

“Oh?? Who would that be?”

“Vi, the other night, I found your diary,” I said, swallowing hard, unsure of what reaction I would get.

“Oh, is that so,” she said, looking over at me.

I nodded. “Yes, you wrote about Jed Hawkins. Of course, you may not remember. It was a long time ago. After all, you were just a young girl.”

“Oh, I haven’t thought of him in years,” she said, her eyes taking on a far-off look as she stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts. After a while, she looked over at me and shook her head. “Thomas, Jed moved away years ago. I’ve not seen him since.”

I smiled. “Vi, how would you like to take a little walk with me?” I questioned.

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