Before I am Famous

literature is something we infer after the story is told

A Night Made of Lilac

Posted on | May 18, 2008 |

She dressed in a pink sleeveless taffeta dress. Her sister, Jacqueline, brought in a string of pearls and adorned her neck with the heirloom. Fiona slipped the matching belt through the loops and secured it. Taking one look at herself in the mirror, she noticed the belt pushed her waist in too much. She was about ready to take it off when her mother called for her, Rhett had arrived.
Her father kissed his daughter on the cheek and remarked how lovely she was. Rhett stared at her from the bottom of the stairs. He grabbed her hand. Her father pulled out the camera. The flash went capturing two smiling love eternal kids on the film.
They arrived at the country club with others’ attending the spring dance. Bright party lights illuminated the entranceway with a rainbow of balloons tied to the railings. Rhett squeezed her hand with a tender touch, her heart raced. Lilac perfumed the air welcoming spring lovers.
Laughter, dancing and friends but they never let each other go. The band began to play “Pennsylvania 6-5000″, a song the couple first danced to a year ago. Rhett asked her to dance and when their hands touched and eyes met, awkwardness overtook their feet but now with their plans for marriage dancing became second nature.
The dresses swished and high heel shoes tapped the hard wood floor. At the right time in the music, the dancers stopped and yelled, “Pennsylvania 6-5000″. Then continued to swish and click. After the song, Rhett escorted the most beautiful lady to the table and kissed her on the cheek and went in the direction of the restroom.
Fiona waited and waited. The scores of lovers arm and arm talking of plans to go to Monroe Mountain dribbled out of the country club. Friends came by and asked if everything was okay. Fiona nodded and watched her friend’s date swoop them away. Soon the dance floor had a couple of diehard dancers. The band slowed it’s pace playing love songs, still no Rhett.
Sobbing, she called her father for a ride home. He picked her up and drove home prepared to call Rhett’s father and give him a piece of his mind. Before he had the chance, the police knocked on the door.
***
Fiona sat at the kitchen table and stared down into her coffee. She hated this day since 1952 now thirty years later; she still felt more alone. Since the divorce from her husband 10 years ago, May 17 felt even worse. She knew she belonged with Rhett but married Frank because he pursued her so long and her mother promised her a wonderful life with Frank. Fiona loved Frank because she was obligated to. He gave her two children, a boy and a girl who are fully grown and making a life for themselves. She succumbed to Frank. When he came home and moved out and laid the divorce papers on the table, at first she couldn’t understand but it took her no time to sign the papers. A loveless marriage isn’t worth having.
The oatmeal she had made congealed not that it mattered this day was always dark. While daydreaming of Rhett, someone knocked on the door. Not expecting company, Fiona peeked out the window. A woman several years her junior stood on the stoop and had a silver badge on her belt. Fiona opened the door slightly.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jackson. I am Cassandra McElroy, detective for the Springdale PD may I have a few words?”
Fiona opened the door, “oh my lord has something to Alex or Samantha, Jackie?” she panicked.
“Can we sit and talk? I have news that might shock you.”
Fiona stood aside and let the detective into the parlor.
“Early this morning, a hiker at the gorge found skeletal remains. The clothes are mostly destroyed but there is some that can be identified.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Fiona interrupted.
“Well ma’am with the remains there was a wallet. We took a look inside and saw that name was Rhett Elderson after some checking, we discovered he went missing thirty years ago. You were the last person to see him alive.”
Fiona sat and held her stomach. She dreamed that he had a bizarre case of amnesia because he hit his head in the bathroom and forgot who he was then one day he would regain most of his memory and come for her rescuing her from Frank. Though the emptiness in her soul already told her that he was dead a long time ago.
“I would like you to come to the station to identify his things. There is no one else.”
Still shocked from the confirmation of his death, Fiona stood and followed the lady detective.
***
Once she looked at the remains of his clothes and the belongings he carried, Fiona sat outside of the morgue. She asked to see his remains. The skeleton was covered but she could still see the outline of the bones. This couldn’t be him she thought. Sitting beside the table on the stool she the dam broke and she mourned. Cassandra came in and escorted her out.
“Do you know what happened?” Fiona asked weakly.
“Broken neck.”
“Where was he found?”
“I thought you would know since you were definitely the last person with him.”
***
Fiona waited in a small room with a slim window at a flimsy table. Cassandra was kind enough to bring coffee. The day already twisted itself into a nightmare and it was only noon according to the metronome like clock hanging on the wall above the door. The door opened and Cassandra and a man walked in. She carried a bag in her hand. They sat. Cassandra laid the clear bag on the table. Fiona couldn’t believe her eyes.
“You recognize this?” She asked.
“Yes,” Fiona coughed and sipped out of the Styrofoam cup, “my belt. It came with the dress I wore to the spring dance. I hated the way it looked I took it off before leaving the house. Why do you have it?”
“It was wrapped around your boyfriend’s neck. We think someone, perhaps you, strangled him with it.”
“You can’t be serious, I loved him. Anyway he was a lot bigger than me how could I possibly do that?”
“A man promised sex can be made to do anything,” Cassandra said.
“This is preposterous, he left me at the dance. I called my father.”
“Maybe your boyfriend, skipped out on you like you said and maybe you called daddy and both being angry killed him,” the other cop conjectured.
“No. I waited until the end of the dance. I called my father. When we got home he had the phone in his hand ready to call Rhett’s father but instead the police came and questioned me because his parents believed him to be missing.”
“Then why was your belt found at the scene?” Cassandra asked.
“I don’t know.”
***
By 2:00 p.m. Fiona drove around town with no place in mind until she pulled into the Morgan House the home where her mother lived, a brick structure with solitaire windows for each guest. Her mother celebrated her 70th birthday weeks ago but she didn’t remember. The doctor’s diagnosed her mother with Alzehiemer’s disease. With Jackie being out of town, she needed to talk to someone even if that someone lived in her own world.
Fiona walked up the brick walkway and the automatic doors opened. A heavy set nurse whom she saw on many occasions rushed to greet her.
“Boy am I glad you are here, Fiona. I had your mom in the rec. room and the news came on about that boy that went missing thirty years ago. They said they were questioning the former girlfriend. Your mother becomes very angry and screams at the tv saying that was her and Frank. I wrote down everything she screamed until the orderlies came and induced her sleep. I have never seen her like this. Could it be true? She maybe be mixed up but the memories are there just jumbled.”
“I don’t know, can I use your phone?” Fiona mumbled and called Cassandra. Once through, Fiona sat in her mother’s room and watched her sleep.
***
Fiona fell into melancholy state. Frank, Rhett’s best friend began visiting more frequently bringing flowers. He changed his look after Rhett went missing he traded jeans for slacks and dress shirts and let his crew cut grow. Two months after that night, she agreed to go on a date with Frank. He confessed that he loved her always and would do anything to be with. In true romantic fashion he bent down onto the freshly moistened soil and asked for marriage. At first she said no because Rhett was sure to come back. Somehow he knew because he insisted that Rhett will never return.
Later the same night, her mother asked why she didn’t accept Frank’s proposal. Odd because Fiona didn’t say one word to anyone about it to anyone not even Jackie. Her mother sat on her bed and held her hand and made Fiona believe Frank loved her more than the world. Then she said, while moving Fiona’s hair from her face, “Fiona, Frank has put a lot on the line for you. You are that special. Who knows how long you will have together. Be with him now because time is short.”
***
Not short enough Fiona thought as she stood. She wanted to shake and scream at her mother but left the room. Stepping back into the sunshine lilacs engorged her senses.

A special thanks to Aryana at Makeup for help with this story!!!

Category: weekly shorts

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