Boomerang

By Lillian Wade

Mary Jo Danson learns that she is more resilient than she ever knew. After losing her mother, her husband and her job all in the span of 30 days, she receives an inheritance from an anonymous benefactor. As she works with her best friend, Melanie, and becomes part owner of a multi-million dollar company, she realizes she has become the woman she was meant to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lillian Wade
• Release date: Jun 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476343815

Lillian Wade

I am a retired teacher who enjoys outings with girlfriends and writing fiction about female baby boomers. Other passions include scrabble, chess and gardening. In addition, my husband and I love to cruise with friends.

Book preview

by LillianWade

Today Mary Jo believes in miracles. Sitting in her posh office, surrounded by beautiful artwork and lush plants, she quietly reflects on what a difference three years can make. Cloaked in peaceful tranquility, Mary Jo has a whole new perspective that comes from an awareness of the weaknesses and frailties that kept her lacking in confidence for most of her life.

In 2007, all within the span of 30 days, Mary Jo lost her husband, her mother and her job. It was the rainy season in Southern California, and, after seven straight days of rain, it had dampened her already soggy spirit. From her apartment window Mary Jo could see the verdant hills covered in misty clouds that hung so low you could almost reach out and touch them. Her mood mirrored the scene before her. Even taking a bath or combing her hair took more energy than she had. A white- terry-cloth Ralph Lauren robe hung loosely around her emaciated 5’3 frame. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. Her friends tried to encourage her, but she was inconsolable. Melanie, her best friend, finally said, I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. I’ll be over in 30 minutes."

No, Mary Jo insisted. There’s no need to do that. I’m fine.

In 30 minutes, end of discussion, Melanie retorted.

Melanie rang the doorbell exactly 30 minutes later and, above Mary Jo’s protestations, began straightening pillows, stacking magazines and vacuuming the floor. She freshened up the bathroom, laid out fluffy white towels and ran a bubble bath, lighting fragrant candles around the tub. The soothing sounds of Luther Vandross wafted throughout the apartment.

I know it’s been rough on you, but you’ve got to snap out of this. You’ve felt sorry for yourself long enough. I’m not going to sit idly by and watch you deteriorate. So move your skinny ass. If you don’t undress and get in the tub, I’ll undress you myself and put you in.

Melanie, please. Just leave me alone.

Move it now, shouted Melanie.

Mary Jo plodded to the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised at the dimmed lights, the scented candles, and the glass of wine awaiting her. The foaming bubbles beckoned to her as she slipped off her robe and submerged into a solace so wonderful that she began to feel almost human again. Soft tears covered her milk-chocolate cheeks while she began to will herself up out of the depths of despair and anguish.

While Mary Jo was in the bathroom, Melanie cleaned the kitchen and heated the vegetable soup she had brought with her. She thawed an Italian baguette she found in the freezer and added mounds of sweet butter. She set the table with Mary Jo’s elegant linen tablecloth, matching napkins and her Limoges china and poured more wine. This is what she’d want someone to do for her if the tables were turned.

Melanie and Jo had been friends since kindergarten when they both hung feverishly to their mothers on that fateful day as the apron strings were cut. They found comfort in one another on the playground while all of the other children were in various stages of crying, playing, or sleeping. They were friends straight through high school, but went their separate ways in college. Mary Jo remained in state and attended UCLA where she majored in secondary education and became a high school teacher. Melanie chose Grambling State University in Louisiana, her mother’s alma mater. She majored in business administration and now owned a small, but successful, event planning company called "The Better Way.

*****

Mary Jo’s mother, Ardelia, had lived in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles for 60 years, still in the house where Mary Jo grew up. Mary Jo was an only child and her father had passed away when she was in college, so she and her mother were very close. When she was 83, Ardelia broke her hip and had to spend some time in a rehab center after being released from the hospital. Mary Jo visited her every day after work and on the weekends, always bringing candy, magazines, or small trinkets for her, as well as for her roommate, Mrs. Adelson.

Ardelia and Martha Adelson got along famously. The pride Ardelia felt in Mary Jo crept into every conversation, and since no one ever visited Mrs. Adelson, Mary Jo began to include her in everything she did with her mother. She read to them, played scrabble and gin rummy with them, and checked them out of the facility for outings at the mall or to the movies or dinner.

After three months Ardelia was well enough to go home. A few days before she was to be released, Mrs. Adelson began to refuse therapy and wouldn’t eat. She sat and stared out of the window for hours and became very sullen and quiet. Even Ardelia’s promise to visit her often didn’t cheer her up. Ardelia called Mary Jo several times about it and was worried about her new friend.

I think she’s having trouble with your leaving, said Mary Jo.

You may be right. She began acting this way when the doctor said I was well enough to go home. I told her I’d visit her often, but that didn’t seem to make a difference.

I hate to see her like this, said Mary Jo.

So do I, but what can we do. She never talks about any family and it upset her the one time I asked about it, so I never mentioned it again.

I’ll try and think of something, but meanwhile you start getting your things together. The doctor said I could pick you up on Friday.

Okay, Ardelia said apprehensively. But I’m worried about her.

I know you are. Don’t worry. We’ll think of something.

On her way home, Mary Jo thought about Mrs. Adelson and wondered whether she had any family. She was thinking of asking Bella, the nurse who had befriended her, when she had a sudden epiphany. She decided to think about it a while longer before mentioning it to her mother.

Satisfied with that, she centered on what she thought to be a problem with Bill, her husband. She had begun to notice a change in him, but couldn’t put her finger on any one specific thing. He said nothing was wrong when she asked him. Like most women, she had a sixth sense about her relationship with her husband. She knew something was wrong and suspected it was another woman, but wasn’t sure. She looked for the usual signs-- change in the way he dressed, absence from home more often, unusual phone calls, but there was nothing. Bill always dressed impeccably, worked long hours, worked out at the gym, and was constantly on the phone, so she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Still, there was this nagging feeling that he was hiding something.

Mary Jo arrived at the rehab center on Friday to pick up her mother. "Mom, I have a wonderful idea. How would you feel about Martha coming to live with you? You could really be a big help to one another, and you’d each have company all the time. I worry about you being in