Beyond the Whirlwind: Sequel to Whirlwind & Whirlwind Ii

By Margot Vesel Rising

One year after the death of Ann's husband Todd, Walt shows up in her life again. Never having forgotten her from three years before, he honors Todd's wish to end her grieving. Ann's life suddenly turns from a mere existence to interesting and exciting. Her life is filled with the love of her music and the man who has held a soft spot in her heart for the past three years. Walt is determined to win her heart and make her happy for the rest of her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 15, 2003
• ISBN: 9781469727929

Margot Vesel Rising

Margot always had a talent for creativity, if not writing novels or poetry, she was composing music or creating dishes in the kitchen. Rarely did she sit idle, and when she did, she felt out of kilter. She has composed and published many pieces for the piano as well as voice. Written under the name of Margot Vesel, many of the pieces were presented at Schmidt’s annual New Materials Clinics. She taught music in school and also taught private piano, organ and voice students. She later accepted the position as organist for the Federal Correctional Institution. Margot Vesel Rising has published eight novels, each dealing with personalities she found fascinating through the years. Along with working in the prison system and becoming acquainted with the inmates, living in apartments for the last thirty years has allowed her to know many people, each one unlike the other. That in itself is fascinating. She tries to bring personalities like those into her writing. Her readers can contact her at [e-mail] by putting the name of the novel in the subject line. She would like very much to hear from you. www.MargotRising.com

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All Rights Reserved © 2003 by Margot Rising

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ISBN: 0-595-27930-9

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Contents

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER IX

To my daughter, Marcia Clennon, without whose help my books would not be published.

CHAPTER I

ANN FELT NUMB as she drove down the familiar road. It was a beautiful sunny morning in May. At any other time, the bright green of the new leaves on the trees, and the lilacs blooming on the side of the road would have uplifted her mood, but not today. In a way, she dreaded going to the cemetery, not that she could stay away. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go. She dreaded it because today was not like all the other days she went to visit her husband’s grave. Today was the day her grief was supposed to end. How foolish of her to think it ever could.

For most people, it was a time to talk to the loved ones who were no longer in their lives, to honor them and to reflect on their lives together. Instead, she knew she’d feel cheated out of the years they should have had together. Once she had found Todd again, it seemed like nothing could go wrong ever again. They had been happy for the almost two years that God had given them, and she knew she should be grateful for those years, but two years hadn’t been nearly enough, not for a love like theirs. A lifetime wouldn’t have been enough. They had found each other late in life, when they were both in their sixties. Why couldn’t they have met when they were young? No, she thought, if she had met Todd then, she wouldn’t have her two wonderful daughters. Granted, she and Todd might have had children, but they would not have been Laura and Linda. She smiled a sad smile. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. She finally accepted that her life had been exactly the way God planned. It was difficult to accept that He would let Todd die so soon, but God had been merciful in letting Ann share in the short time that Todd had left on this earth. She knew many women who were bitter after losing their husbands, and were angry at them and at God. She knew better than to feel that anger. Life was like that and she had to accept it, like it or not.

She drove through the gates and stopped the car at the bottom of the hill. She walked up the hill to Todd’s grave. This is where she had helplessly watched as they lowered Todd’s body to rest just one year ago to the day. A tear slid down her cheek as she knelt by the gravestone. I love you, Todd, she said quietly. Thank you for the two most wonderful years of my life. She anchored the vase of flowers in front of the headstone. You insisted we make a pact, Todd, but I don’t know if I can carry it out. I’m not done grieving yet. One year isn’t nearly long enough. I know it was important to you because you talked about it so often. What kind of life can I have without you? Ann sobbed remembering the day he died. I should never have been so foolish to agree to it. She bowed her head and as tears gently slid down her cheeks, she said a prayer. When she finished, she raised her head. I will try, my darling. That’s all I can promise.She wiped the tears from her cheeks.I miss you so very much.

After pulling a weed or two from around the vase, she stood up, raised her chin and smiled through her tears. All I can do is promise that I’ll try, she repeated. When she turned to leave, she didn’t look back until she reached her car. She needed that one last moment to say goodbye. Todd had asked her not to grieve anymore from this day forward. One year was enough, he said. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. How often in the past had she said that? She wished that she could have been more positive, but she honestly wasn’t ready to take on new challenges.

Todd had known that the prostate cancer was terminal months before he told Ann, but he let her have those months of happiness. She wanted to scream at him that he should have informed her the minute he was told. Down deep, though, she knew that it would have devastated her, and in doing so, would have clouded his happiness. In spite of knowing he was dying, he lived and loved each day to the fullest. In all honesty, he had told her that day, had I known that they didn’t get all the cancer, I would not have come back into your life. You would have been better off without me. And that wasn’t true at all. Ann knew then that there was truth in the saying It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. She would have to remind herself of that in the years to come.

She parked in the space by the townhouse they had bought just after they were married. Todd said he would buy her a house, a mansion or whatever she wanted, but being in their mid sixties, the townhouse seemed to be the best place for them to live. The living room was spacious enough to hold her baby grand piano, and there were three bedrooms, enough for children and grandchildren to visit. It was one of the few they had considered that had a formal dining room. Most of the others had only a dining area off the living room and kitchen. A big picture window overlooked the lake, and it often looked like a large expertly done painting hung on the wall. She took a deep breath and got out of the car.

She unlocked the door and looked at the room that seemed so empty without Todd. Even after a year she felt the meaninglessness of her life without him there. Get used to it, she told herself as she went in and hung up her jacket. She glanced in the mirror at the sixty-eight year old woman whose hair was turning gray, whose face was etched with lines around the eyes and mouth. Character, she said as she turned around and looked at the piano. She hadn’t composed anything since Todd died. She hadn’t even wanted to play any of the pieces she composed during those two years Todd was with her. They were so filled with love at the time, but now, it was painful to play them. She knew that Todd expected her to play again, to compose again, but saying it and doing it were two different things.

Todd had stayed in touch with Walt Harmon, a friend, a music publisher who had published a number of her compositions. Ann hadn’t felt comfortable about it. After all, Walt had fallen in love with her during the week she spent in Chicago at Harmon/Wilson Publishers. She discouraged him, of course, but finally allowed him to try to make her fall in love with him. If he succeeded or not, Walt said it would fulfill his fantasy. Walt was a dear sweet man, a man she admired and for whom she felt a great deal of affection. At that time, she thought there was no chance of Todd being part of her life. She thought he didn’t want her and had gone to England. He had left her in Minneapolis, promising to return, but he never came back. He had told her he was in financial trouble and had supposedly gone to England to straighten things out, but said it would take too long for her to wait for him. She had to accept that Todd had changed his mind about marrying her. Later, when Todd’s name came up, Walt told her that Todd was not in England, but in Chicago and that he had never left, that he had been in the hospital for some time after his surgery. Of course, Ann had known nothing about any surgery. He was indeed in his office, which was not far from Walt’s Publishing House.

Walt had sacrificed his own happiness for hers. He didn’t have to tell her about Todd, but Walt was an unselfish, wonderful and honorable man.

She sat at the piano for a long time before her hands touched the keys. Slowly, she played one chord, then another. Before long, tears were streaming down her face. She was sobbing miserably as she played what she had been feeling during this past year. It was dark and depressing, sounds that made her heart ache. But why shouldn’t it? Todd was dead. She had no purpose in her life, but she had to try—because she had promised Todd.

Her music seemed to evolve from that depth of despair into an expression of sadness. In spite of the sadness, the music exposed a glimmer of hope. She breathed deeply as she continued playing. When she stopped and looked at her watch, she noticed that it was almost noon. Had she really played for almost two hours? It felt good, almost liberating, revealing what she truly felt in her soul. Was there really hope? She knew there was something to live for, although she didn’t know what except for her children and grandchildren. Even so, she realized that she had passed a turning point in her life. She would not give in to her self-pity. She would rise above her grief and look for positive things in her life. She could do it. She would do it, not only because she had promised Todd, but she realized that she would do it for herself.

Was that what she needed all along, to put her heart into the music and express what she was feeling? Is that what had driven the blackness out of her mood? Music was healing. She always knew that. Why didn’t she think of it before?

She realized that she had been staring into space when the doorbell rang. It felt strange that she had just been thinking about her daughters. It was probably Laura checking up on her. After all, it was the anniversary of Todd’s death and Laura would be concerned about her. She opened the door and her mouth dropped open as she saw the very tall gray haired man standing in the doorway. She was speechless and just stood there staring at him, feeling like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. W-Walt?

Walt knew she would be surprised, but the look of shock on her face almost made him wish he had called first. Are you all right, Ann?

She took a deep breath. Yes, of course, but—I—I don’t know what to say. This is such a surprise. Ann stood there rather awkwardly for a moment, reveling in the sight of the attractive man she had thought of so often during the last three years. Oh, Walt, I’m sorry. Come in. She took his arm and pulled him through the doorway.

Walt looked around This is nice, Ann.

Nice? After seeing your mansion, this must look like a dollhouse.

It’s charming. He looked down at her, his eyes drinking in the sight of the woman he had fallen in love with over three years ago. Her hair was a little grayer, and there were a few extra lines around her eyes, but she was still striking, a sight to behold, this woman with her own inner beauty who had stolen his heart.

She shook slightly as if to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She closed the door behind him and led him into the living room.

He winced inwardly as he saw the dazed look in her eyes I should have called first.

She shook her head. I’m sorry. No, it’s fine. I just never expected to—

He raised an eyebrow. To see me again?

She shook her head. No. Yes. Maybe. Their eyes met. I’m really happy to see you. She stood staring at him, a tear gently sliding down her cheek. I need a hug.

Walt’s arms were around her before she even finished the request. How often had he dreamed of holding Ann in his arms again? How often had he yearned to even see her face? He had kept his distance after she and Todd were married. Todd kept in touch with him, of course, and it wasn’t until a few months ago that she learned why.

She stood back. Let me look at you. She smiled as she wiped the tear on her cheek. He was as handsome as ever, so tall and masculine. His hair was more white than gray and it made him look even more distinguished than she remembered. You don’t have your beard.

No. I shaved it off and decided I needed something to do every morning to make me feel halfway human, to convince myself that I was among the living. When I got up every morning, I shaved, and that meant I had to look at myself in the mirror and realize that I was indeed alive.

Another tear slipped down Ann’s cheek.

What? he asked wiping the tear.

She shook her head. It’s just so good to see you, Walt. Today of all days, she needed him. With Todd being gone a year, it had just started out to be a very depressing day. She thought she had handled her loss fairly well. Somehow, seeing Walt again had brought back such warm memories, almost blocking out the bad ones. Almost. Come in and sit down. She pointed to the easy chair. Have you had lunch?

No, I’m afraid I couldn’t wait to find out if you’d throw me out or not. I got off the plane, rented a car and drove right over here.

How did you find my place?

"I had good directions. They told me I couldn’t miss it." He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The changes that he saw in her only added to her attractiveness. She wore her hair a little shorter than it was when he had last seen her. Although it was different, he found it very becoming. There was sadness in her eyes, and dark shadows under them, but she still looked beautiful to him. Of course, she had lost weight. He only hoped that it wasn’t because of losing Todd; but naturally, it had to be. They were very much in love. Funny, but he never felt jealous of Todd, only envious. He sighed, almost unable to believe that he was here with her now.

She smiled and nodded. I’ll fix us something to eat.

Let me take you out.

I’d rather fix something here. I want to hear all about you. What have you been doing besides publishing my music?

Speaking of that, I want to expand the distribution of your music to England and Germany.

Her eyes opened wide. England? Germany?

Don’t be so shocked. They love your music there.

She was skeptical. How would you know that?

I took one of Percy’s recordings over with me.

What made you do a thing like that?

He looked at her lovingly. I want to expose the whole world to your music, Ann. England is just the beginning.

Is that why you’re here?

That’s part of it. He stood up. Let me help you with lunch.

She gave him a teasing grin. You? In the kitchen? It seems to me we’ve been through this at your place. She remembered when the best he could do was to put together a sandwich. He had a cook and housekeeper. Why would he have