Chapters of Our Lives

By Mary

A work of fiction that is at turns poignant, thoughtful, redemptive and heartbreakingly sad awaits readers in Chapters Of Our Lives. The novel is divided into 32 chapters that unmask the feelings of each character through the written word.

Chapters Of Our Lives is based on the knowledge, imagination and perception of the author Mary. Readers will meet The Boyds - John, Mary and Robert. John and Mary is an ordinary couple living in a very influential neighborhood. John is a plumber by trade but a millionaire. They live on over two hundred acres of land which Mary calls their crowdom. Their elite neighbors do not like them, because they are blue collar workers; therefore, they have no finesse. Mary feels they are the crows among the peacocks, but she loves to be a crow rather than a peacock. She feels the crows are smarter than the peacocks. John, on the other hand, does not care what people think about him. He wants to do his work and do it well. Robert is the only son of the Boydsa brilliant child who makes mistakes and ends up in jail for murder he did not commit.

And theres Jean Peterson, Ginger, Sally, Victoria, Grandma Lainy, Damian, Grandma Bailey and the Bailey twins. The story follows the intertwining lives of these characters- struggles, conflicts, and inner demons that humans fight with every single day. Woven with such craft as if the characters leap out of the pages themselves, the author brings her creative spark to give birth to an elegant piece of fiction.

When asked what her story is all about, the author candidly replied that its all about regular things that happen to people. Yet, Chapters Of Our Lives is a solid novel that is carefully constructed, giving special attention to the details, and yet provides it characters space to breathe and exhibit feelings that are genuine, real and raw.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465399809

Mary

Mary and Melissa Lemke are identical twin sisters from New Hampshire who married identical twin brothers from upper Michigan. They are former critical care nurses who now enjoy their roles as stay-at-home wives and homeschooling mothers. They feel blessed to be able to share encouraging words with others.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Mary Beth Peterson was an only child. Her father, Tom Peterson, was an electronic engineer. He worked for a reputable company and made good money. Jean Peterson was a secretary in a doctor’s office. They were doing all right. They lived in a high-rise condo in a suburb of Washington DC. They were planning to buy a house when they had a little money for a down payment, but Tom Peterson died with some kind of complications; the doctors could not find the cause. That afternoon, he had lunch with his mother at a restaurant. That night he suddenly got ill and died before he got to the hospital. People thought that his mother poisoned him because she did not like him marrying Jean. Thomas Peterson was a very smart guy. He got his high school diploma at the age of seventeen and got his bachelor’s in electronics engineering at the age of twenty-one. His mother always wanted him to be a priest. She had high hopes for him. She wished someday he should hold the highest post in the Catholic Church. In other words, she wished him to become a Pope. Tom also thought it would be best for him to go to a seminary to study religion, so he went. He was there for two years. He liked it very much. He made good grades. His parents were very happy about it. He was their youngest son. The other three, two girls and a boy, had already left home. They were married and had families of their own.

One summer, Tom came home on a vacation. He went to his doctor for the annual checkup. Jean was working there. When he saw her, something stirred up inside him. She was a twenty-year-old beautiful young lady. She was tall, slender, white skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. There was some kind of aura about her. Tom just could not get her out of his mind. He fought against his feelings. He was supposed to be a priest and not give in to temptations; but it was hard to overcome. She was on his mind every waking moment. He was scared if he died he would go straight to hell for having such desires. So he went to confession and told the priest what was happening to him. The old priest told him that if he had strong desires for this girl he should pursue it. He said God works in mysterious ways. Go out with her and see whether you still want to be a priest. Don’t worry about God punishing you. If it’s God’s will, you will be a priest, if not, you can serve God in any form.

Tom listened to the priest and he asked Jean to go out with him. At first, she was a little scared to go out with a seminarian. She felt that she was going to destroy a good priest. As it is, there was a shortage of priests, but then again what harm would it do? They were just going out. She said yes to him.

Next day he came and picked her up from work. He looked very handsome in his civilian clothes. They both fell in love with each other. Tom left the seminary, got a job as an electronic engineer, and in six months they were married. He was twenty-three and she was twenty-one.

The Petersons, Tom’s parents, hated Jean because they thought that she was an evil person to take their son from the one best thing he was going to do. The Petersons saw Jean once, when they came to talk her out of getting married to Tom. They offered her a few thousand dollars to get away from the state, but she refused it. Jean tried to talk to Tom to go back to the seminary, but he did not want to do anything with the priesthood. Jean never saw the Petersons again. They did not come to the wedding. Tom went to see them, but they did not want to see Jean or their little daughter, Mary. There were rumors that his mother had taken insurance on Tom before he was married. Maybe she did poison him or maybe she did not. Jean never tried to find out, as she did not believe his mother would do something like that. She may not have liked Jean, but she adored her son. Jean took her loses and went on her way.

Tom’s parents did show up for the funeral, but they did not talk to Jean. After that she did not know what happened to them. She never tried to find out.

Jean Peterson had stopped working because she needed to take care of her baby. Her husband, Thomas Peterson (known as Petty), was happy with her being at home. She was a good wife and a good mother to their year-old baby. She loved to cook and Petty was happy to come home, as soon as he got out of the office. They were a very loving couple.

Now as, Jean was all alone, she did not know what to do. She had a family, but they were very strange people. She had no contact with them for years. Her mother did not even come to her wedding. She had a sister, Sally, who would drop suddenly and disappear for years. Whatever she got from Tom’s estate would be enough for a year for her to live with a child. She needed to go to work, but who would take care of a year-old baby?

She tried some daycare centers, but they were very expensive. She would sit and cry. In her mind she would see Tom alive. She would look at Mary and see her father in her, because Mary looked like her father. Mary had deep blue eyes and blond hair just like Tom had. She had a beautiful heart-shaped face that was not her father’s, but it came from Jean’s side of the family.

One day Jean was so desperate, she felt like going out and having a drink, but no bar would allow her to get in with a baby.

I know there must be someone who will let us get in. Right, Mary?

Mary smiled showing her few milk teeth.

Oh, Mary, you are so pretty and friendly. I think we will be all right. Maybe we will go on welfare. No, Mary, it’s not right. Your mother is strong enough to provide for us both, said Jean to Mary, as if she could understand her.

Mary smiled again.

Jean picked Mary up and went out of the door.

They stepped in the elevator. They saw another woman of Jean’s age in the elevator. She had a baby of Mary’s age.

Hi, said Jean. Do you live in this complex?

Yes, I live on the fifth floor. I am Ginger Preston and this, my daughter Christine. She is a year old.

I am Jean Peterson and this, my daughter Mary. We live on the seventh floor.

Maybe we should get together and let the girls play together, said Ginger.

That would be nice, but I am looking for a babysitter for Mary so that I could go to work full time. When my husband was alive, I stayed home to take care of Mary. Since he died a month ago, I don’t know what to do. Tears rolled down Jean’s cheeks.

I am very sorry to hear that. I can take care of Mary. It will be nice to have a friend for Christine.

Would you really? said Jean, wiping her tears off. She felt that God was watching over her.

Yes, really. I was thinking of taking Christine to a play group, but this way I can have both girls play together, said Ginger.

What will you charge me?

Don’t worry. I don’t need the money.

No, I can’t accept that. Mary is my responsibility. I must pay something.

All right then, you can pay me whatever you can.

I will pack her lunch and snacks.

No need to do that. I’ll charge you $25.00 a week.

$25 a week! That’s way too low. You must charge me more. At any daycare, they would charge me five times that.

This is not a daycare. This one mother helping another mother. Besides, both girls can be friends for life. Ginger laughed.

Is it all right if I brought her by on Monday?

Sure! Any time in the morning. We get up bright and early.

You are an angel fallen from heaven. I was so worried about Mary. It is very hard to find someone I can afford. I wish I could stay home to take care of her, but circumstances are such, I have to be her mom and dad rolled in one. Jean’s facial expression changed. She looked like she was going to cry, but put on a smile. Then she looked at Mary in a loving way and said, Mary, you are going to Christine’s house on Monday. Mommy won’t be there to take care of you.

Mary smiled again.

You are happy. Aren’t you! You lucky ducky! Jean tickled her.

One-year-old Mary did not care what her mother was saying and kept on smiling.

Christine was a very pretty baby. Her skin was pinkish; her head was full of dark hair and dark brown eyes. She also smiled easily. Both girls started talking in their own baby language.

Look at them. They are acting like they have known each other for a long time, said Jean.

Maybe they were sisters in their past life, said Ginger.

Do you believe in re-incarnation?

We are Catholics, but sometimes, I don’t know what I believe in. We know this life and we must make best of it. We don’t know what happens after death.

For ten years the girls grew up together. They became very close to each other. They were like twins. They went to school together, played together and did everything together. Jean and Ginger were good to them. Ginger took care of them for five days and Jean on weekends. Sometimes, they took the girls to parks and museums and wherever they could take them. In spring, summer and fall, they visited orchards and farms to pick fruits and vegetables. The girls acquired first hand education about mother nature. They knew all the insects that pollinated the orchards. They saw how the bees were raised in apiary and were fascinated by it.

They went to mountains and saw deer, bears, foxes, birds and butterflies. Monarch butterfly was Mary’s favorite butterfly. Christine liked the swallow tails. They both liked everything, but once in a while, they separated themselves.

Since Jean did not have a lot of money to take her daughter to shopping or to restaurants, she decided to go to places that were free. Ginger was a nature photographer, so she took her camera along and took many pictures. She was well educated. She had more than one degree. She loved nature and thought, nature was the best book that children could learn from. Jean did not have much education, but she knew how to run the office. Ginger thought the girls could have first hand education. She let them wander in the woods and find flora and fauna that most children could only find in the books. As we know they visited farms and orchard, they got most of their food fresh from the farms.

It was a Saturday in early July. Jean was getting ready to go to an orchard to pick blue berries. She was getting her lunch basket ready. There was a knock on her door. Jean opened the door and saw Ginger at the door.

Ginger! What a surprise! Aren’t you going to get ready? Today we are going to pick blue berries. Have you forgotten?

I am sorry Jean, we can not go today.

What happened? The girls were looking forward!

My husband came home last night and told us that we are going to move to Timsville. He has bought a mansion with hundreds of acres of land. We must go and see it today.

Timsville! said Jean, waves of shock playing on her face. Where is Timsville?

I think, somewhere in the South. He said, it is about a 100, miles from DC. I believe it is an old mansion, but equipped with modern stuff, such as swimming pool, sauna and tennis court and many other things. It is remodeled to fit a modern family. The couple who made all the changes got a divorce and went in their own ways. We are getting it for a good price. Our loan is approved and if it goes through, we may move in next week.

 . . . Jean’s whole face changed. It seemed a dark cloud was hovering over her. Not because Ginger was getting a house, but because she was losing her best friend. Her daughter will be devastated, but there was nothing Jean could do about it.

How does Christine feel about it? asked Jean.

Christine was sad a little at first, but her father talked to her about the swimming pool and all that, she is OK with it.

Well then, we will miss you terribly. I don’t know how I am going to break the news to Mary. I know she is going to be sad, but that’s life and we must accept it. Tears rolled down Jean’s cheeks.

Don’t worry, Jean, we will visit you and you can come visit us. It’s not the end of the world, said Ginger.

Ginger it’s not the same. We will never go blue berries picking again or do anything together again.

Yes, we will do things together, said Ginger.

Ginger, let’s face it. Things will not be the same again. You will have a different life. I don’t envy you. I am just shocked and can’t contain my tears. You have been like a sister to me for a long time. My child grew up under your watchful eyes. You were really wonderful to her. I don’t know what I would do without you.

Jean, I feel the same way, but sometimes we must make choices, said Ginger in a sad voice.

Mary came out to see to whom her mother was talking. It was Aunt Ginger. What was Aunt Ginger doing there? Mary felt a little uneasy, when she saw her mother and Ginger with sad faces. Mary was getting a little anxious because it was getting late to go to berry picking. They liked to go early, before the sun got too hot.

Mamma, aren’t we getting late? Aunt Ginger, is Christine ready? I will go down to show her our new sun screen. Mary was going to get out of the door.

Honey, said Jean, the Prestons are not going to pick berries today. They are going to see their new house.

A new house! Are they moving?

Yes, honey, they are moving.

Mary dropped the sunscreen bottle on the floor, as tears welled in her eyes. She felt her world came to an end. She ran to her room and started sobbing. All their dreams for the summer just circled round and round in her mind. What will she do without Christine? Nothing is going to be the same.

Christine came up and went straight to Mary’s room. Both girls hugged each other and sobbed. They looked out of the window and saw the sky darkened and rain came down with lightning and thunder. It seemed mother nature was taking part in their bitter moments. The rain they loved to watch was now a bitter memory.

I have to go. My dad is waiting for us, said Christine.

OK, said Mary still holding her friend tight.

That day Christine went to see her new house with her parents and Jean and Mary went berry picking after the showers were past.

CHAPTER 2

The Prestons moved in to their new home and Jean and Mary were left alone. Jean did not make enough money to send Mary to a day care. Though Mary was almost eleven, she was pretty mature.

It was summer. Jean did not want Mary to stay alone in the condo the whole day, so she sold a few items of her jewelry and sent her to a day camp. At the camp, Mary did what she was supposed to do, but her soul was not in it. She missed Christine terribly. She went to the bathroom, whenever she felt like crying. Her mother had told her she could cry whenever she wanted to. She had told her that crying cleans the soul.

She tried to get along with the girls, but there was nobody like Christine. Majority of the girls were city girls. Everyone talked about recent movies, recent TV shows, the clothes and shoes they were going to buy the next school year. Nobody was interested in orchards and farms. Once in a while, Mary opened her mouth and said something about nature and the girls laughed at her. A girl named Lacy brought a peach and said to her, If you are so great, tell us how this peach grew.

All the girls laughed.

Mary just kept quiet. She knew, if she said something they would laugh at her.

"You don’t know, do you? said Lacy mockingly.

Yes, I do, said Mary.

Then tell! she demanded.

Well a peach tree blooms in spring. The bees pollinate the flowers, after a few days tiny green fruits come out. The fruit grows to maturity and becomes ripe in summer and then you go and pick them.

We don’t have to know that! All we have to know is how to pick them in the supermarket. The girls laughed.

Mary was embarrassed, but put on a brave face.

Martha who was eleven-years-old came and said, Mary don’t feel bad. They don’t know what they are talking about. They do that to me too. My Mom said not to listen to them. They are just city girls and that’s how they feel.

I feel so out of place here, said Mary. I wish my friend Christine did not move. She was my best friend and we did everything together. We had lots of fun for almost ten long years. Her Mom did babysitting for me… Mary looked very sad.

Any consolation to you, I too have had many friends at home. I had to leave all my friends and come to grandmom’s house.

Why? asked Mary.

Because my dad walked out on us. My mom got custody of my brother and me. It was a horrible feeling, when he packed his things and moved out. My brother and I stood at the door and watched him drive his car into the streets. That was the last time we saw him.

Why did he do that? asked Mary.

He did not love us anymore.

How old were you?

I was seven and my brother four. He could not understand what was going on. He kept asking mom when dad was coming back. Mom would say she did not know.

Where is your dad now?

We don’t know. Mom said that he married his secretary and they have a baby. She does not tell us everything about him. She always tells us he was a good father. If he was a good father, why did he leave us? Do you have your father? asked Martha.

No! My father died when I was a year old. It is just my mom and I. Christine and her mom, we used to be a family of four. We did everything together…

Where was Christine’s Dad?

Oh! He is a big businessman. He used to be always out of town. Even if he was home, he was in his office. We hardly saw him. Now he has bought them a big mansion somewhere, he probably stays home. My mom and I haven’t been there yet—I am happy to have met you, Martha. We can be friends. Will you be going to Jackson this coming year?

I wish I did, but no! We are going to move again. My mom is transferred somewhere. My mom is working for the State Department. They send her wherever she is needed. I don’t know where we are going. All I know is, we have to pack up and go. Today is my last day here.

Oh no! said Mary. Why do all good people move? It seems life is not fair.

I feel the same way. It is not right for us to move from one place to another. Sometimes, I hate my father. If he was nice to us, we did not have to go through this. What kind of person does that to his own children? Martha was angry.

Can’t your mom ask the State Department to give her a job here?

Are you kidding? We are not special! We have to go wherever the government sends us. Besides, my mom is a newcomer. I believe she did work for them before she was married. That’s where she met my father. She stayed home to take care of us. It was really nice to have mom around, but it’s our luck that our father had to be a stranger to his own children.

Yes, nothing is fair for the kids.

Mary, please don’t let those snobs get to you. I told my mom about them and my mom told me that there are worse people in the world. We must understand them. They may not be bad girls, but they just don’t know us. Everyone of them came from the same background, so they have an upper hand over you.

I really wish you were living here.

After I met you, I wish I was living here, but we are not old enough to do what we want to do. My advice to you, do not let them bully you, said Martha sincerely.

The lunch was over and the both girls went on their own ways. Mary never saw Martha again.

That evening, when Jean came to pick Mary up, Mary looked very sad. She had been sad ever since Christine left. She did not like the day camp because girls there were different. Today, she looked very sad.

Are you all right honey? asked Jean.

Mamma, do I have to go to day camp? Can I stay home by myself?

Why honey? It is not good for you to stay all by yourself for eight to nine hours. What will you do?

I don’t know. Maybe watch TV

Oh no! You can’t watch TV for that long. Besides, I pulled lots of strings to get you here. Can you stay until school starts? Then you can stay home. It will be only two or three hours between you coming and my getting home. It won’t be that bad. You can do your homework before I get home and after dinner we can go for a walk or you can go play in the park. Labor day is just around the corner. Soon you will be in school, said Jean.

All right, Mamma. I will stay here. I want to tell you something.

What is it honey?

Today, I met a very nice girl. Her name is Martha. She was very nice to me and I thought I found a friend. Mary paused.

What happened?

Her mother works for the State Department, so they are moving to some country tomorrow. This was her last day.

I am so sorry to hear that. You will find a friend when you go to school.

Mamma, did Aunt Ginger call you?

No, honey.

What’s taking them so long. It’s almost a month they moved. I want to see Christine very badly. I want to tell her about my camp, about Martha and all that knowledge I acquired in her absence. Can you call Aunt Ginger and get her to invite us? I want to see their new house too. I wish we had a house next to theirs. Please, Mamma. Please call Aunt Ginger and ask her whether we can come there this weekend.

Honey, first of all I don’t have their telephone number, secondly, we just can’t call them and ask them to invite us. The reason, they did not invite us, because they are busy getting their house ready. They will call us soon. I too want to see their house. It sounds like a palace.

As they entered the door of their condo, they heard the phone ringing. Mary almost fell down running to pick up the phone.

Mom, it’s Aunt Ginger. She wants to talk to you.—May I talk with Christine? asked Mary before she handed the phone to her mother.

Christine is not here. She is gone for a horse-riding lesson.

She has a horse?

Not yet, but we are going to buy a few soon.

When will she come home? asked Mary.

I don’t know, but she should be home soon, said Ginger.

Aunt Ginger, I want to see Christine very badly. Life is not the same for me without Christine in it. I miss her very much. When I go to the park, I cry when I see her swing is empty or some other girl is sitting on it. I wish you did not have to move.

I’m sorry to hear that honey, but sometimes things come about mysteriously. You will find some friends and you will soon forget Christine.

Aunt Ginger, I will never forget Christine. She is my sister.

Honey, may I talk to your Mom? Ginger changed the subject.

Sure, here she is. Mary handed the phone to her mother and walked to her bedroom and sobbed.

CHAPTER 3

It was first week in August. Jean and Mary went to their usual orchard to pick peaches. Jean always preferred to pick them after the August 15, because they are sweeter. They have more time to make sugar, but since they were going to visit the Prestons that Sunday, they went to pick early; Christine loved peaches.

Mamma, said Mary. Do you think Christine will still like peaches?

Why do you say such a thing? Of course, she will like peaches. You think in a month’s time people change?

I don’t know, Mamma. She didn’t even call me. I wanted to talk to her so badly. It is unlike her not to call. I think she is changed.

Hush, Mary. Don’t entertain negative thoughts in your mind. Everything will be fine, once you see Christine—Now remember to pick peaches—only the ones that fall off when you touch them. Also look for rusty red color and see some peaches fallen under the tree. These are the signs for the peaches that are ready to be picked.

Yes, Mamma. I know that, because you and Aunt Ginger always told us that.

They came home with two quarter bushel bags of peaches. One they kept for themselves and one they kept on the kitchen counter to take for the Prestons. Mary thought, seeing the rusty, red juicy peaches, Christine would be happy. They would take a couple and sit somewhere and relish them, as they always did in the past.

That night Mary could not sleep. She was too excited to visit Christine. She looked through the window to see whether the sun was coming up, but all she saw was the moon sailing through the sky. It was a beautiful night filled with the magical moon light. The ornamental cherry trees in the courtyard swayed a little bit as the cool summer breeze passed through their leaves. During the day it was very hot. There was no rain for a long time. Everyone in the orchard said that the peaches were very sweet because there was no rain. People watered their gardens and lawn and now city put restrictions on water. The lawns were turning brown. Sometimes, people watered their lawn at night. Some people got fined by the authority for watering at night.

Finally, the dawn broke and the red summer sun made its way in the eastern horizon. Even at that hour everything looked hot, but Mary did not care. She ran into her Mom’s room and woke her mother up.

Mamma, it’s time to go. The sun is up. You said we must go at the cool part of the day. It’s going to be hot soon. Get up, Mamma.

Oh, Mary, I went to bed late last night. I made the cake that Christine likes.

What cake?

The raspberry moose cake!

Where did you get the raspberries?

I went to the supermarket after you went to bed. They had nice juicy raspberries. I thought it would be a good gesture. I remembered how you two loved that cake.

Why did you not wake me up? Not that I slept. I just could not sleep at all. I got up several times to see the sunrise, but all I saw was the moon staring at me.

Jean made a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice and milk. After the breakfast, they hit the road. Hundred miles of road, they thought was a long journey. Jean had not driven that long distance for a long time. When her husband was alive, they took long trips, going through many places in Virginia. In their short married life, they did some travelling, even when she was pregnant with Mary. Then Ginger and she would take trips during the children’s vacation. They were not very long, maybe a hundred or so miles. Once they went to North Carolina to see the Biltmore mansion.

Jean wrote the directions on a piece of paper and put the paper on her dashboard. She did not want to miss any turn.

Jean’s car was OK in the city, but on the highway it started rattling. She was afraid it may break down on the road, so she stopped at a gas station where there was a repair shop. The guy checked it and