Three Word Wednesday-The Christmas Card -Part 5

Three Word Wednesday-The Christmas Card -Part 5

If you missed part one http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html

If you missed part two http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-wednesday-word-christmas-card.html

If you missed part three http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2013/01/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html 
if you missed part four http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2013/01/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card_9.html

Prompts:

Dismal; adjective: Depressing, dreary; (of a person or a mood) gloomy; (informal) pitifully or disgracefully bad.

Luscious; adjective: (Of food or wine) having a pleasingly rich, sweet taste; richly verdant or opulent; (of a woman) very sexually attractive.

Waffle; verb: Fail to make up one’s mind; speak, write, especially at great length, without saying anything important or useful; noun: A failure to make up one’s mind. 

                                  The Christmas Card -Part 5

    “Your Grace never got your Christmas card with the proposal and engagement ring in it...”Grace Philips began.

    “Did I hear you correctly? Did you really say Grace never got my card and ring?” Roberto asked

     “Yes.”

   “So she never knew I loved her and wanted to marry her?” Roberto asked looking shocked and ashen.

    “No, she didn’t get your card with the ring inside. I received it two days ago.”

    “But that can’t be... when I spoke with her sister Maria back in nineteen-fifty she said that Grace died in a car accident, before she received my card.”

    “Grace didn’t die and she didn’t get the card,” Grace insisted.

    “Grace isn’t dead?”

    Grace shook her head.

  “Why did I trust Maria? She was just so convincing, she didn’t waffle on her story at all.”

   “She must have been very believable.”

  “I knew she never liked me, she was always such a dismal little brat. She told me once that Grace was on a date with another guy. Can you believe that? I knew she lied then so why did I take her at her word that Grace was dead? Grace and I should have been together all these years. Do you think she still alive? Even if she’s found someone else, I need to find her and explain.”

    Roberto then stood up from the wheelchair like he would leave the assisted living home to find her then and there.

   “We should go to your room and discuss this,” Grace argued.

  “Fine, maybe I can go on my computer there and see if I can find any trace of my Grace.”

     Grace followed Roberto to his room and he sat at a desk with a laptop at it.

  “What’s that place here in Canada where you can look at census’ and people’s family connections?” Roberto asked.

   “You don’t need to do that, I’m going to see Maria tomorrow...”

   “Then I should come with you.”

   “No. I don’t think that is a good idea. Maria didn’t want to see me at first. I had to convince her. If you came along she wouldn’t tell me anything,” Grace explained.

   “Then Grace is alive?”

   “Yes, I believe so.”

   “I still think I should come along with you but maybe you are correct. You should see Maria on your own,” Roberto agreed. “Just don’t totally trust her. I shouldn’t have all those years ago. Maria always did lie like a rug.”

   “I promise I’ll come back and tell you the information but you should be prepared in case Grace has moved on.”

   “I hope and pray every day that my Grace will come back to me, if not in this world then in the next. If she’s moved on then I hope she’ll still come find me in heaven.”

   “You really love her.”

   “There’s never been any other woman in my heart but Grace. It wasn't that she was luscious, though she was incredibly beautiful with an inner light that shone through. Grace filled rooms with light love and friendship. When she entered a room people were nicer and everyone seemed happier. Kind and loving to everyone she met, so much so I always worried people would take advantage of that but somehow she brought out the best in everyone. She would give her last dollar to you if someone else needed it. I know this sounds like I’m just seeing her in a romantic light, but if you ever met my Grace you never forgot her caring nature.”

   “She sounds lovely.”

   “More than lovely she just made my days happier. She got me through the war even when I thought she married another I hoped and prayed one day I’d see her again. Then when Maria said she'd died...all these years I’ve prayed for one last chance with her in the next world and now you tell me she didn’t get my ring in that card? Don’t you see? I believe this is the answer to my prayers. Grace didn’t know I planned to marry her and now she will.”

    “But what if she decided that she could live without you? What if something you did harmed her forever?” Grace asked.

   “Something I did? What did I do? The last time I saw her we made love...that’s it. Isn’t it? Did I disgrace her? Was she pregnant with my child?” Roberto cried excitedly.

    “I heard second-hand that she was pregnant with your child.”

   “I have a child out there? A son or daughter? Maybe even grandchildren?” Roberto asked eagerly, “I remember the site you look up your family on. It’s yourpeople.ca. I’m going to do that right now. Maybe I can find both of them.”

    Roberto clicked some buttons on his computer and then excited and smiling said “ I found a Grace Manzi back in a nineteen forty-four census it lists a baby son Robert. She named him Robert after me. I have to find them both.”

    “I also heard she had your child but was forced by her parents give the child up.so it may be hard for you to find Robert. They may have changed his name,” Grace explained sadly, worried that she upset the man but wanting him to know the truth.

   “My poor Grace. That must have almost killed her. She would have been the best of mothers. Damn her parents! All this time I’ve had a child, maybe even grandchildren. I have to speak to Maria you must see that now.”

   “I’ll speak to her sister and like I said when I find out the information, I’ll speak with Grace and if she’ll see you I’ll contact you.”

   “I could just follow you.”

    “But you won’t!”

   “No, I won’t, but I’m still hoping Grace will see me. You’re a nice girl. Its’ funny you have some of the same qualities of my Grace and sometimes the way you move your head is like her. It must be a trick of the memory, or maybe that is the reason God saw for you to receive the card I sent.”

    “Thank you Mr. Fusilli.”

    “Please, I feel like we’re friends, call me Roberto. Now join me for tea. It’s almost Christmas and I’d like to share some Christmas cake and cookies with you, before you leave today.”

    “Thank you Roberto. I like that.”

    Grace spent the afternoon talking to Roberto and listening to his war stories and stories he told of dates with Grace. She hoped she would be able to reunite the pair and who knew maybe she could even trace the child they had.

©Sheilagh Lee January 16, 2013

To be continued 

NB. yourpeople.ca does not exist and is not a website to find your ancestry.