Misdirected

Chapter 12 - Riding into the Sunset

Time passed quickly and soon it was time for Jacqueline to graduate. We waited and waited for her to make a decision and then were thunderstruck when she chose Vassar College. She and her mother talked it over for months and in the end decided that she wanted to be in place where the focus was on women. Matched with Columbia, her four years prepared her for the competitive admission frenzy for a Rhodes scholarship. Sonja and I flew to England with Jacque taking a week with her and then a week of on our own to go to Scotland and Ireland.

CJ was excited about finishing his freshman year in high school and vacillated back and forth about dropping one of three sports that he was involved with. He decided that he want to try to be in the pros.

We found a small college in Oskaloosa, Iowa where baseball players thrived. The coach emeritus was a William Penn University graduate himself. CJ went to a baseball camp that summer and we all came back very impressed with the educational format, campus and the coaching staff. While he still ran long distance events in track to keep in shape, he spent a lot of time throwing pitches six days a week. He did the signing in D.C. and agreed to give Penn a two year try before considering moving to the pros if he was good enough. It was a long road for him but I let out a big sigh of relief when he made it to the AAA league. I flew down every time he called up to the Braves to help during the times when pitchers were injured. However, we were always disappointed that he never stayed. He was able to land a dream job at the University of Louisville on the coaching staff and loved flying all over the world scouting out pitchers.

'Will?' Well he was another story. Will was a lot like his grandfather. Popular with the ladies and always had a risky endeavor to sell you. In the end he also surprised us and got himself admitted to Notre Dame. He graduated with a 3.95 and had his pick of investment firms when he finished. He was the one the big house and the fabulous cars. Who would have thought?

"Will' was in his final year at Notre Dame when the LaSalle's decided on their next phase of their lives. Chris had looked forward to returning to his roots. He would often look at photographs of him and his brother Cade dirty from working in the fields or showing off their latest catch from the river or the deer herd on the north twenty.

Their DC house brought in a tidy sum at sale allowing them to build their dream home on the home place. One of Cade's classmates helped them modify a house plan they found to accommodate Mother LaSalle as well. They put a wraparound porch on the house allowing her to sit and overlook her beloved land. The home also provided her a 'mother in law' suite with a separate entrance and driveway.

Sonja was dismayed to leave her fruit trees but did manage to transplant runners of her berries. In the end she made Chris dig up some of the grapes that she had started the first year they were in the house.

The new home began to fill with grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. Papa LaSalle soon had a new group of students to learn gun safety. The LaSalle's continue to hunt pheasant and turkeys off the land and deer off the north twenty of Ms. Rose's property.

One evening as Sonja and Chris sat on the porch LaSalle asked Sonja why she was so quiet.

"I was just thinking" she said "In all my traveling I never did make it to the top of Pike's Peak. I heard her song "O' Beautiful" at the Fourth of July concert last week and was reminded of my wish."

"So let's do it Sonja.  Make the reservations tomorrow" Christopher said in his most joyous voice. They say that the ride up the mountain is just breathtaking. So we did the whole tourist thing and went to the Garden of the Gods as well. It was nearly cloudless as we rose up the mountain. We saw a smattering of wildlife and were paralyzed at how our bodies reacted to the higher altitude. 

There was no way that I was going to this part of the country without going to the Fuzziwig's Candy Factory in Breckenridge. Sonja still weighed 97 pounds and refused my attempts to goad her at eating a couple of bites on the wonderful fudge and pecan candies.

We were tired from our adventurous week and sat nearly right on top of each other as we took the train to the Denver International Airport.

"I love you Country Mouse" my sweet Sonja said to me. 

 "I know" I replied "but not as much as I love you" as I returned her smile.

The train arrived at our airline and we exited hand in hand anxious to be on our flight home.

This time I didn't cry while writing!