WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Fifty-Five

Cara McCulloch saw the McCulloch homestead in the distance through the trees and bare branches as Annie slowed down to make a right turn into her parents' driveway.

"I love this house," Cara said.

"It was a wonderful place to grow up," Annie answered.

"It doesn't matter how much money you have. The only thing you can give your kids is a happy childhood."

"I don't think Jack and I are giving that to Jason and Kelly."

"Annie, their childhoods aren't over yet. You and Jack will get through this. You both love your kids. It's what unites you over everything else."

"Thank God we forget the bad times."

Courtney looked out the rear window and yelled from the back, "We're here."

Annie started her right turn into the driveway. She smiled seeing her childhood home.

"Cara, I don't remember any really bad times here. Only when Scott and Dad fought so much. I think Mother aged five years because of it. Scott was about sixteen, seventeen when it started. Maybe it was his hormones or it was the times. It just kept going on between them. Maybe it was Doug Lundgren getting killed. Maybe it was just the two of them being so alike."

"It sounds like it was an awful time for all of you."

"It got a little better once Scott went off to college," Annie continued, "but when he tried working at the plant after he dropped out of Madison, it just made matters worse, especially the two of them working together every day at the plant. Scott was drinking way too much toward the end."

"And then, when your father made Drew president. . ."

"Everyone knew that Drew wanted it and Scott didn't. Scott went to California right after that."

Annie parked the Suburban in the driveway turnaround by the garage and gazed at her parents' home.

"But then, we all leave home and go make our own memories elsewhere," Annie said as she shut off the ignition.

As Annie and Cara started helping their kids out of the car, Cara added, "I've always thought of the McCullochs as being spread out like the branches of a big oak. Strong and separate. Yet still attached to something common and vital."

Cara lifted Lindsay from her car seat, saying, "And here's the latest twig."

Kelly and Courtney bolted from the car, "Grammy!" Courtney held onto her handprint turkey she made at school.

Annie spied Julia in the side yard at a crabapple tree, snipping small sprigs of ripe fruit from it. Still wearing Sam's old denim shirt, she put aside the shears and her cuttings to bend down to greet her two granddaughters, throwing her arms open to them. She couldn't hug them tight enough.

"You love us too much, Grammy," said Courtney. Courtney then showed Julia the handprint turkey. "Gobble, gobble, Grammy. This is for you."

"Why, thank you, Courtney. I think I still have one inside that your father made."

Jason saw Sam put on his red-and-black woolen coat as he walked down the front porch stairs. Sam motioned Jason toward the leaf pile, then looked over at Julia. They smiled at each other.

Cara turned to Annie as they saw their children with their grandparents, "Ever notice how your parents still look at each other with the same eyes as when they first fell in love?"

"I've never thought about it, Cara. It's just always been the way it is," she said. Then she said to herself, "They really have had it all along."

Cara heard her. Annie asked her sister-in-law, "Think we'll be as lucky?"

Annie immediately thought to herself that now was not the time for Cara to answer that question.

They watched Jason jump into the leaf pile and Sam throw leaves on him. Kelly and Courtney heard Jason squealing and ran toward him, also jumping into the leaf pile. Sam picked up handfuls of leaves and tossed them on his grandchildren.

Carrying the shears and crabapple sprigs, Julia approached Annie and Cara, kissing each on the cheek. All three women smiled at what was going on in the leaf pile.

"Who's the biggest kid, you think?" asked Julia.

They all knew the answer. Julia led Cara and Annie up the porch stairs. "Some men don't ever grow up," Julia stated.

Annie agreed, "You're telling me? I'm still married to one."

Cara wondered if Annie had married her father when she married Jack. Cara knew that she had married her father when she married Drew.

Julia answered her daughter, "I'm married to one, too. And pray that yours doesn't grow up either."

"He'll never give me a moment's peace," Annie said to her mother.

"And how fortunate for you," her mother responded, ending the discussion.

Julia opened the storm door. Both Annie and Cara noticed that the top hinge creaked but chose not to say anything. However, Julia did. "He says he'll get around to it. Too busy at the moment, though."

Julia held the front door open as Cara entered with Lindsay and Annie toted the canvas boat bag. They noticed that Julia had put a wreath of bittersweet over the brass door knocker in the middle of the door.

Julia paused to watch her husband in the leaf pile with his grandchildren.

Annie placed the canvas boat bag on the floor in the living room and peered into the dining room. Cara watched Annie gaze at the silver serving platters, bowls and dishes on the serving table. "Not everybody has this," said Annie. "And not everybody wants this."

"It's not up to you to make decisions for other people. People have what they want to have. It's the same holiday for everyone. Every family has its own traditions."

"But still. Look at this," Annie said, surveying a silver trencher and gravy boat.

"This is something you should be very grateful to have. Use it or lose it."

"At least the silver tea set isn't out. So, do I count my blessings?"

"It doesn't make it wrong because you have this refinement. Don't allow yourself to feel guilty.

"But other people . . .?"

"Let other people worry about other people. Worry about yourself. Be glad for who you are and for what you have. Feel thankful."

"Bad pun, Cara."

As Julia entered from outside, she noticed the phone receivers in the canvas boat bag but decided not to say anything. She placed the crabapple cuttings on the mantel of the fieldstone fireplace, next to two small pumpkins, some bittersweet and several warted gourds. She again paused at the front window to watch Sam rolling in the leaves with his three grandchildren.

For Julia, she rejoiced in her good fortune at this point in her life. For Sam, he reaffirmed that for him, the most wonderful sound in the world was the laughter of children.

"Hey, Grampy," Jason shouted. "I lost my tooth in here somewhere. I need to find it so I can leave it for the tooth fairy."

At that point, Sam said, "Well then, we'd better try to find it," and joined Jason in trying to locate Jason's unloosed lower incisor in the leaf pile.