Chapter 15

On October 4th 1938 Charles May suffered a fatal heart attack at work at the foundry. He was laughing at a joke he just heard about a queer asking a cop where the ferry was and the cop saying in disgust 'You mean you guys got a navy too." At the height of his laughter he felt the muscles tighten in his chest.

The pain radiated to his arm as his face cringed in agony. Charles was dead just as he hit the ground.

Melissa didn't receive word of her husband's death until the afternoon. She was in shock to say the least. Michelle rushed over with her children with Michael following. Soon the house was full of multitudes of friends, neighbors, kids running wild until their parents scolded, sushed and even some were slapped and sent outdoors. Michael cried for the loss of his brother, Melissa wept because of the abrupt loss of her husband, Michelle cried more for her sister and the children sobbed with the loss of their father or uncle. They had gathered for the first time since the previous Easter. Melissa was in shock.

"Michael, would you please make the arrangements for Charles' funeral for me?" Melissa asked.

Although he had no stomach for it, he agreed feeling that Melissa's request painted him into an emotional corner. Michelle, sensing this, told her sister that she would also help her husband.

At the wake, Melissa stood up well. She kept gazing upon the man she had loved until she learned of his infidelity. Then their relationship became strained and never fully recovered. She tried forgiving him but she could not.

Even though they resumed their sexual relations together two years before, she allowed her body to be used by him as being her wifely duties. The magic they had was gone as far as she was concerned. She just lay there feeling his hardness slide in and out of her sex. Once in a while the stimulation helped her achieve an orgasm but it wasn't the same as before. No more children ever came of their union. Melissa often got up, went to their bathroom to wash his seed out of her.

"If I felt that I didn't love him any longer, then why this feeling of loss?" she asked as she whispered to herself. Was it her natural selfish nature that made her feel cold toward him? Michelle claimed that she loved Michael. She also loved her three children! Melissa did love her two girls who were into their awkward teens as she looked back upon her and her sister when they almost froze to death that one winter back in North Dakota. Then they were only one step away from starvation. She recalled in the other springs them out picking dandelions for vegetables until the other crop grew in.

"Mrs. May, it's nine o'clock. The wake is over. Are you certain that you want the service tomorrow at the Baptist Church."

"I'm very certain," she almost barked at the funeral director. He must have inquired about this at least six times. He was hoping it could be held at the Catholic Church because it was easier getting the coffin. containing Charles remains, into and out of the Catholic one. Mr. Rooney didn't say anything but turned away disappointed that she didn't relent. The pallbearers were going to have a rough time of it in the morning.

After the burial there was a catered dinner at Michelle's house. As soon as they arrived, the twins got their children to change into older clothes, fed them and sent them outside to play. Mona and Jenny were less enthusiastic about the game of tag than the others. Michelle watched her son, Mike, acting more and more like a girl everyday. He was twelve and had the mannerisms of his sisters and his cousins. It broke her heart that there was nothing boyish about him at all. He wasn't interested in baseball or any other sports. More than once he came home from school sporting a cut lip or shiner refusing to point out the boy or boys who did that to him. When they got tired of tag, they moved onto hopscotch in which he happily joined in. Both Michael and Michelle had discussed the possibility of taking him to a psychiatrist. Although he was only twelve, he showed signs that he may be grow into a homosexual which would embarrass the family and make his life more miserable.