Chapter 14

Inside the pop-up trailer, the air conditioner roared, barely keeping ahead of the heat wave. It was 101° outside, almost 10° above the average temp for this time of year, and with 95% humidity, the heat was a nightmare. The sisters, Natalia and Jeannie, clung to each other, wishing this whole thing would just go away and trusting that Steve would keep them alive long enough to see their mother’s funeral.

Jeannie’s husband Derick and older daughter Anna had arrived and were inside the camper and Steve distinctly felt unwelcome in sharing his new family’s grief and he stepped outside unnoticed. He sat at the picnic table under the shade of the pop-up camper’s awning and a gentle rain began to fall. The words “Till death do you part” echoed in his mind, haunting him, and he needed to talk to somebody, anybody. He decided on Father Ewen. They’ve been friends for a long time and the priest told Steve to call anytime. In fact, Steve was surprised Father Ewen hadn’t called him yet. Steve dialed the rectory at Holy Mother church and waited until somebody finally answered. Sunday at Holy Mother of God, Roman Catholic church was a workday so there should have been somebody in the rectory. Finally, a woman’s voice came on. It was Estell, the church secretary, and head of the rectory staff. “Holy Mother of God Catholic church, how may I help you?”

“Estell, this is Steve Anderson, can you leave a note for Father Ewen to call me as soon as possible? I had left a message last night...” his voice choked, and he was sure he was going to start crying again, but recognizing Steve’s voice as a friend of Father Ewen’s, Estell interrupted him.

“I’m sorry Mister Anderson but we can’t find Father Ewen, he didn’t give the eight AM mass and we’ve been looking for him ever since.” There was a tinge of panic in her voice.

“Tha ... thank you Estell,” said Steve as he hung up. A metallic rattling broke through the noise in his head, and he realized that the percolator on the stove he mounted outside was perking noisily, so he turned off the stove and poured himself a cup. Where would Father Ewen go? The question spun in his mind, he wouldn’t just run off like that and not tell Estell where he was going, Father Ewen once mentioned that he was going to be named a Chaplain of His Holiness by the pope, he wouldn’t run off when that was going to happen ... Steve turned and banged on the door of the camper and called, “I have coffee out here if you want some.”

Soon Derick stepped out and poured himself a cup. He held the percolator up and considered it from all sides before setting it back on the stove. “A bit old school isn’t it?” Derick was the husband of Maria’s oldest daughter Jeannie, which made him Steve’s son-in-law. He and his six-year-old daughter Anna showed up not long after Steve got the trailer set up. They’ve been inside with Natalia and Jeannie ever since.

“It works, it’s cheap, and it doesn’t need electricity,” said Steve with a shrug.

“I’m sorry about what’s going on,” said Derick as he sat down on the coffee table bench. “We don’t mean to leave you out.”

“It’s ok, you guys are family, I’m not even Italian ... I’m just the...”

Derick stopped him by grabbing his wrist. “Stop. It’s not about being Italian. It’s about Maria. And no one is going to call you whatever it was that you were thinking.”