Chapter 27: Not Where I Thought I'd Be

The conversation with Katherine deSilva was ... unique. I think she knew exactly why I wanted to talk to her and she decided to make it as difficult for me as possible.

"Uhhm, Mrs. deSilva, ... Katherine ... I wanted to talk to you ... about Rose."

"Yes," she said, expressionless.

"You see, I'm in love with your daughter and I want to marry her." I'd pretty much nervously blurted this out.

"What makes you think you're a suitable husband for my daughter?" Again, with the deadpan delivery.

Now that question I hadn't anticipated.

"Well, I have a good job, a nice place to live, and ... and ... I love Rose."

"Your job is driving a bus, the place you live is at the discretion of Harlan Cummings and I haven't heard you tell me that Rose is in love with you."

This was getting frustrating. I decided to go straight to the heart of the matter.

"Katherine, Rose is in love with me. She has consented to be my wife. She will live with me and my children in the house. I'm asking you for your blessing, not your permission. We are both mature adults and can make these decisions for ourselves."

Kaboom! I really laid it on the line in a rare moment of frustration. For a moment I thought I'd ruined everything, but then I saw just the hint of a smile from Rose's mother.

"That's better, Doug. You've had my blessing all along. No one has reached Rose the way you and your family have. I worried for a long time that she would never find a man who would be good enough for her. She has very demanding standards, as you've probably already discovered. I think she's chosen very well and I wish only that the both of you will be very happy."

I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Katherine. I will take very good care of Rose, I promise."

The wedding took place in September in Davis at a very nice, modern church. There were about eighty people in attendance. I was happy that my parents had come, but even more pleased that Diane's parents and Christie had made the effort to be there. That was something I didn't expect, but it made the day for me. Christie's wedding present was a balloon payment on her mortgage, far ahead of any projection I had. She was becoming a very successful entrepreneur and would be a wealthy woman some day. My only hope was that she would find the man she was looking for who would complete her life.

Debbie was enrolled at Sacramento State for her freshman year. She still hadn't decided on which course of studies she would choose, but I noted that she and Rose spent a good deal of their time together discussing options. Her first year classes were all the standard courses, buying her time to make a more informed decision. She was in a car pool with four other students and only needed our vehicle once a week.

Bill made the football team in his senior year and was the starting outside linebacker. For a guy I always thought was a pacifist, he hit and played like a linebacker. I remember standing on the sidelines near Coach Warner and listened as he yelled encouragement to his players. He was a very good coach and I think Bill did well because he wanted to please the coach. By mid-season, Bill was an assistant defensive captain. He wore that title with pride. He had earned it.

Sandy was doing well, but was missing her sister. She had become very dependent on Debbie and now Rose had to be her advisor and mentor. She was entering that part of her life where I wouldn't be much help. Thank goodness Rose was there to guide her. The one thing Sandy had was plenty of friends. She collected them like kids collected trading cards. Her personality was her magnet and she enjoyed all the attention it brought her.

It was great to have Rose with me all the time now. I was driving Harlan and her to their meetings in Harlan's big Cadillac, listening to their strategy conversations as we rolled toward our destination. Of all the ones I heard, the meetings with government regulatory officials were the most interesting. I was hoping some day I could sit in on them and hear the back and forth first hand.

As it was, I had the best of both worlds. I had a great job, and beautiful wife, a lovely home to live in and three great children. We should live happily ever after, but if there's one thing I'd learned from my life since "the accident," anything can happen.

If someone had told me that I would marry three times, move to California and try to learn all there was to know about nut farming, I don't think I would have believed a word of it. But ... here I am. What comes tomorrow? Who can say? I'll just take it a day at a time. I like my life and how it's turned out. What more could I wish for?