MARY

MARY

** memory lane **

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“Oh, Frank,” she sighed as she began to say, “look at him! He looks just like you.”

Frank looked at his tiny grandson and grinned as though his face might crack from the pressure. He almost whispered, “Do you really think so?” he asked. Their grandson was only four days old, but Mary would never erase that smile on her husband’s face. “Of course, Frank. Just look at him. Aw, look, he’s smiling at you.”

While Frank was terrified to hold any baby (he would rarely hold his own children when they were infants), Mary insisted he sit. Then she placed the tiny infant in his grandfather’s waiting arms.

She sat next to her husband and as she placed her head on his shoulder, said, “Frank, do you remember how it all started?”

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I looked at mom’s far-away stare as she reminisced.

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Frank leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Sure do. You were the most persistent person I have met. A real pain!”

Mary smiled. “But I won you over, didn’t I?”

Frank couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, you sure did, and I’ve never been sorry. You were and still are the best thing that ever happened to me.” She saw the mist film his eyes as he whispered, “Mary, I love you do much.”

She reminded him of their wedding. “Oh, my lord, Frank. I wasn’t sure if we could manage it, but I guess exceptions were made because of the war.”

Frank shook his head as he thought of those hectic three days. “I arrived home and that afternoon we went to the church, and the florist. I called my cousin who agreed to be our photographer and made him promise to stay sober. While I talked to him, you went out and got your wedding dress. And the next day? Well, it was a day I’ll never forget. You were such a beautiful bride.”

Mary smiled and shook her head as she said, “Yes, in three days, we planned our wedding, got married, and fit in a quick honeymoon. On the morning of the fourth day, you were back on the ship that would take you back into the war. Oh, how I prayed you’d come back to me.”

Frank reminded her that he’d gotten a leave two months before our ship actually set sail. “Mary, I was so thrilled when they gave my unit a two-day pass. I couldn’t get home fast enough.”

Mary blushed, even after all those years and said with a laughter in her voice, “What we didn’t know then was that those two days were going to make us parents.”

Frank said as he handed his grandson back to his daughter, “Yes, Mary, those were the days. Looking at our grandson, I can’t help remembering when our daughter got married.”

“Oh, my Frank, that was a nightmare. We both said she was too young, but she kept reminding me that she was nineteen and that I was only fourteen when I first saw you and decided we’d eventually get married.”

Frank laughed as he said, “Like mother, like daughter but at least she wasn’t fourteen when she met Ken.”

“And now look,” Mary said as she glanced at their daughter, “She’s only just twenty and a mother. At least we were in our twenties when we took our vows. I can’t help but worry.”

Frank squeezed her shoulders and said, “Mary, you’d worry no matter what. That’s just your nature. Remember when she was thirteen and fell off her bike? You thought for sure she’d never walk again. And yet, look at her! Mary, just like her mother, she’s a tough old bird.”

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I looked at mom’s far-away stare as she reminisced.

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“Mary,” Frank said as he began to laugh. “Do you remember the time we rented that little house in the Poconos? The very first day, while we walked on the beach, I tripped over a hidden piece of driftwood and broke my leg. The first damn day! Sure ruined our vacation, didn’t it?”

Mary reached over the grasped his other hand. “Aw, Frank. You know better than that! Maybe there were things we wanted to do that had to be eliminated from our small list of things-to-do, but we were together in a place we’d never been before. That’s all that mattered. And for the beach? Well, if you look back and remember, that first day was the only nice, sunny day we had. All the rest were gloomy, cloudy days often with sprinkles of rain. We did get to go sight-seeing and, well, I’d rather do that than go swimming anyway.”

“I saw you kept my old crutches. Thinking I’m going to break another leg?” He smiled at her.

“I sure hope not but since we paid for them, I decided to put them away. You never know if anyone in the family might need them.”

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I looked at mom’s far-away stare as she reminisced but this time, saw the sadness in her eyes and tears trickled down her cheeks.

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“Mom, what’s wrong?”

Leaning over I grabbed her hands and held them. She never looked at me. That blank stare so familiar with dementia patients was more than obvious.

I can only imagine that while her mind took her back through time, it also brought her to the day her beloved Frank left this world and caused those tears to fall.

Oh, what I wouldn’t have done to have brought back all her happy memories and wiped away the sadness.

Fast forwarding to the present day, Mom left in 2016 to join dad and while I miss them both every day, I can only imagine them watching over their children and grandchildren, with super silly grins on their faces.

Yep, Mary and Frank! What a pair they made - and probably still do.