Wind at My Back: The Final Story
By Jennie S.
As May Bailey approached her warm hearth and gazed at the photographs arranged with precision, she began to reminisce over the significant events and circumstances occurring in the lives of her family within the past three years. After all, it was the Christmas season which always brought to May a reminiscent nature of days gone by and the importance of her family. One such event she began to ponder was the ending of the difficult marriage of her daughter Grace to that Vanaver con-artist fellow. With his death in battle, came an emptiness in the always naïve and gullible Grace; not because she truly loved the man, but because she had now seen the darker side of human nature.
Since then, Grace had no desire or longing for her adventures and romantic dreams of far off places filled with wonder and awe. Instead she had become a slightly more introverted recluse, with an edge of cynicism that was so unlike and unbecoming for a person of Grace’s sweet-tempered, generous disposition. Another recent event that had a very significant impact on the life of May, as well as her whole family, was her failing health. However, she was as determined as ever to regain her health and strength in the coming weeks and months. As she glanced over the photographs of Hubert and Henry, she had a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, for she adored her grandsons and was proud of their growing into as she said, “fine young men.” She also had great affection for her grandson’s other siblings, their sister Violet and half brother Zack. May had a difficult time at first with releasing her pride and stubbornness to accept her younger son Jack’s wife Honey as a daughter, but over the years she became more and more fond of her daughter-in-law. Now she considered Honey and her husband Max to be like her children, since after all Jack had been dead for a couple years, and Max was a supportive, loving husband to Honey and a wonderful father to all the children.
As May’s eyes wondered farther down the mantle, she spotted a picture of her granddaughter Doris and her father Robert, May’s son, and his wife Toppy. This was an old picture indeed, for it had been a couple years ago that Robert and Toppy got a divorce over Bob’s indiscretions. However, May’s heart did warm at the sight of her son, because she had not seen him for quite a few years. May also was concerned about Doris, because she had become more aloof and rather snobby after her parents went through their separation and divorce. Toppy, however, had become an independent woman, running a hat shop and writing novels in her spare time, and she and Grace lived together in a quaint little house. As May turned around to sit in her chair by the fire, she began to ponder what the joys of the Christmas season held in store for all of her family.
May was interrupted by her thoughts by her rambunctious grandchildren Zack and Violet, as they came bursting in to see her. They were met with a warm hug and a reprimand for being too loud. Violet and Zack preceded Honey and Max as they hurried in out of the brisk winter weather. May welcomed them with a warm greeting and a cup of hot cocoa. Max and Honey were just sitting down to visit with May, when suddenly Henry, or as everyone but May called him Fat, hurriedly came in the door and began to speak in a loud, excitable tone, because Aunt Grace had just fallen off of a chair and had broken her leg. Max jumped up and quickly went with Fat to help him get Grace off the floor. As they were running through the streets of New Bedford, Max called out to Jim Flett to come assist them with Grace. Jim had long admired Grace and was subconsciously very attracted to her. Jim, a bachelor with a son Pritchard, had been for quite a while single again after the woman he was seeing while Grace was married found someone else with whom she fancied better. Thus, Jim certainly did not mind helping rescue Grace from her apparent peril. Jim had a slow quiet passion for life and treated Grace unlike any of the other men in her life ever had. Max was worried about poor Grace, because he was the director of the New Year’s Eve show in which Grace had a major role in the dance routine. With these concerns, these men rushed to rescue Grace. When Jim, Max, and Fat arrived at Toppy and Grace’s house, they discovered that she was in very much pain. Jim dashed in to assist her in helping her get off of the floor. Both Max and Fat gave one another a knowing look, for they both knew that these two people were attracted to one another.
For the next couple of months, Jim visited Grace faithfully to as he said, “see how Miss Bailey, uh Grace, was feeling.” There was of course the main reason for his reason to spend time with Grace, and that was because he was very interested in developing a deeper relationship with Grace. The passion that had been growing between Grace and Jim for several years began to mature until both of them could not deny that they had both fallen helplessly in love with one another.
However, while Grace was still recovering, Hub and Fat tried to help Max in any way they could with his show, Hub even suggested that he and his new wife Laura Bridgeman do a dance duet together, of course in the style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers using their famous song “Cheek to Cheek.” Fat and Maisey who were also very interested in one another, performed a piano duet together to the tune of Glenn Miller’s popular song, “In the Mood.” Max was very overjoyed with the talent his step-sons and their partners possessed. Both Hub and Fat were happy with the time they got to spend with their significant others in rehearsals, and the show turned out to be a great success. Even Pritchard and his good friend Rebecca joined in the fun with their fun tap dance routine. Everyone in New Bedford gathered together for the fun festivities of the holiday season.
Toppy was pleasantly surprised to learn that her daughter Doris was coming home for a visit after the holiday season. While Doris was waiting at the train station for Toppy to pick her up, she met a very nice, attractive young man who she immediately liked. They struck up a conversation and Doris began to laugh and smile as Toppy approached them. Toppy was very happy for this occurrence, because Doris did not usually associate with the miners. Toppy hoped that her daughter and this young man would see much more of each other while Doris stayed with her.
As the months wore on, Jim and Grace became very close. One evening while sitting on the porch swing at Toppy and Grace’s house, Jim suddenly dropped down on one knee and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring from his pocket and slid it on Grace’s slender finger and asked her to marry him, which of course she accepted. After kissing Jim soundly on the lips, which took her breath away, Grace had the feeling that she had never loved a man the way she did Jim Flett, and it would be her greatest dream and pleasure to become his wife and Pritchard’s mother. She realized that she had never stopped loving Jim. And, Grace knew in her heart that the only reason she had married Van was because Jim seemed so slow at expressing his feelings to her, but she now knew that the moment she had dreamed about since a young girl had come true. She was finally going to marry the man of her dreams. Pritchard was overjoyed at this wonderful news, for he had long wanted his father to marry Miss Bailey. Grace finally began to lose her more cynical nature and became more like the Grace everyone knew and loved before she met Van, whom she never really loved. May was extremely happy about this news, as well, for she had long wanted Grace to develop a relationship with Jim Flett. The wedding was planned to take place in the spring and May, Honey, and Toppy began to busily help Grace plan for her upcoming nuptials. With the constant mentioning of marriage, Toppy was also beginning to seriously consider finally saying yes to Archie’s proposal of marriage, the answer he patiently waited for many years to hear.
May Bailey was also overjoyed that Hub had given up the notion to join the priesthood and instead married the love of his life Laura who was now expecting their baby in seven and a half months. Hub also had went to college to major in human resources and business management, ways in which he thought would best suit him to advocate for the rights of the miners as well as gain some good business sense that would be beneficial in running the Silver Dome Mine. An added benefit of course was that he was in town to spend time with his beautiful wife Laura. However, the happy times Hub and Laura shared were about to be seriously challenged when Alice, Hub’s childhood friend, came to visit her baby whom Ollie, the town’s car mechanic, and his wife Marjorie had adopted. Laura being about a month and a half pregnant was naturally a bit cranky, but with the added dimension of Alice’s return became even more self-conscious. However, Laura had nothing to worry about because Alice was now married to a nice, rich man; and Hub would constantly reassure Laura that he cared nothing for Alice, except of course as an old friend. May being the understanding, intuitive grandmother that she was even arranged for Hub and Laura to spend some quality time alone together at Bass Lake, the Bailey family’s cabin. Honey and Max, who were both elated at the thought of having a grandbaby, also thought Mrs. Bailey’s idea was wonderful. They also remembered the time she had done the same for them. She was a very wise woman indeed, for this excursion did just the trick to allow Laura and Hub to bond in a very meaningful way as they approached the beautiful journey into parenthood.
As Grace’s wedding day approached in the spring, Honey and Max received a letter from Max’s brother Del Sutton, who had married a free-spirited American actress and had a six month old baby girl. Honey was hesitant to show Grace the letter, but Max said he did not believe she cared for Del in that way anymore, ever since Jim came into her life. Therefore, Honey showed Grace the letter, and she just said she was happy for him, but she was experiencing new depths of joy being in love with and marrying Jim.
As May Bailey watched her daughter radiantly walk down the aisle, she could not help but feel a sense of pride and deep love for her daughter. May had never seen her daughter so completely happy, and it did her heart good to see Grace so content. Also, she was immensely grateful for such an understanding, loyal family that she had all gathered around to celebrate the joy of Grace’s wedding.
Eleven months later, the family was gathered for the thanksgiving meal at the Bailey home. Grace and Jim were extremely giddy and happy with the newlywed state of bliss still hovering around them and news of Grace expecting a baby. May Bailey was extremely elated at the prospect of her Grace having a baby, for she never thought she would live to see that day come. Toppy and Archie were finally married and extremely happy as well. Fat and Maisey, whose friendship had grown into something deeper throughout the last months, were now engaged to be married, as well as Doris and her fiancé Edward Clayton, the miner whom she met when visiting her mother. Hub and Laura, who also had not lost the honeymoon glow, were the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl named Emma, of whom May was a very proud great-grandmother and Max and Honey were proud grandparents. Fat, Violet, and Zack were also all very overjoyed with their new little niece.
May was very grateful for her family and health, which had slowly been restored, and she began to ponder that many trials and hardships come in life; but when beautiful events such as these happen along, life seemed so much sweeter and better in spite of the difficulties. Her family was certainly better for having endured the hardships they faced and celebrating in the times of joy.
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