Starting Over

Chapter 15

Chapter 15The annual Alzheimer's Gala to raise money and for remembering those who'd passed on from the dreaded disease was one of Janet's most sacred events. She looked down at the long, white banner rolled out over her Great Room floor and nibbled her lip. She'd been working on it, off and on, over the last two weeks, placing pictures in a whimsical fashion of those who'd passed away. That Nate was helping her right now meant the world to her. She looked up and saw him eyeing her. A lopsided smile was on his face. That was his way. He apologized with actions. Suddenly, what he'd said at Trevor's didn't matter that much anymore.

She handed him a tag with a name written on it and pointed to a picture of a frail old woman. Megan came in from the dining room where she was stuffing place cards, glitter, ribbons, candles and single stem bud vases in boxes.

“Wow, that's nice,” Megan said.

“You think so?” Janet replied looking up. She was unsure the banner was as good as it could be.

Megan cozied up beside her. “Yes, I do, and you need to stop being Ms. Perfect already. Come on you two, we have to be there in an hour. I'll help you roll it up.”

Janet sighed as her eye drifted toward the picture of Neil in the upper left hand corner. Had she placed his picture too prominently? She didn't want anyone to think she was being biased. “Okay. Guess I don't have much choice anyways.”

“No, you don't,” Nate said pasting the nametag under the picture.

Janet and Megan joined Nate and the three of them rolled up the fifteen-foot long banner and slid it into a long plastic tube.

Two hours later, they were with a dozen volunteers in the banquet room of the Marriot Hotel putting the final touches on the tables waiting for the invited guests. As a man warmed up on a piano, Janet placed name cards on dinner plates along with disposable cameras. Wine glasses glistened and silverware sparkled. All that was left, besides lighting the candles, was a quick confirmation that the overhead projector was working properly. Currently, that was in Trevor and Nate's gifted hands. She looked at her watch as slides of the Alzheimer's volunteer staff flashed on the screen. Things were coming down to the wire.

“Janet? What do you think,” said Megan's fiancé, Ben, who was standing on a ladder in the front of the room.

She stepped back as Trevor retracted the screen and looked at the banner. “Can you move it down a bit? And the Alzheimer's banner, too?”

Ben nodded to the volunteer and they dropped them. She gave them the thumbs up and went back to placing name cards while Megan arranged bouquets of lilies around the podium. A sound guy from the hotel stood on the elevated platform thumping the microphone.

“Everything looks perfect,” Nadia said, coming up beside her. She moved a spoon a micrometer to the right of one of the dishes and shot Janet a smile. “Has it been decided who is going to be awarded volunteer of the year yet?”

“No, it's done by secret ballot.”

Nadia took up a napkin and refolded it. “Maybe you will be chosen, no?”

Janet shook her head. “I don't think so. By the way, thanks for helping out.”

“No problem. Why don't you go to the ladies room and freshen up. I will take care of the rest, hmmm?”

Janet looked up and suddenly realized she'd been running a hundred miles an hour since she got there. I must look like hell. She handed Nadia the rest of her place cards. “You don't mind?”

“Not at all.”

“You're a sweetie. Okay, these are numbered according to table. See the '10' on this top card here with the name, Anderson. That would go with table '10' over there, and so on and so on.”

Nadia nodded. “Okay, go now. Not much time,” she said and shooed her away.

When Janet returned from the Ladies Room, people were filing into the Hall and talking amongst themselves. A pianist played a George Winton melody in the background. Its tinkling notes floated over the gathered crowd adding to the growing cacophony. She looked over the decorated candle-lit tables wondering if there wasn't more she could've done. Megan and Nate stepped beside her.

Putting her hand out to her son, Janet drew him close. “Well, it is what it is.”

“You did a good job, Mom,” Nate said. “If dad were here, he'd be smiling right now.”

She turned to Nate. For a split second, she saw Neil's soft probing gaze looking back through her son's eyes. She caught her breath. “Thanks. You don't know what that means to me, honey. I guess I'd better get up there and start mingling, huh?”

“'Fraid so,” he said.

She filed around the tables, greeting the survivors who'd come to pay tribute not only to their loved ones but to those who'd freely given their time and energy to walk with them through their darkest valleys. Some of them she knew personally. She took many of them into her arms and held them, renewing the unbreakable bonds only those who'd gone through the journey could understand.

And then she saw him. He was standing near the doorway. Garrett Andersen! He was wearing a button down white shirt and red tie. She went to greet him. “Garrett, how nice to see you.”

He turned away from the man he was talking to and studied her with dark gray eyes. “Do I know you?”

“No, but you changed my life once upon a time.”

“Oh, my goodness!” He reached out and clasped her hand. “I hope it was in good way.”

“Of course it was,” she said, delighted beyond her wildest dreams. “I was this unhappy engineering student who didn't know what she wanted until you showed me the way.”

“And what way was that, dear?”

“Photography. It changed my life.”

“Well, I'm not much of a photographer, but okay.” He looked at her hard then. “What's your name, dear?”

“Janet, Janet Porter.”

His bushy gray brow c****d and his smile widened. “The Janet Porter?”

She felt sudden heat come to her cheeks and looked down. “Well, yes.”

He turned to the man beside him. “This young lady here, I'll have you know, inspired my last collection of shorts.”

She froze, dumbfounded as Garrett turned back to her. That he'd based some of his short stories on her photography left her feeling validated.

“So, who are you here for; your mother or father maybe?”

“Umm…actually, my dear husband. He passed away a couple years ago,” she said, looking up.

“Oh, my heavens. He was too young to have suffered such an awful thing. My deepest sympathy to you.” He shook his head. “Alzheimer's an awful thing. It steals your loved ones right out from underneath you and all you can do is stand by and watch. My dear departed Annabelle, gone from me twelve years now, God rest her soul, hardly knew me when she went to the man upstairs.”

He let go of her hand. Turned to the man beside him. “This is my son, Michael.” They exchanged greetings. Garrett said, “Someone's been busy in here. Place looks like a weddin' hall. You sure we're in the right room?” He winked and shot her a knowing smile.

“Oh, yes,” she said, suddenly feeling at ease with him as he gazed out over the vast room of large round tables.

“So where'm I sitting in here tonight?”

She went over to the reception table and found the sheet of paper with the seat arrangements. When she saw Garrett's name at her table, her breath caught.

A loud, sharp, Pfff…pfff, rang out overhead. Everyone averted their gaze to the front of the room where a rail-thin, dark-haired woman stood on a raised platform. She looked out over the gathered guests and volunteers and smiled.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming out on this chilly January night. It's so good to see so many friendly faces. As you all know, this is our 21st anniversary gala. Twenty-one years, can you believe it?” She paused, encouraging a sudden burst of clapping. “This year has been a great year financially and I'm happy to announce we are more solid than ever because of the generous contributions of people like you, who know how important it is to help struggling families dealing with this insidious affliction.

“But we're not here to talk money and finances tonight. Instead, we're here to remember our loved ones and those who are still among us in heart and soul. It's because of them we're here, and I wish with all my heart for a day when we come here not to remember but instead to celebrate the defeat of Alzheimer's.”

“Here, here!” Someone said in the back of the room.

A sudden burst of applause. When it died down, Olivia went on, “Here, here, indeed. That day will certainly come, but tonight we will remember…and…honor our selfless volunteers who tirelessly give of their services, professional or otherwise.

“To help me this year, I have a very special guest.” She paused as if for dramatic effect. “A man who has been a fixture here in Salem and the Willamette Valley for over fifty years. A man who's written words have shone a light on the land and the people who live within it. A man we're lucky to have with us after a narrow escape from an accident three weeks ago.

“Thank God for the tireless Salem Fire Department and its staff of exceptional EMT's who happened to be around the corner when it happened, and thank God for the staff at Salem Memorial who tended him night and day afterward. They really are the best! But you already know that, so without further ado, please join me in asking Mr. Garrett Andersen to present the Volunteer of the Year Award.”

As Garrett got to his feet, the room erupted in applause. Janet was dumbfounded. How was this arranged under her nose? She watched the old folklorist shuffle to the front of the room. Obviously, President Olivia decided to have a surprise this year. But why keep it a secret from me, she thought. She looked over at Megan who was clapping. Remembered seeing her and Olivia having a conversation off to the side earlier. Did Megan know about this ahead of time? When Megan glanced back with arched brows and stretched lips, Janet knew. The ovation dropped and the room went quiet as Olivia gave way to Garrett.

Stepping up to the microphone, he tapped it. “Thank you, Ms. Chamberlain for inviting me here tonight.” He turned to look back at her. “Such kind words.” Facing front, he went on, “What Ms. Chamberlain is alluding to is that I had a heart attack while driving. I don't want to make a big deal about it, but when I was lying in the hospital bed, I thought about how precious life is…and more importantly, how lucky I was there were regular people who risked their lives to pull me out of a burning car. People, like you and you.” He pointed out to the gathered guests.

“It's very restorative to the soul to see what we are all capable of when another person is in grave danger. It's what makes us human. We take that for granted until one day it's stripped away from us or from someone we love. That's why I come here with a new sense of urgency.

“This monster, Alzheimer's, robs us of our humanity. It whittles our memories away, strips us of our dignity and tortures our loved ones who take care of us. I don't need to tell you what it's like watching it eat away at someone you love. You already know that. But I'd like to share a few things about my Annabelle.

“Before it descended on her, she was a vibrant beautiful woman. I can still see her sitting on our back porch painting flowers or tromping over to our big oak tree to add birdseed to the hanging feeder. And I have a secret for you, she wrote a bit of poetry – and she was better at it than I was, but she refused to let me show it off. I adored the little things she did around the house that made it a home. Things like keeping the flower vases filled with daisies and zinnias, decorating the house around the holidays and lighting a candle or two on the fireplace mantle.

“There were so many things I loved about her that were stolen from not only her, but from me! She just faded away until she wasn't my Annabelle anymore. I took care of her the best I could, but in the end, it wasn't enough. I often look back now and realize I didn't have to do it alone. But I was a stubborn old fool—and still am—so I missed out on getting the help I so desperately needed, but didn't know I did. This organization and the volunteers who give of their time helping people take on the burdens they are saddled with is a Godsend, and I'm so happy to be a part of it now.”

He glanced back at Olivia. “And now, I guess I better get to it and announce this year's 'Volunteer of the Year' award.”

Olivia stepped beside him. Handed him one of two envelopes in her hand. He tore back the flap and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Holding it in front of him, he said, “This year's recipient has been with us for over fifteen years and has gone miles beyond any expectations of a volunteer, taking on a case load of four residents. She has organized outings and parties for the respective families and essentially become part of them, all while raising two sons and a husband.” He smiled. “Husband indeed! Anyway, would you all please give a warm welcome of applause to Ms. June Kellog; this year's 'Volunteer of the Year'?”

The large curvy woman rose from her chair with the grace of a ballerina and wove her way around the tables as everyone clapped. Janet knew June well. The woman could talk for hours on end and had spent many afternoons at Hazelnut chatting Neil up in the cafeteria during lunch. That it had always been a one-way conversation didn't matter. Janet knew her husband enjoyed it and that was all that counted. As June accepted the wood engraved plaque from Garrett commemorating her efforts, Janet sat back, crossed her legs and prepared for a lengthy thank-you speech. She wasn't disappointed.

Finally, Olivia gently wrestled the microphone from June and congratulated her one last time. As June swished and swayed her way back to her table with her plaque held tight to her ample body, Megan leaned toward Ben and whispered something. Whatever it was, it brought a smile to his face and a quick glance toward Janet. Suddenly, she felt like the brunt of a secret, but before she could decide how she felt about it, Olivia spoke up:

“Thank you June…Usually, we move into honoring our loved ones at this time, but this year, we have one more recognition to make. Two years ago, I ran into a very special woman at Hazelnut Manor. She was there for her husband, who was in the end stages of Alzheimer's. After a few short conversations with the staff, I found out she'd become an integral part of the residents' lives there, enriching their days with art and music. After a little more investigation, I knew she'd be an excellent addition to our association.

“So, like any good president, I badgered her until I wore her down.” The room giggled. “Since coming on board, she's not only maintained her arts program at Hazelnut, she's also grown our fundraising two hundred percent by knocking on every door and leaving no stone unturned. Her love and dedication toward the families and those who are afflicted is unparalleled and so I'm proud and pleased to present this little memento of the association's gratitude for all she's done. Janet, would you please come up and accept this gift of our appreciation?

Janet froze and felt her heart thump as she tried to comprehend what Olivia had said. Everyone at the table turned and looked at her with broad smiles. Even Nate was grinning. Megan eyed her brother, jerked her elbow back and forth, motioning him to do what?

“Mom, get up!”

Janet shuddered, came to herself and stood. As she walked haltingly to the front of the room amid the rousing adulation she felt naked and humbled.

Olivia waved one of the association volunteers toward her. In the man's hand was a large red and white gift bag. Taking it from him, she joined Janet and gave her a warm affectionate hug. “Thank-you so much,” she whispered into her ear. Letting go of her, Olivia took out a twelve-inch solid crystal star and handed it to her.

Janet glanced down at the award and wiped an unbidden tear away. “Thank you, I don't know what to say.” She drew breath and gathered her wits. “This is a complete surprise, and I'll never trust you again, Olivia Chamberlain.” A chorus of laughter burst out from the room. She turned back to the audience. “You know, this honor goes to more than just me. Numerous people have been involved in what we've accomplished. Chief among them, is my best friend, Megan Porter. I couldn't have done any of this without her help and support. She's been a constant source of strength for me over the last two years.”

She paused. “And last of all, I'd like to introduce my son, Nate, who's home now from serving our country in Iraq. In doing so, he made an unwitting and painful sacrifice. You see; he missed the last years with his father, defending our right to be free. Honey, would you please stand up?”

Nate blushed. Rolling his eyes, he looked up at the ceiling, sighed then reluctantly stood. The room erupted with applause and everyone stood. A woman cried out, “We love you, Nate.”

Olivia stepped beside Janet. Took the microphone. “In case some of you didn't know, Nate's up for a medal! How great is that?”

Janet saw Nate stiffen and his brow furrow at the mention of the medal. She shouldn't have brought up the war and his sacrifice. But it was too late. His thin forced smile made her heart sink. The only thing she'd wanted to do was shine a little light on him. Let him know how much she loved him. That he mattered. But her best intentions had turned against her and tarnished a beautiful night.