Tom Prentice Ch. 02

After saying their goodbyes to her mother, Tom and Laney soon returned to the kissing they had experimented with in the theater, and it wasn't long before their tongues were dueling, and their temperatures were rising. Tom's fingers were on the verge of embarking on a voyage of discovery down from their position on her shoulder when Laney said, "As much as I'm enjoying this Tom, I have to go in now." She disengaged herself from his arms despite his good natured protests, and slid over on the seat before returning for one last kiss. As she went back and opened the door she said, "I'll see you on Sunday at the service for your mother. Goodnight, Tom. I've really enjoyed myself."

Tom was quick to say, "I really enjoyed your company tonight, Laney. Be sure to bring your Mom on Sunday, too. The service should only be about 20 minutes long. After that I plan to have coffee and some cake at my place. My aunt and uncle are coming in from Omaha, and my grandparents will be there." After they said their final goodbyes, Tom drove off, realizing that he was as hard as a rock, and began making plans to have a shower when he got home so that he could take care of that situation.

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Tom spent Saturday preparing his house for the company he expected following the graveside service. He sorted the remainder of his parents' clothing and other items that he didn't think he would want to keep. His plan was to have his grandparents and aunt and uncle join him for supper Sunday night, and he would then offer them their choice of his parents' things, before he consigned the balance to Goodwill. He prepared some burger patties and salads for the Sunday meal, and picked up enough cake and pastries for the expected visitors after the interment of his mother's ashes.

Sunday morning gave him the opportunity to finish his preparations for the afternoon. Finally, after lunch, he felt that everything was done, and so he got himself ready for the Cemetery service. He arrived 20 minutes early with his mother's ashes, just ahead of his grandparents, and joined them to wait for the minister and the rest of the mourners. The last 10 minutes were a bit confusing as it seemed that everyone arrived together. Tom lost the opportunity to circulate amongst the people who arrived as he was overwhelmed by a steady stream of people who came to offer their condolences and support.

Promptly at 2 p.m. the minister began his graveside service for the approximately 40 people in attendance. As expected, it was over in 20 minutes, and Tom was able to invite everyone that wished to join him and the family at his home for coffee and cake. Within just a few minutes his grandparents left with his aunt and uncle to be there to welcome the guests, while Tom remained, speaking quietly with the minister. As the minister finally said goodbye to him Tom looked up and noticed that besides himself only Laney and Grace Frost and one other woman remained at the Cemetery.

After thanking Laney and Grace for coming, and insisting that they join everyone else at the house, Tom approached the last straggler, a pretty, blond, fortyish woman who seemed to have been waiting for him. He could tell that she looked a bit upset, but didn't recognize her as being a family friend, or anyone that he had met previously.

"Hello, I'm Tom Prentice. I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Were you one of my parents' friends?"

The woman seemed a bit more upset and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Tom. My name is Liz Nelson. My husband Frank was the one who was with your mother when... when your father... when everything happened. I've wanted to speak with you for quite some time now, but I couldn't reach you."

"I was in Omaha since after the funeral services until just a couple of weeks ago. Was there something in particular that you wanted?" Tom was a little concerned about what she may have in mind, and it occurred to him that she may even intend to sue over the death of her husband. She had been standing about halfway between the separate graves of his parents, and as they talked they had walked slowly over to stand beside his father's grave, away from the minister who now stood talking with Laney and Grace.

The woman was very clearly upset now and said, "I wanted to say how sorry I am for everything that happened. I feel it's all my fault. I was the one who told your father that your mother was going to see my husband again. If I hadn't said anything, none of this would have happened." She began crying now, and Tom hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders.

"Please, don't feel that way," he said compassionately, before pausing and then continuing, "My father wrote me a letter after he... after, you know.... and he didn't blame you at all; and I don't blame you. It was just the circumstances that led to... everything. The gun wasn't his. He just happened to have it, and except for that unexpected turn of events, the worst that could have happened would have been a big fight." She had turned her head into his shoulder and was still crying.

After perhaps a minute she began to calm down, and Tom said, "What can you tell me about my mother and your husband? Can you tell me why they were together, or if she was going to leave my father and me for your husband?" Tom held his breath, hoping that she could shed some light on this event that had so changed his life.

Liz Nelson straightened up and removed a handkerchief from her purse. When she had dried her eyes she said, "Frank had a number of affairs over the years we were married. He never intended to leave me for any of the women he... met. Frank was a salesman, a very good salesman, very suave and quite handsome. He seemed to be able to convince a number of otherwise happily married women that he had something to offer them. I just got so fed up with it; that's why I called your father. I had hoped he would find a way to put an end to it, but I never once thought it through to this kind of a conclusion." She was crying again.

"So you don't think my mother was in love with him? This was just a fling that he managed to talk her into?" Tom was finding it difficult to believe that everything was brought about by a sophisticated seducer who somehow got to his mother.

After wiping her eyes once more, Liz Nelson continued, "I doubt very much that it was any more than Frank selling himself so well that he was able to convince your mother to meet with him. I had spoken to a couple of his past...conquests, and they've told me that Frank worked very hard to wear down their resistance. I know what he was like; he convinced me to marry him, and every time that he got involved with another woman he was able to convince me to take him back. He was wonderful with words, and I loved him in spite of his affairs." She began to cry quietly again.

Tom realized that he was not likely to ever fully understand his mother's actions, but at least now he had some idea of how it might have occurred. It was difficult to reconcile this with what he knew of his mother, but then he decided that it was no more difficult than for him to understand how his father could have reacted the way he did. He thanked the woman for telling him what she knew of his mother and her husband; that it helped him to comprehend the situation. She was still softly crying as she turned to leave.

Tom remained standing in front of his father's grave and quietly said, "Does hearing that help you understand what happened, Dad?" He stood there for a couple of minutes until the tears began to clear from his eyes, and then he slowly left the empty cemetery and headed for his pickup so that he could join the others at his house.