Where Did She Go Pt. 01

I was 26 when Anna was born and had developed an easy relationship with one of the OB-Clinic's younger RNs, Claire Erickson. During a regular checkup, she asked if I would need any help with Anna and our home. Claire knew a wonderful older black lady needing work. Her name was Gertrude Brown, and she was widowed. Gertrude was a lifesaver for me taking care of Anna and helping out with my home, especially after the divorce.

Gertrude worked half days M-F and would come in on weekends if I had a special meeting or project. She was a reasonably young grandma, who kept three-year-old Trisha on weekends, so Gertrude brought her to my house for any weekend work. Anna grew up with Trisha acting as a big sister since she frequently visited us on many weekends to play with Anna. Trisha is now 11, while Anna is nearly eight years old.

It seemed destined for Anna and Trisha to join forces against me from when Anna was two months old and Trisha was three years old. Once Anna started crawling, she followed Trisha everywhere, while Trisha always patiently waited for Anna to catch up. With Trisha actively being around us several days a week, she also learned to play and love golf.

2021 AN ACTIVE YEAR

I am now 33 and currently Bane's Senior Sports Editor, having worked with the company for nine years. I also frequently write freelance sports stories and golf articles, collecting excellent royalty income from this work. My divorce has been final for a few years. It's just my nearly eight-year-old daughter and financially independent little ole me taking life easy on the 9th hole turn.

Anna has departed for school in the church van, and today's reminiscing about Marcie Rae is finished for the moment. So, I'd best get on with my Bane projects since I am scheduled to work in Chicago next week. I must pack a lot this week since Trisha will join Anna and me in Chicago. The three of us will be staying in the Chicago-Milwaukee area for almost three weeks since we are taking a major vacation.

Anna and Trisha became inseparable as the two girls grew older, so Gertrude and I went with the flow. Trisha was at our home more than 80% of the time, so I enrolled her in Savannah Christian School for the next term. I've already expanded Anna's bedroom by putting in twin beds and two study desks.

Gertrude was having difficulties getting Trisha's mom to sign off on Trisha staying full-time with us. I am sure Gertrude's daughter wanted big $$-bucks for signing me Power of Attorney (POA) for Trisha. This was embarrassing to Gertrude and a non-starter for me. So we were progressing slowly on the legal aspects of Trisha living permanently with us.

A major Jr. Golf Tournament is being held at the Black Wolf Run Golf Club in Kohler, WI. The tournament is a part of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) and is being held on 16 /17 JUNE 2021. Anna's birthday is too late for her to compete since her young girl's age group is eight to thirteen years old.

Black Wolf Run is one of the most challenging USA Courses, having hosted both PGA and LPGA events. So, I decided that Anna, Trisha, and I would play a few rounds preceding the tournament.

The girls and I are scheduled to vacation in Kohler for ten days after finishing my Bane project work. The drive up to Kohler from Chicago is a little more than two hours via I-94 W to I-43 N.

CHICAGO

We are now in Chicago with me working 7-12 JUN 2021. The girls will spend most days working on a summer school project and fun items in the Bane conference room. Additionally, Ellen's mom will take Anna and Trisha out touring museums and other Windy City activities on three afternoons while I am working. Subsequently, I will spend evenings with the girls, mostly eating at the hotel restaurant and relaxing in our suite.

The hotel seems extremely busy this week, but JUNE-AUGUST is a significant tourism time in Chicago. I later learned that Chicago is hosting some huge Christian group convention called Adventists, which is one reason for the heavy hotel traffic. We occasionally have significant waits for dinner reservations, but otherwise, the girls and I are enjoying our stay in Chicago.

We will drive up to Kohler on Saturday morning, 13 JUNE, and check into our American Club hotel suite, where we plan to relax for the evening.

***

Ellen's mom has taken the girls out for most of the day on Wednesday, 10 JUNE, first having Dim Sim in Chinatown and then going to a park down by Lake Michigan. I met up with them in the early evening at the hotel reception help desk, so Ellen's mom could quickly return home. While I am saying goodbye, Anna and Trisha are excitedly jabbering on and on about some lady they saw two times today at the hotel.

Anna pouts, "Mom, you're not listening. I saw some lady two times today who looks just like me." I smile down at her to apologize for not listening when someone smacks solidly into me.

Looking up quickly, "Please excuse me, I...." My eyes must be deceiving me. Marcie Rae Holdings, whom I have not seen since the summer of 2010, has just wickedly bumped into me.

Marcie Rae screams, "Emma!" and faints dead away, collapsing onto the hotel lobby floor.

I stand there utterly floored and speechless for a moment before running to Marcie Rae, crying out, "Are you hurt, darling?"

Anna breathlessly, "Mom, do you know this lady?"

"Wait a minute, sweetie, while I help her up," I dazedly answer.

Marcie Rae is coming around and trying to sit up. I carefully grab her shoulders, "Wait for a minute, darling, you are still dizzy."

Honestly, I am out on my feet in outright shock at seeing Marcie Rae after eleven years, so I'm running on autopilot.

Anna spoke again with Trisha tightly holding on to her, "Mom, you called that lady darling two times! Do you know her, and who is she?"

"Let me help her up, girls, and then we can go sit somewhere quiet," I whisper, still shell-shocked.

Marcie Lee is seemingly out of it, so I ask a hotel bellhop for help, and we take her to my hotel suite. I turn to the bellhop and ask if she could order some type of soup from room service and charge it to my room.

Still in a stupor, "Anna and Trisha, will one of you please get me a wet facecloth from the bathroom and a PepsiMax from the refrigerator?"

I also ask the bellhop if there's a nurse or doctor onsite at the hotel, thinking Marcie Rae may have hit her head on the floor. The bellhop quickly leaves, going to check with the Hotel Manager's office, while I continue comforting Marcie Rae. She seems to regain her strength and balance but keeps repeating, "Emma, it's you! I don't believe it!"

I ask Marcie Rae if she is alone in Chicago or with someone. She is traveling with family, but they are all at another hotel. She will phone her brother after catching her breath.

I wash Marcie Rae's face while she takes small sips of the PepsiMax. Anna and Trisha are just sitting there stunned, looking like little lost muffins, so I relent.

Calling Anna and Trisha close, I say, "This lady is Marcie Rae, and she is from California. We met eleven years ago during a six-week golf camp and became best friends. Until today, I have not seen Marcie for eleven years."

I then turn to Marcie Rae, "This is my daughter Anna Marie Lyles, who looks just like you, and my almost daughter Trisha Elsie Austin. Trisha and Anna have played together since Anna was two weeks old and Trisha was three years old.

"Trisha's grandma, Gertrude Brown, has worked for me since Anna's birth. Gertrude always brings Trisha to our home when she works on weekends. As the girls grew older, it seems like Trisha is also my daughter since now she is usually at our home most of the time."

Marcie Rae looks sheepishly at me, "I do not know what to say."

I then totally lose it, starting to boohoo loudly!

Anna squeals, "Mom, what is wrong, and why are you crying?"

Marcie Rae is also crying as she frantically pulls me in for a hug. "I did not know what to do because I was so scared of my family, so I mentally ran away from you!"

Anna and Trisha look at each other, neither young girl understanding what is happening. Marcie Rae seems to swoon and pass out again, with me holding her up.

I ask, "What is wrong with you, darling? Your eyes look so weak."

Marcie answers, "I do not know, sweetie, but I have been weak and dizzy a lot for the past few months."

I whisper, "I need to ask, are you pregnant, Marcie Rae?"

Marcie Rae says weakly, "Not possible, sweetie. I've had no sex for nearly five years."

"We must talk this out, Marcie Rae," I reply. "Six years for me, no sex since Anna was 2 and I got divorced. For my mental health and stability, I need to know what happened after you went home from golf camp."

Marcie Rae hugs me, "Yes, I know and have been so miserable for all eleven years. Also, I am not feeling so good right now," as she swoons again.

An on-call hotel nurse comes rushing into the suite, taking Marcie Rae's vitals. She thinks Marcie Rae is exhausted, dehydrated, and possibly has other issues. She suggests Marcie Rae have a complete checkup, including EKG, MRI, CT scan, bloodwork, and other diagnostic tests ASAP.

For now, the nurse tells me that Marcie Rae should drink many liquids, especially water, Gatorade, and natural fruit juices. She will return to check on her in two hours.

Marcie Rae is comfortably resting on the couch, and I can see that Anna and Trisha are confused about what is happening. I say, "I know you two are wondering what is happening here, but I want to ask you a question first. I will then tell you everything in my and Marcie Rae's life since we met at golf school in 2010.

"Marcie Rae may be sick, and I am worried about her. So I want to cancel our golfing vacation and reschedule for later. If the nurse says okay, I want us to take Marcie Rae home to Savannah on Friday so she can be checked up well at the hospital clinic."

Anna smiles, "Yes, Mom. Miss Marcie Rae seems like a nice lady, and I look like her. Trisha and I want Miss Marcie Rae to be well and happy. Let's take her home soon!" Trisha is rapidly nodding her head yes.

"Okay, I will ask the hotel nurse if Marcie Rae can travel to Savannah. Then I will call Nurse Claire Erickson in Savannah, asking her to talk with her husband, Jonathan, a Heart Arrhythmia Specialist. The hotel nurse specifically mentioned Marcie Rae needing an EKG, which is a test for the heart.

"I love you two wonderful girls, and we will go on the best-golfing vacation in the world once we know my friend Marcie Rae is well. Maybe she can golf with us because Marcie Rae loves to golf and hits long drives."

I cancel all of our Kohler Black Wolf Run reservations. I explain how a family medical emergency has occurred, so we need to return to Savannah ASAP.

The hotel nurse returns after a couple of hours and is pleased with Marcie Rae's condition, saying the rehydration has worked wonders. In the nurse's opinion, Marcie Rae can travel tomorrow morning. Still, she recommends we fly first class if possible, and Marcie Rae uses a wheelchair.

I phone Claire Erickson, telling her about what is happening in Chicago. I can sense that Claire has many questions, but she is an RN, so Marcie Rae's health comes first. Claire will inform her husband of the situation, asking him to have Marcie Rae admitted to the hospital on Sunday for in-depth testing. I promise to give her a bit of the back story on Marcie Rae once we are home in Savannah.

Marcie Rae begins, "I feel pretty good now and will be okay, so maybe...."

I tell Anna and Trisha, "Please turn your heads, girls, because I am about ready to give Marcie Rae a real spanking."

Winking cutely at me, Anna says, "Miss Marcie Rae, I can tell you from experience that you do not want a spanking from my mom. So, I guess we are all leaving for Savannah tomorrow morning."

I am getting a little ticked off at Marcie Rae being wishy-washy. "This is frustrating, Marcie Rae. Do you want to live a normal life or spend all your days running from who you are? You are now 33, just like me, but you're acting like a three-year-old child. It is your choice; either you come with us to Savannah, or I will ask the bellhop to dump your bottom back in the hotel lobby."

Marcie Rae's eyes are wide as silver dollars, "What about my clothes and other stuff back at the hotel?"

I groan, "Call the manager and tell him about your medical emergency and early flight to Savannah. Have him ask the floor maid to pack your clothes and bring them to the bellhop desk luggage storage room. We will collect them on the way to ORD. Do you have any valuables in the room safe?"

Marcie Rae, "No, I have all my jewelry and extra cash with me."

I ask again, "Are we going to Savannah tomorrow morning? If yes, you can phone your brother as we prepare for takeoff and tell him you have left Chicago to see a medical specialist. You will update him on your situation once we arrive at the hospital and see the doctor.

"Then you will turn off your phone and give it to me for safekeeping until we know if you have any major medical issues."

Marcie Rae groans wearily, "There is another issue, Emma. I am supposed to be getting engaged soon, and my future fiancé is here in Chicago."

I send Anna and Trisha to watch TV in the sitting room since I need a few minutes alone with Marcie Rae. The girls can share a few snacks and juice from the suite's refrigerator and snack bar since I only need ten minutes alone with Marcie Rae.

Angry as hell, I scream, "I do not know what the fuck is going on with you, Marcie Rae Holdings. An hour ago, you told me you hadn't had sex in four years. Now you tell me you are here in Chicago meeting your future fiancé. You also may be very seriously ill, and I am getting nothing but bull crap from you.

"Just get the hell out of my life Marcie Rae, and I never want to see your face again. I did not even know you were in Chicago, and now you are my frigging problem!" I angrily shout.

"I have always loved you since we met in Scottsdale, and you are the only person I have ever loved. You promised that we would be friends forever and yet ditched me two days after going home, probably back to your frigging boyfriend. Why are you playing these sick jokes on me after all the love and joy we shared for six weeks?"

I rant, "Just go back to whatever it is you do in Redlands, CA, other than lie to me, the one who loves you! Right from the start, you were a thief and stole my heart. Just give me a reason not to dump your lying butt in the hotel lobby right now?"

Marcie Rae is sobbing loudly while holding on tightly to me, "Please don't kick me out, Emma. I did not lie and have not been with anyone sexually since my late husband died five years ago. He is the only person other than you that I have ever had sex with."

Marcie Rae begs, "Just wait for a second, sweetie? Please save me, Emma. I know we are not broken, and hopefully, you can love me again?"

I scream so loudly that it scares me, "Don't you fucking get it, Marcie Rae Holdings? I never stopped loving you after eleven painful years, even after getting no lousy email or SMS from you!"

Marcie Rae is now boohooing so loudly that the two girls can easily hear her over the TV program. Anna thought, "Oh boy, Mom is letting Miss Marcie Rae have it with both barrels. I would not want to be in her shoes and have Mom on my case." Trisha is having similar thoughts as both young girls stay deathly quiet on the sofa.

I am stalking around madly now, quietly fuming and wishing I had never seen Marcie Rae today. But I quickly realize I am just fooling myself. I am now and have always been besotted with Marcie Rae since the first day we met. Yet, I cannot continue to lose my temper and scream bloody murder in front of Anna and Trisha. Something has to give, or this situation will become an awful disaster.

So I fling open the sleeping room door and call the girls over. "I apologize for my language and yelling and screaming at Marcie Rae. I will briefly tell you about our history together, so you will know why we are fighting now.

"I love Marcie Rae and have since we met at golf school eleven years ago. We were supposed to be friends forever and see each other in alternate months for the next two years. We were both finishing our Master's Degrees and then would plot our future together. Everything went crazy, and other than two emails, I had not seen or spoken to Marcie Rae for eleven years until this evening at the hotel."

With tears flowing, I continue, "I want to believe Marcie Rae, but now I am scared that I do not know this woman I love so much. I want to take her home with us for a few days because I need to hear and understand what happened to the person I shared my heart with. Marcie Rae has two issues. First, she could be seriously sick. So she needs a complete medical examination, especially her heart and sensory nervous system.

"Second, Marcie Rae also needs to decide how she will live her life. I cannot do that for her, but I will listen if she tells me the absolute truth. When people are truly in love, they sometimes get highly emotional, but this is not how I want us to live our lives all the time.

"I want Marcie Rae to go with us to Savannah and have a complete medical evaluation performed by good doctors. If she has any serious medical issues, I will joyfully help her get well and back in good health. Marcie Rae is welcome in our home, with you two hopefully agreeing to assist in her recovery. When and if Marcie Rae is healthy, she and only she can decide if she wants to stay in Savannah as a part of our lives.

"When you truly love someone, it does not mean you can control their lives. So, as much as I love and have always loved Marcie Rae, she alone has to decide to stay in Savannah or leave for Redlands after receiving a clean bill of health."

Then I ask, "Anna and Trisha, what do both of you think?"

Trisha speaks quietly, "I love you, momma-Emma, because you have always loved me since I can remember. I have been so happy being with Anna and you, especially after Anna started crawling around, following me everywhere. Since I was 3 and Anna two weeks old, you have been my momma and Anna my little sister, which makes me happy.

"Let's just give Miss Marcie Rae a reason to love us. I like her and do not want Miss Marcie Rae to be sick. So please come home with us to Savannah and see the doctor. We also hope you will decide to live with us all the time because mom-Emma needs a big lady best friend like you. She does everything with Anna and me as her little girls, so we want her to have you as her older special friend."

Anna, saying nothing, simply walks over and kisses Marcie on the cheek.

"Let's All Go Home To Savannah!"

Thus, a whirlwind day collecting Marcie Rae's luggage, texting her brother Robert Julian Holdings, and disabling her mobile phone overtook us. We four exhausted ladies and girls finally arrive home in Savannah. I previously spoke with Gertrude, asking if Trisha could stay with us for the next two or three months, even though the bio-mom's issues are not yet settled.

I explain that I want her and Claire to come for dinner tomorrow. Additionally, I want Marcie Rae admitted to the hospital for complete diagnostic testing on Sunday. So early Saturday afternoon, Gertrude, Claire, Marcie Rae, and I relax in our dining area after a light lunch.

I am uncertain about the emotional direction our conversation may take. Just in case, I send Anna and Trisha into the study to review some of their school summer project work for an hour. Depending on Marcie Rae's medical diagnosis, the girls may be studying from home for the next two or three months.

I start the conversation by discussing my family background growing up in Maine until meeting Marcie Rae at the Scottsdale golf school. Marcie Rae then talks about her background, which I am unaware of, especially her growing up in the strict Adventist Religious Community, aka Evangelical Adventist Church.