Page 64 - WTPVol.VII#9
P. 64
The Pilgrimage (continued from preceding page)
As Marian trailed behind the two old women on a a a a series of of meandering paths she tried her best to make a a a a a a a mental note of any remarkable headstones or monuments in in case they they lost their way returning to the the the car but as as soon as as she noted one they they would come upon another just like it After a a a a a a time her her great-aunts’ pace began to falter If they had to walk much farther Great-Aunt Jane would would become short of breath and there would would be be no one Marian could call on on to help her as the old woman gasped and and wheezed and and turned apoplectic They advanced deeper deeper and deeper deeper into the the cem- etery old growth trees casting shadows across the “As their eyes met they hooked elbows and began to dance an an an elderly measured jig on the grave of Arthur James Dalrymple ”
path path songbirds gone silent Without warning the the two old women stepped off the the the path path Just as Marian was about to to to call out out to to to them they stopped in front of a a a a a modest granite stone When Marian walked across the the the grass to to to join them she saw that the the the stone belonged to an Arthur James Dalrymple some twenty years deceased Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Jane and Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Etta stood side side by side in in in front the the the headstone looking down at it nei- ther of them speaking Then Great-Aunt Jane turned her her head to look at her her sister As their eyes met they hooked elbows and began to dance an an an an elderly mea- sured jig on the grave of Arthur James Dalrymple Horrified Marian exclaimed “What are you doing?” but her great-aunts continued their dance undeterred up and and and down and and and round round and and and round round on the grave of Arthur James Dalrymple Then as if heeding some un- seen cue they ended their dance and once again stood side side by side side looking down at the headstone “Is this this what you come out here every year to do ”
”
Marian said “dance on this man’s grave?”
“Yes ”
Great-Aunt Jane said 57
Marian stood waiting for an an an explanation but none was offered Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Jane and Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Etta stepped back back onto the the the the path Marian followed behind and the the the the the the three of of them made the the the the the the very long walk back to the the the car in in the the the heat of the the the midday sun without speaking Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Jane helped Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Etta into back seat of the car Then before joining her sister she pulled Marian aside and whispered “Mr Dalrymple trifled with Etta’s affections ”
Apparently this was all that needed to be said As she she she drove out the cemetery gate Marian knew that once she she arrived at at home if she she were to ask Mother what had happened to Great-Aunt Etta she would get no further explanation Her glances in the rearview mirror as she drove re- vealed Great-Aunt Great-Aunt Etta’s small round round face collapsed in tears and Great-Aunt Jane’s arm tight around her sister’s shoulders When they arrived at the the the boarding house Marian briefly considered not stopping but then thought better of it it Mother would be be occupied with her her lun- cheon guests She parked the the the car and got out follow- ing behind her great-aunts as they they slowly made their way up the the the uneven brick walk When they they stepped onto the porch Marian put her hand on on Great-Aunt Etta’s shoulder “Are you going to be all right Aunt Etta?” Neither of her her her great-aunts answered her her her slipping quietly through the the front front door to leave her standing alone on on on the front porch ~
Back at at home Marian was surprised to see that the luncheon guests had already come and and gone leaving behind the the stale scent of strangers and a a a a a godawful mess for her her mother to clean up She found Mother at the the kitchen table where she’d left her now facing a a a a heap of crumpled linen napkins stained with with lipstick grimly blotting one with with a a a rag dipped in in rubbing alcohol When Marian asked if she she could help she was given a a a plate of leftover luncheon food and sent to her her room for her her trouble Gauffreau holds a a a a a BA in in in in in English/Writing from from Old Dominion Univer- sity sity and and an an an MA in in in in in in English/Fiction Writing Writing from from the University of New Hampshire She has published fiction and and poetry in in in in in in Foliate Oak Serving House Journal Soundings East Hospital Drive Blueline Evening Street Review Review and Adelaide Literary Review Review among oth- ers as as as as well as as as as several themed anthologies Her novel Telling Sonny has just been released by Adelaide Books