12
It was more than packing up a household. It was packing up a life. It was bidding farewell to thirteen years of dreams, memories, love. It was saying a final good-bye to Edward. This had been their home, and now it would become merely a house again, occupied by strangers with no awareness of the joys and sorrows and tears and laughter that had happened within these walls.
Douglas and Florence Schiffer were delighted that Mary had decided to accept the post.
“You’ll be fantastic,” Florence assured Mary. “Doug and I will miss you and the kids.”
“Promise that you’ll come to Romania to visit us.”
“Promise.”
Mary was overwhelmed by the practical details that had to be taken care of, a multitude of unfamiliar responsibilities. She made a list:
Call the storage company to pick up personal things that we’re leaving.
Cancel milkman.
Cancel newspaper.
Give postman new mailing address.
Sign lease on house.
Arrange for insurance.
Change over utilities.
Pay all bills.
Don’t Panic!
An indefinite leave of absence from the university had been arranged with Dean Hunter.
“I’ll have someone take over your undergraduate classes. That’s no problem. But your seminar students are certainly going to miss you.” He smiled. “I’m sure you’ll do us all proud, Mrs. Ashley. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Mary withdrew the children from their school. There were travel arrangements to be made and airline tickets to be bought. In the past, Mary had taken all the financial transactions for granted because Edward had been there to handle them. Now there was no Edward, except in her mind and in her heart, where he would always be.
Mary was worried about Beth and Tim. In the beginning, they had been enthusiastic about living in a foreign country, but now that they were face-to-face with the reality, they were filled with apprehension. They each came to Mary separately.
“Mother,” Beth said, “I can’t just leave all my friends. I may never see Virgil again. Maybe I could stay here until the end of the semester.”
Tim said, “I just got into Little League. If I go away, they’ll find another third baseman. Maybe we can go after next summer, when the season’s over. Please, Mom!”
They’re frightened. Like their mother. Stanton Rogers had been so convincing. But alone with her fears in the middle of the night, Mary thought: I don’t know anything about being an ambassador. I’m a Kansas housewife pretending to be some kind of statesman. Everyone’s going to know I’m a fraud. I was insane ever to agree to this.
Finally, miraculously, everything was ready. The house had been rented on a long lease to a family that had just moved to Junction City.
It was time to leave.
“Doug and I will drive you to the airport,” Florence insisted.
The airport where they would catch the six-passenger commuter plane to Kansas City, Missouri, was located in Manhattan, Kansas. In Kansas City, they would transfer to a larger plane to Washington, D.C.
“Just give me a minute,” Mary said. She walked upstairs to the bedroom she and Edward had shared for so many wonderful years. She stood there, taking a long last look.
I’m leaving now, my dearest. I just wanted to say good-bye. I think I’m doing what you would have liked me to do. I hope I am. The only thing that really bothers me is that I have a feeling we may never come back here. I feel as though I’m deserting you. But you’ll be with me wherever I go. I need you now more than I’ve ever needed you. Stay with me. Help me. I love you so much. Sometimes I don’t think I can stand it without you. Can you hear me, darling? Are you there…?
Douglas Schiffer saw to it that their baggage was checked onto the little commuter plane. When Mary saw the plane sitting on the tarmac, she froze in her tracks. “Oh, my God!”
“What’s the matter?” Florence asked.
“I—I’ve been so busy, I forgot all about it.”
“About what?”
“Flying! Florence, I’ve never been up in a plane in my life! I can’t go up in that little thing!”
“Mary—the odds are a million to one against anything happening.”