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She didn t recognize the number but the call was local. Hello?
Paula! It s Debbie. Are you still in Eugene?
She stumbled in surprise. Uh, hi, Deb. Yeah, I m still here
for another hour or so. Then I m off to Portland to catch my
flight.
Terrific! Look, I know it s a huge inconvenience but is there
any way you could drop by my place before you go?
She grimaced, grateful Debbie couldn t see her. She didn t
want her last memory of Eugene to be a senior center but Debbie
was like family. Without another thought she said, Yeah, I can
stop by, but only for a few minutes, okay?
Fabulous! I ll see you in a short shake.
She disconnected before Paula could say goodbye.
She took the next exit and turned around, heading back up
the interstate toward Waverly Place. She wondered if the subject
of John and her mother would come up and she didn t know how
she would handle it. Would Debbie be mad at her because her
mother was a home wrecker?
She realized her thoughts were ridiculous as she turned into
the parking lot. Most likely Debbie just wanted to say goodbye
and Paula realized it would probably be the last time she saw
her. It was apparent her memory was failing and she wondered
how long it would take before her physical health followed.
Then Steph would experience the loss of her mother too. It was
different for a woman to lose her mother. Both of their fathers
were dead, and while that was painful, particularly since it had
happened at such a young age for Paula, it had been much worse
to lose her mother. She imagined it would be the same for Steph
209
since both of them were only children.
I m here to see Debbie South, she said to the receptionist
who gave her a suspicious look.
You re not one of those séance people, are you?
Uh, no, Paula said, surprised by the question. Debbie had
a séance?
The woman snorted. There isn t much Deb hasn t done
since she s been here. Last week Madame Somebody-or-other
arrived complete with her crystal ball and tarot cards. She set up
shop in the ballroom and totally freaked out the residents. Mrs.
Higgs nearly swallowed her dentures when she thought she d
had a vision of her dead husband. One of the orderlies had to give
her the Heimlich maneuver. The director put a stop to it and
kicked the madame out when she saw her passing a hat and the
residents emptying their wallets into it.
Paula snorted and pictured the havoc that Debbie had caused.
She was certainly a force. No, I m not here to conduct a séance
or anything else. Just a visit.
The woman sighed heavily. Good. I can t take any more
today. I ve already got a splittin headache from the singing, if
you can call it that.
Singing? Paula asked.
Debbie brought in a karaoke machine this morning filled
with moldy oldies and I mean really old stuff. Paula guessed
the receptionist was under twenty-five and she d consider songs
by Madonna to be oldies. They ve been out on the patio all
morning rippin through these classics with everything they got.
Paula chuckled and headed for the patio. While she was
sure that most eighty-year-olds weren t the greatest singers, she
imagined that it was incredibly boring to live in a senior center.
And the smell of sanitizer made her slightly dizzy. She realized
that with her inheritance she could avoid this type of place.
Through the glass she could see the backsides of a large crowd
gathered in a semi-circle. Some were standing while others were
in wheelchairs and a few sat on the perimeter facing away from
the circle mouthing the words to an off-key version of Sinatra s
210
Fly Me to the Moon that bellowed through the speakers at an
annoyingly high volume.
She stepped on the electrified doormat and the doors
whooshed open. A woman sitting nearby in an iron patio chair
shot her a glance and her eyes bulged as if Paula were King
Kong. Paula stopped suddenly and stared at the old woman, who
grabbed a mallet and smacked it against a small gong that sat
next to her. The sound made Paula jump and she reflexively took
a step away from the woman, who continued to pound on the
gong.
Debbie emerged from within the circle and took the mallet
out of the woman s hand. She leaned over and yelled in her ear.
Thanks, Iris. You ve been a great help. Iris nodded fiercely.
Debbie looked up at Paula and held her arms out. Paula
reluctantly embraced her but Debbie s hug was strong. Thanks
for coming, sweetie. I don t think you ll regret it.
Paula stared at her, a cynical expression on her face. Debbie,
what are you up to? Why would I possibly regret visiting you?
Keeping her arm wrapped around Paula s middle, she led
her through the throng of geriatrics to a makeshift stage, where
Steph stood, a microphone in her hand. Paula suddenly stopped
and swallowed hard. She d resigned herself to never seeing Steph
again and how she d live with the loss, but as she gazed upon her
face, the entire plan burned away like the bonfire at her mother s
house.
The haunting bass notes of the Police s Every Breath You
Take filled the patio and when Steph crooned the title, Paula
remembered her beautiful voice and the many times she d
belted out whatever was on the radio whenever they cruised
Eugene. She d sung in the concert choir throughout high school,
inheriting her mother s marvelous pipes. Of course, she d never
shared Debbie s flair for showmanship and cringed when Paula
had suggested that she audition for South Pacific, the junior-year
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