Chapter 42

forty-two

Lily

Last Saturday in April | Day Before Stef's Shower

I arrive to the town square and see that two peacocks are on a dais with Jim Kelly, Prudence, and Anna Lucia Salvatore. They bang a gavel and I realize that I have somehow made my way into a town meeting. I'm ushered by my friends towards a folding chair in the line up, and told to shhh by a chorus of town folks around us. Is this a planned meeting or an ambush?

Jim's first order of business is the annual Peacock auction, where one lucky donor is allowed to name the pair of peacocks that mingle with visitors in the square.

Knocking the gavel against the podium for emphasis, Jim shouts for bids, "Do I have $25 to open the bidding? Twenty-five American dollars?"

Pointing with the gavel's head facing towards himself, giving the impression of a magic wand or a conductor leading a symphony, Jim brings the bids from $25 to $250. Sold to our dear friend Seth.

Never one to miss an opportunity to provide a lesson to everyone, he steps up to the microphone and in his grumbling tone says, "Pages Bookstore wants to thank you for continuing to support the the American Dream on behalf of us small business owners, by introducing Daisy and Gatsby the peacocks. I hope the glitz and the glamour we set on the loose today will bring prosperity and not wreak havoc on this town like our choices last year, Sid and Nancy. Truly, that was our mistake for thinking that there would be an appreciation for punk rock in town."

Jim takes back the podium, "Alright, that was, well." Hesitating he goes with, "Thanks, and welcome to Daisy and Gatsby."

The crowd claps and he eggs them on to grow louder. Yes, we know cock implies male, he loves to name these birds for a dark historical or literary namesake. It's his main contribution to the fundraisers in town each year.

"Ah, wonderful." Jim claps. "I would like to bring to the floor the recent re-addition to our town, we'd like to welcome back Miss Lily Long, formerly Mrs. Lily Morgan. Can we have a round of applause for this wonderful opportunity?" The crowd claps politely but far less enthusiastic, faces hardening around me.

"Alrighty. So, as we know, Lily was a wonderful member of our town community for a number of years. Her family are upstanding members of the community, but Belinda and Neal forwarded an apology that they can't join us today. They have sent in their information by proxy, and Anna Lucia Salvatore will be reading their statements when this portion of the proceedings arrive."

Looking around the square for any sane person I can think of, I see nobody. Nessa, Stef, and Delia are off fixing decor for later this weekend inside the gazebo, while doing a poor job of pretending they aren't listening and avoiding looking at me.

Seth had stormed back to the store immediately after this. I don't see Lee, was he out of town this weekend?

What's going on with them that they just abandoned ship?

Where the hell is River? He would have warned me. Shouldn't he have warned me?

I start to hear the blood rush into my ears, and my head is spinning when suddenly my hand feels fingers interlacing with mine. A tight squeeze and I know instinctively it's him. I thought I was seeing spots but the blurry black dots merge together into the familiar T-shirt logo.

"River," I nervously whisper .

"Darling, I'm here," he assures me.

As each person speaks, he holds me tighter. With each additional statement the opinions grow more wild and outrageous. I was a teen bride, coerced by my parents to marry and skip college before being cheated on! My brain can't stop the rage-filled replies from circling inside me.

I know words are being spoken, but all I hear is a ringing noise. Anger, shame, embarrassment grow into resentment. The confidence that I'm worthy of a little bit of kindness is rising in me.

Before I know it, I've exploded in the most unbelievable fashion, I'm on my feet and shouting, "Enough!"

I storm to the front of the audience, pulling River so hard along with me he can't drop my hand until we're standing in the center of attention. We release hands and he slinks back to the front row, someone adjusting their seats for him to join in.

Ten years of pent up disappointment releases. "This is enough. Please, I beg you. I waited a decade to come back. I know what was said, what you think of me. I know that nobody thought of me; not my parents, my so-called husband, and none of you. You watched in the wings as I was pushed far too young into something I couldn't understand, and then watched me disappear without a concern. Except for the few people who have made themselves scarce, afraid of your thoughts on them I presume. Too many times have I wondered what would happen if I wanted to be home. Here is what's going to happen, Jim, I'm going to do this. But not until Stef is allowed to have her day."

Leaning in to what River said about my impassioned speeches and the kindness I give others, I turn today back to the only person it should be on.

"She," I point towards the three women in the gazebo, "is the best thing to most of your children. Stef dedicated years to learning how to make education accessible to every kid. You can't be a town who loves quirkiness without loving your quirkiest kids, and you do!" I stare across the crowd hard.

"Do you know why you do it so well? It is her work for your schools. So, can we please put this conversation on hold until her day is over? Just because I am the Evil Queen Wicked Witch of the West in Grant and Landan's story does not mean that I don't have any feelings. I don't have to be the bad guy in every story. Please. Let Stef get the attention she's earned. Please," I implore.

I step away, and River follows after me pulling me into a huge hug. I feel the weight increasing, and realize Stef, Nessa, and Delia have piled on. A few moments later the pile squish gets even more forceful and I hear that familiar resonance of male voices, and Seth and Lee have pulled themselves around us as well.

The group fans out making it feel like an old game of Red Rover, with arms linked and little space between us allowed for anyone to cause harm to the chain. I feel strong because of the group rallied around me. I want to stay with them, and frankly, they don't deserve my repeat disappearance.

Emotions are bouncing inside me from pride and determination to fear and back when a soft and familiar voice takes the microphone. It's Prudence, and I extract my hands from River and Stef's to turn, only for them and by default the rest of the line to follow suit.

"Lily Jayne Long, let me tell you and everyone else here something that I don't think has been said enough around these parts. Lily, you are focused on others, you create opportunities to make others better. We see it with how River is changing The Featherweight: he is caring for tourism and the planet. We see it in how impassioned you are about your friend having her moment."

Pru's black cotton dress flows and her hair is wrapped in a beautifully patterned scarf of many colors. She's wearing lipstick in a deep ruby shade that emphasizes the power behind her words and yet she doesn't sound angry, she is empowered. The woman sounds like when preachers ask for testimony.

"You were hurt. You were never apologized to by anyone, and you were not shown a fragment of the kindness and care you've given others. Carmine, you remember during the few months that Lily and Grant were married. How many times did she come in to buy the same exact ingredients over and over trying to learn to make a dish that we all know Landan just pays someone to make for him? Hmm?" Prudence narrows her eyes with a fierceness at Carmine that cannot be measured. The butcher who has personally taken apart livestock for over thirty-five years cowers in his chair .

She continues, "How about you, Albert? Hmm? Did a week go by that Lily didn't show up to the library to volunteer to shelve books for you when you broke your leg? She was there so consistently we had a conversation with you about adding her to the payroll behind Belinda's back. And what did you do? You agreed with Belinda to hold her to a fine for a single book you have no less than eight copies of on shelves still."

Pausing to look my way she adds, "Lily, I paid that stupid fine by the way. It's gone." Albert shrinks down a bit in his seat and looks at the sky muttering about his hope to be abducted by aliens. Although, to be fair, he often seems to hope he could be abducted by aliens. It's why there are eight copies of his favorite alien conspiracy theory novel.

Next, she turns towards Miss Nicole and says, "How about the many years where Lily was the star ballerina student? Then, when she knew dance wouldn't be her future, she became your assistant. The months she was married, she took over the toddler classes for you. Lily was on hands and knees scrubbing those pristine studio wooden planks so that when your older students arrived there was never a hint of the inevitable urine accidents those babies left you. She hand-washed costumes, re-sewed the sparkles onto the accents. She showed up every Tuesday morning without fail, did she not?"

With a firm nod, Miss Nicole agrees. "And she makes a mean cup of coffee too. Let me rest this bum knee that kept me from my own ballet dreams. She would heat up my lavender rice packs and get things nice and cozy, then take over all the movement examples when I needed for advanced classes. Never failed to arrive when asked. Always did exactly as was needed for us."

She taps her cane against the already set up dance floor for tomorrow's party and meets the angry eyes of Mayor Kelly across the way with a shrug she adds, "What Jimmy? It's just facts. The girl could work her ass off. She understood how to demonstrate movement, and she's built a damn good following teaching others to use their bodies at any age. She'd be a great addition to what we have here. Her internet fame could pull in those college students from nearby towns and increase some of our revenue. I'm not going to lie because you have a bone to pick. Take that up with the Morgans. Cry about Wayne Gretzky's photo some other time. I'm sure The Great One has other signed items we can get for poor Grant."

Prudence is roundly eviscerating the town's lead businesses in an effort to protect me.

"Lily, you are a good woman. We will revisit this conversation when the time is appropriate. And I expect," she holds a stare long and hard against the crowd firm in her convictions as she demands, "these stories will be kept in mind next time. And if Belinda wants to say anything, and refuses to show her face, then she can bring it up with me. Don't think I do not know how to find any of you. Ask Landan." Her eyes narrow on a willowy figure trying to blend in, eyes hidden under a floppy hat, long willowy limbs covered by a black hoodie and leggings, hair in an uncharacteristic ponytail. "Landan's surely heard from Grant about our little run in on NJTransit a few months ago together, no?"

Once the town meeting ended, Daisy and Gatsby were returned to their pondside home and thankfully not given free reign of the park. This should have been the moment we all remember the birds are never well behaved, yet, nobody could think about the fowl when there was town gossip afoot.

Delia, Nessa, and I got to work on the buffet tables. We laid down intricately woven white tablecloths, then silver chafing dishes borrowed from the team at Coffee Crumbs, the needed items to grab yourself a plate on the front end were boxed and under the tables.

"Don't forget there is fire," Nessa cautions, leading Delia and I to exchange a look.

"Ness," Delia tries to be firm but cautious, "you aren't planning anything are you? You know Susan will skewer us, right? This is not the day to create chaos. This is the formal bridal shower slash engagement party, the one with grandmothers and aunts present. Not just us? Right?"

Nessa smiles sweetly and says, "Delia, why would you underestimate me so? Of course I know. That's why I am pointing out that your pretty ribbons are going to get windswept into the flames if you do that spacing!"

After confirming the weather overnight and covering things with weights and tarps to protect the set up, we make our way towards the girls' apartment. Silently I'm cursing myself because I forget that she does have a serious fear of fire.

I go to apologize for putting her back in the role of the pot stirrer when she cuts me off, "You're thinking that just because I am the prankster that I'm always going to regress to that role. You know, that's pretty resoundingly unfair with my doctorate and thriving businesses. I am always going to start some shit, because life is too boring without the chaos. But thankfully, there are two peacocks in the square, I do not need to be the one who causes chaos. They will. Guarantee it."