No Sensible People Chapter Seven (part 1)

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Susie called me Monday night, a few days after Jennie had left Leifton. I had already received a letter from her that day. She must have written it the first night she was in Minneapolis, and mailed it the next morning. It was a little fast to get a letter, but aside from that, Jennie seemed to sound fine. Her letter went like this:

Dear Taffy,
Well, I made it here in one piece. Aunt Lucy lives near a big lake and says we can go for walks when it gets nice. People look a little funny here, but I suppose I'll get used to it. It reminds me of last summer, when Mama
and Daddy took me to Mankato to shop for school stuff, and we saw some people with tattoos and their hair dyed strange. Daddy said they were probably college kids, and reminded me it wasn't polite to stare. Mama said Satan had gotten a hold of them, and if I looked too long, he might seep into me. Aunt Lucy says I should decide for myself. Anyway, I will be careful until I can figure things out.

Aunt Lucy has a nice little room set up for me here with a bed and a desk. It used to be her quiet place, so maybe she can come in sometimes and be quiet. I took a nap when I first got in, so I know the bed is plenty comfortable, and I'm trying out the desk by writing to you.

I got to meet Uncle Frank. He was very nice to me and let me help set up for dinner. I don't know what the plan is for tomorrow. Aunt Lucy is asleep. I guess it was a big day for her too. I miss you, Taffy, and I hope you can come visit us soon.

Love in the Lord,

Jennie

Susie had spent a little time with Jennie, and described her as a good girl, if not a little peculiar. Both Jennie and Lucy were having a little trouble adjusting, she told me, as well as everyone else involved. But Susie had an
idea-if I thought I was up for it.

"I have to drive to Chicago," Susie explained. "I thought maybe I could go through Leifton on my way, drop Jennie off on Friday night, and get her on the way home Sunday afternoon. You and I could visit a little too. We don't do that enough, you know, Den." she said.

I couldn't exactly disagree, but still Susie's sudden sentiment caught me off guard. We were Scandinavian Minnesotan Lutherans, after all, and Susie was a scientist.

"It was Jennie's suggestion," she admitted. "She wanted to know why I hadn't visited you in all these years. She said you told her family was important in all, and I got to thinking, aside from Dad, that's you and me. I really didn't have a good excuse. I had always been afraid of upsetting Molly, but that's not a concern now, I guess. And with Jennie missing you so much, it makes me miss you too."

"Careful, Sus," I told her. "You're getting soft."

"Not a chance, Denny," she told me. "So, what do you think?"

"Well, I do miss the kid, "I admitted."But if you bring her out, we have to make sure she understands it's not something we can do all the time. She's Lucy's responsibility now."

Susie agreed. "We have to make sure Lucy understands," she told me.

"That too," I said.

Later that week I ran into Mrs. Brahn from my church. She was out walking Gatsby, her little yellow puff dog. I was raking my yard and she stopped to ask me how I was feeling. I was getting a lot of that from people, ever since Nate died. People kept suggesting that it might not be good for me to spend so much time at the Halifax place, but Molly and Jennie were by themselves, and it seemed like my duty to check in from time to time.

"It must be nice having some peace and quiet," she said. "It gives you a chance to work on your own house, before winter. It's going to hit us hard this year, I think."

"Actually, I'm getting ready for company," I told her. "Susie's coming down this Friday. She's stopping through on her way to Chicago. She's bringing Jennie."

"I thought Lucy was looking after her."

"Oh, she is. It's just a visit. Susie and I thought we'd give Lucy a chance to regroup, with everything that's happened. Susie hasn't been out here in a long time, and I'm looking forward to seeing Jennie too."

"Why is Susie going to Chicago again?" Mrs. Brahn asked. "Is she visiting your father?"

"She has business there," I said. I hoped Mrs. Brahn wouldn't dig any further into the topic. Of course I had no say over what Susie wanted to do, but I didn't want anything to do with my father. I still hadn't been able to forgive him for the way he took off when my mom got cancer, and left me to take care of her by myself. Susie had called him when she died, and I was glad he had the good sense not to show up for the funeral. That had been Susie's last visit to Leifton.

We'd kept the funeral quiet, me and Susie, mom's brother from Fargo, a couple cousins, and a few of her friends from church. Nate came too, but not Molly. Jennie was little, and sick with something, Molly had said. She told us
she had talked to my mom enough toward the end, and they'd gone over the goodbyes.

I hadn't been able to do it. I still visited the cemetery at least once a month, and talked to her as if she were alive and listening-I believed she was, somewhere. Only now Molly and Nate were there too. I lost myself in my own thoughts, and Mrs. Brahn noticed Gatsby had wrapped his leash around the stop sign.

"I guess we better keep moving," she said. "Tell Susie I said hello."

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