After the New Year's Eve stumble of 1964, Leta’s friendship
with Delbert Henderson grew. By March, they were spending two or three evenings
per week together. Since he liked steak so much, they ate frequently at Bill
Knapp’s, which he avowed had the best steak in the area. A couple of times they
dined there with Leta’s daughter Vivian and her husband Ed. Ed agreed with
Delbert’s assessment and would become a regular patron over the next two
decades. Sometimes Leta cooked for them, although at age 71, she was weary of
cooking. Still, Delbert wasn’t too demanding. He liked a pork or beef roast and
potatoes. That was fairly easy to make.
Delbert also liked to play cards. They belonged to three card
clubs and played with other couples as well. Sometimes they sat at Leta’s table
and played cards together. Delbert was also fond of whist, although she almost
always beat him at the game. This sometimes made Leta feel badly. When she
asked him if he would rather play a different game, he would shake his head and
tell her that he liked her competitiveness and to see her so victorious. He
liked to see her smile, he said, and hear her laughter.
One early April morning, they decided to go for a drive and
then picnic at a park along the lake. Leta prepared their lunch, and Delbert
picked her up at the appointed time. She was ready and listening to the
songbirds in a tree at the front of her apartment. Following his usual practice,
Delbert parked the car on the street and then walked up to her.
“Good morning!” he said cheerfully.
Leta held up her hand.
“Listen.” After a pause, she continued, “Isn’t it just
beautiful.”
Delbert looked at her quizzically.
“The birds,” she said. “They make such lovely music. I could
listen all day.”
“It’s definitely pretty,” he agreed.
“Their singing reminds me that we’re all alive.”
Of course, Leta thought nothing of what she said. In fact, if
someone would have quoted her, she would have nodded and agreed, not
remembering that she posited the idea in the first place. For her, singing
birds was simply a good part of the world and listening to them was a natural
thing to do.
Her birthday that April was fairly inconsequential. She went
shopping and had lunch with Vivian, and would spend the Saturday following with
her son Dale. In the evening, she had dinner and card playing plans with
Delbert. They would eat at Bill Knapp’s and then return to her house for
dessert.
She had just finished preparing when she heard the doorbell.
She liked how Delbert always came right up to the door to escort her to the car
where he would open the door for her and make sure she was comfortable before
closing it and moving into the driver’s seat. When she opened the door,
however, he wasn’t standing there. This startled her, and she looked around a
moment. Perhaps he forgot something related to the car. Although the car was
parked on the street where she could see it, she could not see him. Then in her
peripheral vision she saw the package.
“What’s this?” she said aloud.
It was a strange shape, almost square with a rounded top, and
covered with a cloth. She bent over to pick it up, but didn’t see a handle. She
had no idea how heavy it was, so she was hesitant to pick it up. The cloth was
loose, simply dropped over the package. She gently grabbed a part and pulled.
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