PART 1
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.”
– Author Unknown
CHAPTER 1
Jeremiah
“Do you need help with anything other than renewing your box rental, Mr. Montgomery?”
Jeremiah smiled at the woman behind the counter at the post office. He had known her since the day she was born. In fact, his oldest son, Logan, had been born the same year. That made her forty. Not only had her parents been neighbors of his for years, but they had also attended the same church, and their kids had gone to the same schools.
“No, Winona, that will be all,” he said, handing his charge card to her.
“You know, you could have rented a box at the post office closer to your new home, instead of having one here. It might save you time and gas. I can’t believe how much gas costs now,” she said.
He couldn’t believe it either, but that was how inflation worked. He could recall a time when gas was less than forty cents a gallon, and you didn’t have to pump it yourself. A service station attendant did it for you and made sure you also had a clean windshield before leaving.
“I’m retired, so I have a lot of time on my hands. And I don’t do as much driving as I used to. A fill-up usually lasts me almost two weeks.”
One of the reasons he enjoyed coming to this post office was that it gave him a chance to visit the neighborhood where he had lived for more than forty years. His regular barber was still in the area, as well as the homeless center where he often volunteered his time in the soup kitchen.
Still, he didn’t regret the decision he’d made with Thea that once they married, they would rent out their individual homes and purchase one together in a senior community that catered to the over-sixty crowd.
The one Thea had found for them, Cypress Harbor Pines, was perfect. Their new home was a single-story house, nestled among pine trees and backed up to a lake. It was just the right size for the two of them and included a basement with four additional guest rooms and two bathrooms for company. He had three married sons and a daughter, and Thea had three daughters. That was why they’d purchased a home that could accommodate everyone during the holidays, as well as any drop-in visits. All the homes in their community had golf carts. The electric motorized carts came in handy when a quick trip to the nearby grocery or convenience stores was necessary. He especially liked that the houses were spaced well apart, allowing for breathing space from his neighbors. They had a nice backyard and figured that at some point, they might even install a pool for their grandkids. But for the next little while, he and his wife were hoping to spend a significant amount of their time traveling.
His wife.
Jeremiah couldn’t help but smile whenever he thought of the former Thea Manchester, the woman he had married after being divorced for over twenty years. Now he considered his present marital status a blessing.He had been separated from his ex-wife, Edwina, for almost five years before filing for a divorce. Although she had run off with another man, taking their newborn baby girl, Carrie, with her, he had refused to believe the baby wasn’t his and had loved Edwina enough to forgive her and try to save their marriage if she returned.
She never did.
When he discovered his ex-wife had turned to a life of crime, his main concern had been his daughter. He and his sons had hired a private investigator to find her. By the time they did, Carrie was sixteen and living on the streets of LA as a runaway. It was later confirmed that Carrie was indeed his child.
“You got big plans for Thanksgiving, Mr. Montgomery?”
He gave Winona another smile. In a way, he was glad she had intruded into his thoughts. “I do. My entire family will be here.”
Since he and Thea had tied the knot Christmas Day, this would be his first Thanksgiving as a newly married man. All their kids--and he considered their blended families ‘theirs’--would be coming to Gary, Indiana, to celebrate. He and his wife were excited about it—in fact, they’d already started planning the menu, even though Thanksgiving was still more than a month away. They’d also be joined by his cousin Dora’s granddaughter, Haven. Sadly, they lost Dora to cancer earlier this year.
A few months ago, Haven, who’d graduated from Yale with a Master’s degree in Biostatistics, had taken a job as a medical researcher with a well-known pharmaceutical company in Chicago. Now that she’d moved into the area, they saw her often, and he knew Dora would not have wanted it any other way.
“The folks said you went to Germany for your honeymoon,” Winona said.
He nodded. “It’s just one of the many places on our bucket list. We’re planning a trip to South Africa in the spring.”
“I can’t wait to retire so I can travel. I’m so happy for you. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you,” she said, handing his charge card back to him.
“Thanks, Winona.” He glanced behind him. “I’d better get going. It looks like a lot of people are waiting to talk to you.”
She smiled. “See you the next time, Mr. Montgomery.”
As he left the post office, Jeremiah waved to several people he knew, then stopped and chatted with a few others. Many congratulated him on his marriage, telling him they’d met Thea at church, or elsewhere, and wanted him to know how much they liked her. They’d said she was a classy, educated woman who was outgoing, caring, and friendly. What they were too kind to say was that Thea was the complete opposite of his former wife, Edwina.
Jeremiah had met Edwina when he’d been in the military, stationed at Ft. Benning. After a short courtship, they had married and he’d brought her home to Gary, where he’d been born and raised. He had no idea what happened, but over time, his wife slowly became a very different woman. In fact, he’d even suspected she’d been having an affair; but he couldn’t bring himself to find out. He’d refused to believe Edwina could do such a thing to him. But she had.
The weather was turning chilly, which was not unusual for October in Indiana. This weekend, he and Thea would get a head start on their Thanksgiving plans. Although they had invited everyone to their home, their kids had decided to stayat nearby hotels. Their family had reminded them that they were still newlyweds.
