Installment #44 Family ties

      Tucker and Cynthia sat at the table looking into the Arkansas River.  The water was lower than it had been in the early spring, but the rapids were white.  Tucker watched a rafter practicing in the whitewater several feet away.  It would be nice to be out on the rocks like they used to do, but he was unsure of his footing.  He loved this place.  It would get hot later on, but now it was just nice.  He reached over and took Cynthia’s hand.  He was not sure why he did that.  He just felt like for some reason he needed human contact.  She did not pull away, instead she held his hand firmly and turned to face him.

     “Tucker, I need to talk to you.”  Instinctually he started to withdraw his hand, but she held him fast.  “Don’t do that!  I need you to listen and I need you to know why I am saying what I am saying.”  Tucker nodded and left his hand where it was.  “Now I know you have two brothers back in St. Louis.  I do not know why they are not here.  I strongly suspect that you have not told them what is going on with you.”  Tucker looked farther down the river.  This was really none of her business.  He turned to tell her this, but as his eyes met hers he stopped.

     “This is probably none of my business, but let me tell you how I see it.  You are dying.  You know it and I know it.  If you can leave this world with unfinished business you are doing something I couldn’t.  You will die.  You will be gone.  Anton and Albert are going to have to deal with it.  Now who needs to forgive who and why is entirely beside the point, but they need to know the facts.  They need the chance to rectify whatever has gone before, but more important than that is this; You are going to face some sort of God and some sort of judgment somewhere.  You cannot do that with unfinished business here on earth.  See what I am saying?”

     Tucker remained completely silent and Cynthia thought perhaps she had said too much, but she forged ahead.  “And in regards to your immortal soul, I know you are Catholic and I know nothing about how that works.  I do know that Catholics tend to be such their whole life, whether or not they go to church.  So, since I know nothing about it, I have talked to my friend, Sister Nancy and she is coming over this morning and she can talk to you about what you need.”  At these words, Tucker became visibly shaken.

     “No!  That is not going to happen!  I am not having that woman coming in telling me what to do.  I had those damn nuns all my growing up and I am not going to let her in my home!  She works with those migrants and you know how I feel about that!  So just call her up and tell her not to come!  Do you hear me?”

     “Well, of course I hear you.  Everyone on the river hears you, but you might as well bite the bullet on this one.  She is coming.  Whether you call your brothers and work things out is up to you, but I think you will do the right thing there because deep down I know you love them.  And you will meet Sister Nancy.  If you throw her out it will be your loss, but you will meet her!”  Then she softened her hold on his hand, but he did not pull away.  She smiled.  Maybe there was hope for this man.  “Come on.  It is getting hot and I will need to take Cleo for a walk soon.”  And hand in hand they walked the short distance to the ramp that led to his house.