November 29, 1952
Dear Rose,
Since I last wrote to you two weeks ago, the twins have taken on a new project. One afternoon, while they were cleaning, a couple came into the store looking for Danny Adams, the store owner who died. They let Aaron know they were not too happy that Danny wasn’t there, but they gave the girls an idea to write a pamphlet about caring for antiques.
Sam Young is mixing history and religion questions. He sure is trying to educate us or drive us crazy—maybe both. His questions range from name the first three presidents to whether God can lie.
The staff has been making pretty good use of the Roxbury Place. Of course, John Pensen managed to get himself in trouble there a couple of days ago. Actually, he landed in jail overnight.
The guys were playing pool at Roxbury Place when they heard a fire truck. They ran outside to see what was going on. John started bugging a fireman, and a deputy sheriff tried to get John away from the fireman. John took a swing at the deputy, was arrested, and spent the night in jail.
I probably could have gotten him out that day, but I didn’t because I was hoping it might teach him a lesson. I doubt it did.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!
Anyway, that’s it for now. I need to get to sleep.
Love from Alaska,
Trina
On Thursday morning at eleven o’clock, Aaron heard the front doorbell. He was going over Caring for Your Antiques, the new pamphlet Careen and Cassidy had written. He really did not want to be disturbed since he was deep in thought about how some of the wording could be changed. He yelled, “Just look around. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Okay. I’ll wait.”
Aaron thought, Have they been here before? That voice sounds familiar. Let’s go see. When he walked into the showroom, Aaron squinted his eyes and thought, Could it be?
Max Warner smiled at Aaron. “How long does it take to get some service in this place?”
Quite surprised to see his old buddy from New York City, Aaron grabbed Max’s hand and shook it for a whole minute. “Max Warner, what are you doing in Juneau, Alaska?”
I just moved here,” answered Max.
“What do you mean? What are you doing in Juneau?”
“Is there an echo in here—or do you not understand English,” said Max. “I said I just moved here. Period. End of story!”
“What about your wife? I thought she didn’t like Alaska.”
“Kerri’s not my wife anymore,” said Max.
Aaron said, “Have you had lunch yet? I can close the store, and we can go to a nice restaurant.”
Max said, “Can you do that?”
Aaron said, “Since I own the store, yes, I can!”
It was Max’s turn to be surprised when he and Aaron got into the blue Army Jeep. Back in New York City, Max didn’t remember seeing Aaron driving anything but a late-model Buick. And owning an antique store was something he would never have guessed Aaron would do. Josh had told Max about the store, but it was hard for Max to envision it.
It only took fifteen minutes to drive to the Long Shore Restaurant on the other side of Juneau. They were seated immediately by a pretty Asian waitress and given menus. Max asked which items on the menu were good, and Aaron said everything he’d tried was good.
“How many times have you been here?” asked Max.
“About six or seven,” Aaron said. “Trust me. They have good food here—and I’m paying today.”
Max smiled. “In that case, let me see that menu again.”
“Okay, old buddy, other than the store, what else did my brother tell you?”
“Well, that you have not written much about it, but the FBI was talking to you about some bank failure, which involved some house you bought, and you were living with a black family. Josh felt it sounded like a strange situation for his conservative, by-the-book older brother. That’s as much as I was told. People do like to gossip, you know?”
The waitress brought their food, and Aaron suggested they enjoy their meal. Then they could talk some more. Max agreed.
For the next hour, after finishing their lunch, Aaron told Max what had happened since he came to Juneau. He told him about the house, about Trina and the twins, how he came to be living with them, and how the FBI got involved because of the sheriff. He also told him about the bank scam and Janet Green and how she vanished. Aaron concluded by telling Max about Danny Adams and the antique store and how the twins were helping.
“Wow,” said Max. “When I suggested you come to Alaska, I didn’t know all this was going to happen.”
“Nor did I. So tell me what happened between you and Kerri? I never would have guessed there was any trouble.”
Max took a deep breath, sat back, and said, “About a month after you left for Alaska, Kerri walked in one day before dinnertime and said that I should follow you to Alaska. At first, I thought she was kidding. Then she told me she wanted a divorce. All at once, I realized she was serious. When I asked her why, she said she had found someone else. I told her I wouldn’t do it, but she kept insisting she wanted a divorce. It took me several weeks to accept that she was not going to change her mind.”
“You didn’t suspect that she was seeing someone else?” asked Aaron.
“I can honestly say I never suspected anything,” Max said. “I guess I was just that unaware, Aaron. I tried for weeks to get her to change her mind. I said I would forget about that someone else if she would stop seeing him and patch things up together, but she became more and more insistent. She wanted a divorce. So I finally agreed. We got divorced, and here I am—in Alaska.”
“What about the café?”
“I sold it to my counter girl, Maxine, but I guess I should say lady since she’s in her forties.”
“How much?”
“Twenty dollars. She was always such a good employee. She was always early to work and was willing to stay late if I needed help.”
“Twenty dollars?”
“I said twenty dollars because that way, there wouldn’t be more than half of twenty dollars for Kerri and her other man—whoever it was. I didn’t even want to know who it was—just that they only got half of twenty dollars. I am pretty tired. Can you drive me to the boardinghouse where signed in for a month?”
After dropping Max off at Martha’s Boarding Home, Aaron stopped at the store to pick up the information for the new pamphlet.
John Pensen was stunned. He was quiet for the drive to Progress House. No one had ever said a word about sending him back to a veterans’ hospital. The idea bothered him so much, but he kept quiet. When they arrived, he said he was tired, went straight to his room, and slept for four hours. He told Trina he had waited all night for her to come get him.
Because of all the troubles John had created for the staff, Trina sent a letter to Captain Hughes in Washington. Trina did not mention John’s name. She only requested information on how to dismiss someone from the program if the person became too difficult to handle.
In a letter back to Trina, Captain Hughes asked her to remember that they were a very small group with not much clout. some people were pushing to cancel funding for the grants, but others wanted to keep the funding going. The people supporting the grants were using the excellent report on Progress House as justification, and dismissing someone from the program would not help at all. He finished his letter by asking Trina not to send the request.
Trina had received Captain Hughes’s letter two weeks before John went to jail, but she wanted to use the possibility of being sent to a veterans’ hospital to help get him to be more compatible with the other men and the staff.
When John came out of his room just before dinner, he told Trina he was sorry for getting himself in jail and explained that he was only trying to help with the fire. When he swung at the deputy, it was an automatic reaction to someone grabbing his arm. It was something he had learned in the army.
Trina thought, That certainly is reasonable. I guess some of us on staff here, including me, fail to keep in mind they are war vets who experienced life-changing trauma during wartime. We have to constantly keep this in mind as we deal with them on a daily basis. She said, “It’s okay, John. I believe you wanted to help, but next time, think before you jump into something. The sheriff said he will keep you in jail for two weeks next time.”
Sam Young and Al Notes walked in the kitchen.
Sam said, “No, it was 1914 when it started.”
Al said, “You’re wrong. It was 1915 when it started.”
Both men were constantly asking questions of the staff. Sam originally asked about numbers, but with time, he started asking about religion and history. Al pretty much stuck to history questions, not having any particular interest in religion or numbers. However, Al did have a keen interest in one number. When he first saw whoever was on duty that morning, he said, “Good morning. What is the date today?”
The whole staff took to making sure they knew the date whenever they were on the morning shift because if they didn’t know it, Al would say, “What’s wrong with you? How could you wake up this morning, get dressed, come to work, and not know the date?”
The staff got into the habit of saying, “Good morning, Al. It’s May 6, 1952, or whatever the date happened to be. The staff also made it a habit of purposely not telling any new person about it when they started. That way, Al got to ride everyone at least once while the others made a friendly joke about it.
On Thursday morning, Trina and Kay Higgins were making pancakes. It was seven thirty, and no one was up except Sam Young. When Kay walked in at seven, Sam’s door was wide-open, but she walked past it without saying a word because he seemed very focused on his book.
“How long has Sam been up?” Kay asked. “Well, I’ll get started with the pancakes.”
“Okay, I’ll be in the front doing some paperwork,” Trina said. “Call if you need me.”
Ten minutes later, Sam walked into the kitchen and asked Kay if she knew the name of the canal that connected the Atlantic and the Pacific. Sam slurred as he talked, but she was able to understand him.
“I think that would be the Panama Canal,” said Kay.
“That is correct, Kay,” Sam said. “Now before the United States built it, a man from another country tried to build it. Do you know what country he was from?”
Kay thought, Why does he want to know this? I know what he’s doing. This information was in the book he was reading, and he wants to test me. “I think it was England. They’re a pretty powerful country.”
“Nope, it was France,” said Sam. “Do you know why the French gave up on the project?”
“Mosquitoes,” answered Kay. “Too much disease—and too many dead men.” She remembered learning about the Panama Canal in high school. “Were you reading about it in your book this morning?”
“Yes.” Sam smiled. “And do you know what year it was ready for ships?”
“I have no idea what year the first ship went through the Panama Canal, but I’ll take a guess. Maybe it was 1900.”
Sam said, “It was 1914 when the first ship went from ocean to ocean.”
When Jesse Bard walked in on Monday, he had a new friend with him. Mauer could have been Sammy’s twin except for his coloring. Mauer was a gray and white Shih-Tzu.
Cassidy came over to pet him and clapped her hands.
Mauer jumped into her lap as if he belonged there.
“Look at this, Aaron. I think he likes me,” Cassidy said.
“He sure looks at home right there in your lap, Cassidy,” said Jesse.
“He sure does,” Careen said. “Now we both can have a dog to play with when Jesse comes in.”
“Actually, he’s looking for a new home,” Jesse said.
Aaron looked at Jesse with a suspicious eye.
Jesse said, “Mauer needs a new home because his owner is my neighbor. He is eighty-one years old and is going to a rest home. Evelyn, another neighbor, asked me to find Mauer a nice new home.”
“Okay, we’ll take him home, but if Trina says no, we bring him back. Deal?” Aaron said.
“Deal,” Jesse said.
“But you girls still have to get your work done,” Aaron said. Now you sound like your old self, Aaron Mueller. You’re giving orders and setting conditions and instructions like a boss. Like in New York. Little did he know how much he would need this skill again.
When Trina got home that night, Mauer ran to the front door to meet her.
She thought, What now? Did Aaron or the girls invite Jesse over?
Cassidy picked up Mauer and said, “Hi, Mom. This is Mauer.”
Careen said, “He’s a nice dog who needs a new home. Can we keep him?”
“Wait a minute,” Trina said. “I leave this morning, and there are three of you, and I come home, and there are four of you?”
Cassidy said, “Yes, but Aaron is leaving soon. Didn’t he say he found an apartment?”
Aaron said, “Easy, girls. I’ll explain it to your mother.” He turned to Trina and told her he’d explain at dinner. “I only agreed to let them bring Mauer home overnight to see what you think. If you say no, he goes back.”
During dinner, Trina had to stop the girls twice from interrupting Aaron as he explained why Jesse was trying to find a new home for Mauer.
Trina listened to the whole explanation and then told the three of them she would try for a month, but if she or Aaron had to feed him, bathe him, or walk him, Mauer would go back to Jesse. “If your grades start to fall in school—or you start slipping at the store—he goes back.”
The twins agreed, and Mauer became a part of the family.
On Saturday morning, Sam said, “Will God let prayers go unanswered?”
Bill Farley was supposed to work on Friday instead of Saturday, but he had needed a day off for personal business.
Kay Higgins switched days with him to go to a family birthday party. This was a practice that Trina and Tilly had set up from the beginning of Progress House. As long as they didn’t do it too often, it was okay for people to switch days. They only had to make sure they put the switch in the logbook and explain why.
“Will God let prayers go unanswered?” Bill said.
John Pensen got up from the table and said he was going to take Rusty for a walk. John hardly ever wanted to talk about God.
“I don’t think so,” Al said.
“I agree with Al,” said Bill. “I don’t believe God will let prayers go unanswered.”
“But will He answer them the way we want them answered?” asked Tim.
Sam said, “And if He doesn’t answer them the way we want them answered, is that the same as not answering them?”
Bill thought, Boy, these are some good questions these guys are coming up with this morning. I wonder why John almost never wants to be a part of these discussions.” Do you believe in free will?”
All three told Bill they did. Which meant all four of them, including Bill, believed free will was a gift from God to His people.
Al said, “And if God gives us free will, would it be fair of Him to answer or not answer our prayers the way we want them answered?”
“These are some good questions, guys,” Bill said. “I almost feel like I’m back in philosophy class in college, but since it’s ten thirty, why don’t we pack a lunch and get ready to go to Roxbury Place to play some pool when John gets back from walking Rusty.”
After getting out of their pajamas and getting dressed, the three guys helped Bill make packed lunches. Each of them made their own, and Bill made one for John.
December 14, 1952
Dear Rose,
A funny thing happened to Aaron ten days ago. A fellow he knew from New York showed up at the store. He’s the man who originally suggested Aaron come to Alaska. After his wife divorced him, he moved here.
John Pensen has behaved since I told him I might send him away from Progress House and back to a veterans’ hospital. He doesn’t know Captain Hughes sent me a letter saying not to do this. I guess we have to remember that these men got this way because of war trauma.
Both Sam Young and Al Notes are still driving us loony with questions. Oh yeah, we have a new member of the house—a little Shih-Tzu named Mauer. Cute dog, but how do I let myself get talked into these situations? He came from Jesse Bard’s neighbor. She had to go into a rest home and couldn’t keep him.
We’re getting ready for Christmas. I guess you are too. Did you put all those lights on your house again this year? Have a very merry Christmas—and a happy new year!
Love from Alaska,
Trina
It was another horrendous night for Trina. It was only two weeks before Christmas. She and the girls had decorations up, including a tree with modern lights, bulbs, garland, and an angel on top. Even though Aaron didn’t really celebrate Christmas, he had purchased the tree and the decorations. This was something he always did back in New York. He was still living at 144 East Chestnut Street because the apartment he’d rented was delayed in its remodeling.
At one o’clock in the morning, Trina woke up from a dream about Mark that was so real. The dream was about their Christmas together. She began shaking and crying softly. She didn’t want to wake the twins in the next room like the last time when they came in to see what was wrong. When they asked why she was crying, she told them it was because she was overwhelmed at work.
Trina did not want to wake them again, and she muffled her crying with a pillow. Instead of sitting up, she forced herself to stay in bed and count backward from one hundred. She didn’t get to fifty before she was back asleep.
The next morning, when her alarm went off at six thirty, she felt like she hadn’t even slept. She remembered her dream and thought, You can’t live in the past, Trina. You have to live now. Please, God, help me!
At Progress House, Christmas was an event. The grant money could not be used for any holiday decorations, but Trina and the staff decided to do two things. They took up a collection to purchase a tree, lights for the tree and the outside of the house, bulbs and garland for the tree, and several mirrors for the living room and kitchen. Each staff member who wanted to could bring in a decoration for the house. A dozen unique decorations were put all over the house. The four men were included in all activities.
They also had a big Christmas party on December 22 from four in the afternoon until midnight at the Roxbury Place. All the staff except two people were there. Kay Higgins made barbecued ribs for everyone, and people brought in covered dishes, including three types of casseroles, three types of salads, rolls, and seven desserts.
On Christmas Day, each of the men was taken to a staff member’s home for the day. Since no one offered to take John, Trina took him home. It went well, and there were no unusual incidents for John or the others. The twins and John spent quite a bit of time playing with Mauer.
Even though he happened to be Jewish, Aaron gladly participated in all these events.
On December 29, Careen and Cassidy were helping Aaron do inventory. The twins were counting the items, and Aaron was writing down the numbers in his book. Mauer just mingled and wanted the girls to play. Cassidy was up on the ladder, and Mauer barked when the front doorbell rang. It was Jesse Bard and Sammy.
When Mauer barked, Cassidy was startled. She lost her balance and fell off the ladder from eight feet in the air. Dropping his book, Aaron lunged to catch Cassidy and managed to break her fall. She hit her left shoulder on the floor and slammed her head on the edge of a cabinet.
“Cassidy!” Aaron yelled as he held her in his arms.
“Oh my God! Is she all right?” screamed Careen.
“She’s unconscious,” Jesse said as he opened one of her eyelids. He had seen his share of accidents in his fishing career and realized it was serious. “Let’s get her in my car and head to the hospital. Leave the dogs here.”
Aaron didn’t even think about locking the store. He carried Cassidy to Jesse’s car and put her on the back seat. He sat with her, and Careen sat in the front. It took Jesse fourteen minutes to get to St. John’s Hospital emergency.
Aaron carried Cassidy into the emergency entrance and cried out, “Someone please help!”
Two nurses and two doctors took her to an emergency room to check her vitals and put her on oxygen. They confirmed that she was unconscious. As they examined Cassidy, she suddenly opened her eyes, rolled them around for five seconds, and again fell unconscious.
Careen and Aaron found Jesse in the waiting room, and he asked what he could do to help.
Aaron said, “You could stop at Progress House to tell Trina what happened and take the dogs home.
“Is Trina Brown here?” Jesse asked.
“I’m Trina Brown. Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m Jesse Bard. I came to tell you Cassidy is in St. John’s Hospital.”
“Is she hurt? What happened?” Trina’s heart was beating faster.
“I’ll explain on the way to the hospital,” said Jesse. “My car is right outside.”
Kay Higgins walked out from the kitchen and said, “Hi, Jesse. What’s up?”
Jesse quickly told Kay that Cassidy was in the hospital, and she told them to go. She’d make supper, and Bill Farley was on duty next. “Trina, you should leave right away.”
On the way to St. John’s, Jesse explained what had happened. “Aaron wanted to stay with the girls, and that’s why I came to get you.”