The death of someone close can have different effects on those who are left behind.
At Harmony House these effects varied from sheer relief that Eve’s pain was over, to a feeling of regret for words left unsaid.
As the days passed and Eve’s final wishes were fulfilled to the last detail, the atmosphere in the house lightened. April was morphing into May with warm breezes and sunshine that surprised everyone with its intensity.
Life began to resume its usual routines, but not without significant changes.
Mavis spent every available daylight hour in her garden, when she was not helping Louise Ridley.
Vilma received a text from Amanda informing her that her mother was scheduled to fly with her to London, Ontario to begin her cancer treatment. Vilma’s plans would need to be speeded up to accommodate this.
Jannice made arrangements to accompany Mitchell on his delayed trip to Toronto to investigate the original locations of the Grace Marks’ drama.
Honor made the decision to spend time in Kingston in July, with the Jeffries family, to give Faith a break away from her growing school responsibilities.
Hilary was stunned to discover how long she had spent, isolated in the house while Eve was requiring support. Her first drive to Byron revealed changes happening nearby. A new housing development had grown up on the other side of Oxford Street, called West 5. This, according to the billboards, was a Sifton building project, incorporating solar technology for Millennials who wished energy saving residences.
Not only was the traffic in the area increasing, but as Hilary passed the intersection with Westdel Bourne, she saw large earthmoving vehicles re-grading the area for a future light commercial plaza to include a Tim Hortons.
On her return from shopping in Byron, she hastened to inform Mavis of these incursions.
“Well, it seems the city is beginning to encroach on our secluded and private crescent!”
“I am sure it will be many years before development reaches this quiet side road. It will mean better bus services and more amenities, Hilary, and as we grow older that is a benefit.”
Hilary was not convinced. She was not pleased with the pace of change. She would prefer to have inconveniences rather than be surrounded by vast housing estates and their accompanying problems.
She decided to pay more attention to announcements in the newspaper regarding such developments and to attend City Hall forums whenever public input was requested.
This matter was tabled at the next Sunday dinner and discussion, but it was soon passed over in favour of other more immediate concerns. Vilma needed a decision about accommodating Amanda and Braden. Jannice’s imminent departure for Toronto brought up the matter of housekeeping and cooking duties.
Hilary agreed to monitor the stocking of kitchen supplies. Honor promised to keep an eye on the common areas and vacuum and dust as required in Jannice’s absence.
No one could replace Eve, their Kitchen Queen. Mavis attempted to fill in the gap by offering to cook meals but she was quickly shouted down.
“Mavis! You have enough on your plate with the garden and Louise’s foster children arriving very soon.
Your contribution to cooking will be fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden. The rest of us will do what we can. I suggest using the whiteboard to inform us if a large dish is planned for sharing.”
Vilma, who felt guilty about her lack of culinary skills, promptly added her intention to provide a substantial dish from her favourite catering company for their twice-monthly Sunday dinners.”
“That’s very generous of you, Vilma. Perhaps someone will take a cooking course and help us out, but I do not believe we are in any danger of starving, not with a Tim Hortons soon to arrive close by!”
Hilary’s comment made the others laugh but it was laughter tinged with regret. No one could be the cook that Eve was. It was not only her food they would miss; it was also her warm and welcoming presence.
Hilary vetoed the prior plan to use Mavis’s tower room for the cousins.
“It’s no longer necessary to dislodge Mavis. Eve wished us to offer them her room on a temporary basis.”
“If we do that, there is a problem with beds. They will need two beds. I am glad to refresh the room for them and do anything that is required, including purchasing two single beds. They will be right beside the kitchen and the elevator, which is convenient. Braden will rent a car. I know they are anxious not to disrupt our routines and one or both of them will be at the hospital most of the time.”
“That sound good, Vilma. Do you still feel confident that they will fit in here with us?”
Mavis was expressing the doubts of all of them. It seemed too soon to be replacing their Eve.
“I can only speak from my observations of a week’s holiday with the pair, but I know they are good people, younger of course, and with busy online lives. They are very grateful for the opportunity to share Harmony House.”
Honor was acutely conscious of the privileges all these women had bestowed on her. She suddenly saw an opportunity to repay some of that generosity.
“I am more than willing to share my work space with Amanda and Braden. They will love being close to the garden and I have good tech connections they can use. That will make up for only having one bedroom.”
Honor’s helpful idea was applauded by all, and the matter was shelved for now.
Time would tell what the effect on Harmony House would be of a man around the place on a daily basis.
Braden’s presence would be more consistent than Andy’s had been. Vilma wondered how long it would be before anyone noticed the latter’s absence.
Hilary wondered if Braden could cook.
Mavis hoped Mandy’s mother would respond well to her treatment. It was much too soon to have bereaved people in their environment again.
Honor was looking forward to having talks with other young people who worked on the cutting edge of business technology.
Jannice was delighted to be going to Toronto to meet Mitchell, leaving far behind the memories of Eve’s last hours. When she returned to Harmony House again, Eve’s room would look different and it would belong to two different people. Eve’s spirit would be gone.
Vilma felt enthused by the prospect of redecorating Eve’s room. Most of the furnishings were older items from Hilary’s Camden Corners house and could do with being replaced.
She realized this activity was a way of compensating for the loss of her plan to decorate a home for Andy and herself. She would enter into this decorating task with a whole heart and do her best.
Once more Harmony House was a hive of activity.
Vilma chose paint colours to harmonize with Eve’s paintings and refreshed her old room with new details, including fresh towels and accessories in the washroom. The set of new twin beds was installed with matching nightstands, bedding and comforters. She looked for decorative items that were more neutral so that Braden would not feel surrounded by a purely feminine vibe. Anything small and personal to Eve, was removed and saved, to be offered later as souvenirs to the women of the house. Vilma secured her three paintings and stored them carefully. For now, she did not want to see them hung. The reminder of their intended location with Andy was still too raw.
She took the dogs to the barn a few times for sessions with Andy but she did not enter the extension.
Once they ventured to the farm where the flock of sheep were now outdoors for the summer and, for a while, it felt like old times as she watched Andy expertly handle her dogs’ behaviour and restrain their impulse to dive into the flock and scatter them everywhere.
One of Andy’s pals accompanied them in order to make an advertising video so Vilma was relieved of the worry about a personal conversation with Andy. She had no good news to give him.
She knew he had promised to resume weekly lawn maintenance at Harmony House. Away from the barn, and all the memories related to the farm, she hoped she could deal with him without too much emotion getting in the way.
Amanda arrived at Harmony House with Vilma after the two of them took Maureen to London Health Sciences Centre and saw her settled there.
Mandy, as she preferred to be called, was enthralled by her new accommodations and was so pleasant and grateful to everyone that she was an immediate success. When she discovered there was a gap in meal preparations, she gladly volunteered to treat the women to exotic dishes of South America that were a delight for all of them. Mandy insisted they had the best-equipped kitchen she had ever seen and set to work there with enthusiasm. When her mother’s treatment schedule was in place, the timing would change, but she was determined to pull her weight in the food department.
After two weeks, Braden arrived with the bulk of their luggage and a routine emerged which included work sessions shared with Honor, visits to the hospital and walks in the woods or nearby parks with Vilma or Faith and the dogs. They also spent time exploring the city and Braden stated London was a charming place with many amenities and a thriving business sector.
Hilary put the cousins in touch with her son, Desmond, who also reported they were knowledgeable entrepreneurs who could be a good resource to others in London.
Jannice had left for Toronto to tour sites related to Irish maidservant, Grace Marks. While in their hotel, they discussed Mitchell’s outline for a book featuring other true Irish tales and history. Jannice insisted he must return to the London area with her to see the village of Lucan, and hear about the infamous clan of Black Donnellys who once lived there.
For all the Harmony House residents, life resumed a forward pace almost as if the sudden death of Eve had reminded them to use their time as productively as possible.