THE MEMORY BOOK

Interview with Aunt Rosalind and Uncle Fred

The color photo of Gavin and his younger sister, Rosalind Donohue Parsons, lay on the kitchen table in the Donohue home. In the photo Dad and Aunt Rosie sat together at a round table covered with a bright blue tablecloth. A centerpiece of balloons and flowers dominated the right side of the image. Behind them hung a banner announcing 1979 and HAPPY GRADUATION. Gavin wore a black graduation gown, open to reveal a dark blue suit with a wide green-and-blue-plaid tie. His long hair touched his shoulders. He was smiling and his arm was cast over Aunt Rosie’s shoulder. She was wearing a flowered dress, and her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, yet her bangs were overpuffed and shadowing her face. Her blue eye shadow was the brightest thing in the photo.

Colleen dialed Aunt Rosie’s number, and she knew the drill—Aunt Rosie, Dad’s only sibling, would answer the phone and then call for Uncle Fred before placing the call on speakerphone. Together they would scream into the receiver while the radio or TV blared in the background.

“Hello?” Aunt Rosie’s pack-a-day deep voice was warmly familiar to Colleen.

“Aunt Rosie, it’s Colleen.”

“My lovely Lena. Let me get your uncle. He will be devastated to think he missed a chance to talk to you.”

The predictability of her aunt’s reaction cheered Colleen. She settled back in the chair and glanced around the family kitchen. It sure could use some updating, but why bother? Wasn’t it fine as it was? She thought of the man she’d met at the bar—Beckett—and what he would think of people’s constant desire to throw out the old in favor of the new.

Then Rosie and Fred were both on the phone, hollering their greetings. Colleen explained the memory book they were making as a surprise for Gavin’s birthday, and asked if they would help.

Rosie spoke up first. “Your brother told me your dad is having some memory problems. Is he okay, Lena?”

“Oh, Aunt Rosie. He is having problems. That’s part of the reason for the memory book. But we’re managing it, getting him the best help.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine, my dear. No one in our family suffers from memory issues. We all meet our maker in other ways.”

Uncle Fred cleared his throat and let out what was probably a laugh but sounded more like a coughing fit. “Go on, then,” he said. “What can we do for you? We’re very excited we’ll see you soon.”

Colleen described the photo as best she could, and then waited.

Rosie spoke softly through the lines; remembering the day long since passed seemed to erase years from her voice. “Oh, Gavin’s graduation from the University of Virginia was spectacular. All he could talk about was his upcoming trip to Ireland. He was convinced he would find the Donohues’ castle and we’d all turn out to be royalty. There was shrimp cocktail and martinis. Your grandparents hired a four-piece band with trumpets. Trumpets, I’m telling you—it was fancy for sure. Your mother—well, she spent most of the day crying about him leaving the next morning. Poor thing.”

Uncle Fred’s voice sounded deep and resonant. “How come you can’t remember to pick up the dry cleaning but you remember your brother’s graduation day so perfectly?”

“Because I love my brother and I don’t love the dry cleaner. You be quiet and get back to your Golf Channel that’s so exciting. Anyway, Lena, we celebrated in grand style at the country club and your dad kissed Ms. Elizabeth good-bye and off he went to Ireland.”

Uncle Fred chimed in, “A shame what happened then. Poor Elizabeth.”

Colleen stared at the photo. Her mother wasn’t in it—wasn’t even part of the background. “A shame?” she asked.

“Oh, pay him no mind. He’s still thinking of her terrible death. We all are, dear. We miss her very much.”

“I miss her, too, Aunt Rosie.”

“Well, darling Lena, we will see you soon.”

Colleen hung up the phone and felt her skin tingle in irritation at Aunt Rosie pitying her mother. There was nothing about Elizabeth Donohue that warranted the word “poor,” that was for damn sure.

Colleen set her mind to typing the story, imagining her dad at college graduation, and headed for his European trip, so full of adventure for whatever might come next in his life.