Thursday, July 28, 2005

Part Thirty-Eight

(CONCLUDED FROM PREVIOUS EPISODE)

Upon hearing Deidre's question, Peggy recalled an evening she had spent at Raoul's house on Bainbridge Island. She had been invited to have dinner, and when she arrived the house was prepared as though for a party.

"Who else is coming?" Peggy asked.

"What do you mean?" said Raoul, looking puzzled.

"Is it just us?"

"Of course. But if you get tired of talking you are free to say nothing, and if you get tired of listening to me you are free to tell me to stop talking."

Peggy laughed. It wasn't what she had meant. She had noted the clean house, the fresh flowers placed in the foyer and on the dining room table, music on the stereo, a bottle of chilled white wine open and ready to pour. She thought he had planned a dinner party. But she was surprised to realize that he had done all of that for her. He was entertaining her, and she felt flattered. She was suddenly glad she had worn an attractive outfit and a touch of makeup. He poured wine and remarked that she had arranged her hair a little bit differently, which she had done, and he said it looked very nice. There were other situations as well in which Raoul had gone to some effort to create a comfortable setting.

All of this Peggy recalled in a flash, the sensation of that evening, in particular, and the way it made her feel.

"You know," she said to Deidre while Raoul was still preoccupied with checking into the bed-and-breakfast, "there are times when he makes me feel young and sexy. Yes, that's the word: sexy. I'm sure it doesn't sound very noble and intellectually satisfying, but I'm not in my twenties like you and I no longer have your wonderful young skin and your figure, in fact I never had your figure, and so I don't mind being wined and dined and made to feel beautiful by a handsome man who is interesting to talk to and is every inch a gentleman, even though we do have, frankly, serious differences of opinion on things…please stop me if I've answered your question."

Deidre sat wide-eyed. "I'm so jealous. The guys I date are such immature losers. I want a gentleman. I think my father is the last one."

"No, he's not the last one. The men your age will become gentlemen, eventually."

"But I don't want to wait until I'm forty!"

Raoul returned just as Peggy laughed. "What did I miss?" he said.

"Just a sad observation on the state of male-female relationships," said Peggy.

"You came out slightly ahead of the pack," said Deidre.

"What a relief."

Their evening consisted of a piano recital at the Ethical Society, dinner at the Striped Bass on Walnut Street, followed by drinks and music at a jazz club. Dirksy joined them for the evening, at Raoul's invitation. The two young women entertained Peggy and Raoul with funny stories of academic life.

"What's most intriguing are the rivalries between professors," said Deidre. "In some cases you have tenured professors in the same department not even speaking to each other. It's like a sorority house."

"Some students shamefully exploit that," said Dirksy. "But not us."

"We're above all that," said Deidre with a wink.

"Hmm," said Raoul. "I think you'll be well prepared for corporate America."

Later, when they were at the jazz club, Dirksy said, "I understand you guys are going to Brooklyn next."

"My son lives there," said Peggy. Raoul had gotten up from the table and was talking to a musician while the band was on a break.

"Is your son a student?" asked Deidre.

"He studies art at the Pratt Institute, and waits on tables at night."

"Sounds like a hard worker," said Deidre.

Peggy had once wondered how she might introduce Deidre to her son, Taylor, Jr. But now she didn't see them together: she saw Deidre going off to the corporate world with her new M.B.A. to make money, while her son would forever struggle to make ends meet as an artist.

Peggy said, "Yes, he works hard but the problem is that anyone serious about art has to make some very hard choices. It's not easy. I think he's wrestling with some tough decisions."

Then Deidre said, "I've been thinking about something you said earlier, about how you and my father have differences of opinion. How do you adjust to that?"

At that moment Peggy realized that the subject of her and Raoul probably did not leave Deidre's mind for very long. She chose her words carefully.

"If I were simply joking around I would say that we are getting over our differences because your father is leaning toward my way of thinking."

"But it's not that simple," said Deidre. Dirksy remained silent, but listened intently.

"Correct. You can never count on people changing to suit your needs. Look, I think it boils down to chemistry. There's either some kind of basic attraction, or there isn't. You can't analyze it, or weigh the pros and cons in some scientific way."

"I think you're trying to say that you can't apply a decision process," said Deidre. "The economists in my department are forever trying to quantify everything so they can arrive at optimal solutions."

"This isn't that kind of problem. You have to feel your way through it."

Dirksy finally spoke up. "It sounds like you've given this a lot of thought."

"The truth is, I don't know what the hell I'm doing," said Peggy. "Right now we're supposed to be on vacation and I suppose I'm trying to make it work one day at a time."

She turned to Deidre. "I hope you will at least give me a chance. I would never take advantage of your father. If we reach a point where I believe we could never be happy together, then I will break it off."

Deidre gave Peggy a warm hug. "That's extremely reasonable," said Deidre. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch." Dirksy wiped a tear from her eye.

The music started playing again. Raoul returned to the table in high spirits. "These guys are pretty sharp. Hello. Is everybody having fun? It looks like a funeral around here."

Peggy looked at Deidre and Dirksy and they all had a good laugh.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Part Thirty-Seven

Peggy felt more apprehensive with each step.

They were walking down Spruce Street in downtown Philadelphia, approaching Deidre's apartment. The street was shaded with tall leafy trees, and the coolness was a welcome break from the numbing heat and humidity of Washington, D.C.

"Don't you love these old row houses?" Raoul was saying.

Peggy noted the high windows and tall, narrow doorways and granite steps, but all she could think of was, 'which one contains Deidre?' Deidre, Raoul's daughter, had not wanted them to come. Raoul talked her into it, over Peggy's objections. 'Why make her even more angry and resentful?' Peggy had said. But Raoul assured her it would be okay.

"These were all family homes at one time," said Raoul as they climbed the steps to a large house. "But they've been subdivided into student apartments."

"It's a shame that only millionaires can afford to live in cities," said Peggy.

At the door, Peggy saw a panel of buzzers and mail slots with names next to each buzzer. She saw 'Stein' and was certain that a video camera was pointed at the doorstep and Deidre was observing them and would probably put on headphones to ignore them. Just as Raoul was about to press the buzzer the door opened and a young woman with green and purple hair pushed a bicycle through the doorway.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Her face was highlighted with bits of silver ornaments stuck into her lips, nose and ears. She wore a man's white U-style undershirt with no bra. Peggy suddenly felt very old.

"We were just about to ring Deidre Stein," said Raoul.

"You must be her father," said the young woman. Then she looked briefly at Peggy with a glance that Peggy interpreted as, 'and you must be the other woman.'

"Yes, I'm Raoul Stein. This is Peggy."

Peggy smiled.

"I'm Deidre's roommate, Dirksy."

"Dirksy?" said Raoul.

"It's an old family nickname. Sorry, I'm late for my yoga appointment. I'll catch up with you guys later." She carried her bike down the stairs and rode off.

Raoul pressed the buzzer and a moment later Deidre opened the door. Peggy recognized her as the same young woman she had met on the ferry a couple of months ago; she had a bright smile then, and was friendly toward Peggy, encouraging, it had seemed. Now Peggy could see that she still had the same beautiful face, her father's looks, but her expression was gloomy.

"Hi Dad." She gave Raoul a hug. She looked at Peggy indifferently.

"Good to see you again, Deidre," said Peggy, extending her hand.

They shook hands. "Let's get out of this heat," said Deidre.

"Actually, to us it feels like a break," said Peggy.

Deidre didn't answer as they climbed an elegant curved staircase with dark mahogany rails worn smooth from use.

"This is beautiful," said Peggy. She guessed the ceiling was twelve feet above the floor.

"It's cheap," said Deidre, opening the door to her second floor apartment.

They entered a large room that in a previous era might have been an upstairs sitting room or parlor. Now it was a studio apartment with a stove and refrigerator at one end, two futons that were positioned as sofas instead of beds, a large dresser, a small table by the window and a tall bookcase. An open door revealed a bathroom with a claw foot bathtub. Every square inch of space was crammed with some accessory of student living: books, papers, clothes, shoes, dishes, groceries. However, Peggy noted that it was tidy. Deidre and Dirksy had obviously prepared for their arrival.

"This is it, home sweet home," said Deidre.

"One more year of grad school, Dee," said Raoul. "And I think you will find it was worth it." Deidre was working on an M.B.A. at the Wharton School.

"Would you like some lemonade?"

They sat on the futons and chatted while they drank from tall cool glasses. Deidre talked about her summer job at a travel agency while Raoul showed pictures from their week in D.C.

"Do you remember the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception?" said Raoul.



"How could I forget? Whenever we traveled, Mother had to visit the Catholic sites and you had to visit the Jewish ones." She paused and looked at Peggy. "I lived a very confused childhood."

"You were exposed to lots of influences," said Raoul.

"But that's not what got me into grad school. Somewhere along the way I picked up some serious math genes," said Deidre.

"My father," said Raoul, then to Peggy he said, "Deidre has always been an ace at math. Now she's studying economics."

"That's impressive," said Peggy. "Are there many women in your program?"

"Most women here are in marketing. I'm doing an operations management track with an emphasis in economics. We have two other women, one from Turkey and one from India. They're brilliant."

"We met your roommate," said Raoul.

"Dirksy's a music major. She's the perfect roommate because she spends all of her time at the music building."

They talked for a moment longer and then Deidre suggested walking around the neighborhood.

They strolled through Rittenhouse Square and watched an amusing mixture of humanity: office workers, students, parents with strollers, homeless people, elderly residents. Then Deidre led them through various residential streets with rough brick sidewalks. Raoul enjoyed the signs he spotted along the way.



"Get it? Park-u-arse?" said Raoul.

"We get it," said Peggy. A block later she pointed a sign out to him. "Get a picture of that one."



Deidre said, "That's Philly for ya."

Finally they rounded the corner onto Pine Street and Deidre showed them to the bed-and-breakfast that she had recommended to Raoul. They entered a cool, charming space that made Peggy feel relaxed. A girl played music on the piano; it felt like someone's home. (La Reserve, Center City Bed and Breakfast).

  

Raoul made arrangements while Peggy sat with Deidre in the spacious parlor. It was their first moment alone since Peggy had arrived.

There was an awkward silence at first while they listened to the piano, then Deidre burst out suddenly with, "I mainly want to know one thing. What exactly is it you like about my father?"

After Peggy got over the shock of the question, she wondered what her answer should be.

TO BE CONTINUED

Friday, July 22, 2005

Special Note

Hello Reader,


Episodes of Peggy will be posted sporadically over the next two weeks.
I will be traveling from D.C. to New England and will post when time and facilities permit. The next episode will most likely be available Tuesday or Wednesday and will cover at least the beginning of Peggy's road trip with Raoul to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. You never know what kind of jam they may find themselves in, which means it's hard to tell how many episodes will be needed to cover their activities. After that they will head up to Connecticut and then points north.


If you know of anyone who might like Peggy Finds A Friend, please forward this email!


A good way to get into the story is to read the last Synopsis, and from there begin with Part Thirty-One. The episodes of the past week have taken place in Virginia and Washington, D.C.


Thank you for reading.


Bill Branley

www.billbranley.com

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Part Thirty-Six

"Oh how lovely," said Marjorie as she and Peggy strolled down a quiet, tree-lined block of N Street in Washington, D.C.

"I love the neighborhood; it's mostly residential, and right in the middle of it is the Tabard Inn," said Peggy.



They emerged from the shaded sidewalk and crossed the street toward the gray stone structure. The midday air was oppressively hot and bright. It was Wednesday. Peggy had spent the night at her daughter's house after the baseball game and was now taking her to lunch at the Tabard, a date they had previously arranged.

"Have you heard from Raoul this morning?" said Marjorie.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing," Peggy laughed. "I'm exaggerating, of course. He called me last night on my cell phone, late. Then he called twice this morning. He's at a meeting at his firm."

"Has he seen the picture?" asked Marjorie. A small picture of Raoul had appeared in the Washington Post in connection with the incident at the baseball game.

"I don't know. The picture was buried in the inside pages; chances are, no one will see it," said Peggy.

They walked through the tiny lobby of the Tabard.



"Stan and I should come and stay here," said Marjorie.

"It's great fun."

After passing through the lobby they entered a dark room with paneled walls and old paintings and an assortment of sofas and chairs scattered about. "This is where Raoul likes to sit and sip his eighteen-year-old Scotch in the evenings," said Peggy.

Beyond the sitting room they entered the restaurant and elected to dine in the cool interior instead of the patio.



"An interesting lunch crowd, as I expected," said Marjorie.

They ordered crab cakes. Peggy had white wine. Marjorie chatted about her job. "I hardly ever get out for a nice lunch," she said. "This is such a treat."

"In a few months you won't be getting out for much of anything," said Peggy.

Marjorie patted her stomach. "Not me. I plan to work until the last day."

"I figured as much. You were never one to sit still."

"I think I got it from you," said Marjorie.

"Me?" Peggy sipped her wine and then spotted a painting on the wall that caught her attention. "I hadn't noticed that before." She pointed to it.



"Who is it?"

"Pablo Neruda. I remember a poem of his that I always liked about old women who go down to the seashore…"

To the solemn sea the old women come
With their shawls knotted around their necks
With their fragile feet cracking.


"I love the imagery," said Marjorie.

"There's another verse that I think about often…"

They come from all the pasts
From houses which were fragrant
From burnt-up evenings.


"That's my predicament," said Peggy. "I have a past. Of children, and fragrant houses, and happy times." She stopped, unable to continue.

Marjorie held her mother's hand across the table. Then they heard a man's voice speaking in Spanish.

Es una copa llena
de agua
el mundo.


Peggy looked up to see Raoul standing by their table. "That's from another of Neruda's poems," he said. "The translation is, 'The world is a glass overflowing with water.' My grandmother recited it to me often in Spanish."

"What does it mean?" asked Peggy.

"I think to her it meant that there is more life than we can possibly live in one lifetime. There are too many possible experiences. It's overwhelming."

Peggy felt a wave of warmth flow through her.

"Can you join us?" she asked.

"I don't want to interrupt your lunch. But if we could chat when you're through…"

"Sure," said Peggy.

Raoul left the dining room. Marjorie looked at Peggy. "Mom, you know what your problem is?"

"Yes. I need another glass of wine."

Twenty minutes later, Peggy walked Marjorie back to her car and said goodbye.

"Thanks for the lunch. When are you coming back to our house?"

"I'm not sure. I'll call."

Peggy walked back to the hotel and climbed the creaky stairs to their room. Raoul was waiting.

"Today I received glaring proof of what a jerk I've been," he said.

"You saw the picture."

"Me and everyone else at the firm. And it's already been emailed back to Seattle. At the moment I'm the class clown of Burnett and Edwards."

"I'm sorry. I feel terrible."

"No, no. I had it coming. It's the most humbling thing I've ever been through. I've been taken down a few notches and I needed it."

Peggy sat by the window in a worn armchair. The pale yellow room calmed her.

"You see," he continued. "I think I'm going through this phase where I'm resentful of those who are more successful than me. In our D.C. office, for instance, there are lawyers much younger than me who are working on the hottest legal issues of the day, right here in the nation's capitol, rubbing elbows with all the big shots, making more money than I do. And I'm sitting on the West Coast defending corporate polluters."

"Would you consider moving here?" Peggy asked.

"Not a chance. Years ago I made a choice to stay in Seattle. It was what Priscilla and I both wanted. I don't regret it. But this week I've been reminded of what I gave up, and it sent me into this midlife crisis panic."

"What did you give up?"

"Nothing really that important. I gave up income and status, but what I got in return was worth much more: quality of life, a happy family…"

He paused, and sat in a chair near her. "Trust me. I know the things that are important. How I live and who I spend my time with mean much more to me than having power lunches with movers and shakers."

"Who would you rather spend your time with?"

"You."

Peggy listened to him without commenting.

"And I'm going to prove it," he said. "I've decided to leave the firm. I've already given notice."

"No," Peggy said with amazement.

"Yes. But I'm not ready to completely retire. Instead I'm going to look for something interesting, like maybe a small nonprofit that needs a little bit of legal help. Maybe an arts organization, or an environmental organization."

Peggy threw her arms around Raoul's neck and pulled him into her chair. They rolled onto the floor with a thud. "I can't believe it," said Peggy. "I never thought I would hear those words from you."

"Let's go downstairs and celebrate," said Raoul.

"And let's plan the rest of our vacation."

"Do you mean you're staying?"

"How did you know I was thinking of leaving?" asked Peggy.

"Just a hunch. I suspect you're the type who doesn't tolerate fools for very long."

Peggy laughed. "We're all fools once in a while."

They returned to the bar of the Tabard Inn, under the watchful eye of the fireman.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Part Thirty-Five

"Excuse me, sir. Could I ask you to take your seat please?" The woman in the green shirt spoke firmly to Raoul. She carried a two-way radio.

"I was trying to have a conversation," insisted Raoul.

"You are blocking the aisle, sir."

Peggy motioned for Raoul to sit down. "I don't think the gentleman wants to be bothered at the moment."

They were at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington, attending a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies. The evening was warm and humid.

Marjorie and Stan had surprised them by obtaining four tickets to the game. Peggy had initially declined, explaining to Marjorie that she was moving out of the hotel and cutting short her vacation with Raoul.

"But Stan got these great tickets from a friend who's on vacation and he really wants to take Raoul to the game," Marjorie had said.

"Can we arrange to give him a seat on the other side of the stadium?" Peggy said.

"Mom, it can't be that bad."

"You should have been at the hearing. He almost got into a fight with this guy from the Sierra Club."

"Those people can be obnoxious," said Marjorie.

"Now you're sounding like Raoul. My children are supposed to take my side, you know."

"I am on your side. Look, break up with him tomorrow, but tonight let's go to the ball game. We'll get some Thai food before we go."

Peggy relented. Raoul was thrilled. He was even more thrilled when they got to the stadium and he realized the excellent seats Stan had procured: third row, immediately behind the home team dugout.

  The man in the lower right corner is Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security.

"Wow. What an amazing view," Raoul said as they settled into their seats. Peggy sat between Stan and Marjorie. Stan sat next to Raoul, who sat on the end of the row.

Stan leaned over to Raoul and whispered in his ear. "The guy in front of us is Michael Chertoff, the Director of Homeland Security."

"No way," said Raoul. "My firm is trying to win some new business with that agency. Maybe I should introduce myself."

Stan shook his head. "It would be considered bad form. When you sit in the V.I.P. section you don't talk to the V.I.P.s. Besides, that woman in the green shirt right there is keeping an eye on him. You might get thrown out."



The game went well for the home team. John Patterson, the pitcher, was working on an impressive shut-out when Raoul stepped into the aisle and positioned himself facing Chertoff.

Peggy looked at him, puzzled. Stan explained what was going on. Peggy groaned and sunk into her seat as she watched Raoul.

Chertoff smiled politely and shook Raoul's hand, then tried to look around Raoul to see the current play of the game. Raoul pulled out some business cards and started to hand them to Chertoff. A man with a large rack of cotton candy was trying to get around Raoul just as a sweating beer vendor was going up the other way. It was at that point that the woman in the green shirt with the two-way radio approached Raoul and asked him to sit down.

Raoul finally returned to his seat at the urging of Stan and Peggy. Two innings later he leaned forward to talk to Chertoff.

"Our international law practice has a proven reputation in the areas of border and port regulations," Raoul was saying as he offered a handful of business cards. Chertoff's wife looked at Raoul like he was from Mars.

Peggy said to Marjorie, "I wish I could just disappear."

"He does seem a bit assertive tonight," said Marjorie.

Peggy saw Chertoff nod his head in the direction of the woman in the green shirt. She talked into the two-way radio. A large man with a bald head and a colorful shirt came down the aisle to Raoul.

"Excuse me, sir, can I have a word with you?" the tall man said in a deep voice.

Raoul looked stunned. "About what?"

Stan looked at Peggy. "He's plainclothes security. Ouch."

"I'm going to ask you to leave the game, sir."

"What?"

"You are disturbing other patrons. I suggest you come with me quietly. The alternative is that four men will carry you out. There could be media coverage."

"This is outrageous," said Raoul.

The man talked into a small radio. Raoul, Stan and Peggy turned and saw four uniformed men standing a few rows up, waiting for instructions.

"You're serious, aren't you?" said Raoul.

"Serious as a heart attack," said the guard.

"I'm not moving an inch," said Raoul.

The four guards came down. All eyes around them were now on Raoul as he was lifted from his seat, protesting, by the four guards. A man with a video camera on his shoulder rushed forward and got some footage. Several flashes went off. Raoul was momentarily bathed in white light.

"All right, I'll walk," cried Raoul.

They set him down. Peggy watched him trudge up the stairs. He looked back. Peggy waved.

Chertoff turned around and smiled at Stan. "Sorry about your friend. Can't imagine anyone hiring him as a lawyer."

"He's not from here," said Stan. "Doesn't know the rules."

"Can I use your guest room tonight?" Peggy asked Marjorie once everyone had turned their attention back to the game.

"You can use it for as long as you wish," her daughter answered.

The home team won, four-nothing.

  Plainclothes guard speaking after the game: Some guys just don't get it.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Part Thirty-Four

Peggy and Raoul quietly sipped their tea in the restaurant of the Tabard Inn. Raoul shuffled through the pages of the Washington Post.

"I hate to admit this, but I would love to hear what Kelly Flinn is saying about the Karl Rove case," said Raoul.

"He's probably wearing black," said Peggy.

Raoul looked at his watch. "Norton should be here… oh, here he is."

They looked up as a young dark-skinned man in a blue suit with a burgundy tie approached the table. He carried a brief case. "Raoul, good morning," said the man.

Raoul and Peggy stood up. "Norton this is Peggy. Peggy this is Norton Landis, a member of our D.C. office."

"Nice to meet you, Peggy," said Norton. He joined them at their table and ordered coffee.

"I understand you will be our political tour guide today," said Peggy.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you yesterday. I heard there were some, uh, difficulties?"

"It was nothing," said Raoul quickly.

"First we got lost on the subway," Peggy said. "We took the Red Line in the wrong direction."

"Happens to visitors all the time," said Norton. "It's easy to confuse Shady Grove and Glenmont."

"I wasn't confused," said Raoul.

"As I recall, you were the one who said to go to Shady Grove," said Peggy.

"No, I said Glenmont. Shady Grove goes to the zoo."

"I knew that, I pointed to it on the map. But you insisted on going in that direction."

"I was trying to not argue on the subway platform."

Norton's eyes darted back and forth between Peggy and Raoul. He cleared his throat. "I believe you eventually met with someone from Representative Inslee's office. Right?" He referred to the person who represents Bainbridge Island in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I was a little confused about that," said Peggy. "I thought the actual hearing was going to be yesterday."

"The H.R. 6 hearing is today at eleven. Yesterday was the pre-brief with Inslee's office," said Norton.

Raoul looked at Peggy. "H.R. 6 is the energy bill."

"I know that now," said Peggy, putting her cup down with a clatter. She felt her skin grow hot and they weren't even outdoors yet.

Norton's cell phone vibrated. "Excuse me. This is Inslee's office."

"Norton did a lot of work on H.R. 2828, which is Inslee's New Apollo Energy Act."

"I know. You explained that yesterday once we were finally going in the right direction on the Red Line," said Peggy.

"That's right, we missed our transfer to the Orange Line."

"Wait a minute," said Peggy. "You suggested we skip the Orange Line and walk from Gallery Place."

"I figured that since we missed the transfer I might as well show you Chinatown."

"But you didn't have to show it to me when it's ninety-five degrees out and I'm wearing heels and panty hose. I looked like a dishcloth by the time we got to the Rayburn Building."

Norton got off the phone. "Change in plans. They've tightened security at Rayburn today so there's going to be a teleconference hookup from another building. Your panel will meet there."

Raoul groaned. "Are we going to be stuck with that Sierra Club guy all day? He was obnoxious. I was hoping the woman from Inslee's office would throw him out."

"He had some interesting things to say," said Peggy.

"His chief goal was trying to impress people with a bunch of trivia."

"I see. When you are presented with facts that you can't argue with you dismiss it as trivia."

Norton looked at his watch. "We should probably be there early to make sure we have plenty of time to get through security and get a seat."

"I need to go up and get my camera," said Raoul. "I forgot it yesterday."

"Thank goodness," said Peggy.

They all rose from the table. Norton walked off to wait in the lobby while Peggy and Raoul went up to their room to get ready to go. Peggy felt tired, and she dreaded the day ahead of her. She couldn't shake the feeling that Raoul did not take anything she said seriously. In their meetings yesterday to discuss the upcoming hearing, Raoul seemed to belittle everything she said, at one point declaring that her organization "…occasionally produces something useful."

They left the Tabard Inn and walked to Dupont Circle to catch the Red Line. Norton and Raoul chatted about politics while Peggy watched the people on the streets. It seemed to her that everyone was very crisp-looking and ready for a day of debating important issues, in spite of the muggy air. She wore a breezy dress with low heeled shoes just in case Raoul got some wild notion to take an unplanned detour.

As she walked Peggy felt a resolution forming within her. It started out as a vague concept, but then grew quickly into a definite plan as they were boarding the Metro.

She decided that if Raoul did not change his attitude by the end of the day, then she was going to leave the hotel and go stay with Marjorie for a few days, and then fly straight back to Seattle.

As they rode along in the dark tunnels, Raoul said. "I've asked Norton to give you a little tutorial on how things work on Capitol Hill."

Her immediate thought was, 'And I have a little tutorial planned for you.'

Monday, July 18, 2005

Part Thirty-Three

Peggy landed at Washington National Airport at ten o'clock Thursday evening. The first sensation she experienced when she walked out of the terminal was intense heat and humidity; it shocked her with its heaviness.

"What's going on here?" she said to the Sikh taxi driver who loaded her bags into the trunk.

"What do you mean?"

"This heat, and humidity. It feels like a blanket."

"Welcome to Washington. What is your destination madam?"

"Tabard Inn."

Raoul was more sympathetic when he greeted her upon her arrival at the hotel. "I know. We're totally spoiled living in the northwest. You picked a great room, by the way."

Peggy collapsed into a chair in a quirky room with furniture that looked like it came from her grandmother's house. In one corner stood an old piano. "I'm going to become a slave to air conditioning."

"Everyone here is a slave to air conditioning. I don't know how government functioned a hundred years ago."

"Maybe it wasn't this hot and humid a hundred years ago," Peggy said.

"From all accounts I gather it has always been something of a reclaimed swamp."

"I called Marjorie. She invited us for dinner tomorrow night."

The next afternoon they drove out of the city in Raoul's rented car and entered Arlington, Virginia, via the 14th Street Bridge. Peggy was amazed at the size of the Pentagon as they passed it. Moments later, Peggy had a pleasant reunion with her daughter, who lived in an old neighborhood of wood frame houses south of the Pentagon. She was not yet starting to show, but to Peggy's eye Marjorie had the glow of motherhood.

"You're about the age I was when I was pregnant with you," said Peggy, remembering perfectly how it felt to be twenty-nine. She also thought that Marjorie, with her full head of thick, dark hair and creamy skin, bore a strong resemblance to Peggy as a young woman.

Introductions were made all around. Raoul was a perfect gentleman as he shook hands with Marjorie and congratulated her on her impending motherhood.

"I want him to meet Stan," said Peggy, referring to Marjorie's husband.

"He'll be with us for dinner tonight. We're going to take you to our favorite Korean restaurant, just a few blocks from here."

"I understand you're a mathematician," said Raoul.

"I do statistics for D.O.L."

"That would be…?"

"Sorry. Department of Labor. In fact, I'm working at home today and there are some numbers I have to crunch."

"That's fine," said Peggy. "We thought we'd look around Alexandria. Raoul knows about a tea shop there. We both love tea."

"It's one of the many things we have in common," said Raoul with a wink.

They parked on a street made of rounded stones in a very old neighborhood in Alexandria, just a block from the Potomac River. In spite of the oppressive heat, Peggy enjoyed the whimsical detail on the well-preserved 19th-century row houses.

  

She welcomed the coolness of the Old Town Coffee, Tea and Spice shop, with its walls lined with jars of loose tea and coffee beans.



"This is one of my regular stops when I come to town," said Raoul.

Afterwards they walked up King St. and Raoul pointed out a jazz club that he had frequented in the past.

"I didn't know you were so familiar with the area," said Peggy.

"We had clients with offices here that we needed to visit. It's a beautiful place in the Spring and Fall. Summers can be wicked."

For dinner Peggy and Raoul walked with Stan and Marjorie to Woo Lae Oak, a large, bustling restaurant where they cooked their own food on a hot grill set into the table at which they sat. Peggy avoided the marinated pork and beef, but enjoyed the variety of vegetables, including kimchi, set before them.

Raoul and Stan talked politics and drank Korean beer from tall bottles. Stan was a lobbyist for a media organization, and about the only thing he and Raoul had in common was a fascination with the political process. It was exactly the kind of tedious detail that bored Peggy, so she discussed baby names with Marjorie.

By the end of the meal Raoul was saying, "You know that Stan is pretty sharp for a liberal."

Stan laughed and said, "Raoul is a perfect fit for this family; he has opinions and he doesn't mind sharing them."

Peggy's immediate thought was 'wait a minute, I believe I get to decide whether Raoul belongs in this family or not.' On the other hand, she was glad to see him enjoying himself. She noticed Marjorie appraising him throughout the meal.

Then Stan said, "We have a treat for you guys. This is going to be an awful weekend in the city with all this heat and humidity. It so happens some friends of ours have said we can use their cabin in West Virginia this weekend. It's much cooler, and it's quiet. And you will still have the week ahead of you to do sightseeing in D.C."

Peggy and Raoul looked at each other. Raoul shrugged. "I'm game if you are."

The next day they were in a car whizzing past miles of green Virginia horse country. "I hope you kids didn't stay up too late," said Marjorie from the front seat.

"We had a note from our parents," said Raoul.

"We decided to go and listen to a bit of jazz music and we were stampeded by a crowd of Harry Potter fans waiting to buy the latest book," said Peggy.

"That must've been exciting," said Marjorie.

"At least it's got kids reading," said Peggy.



The cabin was a few miles from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, on a section of the Cacapon River that was peaceful and slow-moving.

"It looks like a pond, it's so still," said Peggy.

"I can't believe how quiet this is," said Raoul.

In the afternoon, Peggy and Marjorie floated lazily on the river.



"I like him," said Marjorie.

"So do I, but I'm worried," said Peggy. "I'm not sure I really want to be involved again. It's so much work. But at times it's nice to have a companion."

"You're not good at being alone, Mom," said Marjorie.

"So where's the balance? How do I find the right mix of having someone and not having someone?"

"What I see is you guys having a great time. Just enjoy it."

"You young people are so optimistic. Somewhere along the way the pessimism sets in and makes us grouchy."

"If you were grouchy Raoul wouldn't be spending time with you."

"You mean, I'm the life of the party?"

"Absolutely."

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Part Thirty-Two

(This episode is continued from yesterday.)

Peggy couldn't get Deidre out of her mind, even as she hurried to catch the 5:20, dragging a suitcase on wheels behind her. A canvas tote bag hanging from her shoulder contained her purse and other things she would want on her flight to Washington, D.C. She scolded herself for not taking a taxi to the ferry, and for worrying about Deidre.

She stepped onto the vessel with seconds to spare, breathing heavily from the near sprint down the ramp. As she plopped down in her seat and pulled her suitcase to the side, Florence said, "All packed for your honeymoon?"

"It's a business trip," said Peggy. Luke was with her, talking to Kelly Flinn. Peggy knew that Raoul would not be there. He was going in later and taking a limo directly to the airport to catch a different flight. She was going to the office first. They had plans to meet in Washington at the hotel.

"Of course it is, they're all business trips," she said with a wink.

Peggy was not in the mood for Florence's humor so she poured herself some tea and opened a gardening magazine. Kelly and Luke were in deep discussion over development on Bainbridge Island, which was Kelly's favorite topic of the moment. Luke had made the mistake of saying how he hoped his home value would go up as a result of Bainbridge being named one of the top ten places to live in the U.S.

"…you don't want that," Kelly was saying. "If land value keeps going up, the island won't be the same place it is today…"

Peggy tuned them out. She was hoping Marjorie would call. They had been playing phone tag since the day before. Peggy needed her daughter's advice. The last message she had left was, 'call me on the ferry.'

As she read and sipped her tea, a band of intense orange light broke through an otherwise gray sky and illuminated her hands and the pages of her magazine. Then her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," Peggy said to Florence, "I'm expecting a call."

"Isn't that romantic," said Florence.

Peggy made a point of saying loudly into the phone, "Good morning, Marjorie." Then she walked upstairs to the sun deck.

"What time do you get in?" asked Marjorie.

"Nine o'clock."

"When will we see you?"

"Tomorrow evening, I hope. Is that okay?"

"Perfect."

"There was something else I wanted to ask you about," said Peggy. "You're going to think this is a crazy thing to discuss first thing in the morning, but the fact is, Raoul's daughter, Deidre, doesn't want us to visit her in Philadelphia. She's apparently very upset that I'm barging in on the family and trying to take the place of her late mother. She's going through a boyfriend breakup, and she misses her mother, and that's understandable, but somehow I've become the person to blame. Am I coherent at all?"

"I'm not sure what you are asking me."

Peggy took a deep breath. Marjorie had a way of making you say what you meant, she wouldn't simply fill in the gaps for you. "I guess my question is, how much should I be concerned if she, say, doesn't like me or doesn't approve of me?"

"You're already concerned. You're talking to me on the phone about it at 5:30 in the morning your time. That's my definition of concerned."

"You have a point there. Okay, let me ask a different question. How do you feel about Raoul?"

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere."

"Do you feel like he's, uh, intruding on your father's space? Are we, am I, being disloyal in any way?"

Silence. "I think what goes through my mind when I think of you and Raoul is that I wish Dad were still here. The more you and Raoul are together, the more I miss Dad. It's a reminder of the life we used to have, it makes me homesick."

Peggy had to reach for a tissue to dab at moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. She sat on a bench on the deserted sun deck of the ferry, watching the orange glow on the water. "This is not going to be easy for anyone, is it?" she said.

"I guess no one likes change, except the people who want the change. You're ready for a change, you lost your husband. But Taylor and I are not. We don't want a new father."

Peggy was glad the deck was deserted because by now the tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I suppose I should just break it off, I mean, why make everyone unhappy?"

"But you can't just break it off. If you guys like each other than you can't just turn it off like a faucet. Just go for it, and let everybody deal with it in their own way. Deidre will get over it eventually, and I think we will, too."

"Thank you."

"Now I have to go, I'm not over my morning sickness yet."

"Thanks, Marj." Peggy hung up, and wondered how her daughter had gotten to be so wise.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Part Thirty-One

Peggy thought it was unusually dark as she made her way down to the ferry. Large gray clouds filled the sky from end to end.

"Does it seem dark to you?" Peggy asked Raoul as she took her seat on the 5:20 ferry. He was already joined by Kelly Flinn and Ferdinand.

"The days are getting shorter," said Raoul.

"But it's only July. I think it's just an overcast day," said Peggy.

"Do you know how you can tell it's Summer in Seattle?" asked Ferdinand.

"How?"

"The rain is warm."

"I believe it's a sign," said Kelly. "There are dark days ahead for Bainbridge Island."

"Oh, and why is that?" asked Raoul. Peggy poured herself tea.

"I just saw an article that listed Bainbridge Island as one of the top ten places to live in the country," said Kelly. (money.cnn.com/best/bplive)

"What's wrong with that?" asked Ferdinand.

"It means people will be flocking here by the boatloads. Real estate agents will have a field day. We have enough people and cars on the island as it is, why do we need more?"

Raoul shrugged and turned the page of his newspaper. "I imagine there are many property owners who are thrilled to hear that news."

"That's precisely the problem," said Kelly. "We just assume that people should be allowed to earn as much money as they can from their property, even if it means putting up a condo for hundreds of new families in a space where the surrounding infrastructure can't support all of those people. But the property owners and the builders and the real estate agents don't care about that because they only care about making a sale."

"Maybe you would think differently if you were putting your house on the market," said Raoul.

"No one wants my house. It's out in the boonies in a dark, wet forest."

"The developers can take care of that," said Peggy. "They'll have that soggy old forest cleared in no time and then they'll put in a nice wide road with plenty of room for S.U.V.s."

"My neighbors would kill me," said Kelly.

"Maybe they could join you," said Raoul. "You could put your lands together in one big parcel and sell it as a package deal to the highest bidder. You would each make more money than if you sold individually."

"But then we'd have to go live somewhere else," said Kelly.

"Simple, use the proceeds to buy one of the new waterfront condos with a view," said Raoul. "Low maintenance."

"Raoul, you're a sick man," said Kelly.

"He's just joking," said Peggy.

"I am laying out a strategy for maximizing return on his property. There's nothing funny or sick about that," said Raoul.

"Maybe people shouldn't be so focused on maximizing returns," said Peggy. "It's an illusion. You concentrate on short term gains and mistakenly think you are ahead, but the truth is, especially in communities, you give up something much more valuable that won't be appreciated until it's too late."

"The word is myopic," said Kelly.

"My what?" said Ferdinand.

"Myopic. It literally refers to a visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred. But it's also used to describe people who lack a long-range perspective in their thinking."

"It's a popular word among environmentalists," said Raoul.

"Because it sadly applies too often," said Peggy.

Raoul rolled his eyes. "You know, it's possible that people who manage communities have priorities that we don't entirely appreciate: like funding schools and transportation and the arts."

"Since when is school a priority," said Kelly. "We couldn't pass the technology levy. Why? Because people are so shortsighted. Those are probably some of the same people who would sell their land to developers."

"I think they keep their real priorities a secret," said Peggy.

"Oh here we go, if you get two environmentalists together you'll end up with at least three conspiracies," said Raoul.

"I don't know where you get this mean streak from," said Peggy. "Did somebody pour sour milk in your oatmeal?"

"I don't eat oatmeal," said Raoul.

"I think you should start eating Scottish oatmeal," said Peggy. "It would be better for you than the bagels and cream cheese that you eat at the office in the mornings."

"My diet has nothing to do with being realistic about how things work in the world. We have to strike a balance, and that's exactly what I'm going to say to the Congressional committee next week."

"Don't forget, we're saying it together," said Peggy.

"I'll do the talking and you nod your head in agreement."

"I see, we'll let the man do the talking and everything will be fine," said Peggy.

"Aah, order will be restored."

"Why are you so negative this morning?"

"It's my nature."

"I don't agree. Have you received bad news about something?"

Raoul looked out of the ferry window at the gray surface of Puget Sound and the puffs of gray clouds. "I got a call from my daughter, Deidre," said Raoul.

"Is she all right?"

"She doesn't want us to visit her in Philadelphia," said Raoul.

"Why?"

"It seems her boyfriend has left her and now she's depressed and she doesn't want to talk to anyone. She misses her mother."

Peggy understood and felt like an intruder. She knew she was being compared to Raoul's late wife, Priscilla. Although Peggy had met Deidre, and they seemed to have gotten along, things were different now. Peggy had become a threat.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Synopsis (Parts 21-30)

Peggy is a young woman of fifty-eight. While commuting on the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle she meets Raoul, who is a few years older. They each live alone, having lost their respective spouses. Both have adult children who have moved away. He has one daughter, she has a son and a daughter.

Peggy and Raoul share many interests: walking, gardening, music, food, just to name a few; and they have grown close in a short period of time. Yet, there are issues. Peggy, for one thing, is torn between remaining loyal to the memory of her late husband, Taylor, and a desire to start a new life while she still feels young and active. It's partly a question of finding a balance: although Raoul is a wonderful companion, Peggy doesn't necessarily want to assume the care and feeding of another husband. Furthermore, Raoul's profession is one that Peggy's late husband would never have tolerated: Raoul is a lawyer who represents corporate interests, especially in environmental cases. Peggy, on the other hand, works for an environmental nonprofit and has been a lifelong advocate for environmental conservation, as was her late husband. In some ways, they are natural enemies, but, on the other hand, chemistry has a way of taking over.

In Part Twenty-One we learn more about the special task force that the governor of Washington has formed to study coastal planning issues, especially in the wake of a severe flood that occurred along the state's Pacific coast. (See Parts Eighteen and Nineteen). Peggy and Raoul represent opposite interests, yet they are assigned to the same committee and have to work together on a report. Also, in this episode, we hear about Peggy's first visit to Raoul's house in the Rolling Bay area of Bainbridge Island. She meets some of his friends and hears his performing arts group: the Merry Pranksters Renaissance Band. Also, they hear someone playing zither music on the ferry and Raoul reflects sadly on how he and his late wife enjoyed watching the movie, The Third Man.

In Part Twenty-Two we meet Luke, a thirtyish young man who is the new boyfriend of Florence, a mid-forties blonde who at one time had had a crush on Raoul but nothing ever came of it. We also learn that Raoul had been an infantryman in Vietnam.

Part Twenty-Three is a major milestone: Peggy spends the night at Raoul's. It happens to coincide with the opening of a night-blooming cereus, a rare flower that Raoul keeps in a special greenhouse. I'll leave it to the reader to work out the metaphors.

Next, in Parts Twenty-Four and Twenty-Five, Peggy and Raoul have been invited to Washington, D.C., to present their coastal planning report to a Congressional subcommittee. They decide to plan a full East Coast tour to visit Peggy's daughter, Marjorie, in Arlington, Virginia; Raoul's daughter, Deidre, in Philadelphia; and Peggy's son, Taylor, Jr., in Brooklyn. Then they will vacation in New England and visit Raoul's brother, Dale.

(Note: the Peggy story will continue during this trip! It starts next week with the Monday post on July 18.)

Part Twenty-Six contains a major setback: Peggy's nonprofit is being sued, and Raoul's law firm is representing the company filing the suit. In fact, Raoul is one of the lead attorneys. Their relationship becomes very strained. A major theme from this point on is to what extent can people segment their lives and be friends and opponents at the same time.

Next, a pleasant and romantic Fourth of July outing on a boat with Florence and Luke. Sunset! Fireworks!

Part Twenty-Eight: Kelly Flinn discourses on the Supreme Court vacancy; a rainbow over Bainbridge; and some cool ukulele music.

Part Twenty-Nine: Peggy and Raoul have reservations at different hotels in Washington: he's at the Marriott, she's at the Tabard Inn, a quirky, off-the-beaten-path place. She wants him to change to hers because hers is cheaper. Important: in this episode Peggy proposes that Raoul leave his law firm and join her environmental organization. It's just a seed of a thought; will it go anywhere?

Part Thirty: dreams of roosters and dinosaurs following the Bainbridge in Bloom garden tour; Raoul changes his reservation to the Tabard Inn; for the first time, Raoul points out the view from the ferry, it had always been Peggy who commented on the morning scenery; Ella Fitzgerald provides a mellow close.

If you are just joining this series, a convenient way to catch up is to read the complete Peggy story at www.billbranley.com.

Also, more details on the Writing Contest will be posted very soon. Readers will be invited to help finish the story of Peggy Finds A Friend.

Thank you for reading.

Bill

Monday, July 11, 2005

Part Thirty

"I had a dream," said Peggy.

"So did I," said Raoul.

"I dreamt that a giant rooster carried off my children."

"What did it look like?"

"It was made of metal, like scrap iron or something, and had big eyes," said Peggy.



She poured herself tea from her Thermos and watched the sky turn from gray to orange over Eagle Harbor.

"Ah, the garden," said Raoul. Over the weekend they had visited several gardens during the annual Bainbridge In Bloom garden tour. Some of the gardens featured whimsical sculptures.

"What kind of sound did the rooster make?"

"A loud metallic crunching sound," she shuddered. "It was terrifying. It had my children by the backs of their shirts and was running across a meadow of yellow wildflowers. The children were screaming for help, but from where I was standing I could gaze at a beautiful view of Puget Sound and the horror of it was that I kept forgetting about the children."

"Then what happened?"

"The rooster ran into a garden of giant artichoke plants and got tangled up in them. The children fell, and Marjorie picked the artichokes and threw them at the rooster. Then I woke up."

The ferry motored past the mouth of the harbor and into the calm waters of the Sound. "Look at the view," said Raoul.

The Cascade Range was etched against a backdrop of pink, purple and orange. In the foreground, Seattle lay sleeping in a swirling mist. Mt. Rainier glowed red to the south.

"Tell me about your dream," said Peggy.

"I dreamt that a dinosaur skeleton escaped from a museum and was terrorizing Poulsbo. The villagers came at it with swords and axes, but the dinosaur simply ate them up. But it was just a skeleton, you see, so it had no stomach. So when the villagers were eaten they simply fell to the ground and then got up and continued fighting."



"That's awful," said Peggy.

"Actually, it was kind of boring after a while."

"We both had garden dreams," said Peggy. "Blame it on Bainbridge In Bloom."

"I wanted to dance with you in the Green Cathedral," said Raoul.

"That was my favorite garden."

"Somebody was playing Cheek to Cheek. Did you hear it?"

"Yes," said Peggy. "I was hoping you to take me in your arms and sweep me across the lawn."

"There were people in the way," said Raoul.

"That's no excuse. It didn't seem to bother those children doing ballroom dancing in the movie we saw." On Friday they had seen a documentary called Mad Hot Ballroom at the Lynwood Theater on Bainbridge Island. It was about school children in New York City who take ballroom dancing as part of the public school curriculum.

"Maybe we should take up dancing," said Raoul.

"Might be fun. We need a hobby that we can do together," said Peggy.

"I thought our hobby was arguing about politics."

"No, that's what we do for a living," said Peggy.

"Enemies by day, lovers by night?"

"There you go dreaming again."

"Wait a minute, wasn't it your idea that we could separate the different parts of our lives and not let them overlap?"

"No, that was your idea. My idea was to recruit you to our organization. Then we don't have to be professional enemies. I discussed it with my boss, by the way."

"And?"

"He doesn't want any prima donna lawyers on the team," said Peggy.

"That's not me."

"He figures you've been pampered by corporate big shots for so long that you probably can't mingle with the common folk."

"How can you say that? Didn't I agree to change my hotel reservation to the Tabard Inn for our trip to Washington?" said Raoul.

"Yes, that was very sweet of you, but it was only after you found out that they serve your favorite single-malt Scotch."

"You know, a person has to unwind after a hard day in the nation's capitol."

"Maybe we should unwind by going dancing. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" said Peggy.

"Wonderful? I believe that's a song. Yes. Ella Fitzgerald. Just the thing for enemies who meet secretly in gardens."

 Click to listen.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Part Twenty-Nine

From her kitchen window Peggy could see the sky had turned an intense shade of pink. As she gathered her things and began her walk down the hill to the ferry terminal she noticed how clouds all the way across the sky were trimmed with rosy color.

"What did you find out?" Raoul said to her after she had boarded the 5:20 ferry and took her seat.

"I can't change it," she said. They were talking about her flight reservation to Washington, D.C., for their presentation to a Congressional committee. Raoul had wanted them to fly together. But her organization, as a matter of policy, always flew on the cheapest flight available. Raoul had chosen a more expensive direct flight.

"But the state's paying for the trip," he said.

"Apparently it doesn't matter. That's how it is in the nonprofit world. You watch every penny regardless of who's footing the bill. Keep that in mind when you're suing us."

"How many stops do you make?"

"Denver and Cincinnati."

"Ouch."

"Oh, and I can't stay in your hotel. It exceeds government per diem."

They motored out of Eagle Harbor just as the sun was rising over the Cascades. The waters of Puget Sound were extremely calm. Peggy pointed north, "Look, you can see Mt. Baker."

"So where are you staying?"

"I got a room at the Tabard Inn."

"The what?"

"Tabard Inn. It's near Dupont Circle. One of my colleagues recommended it. Supposedly charming and old-fashioned."



Then she said, "Did you get the place you wanted?"

He nodded. "The Marriott downtown. Hmm, that puts a damper on things, doesn't it?"

"You could always change to my place," said Peggy.

"Do they have high-speed Internet access?"

"I doubt it."

"Do they have an indoor lap pool and an exercise room?"

"I think you get your exercise by going for a walk."

Raoul sighed. "Tell you what, I'll pay the difference for you to come stay at the Marriott."

"I don't think so. I might get spoiled. I think you should come see how things are in our world."

"But I'm accustomed to a certain level of comfort when I travel."

"I'm sure the Tabard Inn is comfortable. Some of the rooms have private baths."

"Only some of them?"

"I also heard it has a great bar."

"Well that's something. Perhaps with a jolly old-fashioned bartender who gives you free drinks."

"You know, for a high flying traveler you sure are cheap. I don't know if I want your type in my hotel. You might give it a bad name."

"Hotels love putting up travelers from our law firm," said Raoul. "We want our lawyers to travel in comfort…"

"Is that so they don't make mistakes when they're suing poor nonprofits like us?"

"You aren't going to let that go are you?"

"Why should I? I've worked for the Northwest Environmental Fund for twenty-three years. I believe in what we do and I know we are right in this particular case. If your team wins the lawsuit it will be due to some technical detail."

"We get paid to worry about technical details," said Raoul.

Peggy suddenly stopped talking and looked at Raoul. "I have a great idea," she said as she placed her hand on his arm.

"What is it?"

"Why don't you leave your law firm and come and work for us?"

"What? Defect to the other side?"

"We could really use someone like you. Imagine if you put your legal talents and your attention to detail to a worthy cause. You would feel great about it."

"I happen to believe that protecting the property rights of citizens is a very worthy cause."

"But there are already lots of good lawyers who do that. We need lawyers like you on our side."

He looked out of the window. As they approached downtown Seattle, the tall buildings with their glassy exteriors reflected an orange glow from the morning sun.

"I think you're serious," he said.

"I'm very serious."

Then Ferdinand, the jazz drummer, came by holding a laptop computer. "Did you hear the news?" he asked.

"What news?"

"I just read about a terrorist attack in London. Several buses and underground rail stations have been bombed."

Peggy felt a sense of dread deep within her. "What a tragedy. I feel sick."

Raoul looked both saddened and angry. "I can't help wondering if we've squandered opportunities over the last four years. We've spent billions upon billions of dollars in Iraq, and lost sixteen hundred lives, and we're not any safer than we were in 2001. Shouldn't we have put those resources to actually infiltrating terrorist groups?"

Ferdinand said, "Somebody's setting the priorities, and I guess catching terrorists wasn't one of them."

Peggy looked at Raoul. "I know what my priorities are: it's to do the things that matter. Otherwise, you might reach the end of your life thinking that you didn't do anything at all."

He looked like he was searching for a reply. "You have an uncanny way of getting to the heart of things."

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Part Twenty-Eight

Kelly Flinn was dressed in black.

"Kel, this must be a statement of some kind," said Peggy, looking up from her seat on the 5:20 ferry. She sat along the left aisle, with Raoul, pouring tea from her Thermos as the vessel motored out of Eagle Harbor. The morning sky was dramatic: patches of blue dotted with small orange clouds directly overhead, while to the east gray clouds hovered in layers over Puget Sound and the city of Seattle.

"I'm in mourning over the Supreme Court vacancy," said Kelly. "O'Connor was the voice of reason, and she provided some balance. But now I'm afraid we'd better brace for the worse. Her replacement is going to be as extremist as the rest of this administration."

Raoul looked up from his newspaper. "Did you see the rainbow last night?"

"I'm writing letters to all of my Congressional representatives," said Kelly.

"I would send email, if you can," said Peggy. "They say that paper letters take much longer to get through because of security measures."

"Everything is digital these days. I'm still analog."

"I got a pretty good shot of it from my yard," said Raoul, holding up a picture.



"Was there a pot of gold at the end of it?" said Kelly.

"I think you have to imagine that it's there or not there," said Raoul.

"Let's see, I can imagine a bubbling cauldron with Alberto Gonzalez in it," said Kelly.

"Is he wearing the robe of a Supreme Court justice?" asked Peggy.

"Yes. He's gloating over the prospect of a lifetime of interpreting the law in as conservative a manner as possible. That's the scary part. Long after this administration is gone, the new justice will continue the legacy."

Raoul shrugged. "Like everything else you have broad swings one way or the other. The court might become more conservative for a while, but then some other justices will retire and they might be replaced by a more liberal president and things will swing the other way."

"But in the meantime, an extremely conservative justice could do a lot of damage," said Peggy.

"It's simply an outcome of timing," said Raoul.

"That's little consolation to someone who's on the losing end of an important issue," said Peggy.

"So what do you propose? That we change the system? Maybe the justices should run for office and be elected by voters. Wouldn't that be a riot?"

Kelly snapped his fingers. "Raoul, I think you've got something there."

"It was a joke."

"No, not at all. You're making perfect sense. We should hold national elections to fill supreme court vacancies."

Raoul crumpled up his newspaper in frustration. "That's absurd. It would mean whoever raises the most money will get to be a supreme court justice. Intellectual qualifications would be a side issue."

Peggy said, "But how important are intellectual qualifications right now? Won't the president make a choice on ideological grounds?"

"You folks are missing the point."

"I think we get the point. You're defending the status quo."

"I'm only trying to explain that the current system of appointments is fair in the long run," said Raoul.

"Yeah, but you have to live for a hundred years to see the long run," said Kelly. "I don't think my social security will last that long."

"Not if Gonzalez has his way," said Peggy.

"I give up. This conversation is going nowhere," said Raoul.

Then Kelly perked up his ears. "You hear that? Someone's playing ukulele music."

"Yes," said Peggy. "And he's singing…"


Click on the image to hear Iz Kamakawiwo'ole on ukulele and vocals.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Part Twenty-Seven

A shroud of white fog hung over the waters of Puget Sound. Overhead the sky glowed pink, and changed to a pale orange as Peggy looked eastward.

"Can you believe this fog?" Peggy said to Raoul as she took her seat on the 5:20 ferry.

"I can't even see Seattle," said Raoul. "It must have been swallowed in smoke from the fireworks."

It seemed like only hours earlier that Peggy was in an open motorboat with Raoul, Luke and Florence, speeding across Puget Sound to watch the fireworks near Seattle. Peggy and Raoul had hung onto the rails and grinned like children as the nineteen-foot boat tossed and bounced on the choppy waters, sending an occasional spray to dampen their cheeks. The night air was relatively balmy. Behind them, to the west, looking back over Bainbridge Island, they were treated to a dramatic red-and-purple sky and a view of the Olympic Range.



Luke was piloting the boat, and Peggy was relieved to see that he seemed to know what he was doing. She had never been on the Sound in a small craft, and it felt like an adventure. She needed an adventure, a distraction, really, from a weekend of emotional confusion.

On Friday she had kept to herself. She felt distant from Raoul and didn't want to see him, even though he had taken the day off from work and she knew he wanted to go walking in the Grand Forest. Instead, she made phone calls and got caught up on letters, and in the afternoon she shopped for new curtains for her bedroom. Not finding anything she liked, she bought fabric and resolved to make them herself. By evening she was well into the task and it gave her a feeling of self-reliance. But she couldn't help wondering how Raoul had spent his day.

The next morning she went to the farmer's market promptly to make sure she got eggs. They always sold out of them early, especially at the 4-H Club stall. After securing a dozen in her backpack, Peggy wandered throughout the market, listening to fiddle music and admiring the produce. She selected some very fresh-looking fingerling potatoes, a head of rosewood garlic, some local rasberries, and a batch of flowers.

Just as she was eyeing a mouth-watering cinnamon roll a voice behind her said, "I missed the eggs." It was Raoul, with an irresistable grin. He was dressed in khaki shorts and sandals and a colorful shirt.

Peggy shrugged. "I guess you'll have to settle for the ordinary grocery store variety," she said.

"I can't. I'm spoiled on farm eggs," he said. "I suppose you were here early."

"Sorry, my eggs aren't for resale."

They looked at the cinnamon rolls. Raoul said, "You know, one of those cinnamon rolls would look great next to a serving of farm-fresh scrambled eggs."

Fifteen minutes later they were in Peggy's kitchen. Raoul stood at the stove, cooking, while Peggy read the newspaper.

"I only agreed because I need someone to cook while I plan my day," she said.

"One should not plan one's day while distracted."

"There's a good concert at Pegasus tonight," she said.

"As a matter of fact I was planning to go to that. Wouldn't it be a coincidence if we bumped into each other there?"

That evening, with misgivings, Peggy sat across from Raoul at Pegasus Coffeehouse and had lemon rose tea while they listened to a delightful husband-and-wife duo play folk songs. (catlovescrow.com) Peggy told herself that she just wanted to hear the music and that she might as well have some casual company.

"Will you be downtown tomorrow night?" Raoul said when they were leaving. Sunday night was the big street dance and barbeque.

"Since I'm new to the area I suppose it would be useful to have an escort," she said.

The following evening they pushed through the throng of people that had crammed onto Winslow Way in downtown Bainbridge Island. They ate food and then joined a crowd dancing to some lively country tunes in front of a bandstand. It was Peggy's first time dancing with Raoul and she was impressed with his smooth, rhythmic movements and his lightness on his feet.

They apparently came to the same conclusion about each other. "You're a great dancer," he said.

"I love to dance but I could never drag Taylor onto a dance floor," said Peggy, referring to her late husband.

"Priscilla was a professional dancer and I was always too intimidated to dance with her," he said of his late wife.

When the music stopped they walked back to her house and drank beer on her small patio.

"I'm afraid I don't have your fantastic view," she said.

"I like the view right here," he said, looking at her. She blushed.

It was while watching the Fourth of July parade on Madison Avenue that Luke and Florence approached them to say hello. Luke and Raoul went up close to admire a line of engine-revving motorcycles while Peggy and Florence chatted in the shade of a tree.

"Luke is really impressed with Raoul," Florence said.

"He's an interesting man," said Peggy. "How do you know Raoul?"

"I used to be a secretary in his law firm. We were never involved, so don't worry."

"Oh, it's, uh, none of my business really," Peggy stammered.

"Ha. Famous last words," said Florence. "All I can say is that he never looked at me the way he looks at you."

Peggy didn't know what to say. When the men returned, Raoul said, "Luke has invited us to go out on his boat tonight to look at the fireworks."

Peggy wanted to say no, she had never cared much for fireworks, but Raoul had such an eager boyish look in his face that she agreed. It would be something new. Life with Raoul had been a series of new things, so many new things it made her dizzy. She had spent a lifetime doing a certain set of predictable things and hardly varying from that. Now it was all different. She felt like the proverbial old dog learning new tricks, but she didn't feel old. She felt young. And that's what gave her the courage to try.

And so on Fourth of July evening as they bobbed in the waters a short distance from downtown Seattle, sitting in the back of Luke's motorboat, brilliant explosions lit up the night sky with a riot of colors and shapes. In the distance they could see a second fireworks display over Lake Union. Peggy and Raoul huddled together and sipped tea spiked with rum. They kissed while a huge red glow lit up their faces.

Monday, July 04, 2005

Happy Fourth

Peggy and Raoul are taking a Fourth of July holiday on Bainbridge Island, WA. And if they are still speaking they might even enjoy it together!

Check back tomorrow.