The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion Read Free

much younger, she and Earle used to go sit there almost every evening to watch the sunset and listen to the church bells that rang up and down the bay. They hadn’t done that in years. She was so looking forward to being alone with Earle again.
    Sookie took the two bags of seeds out of the car and put them in the little greenhouse Earle had built for her, where she kept her bird supplies. A few minutes later, after she went inside, Sookie suddenly noticed how quiet the house was. Almost eerily quiet. As she stood there, all she could hear was the ticking of the kitchen clock and the cry of the seagulls out on the bay. It was so strange not to hear a door slamming or someone running up and down the stairs. How pleasantto have peace and quiet, and not hear loud music blaring from someone’s room. So pleasant, in fact, she thought maybe she would fix herself a cup of tea and sit and relax a few minutes before she headed out again.
    Just as she was reaching for a tea bag, the kitchen phone rang. Now that the house was empty, it sounded like a fire alarm going off. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID number. It was a long-distance call, but not from an area code she recognized, so she just let it ring. She was too tired to talk to anyone if she didn’t have to. In the past few days she’d had to smile and talk to so many people that her face still hurt.
    Sookie stuck a cup of water in the microwave, grabbed her tea bag, and went out on the screened-in porch to enjoy it. She sat down in her big white wicker chair. The bay was as smooth as glass, not a ripple in sight.
    She noticed that her gardenia bushes were still in bloom and thought she might cut off a few and float them in a dish in the living room. They always made the house smell so sweet. She took a deep breath of fresh air and was about to have her first sip of tea when the phone started ringing again. Oh, Lord, it was obviously somebody calling the wrong number or a solicitor trying to sell her something, and if she didn’t answer they would probably drive her crazy all day. She got up and went back to the kitchen and picked up. It was her mother.
    “Sookie, I need you to come over here right now.”
    “Mother, is something wrong?”
    “I have something extremely important to discuss with you.”
    “Oh, Mother, can’t it wait? I just got home.”
    “No, it cannot!”
    “Oh, well … all right. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    Sookie frowned as she hung up. That particular tone in her mother’s voice always made her a little anxious. Had Lenore found out she had spoken to the woman at Westminster Village about assisted living? She had just been inquiring about the price, and it had only been one short call. But if someone had told Lenore she would be furious.
    A few minutes later, Sookie walked over, and the nurse, who wasin the front yard cutting fresh flowers, looked up and said, “Oh, good morning, Mrs. Poole,” then added with a sympathetic little smile, “God bless you.”
    “Thank you, Angel,” said Sookie.
    Oh, Lord … it must be worse than she thought. As Sookie walked into the house, she called out, “Mother?”
    “I’m here.”
    “Where’s ‘here’?”
    “In the dining room, Sookie.”
    Sookie went in and saw her mother seated at the large Georgian dining room table with the twelve Queen Anne chairs. On the table, placed in front of her, was the large leather box with the maroon velvet inside that held her set of the Francis I silverware. Next to the box was the large Simmons family Bible.
    “What’s going on, Mother?”
    “Sit down.”
    Sookie sat down and waited for whatever was coming. Lenore looked at her and said, “Sookie, I called you here today because I am not entirely convinced that you fully appreciate what you will be receiving upon my demise. As my only daughter, you will be inheriting the entire set of the Simmons family silver … and before I can die in peace, I want you to swear on this Bible that