Umber (53.5 — Ervin’s Story)

“So what happened?” I asked Ervin.

“Well, to make a long story short, we loaded up the pick-up with the old lady’s bureau and as much of Vera’s stuff as we could, put Miss Brigid on a train for Kearney, and Vera, Oleander and I drove all the way back to Nebraska.  Oleander held the kitten on her lap, and the farther we got from Laramie, the happier she seemed.  Vera and I talked about old times, and it seemed as if a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Kate, Stanley, Alfred and his little sister Annie met us at Myrna’s house in Kearney, and Oleander hit it off with her little cousins right away.  The old Irish babysitter had already arrived, and was waiting with Kate when we got there.  We were just sitting down to dinner when my dad–Delbert–and Uncle Orville came to the door.”