My brother called me one night when I was out. He and his wife, Violet, were living in my hometown yet, but because of work, I had to move 450 miles away. We chatted frequently talking about everything and about how mom and dad were doing.
So when his name appeared on the phone screen under missed calls, I didn't get concerned until I heard voice mail he left as I was listening to them later that night, "Tim, please call when you can it is urgent."
It was 10:00 PM when I called him back, my first fear was that something happened to mom or dad. I hit speed dial with a knot in my stomach bracing to hear the worst.
"Hello, Steve, how is it going?"
"Hi, (he was almost crying) Tim, can you come home for a few days?"
The knot got tighter.
"Is it the folks?"
"No, it is Violet and me. Tim (he was crying) has been cheating on me with some guy from where she works. Tim (he was crying so hard he could not speak )
Tim, can you come home for a few days"
"Where is she now?"
"With her sister Jane."
."I'll leave tomorrow and drive straight through."
"Thanks, I appreciate you doing that for me."
It was a 14-hour drive but he was crying like a baby. I hadn't heard him cry since he was 11 years old. I left early the next morning. Fortunately, I had a job with a great deal of latitude with my comings and goings. I pull into his driveway around 6:30 PM that afternoon. My brother stumbles out of the house drunker than I've ever seen him. When I got into the house, it would have looked better if a tornado had it.
"I am going to call Sue." She is one of our sisters.
"I don't want her to know"
"Dolt, probably already knows because she works in the same small office as Violet and she manages it."
I hit speed dial, she picks up her phone, "I was wondering when you were going call big brother."
"Can you come over here?"
"Yes, Bill's got the kids and I'll bring Jane." Jane Is another sister.
I am looking for another Jane on this phone's speed dial, she is Violet's sister, I find the number. "Hello, a soft answer."
"Are you Violet's sister?"
"Yes?"
"I am Timothy Meuller, Steve's elder brother."
"Violet said you would call."
"We all need to meet in a couple of one I get this drunk sobered up and this place doesn't look and smell worse than a pigsty.
"Wednesday?"
"Wednesday it is. Thank you, Jane."
When Wednesday came and Violet's sister walked through the door it pricked my memory into who she really was. She was that beautiful woman that I danced with as often as I could at Violets and Steve's wedding. The one who stole my heart.
"You are that Jane from the wedding the one who was going back to Germany to study."
"Yes, I am flattered you remember me after all the years."
"It's only been 10-years?"
"Six years and 4 months, Tim," was her reply.
"Well, what happened between them.?"