The Crazy Lady of Roaring River

The Crazy Lady of Roaring River: Part 11

"You need to call Brian," Divinia said, obviously distressed. Still nothing made sense to Ana. On the contrary, she was even more confused than before. "Why do I need to call Brian?" she carefully asked. Divinia handed her the picture and the fine chain. "Look at the picture Ana! Look!" Divinia's hands were still trembling. Ana reluctantly took both objects. "Look at the crucifix in your tiny hand! Don't  you see it? Here, use the magnifying glass!" Ana took the magnifying glass and studied the picture. It was mostly faded except for the right bottom corner that predominantly featured the newborn. And then she saw it: attached to the tiny crucifix was a very fine chain, a chain with an unusual style and a rose pendant, a style and pendant very similar to the one she was holding in her hand right now. "But... but how... what is this?" Ana stuttered. "You need to call Brian! Oh Lord, let this not be true!" Divinia cried softly. "Ana, that is a gravesite all right! But I have a suspicion it is not the cat's. Oh, Lord... It can't be, it can't be!" Divininia remembered old lady Alice's accusations back in the day... the town gossip... Kathleen refusing anyone to see the baby for months on end. "Oh, Lord have mercy!"

Ana, in a very much perplexed state, called Brian. He was not in the office and she left a message. He returned her call within minutes. She urged him to come over right away. She wouldn't explain. How could she explain? By the urgency in her voice, Brian knew something was up and immediately left for the Sim's house. He found Divinia, obviously distressed and softly mumbling a prayer, seated in a chair on the porch. He tried to comfort the older woman. "Please, Divinia, tell me what happened?" Brian's concern grew by the second. But Divinia wouldn't respond to Brian's pleas. She silently refused to believe what she had just possibly uncovered. She tried to bargain with God to not let this be true, to spare  Ana any added grief. But deep inside she feared the possibility of a tiny body buried under that peach tree. 

Ana appeared in the doorway holding a mug with a hot substance. She handed it to Divinia. "Please drink it! Come on, God knows you need it." Divinia took the mug with what appears to be tea, or maybe something more potent, from Ana whilst both women silently acknowledged Brian's presence. "Can anyone please just tell me what happened?" Brian requested with a worried, almost agitated tone to his voice. "You look like you've had some bad news! What happened?" Ana had her arm around Divinia's shoulders, trying to comfort and calm the older woman down. "Brian, you need to read this!" Ana nervously requested whilst handing him the letter. "Just read it, please! Maybe you can make more sense of it?" 

Whatever the substance in the mug, it seemed to have the desired effect as Divinia appeared to have calmed down after a minute or two. Ana covered her shoulders with a blanket and stroke her back. Divinia was still fighting back the tears whilst Brian read the letter. Ana urged him to read the last paragraph twice. He had a baffled look on his face as he handed the letter back to Ana. "I'm not sure what to make of this?" he replied. "Any hints or suggestions perhaps? You know your mom was confused in her last days?" An uncomfortable silence followed. Finally Divinia spoke. She spoke slowly but clearly and told them everything she knew, everything she remembered and heard all those years ago and her uneasy suspicion with regards to the gravesite. Brian and Ana just stared at her, finding it hard, almost impossible to believe what they have just heard. Could there be truth to any of this? "Lord knows, I am praying that I'm mistaken... but I just can't shake this eerie feeling..." Divinia sobbed.

"Are you sure, Divinia?" Brian was the first to respond. Ana was simply stunned, her thoughts racing at hundred miles a minute. She felt a little nauseated. "Divinia, are you sure about this?" he probed again. The older woman nodded her head: "I'm so sorry Ana, really I am..." Ana was unable to respond and followed Brian like a sheep towards the front door. "I will need to see that gravesite!" Brian almost instructed the two women. He sounded more like a police officer now. He headed towards the back door in the kitchen and made his way towards the back yard. Ana pointed in the direction of the neglected site now covered with weeds, the white pebbles and the familiar angel statue under the peach tree. Was the little angel statue taunting her? It sure felt that way. Deep inside she was praying that Divinia got this all wrong this time around.