March 2002
Peggy placed the tray with chocolate, vanilla, and blueberry cupcakes, cookies and scones on the table in her dining room. She checked that the matching teacups and saucers, side plates all edged in a pink floral design, teaspoons, cake forks, and baby pink napkins waited for the arrival of her best friends.
She walked slowly to her favorite place in her quaint house; a little bay window that gave Peggy a beautiful view of her small but neat garden. She sat on the cushion that rested on the built in seat in the window and watched the birds bathing in the water of the bird bath. Their chirping always made her heart happy even on sad days such as this day always was.
Over all the years the anniversary of Harvey’s death was constantly painful for Peggy. She had never loved again nor sought to love again, and her heart pounded agonizingly and unendingly for the children she and Harvey might have had. She’d had many suitors and even dated some of them once or twice. Her friends encouraged her to date and to find love again, not to replace Harvey; they knew that was a ridiculous notion. They prayed that Peggy would fall in love with a man who’d love and respect her. They hoped she would have children but it was not to be, Peggy always ended the relationship before it had even begun. The only love Peggy ever knew and wanted was Harvey’s.
So Peggy paved a life for her in the school for the Africans at Silversands. It grew and grew in number that when Peggy retired the school employed six teachers, all at the pre-school level. She rubbed her arm unconsciously and fiddled with the bracelet they gave her on her last day. She never took it off along with the chain that hung around her neck holding the gathering of the cameo, Harvey’s dog-tags, his signet ring, and his wedding band.
Peggy sighed and looked out the window again. She took in a deep breath and inhaled the sweet fragrance of the Gardenia and the Yesterday Today and Tomorrow flowers. She watched as butterflies chased about going from one tree to another. She sighed again, her mind reminiscent of her lifelong friends.
They had over all these years lived near to each other, and now that they were all retired they all lived in the same retirement village. Peggy smiled, and her saddened heart lifted knowing how blessed she was to have such lifelong friends.
Audrey and Frank; Well Frank was baptized on the first day Cecil started preaching at his church, and a day later he proposed. Audrey’s reply was that she would think about it which did not bold too well with Frank. A day later Audrey proposed to Frank expecting him to be as unkind to her as she was to him. Instead, he screamed out “Hallelujah” and kissed her. Frank remained in the Army until his retirement in 1994. They had a tumultuous relationship, always goading and teasing one another. People that did not know them well or in fact strangers were easily fooled into believing that they were constantly fighting.
Dorothy and Cecil; As soon as they were released from their contracts with the SSS, Cecil started his ministry in a small church in Sandown Bay. They lived a very quiet, peaceful but fulfilled life and were involved in many charity events and community projects. Peggy was usually roped into helping with these events and projects, and she always gave more of her time and herself than what was required.
Maisy and Desmond; the four ladies would never have thought that on the day when they met Staff Sergeant Erasmus, that he would become a part of their lifelong friends. They were utterly petrified of him and his boisterous bark that they nearly ran away in terror, especially Maisy. But Desmond was such a softie; he cried so much at their wedding he was unable to say his vows. His English had never improved, and well that was perhaps how it had to be. Desmond was not their Dessie unless he spoke in his broken English. He too remained with the Army until his retirement in 1993.
Peggy closed her eyes and thought of Lt. Mrs. Vivien Simpson and how wonderful it was that they had remained friends after the war. Vivien often visited Peggy at the school until she and her husband moved to Durban. She received a phone call in 1990 from Vivien’s daughter informing Peggy that Vivien had passed away after suffering a severe stroke. Peggy attended the funeral. Her eulogy evoked her deep personal emotions from their time together as officers and as friends that Peggy struggled to give Vivien the honor she deserved. Vivien’s daughter was genuinely touched.
And what had become of Cpt. Maxwell Vogel? Peggy had the greatest respect for him. He always knew when it was right to cross the friendship line and when it was not. Harvey’s death had changed him; it had touched a nerve that he should not have felt as a captain. After Harvey’s death, it was as though he wanted to cut that line between captain and friends forever, not only with Peggy but with everyone. He stayed with the Army until his retirement, but he was sent to the Bernard Price Institute as a lecturer in Radar physics. He often wrote to Peggy clearly indicating how he did not enjoy his work, but he remained there because his wife was happy. He reiterated to Peggy that his wife deserved this happiness having sacrificed so many years apart due to the war. Peggy sighed at the memory of Maxwell; he was so much like Harvey it was no wonder she was so fond of him.
Ham and Bacon; where did Chef and her two pigs end up? No one knew. The last anyone heard from Chef she was working on a pig farm. Peggy felt assured that Ham and Bacon got treated like royalty.
Peggy smiled gratefully at her fond memories. She knew how blessed she was to have forever been surrounded by so much love; without it, she dreaded even to think of how miserable her wounded heart could have turned out. The four best friends were at each other’s side for every occasion such as illnesses, births of their children, engagements, marriages, births of their grandchildren, anniversaries, and birthdays. It was all these momentous occasions that kept the love in Peggy’s heart from dying.
A knock on the door brought her back to the day on hand. Every year and they had never missed one; the four best friends got together for tea on the anniversary of Harvey’s death. Not to mourn and to wrench the sadness out of it, but to just be together as friends who loved each other. This year Peggy nervously knew was going to be very different.