Chapter 14
During the next three weeks, they drove fewer miles than usual. They leisurely travelled through Utah and Colorado, going from one scenic location to another even more spectacular sight: Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Capitol Reef National Park in Utah and then to Dinosaur National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, and Pikes Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. As they headed south, they stopped in Durango, Colorado, and took the breath-taking Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad trip. After each stop, they added pictures to their family vacation album. The motorhome was so roomy and comfortable, they never felt the need to stop at a hotel or motel. Another place they stayed a few extra days was at a beautiful private campground near Bear Lake. It had a game room where they played regular pool and bumper pool. Bryan and John enjoyed playing the video game machines. A small country-western band entertained around a small dance floor near a large outdoor campfire. One evening, Anne and John danced under the moonlight, while Bryan watched as the twins scooted around on a blanket on the floor in the RV.
Sometimes, while they drove, Bryan worked on writing his journal entries. At night, they worked on the pictures and watched TV or DVD movies. At Salt Lake City, they wandered around the city, visiting the Temple Square. A horse-drawn carriage tour gave them an overview of attractions to see in the capitol city. After seeing many of the historic buildings, they detoured and visited the children’s hospital and checked it out. Because of things hinted at in the TV news shows, they didn’t talk to the administration like they had at the first couple of hospitals; instead they sat in the waiting rooms and visited with some of the parents and patients. Later Anne wrote down their comments and noted some areas where MSA grants might be able to help.
They stopped just before the Arizona state line at a campground near Gouldings, Utah. They checked in to the campground and then they took a guided tour of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The size and majesty of the red rock formations awed them. Stopping briefly at a Navajo hogan, they watched an elderly woman dressed in traditional clothing working at an old loom weaving a colorful blanket. They purchased a woven rug for the living area of the motorhome. While in the park, the twins began coughing. There was a small hospital/clinic near Gouldings They decided to stop there and have Marco and Angela checked out because of their coughing. The clinic was rather run down and did not have much room, but the doctor examined the twins very carefully and prescribed some medicine to ease their coughing and congestion. After leaving the Navajo Reservation, they drove down into Flagstaff. where they checked out the local hospital. They decided to give a grant to the Navajo medical clinic in Kayenta to update its facility and also to the Flagstaff Hospital’s children’s unit.
While in Phoenix, they stopped at Good Samaritan Hospital. They were very impressed by the facility, and they decided to give a generous donation to the pediatric unit. After each stop, they carefully logged in travel and donation information, contacted the foundation’s attorney and accountant with instructions on amounts and when to send the grant letters. In Arizona, they also decided to give grants to help fund research for childhood cancer and diabetes at the University of Arizona and also at Arizona State University.
From Tucson, they headed to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. The weather was hotter than the earlier part of their trip, and they were glad their air conditioner was working very efficiently. They parked at a campground near Carlsbad Caverns, and they spent most of the first day touring the caverns. In the evening, they went to watch the bats fly out of the cave entrance to go hunting for food. When it got dark, a huge mass of bats came pouring out and filled the evening sky. Later that night, they sat outside the RV and watched the immense vista of the night sky sprinkled with a brilliant display of meteor showers. While sleeping that night, they heard the mournful, yet exciting, sound of coyotes howling in the distance. Later that night, Bryan woke up and looked out the window. He quietly woke up John and Anne so they could watch a family of javelina’s roaming around the campground searching for food. Bryan grabbed the camera and took several pictures of the javelina families.
In the morning, they headed southeast towards Texas. The ride through Texas seemed endless as they travelled across the flat dry semi-arid landscape. After many hours, they reached San Antonio. After finding a place to stay at a RV park, they took a walking tour of the Alamo. Later they walked along the riverbank area and ate at a small café that had outside tables overlooking the river. Completely over their cough and congestion, the twins were well and happily chewed on crackers and other food.
Every few days, John checked in with Joe to see how the cases were going. Joe reported, “We are getting a lot of questions about you and Anne, and several reporters have been nosing around trying to locate John for interviews. They are also trying to find Anne, but so far, they don’t know you are together. All of the crime bosses have been bailed out on bonds by their attorneys. We’ve been trying to keep track of them, but we can’t prove that they are actively looking for you. You know how they work, so be very careful. I think you should come back here so we can protect all of you.”
John said, “I know you mean well, but I think we are safer out of sight than in any protective cover. Besides, I don’t want my family feeling like they are locked up. I’m really glad they haven’t figured that out Anne and I are together. So far, we feel fairly safe travelling around, but once more information gets out, I expect there will be more pressure on finding us. I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk to reporters before the trials start. I am trying to keep one step ahead of anyone trying to find us. Last night, we heard some TV news shows are offering rewards to people who give them information on where we are, but so far they haven’t been able to locate us. I appreciate your not letting any information slip. I realize sometime before the trials start, I will have to give depositions to the defense attorneys. Until that time, we are going to continue moving around. You have my old cell phone number. If anything important comes up, call me. Thanks for everything, Joe. I really appreciate your not telling what we are doing.”
That night they were again featured on the major TV news shows. This time, they had located more recent photos of Anne at her last nursing school. It showed her standing with a group of nurses at graduation. In the picture, Anne was clearly visible. Her hair then was dark brown and and hung below her shoulders. After looking at it, Anne said, “Well, now they’re looking for a woman with long dark brown hair. I can take care of that with a little time, money, and effort.”
The next day, Anne went to a beauty salon and got her hair cut short. She also had it dyed a light honey blonde shade. Later that afternoon, when she walked into the motorhome, John and Bryan looked at her and smiled.
John looked at her and whistled softly, “Wow, I’ve never been married to a beautiful blonde before. I think I am going to like this. Is it true that blondes have more fun?” he asked with a roguish grin.
Anne laughed and said, “I don’t know if that’s true or not. I’ll let you know later. I haven’t been a blonde before. I know since I met you, I’ve had more fun and excitement than I had in my whole life until then. I’m not sure if I can handle much more fun or excitement, but I’m willing to try for more happiness. How could anything be better than being married to you and having three beautiful, healthy children? Do I still look like the woman in the news photo?”
“There’s no way they could recognize you as that woman in the photo. Let’s send out some other grant letters to the Denver area. That should lead them in the wrong direction, too,” John suggested.
“Mom, you look so different with your hair cut short. I really like it. I almost didn’t recognize you when you walked in,” Bryan said. Anne walked over and hugged him,
“I’m glad to hear that. What do you guys want to do today?” Anne ask
ed.
John said, “Last night, I checked and found there are some other interesting places to see in San Antonio. There is a bus tour of some of the famous and historical areas of the city. Does that sound like something you might enjoy?”
Anne looked at Bryan and asked, “What would you like to do, Bryan? Does that sound like fun to you?”
“I’ll go wherever you want to go,” he added hesitantly.
“Bryan, you always do what we suggest, but, if you were running this ‘tour,’ what would you like to do?” she asked again.
“I think I’d choose something with more action, like miniature golf, bowling, hiking, fishing, or things like that. We’ve done a lot of riding and looking out windows the last few weeks. I saw a sign that said the State Fair was going on this week. Maybe we could go and check it out,” Bryan suggested.
John said, “You did a better job of checking things out than I did. I agree with you. We have done a lot of riding lately. The Fair sounds like a great idea to me too. What do we need to get ready so we can go have fun at the Fair?”
Anne said, “We’ll need to get things ready for the twins—diapers, changes of clothes, some food and juice for them. We’ll take jackets or extra wraps in case it gets cool tonight. Any other things we can pick up at the fair or while we are on our way.”
John and Bryan walked up to the RV park office and asked, “We heard the State Fair was running now. How can we get there from here?”
The RV park owner, said, “My family is going there tonight, too. If you don’t mind riding in my old van, you can go over and back with us so you don’t have to disconnect your coach and take your RV.”
John said, “That’s very nice of you. It would sure make it a lot easier for us, if you are sure we won’t be too much trouble. When are you planning on going?”
Bill said, “We’re going in about an hour. Is that time OK for you? My son Jeff will be happy to have you along. My wife and I aren’t much on the rides, but maybe your son would like going on them with him. Jeff is twelve, and he likes the rides and the food at the fair, too. We’ll meet here in about an hour. See you then.”
Anne was overjoyed to hear about riding over with the park owner and his family. They got busy and were ready and waiting eagerly when they found Bill, his wife, and son seated in a VW van that looked old and worn out, but seemed to run fairly well. They piled into it and buckled everyone into place. It was about a 20 minute ride to the fairgrounds. The parking lot was crowded, but Bill had a handicap license plate so he was able to park in a special section close to the main entrance.
As they were walking in, John noticed Jeff was pushing his mother in an old wheel chair. He asked hesitantly, “I don’t want to be nosey, by why is your wife in a wheel chair?”
Bill explained, “Madge has a degenerative muscle disease. She can still stand and do some walking, but she gets tired very quickly. Since she’s going to lose her ability to walk, we try to get out and do as much as we can together as a family. We’ve been hit really hard by medical bills, but we go whenever we get a chance. We are storing up happy memories for later. Now we are hanging on as well as we can.”
Anne asked, “Is there any treatment available to cure or slow down the progress of the disease?”
Bill looked down at the ground, “We’ve tried everything we can around here. There is one new experimental drug and treatment program available now, but it is very expensive. Our insurance won’t cover it because it is still in the trial stage. By the time it finally gets approved, it will probably be too late to help her,” he muttered hopelessly. “I hate seeing her wasting away like this! She means the world to me! I’ve been trying for months to sell the RV park to raise money for the therapy and treatment, but so far, no one seems interested. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem fair, but we are still hoping for a miracle.”
Anne looked at John and said, “I still believe miracles can happen. Sometimes God will bring help in mysterious ways. Someday you may ‘entertain angels unaware’, as it says in the Bible. Don’t give up hope. Just keep enjoying the times you have together. It doesn’t help to worry about tomorrow. We can’t change tomorrow anyway, but worrying spoils our todays, also.”
John agreed, “Today is all we can really rely on. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. We will pray for you and your situation. Have faith and hope.”
Once inside the fairgrounds, they followed the boys and headed for the carnival section. John gave Bryan enough money to purchase ride tickets for Jeff and him. The adults wandered over and sat on a bench where they could keep an eye on the boys. John and Anne took the twins out of their backpacks and held them. Madge admired the twins and asked if she could hold one. John handed Marco to her. Her smile showed how much she loved little children. While Anne fed Angela, Madge gave Marco a bottle of juice. Later she held Angela and gave her a bottle of juice. John and Bill wandered over to get on the Tilt-a-Whirl ride with their sons. Madge watched them laughing and spinning on the ride.
“It is so good to get out of the house and see people. I think I miss that the most right now. I used to go on all the rides with Bill and Jeff. Now I get to watch them. That is a treat, but I miss doing things with them. It’s wonderful to see them laughing and smiling. Bill has so much on his mind. I know he is frustrated and worried about me, but I’m worried about them and how they will get along when I can no longer take care of myself or them. I love them so much,” she said softly.
“I think you have a wonderful family. It is obvious that you love each other. No matter what happens, a loving family is still the most important thing in life. Don’t give up hope. I believe God will answer your prayers. Take it one day at a time,” Anne said confidently. “Thanks for helping me feed the twins. It helps having an extra pair of hands at times.”
After the boys went on most of the rides, they strolled over to the Mid-Way and looked at the games. John and Bill walked around with the boys. They tried all the games. John won a large stuffed animal at the shooting booth. Jeff knocked down the Milk Bottles and won a stuffed animal, too. The boys tried several of the other games. They won a few prizes, but most of the time it was just a little plastic toy, but they proudly showed them off to their moms.
The two families wandered through the exhibit halls. They stopped at the Food Display and Bill proudly pointed out a huge Best in Fair blue ribbon for an apple pie that Madge had entered. She also won blue ribbons and a few dollars of prize money for some homemade blackberry jam and a tall chocolate cake.
“Madge is a wonderful cook. She spoils us with her delicious cooking. If you stay around for another day or two, we’d like to have you over for dinner. We don’t entertain very much any more. This has been a such a wonderful evening out for us tonight. I haven’t seen Jeff look so happy in a long time! The boys are getting along so well together, we’d love to have you over tomorrow for lunch or dinner,” Bill said.
“Why not let us take you out for dinner? We don’t want to put you to so much trouble,” John said.
Madge spoke up, “I love to cook. It would be a treat for me to have company to cook for. We could play cards or games or watch a movie afterwards, if you want to.”
“We’d be delighted to have dinner with you,” Anne said. “What can we bring to help out? I’m not much of a cook, but I’d like to help some way.”
“All you need to bring is yourself, but if you want to bring some ice cream or drinks that you like, that would be fine. I can handle the rest of the meal. I’m so happy you are coming. What kind of food do you like?”
John laughed and said, “We like almost everything, and we trust you to make something good. Anne is a good cook, but we’ve been travelling a long time, and she is not used to planning regular family meals. This will be a real treat for all of us.”
The next day, Anne went to the local market and bought a bottle of red wine, some soft drinks, and a
carton of ice cream to take to dinner at Bill and Madge’s house. While walking back to the Motorhome, Anne thought about all that she had learned about Madge and her condition. She wanted to get more information before saying anything else, but a plan grew in her mind about making a special bequest to Bill and Madge. She didn’t say anything to John or Bryan until she researched more information about the disease and its treatment, but she knew she wanted to give them the chance at a ‘normal’ life together.
At 4:30 pm, Bryan, Anne, and John arrived carrying Marco and Angela and all the things they thought they might need during the evening. Bryan carried the diaper bag and a gift bag with the ice cream and wine. When they rang the doorbell, Bill opened the door and invited them inside. Their mobile home was clean and neat. Anne walked around looking at all the family pictures hanging on the walls. She could clearly see that Madge had been getting steadily worse with this strange disease.
Madge had a tall stool sitting in the kitchen. From time to time, she sat down and rested. Anne could tell she felt embarrassed, but she smiled and worked steadily. When it came time to eat, Bill and Jeff grabbed the food from the oven and stove and carried them into the dining room. It was obvious that they had taken great care to have the table set and looking pretty. Bill helped Madge come in from the kitchen. He seated her in the chair at the head of the table. Before sitting down, Bill asked them to join hands for a blessing. Madge struggled to stand, not wanting to sit while the others stood. Bill took her hand and Jeff held her other hand. Bill bowed his head and said a beautiful prayer of blessing on the food and on the people who were eating it. He thanked God for Madge and the wonderful meal she had prepared with love and joy. After he said Amen, everyone sat down. Anne noticed how carefully Bill helped her sit down again
As the food was being served by Bill, everything looked and smelled delicious. “I hope you like Italian food. Lasagna is one of my favorite things to make. I decided that would be a good entrée. There is also a Caesar salad with my own special dressing. There is fresh made garlic bread and green beans San Antonio style. That’s another favorite of my family and friends. Jeff, will you take orders for drinks and serve them?” Madge asked quietly.
“Sure, Mom. We have milk, cola, coffee, iced tea, wine, and ice water, too,” he added. He quickly took the orders and walked into the kitchen.
Bryan stood up and went into the kitchen behind him. “Can I help you?” Bryan asked. Jeff poured the drinks, and Bryan helped carry the beverages into the dining room. Soon everyone was served.
Anne took a bite of the lasagna. “Wow! This is amazing! It’s the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted. Bill, when you said Madge was a good cook, you weren’t doing her justice. This is awesome. Did you make this all from scratch? How did you ever learn to cook this well?” Anne enthused.
Madge beamed at the high praise. “My mama taught me, and she was a truly great cook. I just love experimenting with food. It makes me feel happy to cook something special for my family and friends.”
“Anne will tell you that I don’t like green beans at all, but these are delicious! How did you take something as boring as green beans and make it into something so tasty? Sorry, Anne, but you know I don’t usually eat them. Could I have a little more? This is a fantastic feast! Thank you, Madge and Bill, for inviting us. This is the best meal I can remember eating ever! Sorry, Anne. I like your cooking, but.”
“Don’t worry, John. I agree completely. This is a real treat. Bryan is usually a light eater, but he sure cleaned his plate. What do you have to say?” Anne asked.
“Could I have a little more? It tastes so good! Sorry, Mom,” he added guiltily. Anne laughed and handed his plate to Bill for seconds.
Bill refilled plates for John and Bryan. The twins sat in their car seats and chewed on the bread and took bites of the green beans. They cooed and watched everyone happily.
After dinner, Bryan and Jeff got up and helped clear the dishes off the table. Bill walked into the kitchen and returned with a tall chocolate cake. John and Anne groaned. “I love cake, but I am stuffed from this wonderful meal. I think I’ll burst if I eat any more,” Anne groaned.
“Would you like to wait a while and have some dessert later? This is the trial chocolate cake that didn’t make it to the fair. I agree with you. I’d rather wait and enjoy some later,” Bill suggested.
After dinner, Jeff and Bryan disappeared into his bedroom to play a new video game that Jeff got for his birthday. Through the closed door, the adults heard them laughing and cheering each other on. While the boys played their game, Bill, Madge, John, and Anne sat in the living room talking like old friends. Tactfully, Anne asked some more questions about the new medicine and treatment that they had mentioned at the fair. Bill got out an article they had been given by Madge’s doctor. They had investigated several financial aid sources, but had not been able to locate any source of funding. Anne explained that she had been a nurse and had never heard about it. Bill talked freely about the research and results others had achieved using it. Anne made mental notes and decided to check it out for herself later.
The twins scooted around on the floor and cooed and kicked and giggled. Madge asked if she could hold one of the twins. John handed her Marco. “He is a little calmer and easier to hold than his hyperactive sister. Since we’ve been travelling for so long, they don’t know what to do with all this floor space. Anne picked up Angela and held her. When Angela settled down and was beginning to get sleepy, Anne took Marco from Madge and handed her Angela. “The only time she is quiet and angelic is when she is nearly asleep,” Anne said. Anne watched Madge’s face as she held Angela. Her body seemed to relax, and her face grew as peaceful as Angela’s.
After the twins dropped off to sleep, Bill and John went to the kitchen. They cut pieces of cake and added a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Even though Bryan and Jeff were still playing the game, they put it on pause and hurried out to eat their cake and ice cream. After finishing, they served the grown up some coffee and headed back in to play the game again.
Anne noticed that Madge was beginning to look a little tired. She caught John’s eye and said, “I have really enjoyed this evening so much. I had forgotten how much fun it is to get together with friends. When we finally get through travelling and settle down somewhere, I hope we can have people over for dinner and visit. Do you deliver?” She asked with a laugh.
Madge giggled and blushed. “Sorry, I don’t have a catering license, but maybe I can send a care package with you,” she answered.
”Thank you again for taking us to the fair with you. Bryan had a great time, and so did we. If I lived closer, I’d probably gain 40 pounds from your delicious cooking. The meal was great, but, even better, the company was delightful. This is a memory we will all cherish as we go back on the road,” John said as he got ready to leave.
“Where are you heading next?” Bill asked.
Anne glanced at John and said honestly, “We don’t have any specific plans or places in mind. We are just going from day to day. It is fun to travel, but one day, we are going to settle down. We just don’t know where or when that will be. I guess we will know the time and the place when we come to it. Someday we may even head back through Texas.” She and John began gathering up the twins, while Bryan grabbed the diaper bags and headed for the door.
“Maybe you can come back and visit with us again. It has been a very special evening for us, too. You are welcome to come back and eat or visit anytime. If you get a chance, drop us a line wherever you go,” Bill added when they walked outside. After they were back at their motorhome, Bryan asked, “Did you notice the tears in Jeff’s eyes when he held his mom’s hand during prayer. It made me want to cry, too, when I saw how much he was hurting.”
Anne said, “Yes, I noticed it, too. I feel so bad for them. They are such nice people.”
“I wish there was something we c
ould do to help them,” Bryan said.
After Bryan was asleep, Anne did a thorough study on the internet about the new treatment. After breakfast the next morning, she called a family meeting and told Bryan and John what she wanted to do for Bill and Madge. Bryan and John agreed enthusiastically.
“They are exactly the kind of hard working people I want to help out. Let’s do it,” John said.
That afternoon, Anne contacted the lawyer’s office. She told them to make up a Grant letter from the foundation to Bill and Madge for medical expenses. She asked that they include this message with the grant letter. “Thanks for a wonderful dinner and a fun night at the Fair. We are definitely not angels, but we are in the position to help make your dream of getting the new treatment for Madge’s medical condition come true. You are exactly the kind of people we are hoping to help with money from the MSA Foundation. We are blessed with the financial resources to pay for the medical treatment that Madge needs to beat the problem she has been fighting for so long. It is our great joy and pleasure to provide the finances you need. We will check back with you later to see how the treatment is going once we are back at home. Please write to the foundation if this grant does not cover the full amount. Please let us know how much it helps. We enjoyed spending time with you in San Antonio at the fair and at your house. John and the children and I are travelling for personal reasons and don’t have a permanent address now, but if you need to contact us, for any reason, call the attorney’s office and we will call you. Our prayers and best wishes go out to all of you. God bless you now and always. Please don’t tell others about meeting us and how you got this grant until we tell you it is all right. We don’t want anything leaked about where we are until we finish our travelling. Just enjoy your life together. If you’ve been watching the TV news shows the last few months, this may make more sense to you.”