Beyond the Pale

But, I had a plan.

*****

It was a gorgeous July day, and we were watching a pretty, brown-haired coed, eat an ice cream cone. America had survived Korea, Joe McCarthy, the Vietnam War, the Flower Power Revolution and Richard Nixon.

It was the Country's Bi-Centennial and a former Michigan football player was the President. Mavis and I were hanging around the Belleville American Music Festival. The locals called it BamFest. It's an annual event, and it features some pretty good blues. So, the college kids, from nearby Madison, come in herds.

Mavis was as gorgeous as ever, in her 56th year. The only thing the three babies had done for her figure, was increase her bust size. And, she still had those shapely legs and supple ass. But her glory was her stunning face, which remained wrinkle free.

I nodded in the direction of an early twenties kid. He was making his way through the crowd. He looked tentative and uncomfortable, like he thought he didn't belong there. He was a good-looking lad, tall and muscular, obviously a farmer, not a college student.

Mavis squeezed my hand lovingly. Then she made a bee-line for him. She plucked at his arm and said flirtatiously, "Could you please show me where the food trucks are." She put a lot of her legendary heat into the request.

The kid started to point, then he took a good look at the woman who was asking the question. Mavis was old enough to be his mom. But nobody's mom EVER looked like Mavis.

That gave the kid a better idea. He said eagerly, "I'll take you."

What the heck!! It was worth it for a fellow to go a bit out of his way, if he got to spend time with such a remarkable woman. As they walked off, Mavis turned back to me and gave me a big wink .

In the meantime, the girl finished her ice-cream cone and wandered off in the direction of the parking lot. She was clearly looking for her friends.

And so, the kid didn't stumble into the girl. The girl didn't spill her ice-cream cone. There was no apology. There was no instant attraction. There were no dates, there was no marriage... And, I was never born.

EPILOGUE

Ava Jensen stopped in at the Hot Spot. She was beginning a tour with the Joffrey next week, and this was her last day in town. It was rare for a 21 year old Wisconsin girl to succeed in the big-time world of professional dance. But she had worked hard to get there, and she believed in her own destiny.

Ava knew that she was adopted. the Jensens couldn't have kids. But they had nurtured and loved Ava like their own. And, Penny Jensen's wisdom and encouragement had created the beautiful, intelligent and highly accomplished woman that Ava was today.

Dot, the octogenarian who owned the Hot Spot, was sitting in the back booth. She was there, with a much older lady. That woman was somewhere in her nineties. But, the shadow of her rare beauty still lingered, like the ruins of a particularly exquisite and graceful classical temple.

Ava had the passing thought, "I'll bet my birth mother looked like her."

Ava had come to the Jensens very early. She didn't remember her birth parents, or the circumstance that had brought her to the Jensens. But, sometimes she felt like she had lived two completely different childhoods.

The older woman was named Mavis. It was one of those antique, old-lady names. Mavis had been married to the former County Sheriff for seventy years.. He had just died. Their marriage had served as a beacon of hope, for people who still believed that lifelong romance was a possibility.

Mavis and her husband were very rich. The Sheriff had an uncanny ability to invest in unheard of businesses - who would then go on to become legendary corporations; like, IBM, McDonald's, Microsoft and Apple. It was almost as if he could see the future.

Nevertheless, even with all of their wealth, the Sheriff and Mavis had lived their entire life in this humble little town. They had raised their children there; and they had always treated Ava like she was one of their own brood.

Ava had been particularly special to Mavis. It was as if she was her surrogate great-grandchild. That was why Ava wasn't surprised when Mavis waved her over to the table.

Mavis said, "Before you leave town child, there's something I need to tell you." The old woman was physically delicate. But, she still had commanding, china-blue eyes; that radiated an unconquerable spirit.

Mavis rose shakily from her seat, and her driver assisted her out to her car. Ava slid in beside her. The ride to the Sheriff's huge estate was silent. It seemed like Mavis was formulating her thoughts.

The estate took up the entire bluff outside of town. The house itself, was a replica of a classic Victorian mansion; even though, it was actually only thirty years old. The vast lawn was bright green and meticulously tended. There was the sound of a lawnmower somewhere under the hot July sun, and Ava could smell the newly cut grass.

A little creek ran past the base of the house. There was an intricate iron bridge over it. But instead of going toward the house, the old woman turned and headed up an immaculately manicured path, made out of cedar chips. It led to a secluded grove on the top of a little hill, above the millpond.

The two women sat on the marble bench next to the Sheriff's grave. A giant willow-tree embraced the entire space with its characteristic limbs. The air was full of insect noises, birdsong and mild summer breezes.

Mavis looked in the direction of the monumental grave-marker. She got a soft and loving look on her face. The marker had both the Sheriff's and her name engraved on it. The only item left to be filled in was Mavis's date of death.

They sat there for a minute, Mavis was old and frail. Ava was sleek and vital, like a big cat. Mavis was at the end of her life. Ava was just entering her prime. Ava's face was exquisite, black hair and blue eyes. Her extraordinary body was honed by hours of rigorous dance training. Yet, there was something inestimably similar about the two of them.

The old lady turned toward Ava and fixed her with an earnest, almost pleading look. It was as if Mavis wanted to convey something that was profoundly important to her. Mavis said with deep sincerity,"It was fate that brought the Sheriff and me together, and I know that destiny will reunite us. I pray for that every day of my life."

She sighed and said with heartfelt relief, "It won't be very much longer."

Then the old woman paused. She took both of Ava's slim beautiful hands in hers. Mavis's hands were spotted with age. She said, "Fate is fickle and sometimes its twists and turns are hard to understand, or accept. But, you can't alter the way the cards are dealt. So, you have to play them the best you can. That was what your father and I did with you back then, and that's all that we expect from you now. We are very wealthy and we love you very much. So, you will be taken-care-of for the rest of your life. I just wanted you to know that before I passed on."

Ava gasped. She'd sensed it all along. There was no explaining why. But, Ava knew that the whole thing was true. And, she was overcome by the wonder of it all.