To Love and Honor. Irene Brand

muster under much investigation.”

      “Haven’t we all?” Nan said with a laugh. “If she’s checking into your ancestry, Larry must be getting serious.”

      “That’s my opinion, too,” Violet conceded. “And Larry has taken exception to my friendship with Roger Gibson. What do you make of that?”

      “That the Holland family is no place for a person who values freedom. Think long and hard about any alliance you make with them.”

      “I can’t tell you the details now, but some decisions I’ve made this week may remove me speedily from the list of Holland ‘eligibles.’”

      “So much the better for you.” Nan crumpled her lunch bag and tossed it in the waste can. “Larry is a good administrator because he gets to make the rules, but the traits that make him a successful principal wouldn’t necessarily be welcome in a husband,” she advised. “See you later,” she added as the bell rung for classes to resume.

      When Violet returned home after school, she was tempted to sit by the phone, waiting for Roger’s call, but tried to busy herself with other tasks. She looked around her home, wondering how she could manage with two more people in the house. Probably she would need a hospital bed for her mother, and she could dismantle the bed in the small room and put her mother there. But what about Aunt Ruth? Could she put the small bed in the living room for herself and leave her bedroom to Aunt Ruth? Any way you looked at it, her whole household would need to be rearranged.

      By the time Roger telephoned, Violet was so discouraged she didn’t know which way to turn, and his report on what he had learned from a representative at the prison didn’t make her feel any better.

      “They will release her into your custody,” Roger said, “with occasional visits by a parole officer, but she has a clean record as far as behavior is concerned, so they aren’t worried about her conduct. You will have to go to Topeka to sign the necessary papers, and she will be transported here in an ambulance at the expense of the correctional facility. She isn’t able to travel any other way. As I understand, the State of Kansas will be responsible for her medical expenses, such as the chemotherapy treatments that she’s been taking each week.”

      “I’ll need to take school leave for a couple of days, for I don’t suppose I could make the necessary arrangements over a weekend. Please get the particulars of whom I should contact at the prison, and what I should do. I’ll arrive there on Thursday, and if I need additional time, I can travel home on Saturday or Sunday.”

      “Do you want me to go with you, Violet?”

      “I can’t ask you to leave your work and your family.”

      “Do you want me to go with you?” he repeated.

      With his knowledge of the rules and regulations governing prisoners, Roger would be a valuable help to her, but she thought of Larry’s suspicion of Roger, or was it jealousy? But Larry was gone this week; maybe he wouldn’t know. But when she was concerned about the loss of reputation if the citizens learned about her mother, what would they think if she took an overnight trip with Roger? Would that become common knowledge, too?

      “I’m waiting for an answer,” Roger said.

      “You know I would be grateful for your company, but that’s asking too much, especially to leave your family. Truthfully, I don’t know whether I can handle it alone, but Aunt Ruth might be able to meet me there, though that’s a long trip from Minnesota.”

      “I have a few vacation days I must take before the end of the year, and my aunt comes and stays at the house when I have to be away,” Roger said. “I can arrange it. I won’t be going in an official capacity, of course.”

      “I know I shouldn’t accept your offer, but it will make my load a lot easier if you’re with me,” she said gratefully. “We can go in my car and leave early Thursday morning. We should be in Topeka in time to make some contacts that afternoon.”

      “Yes, we’ll travel on I-70 most of the way—it’s an easy drive.”

      She wanted to ask Roger to meet her out of town, but if anyone wanted to gossip about them she supposed it would be less severe if they didn’t act as though they were involved in clandestine activities. Once her mother was moved in, everyone in Maitland, including Larry, would know the reason that they had spent so much time together. Whatever the outcome of their journey, Violet knew that her life would never be the same again. She couldn’t believe that her serene life of a month ago had suddenly plunged into such adversity.

      “I’ll make arrangements for two days of leave from school. I’ll also telephone Pastor Tom to tell him of our plans. We’ll need his prayers.”

      Violet reached a clammy hand to Roger as they walked into the correctional facility late Thursday afternoon. Sometime she would be able to tell him how much his support meant to her, but her throat was too tight for words now. His warm fingers curled around hers in a comforting clasp, and her feet felt lighter. Over the phone, Roger had received directions to the proper office, and they were to ask for Angie Smith who would handle the parole procedures.

      As Violet approached Angie Smith kind, burnished eyes gleamed from her chubby, compassionate face, and Violet felt the knot in her stomach ease.

      “I have papers prepared for your signature, Miss Conley, and then we will have to work out the details of her parole,” Angie Smith explained.

      “I need to ask some questions first. What kind of cancer does my mother have? How long is she expected to live? Will I be able to care for her at home?”

      “She has abdominal cancer. She was too far gone when she finally collapsed and we learned of her condition. She had radiation before surgery six months ago, and chemo since, but she hasn’t responded. The doctors predict that she has a life expectancy of less than six months. With the help of a hospice, you can care for her at home, but you will need some help—she can do very little for herself. Those of us who made the decision to parole her feel sorry for your mother. She isn’t pleased with us, but we thought she should be with her family. Why haven’t any of you visited her?”

      Stung at these words, Violet said angrily, “Because she refused to see us. I was never taken to see her as a child, and a few years ago, when I was on my own, I went to visit her when she was at another facility, and she wouldn’t see me…sent word that I should forget about her. She deliberately cut herself off from her family.”

      “Then I beg your pardon,” Angie said. “She has never been a mixer and has always seemed so lonely. In the past few years, she has spent most of her time in the computer room and has been a help to our office staff at times.”

      “When will she be released?” Roger asked.

      “At any time convenient to you. Today, if you like. She will be transported by ambulance, but it isn’t necessary for you to travel with her.”

      “Oh, not today,” Violet said, and a wild look came into her eyes. “Not until I’ve made preparations to take care of her.”

      “May we visit her now?” Roger said. “I’ve understood she doesn’t want to leave here?”

      “Yes, Linda is reluctant about this move, but I think you should visit her.” Compassion softened Angie’s eyes as she said to Violet, “If you haven’t seen your mother for a while, I must warn you of the change in her physical appearance.”

      “I don’t remember ever seeing my mother. My only idea of what she looks like is a picture that was taken when I was a baby.”

      Angie wrote the cell number on a sheet of paper. “I’ll write out a pass for both of you, but you’ll have to go through security, and have a guard with you at all times.”

      Roger stood up, showed Angie his official credentials, and said, “I’ll deposit my gun with you now, if it will be all right. As you see, I do have a permit to carry a weapon.” He unstrapped the underarm holster that he wore and gave it to Angie, who wrote out