Page 42 (1/1)

I kept telling myself not to look for hielson was just beginning his opening narration When it came time for me to play, I was s would hold me as I carefully walked up the trio of stairs to the piano I slid across the shtened my back, and slipped my pumps off to the side I had to look I just couldn’t help myself I let my eyes slide to where Don and Nettie usually sat for service Saht of Nettie, close to the end of the pew I looked away before ister details He was here

With a deep exhale I dug intomyself from a few feet away I didn’t otten too far into the piece, thenotes, the ain

When the evening was over and the last choir notes sung, the congregation gathered around, co about kids, cows, and as doing what I stood next to , withI knew eventually Nettie wouldpolite s those who came up to compliment my performance, I realized, of course, that she would have no idea that I aiting on tenterhooks for her to appear with Samuel Maybe she wouldn’t even remember that she’d proto be milked, I turned to see if maybe they had left the church

It tookat the back of the chapel, chatting with Lawrence Mangelson There was no sign of Saht my eye and wavedswiftly around the room to see if someone had cornered Samuel in conversation Maybe he had stepped outside

"Oh Josie! You onderful I just cry every tied me to her soft self and patted my cheek as she dreay "Wasn’t she wonderful, Don?"

Don added his less effusive praise as Lawrence Mangelson reiterated what Nettie had said as well No ht I saw Sa with you I’d like to say hello," I blurted out and then tried to look bored in an effort to cas

Nettie waved off the question "He was here, but he slipped out right after the closing prayer I think he’s pluot in just in tiht The beef stew and biscuits I left on the stove are probably calling to hied He couldn’t even say hello? I looked down at h heeled shoes and suddenly felt very foolish I had been passed over for beef stew and biscuits

Excusing myself ishes for a Merry Christelson, I walked out the wooden double doors and down the steps into the silvery night My breath made little white puffs in front ofinto the sky Unfortunately, the only Indian warrior who knew anything about snals seemed pretty uninterested in any conificant others – Jacob and Jared werepretty serious with – always caifts then Christrown up and toys and Santa had becoo to Aunt Louise’s for Christ a half-dozen different appetizers, a huge ham, mashed potatoes and hoifts With full bellies and a war hurry to be on their way, so we all hung around and talked about nothing in particular I had yet to take off my black dress and let downet an opportunity to let Sa twenty-five, sophisticated, and beautiful I sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, h heels by the door My brothers see me, only to have Rachel shush them up with a wink and a quick repri dressed up that it’s a hard to take it off at the end of the night" I sed and proceeded to ignore an to fall as the hour grew later, and with sighs and groans, my brothers bundled up their ladies and headed out Johnny was spending the night at Sheila’s parent’s home so that they could spend Christmas with her family the next day Jacob and Rachel had purchased a little home in Nephi the previous year, and Jared and Tonya were in student housing at Brigha north across the ridge and nobody wanted to wait around for e’ is a ten hway between Levan and Nephi Levanites travel it countless times a week, for countless reasons - back and forth froroceries, or to the library for books to hold theain Every sixteen-year-old in Levan drove the ridge many ti cos We drove early, and we drove everything from tractors to beat up old farm trucks I could drive a mean stick shift when I was ten years old, and do it sh for my older brothers to keep their feet planted in the truck bed as they threw bales of hay off for the cows The ridge was straight and narrow and very dark at night Folks flew across it, lulled into a sense of security simply by the sheer number of times we all made the drive It was made all the worse by the deer that would co, and run across the road The deer were constantly getting hit, or causing accidents as people swerved to avoid theood snowfall made it even more treacherous Every year someone died on that strip of road between the two little towns