Gilbertha lay in the hospital bed the next day and Paul was resting his eyes, sitting in a straight-backed chair next to her bed when one of the nurses peeked her head in the door and whispered to Paul. She hoped she wouldn't wake the young woman in the hospital bed but Bert stirred a little and opened her big, soft brown eyes.
"Oh, so sorry!" The little nurse whispered in apology. Bert said nothing and turned back over on her side.
"Mr. Bardrick…there are some visitors out in the hall for you and your wife….shall I send them in?"
Paul glanced at Bert who had her back to them and decided just to let her rest, if possible. "No….I'll go out in the hall and meet them." He said and stood up.
"Sounds all right." The nurse said. "Now young lady…I hate to be a bother, but I must check you over for some things. Your incision….."
"If you must…." Bert sighed and turned onto her back. Paul left the room with that and the little nurse came over to the bed and began a little small talk with her. The weather…Age, marriage, etc.
"So how long have you been living here in Kit Carson?"
"We live in First View actually…." Bert said quietly. "About 4 months now….I think. Oh, I can't remember. It feels like just yesterday…"
"Sure you'll get used to it in no time." The nurse smiled kindly. "Quite a beautiful country out here, isn't it?"
Bert nodded gazing out the hospital window at the blue Colorado sky and the golden flat lands. "Hard to tell where the sky ends and the land begins…." Bert nodded slightly. "All flat and it seems to blur together…."
The nurse nodded and was undoing the gauzes on the patient's lower abdomen and checked the wound. "No infection….you're a good girl!" The little nurse chuckled a little. "..Now,….here's a clean gauze and I'll check your vaginal bleeding ….ah, yes, you need new padding too….." she said as she did her work and cleaned Gilbertha up a little. " It was so embarrassing for her, a 25 year old young woman to be in such a state…and she was getting tired of bleeding but she knew she couldn't change it either way.
"How long am I supposed to bleed?" Bert asked the nurse.
"Well…you bled a lot because of the rupture…but from what it sounds like there was a lot of build up in your other uterus,...you'll still bleed for a week or two…,.your body acts as if you just had a baby….and really, you did…The first few days is the heaviest…." The nurse's brow furrowed and looked on at Gilbertha. "Some little sick joke,…isn't it?"
Bert sighed and looked at the nurse who sat down on her hospital bed. "You're telling me…" she turned her face to the window and gazed out at the sunshine and Colorado land. What was wrong with her, she thought to herself. She was usually so bold….outgoing and friendly! She hated being so quiet and feeling so dull…..she just couldn't think of anything to say. The little nurse patted her knee. "You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. And don't be afraid to ring that bell if you just want to talk…."
"Thank you…." She said quietly, looking out the window. Bert's head turned to the door as Paul stuck his head in. "It's your dad and your siblings….your mother's with them too now."
"That's fine honey….send them in. They want to see me…"
"Do you WANT to see them right now?" He asked and lay his hand on the door post. "I'll keep 'em back if you just want to sleep some more."
"They can come in…." Bert said softly.
"Now,…keep your voices down!" Paul whispered to their little visiting group. Bert smiled slightly as her little family came in the room. Her dad hugged her neck and gave her a little bouquet of bronze chrysanthemums and little orange blossoms mixed in….her favorite….just like she had on the day she married Paul. "Oh Daddy…." She winced a little as she hugged him. "You're so thoughtful. Thank you." Bert smiled as her father kissed her forehead and smiled back at her with his kind eyes and smile. (He looked a lot like Mr. Oleson on Little House on the Prairie.) He spent some time talking back and forth with his oldest child, his first daughter…in German. He didn't speak English well, so he just spoke German. The Walbrun children all knew German and would speak it with their parents, or help translate for people who didn't know what they were saying.
"Ich liebe dich, Kleiner…." He said and patted her hand. "I love you, Little One." He had said,….like when she was a little girl.
"Hey "Birddie"…." She saw Eddie's tan face and his smile as he came over, sat down and gave his older sister a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Hanging in there?"
Bert nodded, reclining back with her head and one arm against a few pillows. "How is Helen?" She asked a little awkwardly ….not wanting to talk about herself.
"She's …..doing good." He said quietly. They could feel the awkwardness and Eddie wished it wouldn't have to be like that. He really felt for his sister with what she was going through. He couldn't imagine how she felt. "She's praying for you…."
Bert's little sister Rosa came by her bedside next and started crying again and hugged her neck. She was so close to her older sister. "Oh Bert!...Are you going to die?!" She asked in tears and Bert chuckled at her little sister's drama when so emotional and wiped the tears from her teenaged sister's face.
"I'm alright, sweetie….Rosa,…now don't cry….I'm going to be all right. I had a surgery and I'm going to be fine, don't worry…."
"Oh, Bert…." Rosa cried and tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged her sister again. "I'm so so so sorry about your baby! I wanted to help babysit it when they got older!" Bert winced and shut her eyes and patted her younger sister's back. "Thank you, honey…" she whispered.
"You got a nasty scar?!" Asked 13 year old John, Bert's kid brother. He came up by her on the other side of the bed.
"Oh, it's pretty nasty right now…" Bert rolled her eyes at her youngest sibling. "Bout that long, horizontal. And don't ask again, I'm not showing you." Bert chuckled and tickled his ear and ruffled the front of his dark hair. "I love you, kid."
"Love you too." John Christ Walbrun smiled and patted his sister on the shoulder. Sometimes he was a pest, like a baby brother usually is….but they still loved each other and were pretty close. "Does my kid brother have a girlfriend yet?...Huh, Johnnie?" Bert smiled as she saw him turn beat red. "All the girls are crazy bout a certain little lad…although he's very, very bad….He could be oh so good when he wanted to…..bad or good he understood bout love and other things…." Bert giggled at her little brother as she tried to sing "Oh Johnnie" to him to tease him. It help distract her from how she was feeling.
"Naw…" he said, laughing at her.
"You're lying to me!" Bert smiled and poked him. "I can see that."
"Naw,…" He grinned crookedly. "Not enough pretty girls in Dubuque! "
"Oh, so you've dated them all?!" Bert laughed. "My baby brother's such a lady killer….did you learn that all from Eddie?"
Johnnie grinned, hugging his sister and Eddie stood there and chuckled, confident as usual, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Can you have another baby?" Rosa had asked. "Oh, I hope you can!" She really felt sorry for her older sister. Bert put her hand to her forehead and held back tears. "I was praying for you and Paul to have a baby! Every time I go to Mass I pray for you!"
"I don't know, Rosa…."
"Honey,…you don't need to explain anything. " Paul told her and hooked a hand in his pocket and leaned against the wall. "It's very personal, Rosa…"
"I'll put it this way, Rosa….They found something during surgery….I'm okay, don't worry. We're just going to wait awhile….okay? I appreciate your prayers." Bert looked at her sister. "So you CAN have another little baby?!" Rosa asked excitedly and hugged Bert again. Bert sighed and changed the subject…hoping they would stop talking about it. "Now how are you and that Milton Sweeney doing? Still on again off again?"
"Oh Bert! Milton broke up with me again!" She cried. "This time for good, I think."
"Miltie's a good kid. I'm sure he didn't mean to be cruel." Paul told his sister-in-law. Milton Sweeney served as Paul's best man at their wedding and was at that time, Rosa's boyfriend. Milton and his sister, Mary Rita Sweeney, were school friends of Bert.
"Oh Paul! Bert!...I love Milton so much! I thought I was going to marry him!"
"Well then, it's Milton's loss…..you're way too good for him anyway." Bert told her teenaged sister, Rosa. "What about Adriel? You liked him! " Bert smiled at her.
"Oh Bert, I do like Adriel Randall..….and we talk and have a good time….I'm waiting for him to make a move."
"You're not like me as much. " Bert chuckled and patted her sister's shoulder. "I was quite the flirt, huh Paul?" Bert grinned at her husband who smiled and winked at her. "Still are…" he smiled.
"Though…I did take the lead…once you told me what was up." Paul smiled at her. "Just so happened, I had feelings for you too."
"I would have just died from embarrassment if you hadn't!"
"You would've gotten over it quick. That's just like you, Sweet…." Paul smiled at her. Their heads turned at the door where they heard shouting and yelling in German on the other side. They heard the words baby…burial…and Dubuque and a shout in German came from Bert's father, "They shall decide themselves, Rose!...Stay OUT of their business!" He bellowed in German and said a few more things. He was usually very calm and cool but this needed to be handled. His wife had crossed the line…. Bert gazed her eyes towards the ceiling and let out a sigh. She sat there with her eyes closed and kept shaking her head.
"Don't think on it, Sweetheart." Paul said softly and came over and sat in the chair by her bed and placed his gentle hands in her lap and held her hand. He kissed the back of her hand gingerly and whispered, "We'll talk about it later….we'll do whatever you want…" He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it again and Bert blinked her brown eyes at him and managed to smile a little.
"Kinder, wir gehen jetzt nach Hause..." John H. Walbrun came through the door and Eddie, Rosa and John Jr. said goodbyes to Bert and Paul and left for Dubuque.
A different nurse who was a little less friendly came in with some pills and a glass of water for Bert. "Your next round of pain meds…." She gave Bert the couple of pills and the glass of water and left the room.
"Don't let your family bother you, Sweet…"
Bert sighed. "I guess they mean well…." She coughed a bit as she drank the last of the water and downed the pain meds she was given.
"You want some more water? I can ask the nurse…." Paul said.
"I'm fine….Later." She sighed and lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry,…" Paul whispered sensitively and rubbed her arm a little. He just wanted to love on her but he knew he couldn't really do that.
"You didn't do anything Paul….I'm just tired…." She sighed again.
"I'm sorry…." He whispered and kissed her face, placing his fingers along her jawline.
"Mmm…..no more." She said softly after they broke their kiss.
"I'm sorry, Swee…."
"STOP…." Bert said with tears slipping down her cheeks. "Stop saying sorry…..you didn't do anything…." She said rolling over.
"I'll ask for a kiss next time….." He whispered and was running his fingers through her hair. It needed to be brushed out but he just wanted to be close to her and help her somehow. That was the best he could at the moment and Paul thought he'd help her brush her hair later on.
"Paul…" she sighed and shut her eyes as tears dropped onto her pillow and she took a deep breath. "You didn't DO anything wrong!….I can't explain how I feel right now….I'm very tired…."
The nice nurse came in later with a cheerful smile. "Is it alright if you have another visitor? I'm sure he won't be a bother…."
"Who is it?" Gilbertha asked softly.
"He said to surprise you!" The nurse smiled.
Bert smiled a little and nodded. "Okay, send him in…"
A priest came in dressed in his black outfit with the little white collar. He had kind eyes, a tanned face. Dark coal black hair that was greying a little bit at the sides, and he had a bit of a receding hairline, but otherwise thick black hair.
"Uncle Gilbert!" Bert smiled as her uncle wrapped her into a soft hug. "its Padre Gilberto now….." he smiled. "I have been in Brazil so long…Oh…My little namesake. Bless you, my child…" he said. He was a priest after all. He was a Catholic missionary priest in Brazil.
"How in the world did you get here?" Bert smiled as her uncle she was named for held her hands in both of his and patted the back of her hand. Paul just looked on. But Father Gilbert seemed very kind though, Paul thought. And he was her relative….so he must accept it, he thought.
"John and Annie telephoned me and it took awhile to catch a plane,…but I am here, my child…." He smiled, with his soft smile and soft voice. "I am here….would you like for me to pray with you?"
"In a little bit." She nodded. "Are you staying with uncle John and aunt Annie?"
"Yes, for today…." Father Gilberto nodded. "I must get back to Brazil as soon as I can…..my people need me…." His soft smile and smooth manly voice brought a certain calmness in the room and Bert was relaxed. He updated her on his mission work and then he prayed a Catholic prayer,
"Blessed Savior, I thank you that this operation is safely past, and now I rest in your abiding presence, relaxing every tension, releasing every care and anxiety, receiving more and more of your healing life into every part of my being. In moments of pain I turn to you for strength, in times of loneliness I feel your loving nearness. Grant that your life and love and joy may flow through me for the healing of others in your name. Amen….."
Father Gilberto Schoeberl prayed yet again, "O God who are the only source of health and healing, the Spirit of calm and the central peace of this universe, grant to me such a consciousness of Your indwelling and surrounding presence that I may permit You to give me health and strength and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen…." He gestured the sign of the Cross.
He smiled his kind smile and decided to sing to her a Catholic hymn before he left them.
"You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
He blessed her and kissed her forehead and with that he left them. He said he wished he could stay longer, but that he was a very busy man and had to be back with the poor people over in Brazil. He was a good, caring, honest man.
"I think I'm going to go find something to eat…." Paul said, with the hours had gone by. "Sweet, are you hungry?"
"No…." Bert mumbled and shook her head, she leaned her head back on the pillow and sighed a very long, fatigued and saddened sigh.
"Bert…" Paul whispered. "You haven't eaten anything since before you went into labor…that's been how many days already….."
"I don't know…." She said, barely a whisper. She rolled over with her back to him, closing her eyes with her head resting on the pillow.
"You need to eat, baby…."
"Don't call me "baby"…." She choked on tears. "You've never called me that before!"
Paul watched in heartbreak as that sent her into tears and then sobbing. "Honey….oh, honey…..I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" He went right over to her and she lay on the bed facing away from him. If she had been able to, she would have been curled up, but her incision hurt down there too much to move like that. "Honey,….I swear...I didn't mean it like that." Paul smoothed back her dark hair and she lay there crying. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me?" He cried and kissed her cheek and held her around her shoulders as he got in the bed behind her and spooned her. "Forgive me….please….Gilbertha, I don't know why it came out like that…..I'm sorry…." It broke him up to cause her so much pain and hurting and he wished he could take the word back. "I swear…I didn't mean it…." He whispered, closing his eyes and buried his face in her shoulder blade. He didn't care she hadn't bathed in a couple of days…he hadn't either, he realized. He kissed the back of her neck shakily. "I'm so sorry…." His voice quivered.
"Just go….go get something to eat…." She whispered with a shaking voice, quivering lips and tear soaked cheeks. "I just want to sleep…..to sleep and not think or feel…."
He kissed the crook of her neck and lay behind her sore body on the hospital bed, forgetting all about food. He wanted to fix her and heal her aching heart. "Sweetheart….I'm so sorry…" his voice shivered and he shook. Paul saw she had cried herself to sleep and he felt so sorry. He kissed the back of her neck softly and fell asleep like that, his hand resting on her shoulder, his body close against hers. They were One, he thought. He prayed she still loved him and he asked God for forgiveness. He was so sorry he hurt her so deeply. She woke up a few hours later to feel him softly stroking her jawline and her hair. "I'm so sorry…." He whispered through tears that dropped onto her neck. She turned over and her face gazed at his. They both had tears in their eyes. She softly ran her dainty hand over the scruff of his face. " I know…." She whispered. "You didn't mean it…." She felt the little soft forehead kiss he gave her and she fell back into sleep. Numb, unfeeling, depressed sleep.
"Oh Mama! I've been so worried over Bert! " Helen said, sitting at her mother's little kitchen table having luncheon one afternoon and started frantically telling her mother, Frances of everything Eddie had told her about his sister. "I feel so sorry for her! We talked so much about babies and little ones….we hoped our babies would be so close as cousins!"
"I know, Sweetheart…." Frances said, and her heart was moved by the situation. "I said a long prayer over her at 10:30 Mass yesterday."
Frances later looked shocked and concerned at her daughter as she had turned white as a sheet.
"Honey?...Helen?! Honey, what is it?!"
"Baby…." She managed to choke out and a hand went to her side.
"Oh Helen! The last thing we need is you going into early labor!…" Frances exclaimed in worry. Helen tried to catch her breath and calm herself down too.
"Honey?!"
"The Baby…."
"Yes honey….I know…..calm down….Calm…" Frances soothed. "Breathe! Calm yourself and breathe!"
Helen finally caught her breath and it was back to normal. "Baby…The baby kicked me so hard….I lost my breath! Knocked the wind out of me!"
"Oh! Oh, I almost thought it was you going into labor or something! You scared me!" Frances said, and the palm of her hand thumped her chest several times over. She let out a long breath.
"IT scared me too!...I couldn't speak or get any air!" Helen cried. "….Its a good thing I was already here, if I had!…I want the baby born here…."
"Well then you come right over when you think it's time." Frances told her and buttered a slice of bread and took a bite. "You can stay with us as long as needed." Helen soon began the slow walk home and Frances went back to her housework and Fred came home.
"Hello beautiful…." Fred said coming through the back door. He looked and sounded miserable.
"Fred…you're home early from work. I didn't know you were coming home early!….I would have made you a plate for lunch….."
"I'm sick….Cold,…flu….boss sent me home."
"Oh dear…." Frances said, covering his big ears with her hands and the felt his forehead. "You are burning up!….my poor honey!" She sent him right towards the living room so he….well, she thought he could lay down in his bed, in his room…but he sat down in his big armchair. "Can you make me some of your bone broth? With bits of chicken in it?"
"Yes, sweetheart….why don't you go lie down?"
"I just want to sit in my chair…." Fred sat there, congested and feeling yucky and tired. He soon fell asleep. It was like he could fall asleep anywhere. He awoke later to her bringing him the soup. "Oh, you're such a good little wife….."
"I said in sickness and in health, dear…." Frances smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for my ruby ring….it was a delightful anniversary present." Frances praised him, mentioning his gift to her on their past anniversary, July 16th. "And my Yardley's English Lavender soap!"
"You forgot the red roses I gave you too…." Fred said,…. miserably because of his cold and flu and he blew on his spoonful of soup.
"Yes, you're such a romantic, dear…." Frances said and smoothed his head of grayish silver hair.
"Never was…and will never be another woman for me…." He said, holding her hand.
"You've never loved another woman? " Frances wondered. "You never been tempted?"
"Well…sure…I look when a nice bust and great pair of legs walks past….it's only natural!" He chuckled as she playfully slapped his hand. "But I've never wanted to act on it….I have to feel something for a woman to do anything like that…" He smiled at her. "If not….its just…..blah…why bother with it…,but you, I don't know how to explain what I feel for you. I would go back in time and marry you all over again. Sooner though." Fred saw her smile at him and pressed her forehead against his. "Oh,…Sweetheart. " She sighed, smiling.
"You remember our wedding trip?...to the Northern Lakes?" He asked after awhile.
"How could I forget?!...I was pregnant with Freddie and sick most of the trip!...Not just seasick!" Frances laughed but smoothed his shoulder. "Oh, I still had a nice time besides that…"
"We should go back there…..or Germany. Italy….France. You'd like that, huh?"
"I enjoy wherever I go with you….wherever I am…"
"Now, don't do that!" Fred laughed as she kissed him. "I don't want to get you sick!"
"I gave you my cold the last time…we're even." Frances giggled and played with his ear lobe. "Get some rest, Hon."
"Yes ma'am." Fred said. He coughed, sneezed and sputtered. Finally, stretching out in his big soft armchair and dozed off. Frances went back to her housework, sewing at her Singer sewing machine this time…..She tried to softly giggle as she heard his snores coming from the front room….but now and then she glanced back at him. "Please take care of yourself…" she whispered quietly.
"I'm fine…" he whispered In his sleep. Frances looked back at him but he was in fact asleep, mouth open and snoring. "You young in's don't know Jack about making good beer! I know how to make good beer!...Treat a taste" He was rambling about something! But it didn't quite make sense.…"Treat your taste buds…." Fred was talking in his slumber. "Taste…..Treat….(snore)" Frances tried hard not to laugh and focused on her sewing,…but it was quite comical, she assumed her eyes were sparkling and she chuckled to herself.
"…my name in the paper!…." Fred sighed in his sleep. "Star Brewery…" he grunted. "1910…uh-huh…."
"Oh dear me, what are you dreaming, Fred?" She laughed quietly.
"German beer….good stuff…" he said in his sleep and she almost woke him with her laughter.
"New Pilsner beer….yeah." Fred mumbled, still talking in his sleep. "Made it...yeah, yeah, yeah…."
"Oh really now…" Frances laughed softly. It was almost like you could carry on a conversation with him. He mumbled something else, but then shut right up and snored the rest of the time.
"Paul…" Bert sighed. "I want to get up…" she grunted a bit and Paul was right there at her side.
"Hey Sweetheart…." Trying to help her sit up in bed.
"No…I want to get up and walk!" She tried to explain.
He kissed her forehead and traced her jawline with his finger. "I'll go ask the nurse. You are getting discharged today after all…."
"I know!" Bert said boldly. "I DON'T want to be in one of those wheelchairs…..I WANT to walk!" She insisted. She mustered her strength and stood to her feet and Paul thought she was going to stumble and fall back on the bed. He was right there.
"Leave me be!" She insisted and took a few steps. He was still at her side and they took a few steps around the room. She still had weeks of recovery time at home yet but she was anxious to get out of the hospital.
"Oh you're up!" The nurse said as she glanced in. "Wonderful!" Bert smiled and nodded at her. "Can I walk out of this place?"
"We advise a wheelchair just until you get out the front door…."
"I am walking out…." Bert insisted, standing up straighter. She was still in some pain but she didn't care. Paul took care of the paperwork and soon it was time for them to go. The nurses saw them leave slowly and he carefully helped her into their maroon Nash-LaFayette automobile.
"I'm sorry I'm so cranky, Sweetheart…" she said softly on the ride home.
"You're quite feisty. That's what I love about you." He held her hand and smiled at her, then looked back at the road. Bert's hand brushed against a little box that lay on the seat between them and she held his hand again and squeezed it gently. "Not how I envisioned this…..taking our baby home…..to bury him." She whispered. She knew the tears would come once again and was so tired of crying. She shut her eyes and was silent most of the ride from Kit Carson to First View.
Paul glanced at her and frowned. "I know….." He said softly and felt tears well up but he tried to stay with it. After awhile, Bert lost it and she cried, lifting a fist to her face. "What did I do so wrong?!...What did we do to deserve this?!" She cried and rested her head on the back of the headrest. Bert sat there crying with her eyes closed.
"Nothing…" Paul whispered and held her hand on the drive home. "I don't know why…." He was quiet the rest of the way home. They pulled up to an empty driveway, as Paul's parents had begun their trip home to Knoxville, Iowa…..An empty driveway. An empty home. Empty feelings. Empty womb. Bert hated these feelings of emptiness. She swung her legs out the door when they had parked and she just sat there and cried some more. The little box, was resting there behind her on the car seat and she couldn't look at it or touch it anymore. She just couldn't. Bert sat there with her arms around her belly, and her fingers clutched her stomach, above the hysterectomy incision. She just sat there and cried. It finally hit her she was not pregnant anymore. Oh she knew, of course….but it had all been a blur…..and now the realness hit her. She had two uteruses…..one was gone….and there was no life in the one she still had. And she had no idea if she could produce another life….or what would happen if she did. Bert sat there and cried with the car door open, and she felt her husband rubbing her back. He didn't know what else to do for her. Seeing her like this was breaking him apart.
"I feel like such a freak…..and I feel so guilty!" Bert cried. It was like she couldn't move from the car. "I was supposed to protect my babies! And I couldn't even do that right!" She sobbed and Paul came around to her side of the car.
"Lets go inside, honey…." Paul whispered and guided her to the front door, holding the little box.
"I want to go lie down…." Bert sobbed. "I only want to sleep….and forget."
"You can do whatever you like…." He whispered and kissed her cheek. "But I think you need to eat at some point…."
"I can't eat…..I don't want anything. I'm not hungry." Her voice and her body shook. Paul held her, standing in the kitchen and she shook in his arms. She was still crying hard and her head hurt from all of it. "I feel a pulsing in my ears….like the blood rushing through my head!…." Paul could barely hear what she said. He only heard the pain in her voice. "Sweetheart,….go lie down. You can sleep all day if you need to." Paul swept the sweat and tears from her face and looked at her. She looked so broken…..and he felt broken too in his heart. He felt their loss…but he knew not as much as she felt their loss.
"I feel like I'm going crazy!" Bert cried and felt Paul press his forehead to hers and they stood just like that in the middle of the kitchen. "Shhh…..shh….you're not…." He whispered, trying to help. Trying to console her. He wished he could wrap his strong arms around her and hug her till every broken piece fit back together again.
Author's Notes:
Milton Sweeney was the best man at Paul and Bert's wedding with Rosa Walbrun as the bridesmaid. There is another photo of Rosa sitting on Milton's lap out in a front /backyard, so they must have dated. She married Adriel Randall in 1939 and later married a man named Ted Bowman.
Paul had registered for a Nash-Lafayette car a few months before his wedding.
Fred and Frances took a wedding trip to the Northern Lakes. Not sure where that is. I can't imagine her pregnant (with Freddie) and seasick! My goodness!
Frances' favorite soap was Yardley's English Lavender.
Father Gilbert Schoeberl/Padre Gilberto Schoeberl was a Catholic missionary priest in Brazil. I do not know where or what he did. I thought of making him run an orphanage in Sao Paulo….but I'd like to find out what he actually did there! Gilbertha was indeed named for him.
I had to look up the Catholic prayers. And the Catholic hymn is like….from 1998. Please ignore that fact here. Lol.
