Chapter 5
(Warning: This chapter is depressing!)
The next morning after breakfast, Sal brought the photo album to the kitchen table. Her sisters sat down next to her, and their grandmother joined them. Sal opened the book to a picture of the family taken just before her parents' deaths. They all looked at it for a moment. "So, what happened that night?" Sal asked. "I remember bits and pieces of it, and the funeral, but a lot of it is blocked out."
"I'll put some coffee on. You girls begin," Grandma told them as she got up to start the coffee maker.
It was just before Christmas. Sal was 12 years old. Kris was still in high school, and Jill was getting ready to enter the police academy. Jill and Kris were wrapping presents while Sal was snooping around under the Christmas tree.
"Sal, get away from there," Kris told her.
"I'm looking to see if the stereo I asked for is under here."
"If it is, Santa will take it back," Jill said teasingly.
Sal gave Jill a scathing look. "I'm too old for Santa Claus and you know it."
"Get away from there anyway."
"Do you guys need help wrapping presents?" Sal asked her sisters.
"Sure." Kris passed Sal some scissors and paper. They worked in silence for awhile as they listened to Christmas music coming from the family's stereo. Their parents, dressed in evening clothes, came into the room.
"Hey, you guys look great!" Sal told them.
"Why, thank you," her father replied.
"I've got an idea! Be right back!" Kris exclaimed. She ran to her room and was soon back with a camera in her hands. "Mom and Dad, stand by the fireplace. I want to take your picture."
James and Helen obliged. Kris snapped the picture.
"I think we should have one of the whole family. Kris, does that thing have a timer?"
"Sure, Dad. Everyone get over by the fireplace." The family gathered around the fireplace as Kris set the timer and her camera on a tripod and then ran over to join them. The picture snapped, capturing the Munroe family. Little did they know it would be the last picture of all of them together.
Helen looked at her watch. "James, we'd better get going or we will be late."
"You're right. I really hate these parties."
"So do I, but we must impress your boss. Will you girls be alright?"
Jill nodded. "We'll be fine, Mom. You guys have fun."
James and Helen got their coats. After some last minute instructions, including not letting Sal stay up too late (Sal made a face at that), they left. Jill and Kris went back to their present wrapping. Sal got bored with it.
"If you guys don't mind, I'm going to go read in my room for awhile." She left. The older girls wrapped the last present and cleaned up the mess. Jill turned on the TV. She and Kris started to watch Kojack. Kojack nailed the bad guys.
"That's what you are going to be doing soon," Kris told Jill.
"Yeah, I can't wait to go to the police academy. Being a cop is going to be so exciting."
James and Helen spent most of the party making small talk and nibbling on appetizers. James drank soft drinks and water. Helen was very proud of him that he had stayed sober for so long and was now resisting temptation. Finally, it was time to leave. James got their coats and helped Helen into hers. They said goodnight to their hosts and their friends and got into their car. They drove along silently for a while. Then they discussed their daughters and their hopes and dreams for them.
"Imagine, Jill wants to go to the police academy," Helen spoke up.
"She will make a great cop. She's quick on her feet, and never backs down from a fight. Remember when she chased down the neighbor kid because he was riding her bike?"
Helen didn't like to remember that episode. "Yes, I remember. "
"I still feel bad about it."
"Well, you did make it up to her, and you quit drinking. I'm proud of you for that."
"Kris will be a good school teacher. She's wonderful with kids. Look how she and Sal get along." James added.
"She is wonderful with Sal. I'm glad they have a bond between them."
"I wonder what Sal will decide to be when she grows up?" James mused.
"She has time to decide. She's still young."
"Holy s# !" James exclaimed.
"What?"
"That SOB is coming right for us!" James tried to swerve the car as Helen looked up and saw headlights in their lane. She screamed. James over-corrected the car. It swerved off the road and onto grass. It hit a tree head on. Everything went black for James and Helen. Soon after, a passing motorist saw the wreck. He went to a phone and called the paramedics. The paramedics and police arrived, and extracted James and Helen from their car. They did what they could to revive them, but no luck. One of the paramedics pulled out James' wallet. "James Munroe, San Francisco. I'll tell the cops to notify his family."
Back at the Munroe house, Jill and Kris had finished watching Kojack and were now cleaning up the living room. There was a knock at the door. Jill answered it. There was a policeman on the other side. How he hated his job at times like this.
"Is this the home of James and Helen Munroe?"
"Yes. Can I help you?"
Kris came to stand behind Jill. "What's going on?"
"Are you James and Helen Munroe's daughters?"
"Yes."
Sal came down the stairs. "What's happening?"
"Miss Munroe, I am Officer Miles of the SFPD. I regret to inform you that there has been an accident."
All three girls' eyes widened. The grasped each other's hands. Jill spoke for them. "Mom and Dad.....are they........?"
"I am sorry, girls. From what we can piece together, your parents' car hit a tree head on in an attempt to avoid another driver. They were killed instantly. I need you to come identify the bodies."
Kris and Sal started to sob. Jill felt tears come to her eyes, but managed to compose herself. "Yes, Officer, we will come."
"I'll drive you."
"Both of you, get your coats, " Jill ordered her sisters. They obeyed without hesitation. They got into the patrol car and drove with the officer to the morgue.
At the morgue, they were asked to identify two bodies lying side by side on slabs and covered by sheets. The coroner lifted the sheet on first one, then the other. Jill nodded. "Yes, that's them. " All three sisters stood with their arms around each other. Officer Miles spoke.
"Thank you, ladies. I will need you to sign some papers and then I will take you home."
After the girls got home, they returned to their living room, which now seemed lifeless to them. The Christmas tree and decorations had lost their cheerfulness. Jill and Kris sat on the couch. Sal sat in a chair nearby.
"What do we do now?" Kris asked.
"I'll be meeting with Mom and Dad's lawyer as soon as possible and see where we stand financially, and what kind of arrangements have been made for us. I know at one time Grandma and Grandpa were to be named our legal guardians. I'll check into that."
"Speaking of Grandma and Grandpa, don't you think we'd better call them?" Sal chimed in.
"You're right, " Jill responded. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"I don't care. I want to stay down here with you two."
"OK. You can go up when you get tired." Kris went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea as Jill dialed the number to their grandparents' house.
The next few days passed in a blur. Funeral and burial arrangements were made. Aunt Lydia and Uncle Paul flew up from Arizona to stay with the girls until a more permanent solution could be made. Jill met with the lawyers and found out what her parents had set up. She called together her grandparents, her aunt and uncle, and her sisters. They all came to the Munroe house. Jill put a pot of coffee on, and invited everyone to the kitchen table where she had paperwork spread out.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. I've met with the lawyers, and this is what I found. Grandma and Grandpa are to be our legal guardians. I guess that applies to Kris and Sal, because I am over 21. Mom and Dad set up trust funds for each of us. I assume that is supposed to be for college. It says we can't touch them until age 19. They have some savings, but it is just enough to cover funeral and burial expenses. "
"We'll help if necessary with those," Grandpa said. Grandma nodded in agreement.
"So will we," added Aunt Lydia. Uncle Paul nodded.
"As far as the house goes, I think we may have to sell it. There is no way we can afford to keep it. I won't be making that much at the police academy, nor for a while after I graduate. I want to help support Kris and Sal."
"That's not necessary, dear," Grandma told her.
"It may not be necessary, but I want to. I want to contribute to those trust funds for their college educations as well."
"Kris and Sal, what do you think?"
"I wish we could stay here, but I guess you're right," Sal spoke up.
"Me too," Kris added.
"As soon as the burial is taken care of, we will move you girls into our house and we will start to go through this one and prepare it to sell." Grandpa told them.
"Ok, Grandpa," all three girls agreed, tears streaming down their cheeks.
The day of the funeral arrived. The sisters stood together, and greeted the other mourners. The service was a blur. None of them remembered it very well. Each girl silently cried as the caskets were lowered. They went home to a luncheon prepared by friends and neighbors. After everyone was gone, the three sisters once again sat on their couch.
"I'll be going into the police academy next week." Jill told the other two.
"I wish you didn't have to go," Sal said.
"I know, but I will write often, and I'll call you once a week, OK?"
Sal nodded.
"I guess we'd better start packing for Grandma's house, " Kris said as she got off the couch and went to her room.
All too soon, the day arrived for Jill to go to the police academy. Grandma and Grandpa drove the girls to the airport. They hugged Jill, and then stood back to give the sisters some last few minutes alone together.
"Now remember, you guys, I'll write and call often. You do the same. " Jill told them.
Kris and Sal nodded. Jill gave each of her sisters a hug. Sal was first.
"Goodbye, little sister. I'll miss you. Take care of my bike for me, OK?" Sal hugged back and nodded through her tears. Kris was next.
"Goodbye, Kris. Take good care of Sal, Ok?" Kris nodded. A final hug, and Jill went through the departure gate. Arms around each other, Kris and Sal joined their grandparents.
Jill, Kris and Sal silently sat at their grandmother's kitchen table with tears in their eyes as they relived their memories. Grandma also had tears in her eyes. Sal closed the album.
"Even though that last memory was sad, I'm glad you shared it with us, Grandma, " Sal said.
"Us too, " Jill and Kris echoed.
"I'm glad to share it with you. Like I said, girls, there are plenty of other things in the attic that belonged to your parents and you are welcome to take them home. Why don't you go up there and look around some more?"
"Ok, Grandma."
"Sal, can I look at the album a little bit more? I promise I will give it back."
Sal handed her grandma the photo album, and gave her a big hug. Then she ran to join her sisters to see what other treasures the attic held for them.
(Don't say I didn't warn you!)