Julia's Broken Heart

Chapter One

What started out for Mary to be a wonderful day with her family, by night fall it had changed into a horrific event. No one seemed to notice the blue Cadillac sedan with dark tinted windows moving ever so slowly at the far end of the grocery store parking lot. Its movement giving the impression of a wild animal stalking its prey. Suddenly it stopped, spotting a small young girl, three, maybe four years of age standing all alone in the middle of the parking lot.

She was holding onto a grocery cart. The sedan took its time approaching the girl. It was like a panther, picking up one paw and then the other, as each rotation of the tire brought the sedan closer and closer to the girl. Finally, it came to a stop beside the girl blocking the view of her from the store. People were so busy coming and going that no one noticed the sedan and the little girl. The car door on the right hand side opened slowly, an arm stretched out toward the little girl. A voice spoke to her softly from the car, Hey, little darling. What’s the matter? Is your Mommy gone? Can I help you?

As the little girl held onto the cart tightly, tears flowing down her face, she raised her voice, Mommy went back to the store. Mommy left me and went back to the store.

Well, come here little darling, the stranger said. Get in the car and we’ll go see if we can find your Mommy. Reluctantly, the little girl turned loose of the cart and walked over to the car. With all the shoppers coming and going no one seemed to notice the little girl crying. She turned to look back at the store, still no Mommy. She wanted to go back to the cart, yet she wanted to find her Mommy. She wanted to hear her Mommy’s voice, see her face, have her hug her. She kept listening to the stranger’s voice promising her they would find her Mommy. With a little coaching from the stranger she took hold of the hand outstretched to her. The strong arm lifted her up and set her in the car, closed the door, and drove away.

Minutes later a woman ran from the store screaming, Julia! Julia! Where are you, Julia? She ran in all directions, screaming, yelling, and crying hysterically, Oh God where is she? She fell down on her knees weeping in agony, crying, Oh God where is my Julia? People began gathering around the woman, some from the store, others from the parking lot. No one had seen what had happened. The man in the blue car, the little girl crying was just another incident showing people never really pay attention to things about them. They are to busy with their own lives.

TWENTY YEARS LATER

Chapter Two

Doctor Tritt McAllister got off the elevator, with briefcase in hand, greeted a merry good morning to all he met coming down the hall. The hall was filled with doctors, nurses, and staff employees. Tritt always made it a point to try to cheer up those at the hospital, whether they were staff or patients. To him, everyone needed a little boost now and then. Arriving at his office he was startled by the woman sitting in the chair at the front of his desk.

Doctor McAllister spoke excitedly to her, Mary! What a pleasant surprise. How in the world are you? Where in heavens name did you come from? Where have you been? It’s been how many years now since I’ve seen you?

Well Doctor McA….

Hold it right there! with a burst of interruption. We’ve known each other too long and been through too much together for you to call me Doctor McAllister. Call me Tritt.

Mary was taken by the looks of her former doctor. Through the years he had changed quite a bit in his appearance. When she first met Tritt at the institution he wore his dark hair very short and carried a little more weight on his body. His hair now combed back in a small wave, and at his temples his hair was turning a salt and pepper gray. He looked so distinguished and handsome. She caught herself admiring the man before her. He was much taller, too, she thought.

As she stood up, he shook her hand, gave her a gentle hug, and said, Gosh Mary, it is so good to see you. You’re looking wonderful. Tell me all about yourself. What have you been doing? Where have you been for so long? You just disappeared. Just like that, you were gone. As Tritt sat down on the edge of his desk, Mary sat back down in the chair. She remembered how kind he had been to her during her time at the institution, and how concerned he was about her condition. She was pleased at how he was treating her after all these years.

I hope you don’t mind me coming into your office this way. I asked your receptionist if it would be alright. I explained to her why I wanted to surprise you. That we’ve known each other for a long time.

Heavens no. What a wonderful surprise it is. For years I wanted to see you and to know how you were doing. You will never know how many times you have entered my thoughts. There are patients and then there are ‘patients’. What I mean by that is, there are some that come into your life, you help them and then they go on their way. There are others that come into your life, you help and they become a part of your life and they stay. You are the one that stayed.

Well, Tritt, it’s been ten years since I’ve seen you. I’m doing much better now, she said while twisting on a handkerchief, pulling it from one hand to the other. This was a way she had of showing her nervousness. Not being able to be still and always finding something for her hands to be doing was one of them. For a while I didn’t think I would ever be able to face society again. You helped me through it. I will be forever grateful for the understanding, compassion, and all the help I received from you and the institution.

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Mary, you were in a very bad way when I first met you. The loss of your little daughter, Julia, was terrible. The nervous breakdown you had could have happened to anyone. It was the neurotic depression you went into which caused us to be so concerned. Some people with problems like yours never find their way back to reality.

Tritt, leaning back against his desk, spoke softly, Do you remember one night years ago when I was summoned to come to Marcy? (Marcy was the city which housed the institution for the mentally disturbed. The institution was located in the suburbs of Marcy, New York, in a lovely setting of beautiful gardens and a variety of trees which showed every color imaginable in the fall. The setting was perfect for people who were trying to find their way back to reality.)

You were hiding in a corner, beating on the wall, pulling at your hair, holding tightly to the locket that I see you are still wearing, calling for your daughter Julia. I’m sorry we had to use restraints on you, but we were afraid you were going to harm yourself. You were trying so hard to find a reason for your situation. You did alright when you calmed down. Some people never find a place of restitution within themselves. That’s why we have so many facilities to accommodate them, to protect them. We could not pry your hand from the locket. You acted as if you would rather die than give it up. What’s so special about the locket? Can you talk about the locket now? It still seems to be such a strong part of your life after all these years.

Well Doctor, I mean Tritt. I can talk about things much better now. Even though it was many years ago, it seems just like it was yesterday. As she leaned back against the chair she was more relaxed than he had ever seen her.

Chapter Three

My husband Bill wasn’t much of a socializer, said Mary. "Yet we achieved a uniquely romantic personal life with a productive relationship. We always enjoyed the winters, though many were very cold with ice storms and snow. I remember one winter before Julia was born the snow had fallen about a foot deep. That year our neighbors and us went snow-mo-billing. We really had a fun time. We ran through the snow and at times we would race each other up and down the hills. Our neighbors were about our age and seemed to enjoy being with us and doing the things we did. When the rain turned to ice and accumulated on the trees and shrubs, it looked like a crystal cathedral. There were times when the sun, so brilliant, would shine through the trees, making the ice look like a host of angels appearing from everywhere. The snow, when it came, made everything seem so clean and pure.

But the Spring, it was always so beautiful with many varieties of flowers popping up everywhere, trees budding and blooming. With everything springing to life they seemed to have a resurrected appearance.

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Our home was so peaceful, filled with love and warmth. Our daughter, Julia, was the apple of our eyes, our every heartbeat. Bill was the joy, peace, and security I felt down in my soul. Our love was so devoted to each other we were like newlyweds all the time. I met Bill while in college. A group of students had gathered on the lawn close to the dorm where the girls were staying, and were singing some old hymns from long ago. One of the girls was very good playing the guitar. Bill was sitting on the grass just listening to the words and music. Many of the young men and women joined him. I came from the dorm to listen, too. We all introduced ourselves to each other. Bill was a loner and was slow to enter into activities with others. He enjoyed things, like the singing and the music, but kept to himself a lot.

We happened to sign up for most of our classes together. Later, Bill told me he had planned it that way. Laughing, he said he was just joking, but he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. He was very good with books so we did a lot of studying together. We were drawn together from the very beginning. In our last year of college we fell so in love. We dated as often as we could afford. Our studies kept us busy with the books and very little time for anything else.

Our dating was mostly a quiet moment alone together, and even then, we discussed the subjects we were studying. A lot of students were falling in love. Some dropped out of school to get married, others were doing like Bill and I, combining dating with studying.

We decided to get married and didn’t want to wait until we finished college. The college didn’t promote anyone getting married before finishing school and getting their degree, but, if any of the students did decide to get married they certainly didn’t object to it. As the word was passed around the campus that Bill and I were going to get married there was much excitement and best wishes for us. The news spread in and out of the dorm rooms, in hallways and out on the lawns.

Some of the students asked, ‘Mary, how in the world did you ever get Bill to say yes’?

I laughed and said, ‘It wasn’t easy.’

All of our friends were very helpful. They work so hard setting up chairs on the lawns, putting handmade ribbons of all colors at the end of each row of chairs. They just out did themselves when it came to the chapel. They pooled their money and bought real flowers and decorated it. They formed a large dove out of white carnations and placed it in the center where Bill and I would be standing to say our vows. The way they worked with each other to put things together would make you think it was each of them getting married.

We had a beautiful wedding at the small campus chapel, and held the reception on the lawn. The morning was warm, the bright sun was shining through the trees, dancing from leaf to leaf. A warm gentle breeze was blowing off Lake Oneida. The lake was filled with small sail boats. It was just a glorious day for our wedding.

Our close friends and classmates were there, along with Bill’s parents. My sister, Greta, and her husband Frank, came from California. Frank stood in as best man for Bill, who looked so handsome. We had many things in common and did everything together.

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Mary, did you really want to get married at this time? You were so close to finishing college and with all your plans for the future being put on hold, was this something you really wanted to do? Tritt asked.

"Oh yes, we were so happy. We really didn’t want to wait any longer. The chapel was so beautiful, but small. Many on campus came and lined up outside the chapel forming an arch for the wedding party to pass through. Greta and I came from the dorm and walked through the arch smiling and touching many of them as we passed through. Greta and I wore suits. Hers was a light pink and mine was white with a belt that tied off to the side. I didn’t want to be married in a wedding gown. It just didn’t