Perspective: Olivia's Story - Friends and Enemies

Chapter 3 of 7, posted 07/31/2007

The next morning, Olivia felt anxious as she made the drive to Pauline’s home on the lake. Her mother’s friend had seemed pleased by her call last night but Olivia was already feeling guilty for not being completely honest with her. Rather than explain her father’s theory, Olivia had said she was interested in finding out more about her mother from someone that knew her well before her death.

Olivia had also placed a call to her brother last night, thinking perhaps Marcus would be interested in coming along. Snappy as ever, he made it clear that he thought the whole thing was a waste of time. He had decided he wanted no part of their father’s “craziness” so it was up to Olivia to bring her father some closure.

Olivia double-checked the address as she pulled into the driveway. She had been picturing a cute little cottage, perhaps with a lot of flowers and a picket fence. Instead, the cabin appeared abandoned. Weeds had over-taken the flower beds and the floor of the porch was rotted through in several places. Tentatively, she approached the door and knocked.

Though the house was rundown and past its prime, Pauline looked just as she had in the photo her father showed her last night. Her hair had grayed but was still pulled back in a tight bun and Olivia guessed she must be in her early 70s.

The woman looked confused as she stood by the door. She didn’t speak, just stared. This wasn’t the greeting Olivia had anticipated. “Hi, I’m Olivia Rowe, I called last night?”

Pauline shook her head a little, as if trying to wake up. “Olivia, of course, I’m sorry. You look so much like your mother. I thought maybe my time had come and she was sent for me. Please, come on in, I have tea out on the back deck.”

As she followed her through the tiny house, Olivia was careful not to trip on the piles of random stuff scattered across the floor. The room smelled musty and it was clear the inside wasn’t in any better condition than the outside.

Once on the back deck, Pauline offered Olivia a glass of tea and a seat the lake. “You have a beautiful view, Pauline. Have you lived here long?”

Pauline gazed out on the water as she settled into her chair uncomfortably. “My husband and I had a home in town but the cottage has been in the family forever. After he passed about ten years ago, I decided to sell the other house and live here fulltime. You said you live in Baltimore? I was there once; it was probably 30 years ago. Why did you go there?”

Olivia sipped her tea before answering. “The photographer I was working for decided he wanted to move his business to Baltimore. He thought there would be more opportunities there since it’s a bigger market. He offered to promote me if I was willing to make the move so I decided to go along. I like it a lot. I’m doing pretty well and might even open my own studio soon.”

“That’s really lovely. What about family? I was thinking maybe your brother was there.”

“No, Marcus lives in Boston. I don’t have any family there, though I had a roommate until just recently. She got married last Fall and I decided it was nice having the extra space.” Olivia sipped her tea and changed the subject. “So, you worked with my mother? I was so young when she died but lately I’ve felt like I want to know more about her.”

Pauline put her glass down on the table and folded her hands in her lap. “Yes, Lillian and I worked together but we were also friends. She was actually a student in one of the first classes I taught there. It was a pottery course and nothing she was really interested in but she needed one more elective to graduate. Soon, we were getting together for coffee and meeting outside of classes. Then she came back for her Masters and then eventually joined the staff. It was a lot of fun working with her.”

Olivia took a sip of her tea as Pauline continued. “After Lillian’s accident, it wasn’t much fun working there anymore. I’m not sure how much you know but your mother was about to receive a promotion. I was upset at first that it wouldn’t be me – I had been on staff longer than her. But I think the committee liked that Lillian had gotten her education there. And she definitely deserved it. The other option was Cynthia and while she had the professional qualifications, she was a hateful, horrible person. She was given the promotion after your mother died and I couldn’t stand being there. I was devastated about losing my friend, miserable at the changes Cynthia was making, and finally I just decided to leave.”

Olivia was glad Pauline was talking freely and decided to push forward. “My father mentioned Cynthia to me. He said that she and my mother had been fighting?”

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