Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (3 page)

She remained disinterested in Emily. The most time and attention she gave her was when she selected Emily’s new wardrobes three times a year. Before she left for the shopping trip, Isabel would measure Emily so that the new clothes fit just right. This was done right down to the width of her shoes. Then Joyce would fly to New York and on the way home spend a few days in Minneapolis to finish the project. Never was Emily asked what she wanted, what her favorite color was, or if she wanted to accompany her mother on the buying trips.

Joyce demanded that Isabel take great care in Emily’s appearance. She would throw a fit if there was a speck of dirt on Emily’s clothing or a hair out of place. She sent Isabel to a beauty salon, where she learned how to style and braid Emily’s long, blonde, silky hair.

It was always Isabel who attended Emily’s recitals and school events. She would come home and report to the Larsons what a gifted daughter they had. Isabel became very emotionally attached to Emily. She knew she could never leave her to fend for herself in this loveless showcase of a house. She became Emily’s protector. She was devoted to her; she loved her as much as if she were her own daughter.

*

By the time Emily was a teenager, there was no doubt that she knew exactly what was expected from her. She worked hard to be an A+ student, an excellent pianist, and a soloist. She was a well-mannered young woman and politely quiet until adults spoke to her. She grew to love Isabel and to hate all the phony social parties that took place in her home. Her refuge was her beautiful bedroom, which was in the back of the house overlooking a gracious weeping willow tree. In the spring, she would often take an old blanket and sit under the shelter of the tree while practicing her French lessons with Isabel. The two of them would sit there for hours talking about anything that came to mind. They would also sometimes sit there quietly, listening to the tree make gentle noises as its long branches swept across the ground.

Emily shared her dreams with Isabel under that tree. She cried with her about all the disappointments she had experienced. She once said to Isabel, “Why do my parents hate me so much? Why can’t I get them to spend time with me like all the other kids' families do? I am trying so hard to be a good daughter, and it does not seem to get me anywhere with them. Isabel, promise me that you will never leave me. You are truly the only person on the face of this earth who cares about me.”

Isabel taught Emily the facts of life and the rules of dating. She gave her lessons on how to flirt and laugh at silly jokes. Emily discovered the secret of how to be a charming young lady who all the boys would want to escort to the dances and special parties. Isabel convinced her that she was a wonderful young lady, whom she loved and admired.

When Emily was old enough to understand, Isabel explained the death of her twin brother. She told her it was not her fault. At the risk of being disloyal to the Larsons, she repeatedly told her that her parents were wrong for how they treated her. She said that someday they would regret not enjoying their special daughter and the wonderful times they could have had with her. Emily believed and trusted Isabel more than anyone else in her life. Isabel became her safety net.

*

From all outward appearances, people might think that Emily had a charmed life. By the time she was twelve, she had been to Europe six times. Her closet overflowed with beautiful designer clothes. Her bedroom would be the envy of most adults. Long before most families in Fergus Falls could afford to buy their first black and white television or record player, Emily had both of them in her room. However, what she longed for she did not have—the love and companionship of her parents.

She had no friends that she enjoyed. After-school evenings and weekends were always occupied with lessons to improve her skills in piano, singing, and French. There was no time to just be a girl. There were times when she would sit on the wicker furniture on the large front porch watching the neighborhood kids riding their bikes in the summer and ice-skating in the winter. She felt isolated and out of step with the world. She did not fit into her parents’ lives nor did she fit into the lives of children her own age. Without Isabel, her life would have been an empty, hollow existence.

*

Emily was terrified when it came time to go to high school. For weeks before school started, she paced and worried about how she would get by. She knew when she walked into the school on her first day that she would be a misfit once again. Where other girls wore their new outfits from J. C. Penney, she would wear a designer sweater set and skirt from Villager of New York. Her schoolbag was made of the softest Italian leather. She knew that all of the other students had every right to think she was a spoiled snob. She simply did not know how to talk to them and convince them otherwise.

Therefore, she roamed the halls of Fergus Falls High School alone. Isabel would come and pick her up for lunch and again after school. Emily was amazed at how lonely she felt in the middle of hundreds of students. She continued to excel in all of her studies. Her only extracurricular activity was the choir. She loved being part of this group; singing became a wonderful way for her to find a little happiness.

*

Their teacher told them that they needed to decide on a name for their group. After much lively debate, they decided on SOLA, which stood for Sisterhood of Lake Alice. They were called the SOLA by many of their classmates from that day on. Emily, Grace, Lindy, and Rebecca had originally come together as freshman when they were asked to sing as a quartet for their Spring Music Festival at Fergus Falls High School. They instantly became friends.

The quartet was so well received that the music director decided to offer special tutoring to them to develop their talents. By the next fall, they entered the statewide contest and came in second place. When they came home from the competition, which was held in Mankato, the school welcomed them with a special student assembly. The following day, their picture holding the trophy was on the front page of the
Daily Journal
. From that point on, the girls were inseparable. They ate lunch together each day and shared their most important moments with each other. For the first time in Emily’s life, she had friends.

The girls loved hanging out at Emily’s house because they never had to worry about parents hovering over them. During the winter, they taught Emily how to ice-skate on Lake Alice. Then they ran across the street to her house for Isabel’s special hot chocolate loaded with tiny melted marshmallows. During the spring and fall, they spent hours in Emily’s bedroom, trying on her clothes and gossiping. Many hot summer days were spent sleeping under the cool and graceful weeping willow tree, where they drank ice-cold fresh lemonade.

One summer night, sitting under the tree, Lindy suggested and they all agreed that they would always be SOLA, the Sisterhood of Lake Alice. In many ways, they were closer to each other than their real sisters. They shared secrets that they knew would never be told to anyone else. Their honest and open conversations allowed them to understand the true meaning of acceptance, even at their early age. All of them believed that this was truly a special bond that very few girls ever would know.

They had long discussions about boys and decided who they should date. They talked about their periods, the constant changes in their bodies, and of course, their dreams of the perfect romance. Even their arguments were lively and fun. Emily and Rebecca normally took the logical side, while Lindy and Grace always seemed to take the opposing emotional viewpoint. Their disagreements never lasted long and were normally resolved with a sleepover and root-beer floats.

*

Emily celebrated most of her birthdays and events at her friends’ homes. She loved the warmth of Grace O’Malley’s house. She knew that when she walked in their front door, she would get a big hug from Mrs. O’Malley. Rebecca’s tiny little home was always clean, quiet, and cozy. Her mother’s cookie jar was always filled with the best homemade chocolate chip cookies in the world. Her grandmother loved to crochet doilies, and they were everywhere you looked—on the furniture, dressers, and tables. She made a special one for Emily for one of her birthdays. Lindy’s home was the exact opposite. It was loud and entertaining. It was not unusual to find Lindy and her mother with rollers in their hair, singing along to the latest country-western song. Emily often returned home depressed, realizing how lonely her life was in the big beautiful house overlooking Lake Alice.

*

On her sixteenth birthday, Emily arrived home from school to find a bright red VW convertible parked in their driveway with a huge ribbon tied to the windshield. There was an unsigned happy birthday card lying on the front seat with the keys. Her parents had left two days before to vacation on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Before they left, they had made all the arrangements for a fancy party at the country club. Invitations had been mailed to everyone in her class. The day her parents left, Emily cancelled the party, placing a homemade sign in the lunchroom for everyone to read. Isabel immediately taught her how to drive her fun new car. Within a month, Emily could be seen driving around the town. Her three best friends were always in her bright red car with the top down, laughing, regardless of how cold it was.

Emily was very generous with her things and her money. All of them borrowed her clothes. Isabel quickly became attached to all of the girls. She taught them how to put on makeup and fix their hair. Isabel was there to greet them when they arrived. She made up beds for the girls on their sleepovers. She kept them supplied with popcorn, ice-cold sodas, and the latest fashion magazines. Then she would disappear to her new room, which had been built in the attic. There she would smile, listening to the girls’ laughter. She was so pleased that at last Emily had found friends and acceptance.

*

Emily never cared much if she dated. In fact, she was terrified of the experience. The boys started calling and asking her for a date when she was a freshman in high school. She used the excuse that her parents would not allow her to date until she was sixteen. After her sixteenth birthday, she no longer could use that excuse.

Warren Brooks had been Emily’s next-door neighbor for many years. He was one grade ahead of her in school. They often walked to school together. Sometimes they just hung out on her front porch or went to Dairyland Drive-in for root-beer floats. Warren became her protector and friend.

When it was time for his junior prom, he knew that Emily was the only girl he wanted for his date. One evening in late April, he waited and watched out his front living-room window to see Emily come out and sit on her front porch swing. Quickly he combed his thick, curly hair and took a breath mint. He was shocked at how nervous he suddenly felt as he approached the front steps to the wide Victorian porch. He knew that he would lose his courage if he did not immediately ask Emily to be his date.

He sat down next to her, and for a few minutes, they sat in silence while they swayed on the large wooden swing. Softly he cleared his throat and said, “Emily, I am in desperate need of a date for the junior prom. Because I am on student council, there is no way that I cannot attend. Would you do me a gigantic favor and be my date for this lame dance?”

Emily smiled at Warren and quickly said, “Sure, no problem. How could I ever refuse my best big brother and friend?”

Warren smiled all the way home and for the next three weeks before the prom. His parents were thrilled with his choice, as they had grown to enjoy Emily over the years. As much as they liked Emily, however, they disliked her snobby parents.

The night of the prom, Warren appeared at Emily’s door in his new tuxedo with a beautiful white orchid in a plastic box. Emily floated down the curved stairway dressed in a soft yellow, long, flowing dress, with her hair done up with curls. She took Warren’s breath away. His first thought was that Emily looked like an angel coming to him. They stopped back at the Brooks house for pictures, and then they were off for Warren’s dream date. For the first time, Emily realized that Warren was tall and handsome. Together they made a darling couple. They danced, laughed, and enjoyed the evening. The prom picture showed a couple who appeared to be having fun.

Their relationship changed from being good friends to becoming a couple. They would often go to the movies on Saturday night and then stop for hamburgers at the Viking Café. They enjoyed each other but always hesitated to become romantic. At the end of each date, Warren would gently give Emily a goodnight kiss, but nothing more than that. Emily was content to be with Warren. She continued to think of him as a good friend. The fact that they were now considered a couple meant that she did not have to deal with other boys asking her for a date.

Most important was that SOLA all approved of Warren as well. They could always count on him to take them someplace or bring them along with Emily. They often teased that Warren was the unofficial fifth member of the SOLA. He drove all of them to rehearsals in his father’s large Cadillac, regardless of how far away it was. He was always in the front row, cheering them on at any competition they entered. He helped them celebrate their victories. Warren was just a nice guy.

Warren longed to tell Emily how much he cared about her. It seemed that every time he worked up enough courage, they were interrupted. It was after Warren’s senior prom that he finally decided he could not hold back his feelings any longer. As they sat in his car after the dance, Warren turned to Emily and gave her a passionate kiss. He held her close and whispered in her ear, “Emily, I have loved you all of my life. There is no one else I can imagine being with. I hope someday when I am done with college that you will give me the honor of being my wife.”

Tears came to Emily’s eyes as Warren held her. She knew deep in her heart that Warren would always be a big brother and never a lover. She also knew that night that she was going to lose a good friend. Slowly she turned to Warren and said, “Warren, I love you, too, but only as a big brother. I am sorry. I have never meant to hurt you or lead you on. Please, can’t we just keep being good friends?”