Melanie's Song by Joanna Biggar

Author:Joanna Biggar [Biggar, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thrillers & Suspense (Books) Women's Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 9781942892106
Publisher: Santa Fe Writer's Project
Published: 2019-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Even after slamming the phone down, the obnoxious voice kept ringing in J.J.’s ear. “Not now, not now,” it mocked her.

Well, ask Her Majesty when? she wanted to shout back, knowing how snotty and childish she sounded.

A hot Sunday in September and the roses in Gran’s garden beckoned her. They needed water, and attention, as did Gran herself. To say nothing of Annie, who said—and it was true—that J.J. hadn’t been over to visit in “a wicked long time.” In her motherly way, she promised to whip up a terrific meal based on the latest soy products. Then, she added, as if this were the real pièce de résistance, “have I got a great surprise for you!” J.J. knew from long years of experience, this meant that Dad had moved back in again. Another doomed reconciliation and a heap of soy beans. How can I resist? she asked herself.

To stall a bit longer before facing the day, she started a fresh pot of coffee, looked over the new postcard from Ivan, with the menacing, toothless logger in front of a stand of redwoods, and flipped it over to reread his message: “This dude reminds me of your guy Moon, who has not been seen in weeks. Nor the chick with the kid, either. And to my surprise, officers of the peace all in place as before. All quiet on the Northern Front, Eyes & Ears Ivan”

J.J. poured her coffee in a Thermos, screwed the cup back on, and headed to the back porch, telling herself that she’d get through the day with the least stress and worry if she had a plan—though she knew she needed to feed the beast soon, as Alice kept saying, and without Jocelyn, she hadn’t got another story lined up. “Roses first,” she announced with perky resolution.

Instead, she turned and ran back upstairs to the den.

Rummaging through the desk, she pulled the file labeled “Melanie, ’70” and sat back in the reclining desk chair. After extracting what she was looking for, J.J. held it and stared for a long time.

The glossy postcard still looked new. Red, white, and blue bunting curled along the edges, and bold print announced “Honor America Day, National Mall, July 4, 1970” over a background of exploding fireworks. “Pray for America with Rev. Billy Graham. Stand with America and Presidents Truman, Johnson & Nixon.” In small print it listed the celebrities who would be present: Bob Hope, of course, and Vince Lombardi, Pat Boone, the Lennon Sisters, Jocelyn…”

J.J.’s eyes stopped there, turning the card over. Before reading Melanie’s ever-correct handwriting, she wanted to visualize her. What would she have looked like at that moment, standing in the throngs and heat of that July day, 1970, in Washington, D.C.? J.J. tried to imagine. Would she have been in the crazy fringes and colors that Evelyn had described when she last saw her? Or would she have been in the fuzzy white of the previous visit? Or maybe something political, like an upside-down flag shirt, or a black one with peace signs and “Stop the War” emblazoned on it.

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