prequel stories #8: reconstructing the founders, part 1

In April of 2006, a group of young college graduates decided to start their brand new lives by settling in a once-quiet little town called Lakeside Heights. Until now, there has been little record of who these people were, apart from a few aged photos and the basic public record of their family tree. This effort is to reconstruct their lives as best we can, through their family who might remember them.

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Rebecca (Brant) Harris, and her husband Troy: survived in the Harris and Fortney families.

A conversation with Tad, Tosha, and Lucy Harris:

"You never got to meet my mother," Tad says to Lucy. "You look just like her. Doesn't she look just like her?"

"She sure does," Tosha says. "Pretty as a petunia."

"You always say that, Grandpa," Lucy says.

"It's true," Tad says. "And a social butterfly too. Friends with everybody in the town."

"They were good, simple people," Tad says. "My dad was a police officer, just like I was in the good old days." He turns to Tosha. "I never understood why her father went off and studied politics. What is politics? A bunch of people sitting around and talking? We're police and military men through and through."

"I don't know, Grandpa," Lucy says. "I don't think it's anything fancy."

"And my mother was only ever a waitress," he says.

"She had a baby at twenty," Tosha says. "Tends to put you in that place. Not that there's anything wrong with it. I didn't finish college either. Little bit of kissing, and before you know it-"

"Grandma," Lucy says.

"I don't think she liked me," Tosha says. "The mother-in-law. It's a hard relationship to keep. We were never very friendly until just before she died. An early pregnancy will also do that sometimes. Tad was her only, of course, and you know how mothers are - she liked to think I got him trapped."

"Of course you didn't, dear," Tad says.

"Well, no. I didn't want to trap this old fool," she says. "But I suppose I could have trapped someone worse."

"I don't think it's too hard," Lucy says. "I'm pretty sure all of Dallas's family love me, and I never had to trap him before he proposed."

Her grandparents turn to her in unison, and say, "What was that, dear?"

"Oh," Lucy says, trying to think of a word that sounds like "propose," and then, as they stare straight through her, she realizes that there isn't one.

***

Eliza (Brant) Deppiesse-Anderson: survived in part of the Bradshaw family, indirectly founding the Deppiesse/McCullough families.

A conversation with Claire and Amelia Bradshaw.

"I was very young when they divorced," Claire says. "Kindergarten, maybe six. I have this picture of the two of us, after the divorce, living in that old house in Lakeside Heights. I was maybe nine then, and I don't remember her taking the divorce very hard, or not for long anyway. I only realize that now maybe she only did that for me. She was a beautiful woman, but she always had that edge to her, not unkind, but a barrier just the same.

I can't remember if she ever told me what brought them together, my mother and father. From the sounds of it, I can't imagine why they ever dated, much less married each other."

"But grandpa, he was very smart," Amelia says. "Maybe that's why."

"Perhaps," Claire says.

"Isn't that where we all get it from, all the cousins?"

"Well, I'd say you kids are all much smarter," Claire says. "Your grandfather wasn't so smart that he couldn't stay out of prison now, was he?"

"I guess not," Amelia says.

"I probably remember my father the best of all of us," Claire says. "They were all very young before he went to prison, Cabe and Brooke were just babies. Our father was a force of a man, he did what he wanted, very clearly, but yes, he was very intelligent."

"I don't have any pictures of my father, I honestly don't. He was a sort of dark spot in most of my life, an anomaly. But you know, he was my father, so what can I say?"

The point is, the marriage didn't last long. There were differences of moral standard, you might say. He got out of jail and made it to my wedding. He died soon after that. He never met a single one of all these grandkids he has. But as much a wreck as he was, their divorce is really what pulled us all together, all of us kids. If my parents hadn't divorced, I wouldn't have my siblings.

My step father joined the family soon after. His name was Glen Anderson. He was a good man, also a doctor. They got along well. He and my mother were married for a long time. She lived to be quite old. He made her happy."

"A happy marriage leads to a longer life, did you know that honey?"

"I think you probably told me once or twice," Amelia says.

"It's a fact," Claire says. "A happy marriage and good, honest work. You see, my father had neither of those things. He died in his 60s. But my mother, she was quite old, how old were you when she died?"

"Fifteen," Amelia says.

"So about twelve or thirteen years ago, not that long ago."

"I miss her too, Mom," Amelia says.

*******