The rain always makes her sad. But today it is more than just the rain. She just sits with her arms falling over the back of the chair looking at her friend’s house across the street. The day’s events keep playing in her mind like a film. A tear falls from her eye and quickly absorbs into the carpet.
Lana remembers meeting Ms. Rosen like it was yesterday. In truth, it was a year ago on July 4th, and everyone in town met up at the town square for the annual parade. Lana and her family have attended the July 4th parade every year since they moved to Sundown three years ago. They love the town and how friendly everyone is. But Lana has been unsure about living in a smaller town. To this day, she had not met many people her age, and did not feel as welcome as her parents did.
The town’s firemen cook hotdogs and hamburgers and serve ice cold sodas every year on July 4th for the community. Lana got her usual hot dog and drink and sat down in her normal spot on the curb in front the town’s bank to watch the parade. She could see every float and person in the parade from that spot. Every year, Lana sat alone on the curb as the parade passed by, but that would soon end.
Just as the parade was about to start, a lady who was about eighty years old and walked with a cane slowly approached the area where Lana was sitting. The woman sat carefully in a green and white lawn chair, and placed her cane by her side, leaning it against her chair. Lana noticed that the woman was alone and wondered where her family was. Why is she alone?
She then heard the woman say, “The parade seems bigger each year.”
Lana looked up at the woman whose short white hair got caught in the wind.
“Don’t you think so dear?” the woman asked.
Lana smiled. “Yes.”
The next thing she knew, the woman started to talk about how she grew up in Sundown and how they have had the July 4th parade every year since she was a little girl. Lana heard about the years when the woman’s husband and children came to the parade, and how different the town used to be.
“What is your name, dear?” the woman asked.
“Lana.”
“I’m Ms. Rosen. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Lana and Ms. Rosen gave each other a smile.
Every day after that special July 4th, Lana spent hours at Ms. Rosen’s house hearing stories of her growing up in Sundown. She heard all about how Ms. Rosen met her husband at one of the parades, when they got married, the time when he went away to war in 1942, and when the cancer took him away from her in 1988. She saw pictures of Ms. Rosen and her husband; her three children, George, Paul, and Ann; her grandchildren; and great grandchildren. Her two sons live in Florida, and her daughter lives in Colorado, so she rarely saw her family.
Specifically on Saturdays, Lana would go to Ms. Rosen’s and learn how to cook. She loved making and receiving delicious recipes that were created by Ms. Rosen herself. Ms. Rosen had a special ingredient in each recipe that made them wonderful, such as creamy marshmallow in the middle of brownie. Lana gained a love for cooking and would cook a meal or two for Ms. Rosen each week.
For Christmas, Lana went to Ms. Rosen’s house to help decorate
for the season. This was a special time because Lana heard some more stories from Ms. Rosen about her family traditions and favorite things about the season. She told Lana how the community used to decorate the town square in Christmas lights and everyone would sing carols. Lana was able to share some of her family traditions, too. Back and forth they went in their conversation. They talked continuously as they decorated. Lana loved spending time with Ms. Rosen. She had found a friend.
Now, all these memories with Ms. Rosen have faded away. They no longer make Lana happy. She just sits with her arms falling over the back of the chair looking at Ms. Rosen’s house. A tear falls from her eye.
She hates to say goodbye.
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