Vincent, and it made her realize, how much she was beginning to depend upon him, and of how he was becoming more and more important to her.
Her life was totally shaken when her Dad died, and it took much to regain her foothold in the world again. And it was Vincent, who had helped her work through her grief. Catherine's time in the tunnels, was marked with many special moments between them, and they grew closer because of it.
Yet, for reasons Catherine cannot seem to define, when it came time for her moment-of-truth to either stay with Vincent, or go back to her life in the city, she chose to go back.
Catherine couldn't’t help but ask herself, how or why she arrived at that decision, feeling as deeply as she did for Vincent. And well now, since Lisa had moved back to the tunnels again, Catherine is living
to regret that decision.
Yes, the news of Lisa living below in Vincent’s world, made Catherine feel so very forlorn. She thought if only Vincent wouldn't’t have seemed so affected by Lisa’s presence, she wouldn't’t have all these insecurities.
But affected, and shaken Vincent was, causing Catherine to feel separated and set apart from him for the first time since they met. And for the first time in a very long time, she needed someone...she needed him.
Catherine knew being needy, was not fair to Vincent, and she knew because of the strength she had gained of spirit, this was not who, or what she was.
After all, they both had busy lives, with many demands on their time.
Vincent had so many responsibilities below in the tunnels, with many people depending on him, and even before Lisa's arrival, they never had much time together.
And her own career at the D.A. required so much of her time and energy too. So much so, that sadly, Catherine felt as if she was losing touch with many of her friends, but one friend she would never let this happen to was Jennifer.
And thinking she has neglected Jennifer of late, she decided, instead of sitting around feeling badly, she would give Jennifer a call, and see if she wanted to do something fun. They have been meaning to see the Phantom again, and this may be a good time to do it.
And so, just as she had decided to call Jennifer, the phone rang, and it was her!
To which Catherine smiled and said, "Jennifer! I was just about to call you..."
Desperately Jennifer said, “You were? that's funny! Well the reason I am calling is I have a huge favor to ask you!”
Upon hearing a frantic tone to Jennifer's voice, with concern, Catherine asked, “What is it Jen?”
In a pleading voice Jennifer asked, “Will you take care of Gonzales for the weekend?"
To which Catherine asked, "You are going away?"
In a harried tone, Jennifer explained, "Here's the deal...I have to drive Mom to Aunt Doris’s over in Jersey to pick up what Mom refers to as, "a piece of her heritage!"
Excitingly, Catherine replied, "Sounds intriguing."
To which Jennifer admitted, "Yeah, I guess it kind of is. You see, Grandma and Grandpa's old farmhouse is up for sale, and so, before it sells, Aunt Doris has been over there digging up the family's prize winning Tulip Bulbs! My Grandma, my Great-grandma, and my Great-great-granny have all won first prizes at the county fair with these bulbs! Even Great-aunt Mrya won once with this strain, which is quite a story behind that! Great-Aunt Myra is thought to have snitched one of her sister's bulbs to cultivate, and beat her out one year, though she never admitted to it, but everyone is pretty sure she did. Anywhooo, Aunt Doris has some extra bulbs set aside for Mom, and told her to come get them, so guess what? I am the elected Chauffeur for The Bulb Run!”
As Jennifer continued complaining, she said, "Personally, I'm not sure if it's legal to dig up the landscape, but there's no stopping Aunt Doris! Anyway, Mom says if she doesn't go get them soon, it will be too late to plant them this season..."
Suddenly, it occurred to Jennifer that Catherine hadn't said yes to Turtle sitting yet, and so she again asked, "So what do you think Cath? Can you watch Gonzy? I hate to ask, but I just can't imagine Felix and Gonzalez spending the weekend here alone together. He won't be any trouble, I promise!”
Thinking "Turtle Sitting" was taking her evening plans in a totally different direction, Catherine quickly answered, “Oh, I am not worried about that, I mean how much trouble can a turtle be?"
Suddenly realizing she heard a sadness in her friend's voice, with concern Jennifer inquired, "Hey Cath, wait a minute here...what were you calling me about? Is something wrong?"
To which in reply, Catherine hesitantly answered, “No...nothings wrong, I was just calling to see if you wanted to see the Phantom at the Majestic that's all."
And then Catherine assuredly said, "Awe, but it's all right Jen. Just bring Gonzy over. I'll be glad to watch him."
Sadly Jennifer replied, "Shoot!! I would love to see the Phanty again! It would be our 4th time uh Cath?"
To which Catherine answered, "Think so..."
Assuredly, Jennifer then added, "Believe me when I say, there is nothing I would rather do, but I am stuck. I don't see any way out!"
With a giggle in her voice, Catherine replied, "It's all right, we can do it another time.”
Sensing Catherine was feeling a little lonely, Jennifer excitedly asked, “I have an idea! Why don’t you come along with us?”
Pondering the invitation, Catherine thought it might be fun! She used to spend weekends with Jennifer at her Aunt Doris’s, when they were teenyboppers. They would go visit Jennifer’s cousin Debbie, who was also their age. They would do the club scene on the Boardwalk, and just hang out.
Hopefully, Jennifer begged, “Come on! Say yes. You would be rescuing me from a weekend filled with talk of bunions, corns, and constipated bowls! The list of ailments goes on, and on!”
Privately, Catherine hated to admit it, but she really couldn't imagine leaving in case she heard from Vincent! So disappointedly she replied, “As tempting as you make it sound, I think I will stay put. Just bring Gonzales over.”
In a pouting tone, Jennifer replied, “Oh you are heartless! I’ll be over as soon as I get his things packed. See you in a bit.”
As Catherine hung up the phone, she began to have second thoughts about saying no. She knew Jennifer would make her laugh, and they would have a ball. But her ties with Vincent were so strong, the thought of being so far away from him, just seemed so impossible right now. And Catherine still had hope, he would come to her tonight.
As Catherine finished dusting the last of her knick-knacks, she heard a knock. Thinking it was Jennifer, she casually opened the door.
But to her surprise, it was Kipper, and Samantha! And so with a smile and a hug for each of them, Catherine asked the Tunnel children to come in. Warmly, she then asked, "What brings you here to see me?”
To which Kipper politely began, “We want to invite you…”
As Samantha butted in, she added, “Formally that is!”
Agreeing, Kipper corrected himself, continuing, “Yes even though we know Vincent asked you last night, well today we wanted to invite you...formally that is, with a special hand made special invitation.”
Proudly, Samantha told Catherine, “Yes! We thought we should give written invitations, because Lisa says a production, is only as successful as its presentation! So she helped us make these invitations!”
Catherine’s heart sank, not only at the sound of Lisa’s name, but also for the fact that Vincent had NOT yet told her anything about the concert, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.
Trying to hide her sadness, Catherine looked at the invitation, and said, “You did a wonderful job! They are very eye-catching invitations.”
As Kipper smiled up at Catherine, he informed her, “Lisa says the playbill for our concert must grab people’s attention, make them want to come. Lisa said after all, if a performer has no audience, then it is like a tree falling in a forest. Does it make a sound, if no one is around to hear it fall?”
To which Catherine agreeably, replied, “Yes, she does have a point.”
Kindly Catherine then asked the children, "Can I offer you two a refreshment, maybe some milk and cookies?"
Just as Kipper was about to say yes, Samantha curtly turned to Kipper, to remind him, “We better deliver these others invitations, because Lisa is expecting us back at 11:00 sharp to work on the introduction number.”
With understanding, Catherine smiled, and told them “Well thank you for the invitation. It means so much I was on your list.”
With hope, Samantha asked, “You will come won’t you Catherine?”
Looking at the invitation once more, she noticed the concert is at 7:00 p.m. tonight. She couldn't help but wonder why Vincent hadn't said anything to her about it. It wouldn't be right to go if he doesn't want her there. She then had to ask herself, what should she do? And what should she tell the children?
So with a smile, Catherine tactfully replied, “I will if I can.”
Kipper, excitedly chimed in, “Ah come on Catherine, you have to come, it won't be the same if you're not there.”
Lovingly, she rubbed Kipper’s full head of hair, and answered, “I promise to try. Now you better run along, you don't want to make Lisa wait. And children, thank you and good luck with your performance.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, as Jacob entered Vincent's chamber, he repeated, “Vincent, are you here?"
Finding him daydreaming at his writing table, he called out his name once more. There he was, in his own world, with a pen poised, searching, reaching for a word, to convey the turmoil within his heart.
Realizing his father was speaking to him, Vincent looked up at Jacob, and replied, "You needed me Father?"
Standing now beside his boy, he urgently asked, “Do you know anything about this?”
Taking the note Lisa had written from his Father's hands, Vincent read;
Dearest Father,
I wish to have an audience with you this
morning at 10:00. Vincent and I have
a proposal to run by you, and I very
much hope you will be receptive to it.
Most Appreciatively
Lisa
Vincent with a nod, answered, “Yes, I do.”
Looking at the note again, Jacob spoke a bit nervously, saying, “I don’t like this, I feel Lisa is plotting ways in which to keep her rooted here! And I am certain if she does, it is going to complicate the dynamic of our way of life here!"
With a disturbed turbulent breath, Jacob finally expressed, " I feel...I feel an uneasiness Vincent...an uneasiness...down in my bones!"
Vincent stood, and resting a reassuring arm around his Father, he told him, “We must give Lisa a chance. She so badly wants to do good things here. She wishes to be useful and helpful.”
Just then Samantha and Kipper excitedly ran in, shouting, “Vincent, Mouse needs you. He found an old blocked tunnel, and wants you to help him move this HUGE rock. He is in the north east branch of the 42nd street tunnel.”
Nodding at the Children, Vincent anxiously asked, “May we talk about this matter later?”
In reply, Jacob answered, “Yes, yes of course Vincent, you better go see what Mouse is up to. And be careful won’t you. We had a cave in not too far from that area years ago.”
Easing his Father’s mind, Vincent assured him, “Of course, I know the blocked area Mouse is at, and you are right, it would be best to keep it undisturbed. I will tell him.”
Turning back to the children, Vincent noticed their pent up excitement. And so he asked them, “What is with you two? You both look all lit up inside.”
Jacob smiled at the children, and then verbally surmised, “I believe they are anxious about their performance tonight. Am I correct children?”
Gleefully, Samantha replied, “Oh yes Father, and thanks to Lisa's help, it is going to be our best concert yet. And look Vincent and Father, Lisa helped us make up formal invitations for everyone, and we have one for each of you too. We just returned from above. We gave one to Peter, Lou, Catherine, to Lin and Dr. Wong…”
Suddenly, Vincent's mind began to race! He had totally forgotten all about the concert, and as a result, he had forgotten to invite Catherine last night!
Eagerly, he then asked, “You saw Catherine? Did she say if she will be coming to the performance?”
Kipper sadly relayed, “Not sure, but she said she would try.”
Politely, Samantha asked Jacob, “May we be excused Father?”
Noticing Vincent’s angst, Jacob dismissed the children, saying, “Yes, yes of course, and thank you for the invitation. I am so impressed you are using the proper protocol for the occasion.”
After the children left them, Jacob approached Vincent, and asked, “What is it Vincent?”
Reluctantly, he admitted, “Father, I neglected to issue Catherine an invitation last night when I saw her."
Berating himself, he lamented aloud, "Oh how could I have forgotten to tell her?”
Fuming at the gills, Jacob scolded Vincent, saying, “Because of Lisa that’s why! Vincent you must come to terms with these issues, before Lisa’s presence does some real damage!”
Sadly nodding, Vincent replied, “I know you are right Father. Perhaps one day I will be able to, but for now...I just can not seem to imagine saying..."
To which Jacob inserted, "You will know when the time is right...and you will find the words."
In reply, Vincent humbly said, "Thank you for your faith in me..."
Knowing Mouse was waiting, Vincent said, "...the children said Mouse was waiting, and he becomes so impatient at times. Please excuse me Father."
To which Jacob said, "Of course."
Stopping before he exited, he turned slightly to say, "I will return in time for the meeting with Lisa.”
To be continued
Chapter Five
Her life was totally shaken when her Dad died, and it took much to regain her foothold in the world again. And it was Vincent, who had helped her work through her grief. Catherine's time in the tunnels, was marked with many special moments between them, and they grew closer because of it.
Yet, for reasons Catherine cannot seem to define, when it came time for her moment-of-truth to either stay with Vincent, or go back to her life in the city, she chose to go back.
Catherine couldn't’t help but ask herself, how or why she arrived at that decision, feeling as deeply as she did for Vincent. And well now, since Lisa had moved back to the tunnels again, Catherine is living
to regret that decision.
Yes, the news of Lisa living below in Vincent’s world, made Catherine feel so very forlorn. She thought if only Vincent wouldn't’t have seemed so affected by Lisa’s presence, she wouldn't’t have all these insecurities.
But affected, and shaken Vincent was, causing Catherine to feel separated and set apart from him for the first time since they met. And for the first time in a very long time, she needed someone...she needed him.
Catherine knew being needy, was not fair to Vincent, and she knew because of the strength she had gained of spirit, this was not who, or what she was.
After all, they both had busy lives, with many demands on their time.
Vincent had so many responsibilities below in the tunnels, with many people depending on him, and even before Lisa's arrival, they never had much time together.
And her own career at the D.A. required so much of her time and energy too. So much so, that sadly, Catherine felt as if she was losing touch with many of her friends, but one friend she would never let this happen to was Jennifer.
And thinking she has neglected Jennifer of late, she decided, instead of sitting around feeling badly, she would give Jennifer a call, and see if she wanted to do something fun. They have been meaning to see the Phantom again, and this may be a good time to do it.
And so, just as she had decided to call Jennifer, the phone rang, and it was her!
To which Catherine smiled and said, "Jennifer! I was just about to call you..."
Desperately Jennifer said, “You were? that's funny! Well the reason I am calling is I have a huge favor to ask you!”
Upon hearing a frantic tone to Jennifer's voice, with concern, Catherine asked, “What is it Jen?”
In a pleading voice Jennifer asked, “Will you take care of Gonzales for the weekend?"
To which Catherine asked, "You are going away?"
In a harried tone, Jennifer explained, "Here's the deal...I have to drive Mom to Aunt Doris’s over in Jersey to pick up what Mom refers to as, "a piece of her heritage!"
Excitingly, Catherine replied, "Sounds intriguing."
To which Jennifer admitted, "Yeah, I guess it kind of is. You see, Grandma and Grandpa's old farmhouse is up for sale, and so, before it sells, Aunt Doris has been over there digging up the family's prize winning Tulip Bulbs! My Grandma, my Great-grandma, and my Great-great-granny have all won first prizes at the county fair with these bulbs! Even Great-aunt Mrya won once with this strain, which is quite a story behind that! Great-Aunt Myra is thought to have snitched one of her sister's bulbs to cultivate, and beat her out one year, though she never admitted to it, but everyone is pretty sure she did. Anywhooo, Aunt Doris has some extra bulbs set aside for Mom, and told her to come get them, so guess what? I am the elected Chauffeur for The Bulb Run!”
As Jennifer continued complaining, she said, "Personally, I'm not sure if it's legal to dig up the landscape, but there's no stopping Aunt Doris! Anyway, Mom says if she doesn't go get them soon, it will be too late to plant them this season..."
Suddenly, it occurred to Jennifer that Catherine hadn't said yes to Turtle sitting yet, and so she again asked, "So what do you think Cath? Can you watch Gonzy? I hate to ask, but I just can't imagine Felix and Gonzalez spending the weekend here alone together. He won't be any trouble, I promise!”
Thinking "Turtle Sitting" was taking her evening plans in a totally different direction, Catherine quickly answered, “Oh, I am not worried about that, I mean how much trouble can a turtle be?"
Suddenly realizing she heard a sadness in her friend's voice, with concern Jennifer inquired, "Hey Cath, wait a minute here...what were you calling me about? Is something wrong?"
To which in reply, Catherine hesitantly answered, “No...nothings wrong, I was just calling to see if you wanted to see the Phantom at the Majestic that's all."
And then Catherine assuredly said, "Awe, but it's all right Jen. Just bring Gonzy over. I'll be glad to watch him."
Sadly Jennifer replied, "Shoot!! I would love to see the Phanty again! It would be our 4th time uh Cath?"
To which Catherine answered, "Think so..."
Assuredly, Jennifer then added, "Believe me when I say, there is nothing I would rather do, but I am stuck. I don't see any way out!"
With a giggle in her voice, Catherine replied, "It's all right, we can do it another time.”
Sensing Catherine was feeling a little lonely, Jennifer excitedly asked, “I have an idea! Why don’t you come along with us?”
Pondering the invitation, Catherine thought it might be fun! She used to spend weekends with Jennifer at her Aunt Doris’s, when they were teenyboppers. They would go visit Jennifer’s cousin Debbie, who was also their age. They would do the club scene on the Boardwalk, and just hang out.
Hopefully, Jennifer begged, “Come on! Say yes. You would be rescuing me from a weekend filled with talk of bunions, corns, and constipated bowls! The list of ailments goes on, and on!”
Privately, Catherine hated to admit it, but she really couldn't imagine leaving in case she heard from Vincent! So disappointedly she replied, “As tempting as you make it sound, I think I will stay put. Just bring Gonzales over.”
In a pouting tone, Jennifer replied, “Oh you are heartless! I’ll be over as soon as I get his things packed. See you in a bit.”
As Catherine hung up the phone, she began to have second thoughts about saying no. She knew Jennifer would make her laugh, and they would have a ball. But her ties with Vincent were so strong, the thought of being so far away from him, just seemed so impossible right now. And Catherine still had hope, he would come to her tonight.
As Catherine finished dusting the last of her knick-knacks, she heard a knock. Thinking it was Jennifer, she casually opened the door.
But to her surprise, it was Kipper, and Samantha! And so with a smile and a hug for each of them, Catherine asked the Tunnel children to come in. Warmly, she then asked, "What brings you here to see me?”
To which Kipper politely began, “We want to invite you…”
As Samantha butted in, she added, “Formally that is!”
Agreeing, Kipper corrected himself, continuing, “Yes even though we know Vincent asked you last night, well today we wanted to invite you...formally that is, with a special hand made special invitation.”
Proudly, Samantha told Catherine, “Yes! We thought we should give written invitations, because Lisa says a production, is only as successful as its presentation! So she helped us make these invitations!”
Catherine’s heart sank, not only at the sound of Lisa’s name, but also for the fact that Vincent had NOT yet told her anything about the concert, and she couldn’t help but wonder why.
Trying to hide her sadness, Catherine looked at the invitation, and said, “You did a wonderful job! They are very eye-catching invitations.”
As Kipper smiled up at Catherine, he informed her, “Lisa says the playbill for our concert must grab people’s attention, make them want to come. Lisa said after all, if a performer has no audience, then it is like a tree falling in a forest. Does it make a sound, if no one is around to hear it fall?”
To which Catherine agreeably, replied, “Yes, she does have a point.”
Kindly Catherine then asked the children, "Can I offer you two a refreshment, maybe some milk and cookies?"
Just as Kipper was about to say yes, Samantha curtly turned to Kipper, to remind him, “We better deliver these others invitations, because Lisa is expecting us back at 11:00 sharp to work on the introduction number.”
With understanding, Catherine smiled, and told them “Well thank you for the invitation. It means so much I was on your list.”
With hope, Samantha asked, “You will come won’t you Catherine?”
Looking at the invitation once more, she noticed the concert is at 7:00 p.m. tonight. She couldn't help but wonder why Vincent hadn't said anything to her about it. It wouldn't be right to go if he doesn't want her there. She then had to ask herself, what should she do? And what should she tell the children?
So with a smile, Catherine tactfully replied, “I will if I can.”
Kipper, excitedly chimed in, “Ah come on Catherine, you have to come, it won't be the same if you're not there.”
Lovingly, she rubbed Kipper’s full head of hair, and answered, “I promise to try. Now you better run along, you don't want to make Lisa wait. And children, thank you and good luck with your performance.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, as Jacob entered Vincent's chamber, he repeated, “Vincent, are you here?"
Finding him daydreaming at his writing table, he called out his name once more. There he was, in his own world, with a pen poised, searching, reaching for a word, to convey the turmoil within his heart.
Realizing his father was speaking to him, Vincent looked up at Jacob, and replied, "You needed me Father?"
Standing now beside his boy, he urgently asked, “Do you know anything about this?”
Taking the note Lisa had written from his Father's hands, Vincent read;
Dearest Father,
I wish to have an audience with you this
morning at 10:00. Vincent and I have
a proposal to run by you, and I very
much hope you will be receptive to it.
Most Appreciatively
Lisa
Vincent with a nod, answered, “Yes, I do.”
Looking at the note again, Jacob spoke a bit nervously, saying, “I don’t like this, I feel Lisa is plotting ways in which to keep her rooted here! And I am certain if she does, it is going to complicate the dynamic of our way of life here!"
With a disturbed turbulent breath, Jacob finally expressed, " I feel...I feel an uneasiness Vincent...an uneasiness...down in my bones!"
Vincent stood, and resting a reassuring arm around his Father, he told him, “We must give Lisa a chance. She so badly wants to do good things here. She wishes to be useful and helpful.”
Just then Samantha and Kipper excitedly ran in, shouting, “Vincent, Mouse needs you. He found an old blocked tunnel, and wants you to help him move this HUGE rock. He is in the north east branch of the 42nd street tunnel.”
Nodding at the Children, Vincent anxiously asked, “May we talk about this matter later?”
In reply, Jacob answered, “Yes, yes of course Vincent, you better go see what Mouse is up to. And be careful won’t you. We had a cave in not too far from that area years ago.”
Easing his Father’s mind, Vincent assured him, “Of course, I know the blocked area Mouse is at, and you are right, it would be best to keep it undisturbed. I will tell him.”
Turning back to the children, Vincent noticed their pent up excitement. And so he asked them, “What is with you two? You both look all lit up inside.”
Jacob smiled at the children, and then verbally surmised, “I believe they are anxious about their performance tonight. Am I correct children?”
Gleefully, Samantha replied, “Oh yes Father, and thanks to Lisa's help, it is going to be our best concert yet. And look Vincent and Father, Lisa helped us make up formal invitations for everyone, and we have one for each of you too. We just returned from above. We gave one to Peter, Lou, Catherine, to Lin and Dr. Wong…”
Suddenly, Vincent's mind began to race! He had totally forgotten all about the concert, and as a result, he had forgotten to invite Catherine last night!
Eagerly, he then asked, “You saw Catherine? Did she say if she will be coming to the performance?”
Kipper sadly relayed, “Not sure, but she said she would try.”
Politely, Samantha asked Jacob, “May we be excused Father?”
Noticing Vincent’s angst, Jacob dismissed the children, saying, “Yes, yes of course, and thank you for the invitation. I am so impressed you are using the proper protocol for the occasion.”
After the children left them, Jacob approached Vincent, and asked, “What is it Vincent?”
Reluctantly, he admitted, “Father, I neglected to issue Catherine an invitation last night when I saw her."
Berating himself, he lamented aloud, "Oh how could I have forgotten to tell her?”
Fuming at the gills, Jacob scolded Vincent, saying, “Because of Lisa that’s why! Vincent you must come to terms with these issues, before Lisa’s presence does some real damage!”
Sadly nodding, Vincent replied, “I know you are right Father. Perhaps one day I will be able to, but for now...I just can not seem to imagine saying..."
To which Jacob inserted, "You will know when the time is right...and you will find the words."
In reply, Vincent humbly said, "Thank you for your faith in me..."
Knowing Mouse was waiting, Vincent said, "...the children said Mouse was waiting, and he becomes so impatient at times. Please excuse me Father."
To which Jacob said, "Of course."
Stopping before he exited, he turned slightly to say, "I will return in time for the meeting with Lisa.”
To be continued
Chapter Five
| Where Rainbows End! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Four |
