The Wentworths Page 21
Grandma announced it was time to go. Monica watched her grandpa stand up from the couch. Her mother held his arm as he navigated around the coffee table and headed for the door. He’d never seemed old before but today he was ancient, so frail. All of them were fragile, like they might break at any moment. Judith walked out the front door, followed by Paul and Joey. Monica stepped up and took her grandpa’s other hand. Together, Monica and her mother led him out to the waiting limo.
30
Epilogue
The Section at the End of the Book
That Serves as a Conclusion to What has Happened.
Angela Simms was taken into custody just outside of Battle Mountain, Nevada for the murder of Conrad Wentworth. She had changed her name to Mary Wells, dyed her hair black and was wearing fake reading glasses and a prosthetic nose but that didn’t stop the good citizens of B.M. from recognizing her and collecting the million dollar prize money that was offered after she was featured on the hit TV show, Find that Felon. She put up quite a fight and the deputies had to shock her with the taser gun in order to secure her in cuffs and leg shackles. It seems that Angela was much stronger than they anticipated and in fact inflicted several painful bites on the forearm and left shoulder of the commanding officer, one of which bled and required medical attention. They took her down to the station, booked her and threw her into a holding cell with a couple of tough prostitutes from Lovelock, NV, where she spent a torturous night that culminated in a tragic miscarriage which necessitated a lengthy hospital stay before she could be transferred back to Los Angeles in order to stand trial. Angela was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to a life behind bars. She is now trying to settle in at Chowchilla Women’s Facility where she is being encouraged to explore her lesbian tendencies.
The Happy Helpers Preschool was leveled and is now the site of a full service day spa. Most of the parents relocated their children to the nearby Circle of Learning Preschool but not all of the families could be accommodated and that caused a tremendous amount of stress for those who were left out. The Blossom Center for Early Growth took up most of the slack but the rejection that those families felt caused a lot of damage and some of those kids will never be the same.
The Belmonts jumped into Jack’s truck and headed out of Los Angeles. Their plan was to drive until they found a spot that all three agreed upon, somewhere beautiful with fresh air and open space. In the course of their journey, Jack and Honey were officially married in a little church near Big Sur. Kimmy was the flower girl. They eventually settled in an area of Ukiah, off Highway One, on a street called Happy Lane. Jack was able to buy a nice little house, with the money he’d inherited from his mother, in an area that had an outstanding school system. Kimmy really blossomed with the attention of her daddy and excelled in all areas of learning. She’s now reading at a fourth-grade level even though she’s still in preschool and she has tremendous ability as a musician, specializing in both the tuba and the violin. Jack and Honey renewed their incredibly fulfilling sex life and enjoy each other at least twice a day; in fact Honey is now pregnant with their second child, a boy, due in July.
Rosa the housekeeper bought a lottery ticket at the Shop ‘n Go market on Fairfax and won the second largest jackpot in the history of California. After sorting out some legal troubles, she returned to Guatemala where she purchased a big house in an upscale part of the city and has enrolled all her children in private school. She hired a housekeeper and a cook but treats them with nothing but respect and they adore her. She’s found a new man, Antonio, who treats her like a queen and they plan to marry in July.
Maggie Halliburton, the widow of August Wentworth’s best friend David Halliburton, published her first novel at the age of 66. She’d been writing for years but never told a soul, other than David, and it was only after his death that she felt ready to let her work be shown. The book was snatched up by Overlook Press, after a fierce bidding war, and is a runaway bestseller. It deals with the themes of love, family and loss. Maggie spends most of her time doing book tours and talking to large audiences about her inspiration and work process. A major studio has bought the movie rights and Heath Ledger is set to play the lead.
Dr. Rosenblatt has taken a leave from his practice. He was forced to sell his house in order to pay off the divorce and is living on a rented sailboat in Marina del Rey. He is currently working on a series of relaxation audiotapes that utilize guided imagery and song and hopes to begin marketing them in July.
The loss of Conrad was a tremendous blow to all of the Wentworths and the resulting grief is a burden under which they all will struggle for years to come. However, life goes on:
Judith and August left the day after the funeral for a three-month grand tour of Europe. Judith used the missing tongs as an excuse to scour the best antique shops on the continent. They found an exquisite tea set that was far superior to the original.
August stopped drinking except when Judith felt like a glass of wine, then he joined her. During the trip he discovered that chocolate acted as an aphrodisiac on his wife and so he spent his free time in search of the world’s finest truffles. Judith gained a little weight and it had a surprisingly positive effect on her face. She looked five years younger with the added ten pounds, plus she found herself in an amorous mood most of the time. Sex became a pleasant activity for Judith and August and, for the first time in their lives, they actually enjoyed each other’s company.
Paul and Becky also discovered a very rewarding sex life. It turned out that Becky responded quite favorably to bondage and light discipline. She particularly liked to be “hog-tied” and spanked with a ping-pong paddle. And, surprisingly, Paul found that he was quite good at dominating his wife. He took up racket ball, an aggressive sport at which he excels, while Becky enjoys the soothing aspects of Tai Chi. Becky weaned herself off prescription drugs by taking constant shots of wheat grass juice and flaxseed oil. She has never felt better in her life.
Shortly after the funeral, Monica turned her sights towards college. She’s hoping for a small liberal arts school on the East Coast. Her first choice is Vassar with Wellesley a close second. Joey overcame his need to steal through the support of his father and joined the chess club at school. He has really come out of his shell and is one of the better players. There’s talk of nominating him for team captain in the fall.
Norman finally received the psychological counseling he so desperately needed. In the course of his therapy, he took up painting and has proved to be a remarkable talent. No one knows it yet, but he will go on to become a world famous artist who will go down in history as one of the great painters of all time. His work will hang in museums around the globe. You will find him in all the art books; your grandchildren will study his work.