Chapter Ten - Part Three: Another Tragedy

Rosita had two blockages in her heart. Because of the timeliness of the medical care she had received, though, there was very little permanent damage.  She knew from letters that her sister had written from Chile that several relatives back there had suffered heart attacks.  Why she hadn’t had her heart checked out was a mystery.

Matthew thought she'd probably relied on her faith to save her.  When he expressed this to Father Olson, the priest shook his head.  “Leave it to your Mama to think that God will touch her and heal everything,” he said.  “My guess would be that God put that hospital, the surgeons, the medications and the research here so that she could take it upon herself to seek the help she needed.  He’s too busy to do everything for everybody!  Hmmm.  I’m going to have to do a sermon on that,” he said as an aside. 

Coming back around to the subject at hand, Father Olson continued.  “Matt, you’re going to need to make sure that she takes it easy while she’s healing.  She’s going to have to follow the doctor’s orders.  It’ll be a difficult job.  That’s one of the things that Daniel never understood about your mom.  She’s a very headstrong woman.”

Nick never came to the hospital to visit his mother.  He was too busy with his work, or so he claimed.  Matt was disgusted by his brother’s lack of concern for their mother.  Had she died, Matt doubted that Nick would have come to the funeral.  Any conscience or concern that Nick may ever have possessed had dwindled to nothing.

On the day that Rosita was released from the hospital, Matthew drove her home.  After pulling up to the house, he helped her walk inside.  He’d hired two women to help with the medical care, housekeeping and cooking while his mother was getting better.  The house was spotless.  Rosita looked around and smiled.  “Oh, Mattie.  You’re such a good son,” she said.

“No, Mom,” he answered.    I didn’t do this.  Let me introduce you to Judith Simons.  She’s a certified nursing assistant!  Best of all, her mama’s from Chile, just like you, and has come with Judith to do the cooking around here.  I want to make sure that you’re not left alone out here when I’m at work, so Judith and Lucia will be staying with us while you recuperate.  Who knows?  Maybe they’ll want to stay even longer than that.  You need a friend to talk with.  Sons are great, but I know there are sometimes that you probably wish you had other women around.  Am I right?”

Rosita smiled, as Judith led her to the master bedroom.  Thankfully it was on the main floor, so she didn’t have to navigate any stairs.  Judith came back out twenty minutes later and said that Rosita was asleep.  Matthew was relieved to know that his mother had help whom he could count on.  Father Olson had recommended both of them, so Matt knew they were trustworthy.

Now Matt had to figure out how to tell them about the basement guest.  That evening, after dinner, he finally broached the subject.  “Judith, Lucia.  Thank you so much for being here.  You’re going to make a tremendous difference in my mother’s life.  She’s lived with only having men around her since she was twenty-three years old.  She needs to have a better life.  She’s had plenty of money, but has been alone for years while my brother and I were at school or at work.  I’m willing to pay you generously for your help.  Judith, I just want you to help her as she gets over her heart attack.  After that, you’re welcome to stay as long as this all goes well.  You’ll be able to treat this as your home.  Lucia, you’re here to be a companion, a friend, for my mother.  Once she gets better, she’s going to want to go back to doing all the cooking and cleaning, but she needs help.  Can you handle that?”

“We’ll be happy to try and make this work,” said Lucia.

“Now for the difficult part of this conversation,” Matt continued.  “We have a basement.  An . . . unusual basement.  You need to know about it.”

Judith piped up, “We’ve heard about your father drowning in the basement pool.”

“Yes, but that’s not it,” said Matthew.  “There’s a guest who lives downstairs with us.  A spirit, if you will.  We don’t know who it is.  The spirit watches over us.  We don’t know why.  I feel like it’s a female, but I don’t really know.  Anyway, if you’re going to live here, you have to be alright with sharing the house with a ghost.  How do you feel about that?

Judith looked stunned.  “Excuse me, Mr. Benson,” said Judith rather abruptly.  “Matthew.  Father Olson told me that you’re a nice man.  He said that you’d be good to work with.  He didn’t, however, say that you’re into the occult and paranormal whizziwigs.  I’m sorry that your mother’s had a heart attack, but I’m sure that you can find someone else to do this job.  I have no interest in living with a ghost or with anyone who believes in them.  This isn’t going to work.  Mama, let's get our things and go.”

“No, Judith.  I’m not leaving,” replied Lucia.  “You’re young.  You have ways to make a living.  I’m getting older and I’m not as lucky as you.  Here’s a woman my age, from my country, who needs my help.  I’m staying.  Ghosts don’t scare me.  You’ll find out someday when you’re ready that spirits are real.  They’re around us all the time.  And if we’re lucky, we’ll find one that wants to help us.”

The two women stared at each other.  There was tension building between them, and Matthew wondered who would make the next move.  His question was answered quickly.

Judith turned on her heal, went upstairs and came back down with her suitcase.  As she headed toward the door, she stated haughtily, “Goodbye, Mother.  I hope you’ll change your mind.   If you don't, then I hope you'll be happy with your new family.”  And she left.

Three weeks went by with no word from Judith.  Rosita was healthier than she’d been before her heart attack.  Lucia had settled into the larger of the guest bedrooms upstairs.  She’d learned the tempo of the household.  She knew everyone’s schedule, and tried to help Rosita in every way possible.  It turned out that Rosita loved having a friend at the house.  And she didn’t mind having Lucia share in the cooking responsibilities.

The only problems that Lucia encountered were from Nick and from Judith.  Nick was a problem because he lived there, and Judith was a problem because she didn’t.  Nick took an instant dislike to their new family member.  He refused to spend time around her, and had pretty much moved into his small recording studio.  Judith, on the other hand, simply never came back.  She didn’t call her mother, and she didn’t return Lucia’s calls.  Lucia chalked this up to Judith having been an only child and spoiled.  Lucia figured that Judith was angry that she had found somebody new to spend time with.

A few days later Father Olson called Lucia.  Both women were in the kitchen.  Rosita could hear Lucia’s end of the conversation.  “Hello, Father.  What?  What do you mean have I seen Judith?  How long?  No, Father, that can’t be right.  Judith would never leave the area without telling me.  Alright, Father, I’ll let you know if I hear from her.  Padre Olson, please pray for Judith!”

What’s wrong?” asked Rosita.  “Lucia, sit down.  You look like you’re going to faint.  Here.  Sit down on this chair,” she said sliding a chair to her.

Lucia replied, “It was Padre Olson.  He said that Judith hasn’t been seen since we came out here on that first day.  She hasn’t even shown up for mass.  He asked me if I know where she is.  Oh querido Dios!”  Lucia began to cry.

Rosita’s mind went back to that day when Tiffany disappeared.  “Oh, Lord, no,” she thought.  “This can’t be happening again.”  What she said, though, was “Don’t worry, Lucia.  She’s out there somewhere.  She’ll call you when she gets over her anger.”

A missing person’s report was made regarding Judith’s disappearance.  Nobody was sure whether she had left on her own or not.  Lucia and Rosita had seen her a month ago as she was stomping out the door in a huff.  Matthew had been there with them at the time.  When they talked with him about her seeming disappearance, Matt reminded them of Judith’s disposition at the time she left.

He was right.  It was possible that she didn’t want to be found.  A Certified Nursing Assistant like Judith can find a job anywhere.  Lucia decided to just give Judith some space and not pursue finding her.  After all, she’d left in her car, which hadn’t been seen in this area since that day.  Judith had probably moved away.  When she was ready, she knew how to get in touch with her mother.

Lucia felt such sorrow that it seemed to pervade the home.  The basement, especially, held a feeling of sadness.  That was because the entity in the basement knew where Judith’s old yellow sedan and her body were.  The car was sitting at the bottom of the Willamette River, near Oregon City.  Judith’s body was underneath a new cherry tree that had been planted out in the Benson’s field.  Nick loved to plant cherry trees.