Page 2 of It Started With a Scarf

"How did you get it?" my friend, Bethany asked.

"I'm glad you asked me that. I was just about to tell you. My husband, Marley's grandfather, is a famous archaeologist. Before he retired, he did research in sixteen countries all over the world. He's written seven books, three of which are used at almost every university in America. Frank is a well-known archaeologist, and Mariam Waterson, being the astute person she is, well, she was a fan of his work. He had met her before we got married, and they've been friends and been in touch since. She went on a few expeditions with his team years ago. She and I became friends when Frank was working in South Dakota. He had some exciting things happening during that time with a Sioux tribe, and we were all there visiting the site. She told me all about the scarf, and then she ended up giving it to me. We got to know each other quite a bit on the trip and got to share life stories. I told her all about my family—my children—Marley wasn't born at that time, Mariam has heard about her since then. I think she knitted this section while she was in South America. I remembered that because those colors are so lush and tropical, see that? I just love the stripes and the colors. I've never seen anything like it. I'll have to try to remember all the stories she told me about it now that I'm passing it along to a new owner."

Nessa tilted her head, regarding me and smiling warmly as she touched the end of the scarf.

"I've worn this quite a bit over the years, Marley, especially when I'm visiting somewhere cold. I get compliments on it every time. It's one of a kind, and people are so impressed to learn that Mariam Waterson knitted it herself."

"I like the colors!" Sadie said.

"Oh, thank you, honey! I know, it's just gorgeous. She was a true artist. It has never gone out of style and it never will."

The server walked up with our food just as she was finishing that statement.

We ate and drank the rest of our drinks, and within minutes we were on our way back to our home in Chandler. My mom and sister went straight home from the mall. She gave my grandma my friends' addresses and made her promise to get them all home safely.

Nessa let us listen to loud music and lean out of the windows on the way home. It was September in Texas and not cold out, but I kept on the scarf, and I felt like a movie star. My friends treated me like I was just that. Things this wonderful didn't normally happen to me.

It was quite literally the best day of my life.

Until a couple of hours later when my mom told me to go play with my little sister so that she could visit with Nessa and clean up. I had been in the bedroom for about ten minutes when I heard something. My mom was yelling, and I told my little sister to wait in the bedroom while I went to see what was going on. By the time I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, I could clearly hear her words.

"You come in here, and you just do and say anything you want with NO CONCERN about who you're affecting!"

My mom was yelling loudly, and it scared me. I approached them cautiously thinking I would find a stranger in our house with her and Nessa once I walked down the hall. I thought she and my grandma were in some kind of trouble.

But it was Nessa who replied to her. "Calm down, Torrie!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!I was supposed to be done with this birthday party hours ago, Mom! I have a life! I have things to do!"

"Listen, just lower your voice and we can say all these things to each other in a normal tone, like reasonable adults."

"Don’t give me reasonable adults! You drove me to this, Mom!"

My mom's voice was quieter, but it was shaking, and I stopped in my tracks in the hallway. My sister came up behind me. I knew she wasn't going to leave me alone, so I settled for giving her a warning glance. I told her to be quiet by putting a finger to my mouth.

"What's the matter, Torrie?"

"What's the matter? Don't give me what's the matter! You didn't even tell me you were coming here today."

"I called you this morning."

"You said youmight stop by, Mother! Ever since you and Frank moved to Dallas, you just show up here without asking!"

"Stop screaming, Torrie, the girls are going to hear you and get scared."

"I don't care," she said. But she was talking quieter. She continued with quiet intensity, speaking angrily through her teeth. "You don't come in here and take over my daughter's birthday party. You had no right to come to my house and do that! You can't show up here, unannounced, and just hijack our afternoon. You come in here, acting all high and mighty—putting on a big show, with your speech about how many famous people you and Frank know. And the scarf, Mom. What was that about? What were you thinking?"

"What do you mean? It's one of my favorite things I own, and I wanted to give it to my granddaughter on her tenth birthday."

"What's more accurate was that youdidn't have a gift,because you forgot it was her birthday, because you've been traveling—and you came here at the last minute to crash this party. And then somehow, unbelievably, Mom, you do the least effort and you get the most credit!Everybody loves Nessa!"

"Do you want my granddaughter and her friends to not like me?"

"Oh, of course. Just turn it all around like you're some kind of victim."

"Torrie, now you're just saying things you're going to regret."

"How is it that you think you can get away with coming in here and looking like the hero of the day when I'm the one who has to work every day to make this family happen? My husband hates his job. He's in and out of that X-ray room all night for next to nothing, and we're barely making it by with these two girls."

---