Adam's Story

It was a long time before I could forgive Sister Mary for leaving the way she did without so much as a goodbye. I found it strange that the insensitivity of a woman I thought I hated could cause such resentment. At the prospect of never seeing her again, I was finally able to accept the fact that she had loved me in her own way. And I had loved her as well.

As time passed I was able to forget the psychological aspect of my relationship with Sister Mary Williams and remember her as the crone I had known in my youth. The locket she had given me at our last meeting I always kept in my breast pocket.

With Mr. Sullner’s guidance, I was eventually able to overcome my dyslexia and develop efficient, if not proficient, reading abilities. I could get through books such as Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Ethan Frome, and A Tale of Two Cities with minor grammatical errors. I enjoyed reading more than any other chore Mr. Sullner could have me do. Even the hours spent in the lab learning scientific equations and mixing chemicals were boring to me. I would have much rather have read a book about science than experience hands-on training.

I also became enamored with another pastime that grew in popularity in the 1930s: movies. The first picture show I watched on the silver screen was Anna Christie. Like every other boy in the country, I fell in love with Greta Garbo. It became a tradition for me to attend the showing of any new release that played at the theater on Saturdays. Sometimes Mr. Sullner would go with me, but most times I went by myself.

Mr. Sullner was a curious man and would often ask me to describe in detail all I had seen, heard, and felt on my lone outings. I would relate to him everything I could remember as he sat in his chair by the fire and listened intently. When I finished he would always smile and say what a great storyteller I was.

When I was sixteen, I began dating Allison Hollman exclusively. She was the daughter of Mr. Sullner’s bank investor and a remarkably pretty young lady of my age.

The feature I most loved about Allison was her beautiful, clear emerald eyes. I could stare at her for hours getting lost in the radiant sparkle of her irises.

Everyone was ecstatic about our relationship. Especially Allison’s father, who knew I would be heir to Mr. Sullner’s fortune when he passed. It was soon decided among her parents that we were to be married as soon as we were old enough. “Old enough” being eighteen by Mr. Hollman’s calculations.

Though I was fond of Allison, I was in no hurry to marry. Yet I never mentioned my misgivings to her or anyone else. Figuring I would eventually take her for my wife, I let her pretend it would happen sooner rather than later. I admit I was never much of a gentleman with Allison, but my intention to make an honest woman of her someday allowed me to not feel too guilty about taking liberties with her. I suppose I was too much like my father in that respect.

By the time I was seventeen, I was anxious to see the world. I hadn’t yet grown tired of the mayhem of New York City, but I wanted to visit other countries. Paris, Rome, Spain, London. I had been reading about them for four years and was itching to experience all the glamor and magic for myself.

I was even willing to take Allison with me.

“Adam, we can’t go to Paris right now,” was her reply.

It was late May1934, and we were walking through the garden at Sullner Manor. The dogwoods and roses were in full bloom filling the air with their intoxicating aroma. Allison was wearing her sun hat and had to keep her hand over it so that the breeze wouldn’t steal it.

She had to tilt her head back to look at me as I had already reached my maximum height of six foot two and she only came to my shoulder with her heels on.

“We have responsibilities here. Besides, my father would never agree to an unchaperoned vacation overseas.”

“He wouldn’t have to know,” I insisted.

Allison’s brow crinkled slightly as she frowned up at me. “That’s scandalous. The whole city would be talking about me. It would ruin my reputation and break my mother’s heart. I’d never be able to show my face here again.”

I sighed but was unwilling to accept defeat so easily. “Then we’ll get married in Paris,” I offered. “You would like that, wouldn’t you, Ally? A wedding in Paris? City of Love?”

Her lips tightened in anger. “A wedding without my family, you mean? That would be even worse. My mother would have a heart attack and my father a stroke.” Allison shook her head in finality. “I am sorry, Adam Calloway, but I will not be going to Paris with you unless it’s on our honeymoon.”

I conceited her point and dropped the subject. We walked on for a while in silence until I attempted to get back in Allison’s good graces.

“The roses are lovely,” I said.

“I prefer carnations. When I have my own house, my garden will be full of carnations.”

“Roses are easier to care for. Carnations require much more maintenance. You have to make sure they don’t get too much water or sun. It would be diff-”

I broke off when Allison looked at me with contempt. She often got irritated when I corrected her on anything and accused me of showing off. Allison had graduated from high school, but they mostly brought her up to be a housewife. Any knowledge not essential to running a home or raising children, her parents thought trivial. I didn’t consider her stupid, but I couldn’t understand how she could remain so ignorant when knowledge was so easily available.

“Carnations are prettier,” I finally agreed. Not because I thought so, but saying it would sooth her attitude somewhat.

Allison only nodded.

I smiled at her. “Not as pretty as you though.”

Looking up at me, she grinned. “Oh, Adam. I can’t stay mad at you.”

“Good. I would never be happy again if I thought you were mad at me.”

Allison stood on her tiptoes and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we continued our walk.

As winter approached, Allison was called to care for her sickly younger sister and Mr. Sullner had taken to making frequent trips to London on which I was not invited to accompany him. Downhearted and lonely, I occupied my time by reading, studying the chemistry lessons Mr. Sullner had given me and going to the movies.

My eighteenth birthday came and went without much celebrating. The best part of it was getting drunk with my friend Terrence Groves and driving the Buick into a lamppost. The roads were slick so I probably would have hit the lamppost without being intoxicated, but Mr. Sullner still considered it unacceptable behavior and forbade me to drive until warmer weather.

Christmas was better with both Mr. Sullner and Allison in attendance. Constance made a wonderful dinner and Mr. Sullner gave me a copy of Seven Gothic Tales. Allison had gotten me a new tie which I would probably never wear but said I loved, and I gave her a diamond-encrusted hair comb which she adored. That evening we all went to a nativity play at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral then walked around town singing Christmas carols to everyone who passed.

As I walked Allison home later that night, she expressed her surprise at getting a diamond hair pen and not a diamond ring. I smiled and told her maybe next year. She began to sulk but stopped as I took a velvet jeweler’s box from my pocket and opened it for her. Before she could get too excited, I asked her to wait until I talked to her father to wear it. Allison agreed and hugged me tightly.

I forced myself to smile and tried to think of excuses to keep from speaking with Mr. Hollman for the next two years.