Oh The Tangled Web We Weave

You will need to give this your complete attention. Think back to last Wednesday. A nice day. Kathryn and I came home from some errands and noticed an old, yellow Cadillac parked by the side of the road about 50 yards east of the entrance into Millcreek Court, our condominium complex. I thought nothing of it. Kathryn went inside and I went out to retrieve the mail, hoping as always to find an unexpected check for several hundred thousand dollars. As I was sorting the mail and going back to the garage, I heard a rather frail, harried voice calling out to me, "Sir! Sir!" I don't like to be called sir. It seems to date me. Anyway, I turned to see a 85ish woman coming toward me so I walked toward her. When we were close enough, I could she she was frazzled and distraught. She had a silk red and black and white and green bandana tied over her head. She sported a winter coat and snow boots, gloves and long warm stockings. Her lips were heavily painted and her cheeks deeply rouged. She explained that the Cadillac was her husbands. She had just had it completely serviced 8 months ago and as she came up the hill on 39th, it just stopped running. She wondered if I had a cell phone. I said no, not with me, but I have one inside. And I ran in to get it. She had an insurance policy that allowed her to get roadside assistance. She called, had great difficulty explaining to them what had happened, was cut off once, went through the whole thing again, and finally was told a tow truck would be coming in about 40 minutes. I invited her to wait in our home but she said her sister was in the car and she wanted to wait there with her. She thanked me profusely and called me a true Samaritan. I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration.

After about an hour, she knocked on the door. We invited her in and she asked to use the phone again since the tow truck had not yet arrived. Just as she made connection with the company, there was another knock on the door. It was our neighbor and cousin, Arthur Wood, asking if this woman's (pointing to another frail old woman standing in the court driveway) sister was in our home. Yes, she was. Arthur said the tow truck had arrived. The woman in our house started thanking us while the woman outside was screaming, "Irma, the tow truck is here, now!!!) Finally, she left, met her sister, talked with the tow truck guys and left. Situation normal? Not by a long shot!!

Saturday afternoon, prior to our going to the Murray Arts Center for our videotaped dancing, I once again went to the mail box, hoping for the mother of all unexpected gifts. Instead of the big bucks, there was the following letter, written on very flowery, lightly scented five by eight notepaper:

November 18, 2010

Dear Arthur and Virginia:
This early AM I opened the Stake Directory and found your name, Arthur, listed in the 3rd Ward.

How Can I ever thank you enough for being the good SAMARITAN and your neighbor whose last name I recall is Romney to help out two sisters in deep trouble.

I know the Lord did bless us with your kindness and help when we did not know where to turn to get the help necessary for safety. (This was the first time I have ever had to cope with my husbands automobile having problems while I was driving.)

I was mighty confused when the tow truck was so long in arriving to take the car to be fixed where I have been taking it for checkups for eight years. (I know it is old, but I have not been able to give it up.) It so reminds me of my husband and how he saved to purchase this car. He was born in DEtroit, Michigan and I met him when I was a Secretary at Kearns during World War II. He had just returned from England and was stationed at the "Overseas Replacement DEpot "1945.

Again my deepest appreciation and could you please share this note with my neighbor and good Samaritan friends who let me use his phone and was SO KIND AS YOU BOTH WERE TO ME AND MY PRECIOUS SISTER DAWN DELVIE. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.

We were strangers and you helped us and how thankful I am for good and kind folks as I know you are.

Sincerely and with love,
Erma M. Todt

Kathryn recognized the name and wondered if this were the same person her mother, Oa, often talked about so much. Kathryn said she would like to contact her some day. End of story? By no means. It has just begun

Fast forward to Monday afternoon. We went to the gym, Lions Club on Murray Holladay Road, for some exercise. AFter about 45 minutes on the track, around 5:15 pm, we decided to go down to the workout room where I could continue walking on a treadmill and Kathryn could do some tummy and arms work. After 15 minutes we decided to go. As I was wiping down my machine, I heard someone go up to Kathryn and ask if she had taught at Olympus many years ago and if she were Mrs. Romney. After finishing the wipe down, I joined the conversation. Kathryn introduced me to Mark Thomas who it turned out was one of her students at Olympus. He spent the next 15 or 20 minutes talking about what a wonderful teacher she was, how many lives she had affected, how she was the reason he became interested in biblical literature and philosophy, and how the way she conducted her life, not really the details of the things she said, had an almost measureless effect on his life. It was not that he wanted to be like her. It was more that he wanted to be the best he possibly could, because he sensed that was what her life was about. He is closely allied with Sunstone, Farms, and church biblical scholars. He is a banker with a degree in philosophy.

For some reason, he brought up the Lloyd name and Kathryn explained her relationship to the Lloyds, namely through her mother's first marriage to Charles Lloyd. He asked what was her mother's name. She said, Oa Cannon. Yes he had often heard his mother in law talk about Oa Cannon. Well, who is your mother in law? we both asked. Her name is Irma Todt!!

Recognize the name, Irma Todt? She is the older woman who had the Cadillac problem in front of our home. Incredible. There are no coincidences. Mark spent a lot of time in our conversation piling praise on Kathryn. He had seen the articles in the Tribune on her. He even had some advice for treatment, which he will be sending us. We've decided to pursue this chance meeting and spend some time together talking and getting better acquainted. Oh the Tangled Web We Weave.