Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A TALE OF TWO BOOKS




Her name was Katherine.


I am fortunate enough to have a group of long-time friends—girlfriends, if you want to call them that. But we’re not girls anymore. Our relationship goes all the way back to the early seventies, when most of us began teaching at a wonderful boarding school in Central Texas. Since then, we’ve added one friend here, one there, none of us ever knowing how this person became one of the group. Once every six weeks or so, we have a gathering, called such by one of us, and the name stuck.
The conglomeration of women constitutes as many different personalities as the number of members. None of us is alike; yet, all have and hold one firm purpose in common—to love and support each other with undying friendship. An odd thing, though—none of us becomes angry with any other. Oh, yes, we discuss, argue, and laugh with great emotion and passion, but even so, our love always comes through. We share a thousand stories, maybe more, memories from years past that cause us to laugh, and sometimes, cry.
We lost one of our friends years ago, but we all remember her as if she sat right there with us, laughing in her robust way, until tears ran down her cheeks. Her name was Katherine.
This woman acted as counselor and best friend to each of us, but as far as I know, she never asked for nor needed such from any of us—not even from other faculty members. I’ve often wondered about that. She had the blessed ability and God-given talent to make each person believe “I am her best friend.” She was a listener, and when you talked, she gave her complete undivided attention.
Last week, our group held a gathering at a member’s home. We brought our covered dishes, presents for the two who had birthdays that month, recent photos of our grandchildren or latest trip, and stories to tell.
One member brought a box. At the end of the evening, she stood and placed it in the middle of the dining table. She told us it held some of Katherine’s knick-knacks that no family member wanted. Previously, they had selected treasured items and had taken them home. But here was a small cardboard box filled with a few assorted useless items. She invited us to choose something as a remembrance.
An item caught my eye. A small book, 4 by 6 inches, a green hardback covered in a linen-like material, the edges outlined in gold, an ivory cameo outlined in gold centered on the cover. The title: Kathrina. Inside, the presenter had written, to Katherine, with love-1989.
Goosebumps skittered over my arms. You see, I own an identical book, differing only in the title and text. I bought mine several years ago in an antique bookshop somewhere in Kentucky for two dollars. My title: Reveries of a Bachelor. Both books had been published by Scribners, with first copyrights in the mid-1800s. Both have pen and ink etchings opposite the title page.
To a skeptic, this probably means nothing. But there’s more to the story. She owned this book long before I bought mine, but she did not buy it. A mutual friend, a lovely lady who once owned an antique shop herself, gave it to her in 1989. So, the three of us share the odd connection of the twin books and a wonderful, longtime friendship. Now, both books are in my care, holding a prominent place on a shelf, as if they symbolize the unbreakable bond of friendship.
How odd, how mysterious that I walked into an antique book shop, six states away, in a small town off the interstate where we pulled off to explore, and among the many antique stores, I chose the one which had this book for sale, among thousands of others, stuck in a dark corner, on a lower shelf where I barely saw it.
You tell me the meaning of this coincidence. And don’t burst my little bubble of happiness.
Celia

25 comments:

  1. What a beautiful story of friendship, Celia. You are lucky to have your group of true friends. I kept several friends from high school. We live very far away from each other, in four different countries but we manage to meet every couple of years for weddings or reunions. I can understand you are so happy to have found Katherine's book. It's a present she is giving you as a token of her friendship.

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  2. I have no intention of bursting your bubble, Miss Celia. You have a mystical side to you, I think. :-) A lovely story as could be told only by you...

    Bess

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  3. Thanks for pointing this out to me. Obviously, I loved reading it.
    Beautifully written, and such a lovely tribute to K.

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  4. Celia, in my mother's memorial service after her death, her minister (in reference to a "coincidence" I had related to him and will tell you if you like) said "Coincidences are God speaking anonomously." And I think Katherine spoke to you through the "coincidence."
    Thanks for a lovely story.
    Linda

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  5. Beautiful story, Celia. I'm so glad the book found its way to you. Unexplainable things that touch us this way are something to hold onto and share.

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  6. Thank you, Mona--I liked your last sentence--"it's a present she's giving you as a token of her friendship." And Mona--thank you for yours, too.

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  7. Bess--you're the one with the mystical side--writing paranomal stories requires that, doesn't it? Maybe this could make a good plot for a romance someway.Thank you for the sweet compliment. Celia

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  8. Thanks- Carolyn--yes, you and I really knew her, didn't we? She was unique, that's for sure. Celia

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  9. Dearest Linda--you know I want to know the coincidence! Please tell me. and you know what? I often do think Katherine speaks to me--and I'm not the only one. She's been gone maybe 15-16 years, and all of us still think about her and feel she's present. In fact, one of the group plated a Mountain Laurel in her yard and named it Katherine. Whe we're at her house, that's where we form a circle holding hands and include her in our prayer.Celia

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  10. Loraine--You're right, a good point. Being touched in a special way is a gift--and sometimes I think in our busy lives, we don't feel those touches. Thanks--Celia

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  11. What an exciting "coincidence" Celia. I think there's a kindred spirit out there, perhaps watching over you and this was their way of letting you know. Smiles,

    Steph

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  12. Celia,

    Tears came to my eyes over this wonderful story. My mother's name was Katherine, and she was a listener, too. She's been gone for 11 years now. She was a beautiful person as your friend was.

    Things happen for a reason, and for you to get these two books there is a reason. You'll learn what it is one day. It could be meant for you to give to someone else, or it could meant for something else entirely.

    It will come to you one day, Celia, and I'll be dying to know what it is when you discover the answer.

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  13. Steph--it's easy to believe in kindred spirits or guardian angels, isn't it? Thank you for your thoughts.--Celia

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  14. Oh, Sandy, how wonderful--your mother having the same name and she was also a listener. I guess the most special people share something, such as names. Now, you have me excited--what will I learn? You can be sure I'll be attuned to this possibility! Celia

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  15. A lovely story wonderfully told. Sometimes, certain happening in our lives are simply meant to be. Your connection to Katherine memorialized through something you love - books. How appropriate.

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  16. Thank you, Michelle--I took the book home with me, wondering about the coincidence, and it took a few days for me to realize how special this really was. At the time, my friends saw nothing unusual about the books, but after they read my blog--most don't leave replies,they e-mail--they were very moved. Celia

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  17. Absolutely not a coincidence. Some force pulled you there years before to reaffirm the friendship you shared with Katherine. What a beautiful story!

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  18. Don't we all wish we had a group of friends like that!!
    You are one lucky girl, Celia!

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  19. ANTHOLOGY AUTHORS--I read your profile. Very interesting concept. Thanks for stopping by. Interestingly, I've had several explanations, all plausible maybe, or just personal beliefs. What ever it is, it means something to me, so that's what counts.I love your answer. Celia

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  20. MARY--yes, indeedy, I am one lucky girl, in more ways than. I'm one of those people who have little to complain about--a little chronic disease, but what the heck? It's not life-threatening, for that I am grateful.thanks for stopping by! Celia

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  21. What a wonderful story, Celia. Thank you sharing it with us.

    Linda
    www.lindalaroque.com
    http://lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com

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  22. Celia,

    I don't believe in coincidences. I think everything happens for a reason--though we might not know the reason for a long time, if ever. This story was so touching. I have had MANY things like this happen in my lifetime, and I think if we are open to the possibilities and look for the "reason" for why things happen as they do, we find that these odd happenings are more frequent than we first thought. Beautiful story. I could just feel what a wonderful person Katherine must have been. So glad you got that book to remember her by.
    Cheryl

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  23. LINDA--glad you liked it. and thank you for the book!!! Celia

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  24. CHERYL--Linda Swift said "coincidences are anonymous messages from God." whether one believe that or not, I think it's such a beautiful way to explain odd happenings. I surely do believe "everything happens for a reason"--if nothing else, to make us aware of something special we may have forgotten about. Thanks--talk later--Celia

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  25. I think deep down we're all connected, with some connections being stronger than others. Rather like a cosmic telephone line, with some of us having direct access to those we are closest to.

    Friendship is a precious gift in itself and when the heart is true, the energy stretches far beyond the usual boundaries of time and space. This is a wonderful story, Celia, and I loved reading it...

    Smiles,
    Chiron O'Keefe
    The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

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