Hollyhocks on the Fence

The overpowering scent of roses mingled with an indistinguishable musty smell set the stage for my Grandmother Gus's funeral. A white satin pillow cushioned my grandmother's head as she lay quietly in a mahogany casket fit for a queen. Shadows played across her face, making it appear as though her eyelashes fluttered occasionally, and a smile seemed to tug at her tightly pursed lips as though she was amused at the activities surrounding her. Even in death, Grandmother Gus was intimidating to the grandchildren she had terrorized for years. Reunited with the family members who had made childhood terrible, Caryn, along with Patrick and Michael, could still feel the evil from those days lurking, causing Caryn's memories to surface and collide with the present. Aunt Maxine's drunken rampages, Aunt Stella's flamboyant sexuality, and her father's harsh and excessive punishments are finally unlocked from the heart that held them tight for years in fear of the possible consequences such revelations could bring. But Caryn also remembers the light moments-ice-skating on the lake, watching her cousin prepare for solos, riding bicycles until dark with her Maywood friends-that helped her and her brothers relieve the pain and overcome the dark moments. And she remembers her mother, who despite the circumstances did all she could to instill Christian values in the children more familiar with dark than light. Travel with Caryn back to the place with the Hollyhocks on the Fence as she finds strength in overcoming evil.