The Decker Brothers - Meeting Mrs. Stanley Decker

The Decker Brothers - Meeting Mrs. Stanley Decker

Almost immediately the door is opened for me and I am invited inside by the Lady of the house.  I guess I was rather excited and nervous as I actually don’t remember for certain what I did next. I believe I handed over “Golden” who was still on the other end of my I-phone,  lending his encouragement and support.   It was as if he was it my ticket of entry as I tried to explain who I was and why I was at her doorstep. ( Who was I anyway? Some crazy old woman reminiscing about a brief but splendid summer romance that took place on a beautiful, serene lake decades earlier. ) This magical, coming-of-age experience left a lasting impression on me and the result was the “Story of the Decker Brothers” which somehow took on a life of its own.   I believe it made an impression on a lot of other people precisely because it is about love, which we realize, as we get near the end of our lives, is really the only thing that actually mattered all along. 

Mrs. Stanley Decker, i.e.,Tammy,  was very warm and most welcoming and for some reason, I didn’t feel that I was a stranger to her.   We chatted excitedly as if we were old friends and when I looked over her shoulder and noticed a young woman on the couch behind her,  she said, “ Oh this is Amara, she is a  young woman I take care of during the week.”  She called her son into the living room so I could see how much he looked like his Dad, Stanley. And, yes there is a striking resemblance! 

I explained quickly that that I was hoping to visit her husband, Stanley’s grave in the Afton Cemetery but I needed to hurry since my cousin was sitting in the car next to the Sunoco Station and she had absolutely no idea where I went. The truth of the matter was that my cousin, Sharon was literally ready to call the police to report a missing person. I had left the car to get better reception on my IPhone and when I never returned, Sharon went back into the little convenience store connected to the Sunoco Station looking for me. The attendant said I didn’t come  back into the store and at this point Sharon thought the whole thing seemed a bit like an episode out of “ The Twilight Zone”.  

Mrs. Tammy Decker gave me verbal directions on how to get to the correct cemetery and also explained approximately where her husband was buried. Because I was in a excited, hurried state of mind, my ability to focus was impaired and although I actually found the cemetery, I couldn’t locate Stanley Decker’s final resting place.  

I have been in touch with Tammy and I dare say we seem to be  kindred spirits. I imagine that one day we will meet again and she may escort me to Stanley’s

grave  and I can pay my respects and say a final goodbye.