Free Lewis & Ondarko - Best Friends 03 - Now and Zen by Pat Ondarko, Deb Lewis Page B

at the church and the restaurants will be all full of hungry women. That should be a good time to do a little gumshoeing, you know, just quietly talking to people. Ask questions.”
    “Like about what they saw on the ferry?” Linda asked.
    “Sure. But also about what they didn’t see. Remember to be sure and write down quotes word for word. And don’t forget to write down their names and phone numbers for each statement you get,” Deb continued. “Otherwise, it will be useless afterwards.”
    “I can do that!” Linda exclaimed, as she meticulously wrote down the instructions.
    “I’ll make sure we make an announcement at Pie Chi,” Julie said.
    “And I’ll be listening to the gossip during my art class,” Noreen added.
* * *
    “Tired?” Bev asked after the others had retired to the kitchen to clean up. She offered Deb a candy dish filled with mint chocolates.
    “I’ll be okay,” Deb replied, sucking on a mint. “I’m still a little worried that we’ve forgotten something important. You know, that old ‘responsibility’ tape.”
    “I know what you mean, but just look at all you’ve done to get ready. You and Pat are two of the most industrious women I know. You must have put in a lot of hours, or days, getting ready. And you’ve got all of us.”
    “That’s us, alright. Always working hard to chase our dreams.”
    “To live your dreams, you mean?”
    Deb paused.
    “Did you say
live?
What do you mean by
live your dreams?
I’m much better at being busy than living.”
    “Aren’t we all?” admitted Bev.
    “It seems to me there must be a few people in this world who know how to
really
live. Why is that anyway?”
    “Now there’s a question that’s been asked forever.”
    “I’m getting closer to being about ready to push the ‘done enough’ button and let go. I’m just so tired of being the responsible grownup… then, to top it off, we manipulated our daughters into coming, and now they’ll
really
know we’re crazy!”
    “Nothing you can do about that… Don’t worry about a t’ing,” Bev sang lightheartedly.
    “‘Cause… every little t’ing’s gonna be alright,” Deb joined in loudly.
    “We heard that!” Julie’s voice called from the kitchen. “No singing without us. We’re coming in.”
    “What’s going on in here?” Linda asked, drying her hands on a dish towel as she entered the main room.
    “Oh, Deb’s just trying to throw away her superwoman cape,” Bev teased. “Come on in, and help us burn it in the fire.”
    “Deb! Were you sacrificing your joy again?” Pat accused, following the others from the kitchen.
    “Not on your life, girlfriend!”
    Thank goodness for levity,
Deb thought.
    “So here’s what I know,” Bev interjected into the quiet room.
    “Drum roll, please,” Julie joked.
    “After I got M.S., it was like God was asking me to live… for
goodness
sake,” Bev said softly.
    “Live for goodness sake?” Deb repeated.
    “Yes, as opposed to dying for the world’s sake. That’s what I thought God wanted from me. Dying is easy, bit by bit, inch by inch: a P.T.A. meeting here; a little guilt there; a church council meeting; always doing the dishes; a load of self-sacrifice there. It’s the living for goodness that’s hard.”
    Noreen nodded in agreement.
    “My priorities changed totally when I found out I was dying.”
    “So my question for you,” Bev continued as she looked at them, “is are you willing to really
live
for the goodness of the world?”
    “Let’s just do a little practicing right now,” Deb said. “Julie, stoke up that fire. I’ve got a cape to burn!”
* * *
    “Wow,
this
is really going to be something! You two never do things half way, do you?” a voice called in the door.
    Just what I need,
Pat thought.
The mothers have arrived.
She put her hand on her forehead.
    “Hello mother, glad you could make it,” she said.
Please don’t start,
she thought.
    “We’ve come to help. What can we do? Are you settled