Challenge Accepted, Anonymous - Redo

Challenge Accepted, Anonymous - 2.

Nineteen years ago, I wrote a story called "Superstitious Me? Of Course." The public comments were varied, some very positive, and some again negative. One anonymous reader wrote:

quote:

This story was interesting but very unoriginal. The husband coming home unexpectedly and catching his wife in bed with another man has been done to death. On top of that you added the contrivance of having the husband hear his wife explaining to her lover how she tricks her husband so that she can have her affairs. This way of revealing everything to the husband has been done by too many other writers and is not believable.

Unquote.

I wrote then the story: Challenge Accepted, Anonymous. This new story is not a second chapter, but another attempt to be original.

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We sat in our car on our way to the airport, I looked at my wife Sonja sitting next to me and asked her: "Why do you really need to go this afternoon and not tomorrow morning, or better rearrange the whole work situation?" She looked straight ahead and with a sigh said: "I have told you again and again, two reasons, one being fresh to start work Monday morning and secondly I need the whole day to be able to get the work done".

My wife is an accountant. She is employed by a chain store operation selling women's high-end clothing, in fancy boutiques at a great number of malls. In the Chicago area there are now six stores and she spend one day in each store in one week and then return to St. Paul, where we have our home. She does this one week and then work at the head office here during the next three weeks. Every four weeks she repeats this pattern. I got tired by it.

"When you started this schedule, Sonja, you left St. Paul Monday morning and returned Friday late evening. Why can't you at least return to that schedule?"

"My workload has increased Bob, the number of shops went from five to six and I was offered one day off every home-week to compensate. In addition, the pay is good, I prefer to continue as we are doing now."

"What about Sunday Sonja? We could at least have that together as a family if you came home Saturday."

"I have told you this before Bob, I work in the last shop on Saturday. I get tired and need the rest. During these three years I have got a lot of good friends. Once every four weeks they arrange some kind of activity that particular week end I'm there and it is good to take part in some relaxing Saturday evening get together and or Sunday outing or lunch. I enjoy it and as you know it is almost a female only company. There is no clubbing or any late night's activities, just a friendly and relaxing time for me. You haven't objected to this before Bob."

"No, I haven't, but our situation has changed Sonja. The boys are teenagers now, too old to have sitters, too young to be left alone. We have to be there for them, they are all over and need a safe home base. When you are at home all is fine, but when I am all alone, I am tied up and have a hard time getting there for all their activities and have to stay put and available to them the rest of the time. My spare time is all fragmented and I can't take off and leave our house for any length of time, like going out on a concert, or to a play or whatever! I and the rest of the family, need you home more Sonja. Please find another job or have a discussion with your boss to make changes, please."

We were close to the airport now and for the last five minutes we both kept silent, I expect Sonja as myself having thoughts about what we had discussed. As I pulled up at the domestic departure area, Sonja turned towards me and said: "Bob, you have talked about family relationships and where our forefathers came from. Wondering what made them emigrate and move from their home countries, not so many generations ago. Why not take that up as a hobby, all the research can be done with our home computer on the net. The boys could be part of it. They are very god with that, should I say horrible but useful machine? That could fill inn those fragmented moments you said you have and give you some interesting fun to boot. What do you say?"

With her last suggestion or question she gave me a kiss and "see you next Sunday" she pulled her carry on out of the car and walked with a friendly wave and smile to me, into the departing area.

After a busy Monday morning at work, I met my good work pals for lunch in the corner cafe in our building. It was a busy place, not well suited for talk, but I tried to mention my wife's suggestion about family researching anyway. Frank immediately picked up on the theme and told he had much fun with researching his family. He told the group he had managed to find that one of his great grandfathers came from Ireland in the late 1840th. Now he was researching his wife's family background. He had an idea that her family came from Scotland, because there was a MacGorman there. But he failed to find more about him in any of the immigration protocols. He was still searching though.

"I'm using a program called Family Tree Maker, I can recommend that", he said. "If you buy and download that program, I can come over one afternoon and give you a crash course. You may be able to get to use it yourself though, it is almost self-explanatory."

"Thank you for your input Frank, I will look it up and see if I find it interesting. If I buy I will absolutely like a crash course. It will probably give me a flying start."

Later that evening I found the program Frank had recommended and I made a purchase and downloaded it. I told Frank next day and he offered to come over after dinner same day and give his crash course.

----

Sitting in my little home office, Frank next to me, I opened the program I had bought.

Frank pointed to the screen and said, "Se that box saying - Start a new tree' - fill in the boxes with your name and then your parent's names, then click in the box called Sex, of course confirm your sex and then fill inn when you are born, place of birth and lastly give your tree a name. That well done click on - continue - and on the right your name appears with the information you have given. You add your spouse, date of marriage and on top where you see that small picture head that say - add-, click on that and you can add among other options, your children.

The tutorial went on for about an hour when Frank told me the crash course nearly over and you are on your own and said: "You now have filled in the information you know and the relationship in your near family, a total of 25 people. As you can see, you lack many details, like where they are born, dates they are born etcetera. You can either take a few phone calls to them, or- mails, and they will give you the information you need. But before calling it a day, look on the tool bar, click on - Publish. You see there is a lot of options. You may decide you want a Descendant Chart, to find out which person you will start with, go to the tool bar again and click on - People - at the left you see a list of all the names you have entered, you may decide to start with your grandfather Robert Miller so click on him. You then go back to publish, double click on Descendent Chart and there you see on the screen his descendants."

"This was fun Frank, thank you so much. I hope you can guide me more another evening, but this has given me a good start."

"A pleasure Bob, after you have familiarized yourself with the program, the next tutorial will be about the searching for information on the net. You need to be a member of Ancestry, they will give you access to church records, immigration protocols and many other relevant sources for information."

The rest of the week was busy as usual with some late hours working on my family tree. I called my mother and got a lot of information. Sent some e-mails to cousins and had all the relevant details of my 25 persons tree within the end of the week. I was looking forward to next tutorial with Frank.

Sunday came and I was a little pissed by Sonja's traveling every 4 weeks, so that when I found out that our local basket team was playing in the late afternoon, I asked the boys if they wanted to go.

They were excited of course, but asked "what about Mom, who is going to pick her up at the airport?"

"I will send her a text message saying she has to take a taxi. We will pick up some Chinese food on our way home after the game."

The game went our way, our team won with good margin and after we had collected our Chinese dishes, we headed home. Sonja had likely arrived shortly before us, as we found her in the kitchen laying the table. I did expect a little chippy attitude from her, but to my pleasant surprise she hugged me and the boys with a; "I hope you had fun and that it was a good match."

The boys told her excitedly about the match and had hardly time to breathe telling what had been going on with them in the week she had been away.

When the excitement had cooled down and the house fell into a peace and calm mode, Sonja and I could relax and cuddle and make up for one week in solitude. Her kisses and loving hands sent us soon to our bedroom and well in bed I knew one of the reasons why I loved her so much.

The next three weeks went too quickly to my taste. Sonja was the loving wife and mother of two active teenage boys and the house was a very good home for our family of four. The boy's activities were followed up by both of us, we were proud of them, they were good boys. I did get in some time with the computer and Frank came over and gave some good and helpful lessons on searching the net family information.

Sonja filled me inn on her side of the family and she was very impressed with my efforts to build the family tree. She promised me she would talk with her relatives and get the details about where and when. At the end of the three weeks and with her help we had now a 45 people chart.

One important task I would attack on Monday when Sonja was in Chicago, what about grandad? My father had told me that his mom died when he was three years old. He had been raised by his father - my grandad - alone. Granddad never remarried and I remembered him as a very reserved quiet man. I knew his wife, my grandmother, was called Anna, but he never told us anything about her except she had an Italian heritage.

Before Sonja left for Chicago she told me she had as usual made five dinners for us the next week. She made seven dinner portions five days during her three weeks home stay, which made us five dinner meals, which she stocked in the freezer for us. She suggested we ordered a pizza meal one day. And to my pleasant surprise she told me she would be home so early on Sunday, that we could go out for a Sunday meal together.

On our way to the airport, I almost to the letter repeated the arguments I had voiced one month before. Only using a different wording, meaning being the same. She did in fact say that she had thought about it, she kissed me and said as we pulled up at the departing flights check-in area:

"I love you," and with a loving wave walked through the doors.

Sonja's thoughts.

After boarding and finding my seat I sat reflecting on what Bob had said. I admit I did not take it too seriously last time, but this time, most likely because it had been lying there subconsciously, at the back of my mind, I did.

The first year in Chicago I was very lonely. I had long evenings alone longing for my wonderful husband and children. I couldn't get home to St. Paul soon enough Friday evening. Then slowly I started to get friendly with the people running the shops and their respective social circles. I found myself enjoying their company and my time in Chicago became more pleasant and a distraction from my homelife. When invitations to gatherings Saturdays came and the extra shop to work, my return to St. Paul started to be on latest flight on Saturday instead of Friday.

Slowly the pattern became more regular to end up like returning to St. Paul Sunday noon during the winter months and in late afternoon during the summer-months. While the plane cruised towards O'Hare at 25 000 feet I sat in my seat with closed eyes and thought about the friendly people I had got to know and the friendly parties during the winter season and the summer lunches and visits to one of the many wonderful parks. I really had good time. When I came home I was always full of energy and had a lot of love to give to my family.

Back to Bob.

Monday after I had got the boys well settled for the night, I decided to spend a couple hours searching for details related to my grandfather. My father had told me that my grandmother died when he was three years old. I started by searching the "Find a Grave Index" for all the cemeteries in St. Paul and Minneapolis I could find. No hit at all, puzzled I went to search the church records. After an hour I found their marriage records, Anna Rossi married Robert Miller the 23rd of April 1949.

After some more time I found more information that made me think that my father was

wrong about his mom dying in fifty-three, when he was three. And I found more surprising details.

It was almost midnight when I quit the search and went to bed. What I found made me think there were so many options of what really happened back in those days, some of them not pleasant to think about. It made my sleep restless. I was tossing about in my bed most of the night.

On Tuesday and also Wednesday I continued my search. What I had started Monday materialized and a few questions were answered, I think. I decided to call my dad next day and ask him some difficult questions. It did trouble me. I knew that if what I had found was true, it would be a blow to him and make him sad. I did not sleep well.

----

At lunch hour Frank came to my desk and said: "Get your ass in gear Bob, let's go to lunch!"

"Could you please bring back a sandwich for me? I need to take time for a private call so I will stay here and eat if you are so kind to bring something back to me", I replied.

"Something to do with your family tree project?"

"Yes, I need to talk to my dad about some difficult questions. He will be home, he was offered and accepted an early retirement half a year ago, he will have time for me I think."

"Ok, see you in an hour then."

----

"Dad, it's me, Bob."

"Nice to hear from you, anything wrong since you are calling from work?"

"No, don't think so, I have a few questions for you which are family related. You know that Sonja got me started on some family research and that Mom gave me information, dates etcetera on aunts, uncles and cousins. You have told me that your mother died when you were three and I know that grandad never married again, therefor your side of the family is almost empty. I have some information that this may, I repeat may not be the whole truth. Could you please find a piece of paper and a pen so you can write down a few things that might be of interest for you?"

"I'm sitting at my desk, pen and paper within reach, come on with your questions and whatever info you have."

"Firstly Dad, do you have a middle name you do not use?"

A long pause and then; "Yes, I have."

"Is that name by any chance Rossi?"

"Yes, it is."

"Why are you not using this name, it's your mother's surname from birth, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. My dad didn't want me to use it and I forgot all about it, it's such a long time ago."

"Did your father at any time take you to the cemetery to show you your mother's grave?"

"No, he never took me there and I never asked."

"When grandad died in nighty-six, I was sixteen, I remember I thought it strange that he where not let to rest next to grandmother, who allegedly died in fifty-three. According to what you told me he lived his whole adult life at the same address and belonged to same church, didn't this surprise you?"

"Yes, it did. I asked the warden about her grave, but he tried to find it and told me after some research that she was not buried there at all. Yes, it did surprise me, but I didn't do anything about it at the time."

"You should have Dad, because I believe your mother, Anna Rossi, died in St. Louis, Missouri only thirteen years ago, at the age of eighty."

A long pause and then; "What are you saying, please say again, I don't understand?"

"I'm sorry Dad, but unless there are two Anna Rossi's born on the same day, your mom lived to be eighty. I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. In the church records I found the christening of you in nineteen fifty. But more, I found that Anna nee Rossi and Robert Miller christened a boy Benjamin Rossi Miller in nineteen fifty-two. And then one year later Anna disappears with her one-year-old son Benjamin and leaves her husband with you to raise. I find this very disturbing. I wonder what happened?"

After another long pause, dad saying nothing, I said; "Did you understand what I told you?"

"Yes, but It is too much to take in."

"I understand Dad, but please note down all the details I have given you and also note that I have found the obituary of Anna where it says: Surviving relatives are her son Benjamin, her two grandchildren and two great grandchildren."

"What now Bob?"

"I have found the telephone number to Benjamin Rossi, who lives in St. Louis. Of course, I can call him, but I think you should. He might have some information about what happened

back in fifty-three. If and I repeat if, his mother Anna Rossi is indeed the same Anna Rossi as your mother. Please allow for all this could be a coincidence, be careful how you present this to him."

He agreed, he would discuss this with Mom, think it through and call him after working hours today.

The rest of the day was like walking on hot coal, restless and short tempered. I really hoped my dad got hold of Benjamin and that it was good news. The whole situation about the disappearance of my grandmother so many years ago was unsettling.

----

After dinner we, the boys and I, cleaned up the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher and I sent the boys to their rom to do homework, anxiously waiting for dad to call back.

About eight the call came.

"Bob, you were right! He boomed in the phone", as soon as I answered it.

"Hold on Dad, quiet down please and tell me in an orderly fashion, please."

"I called Benjamin Rossi. He was very pleased to hear from me. We talked a long time together and I told him my side of the story as you told me earlier today. We talked almost an hour I think and then your mom took over and talked with his wife Claire for another hour. They became best friends it looks like."

"Did he know about what happened in fifty-three?"

"Yes, he did. But only a few weeks before his mom died, or should I not say rather OUR mom? During the last few weeks, she started to tell him that she had a son two years older than him. How her husband had demanded that she leave with the bastard son she had. You see, her husband had confronted her with the fact that all in both her and his family had dark hair and brown eyes. He could not accept that the little boy Benjamin was his son, as he had light blond curly hair and the clearest blue eyes."

"He threw her out then?"

"She did confess she had had an affair with a farmer's son that had Scandinavian heritage. As you know, Minnesota is full of them, both farmers and Scandinavians. That makes him my half-brother. We have same mother of course, but not the same father."

"He did not just divorce her and made arrangement for sharing the custody of you, he literary threw her out. That's hard."

"They were Catholics you know; divorce was not an option. He demanded she leave town and to go back to her maiden name. That why they are Rossi's. She left and went home and lived with her parents. She told all in St. Louis that she was a widow, and that Benjamin was her only son."

After a short pause, he continued:

"That stubborn and hard man took away and depraved me of my mother. As I have told you before, I only experienced real love and pleasure of living after I met and fell in love with Mary, your mother. She taught me to be a man who could give and receive love. You have no idea how she changed my life. At least Benjamin grew up in a loving family, he was showered with love by both mother and his grandparents. He told me he had a happy childhood. It was later, when his mother became older that he noticed a sadness over her. Then, as I told you, her confession came. She died not ever meeting her first son again after she was forced to leave him in fifty-three. It makes me so mad I could scream, Bob. Just now I hate the memory of my father. I wish I had had the courage to confront him when I got old enough to stand on my own two feet. I was a coward. I avoided the confrontation I knew would come. ------------- All right, I have to forget, it's water under the bridge, what now?"

"I need more information about his family, dad. Do you think it is all right to call him?"

"Oh, yes! He is expecting you to. He was very interested in your family research and wish to be kept updated about it. He will of course feed you all the details he has, please call him."

"That is the next step then, dad. I will call him tomorrow or on Saturday. We'll talk after I have I spoken with him, it was nice to talk to you dad and say hi to mom from me, will you?"

"We'll do and tanks again son, have a good night."

----

On Saturday, around noon I got him on the line. We had a long and fruitful discussion and he more or less confirmed what he told my father and added the details I wanted about his children and grandchildren. His daughter lived with her husband and children in St. Louis, but his son Jack had moved to Chicago. Upon my question about his son's present relationship, he said: "My son Jack is a bachelor and has had so far little luck in the romance area. He has in the past jumped from girl to girl without it lasting very long. Claire and I are getting a bit worried. A few months ago, he told us to our great displeasure, he had taken up with a married woman."

With a laughter I replied: "You do not approve of your son elbowing himself into another mans marriage? That's a view I fully support by the way."

"Have you met this woman?" I asked.

"No, she lives with him, but travels a lot. When he visits us, he is always alone", he replied.

"Ben, it has been nice talking to you. I think I would like to get in touch with your son, could you give me his contact details please?"

After receiving the required details, we ended our talk with the usual phrases about talking and hopefully meeting soon.

Soon after I closed the call with Ben my wife called and told me she would be home tomorrow morning with the fist flight from Chicago. She would be there so we could have lunch together and do something with the family in the afternoon as I had a suggested.

I decided to make a full day of it. We packed for tracking, brought with us what Sonja needed and picked her up at the airport and drove to Lebanon Hills. We had a nice day in the park there, with picknick lunch and a relaxing afternoon in nice weather.

The next three weeks with a complete family was good. Sonja was the loving mother and spouse, and I felt lucky to have such wonderful woman as my partner, the only drawback was her fourth week in Chicago. I did not work with my family research when she was home. I saved that for evenings when she was away.

Sonja's thoughts.

My husband had once again brought up the home situation on the way to the airport. Did I really enjoy my stay in Chicago any longer? It dawned upon me; I really did not enjoy the Chicago weeks as I used to, anymore. Should I resign or ask my employer to give me other assignments?

My next thoughts gave me a shiver, what I had started with Jack a few months back, was wrong. I had to give that up. I didn't love him, but he did solve the loneliness. I thought, I do not think about him for one second while I am at home, doesn't that prove it is not worth it? I can't risk my marriage for this. I will tell him this week will be the last, and I will take up a discussion with my boss and ask her to find another accountant for the Chicago job. That decided I leaned back in my seat and enjoyed the rest of the flight.

Back to Bob.

Monday I was at my computer again, this time researching deeper into the Rossi family. I found that my grandmother Annas grandparents emigrated from the south of Italy just before the first world war. They ended up in St. Louis where they had a small Italian restaurant. When Anna went to her parents in St. Louis, maybe they ran the same restaurant? I had to ask Ben next time I talked to him.

Next day at work, my boss came and asked me to make a trip to a supplier in Chicago, there were some problems with deliveries of spare parts. I asked my mother to come to our house Thursday morning and send off the boys to school and be there when they came back and serve them dinner. I would fly out early in the morning and be back in the evening. It would give me almost a full day with the supplier.

I thought about calling Sonja and arrange a lunch meeting that day. But decided to contact Jack Rossi and meet him instead if I got the time.

All went well with the supplier, and I was finished two pm. I called Jack on his mobile and he was pleased to hear from me. He suggested that I should take a taxi to his home address, and he would cut the day short and meet me there at four. We could then have about an hour before I needed to go to the airport.

Jack was a nice bloke in his thirties, and obvious fit and well off. He told me his girlfriend would be here soon, as he wanted me to meet her too.

We talked, I told him about my family research, how I had found out that my grandmother hadn't died but were kicked out from her home when she had a baby not fathered by my grandfather. How bitter he was, how it had destroyed my father's childhood missing a mother's love.

Well into the tale, I heard somebody at the door, Jack jumped up and said, "that's my girlfriend Sonja, I so much want to introduce her to my new cousin".

I had suddenly a cold shiver down my spine, married woman, traveling a lot, Sonja, it couldn't, could it?

It was! There she stood in the door, Jack smiling saying proudly, "my newfound cousin Sonja".

I'm sure my face turned white, it felt like all blood drained off, and Sonja just silently collapsed.

Jack looked baffled; "what happened, why is she fainting?"

I just looked at him, I'm sure he saw tears rolling down my cheeks as I replied: "That's my wife."

On my way out, stepping over the heap that was Sonja on the floor, I looked at Jack and told him not to contact me and to tell Sonja not to come home. That was my one and only time I should speak with my cousin in Chicago, I thought. I blocked his number!

The End.

I have in my head a 2nd chapter, leading to reconciliation. (I have an outline). But it is not in me to write it, I am now fed up with the senseless BTB tendencies where there is a competition between writers to invent extreme and to me, stupid revenges. They do not think about all the hurt they dish out to innocent parties if in real life. The commentators seem to swallow it, without second thoughts. (I mostly read LW stories.) There must be a lot of bitter husbands out there!

If anyone want to write a follow up, they are welcome to do so, with the condition it ends with a reconciliation. In my story Sonja loves her husband and boys. She does not love Jack; he is only a diversion. Admittedly a stupid one, but still something that could be fixed. I have witnessed an example of it in real life.

Also, the MC in this story has seen first hand how a stubborn and confrontational attitude could inflict pain on, not only the wife, but a whole family for three generations.

This is most likely my last story on this site, I thank all who have spent time reading my stories which up to now have been opened/read a total of 3,48 million times!