of Uncle Palaver's socks, And then. I found a shoe
box with clippings and pictures of the real Destiny.
There was a great deal of illusion in this motor home.
I thought. after I had gathered all the tricks and
paraphernalia that were part of Uncle Palaver's act,
but there were many fine memories of real and
happier times stored here as well. What I would do
with all this,. I did not know, but I spent hours going
through everything, separating what was obviously no
longer important from what was.
Trevor stopped in to help me carry it all out. He
found a place for me to store it in his winery until I had decided what I would do with it all. Mrs. Westington told me to put the linens, towels, dishes, and silverware, as well as any insignificant household items in cartons that Trevor would bring to the Salvation Army. Echo decided to help me do all that. We worked until dinnertime and afterward, we loaded everything into Trevor's truck. He would take it away
in the morning.
The auctioneer's man arrived just as we were
getting ready to have breakfast the next day. I had
spent a night tossing and turning over it all. Once the
motor home was gone and Uncle Palaver's things
given away or stored, that part of my past was over. I
thought. I felt as if I was cutting some umbilical cord
and leaving myself totally alone, floating in the space
of indecision and uncertainty.
I had to sign some papers and then the man
climbed into the motor home and started the engine.
Echo came out to stand beside me and watch him
drive it off. I didn't cry, but the ache in my heart was
so painful. I had trouble breathing.
"It's the past," Mrs. Westing-ton insisted.
"Think only about the future."
I nodded. but I didn't say anything and I didn't
eat much breakfast. Afterward. I helped clear the table, get the dishes and silverware washed and put away, and then went out by myself and walked down to the lake. Echo was up in her room looking over all her new things. She was as excited now as any young girl about to begin in a new school, whether it was a school for disabled children or not. I didn't need anyone to tell me that soon I would be less important to her. There was nothing wrong with that. She desperately needed to be with her peers, have friends who had things in common with her. Her life in so