Cynthia and the Dropped Ball, Chapter 7 - Conclusion

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Cynthia and the Dropped Ball, Chapter 7 of 7

By Portia Bennett

Introduction: Tommie is confused by the enormity of what she thinks might be happening. She returns to her room and cries herself to sleep. Cindy realizes that her whole approach had been wrong, and turns it over to The Wizard.

This story is another addition to The Cynthia Chronicles. Cynthia (Cindy) Brewer has graduated from medical school, and is well into her residency. The Wizard has difficulty remembering exactly where she is in her studies. Randi Lewis at age 18 is starting work on her Master of Science in Chemistry (read Randi and the Professor), and Charli Brewer will soon be a freshman in pre-med at UConn. Bobbie Anderson is setting the golf world on fire having now won tournaments on the PGA in addition to her many victories on the LPGA. This story takes place a year before Bobbie and the Glass Ceiling. If you are not familiar with the stories that make up the Cynthia Chronicles, you might want to go back to the beginning with An Incremental Journey. There are references to Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend and Charli and the Girl Cave. If you don’t remember what happened in those stories, you might want to go back and read them again. This story also takes place just a few months before Cynthia and the Queen of the Knight.


 

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.


 

Cynthia and the Dropped Ball

 

Chapter 7

Tommie’s emotions were on a roller coaster ride, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. All of these magic people were there at her parents’ hotel. They were obviously there for some sort of important meeting. I guess they can have their meetings wherever they want, she thought. But why here?

Did they all know about her like Dr. Brewer did? Obviously, The Wizard did. Why were they so open with her? What were they doing? Were they teasing her? Nothing she’d ever read about The Wizard even remotely resembled what was going on. All she’d ever wanted was to be the girl she knew she was. She didn’t want any fanfare. She just wanted everything to continue going in the way it had been before all these people showed up.

She had left the dining room a little after 10:00. The group, coven or whatever they were, were going on a sightseeing cruise of the bay. It would take a couple of hours. They would be back at around 1:00. They’d have lunch aboard the tour boat. She’d seen the Andersons leave quite early for the golf course where they were putting on a demonstration and giving some lessons.

She hadn’t seen the cats since breakfast. That was very strange. The staff had set up a buffet for the cats in a small room adjoining the dining room. All sorts of delicacies had been set up on a large revolving serving tray, and the lady who was the nanny for that beautiful couple with eight children seemed to be serving to each cat what they indicated they wanted. Matilda and Henrietta were there right along with the rest of the cats, some of whom she hadn’t seen before. One cat, a tabby, was more than twice as big as many of the cats. A long-haired black and white cat was almost as big as he was. She could ‘hear’ the cats commenting among themselves about the excellent quality of the food.

For some reason she found herself tearing up. It was like the world was closing in on her. She collapsed on her bed sobbing before she fell asleep. She awoke briefly as Matilda snuggled up against her. She remembered her saying, “It’s going to be alright, Tommie.” She must have been dreaming that, but when she woke up, Matilda was sound asleep up against her. She washed her face in the bathroom adjacent to her room before returning to sit on the edge of her bed. A gentle rap at her door brought her back to reality.

“Just a moment.”

Dr. Brewer was standing there with Tommie’s sister standing a little behind her in the dark hall.

“May we come in?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Tommie,” Dr. Brewer said as Tommie pointed her to a chair, “I owe you my deepest apology. I wanted everything to be special for you at this very special time, but I realized this morning how selfish I was being. I thought I knew what you wanted. I know what you want, but I never thought to ask you how you wanted things to happen. I knew, and I think you knew when you met us in the snack bar that eventually you would get your wish. I think you remember The Wizard saying that the ball was in my court. Well, I dropped the ball.”

“I don’t think I understand.”

“I was like you were many years ago. Unfortunately, I lived 35 years in the wrong body. When I was finally allowed to occupy the body you see, I was not quite nine years old. Several years later I finally reached the stage where you are now. To put it bluntly, I was afraid, very afraid. My folks were great, but it was tough. I had been caught up in the joy of being a woman without really understanding what was involved; the reality. It took the love of my life to finally make me understand what it was all about.

“What is happening to you, has happened to you is not like throwing a switch and ‘bingo’ you’re a woman. It’s a long process, and whether you realize it or not the physical process is over. It happened while you were asleep. Your mother and sister will be here in a little while. His Wisdom has been talking to them, and they know what’s been happening. Your parents also remember what happened in the hospital. You need to spend some time with your mother. It’s going to be a very long day; however, The Wizard had to do a little ‘cleaning up’ of the mess I made.

“Fortunately, you have been transitioning for quite a while, and you have a great support group. No one outside your family will notice any of the adjustments he had to make. As far as the others are concerned, you have always been Thomasina Antonia Donizetti DiMaggio.”

“But my sister’s here,” she said realizing what Dr. Brewer had said about her mother and sister a moment before.

“Nope, Tommie meet Charlene Michelle Donizetti Brewer. Charli is your cousin.”

“But, …?” For the first time, Tommie took a closer look at the person she’d assumed to be her sister.

“I know. Remarkable isn’t it. Charli could be your sister’s twin. The fact that the three of you look so much alike just confirms the fact you’re related. By the way, Myrna, you haven’t met her yet, has already completed a DNA analysis. You are definitely first cousins. Both of you inherited an interesting trait from your paternal grandfather, and that is your ability to communicate with other animals. You also inherited something from your mother. Your mother and Charli’s mother had inherited the magic trait through both your mothers’ ancestries. Your mothers are cousins about 10 generations removed, and they passed on the magic trait to you and Charli.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell her, Matilda.”

“You’re a witch, Tommie,” Matilda said in her sweet voice.

“Tommie,” Charli explained, “I’ve been looking for you for years; just like your sister has been looking for me. Thanks to His Wisdom’s shenanigans, we never connected. That was because we were both looking in the wrong time.”

“This is crazy. Charles Donizetti should be considerably older, and you’re a girl.”

“Yeah, I’m just like you. We have quite a bit in common. I’ll fill you in on all the gory details, but not right now. When The Wizard saved my life he fixed my problem just like he fixed yours. He also took nine years off my life so I could grow up properly. In a way, he did the same thing for you and your sister. He brought you four years into the future, or he went four years back and brought you into that present. I don’t really understand it. Avery Mankowitz will have to explain it to you. He’s the physicist.

“Anyway, I’ve been given the assignment to help you out as far as getting used to being magic. Your mother and sister have been doing a great job with you about the other things. It’s not that I have enough to do as it is. I’ll be a freshman at UConn just a couple of hours down the road. I will also have one of The Wizard’s projects as a roommate, but that’s another story.”

Charli gave Tommie a hug and kiss before stepping back. Tommie’s mother and sister were standing in the doorway. Her mother was holding a tray of soft drinks. That was a bit strange because that morning she’d been in a wheelchair.

“Is she going to be okay?” Tommie’s mother asked. “His Wisdom said everyone should relax and have a glass of their favorite soft drink.”

“Mom, I think I’m a real girl, and what happened to your wheelchair?”

“You’ve always been a real girl except for some little problems The Wizard fixed. He told me he fixed most of them that first day you met him in the hospital. No wonder you’ve been making such progress.

“As to the wheel chair, apparently your father’s and my injuries were a lot less severe than was thought. Although we know otherwise. The trucking company’s lawyers contacted us this morning, and are very eager to make a very equitable settlement. After our lawyers are paid, you and your sister will have more than enough to go to just about any university you want to. Just as long as you keep your grades up, that is. Well, that’s more your sister’s problem right now.

“Drink up. It seems that your birthday party is this afternoon, after all. Those invitations we never sent out were sent out two weeks ago. We’re going to have to find the right dress for you.”

“I think I will leave you girls alone for a while,” Cindy said as she got up to leave. “There won’t be any need to take a trip to town today to find an appropriate dress. I think you will find everything you need in your closet.

“We’ll see you at dinner tonight. I promise you it will be a quiet affair. It will just be a great chance for you to get to know many of us. You have no idea how happy we are to have found you.”

Epilogue

“Hold still while I fix this veil. There, that should do it,” Elaine said as she stepped back to admire her beautiful little sister.

“Okay ladies, I’d like to get a couple of dozen more shots of the Bridal party,” the photographer said. He proceeded to put the group of beautiful attendants and equally beautiful bride through the tried and true poses.

“When did you know he was the one?” Randi asked.

***

“Ed, who’s that beautiful girl?”

“Which one.”

“The one looking at us.”

“The one with the birthmark?”

“I hadn’t really noticed. I saw her the other day in freshman orientation. She was with some friends, I guess they are friends, and she seemed so happy. That’s what got my attention. She’s almost effervescent, and it seems so contagious. I know she looked at me then, and she’s looking at me now.”

“She’s Tommie DiMaggio. Her parents own that posh hotel in New Bedford. Her sister married that pro golfer, Eric Wolfe, last year.”

“Yeah, I remember that. Attractive lady, I think she’s a writer.

“I think I’d better go over there and introduce myself before she gets away. There’s just something about her.”

***

“That was very nice. You are really getting very good at that.”

“I have to be, I don’t want to lose you.”

“You know you don’t have to worry about that,” she said as she snuggled up to him. There would be time for a warm shower together later on. Ostensibly, they were on a ski trip to Stowe, Vermont over semester break. They would find time to do some skiing later.

“When did you fall in love with me?” she asked.

“You know exactly when it was. It was when you smiled at me when I walked over to introduce myself to you. You had me before that. I just wanted a chance.

“How about you?”

“When I saw you at freshman orientation. I saw you and did a quick read. I never tried to read you again. I knew then and there you were the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I just had to get your attention.”

“That wasn’t too difficult. Then you told me you were a witch. That made things so much easier. I thought maybe we’d been set up, but Mom and His Wisdom assured me that was not the case. Then Bobbie told me she knew you and what a wonderful woman you were. I’d have to agree.”

“Randi told me the same thing happened to her and Frank the summer after my transformation. When it’s the right person, falling in love is a pretty easy thing to do. Those were a couple of great years. Well, they all have been, really. I remember Bobbie talking about her ‘baby’ brother, but until that freshman orientation we’d never seen each other. I should have realized you were related when I saw that red hair. Two seconds later I knew everything I ever needed to know.

***

The wedding of Thomasina Antonia Donizetti DiMaggio and Amos Emmanuel Schmedlap, Jr. garnered the attention of the society sections of several major eastern newspapers. The ring bearer was Donald Brewer, son of Drs. Donald and Cynthia Brewer. The flower girl was Linda Anderson, daughter of Felix and Roberta Anderson. The bride’s sister, Elaine Wolfe, was Matron of Honor. Attendants to the bride were Dr. Cynthia Brewer, Roberta Anderson, Dr. Christine Deere, and Charlene Brewer. The best man was Stanley Lewis, Jr. The groomsmen were Felix Anderson, Ezra and David Schmedlap, brothers of the groom, and Eric Wolfe.

The reception was held at the DiMaggio Hotel. Many of the photos of the reception caught, if you looked at them just right, a distinguished gentleman and his enormous dog. There were several pictures of more than a dozen cats and a ferret feasting at a buffet obviously set up for the animal guests. One particularly endearing photo showed two very large dogs and the sated cats and ferret sleeping on a mat in a corner of the reception hall.

The quarter page photo of the bride and groom definitely caught the attention of the readers who didn’t know either of the families. Many couldn’t understand why the bride hadn’t masked the birthmark that covered nearly a third of her face. Really, those question didn’t have to be asked; however, in the past some did anyway. “I am who I am. I have everything I could have ever hoped for. What is it that bothers you: the fact that I am ‘disfigured’, or the fact I don’t want to do anything about it?”

The fact was The Wizard could have removed the birthmark at any time. Cindy realized early on that Tommie had no desire to change what was truly her. There was only that one thing that needed to be corrected, and that was done quite nicely. Tommie did remove the birthmark the year before her first child, Amos the 3rd, was born. It was a simple spell. Besides, she knew who her friends were. No one said anything after it was gone.

Cindy attended many transformations over the years as a doctor, counselor and witness; however, they were always very small and personal affairs. Although able to, she left the process to The Wizard and a select few, including her mother.

=====================================================

There will be more stories about Cindy and her friends. A bit of an idea about Tommie had been running around in my mind for a couple of months. I started writing it in the middle of March, and just let it go where it did. I didn’t think it was necessary to dwell too much on the physical transformations. Why did Cindy do the things she did? I think it was fatigue. Resident physicians go through hell. I sometimes wonder why they are allowed to practice medicine, much less magic.

I have a non-magic story in mind. It will not involve characters from my previous stories.

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Comments

Hmmmmm

Andrea Lena's picture

“Yeah, I remember that. Attractive lady, I think she’s a writer.

“I think I’d better go over there and introduce myself before she gets away. There’s just something about her.”

I guess it runs in the family...

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Thank you,Portia,

I don't usually "do" magic but read the story as it was written by you and enjoyed it immensely ,but
I can't go anywhere without those Di Maggios popping up ! Must be a large family as I went to see a
Cardiologist last Thursday and his nurse assistant was Gabrielle Di Maggio !

ALISON

Then There Was Joe

littlerocksilver's picture

and Dom and Vince. You might read the others in the series. Some of them are pretty good.

Portia

Cynthia... I've read and not commented...

Andrea Lena's picture

I feel horrible about that... I love your writing!

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Thanks Portia for a wonderful

Thanks Portia for a wonderful story. Will be looking for possible chapter once more regarding Tommie and her life.

These stories are awesome.

WillowD's picture

I read this story a few weeks ago. In fact, I wound up doing a marathon read of almost all of the Cynthia Chronicle stories over two weeks. Now that I have an account I'm going back and adding kudos and comments. These stories are awesome. Thank you littlerocksilver.