THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT

Editor’s note: In the first chapter, an unnamed female protagonist was driving back to Johnstown after being away for 10 years.

Snow was falling and Christmas carols were playing on the car radio.

Would she recognize the place known as the “Flood City” or would she be an intruding stranger?

She shivered at the memories of that sudden parting.

With snowflakes swirling before the headlights of her car, she exited the highway and turned toward downtown Johnstown ...



Chapter 2



BY DALE WORCESTER

As she pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn, Barbara remembered that last dinner there with her parents as she tried to make them understand why she was leaving and why she needed a change in her life.

Her beautiful dream had been shattered by the loss of her darling Will, struck down by a drunken driver on the eve of her wedding.

She saw little to keep her in the city she had lived in and had built her hopes on. There was nothing left but the bitterness of what might have been.

She had picked New York because of its bustle and the prospects for employment.

She had hoped to build a new life free from all the disappointing memories of Johnstown.

Now she was back, hoping to rekindle the feeling of promise she experienced before the tragedy that drove her away.

In her room, she looked out at the newly fallen snow that had created a mantle of white to the streets darkened by the dusk.

The sparkle of the Christmas village in the park added a welcome to her homecoming. She felt a sudden impulse to walk again in that fairyland that defined the Christmas season in Johnstown.

She left the warmth of her room, bundled up against the winter chill she remembered so well, to drink in the sights and memories of her former life.

It was the week before Christmas, and there were other people in the park seeking respite from shopping and walking the paths to admire the lighted dollhouses exuding cozy warmth within their picket fences.

The snow hung heavy on the eaves of the small roofs, adding to the feeling of permanence of this tiny town within a town.

She stood in the center of the park and looked at the surrounding buildings. Their lighted windows, winking through the bare tree limbs cast a golden glow over the city as she regained old memories of her early years as a teenager; going to high school, then to UPJ, the evening she and Will celebrated her graduation in this park – but in the soft warmth of May and with these same bare trees covered with bright green leaves. They had high hopes for what lay ahead for both of them.

Barbara realized that period in her life had transformed into an emptiness she visited only when something reminded her of those dreams.

As she made her way back to the warmth of the hotel, she felt comforted. She could get on with her life. Will was close to her heart in a safe place with her good memories.

The restaurant beckoned when she entered the lobby, and suddenly she was hungry, not only for food, but also for the company of others.

She was soon seated at a table and started with a glass of wine to celebrate her homecoming.

As she took her first sip, she thought of that last dinner with her parents before catching the train for New York the next day. They had tried to understand, but were troubled by her decision.

In the ensuing year, she managed to persuade them to visit her in New York several times, but couldn’t bring herself to return to Johnstown. When her father retired, they fled to Florida and eliminated her last tie to the city.

After a meal that rivaled anything she had encountered in New York, she lingered over a second cup of coffee, planning her interview the next day.

She had been running the business end of a medical clinic in the Soho district when the principals decided to retire.

One of the doctors had some connections with Memorial Medical Center and, knowing she was from Johnstown, offered to recommend her for a position there.

She was tempted to turn it down at first, not sure she could stand to return to the sadness she associated with her hometown, but in the end, thanked the doctor and sent in her resume.

She had been tentatively offered a job, subject to an interview with the administrator.

The walk in the park had been a sort of test, and she had passed the first hurdle. She could express a sincere interest in the job the next day.

As she prepared for bed, she took one more look out the window and let past memories flood her consciousness. She smiled. She was ready for her new life.