Chapter 1
New Parents
My life begins in
the midst of a technological revolution. Humans are finding ways to move faster
and creating all manner of innovations meant to save time, freeing humanity
from some of the more tedious chores necessitated for day-to-day living. The
reality is that people seem to have less time for the simple pleasures in life
and instead, race through their lives, hurry-scurry, like rats lost in a maze.
My birth heralds
the beginning of the greatest changes to happen in the current civilization’s
recorded history. Okay, maybe I’m stretching the truth a bit, as that statement
has little to do with me, but it does apply primarily to the “Baby Boomers”
born in the United States of
America
At that instant in
time, my destiny intertwines with two young people, Jackie and Marianne, my unwitting,
completely unprepared, and frequently reluctant, parents. Their first gift to
me is my name, Ariana Lenore Warlach.
The first time I can
remember meeting them, I am unable to speak, wrapped up tightly in a blanket
with even my arms snugged up against my sides and I’m lying inside a plastic
box staring up at them. I listen carefully as they introduce themselves as Mama
and Daddy. Mama follows the introduction by saying, “Ariana, we are your
parents and will be taking you home with us in a few days”.
Inexplicably, her
words fill me with happiness.
*******
Meet my parents or
at least what I have gleaned over the years about their younger lives….
Mama’s name is
Marianne Eleanor Dunne. She was born in San Francisco, as her mother and father
were before her.
Marianne’s Granna
Mary, her Uncle Buddy, and Aunt Eleanor came to California from Clifden, Connemara,
along the western shores of Ireland. They arrived on Ellis Island, New York and
made their way westward, never looking back. All their worldly possessions
secured within a few worn leather cases. Granna Mary will tell anyone that
would listen that she’d made the decision to leave the only home they’d known
to escape certain poverty, which she attributed to the great “Potato” famine
that had happened at least 30 years before she was born.
The Irsh have long
memories, it seems.
Marianne is an
attractive woman, with light reddish-brown hair that frames her heart-shaped
face. Her large violet-blue eyes can’t hide a lie, not that she would dare,
even if she thought she could get away with it. Her milky white skin is covered
with small brown freckles and burns easily no matter how hard she tries to get
a tan. She’s proud of her 22 inch waist
and fond of laughing in her soft way, remarking, “I’d be as brown as an Indian,
if all my freckles would just grow together.”
When I’m a little
older I always giggle along with her, pretending my mama is the famous Shoshone
woman, Sacagawea, who helped the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Marianne is
majoring in English at college and everyone just assumes she will become a
school teacher when she graduates.
When Marianne was
younger, she harbored a secret dream of becoming a nun, donning the habit
and spending a quiet life in a convent. The only one she shared her dream with
was her best friend and younger sister, Polly.
The gregarious red-head,
Polly, only a scant year younger than Marianne, tried to be understanding about
her sister’s dream, but there was no way she wanted to be any part of that
plan. Pretty clothes, boys, and dancing were just too much fun. She certainly
didn’t want to give all that up to be a stuffy old nun, but if that was
Marianne’s desire, far be it for her to stand in the way.
Marianne’s desire
to become a nun ended abruptly when she was in ninth grade.
A contest for the
best science project was posted on the school bulletin board and the first
place winner would receive a beautiful little statue of the Virgin Mary.
The minute Polly
laid her hazel green eyes on the hand-painted porcelain figurine of the Blessed
Madonna; she knew she had to have her. Even though she had never won anything
competitively in her life, she enters the contest.
Marianne can tell
by the gleam in Polly’s eyes how much her sister wants the statue and offers to
help. Together they work diligently for several weeks, using their hard-earned
allowance money to buy the necessary supplies to complete the project. Polly shows
the finished project to all her school chums the day before it is due to be
turned in. They all agree that the Madonna will certainly belong to Polly when
all is said and done.
Everyone at Sacred
Heart Cathedral school, nuns and schoolgirls alike, know that none of the other
students has put as much effort into their projects as Polly has put into hers.
The day finally
arrives for the projects to be judged. All the girls assemble on the bleachers
of the school gymnasium to await the pronouncement.
Polly can think of
nothing else except her desire to hold the little statue in her hands, and
barely contains her excitement when they take their seats.
She sits sandwiched
between Marianne and her friends, waiting with unbridled anticipation, thinking
about how surprised and proud her Mama and Da are going to be.
A ripple of shock,
like an electric current, followed by trepidation runs through the girls when
Sister Francis approaches the podium. They had not known she would be the judge
to announce the winner and it's common knowledge amongst the girls that Sister
Francis is not fond of Polly.
The nun lifts the
small statue, looks directly in Polly’s direction, a wicked little smile
creasing her shrewish face, and with what appears to be malignant satisfaction,
pronounces, “This year’s winner for the best science project goes to… [pauses
to shuffle her papers on the podium] …Clara McNeely. Congratulations Clara!”
Clara squeals with feigned astonishment and hurries to collect her prize, to a
round of rather subdued applause. Clara is the wealthiest girl in school, a
tall, willowy, blonde, 10th grader, well-known to be Sister Francis’
classroom pet. She’s also known for her mean streak a mile wide when it comes
to taunting the younger girls at school.
Marianne’s heart breaks
for her sister. The look on Polly’s face is one of utter devastation and shame. Marianne decides in that instant that she will
never become a nun. She knows in her heart that she cannot possibly join a
group of people that would include a vindictive woman like Sister Francis, all
the time preaching to love one another as they love Jesus and yet allow such a
blatant display of unfair cruelty…especially when it involved her beloved
little sister. She sends up a little prayer to apologize to God and asks that
just this time he will forgive her for her decision.
*******
I tend to believe
things happen for a reason and this incident had a significant impact on my
future life. I’m really glad Mama didn’t become a nun!
*******
Marianne has just
turned twenty when she meets Jackie. She is working part-time to help pay for
her college tuition in the accounting department of a large paper manufacturer
in downtown San Francisco.
Marianne and Polly
like to dress up and go out with their girlfriends to the USO on Treasure
Island. Every Friday night, unless one of them has a date, they drive out to
the island to dance and flirt with the young sailors.
One balmy spring
evening, Jackie is there with several of his buddies. They sit around a table
drinking martinis, trying to act suave and sophisticated, while watching other couples
dancing. At an outburst of merry
laughter, their attention is immediately drawn to the main entrance, where a
bouquet of pretty young women has entered and stands busily surveying the room.
Each young lady is dressed to the nines in her Friday night finery.
One girl spots an
empty table, pointing excitedly towards it, and then all of them sashay around
the dance floor to claim a chair.
Not one to be shy
and wanting the opportunity to be first to claim one of the girls, Jackie struts
right over, flashes his most winning smile and politely asks the young girl
that has caught his eye to dance. Marianne, who loves to dance, smiles shyly up
at the dashing stranger with the jet black hair and the eyes the color of
robin’s eggs and says, “Sure!”
He whirls her
around the floor with an expertise that makes her catch her breath. How her
laughter rings with pleasure when he proves how good he can jitterbug! He tells
her that she is the best dance partner he’s cut the rug with in a long time.
They spend the rest of the evening together, dancing and talking, happy to
discover a mutual interest in the theatre, music, and literature. Adding to
their amazement and marveling at fate, they learn that they both work for the
same paper company in the city. They are separated by several floors, but still
surprised that they’ve never met. Jackie gives Marianne a wolfish grin than
says, “I surely would remember someone as pretty as you if I’d seen you there!”
This causes Mama to blush and laugh, but inside she is pleased as punch. He continues,
“I work down in data processing, which is pretty isolated from the rest of the
building. Honestly though, I’ve got my feelers out for a better job opportunity.
I want an office with windows and a view.” He winks at her then. She begins to
wonder if he’s the one, as he pulls her by the hand, whirling her back onto the
dance floor.
Later, still reluctant
to let her get away when the time comes for Marianne to leave with Polly and
her friends, Jackie asks her to go out to dinner the next night and she accepts.
*******
Mama is always
saying, “Your Daddy ruined me for any other man, because he knows exactly how
to show a girl a grand time on a date”.
*******
Marianne is
twenty-one when she marries Jackie, in Reno, Nevada. He is five years older. Thirteen months
later, I will arrive to change their world forever.
*******
I know less about my father’s early years. I know that
his
birth name is Garrick Thomas Warlach. His family nicknamed him Jackie when he
was a toddler. Jackie is the name everyone calls him now, except me. To me,
he’s just, Daddy.
Daddy was born in a
small town in Pennsylvania America
from Wales
Daddy is a thin
man, of medium height and a flair for fashion. His hair is the glossy black of a raven’s wing. He
has high cheek bones, a strong chin and a hawk-like nose, while his eyes, a
piercingly bright blue, are startling against his suntanned complexion and dark
hair.
Daddy’s very
artistic. He paints, plays the piano, sings, and is a schooled dancer. He has the reputation for being the life of
the party and is invited to all the soirées in San Francisco.
His life’s dream
was to go to Hollywood and become an actor, but ended up living in the Bay area
after his discharge from the military. He had been stationed at the Presidio
Army Post towards the end of the Korean War.
He never achieved
that dream of stardom and it continued to be a small thorn in his side for a
large portion of his life.
Daddy has a secret
though. No one knows about the anger Daddy hides deep inside himself. To the
outside world, his real face is hidden beneath a handsome smiling mask, one
that can charm everyone he meets and is so very deceptive.
I will learn
Daddy’s secret, but not yet.
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