Family reunion in Utah- pt 10

So here we are in Utah, at David's brother's house, where a complete spread has been laid out in our honor. Jen and I find ourselves surrounded by total strangers, most of them Mormons because they are David's family; brothers, sisters, children. And these were my new cousins! One woman, cousin Helen, daughter of my Mom's sister, Thelma, decided to come also. I gathered from the low murmurs, that she was a hell on wheels in her youth. She flew in from California just for this reunion. The moment I saw her I saw my Mother Ruth. She too had blonde hair and she was petite just as Ruth was. We hugged when we were introduced, and I almost got blown away by her whiskey breath. She was raised a Catholic and it was at her house that Elaine was sent to live once. I know Elaine had some uncomfortable memories from her time living there and at first she did not want to see Helen. Seems Helen was cruel to Elaine when she moved in with her family. They were both close in age and up to that time, Helen was an only child, used to getting all of the attention and all of the presents. It was Helen who blurted out to Elaine that it was only because her Mother, Ruth had died, that she was now in Helen's house. Up to that very moment, Elaine did not know our Mother had passed away. Leave it to children to be the cruelest.

When Jen and I walked in the house I could feel all eyes on us. I could hear their brains thinking, so this is Dolores, our long-lost cousin. The cousin David found. The daughter of our aunt Ruth, the Rumba dancer and the Jewish man that had been in prison and had killed himself.

Food had been laid out on a long table outside in the back of the house. Sandwich meat, chips, that kind of stuff. Jen and I were despserate for a good stiff drink or a glass of wine until I remembered where I was. Soda would have to do.

We talked in groups, with the women somehow separated from the men. David's brothers were there of course, these also being my new first cousins; and their wives and in a few cases, their daughters also. I asked a lot of questions, especially about health issues. I wanted to know if there were any illnesses that were shared by the women as I had no idea at that time what the medical history was on my mother's side. I knew heart failures, arterial disease and and high blood pressure ran on my Dad's side. But no one had cancer and yet I had breast cancer not all that long ago. So I wanted to know for my sake and for the sake of my daughter.

I did not like what I heard. There was a lot of diabetes, including my sister Elaine, and heart problems and hormonal problems, some of which Jen shared. Not a terribly healthy group.... but no cancer, yet!

Finally it was time to go. Jen was flying back to Los Angeles and I was going to goe to Utah and stay at David's house with he and his wife Kathy for a few days more. He promised to take me to see the 'real' polygamists that lived right where he did in Hurricaine, Utah and I couldn't wait.

At the end of the party, David played a DVD that he had made, including old photos of family members, Ruth and even Elaine and Jennifer and I were included.Then he gave Jennifer, Elaine and myself a gift bag with homemade fudge, his specialty and.....the Book of Mormon.
I knew it was just a matter of time.