Miss Julia Inherits a Mess

Julia!" Barely catching her breath, Lou Anne Conover started talking as soon as I answered the phone. "'Have you heard? Everybody's talking about it. It's all over town. I can't imagine what she's been through. Can you?' "'Well, no, Lou Anne, I can't. Who are we talking about, anyway?' "'Why, Miss Maddy Freeman, of course. Who else would we be talking about? I mean, Julia, who else do we know who fell and broke a hip and couldn't get help no matter how long she cried and screamed, and had to lie sprawled out on the floor all night long?' "'Oh, my,' I said, abruptly sitting down. "'No, I hadn't heard. Is she all right? What happened?' But Lou Anne wasn't finished with what she'd started. "'It's beyond me to understand how you miss everything, Julia. It's not as if you live out in the sticks or anything. In fact, I live further out than you do, and I heard about it more than an hour ago. I would have called you sooner, but my phone's been busy.' Yes, and I knew why. She'd been on it. But I said, "'Well, I don't get out and around like you do.' "'That's because you have Lillian to run your errands and do your shopping and everything else, while I have to do everything myself.' Every now and then Lou Anne had to take a little jab at those of us who had household help. Not, I assure you, that she couldn't afford it herself, although I concede that she might have had to compromise on other things. But still--" "'That's neither here nor there, Lou Anne,' I said, unwilling to apologize for my good fortune. After all, I'd had to put up with Wesley Lloyd Springer for forty-some-odd years to get it. "'Tell me about Miss Maddie. Is she all right?' "'Who knows?' Lou Anne said, almost in a shriek. "'Nobody'll tell me anything. I've called the hospital and I've called Dr. Hargrove and they won't tell me a living thing. They ask if I'm a member of the family. They're the only ones they'll talk to. And Julia? I've known her for years, which I think ought to count for something. Well, I even called Sue, and would you believe she said I knew more about it than she did? Now, I just don't believe that, because she's the doctor's wife. Who else would know something if not her?' "'When did this happen, Lou Anne?' "'Not fifteen minutes ago. And she said she had something on the stove and couldn't talk. Hurt my feelings, too.' "'No, Lou Anne, I mean, when did Miss Maddie fall?' "'Oh, well, sometime last night, or maybe yesterday afternoon. I can't get a straight answer out of anybody. Do you think the EMTs would tell us anything?' "'I don't think I'd bother them. They're probably under orders not to give out information. But does that mean they were called out for Miss Maddie?' "'Julia,' Lou Anne said, with just a touch of impatience, that meant I was being uncommonly slow, "'who do you think they call? Miss Maddie had been lying on that floor in horrific pain all night long. She had to have somebody who could get her on a stretcher or whatever, and somebody who had an ambulance to get her to the emergency room.' "'Oh, of course. But who found her?' "'The postman. You know how they have all the tenants' mail-boxes in the hall of her building? Well, he was delivering the mail right beside her door, and he heard her moaning, so he called for help, and thank goodness he did. But I can't believe her mail comes so early in the day. Can you? If it had been me, I'd have been lying there till supper-time practically.' "'So she's in the hospital now?' "'Surgery. They're still operating on her.' "'Oh, my,' I said again. "'Should we go over? I mean, maybe a group of us could sit in the waiting-room to show our concern. She doesn't have any family, does she?' "'Not that I know of,' Lou Anne said, slowing down as she thought about it. "'It's strange, isn't it, to know someone so long, yet know so little about her? But I'll tell you something else,' she went on, gathering steam, ''if you get a group together to go over there, don't bother calling Helen Stroud.' "'Well, she's probably busy.' "'Busy my foot! She's just not interested, and I don't think she gives a flip about Maddy. When I phoned to tell her what happened, all she said was, "'That's too bad. Thank you for calling.' Now, is that cold or what?' "'Well, you know how Helen is. She expects people to do what they say they'll do, and Maddy, well, Maddy's not the easiest person to get along with.' To tell the truth, Maddy Freeman could be downright disagreeable, abrupt and outspoken with little thought of the feelings of others. She also had a tendency to volunteer for anything that came up, then to either forget it or just not do it. Helen, on the other hand, was the most efficient and organized person I knew. When she said she'd do something, you knew it would be done.