Page 20 - Discover Summer 2021

Kate’s Corner CONTINUED

“Zyngawf”. I feared that I may have Dad’s brother-in-law. He was in his
overlooked starting a new game with late 70s, not as old as Gail, and not as

Gail after her win, which would have sick. In fact, he was hale and hearty
made me out to be a really bad sport. until a massive heart attack took him
out one evening. He’d stopped by our
“Is that you, Gail?” I asked in
house just two days earlier to bring
the chat mode of the game. “No,”
Dad a pair of shoes that he’d ordered
my other friend answered. Gail was
from Sears and Roebuck. They were
nowhere to be found. I tried to find
too small for Oscar’s foot, but fit Dad
our last game and start a new one,
like a glove.
but it was gone,
Dad offered to
replaced by the
pay for them,
numerous other
but Oscar
games that I’d
refused.
finished. I sent

her messages on “It
Facebook and was these shoes
e-mail, but there that killed
was no reply. I your Uncle

couldn’t contact her Oscar,” Dad
through the game, said as he slid
because her name a foot forward
was so screwed so I could get

up. So I Googled a good look
her full name… at the leather
and up popped her culprit.
obituary. As near

as I could figure,
“Your Uncle Oscar never gave
she had died right after beating me:
anything away in his life ‘til he gave
cardiac arrest, no doubt. Actually, I
me these shoes, and his heart couldn’t
guess that could be a listed cause on
stand the shock. I shoulda made him
every death certificate.
take some money.”
What I’m wondering is: if that
Just like I “shoulda” played
win could have been an “underlying”
harder… and maybe Gail would still
cause of death.
be alive trying to beat me!
It made me think of Dad when
lis
l
y
ma
r
A my Uncl
Amaryllise Oscar died. Oscar was
18 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SUMMER 2021