Feasting on Crumbs

In addition to the loss of my camera with all my Wapato memories, and my "Velarie Living Under the Lion" pics on it, the loss of Vel's children's book in the bowels of St. Vincent's security storage has continued to gnaw at me.

As far as my camera goes, I call Northwest pleading for them to scavenge through their Minneapolis lost and found aboout once a week. I am having such a difficult time believing that someone would snag a camera that they discovered on Christmas eve or day. The memory card is pregnant with my old family shots and new friends' smiles. So sad...

I called the Library of Congress last week trying to locate a copy of Velarie's book. I can't remember the exact title, but I know "four friends" is in it. I had the book in my hands the day we packed her up at the library. I remember seeing the word "copyright" and the year "2007" typed on the inside cover. The manuscript was bound like a student research project. Also, at one point, I remember Velarie telling me that she had been in Washington DC prior to arriving in NYC to obtain a copyright. After numerous hours of browsing the cyber shelves and aisles at the Library of Congress and speaking with less then helpful Conan the Congress Librarians, it was clear that this was a story that was permanently checked out.

On Tuesday, when I was at the St. Frances house hanging with the office posse, I told them that I had struck out on locating a copy of Vel's book. Karalee said that she remembered hearing Vel say that she had it copied in Nevada. Hmm. When I got home, I had a wild hair. I got online and Googled "University of Nevada - Reno Publishing." I knew that Velarie had spent time in Reno, and I thought that maybe the college had a publishing house like Nebraska. Google did not come up with anything. Then, I decided to look through the department directory at U of NR. I found the number to the copy center and made a call.

I told Andrew Merlo, who answered, that I had a weird question; I find I start most calls this way when dealing with Velarie's affairs. I explained that I was taking care of a homeless woman that I befriended in NYC, and she had written a children's book. I had a hunch that she may have typed and copied it in Reno. Unfortunately, it has been lost; I am looking for another copy. Andrew said that Velarie had - in fact - been there. Thank God I was sitting down.

Andrew never met Velarie, but the other woman in office, Celia Culver, had told him about her. Celia was gone, but he would have her call me Wed.

On the way home from judging a regional one act contest in Madison yesterday, I decided to call the U of NR copy center back. Celia was in. She told me how Velarie had wandered in and wanted to get her "typed" book copied and bound. Celia said that she was drawn to Vel and asked her about her homelessness. She liked her so much that she let Vel hang out with her an hour after close. When I asked her if she happened to have kept a copy, she said that Velarie had insisted that she run off a copy and keep it at the copy center but since they were a small office, with no space for storage, she declined. I had been holding my breath....exhale.

Celia continued, that when she went to shut down the copier (after Velarie left), there was a jam. The computer had horded an additional copy of the book. She removed the pages and threw it in a drawer. She was currently holding on to it. Another chapter to this story has just been revealed.

Celia said that she would scan me a copy and email it to me within the next couple of days. The well of emotions that I have experienced is just one of the bountiful gifts that this "Velarie journey" has given me. On the road, I have gathered fascinating friends and witnessed true goodness. From Reno, to New York to St. Cloud to Watertown to Sioux Falls...I am feasting on the crumbs from the table that Velarie set.