Professional gardeners tend the grounds of a prize Philadelphia Mainline estate. The sparkle they add to the landscape adds to the architectural distinction it already possesses. George Washington had once camped on the property, a cherry tree planted in commemoration.
Ann Bolen lives in the main house with her mother. It was part of the arrangement. Once she married and had children her mother would move to one of the other houses on the property, as the Bolen’s had done for generations. It was a natural progression of life for them, pre-planned and pre-destined since before the birth of the nation.
The Bolen family held residency through war and depression without a break, through boom and bust without ever considering the land anything other than a birthright.
The secret to their strength of lineage was careful selection in marriage, and the proper instruction before nuptials. The family, like stonework on the landscape, was forever, while marriages resembled the runoff from a rain storm. Spouses were free to come and go like the seasonal appearance of leaves on foliage.
Ann’s father was an infrequent visitor, a guest in his former life as the master of all he saw. She watched his role shrivel over the years since her parents’ divorce. As he shrunk away, Ann saw her mother grow. The family album outlined her growth as an intellectual and social power with photographs of her standing next to important people and places.
They also showed her physical growth, although her dress size never changed. Ann’s mother bought the sort of designer clothing that had a label for any size you wanted sewn in.
“Who was that on the phone, dear? It sounded important,” her mother said.
“A friend from college, “ Ann replied.
“Calling from Oregon (OreGone)? It is times like this that I wish you had followed our tradition. You were the first of the line not to attend Bryn Mawr.”
“It was a break wasn’t it.”
“And now for the rest of our lives we will get long distance calls instead of simple local calls like the rest of the family.”
“When father calls it seems like he’s on the other side of the world.”
Her mother watered a house plant, ignoring the comment.
