05 May - the Quislings

Factor 0 - a Quislings Primer

Nothing gives hope to the hopeless like a funeral. We hope to have good times in the future. Hope that the person who died is in a better place. And hope that the best of ourselves did not die with the departed. This story describes the hours leading up to and just after a funeral for someone who died much too young. In spite of all that hope, there is really no good, better, or best in a story like this. There is just what happened.

As you read these pages, some of the characters may seem familiar to you. There's no surprise in that. After all (in one way or another), each of us is a Quisling. But remember, this story is not about you. It is about the Quislings of Baltimore.

John Quisling met Mary Elisabeth Smith on the 1st of May when they were both eighteen. One year and one day later on the 2nd of May, they were married. After seven barren years, John and Mary's first daughter, Mary Rosethorn, was born on the 4th of May. Mary Eclipse came along two years after that on the 7th. Exactly two years later, Mary Arroyo was born. For the next seven years, they remained a family of five until Mary Ulysses made her entrance into the world on the 14th of May. Sadly, a few days after her 28th birthday, Mary Ulysses died on the 22nd of May.

Five Marys and one John. It had to be confusing. Fortunately, though, the four younger Quislings took on nicknames. Their father, their friends, their neighbors, their co-workers, in fact, everyone except their mother referred to them in more casual terms. Mary Rosethorn became Flora. Mary Eclipse was known as Alba. Mary Arroyo was Jolie. And the youngest girl, Mary Ulysses was called Buddy.

Throughout their lives, the Quislings of Baltimore had ordinary jobs, yielding ordinary means, and they lived in ordinary times. The only extraordinary aspect of their story was the odd coincidence that nearly every event of any importance in their lives occurred in the month of May – the month of false hope.

May I?

Maybe.

May not.