The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

In Warwickshire in February 1971, 40-year-old Margot accepted Humphrey’s invitation for a night of tapas and stargazing. The astronomer lived in a cluttered old farmhouse, had a homemade observatory in his attic, and kept chickens named after old Hollywood stars. Margot told him that she had a pet chicken in London. Talking about Jeremy made her miss Meena, but she found peace and sanctuary in Humphrey’s presence. With the affable, forgetful man, she felt no pressure “to impress him, to make him laugh” (235).

Back in 2014, Lenni visits Father Arthur in the chapel. He grows somber when the conversation turns to his retirement, which will begin in one week. Lenni’s shocked that the months have passed so quickly. She promises to ensure a strong turnout for his final service in the chapel since they’re friends—and friends help each other. At that moment, New Nurse returns to take Lenni back to bed, and she wishes she had more time with Father Arthur.

In the West Midlands in September 1979, 48-year-old Margot lived with Humphrey, and they decided to marry. He invited numerous friends, relatives, and colleagues to the ceremony, but Margot invited only Meena. Meena didn’t reply to the invitation, so Margot was astonished when Meena appeared just before she walked down the aisle. Margot briefly considered running away with Meena and then asked her to be her bridesmaid. After the ceremony, Margot and Meena talked about their lives. Margot considered the time with her fleeting and precious compared to her time with Humphrey because the latter was “unlimited and so of much lower value” (245). Meena was pregnant with The Professor’s child, but he was no longer part of her life. Margot asked Meena to stay with her and Humphrey, but she declined and left after kissing Margot’s cheek. Weeks later, Meena sent Margot a photograph of her newborn son, whom she named Jeremy Davey Star.

Back in 2014, thanks to Lenni, Pippa and about 40 of her art students attend Father Arthur’s last service at the chapel. Father Arthur becomes emotional at this unexpected outpouring of support and delivers a sermon about appreciating life’s blessings. While he doesn’t know how much of an impact he has had on the hospital, he knows that he’s “forever changed” by the people he has met there and “their bravery, their courage, and their light” (248). When Arthur gives the final blessing, Lenni leads the congregation in applauding him. After the service, Lenni and Father Arthur thank each other for everything. Arthur promises to visit her and emphatically asks her to take care of herself.

Pippa, Margot, and New Nurse admire the 60 paintings that Lenni and Margot have created. Their compliments set Lenni on edge, and she feels as if the women would talk about her the same way at her funeral, discussing her “achievements with a sentimental overexaggeration of [her] good qualities” (252). When Lenni wheels herself out of the art room, New Nurse allows Lenni some privacy by choosing not to follow her. Lenni feels better after she sees an elderly man and woman from her art class walking arm in arm and laughing together.

Margot hugs Lenni the next time they meet in the Rose Room and then paints a cocktail glass. She recounts a story from August 1980, when she was 49. Humphrey and Margot honeymooned in Majorca. Another couple joined them at dinner, and the wife asked whether they had children. Before Margot could form a “stranger-friendly version” (255) of the reasons that they didn’t, Humphrey answered that they did. He described Bette and Marilyn (the chickens) as though they were Margot and Humphrey’s daughters, omitting the detail that they were chickens. Humphrey’s amusing answers to the curious couple’s questions eventually caused Margot to spew her cocktail out all over the table.

Back in 2014, Lenni speaks with Father Arthur’s successor, Pastor Derek Woods. Derek tries to talk about Lenni’s declining health with her, but he can’t bring himself to name her condition. Lenni irritates Derek by asking if he ever considered becoming a medical professional so that he “could do something practical about people’s pain” (258). He retorts that chaplains offer patients respect and support, and he gives her a book entitled Questions About Jesus because he believes that her chapel visits indicate that she’s “searching for something to believe in” (259).

Lenni wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t breathe. Panicking, she thinks, “Not now [...] We’re not finished. I still have stories to tell” (260). Jacky kneels beside her on the floor and helps her cough up the blood and phlegm obstructing her airway. Lenni is placed on bedrest, so she can no longer visit the chapel or the art room. One night, Margot sneaks Lenni outside so that they can watch the stars together. Margot lets Lenni walk instead of using a wheelchair “because Margot still believes” (262). Lenni can’t remember the last time she saw the stars, and she gratefully takes in the sight while thinking about Margot’s stories of stargazing with Humphrey. Margot tells Lenni that the clearest stars are dead. At first, the teen finds this fact depressing, but Margot explains that it’s beautiful that the stars live on through the light they emitted.

Lenni has an elevated temperature, her body isn’t responding well to her new medication, and she isn’t sleeping well. Apologetically, New Nurse tells Lenni that she has decided not to let her go to the Rose Room. When Lenni tries to argue, New Nurse says that Lenni can’t improve the situation by pretending to be fine and looks at Lenni “like a little girl about to cry” (267). Her upset expression dulls Lenni’s fury. No one comes to visit Lenni, and she sleeps for days.

Margot brings art supplies to Lenni’s bedside. Lenni attempts to smile at her friend, but her body isn’t obeying her. Margot shares a story from August 16, 1987, in the West Midlands. At age 56, Margot chose to remain home while Humphrey went to London to attend a party celebrating the Harmonic Convergence of the sun and moon aligning with six planets. On her doorstep, Margot found an envelope from Meena. The last time Margot saw Meena, Jeremy was still a baby, and she visited him and Meena in London. Even when she was sitting in Meena’s kitchen, the distance between them seemed insurmountable, and Margot mourned how time had transformed the wild woman she loved into an ordinary, domestic person. The envelope on the doorstep contained a photo of Meena and Jeremy and a note explaining that they were moving to Vietnam. Realizing that there was no stamp, Margot ran outside and tried to find Meena. However, she was already gone, which Margot considered “her cruelest trick” (274). Margot placed the photograph in one of Humphrey’s books on astronomy, deciding that Meena could stay “among the stars” (274).

Back in 2014, Margot comforts Lenni, who’s crying, as she receives injections. Margot tells Lenni a story.

In the West Midlands in March 1997, 66-year-old Margot woke up to discover Humphrey happily preparing an elaborate birthday breakfast for her, which was concerning because her birthday is January 18. Margot and Humphrey saw a doctor, who suggested bloodwork and memory tests. Humphrey was frightened and told Margot that he “got old by accident” (277).

Back in 2014, Arthur visits Lenni. She shares that she has completed all 17 of her paintings. The last, which she considers her “best one” (279), consists of 83 purple hearts and 17 pink hearts to represent her and Margot. Arthur tries to conceal the fear he feels at seeing her condition and the new machines she’s attached to. He admits that he has felt lost since his retirement. Lenni encourages Arthur to return to the hospital in a volunteer capacity.

In February 1998, in the West Midlands, after Humphrey was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he made 67-year-old Margot sign a contract promising that she’d kiss him goodbye and leave forever when he no longer remembered her. Eleven months after his diagnosis, Humphrey moved into a care home. During one of Margot’s visits, Humphrey told her that he loved her and that she was his stars. He also encouraged her to write to Meena. The next day, he acted as if he didn’t recognize her. Margot kept her promise by giving him a kiss and telling him goodbye. Doing her best to hide her tears, she said that she was looking for her love, and Humphrey replied that he was “sure [Margot will] find him…or her” (289). Months later, Humphrey died peacefully in his sleep.

In May 1998, at Humphrey’s well-attended funeral, the priest declared that purple is the color of mourning, and 67-year-old Margot read the Sarah Williams poem that Humphrey included in his letter to her after they first met. Margot realized that Humphrey was only pretending not to recognize her the last time they saw one another so that he could set her free from her obligations to him.