Mrs. Teabody Shares One Last Romance

Spending six weeks studying Shakespeare in Stratford- upon-Avon was Mrs. Teabody's first great adventure as a fully-fledged adult, and she never looks back on that time without recalling her now far-flung friends who added so much to her life then and who continue to do so all these years later. Travel along, Dear Reader, to Stratford-Upon-Avon in June 1989 and imagine meeting the very first of the fourteen other teachers selected for this honor: Naomi Usprich of New Orleans. Towering at close to five full feet in height, Naomi had a mouth to match her wit and a gentle side to embrace. She was single, fiery and fierce; she could also be kindness incarnate. Clutching a rough map of the tangle of streets that is SUA, Naomi led Mrs. Teabody along in her wake, pushing her way through the crowds that thronged the sidewalks commenting about the inappropriateness of anyone's visiting SUA who was NOT a Shakespeare scholar.

“Does that include or exclude us?” Mrs. Teabody asked hopefully trying not to tumble over the rough cobblestone streets. Naomi planted herself firmly in Mrs. Teabody's path with raised eyebrows and a sneer.

“You're kidding me, right? Stratford-upon-Avon was INVENTED for us. We LOVE Shakespeare.” Later, over tea at Lamb's restaurant—formerly the Cobweb Tea Room - - Naomi and Mrs. Teabody caught each other up on the basic facts of their lives ending with Naomi's most recent adventure: She had sat next to and enjoyed the company of an eligible man aboard the plane on her way to England. They had spent some time together in London.

Mrs. Teabody was thrilled! This was the stuff of novels but Naomi was not so certain about the appropriateness or the future of her relationship with the man from “Down Under.” “You're going to meet him,” she added. “He's coming here” she said pointing to the table where her tea sat growing cold.

“Here? In this tea room? Now?” asked Mrs. Teabody looking about herself.

“No, not here here. I mean here. In Stratford.” And it came to pass she was right.

About a week later Naomi announced that “Gary” - - that man from down under was coming to Stratford where he would be hiring a car and driving off to Wales with Naomi for the day. As Naomi was plagued with the fanciful notion that Gary might be a hatchet murderer or a serial killer, she invited Mrs. Teabody and the Duchess Non along on this sojourn to Wales--a memorable escapade whose memory provides vivid images all these years later. To his credit, Gary made light of being accompanied on his date by two other women. Gary was simply adorable with a huge personality and a list of great credentials as a man, as a human being: handsome, well-educated, clever, fearless, ambitious, well-traveled, game and straight. And to top it off, he was musical and LOVED the theatre. No girl in the world with an ounce of sense would turn down such a thoroughly eligible young man. Naomi's friends reiterated his sterling qualities at every opportunity. A couple days later, Gary returned to Oz and by the first of August all the Shakespeare scholars had pulled up stakes and returned to their respective homes.

Mrs. Teabody, Gary, Nancy in Wales 1989

Perhaps seven or eight months later, Gary returned to the United States and made a little visit here to Mrs. Teabody's hometown where he quickly ingratiated himself to the locals with his wit and bonhomie. Every one of Mrs. Teabody's friends went scrambling to attach him to a daughter, a niece, a granddaughter but here Gary spoke of one woman and one woman only. He nattered on endlessly about Naomi. After one or two days of listening to "Naomi this" and "Naomi that," Mrs. Teabody sagely advised that it was fruitless  for Gary to pour his feelings into Mrs. Teabody's ears when Naomi should be the one hearing her virtues praised thus. In far less time than it takes Donald Trump to act like an intelligent life form, Gary was booking a flight and wending his way to New Orleans where Naomi could hear firsthand all the lovely thoughts this gentleman held for her.

Naomi was (eventually) persuaded to leave her career, her friends, her family, and the only life she ever knew behind and strike out a new life in "OZ." With Gary.  A happy, happy decision.

There was a lovely reunion of the four friends in NYC in the mid 1990's and soon afterwards the Kirbys had an announcement. The addition of their lovely daughter Rachel made them a full-fledged family. 

Two years ago, the Teabodys were fortunate enough to spend a very short span of time with the Kirbys when they visited New York for a whirlwind theatre tour as their daughter-- now a TEENAGER!--  is as keen on theatre as her parents. The Kirbys today are  a busy, busy, globe-trotting family who have visited half the world already. They spent part of their recent holiday on yet another trip to England where their romance  first budded  and Mrs. Teabody is always thrilled to hear the latest installment in their exciting life.

Perhaps in these fear-filled days it is hard to imagine that two complete strangers could meet as seat mates on an international flight and be able to break down all those barriers one puts in place to protect the human heart. Mrs. Teabody believes Gary and Naomi were fated to be together, and she loves thinking about the Kirbys of Oz and the life they have made together.