Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Caro tells Sidda the story of what happened to Vivi in the spring of 1963. Vivi became involved with a priest; he sent her to a doctor who put her on a dangerous drug called Dexamyl. Vivi began to have hallucinations and delusions. She went on a “retreat” with the priest and several other people, and when she returned, she was convinced her children were possessed. She beat them violently with Shep’s belt until they were bleeding, leaving emotional scars that would last all their lives. Willetta showed up and took the children away, and Caro arrived soon after. She attempted to take care of Vivi, who was in total shock, shaking, and unable to move, eat, or speak. Shep arrived soon after and tried to feed Vivi, but the food just fell from her mouth. Vivi was taken to the psychiatric hospital and stayed there for several weeks. When she came back home, she refused to talk about what had happened. Several years later, Vivi asked Caro to tell her in detail what she had done to her children, and Caro did, but she never judged Vivi. Caro reminds Sidda that she has “Ya-Ya blood” (305), which comes with both good and bad, and Sidda embraces her mother’s friends.

The next day, Sidda awakes to the sound of Connor whistling. Seeing him again is like seeing him for the first time, and the two passionately make love after Connor has a chance to meet the Ya-Yas. Afterward, Sidda goes back to the scrapbook and thinks about when her mother returned from the hospital. She felt both utterly relieved and angry at Vivi. Sidda and Connor look at a picture of the four Ya-Yas, all pregnant, all holding drinks and cigarettes except for Necie. Connor points out that there is a vibrancy in the women, and Sidda sees a sense of ease. Sidda and Connor go for a cold swim in the lake underneath the moonlight, and on the way back to the cabin, the moon shines on the key that Sidda found. Suddenly, she remembers what it was for.

Sidda’s key, which came from Vivi with the scrapbook, was from a very important day in Sidda’s childhood. Sidda and her family went to meet “Lawanda the Magnificent” (316), an elephant who was appearing at the new shopping mall and giving rides to those brave enough to climb onto her back. The key used to be attached to an elephant keychain that indicated Sidda’s spot in line for the elephant ride. When her turn arrived, Vivi climbed onto the elephant’s back with Sidda’s siblings, but Sidda froze with fear. She envisioned her family being flung off the massive animal and trampled, and she watched as they rode without her.

When they all got home, Sidda burst into tears, filled with regret. She realized she wanted to ride the elephant after all, and she wasn’t sure how she could cope with missing such an opportunity. Sidda’s mother drove her all the way back to the mall and traded a gas credit for cash with a lady in order to pay for the elephant ride. Although Sidda and Vivi only rode around the parking lot, Vivi turned the moment into an adventure, narrating a ride through the jungle. Thinking of this memory makes Sidda smile and feel a different sense of gratitude. She realizes she and her mother are connected across time and distance, just like elephants. Finally, she feels grateful, satisfied, and unafraid of her future.

The next morning, Connor and Sidda have breakfast and enjoy a romantic morning. Sidda hints at the idea of going back home for her mother’s birthday, and Connor is thrilled with the idea.

Sidda writes to Vivi and thanks her for the day with Lawanda and the courage it gave her to face her fears. She asks if she is welcome to come for the birthday and Vivi is noncommittal, which gives Sidda the opening she needs. Sidda takes several pictures of the scrapbook before closing it up and preparing to give it back to Vivi. After a rough trip, Sidda and Connor make it to Louisiana and drive up to Vivi and Shep’s home, where they can see Vivi inside. Sidda is nervous but honks her horn; Vivi comes outside, shocked and happy to see her daughter. She and Sidda hug, and then Vivi marvels over Connor, whom she is meeting for the first time. Shep gives Sidda a tender welcome before heading off to bed, and then Sidda greets all her siblings, nieces, and nephews. She feels like she is truly home again.

Afterward, Vivi gets Sidda some food and they sit on the swing together. They compliment each other’s appearance and Vivi tells Sidda how Shep recently planted 300 acres of sunflowers for the sheer beauty of it. Sidda returns the scrapbook back to Vivi, and Vivi insists that it was her daughter she wanted back, not the book. Sidda and Vivi stare up into the dark sky, and Sidda thinks about how she need not fully understand her mother, or her fiancé; she need only love them in the way she knows how. Vivi and Sidda’s hands touch, and they see how they are alike, though they never acknowledged it before. Vivi gifts Sidda the ring from her 16th birthday, and Sidda gifts Vivi an antique lachrymatory—a small vial for collecting tears and sharing grief with a loved one. Sidda’s tears are already inside it, and Vivi is so moved that she begins to cry. She hops up and down in an attempt to shake her tears into the vial. Sidda begins hopping and crying with her, and together they perform their own special Ya-Ya ritual.

Sidda and Connor check into a home from the 1800s that has been turned into a hotel, where the garden is filled with flowers. Many of the flowers were originally seeds gifted to the owner by Sidda’s grandmother. Sidda and Connor make love and then Sidda goes out into the garden, naked. She takes some water from the pond and drips it onto herself, telling herself she is forgiven. The next day, Sidda announces that she will marry Connor after all.

Sidda and Connor are married on October 25th in Shep’s sunflower field, surrounded by their friends and family. Afterward, the Ya-Yas sing a song for Sidda—a dedication of Vivi’s longing to be with her daughter again. Shep wishes his daughter a happy marriage and Vivi inspires everyone to dance together in celebration. In the sky, the Holy Lady watches down over everyone from her perch on the moon. She smiles, happy that her “imperfect children” can enjoy a perfect night (356). Sidda no longer feels the need to understand everything; instead she allows that void to be filled with love.