Man’s Cancer Tearing Apart His Family
Yvette Rucker’s abrupt reversal in fortune would have sent a weaker woman into a tailspin. But Yvette’s coffee-dark eyes reflect no self-pity.
“I don’t know why I opened the deli or why I’m in Coeur d’Alene,” she says. “But I know there’s a reason and it will be revealed to me.”
Yvette, who’s 39, opened Coeur d’Alene’s Fourth Street Deli last fall. She hadn’t worked outside the home for the 11 years she’d been raising children. But her husband, Tom, prodded her last summer to open her own business.
His environmental consulting career had reached a crossroad. He was 47 and pined to lead hunting trips through the wilderness. So he bought an outfitting business near Orofino.
Yvette had restaurant experience and a knack for cooking, so she decided to open a deli. She found the perfect spot in Coeur d’Alene, believing her husband would spend some weekends and his off-seasons with her.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” she says, allowing a small sigh to escape.
As hunting season opened, doctors found a malignant tumor on Tom’s pancreas. Sick and facing only six months of life, the former Green Beret abandoned family and friends for his remote hideaway.
He visited Yvette a last time at Thanksgiving. Last month, he filed for divorce.
“In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d be sitting in a business of my own with totally no support for the children,” Yvette says, her eyes resting on the inviting homemade cinnamon rolls in her pastry case.
She’s cried, for her husband, herself and her children. She’s found comfort from her church. And she’s hired a lawyer.
She put her house up for sale last week. The deli supports itself, but not her and the kids. She says she’ll have to find a job beyond the deli to keep her family going. She’s started selling her household items.
“The last time I talked to him, I asked if I could come see him when he’s on his deathbed, and he said yeah,” Yvette says. She’s accepted her current role, but won’t give up hope that her husband will return to his family.
“I still think he has a chance to change.”
The older the better
Look in the attic trunks, basement boxes and bedroom drawers you haven’t searched for years. If you find any old photographs of Post Falls, the Post Falls Historical Society wants to copy them.
The pictures are even better if you know who’s in them, when they were taken and what’s happening.
Don’t groan. Admit how much you like to look at old pictures of your favorite places or people you know. Future generations want the same chance. Call Kim Brown at 773-4681 with your treasures.
Humble pie
Apparently, kids at Coeur d’Alene’s Lakes Middle School took no pleasure in the fact that I recently left there deflated after a mentoring experience. Instead, they worried that other adults would read about my disgrace under seventh-grade pressure and decide not to be mentors, says teacher Michelle Judy.
Oh, if they only knew that scores of people admire anyone who can humble a reporter. My guess is that adults will ask Michelle if her students are available to mentor them. …
Revved up retirement
Some of the busiest people I know are retired from long careers. They travel, volunteer, give themselves entirely to their hobbies, develop talents they never knew they had. People just don’t slow down anymore at 65.
What did retirement give you time to do? Who’s the busiest retiree you know? Share your golden years tales with Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene 83814; fax to 765-7149; or call 765-7128.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo