Walter The Homeless Man

by Tekoa Manning

  New Beginnings

  Chapter 17

  Bradford lightly turned Desiree around to face him, “Now I want you to go shower and get ready. We have a long day to fill.” He pulled her baseball cap down and covered her eyes flirtatiously and gave her a playful shove. He wanted to make all of this go away. “I’ll get the children taken care of, now go on.” He pulled Tabitha out of her chair and sat her on the counter and began washing her face and hands in the sink.

  “Do you sand?” She asked smiling, “I have a sandbox wite out back and we can build castles and make stuff wiff it.” Bradford thought she was the cutest thing he’d seen in a while.

  “Maybe next time,” he smiled and placed her down on the floor, patting her head. “You go play for a while until Mommy gets ready, okay?”

  Tabitha headed in the direction of Josh, and Bradford started making phone calls. He felt more like a man than he had in years; he felt needed. Desiree had given him a sense of being a part of something. He had had his eye on her for a while. The truth was ever since the funeral he knew those feelings weren’t good. It was too soon and her heart needed time to heal. He had always been attracted to needy women, but Desiree wasn’t the same. She was bold, strong, intelligent, and such a caring mother. He wondered if she would ever want more children. He knew he was thinking too far ahead, and he wasn’t even sure of what she truly thought about him. But Bradford had a theory, if you go out on a date with someone, you are automatically trying to see if they are marriage material. He wasn’t being deceitful about their last date. It was about MADD and Desiree speaking on behalf of those who had lost a loved one to drunk driving, but it was also a way for him to get her alone.

  He knew Thomas Friedman, his partner at the firm was divorced, yet content to wine and dine a new beauty every evening. He told Bradford he had been taken so badly by his ex-wife Jenny that he’d never trust another woman, “Nope, no sir, no more alimony for me,” he’d said. “As soon as I feel a tinge of emotion for one, I move on to the next. You can’t trust these women today Brad. They are a whole new breed, leeches that want to suck you dry.” Bradford somehow got a feeling that Desiree was different.

  He sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out his appointment book and began to make calls. He had called the county circuit Judge’s office, but there was nothing on the docket for a Walter Kendal yet. After getting his background check something didn’t seem exactly right. Walter Kendal wasn’t your typical homeless man. This man was sixty-seven years old and had no criminal history, not even a traffic violation. He was an honored veteran of the United States Army and a retired insurance salesman who had worked for the same company for forty years. Married forty-two years to a Ruth Ann Kendal, he had two children, a son, Daniel Lee Kendal and a daughter, Brenda Ann King, both of Barkley Tennessee. Something was wrong here, but what? Bradford called the police department and found the man he was looking for at a local hospital. “Walter Kendal, I’m not so sure about you,” Bradford said aloud as he scratched his head and made a mental note of the charges.

  Desiree yelled from the other room, “Almost ready Bradford, just let me get the children dressed.” She pulled a sweatshirt over Tabitha’s head and helped her step into her fleece pants. After getting both children ready, calling the child psychologist, the vet, and her Grandma back, she assured Bradford she was ready to go.

  “Well, let’s go get Jackie then, okay Josh?” Josh looked up at Bradford and wondered if he could trust him. He seemed nice enough, but why was his mother being so kind to him. He wasn’t sure if he liked that. “Okay,” said Josh, skipping down the hallway. Bradford picked up the handle and lifted Jackie into the back of his jeep. Desiree fumbled with Tabitha’s car seat and carried it to the jeep. They finally got everyone in and were headed to her grandmom’s house.

  Desiree was feeling a little embarrassed that she had let Bradford come over to rescue her. This was something foreign to Desiree. Even after John died, she hadn’t burdened her family or friends. Night after night it was all she could do to pull through without having a breakdown. Desiree never was much on making friends. She was content to spend time with John and the children, Sunday dinners at grandmom’s, and an occasional outing with John’s business partner Allen.

  John and Allen had owned a sports shop that sold mainly items for the local high school. There were jerseys with their team’s logos, football and basketball equipment and uniforms. It was a small town and Allen and his wife Janet had been old friends. Janet was older and her children were already wearing the high school jerseys while Desiree was still busy chasing her children around. Desiree didn’t feel they had much in common, and she had lost touch with her friends from the office after she had Tabitha. It was more economical for her to quit, stay home with the children, and help out at the store than to pay for daycare.

  She wasn’t sure what Bradford could possibly see in a widow raising two children; most men scurried when she told them their ages. Wondering if she would be able to retain her composure throughout the day, she glanced at Bradford. Every time she looked at Josh it was all she could do to not shake him and ask him what that old man had done to him. She knew from reading her child psychology books that this was not the route to take, but she wanted so desperately to know what had gone on. Hopefully, today would bring a relief of some sort. She had checked and double checked his little body for bruising in the tub the day before, but she hadn’t seen anything.

  Bradford asked her for directions from the freeway, and she wondered how her grandmom would react to her bringing a man over. She hadn’t confided in her about Josh, just that someone had broken into her home and had assured her that nothing much was taken and that the predator had been caught. The first appointment she could get for Josh wasn’t until noon. Her trusted psychiatrist who had held them together after the death of John suggested Desiree take Josh to a friend who specialized in this type of counsel. They were going to the veterinarian’s office for starters, and the situation with Josh would have to wait. That darn bird she thought, why in the world did I agree to keep it? She secretly hoped it was sick or not meant to be domesticated.

  Bradford pulled in the driveway and unbuckled Tabitha. Desiree decided that he could meet her grandmom another time and told him she’d just be a minute. She grabbed Tabitha’s bag and opened the front door. “Grandmom, we’re here.” Her grandmom came into the room smiling as always. The lady never ceased to amaze Desiree. She was always positive and always cheerful. She dressed neatly, wore lipstick, made sure she set and rolled her hair each night, and forever had something baking in the oven that filled her home with a savory aroma. “How’s my best girl,” she said as she opened her arms to Tabitha.

  “Bradford is outside and he wought me donuts!”

  “Is that so,” Grandmom raised a curious eye towards Desiree and said, “Bradford Stiltz is outside and you didn’t invite the likes of him in? Now I know I raised my granddaughter with better manners than that!”

  “I know Grandmom, but we have appointments and he’s helping me with errands today.”

  “Well, that doesn’t excuse your manners and, after all, the nice things you’ve said about working with him.” She raised an eyebrow and smiled her gentle smile, “I guess I’ll have to go outside to meet him myself,” and she marched right past Desiree towards the front door with Tabitha on her tail.

  “Well, hello there, you must be Bradford,” she said, as Bradford stepped out of the jeep. “I’m Linda, but everyone just calls me Grandmom.”

  Bradford reached for her hand and said, “I sure have heard a lot of nice things about you, Linda.”

  “Just call me grandmom,” she said smiling and not missing a beat. “Now I’m making a peach cobbler, do you like peach cobbler, Bradford?”

  Bradford smiled and said, “Grandmom, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like peach cobbler!”

  He’d won her heart at that very moment, “Then I’ll expect you to join us later for dinner?”
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br />   Desiree loved her grandmom so much. She was her rock. “Bye grandmom, bye Tabby girl,” she said, kissing the top of Tabitha’s head.

  Grandmom peered into the back seat and waved at Josh, “Hi there Josh, how’s my best boy today?”

  Josh jumped up and tried to get out of his seatbelt, “Grandmom, I got a new bird!”

  “You do,” she said, just as Jackie cooed and hopped around the cage. “Well you sure do and a big bird at that.” Grandmom looked at Desiree and raised her brows, “What is all this about?”

  Desiree raised her shoulders and let them drop as to say, “I haven’t a clue.”

  “Bye bye, Josh!” Grandmom waved and took Tabitha by the hand and led her into the house.

  Desiree felt her cheeks flush. “Josh you weren’t supposed to tell her about Jackie. We don’t know if you can keep her. It was supposed to be a secret.”

  Josh’s heart sank; he missed Walter and their secrets. He missed talking to him about his father. He had never met anyone who had a family member in heaven with his daddy. He sure hoped Walter got better soon and he hoped they could be friends again.

  Escape

  Chapter 18

  Walter heard that he would be released the next day. He had tried to call his daughter again but to no avail. He wanted to call his son, but he just couldn’t muster up the courage to try and explain it all. It would have to start with why he deserted his mother and then move on to breaking and entering, then charges of possible child molestation. Walter would rather rot in a prison cell. He just couldn’t put this on his friends or family, they wouldn’t understand, plus it had been over a year since Walter had spoken to any of them. Even if he could get in touch with his daughter, he could not handle the shame and humiliation he would cause the family. He just knew Daniel’s wife would probably never let him come close to the twins now. Oh, the shame of it all! How had everything gotten so out of control?

  He wished he could go back and do things differently. He wished he could go back and stay till the bitter end, but he just couldn’t bear to see her like that. Ruthie was the one reason he woke up in the morning. Most couples grew comfortable together. He had listened to his buddies at the insurance company as they talked about their old lady or some even referred to their wife as an old nag or hag. Walter just never could use such adjectives when he thought of Ruthie. With each wrinkle and each gray hair, she became more beautiful than the first day they’d met. He enjoyed raising their children, but truth was, he enjoyed watching her take on the role of mother and the excitement in her eyes over each new discovery the children made. She was incredible. Ruthie lit up over it all. Whether it was a first tooth or a first step or even a first word, watching her was the true thrill for Walter. When she stopped breathing he stopped breathing.

  He knew what they did with child molesters, and at his age he didn’t stand a chance. Glancing around the room, he noticed his clothes that had been placed in the plastic bag. The guard in charge today was Officer Don, the red-headed friendly man who never made snide remarks to Walter. He looked at his arm, there was still one drip bag, but thankfully he had been removed from the heart monitor. Walter knew that this officer usually dozed off in between the nurse checking his blood pressure and temperature. Feeling unsure about making it past the nurse’s station, he decided it was worth trying. He had formulated his plan, he figured if he got caught it would be just one more charge against him. What did he have to lose?

  He waited until the nurse left, and then he moved his IV cart to the side and slowly removed the clear adhesive tape from his arm. Easing the needle out gently, he raised his arm up, pressing down firmly until the bleeding stopped. He then tiptoed to the restroom, changed into the suit and dress shoes as quickly as possible, then opened the adjacent bathroom door. The room next to him had an older woman with several monitors hooked up to her. Walter slid over the floor tiles like a cat and peered through the doorway. Two nurses were sitting at the desk conversing and rummaging through papers. It was early morning and the doctors were making their rounds. The hospital was filled with the bustle of food carts and visitors walking down the hallways. There was a dirty laundry hamper by the door filled with soiled items. Walter scurried down the corridor, his heart beating in his eardrum. He turned the corner and pressed the elevator button and waited impatiently for the doors to open. Walter had rehearsed up until the parking lot, then his plan became blurry. He figured he could hitch a ride with someone. His head was still pounding as he walked under the street lights that lined the parking garage. Keeping his head lowered, he continued to make stride clear across the parking lot to the expressway. “Here goes,” he sighed as he held out his thumb and never looked back.

  The Messenger

  Chapter 19

  Desiree and Bradford pulled into the veterinarian’s office and pulled the cage from the rear of the Jeep. There was an elderly gentleman with a Boston terrier on a leash walking and waiting by a tree for him to do his business. They entered the office and signed the registry log. There was a cage full of feisty kittens in the corner peeking in and out of the maze inside. Josh ran to the cage and repeatedly said, “Mom look, look, Mom, can we get one please, please.” His eyes begged and pleaded and his lip puckered.

  “Now Josh, you and I know that cats and birds don’t get along.” Just then Jackie squawked as to say she agreed.

  “Jackie Levite” the receptionist called as if Desiree had already made her a part of the family.

  Bradford picked up the cage and carried Jackie into the room and sat her atop the table. The receptionist looked inside the cage and snarled her nose to imply that she found Jackie to be a dirty pigeon and rather disgusting. “Dr. Waters will be right with you,” she said and shut the door.

  An elegant older lady with white hair piled on top her head greeted them. She wore mosaic rimmed glasses, hanging from a chain around her neck. She smiled at them and introduced herself then she peered into the cage as she opened the wire door. “What an amazing creature,” she said, as she pulled Jackie out of the cage and propped her on top her arm. “I see you got ya a little racehorse of the sky.”

  Desiree had no idea what they had. It just looked like one of the birds she considered a nuisance, one of the birds that liked to defecate on her car at work. But now Dr. Waters had her attention. “We just recently found the bird,” said Desiree. “We were hoping you could help us out with it. We noticed the round tube attached to the leg but weren’t sure how it was used.”

  “Oh that is a holding device, and right over here should be a chip. Hmm, I don’t feel a chip, but today most these birds are fitted with a band that has a tiny RFID chip in it which can be read when the bird comes home. At the home loft, the electronic scanner records the bird’s arrival. Do you know these birds saved hundreds of lives during World War 1, if not thousands? Some even had cameras inserted to photograph the enemy and deliver messages to military planners.” She raised her eyes at Desiree and Bradford, “What do you think about that?” But before they could answer she began giving them, even more, information. “These birds have been studied by the university after university. Scientists believe they can navigate with the earth’s magnetic field and find their way back; others believe they follow the same pattern you would follow in a car. They have been bred to find their way home from extremely long distances. For instance, if you were to release this bird right now it would more than likely return to its home, be it hundreds of miles away. It’s just fascinating. Yes indeed. But of course, if you want to keep the bird that is up to you.” She raised her eyebrows at Desiree, then glanced at Josh who was surprisingly quiet. He knew now if Jackie were released she would go back to wherever Walter had come from. Yes, she would fly all the way to Walter’s home.

  Dr. Waters carried Jackie to the sink and began to turn the faucet on slowly. She placed her finger under the water and splashed some towards the bird. Jackie jumped from her arm to the sink and began to take a bird bath soaking up the water and sp
lashing uncontrollably. “These birds make terrific pets, but she shouldn’t be kept in this cage much. You should let her out to fly around your neighborhood, she shouldn’t run off unless you release her in a manner that will suggest returning to where she’s come from, say an open field setting with arms lifted skyward. Do you have any idea who the owner could be?”

  Josh spoke up in his loud voice, “She belongs to my friend Walter, but he’s sick right now in the hospital.” His eyes were smiling as he watched Jackie enjoy the water and splashing in the sink.

  Desiree’s heart sunk at the mention of his “friend” Walter. She had had enough of Walter and could not wait to get to Dr. Lord’s office and get to the bottom of what had transpired between them. The friendly Dr. Waters turned back to Bradford and Desiree and began to fill them in on how to care for the bird.

  “You may purchase special pellets for Jackie filled with healthy grains, and if the bird becomes inactive or sickly don’t be scared to give her a little Gatorade and of course always fresh water in an area where water is available for her to splash in like she is now. Any other questions?” She placed her arm next to the sink, and Jackie hopped back on and she placed her back into the cage.

  Bradford looked at Desiree and then turned to Dr. Waters, “What kind of shelter should we build for the bird?”

  “Well you have to be careful with that as well, nothing outside that would allow squirrels or raccoons access. But something tall and screened and of course as I have suggested let her fly around the neighborhood a couple times a day.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Waters.”

  Desiree smiled just as the kind older vet opened a cabinet and handed them a bag of bird feed, “There you go, that should last you awhile.” She turned and opened the door to leave. “Good day,” she said and left them with their eyes on Jackie.