Walnut Grove House

by Alexie Aaron

  “Jesse likes his independence,” Cid said picking up the cue, “and since it’s best not to be alone in a place reputed to be haunted, I accepted his invitation.”

  “I thought you were a couple.”

  Cid stopped walking. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Something I overheard. Jesse is buying a two-bedroom house and wants to settle down.”

  “Not with me.”

  “So, you’re still pining for Ted?”

  “No. Ted’s my best friend. He’s married to Mia. She’s very female. I’m not gay, and I’m a bit disturbed with your powers of observation. You were in the Army for cripes’ sake. Did you think all of the men were gay because they bunked together?”

  “No.”

  “Mia has two gay godfathers who are dynamic individuals, which is why I know there is no archetypical gay gentleman, but I’m a bit flustered. If I were gay, why the hell would I pick Jesse as a partner?” Cid shook his head and walked off down the aisle.

  “Well, that put me in my place,” Sally said aloud.

  “Honey, he did walk off in a snit,” commented an old lady who was examining the chili peppers. “If you’re interested in him, I wouldn’t let him get too far away, not with a body like that. There are a lot of us bored, rich, old women who like nothing better than to console a man like that.”

  Sally turned and looked at the seventy-year-old. “I should say shame on you, but I agree with you.”

  Cid was standing in line at the butcher counter when Sally caught up with him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, placing her hand on his arm.

  Cid only just managed to not show what her touching did to him. He looked over at her and shrugged, not trusting his voice.

  “Math isn’t my strong point. I sometimes put one and one together and get eleven. I overheard Carl and you talking. He said something about you and Jesse admitting you were gay for each other.”

  “And I said, ‘Didn’t we do that in Chicago?’” Cid realized. He started laughing.

  “I assumed Ted was Bi because you told me that meeting Ted turned your life around.”

  “And you thought he was my first love,” Cid said. “I lived with him when I lost my job…” Cid sighed. “We do live in an unconventional environment. Usually it’s Ted’s wife who gets the abuse from the gossips. Living with two or more men…”

  “So, there’s more?”

  “Mia’s distant cousin Lazar runs the household. The PEEPs have an office there, and Mia has connections with several impressive males who follow her around town and pick up her children from school when she is away.”

  “Poor girl lives in a sausage fest,” Sally said

  Cid coughed and looked around him.

  “Speaking of. Are the crew bratwurst fans or would they rather have a plain hotdog?”

  “Brats. Pete likes the ones with cheese inside.”

  Sally wrote it down.

  The butcher called out a number still too distant from Cid’s. “You may as well stick around and use my turn,” he said, looking at the group of older women who were standing with tickets behind him.

  “I think they’re here more to observe you than the butcher’s offerings.”

  Cid didn’t understand what she was saying right away, and when he did, he blushed.

  Sally fell in love with Cid in that moment. She would write later in her journal: All the trauma and hell I’ve been through in my life, along with eating my words in front of the butchers in a Whole Foods - somewhere in the Midwest - was worth it to see this handsome man blush. It proved he was unaware of his looks and puzzled by the attention he was getting.

  Sally wanted to ask him the hard questions, the questions you waited to ask when you were months into a relationship. Did it bother him that she was a Norwegian Black American woman? That their children would look different? And that she wanted lots of children? Did he love kids like she did?

  Their number was called, saving her from having to dive into the open freezer chest to cool down.

  Chapter Five

  It took longer to get back to the worksite because Cid needed to avoid the highways for the sake of keeping the refrigerator in the back stable. He didn’t mind. He and Sally talked about anything and everything. It seemed like he had known her for years. She pushed the shoulder strap of the seatbelt behind her, turning so she could pull one leg up and sit staring directly at the side of Cid’s face. Sally didn’t care how she looked because she was so comfortable in her skin.

  “My parents never stayed in one place for too long,” Sally shared. “The number one priority when we paused was to find the library. When we were on the road, my parents never said no when I wanted to stop and buy a book. After, when I was left alone, a book was always there to comfort me.”

  “I ran away from basketball camp after being humiliated by my peers,” Cid confessed. “There I was a fat blind child with no coordination, mortified by my body. I found myself in a library and was guided by a ghost, of all things, away from the comic books - I would normally find solace in - towards literature. I didn’t know I was smart until the hard words started to reside in my head and I wanted to know not only what they meant but what were their origins.”

  “Did you just read boy books?” Sally asked.

  “In the beginning. Remember, I’m still a bullied preteen. I didn’t want to get caught with Nancy Drew in my backpack. As I found my sense of self, I broadened my mind, adding female writers into the mix. I lost the hump in my back, not from exercise but because of the weight of the books in my backpack. The vast quantity of words pulled my shoulders back and released from their prison my emerging self-esteem. Did you read boy books?”

  “Oh yes. In the beginning, I read everything I could get my hands on. Later, Mama Lee and I would discuss AARP magazine and how new laws affected her.”

  Cid chuckled. “She sounds like a wonderful lady.”

  “She was an excellent role model. She let me mourn my parents properly and then insisted I go outside. She homeschooled me until I caught up with the children of my age. I remember Carl coming home on school holidays and quizzing me on the evaluation tests. He really is a softy. Don’t let all that brawn scare you.”

  “My parents tried,” Cid said. “But they had their lives to live and my sister overshadowed me. My father and I bonded early, and he taught me the basics of woodworking. One of my most treasured possessions is a small spirit level he gave me when we constructed my treehouse. Because of my eyesight, I didn’t run around like other kids. I wasn’t shunned but ignored. Once, I managed to find myself in the goalie position at a friendly soccer game in the neighborhood. I took one to the head, and it knocked me out. I think it gave my mother quite a fright. After, I was only allowed to be in supervised team sports. She tried to help me fit in. Unfortunately, she got most of her ideas from my older sister. There I was, more round than tall, spending the summer ditching basketball camp to spend my mornings in the library. My mother’s helicoptering eased when she got a job. I moved into the family chef position, and my sister was given free rein to boss me around. When Ted came into my life, he showed me that I could hold the bad things she was doing over her head, and she stopped bullying me. Although, she was quick to point out any faults I had.”

  “Teenagers can be so cruel to each other,” Sally commiserated.

  “It’s not an age I’d like to repeat. My parents probably were more involved than I remember. They weren’t bad parents. They were just trying to survive like anyone else.”

  “How did they feel when you moved in with Ted?”

  “I really don’t know. I’ve never asked. They’ve never said. Ted claims, until he brought Mia home in the flesh, that his dad assumed he was gay and he and I were a couple.”

  “So, I’m not the first to make this error.”

  “And you won’t be the last. Ted and I are best friends. We have each other’s back. I’m part of his fa
mily as if I were born into it. There was only one moment in our history that I had trouble being his friend, and if it’s alright with you, we’ll save that for our tenth anniversary.”

  Sally flushed.

  “No comment?” Cid teased.

  “I’m fighting a war of trying to let this friendship of ours develop slowly and the overwhelming urge to throw myself bodily at you. There is so much we need to explore. Whatever this is, it’s way too important to be cavalier about.”

  “I’ll never be a rich man, Sally. I’m very slow to make up my mind normally. Today, when I first saw you, I finally understood what Ted was trying to tell me for years.”

  “What was that?”

  “‘When you see her, you’ll know right away.’ Ted waited for Mia to finally see him. He moved so he would be there every time she turned around. But that’s Ted. You’ll understand that when you meet him.”

  “Are you already scheduling a playdate?” Sally asked.

  “Maybe…”

  It was Sally’s turn to laugh. “I take it, if we are to become a couple, I have to impress the Martins and not the Garretts.”

  “They call me their wife.”

  “Now that you’re going to have to explain.”

  “After Ted and Mia married, Mia never asked me to leave or to pay rent. There were no hints or emotional appeals to let her and Ted have the privacy a new couple deserves. I saved and bought the land adjacent to the Martin property and started building my home. Mia insisted that before I put in a driveway that I put in a walk to connect my home to theirs. She’s the one who calls and checks up on me. I have tried to teach her to cook, and aside from being a fabulous baker, she’d rather have me cook the big meals.”

  “So, Mia wedded Ted and Cid. Um, that is going to take some getting used to.”

  “Don’t worry, it doesn’t go beyond the kitchen.”

  “I’m very territorial in my kitchen,” Sally warned.

  “So am I,” Cid said.

  “Tell me about Jessie. How does he fit into your life?” Sally asked.

  “Friends. He recommended me to Kiki Pickles when a job for a finishing carpenter came up. I trust him.”

  “I got a cowboy vibe off him,” Sally admitted.

  “He’s not trying to be nice. He senses that I’m into you, so he’s going to avoid you or be distant because he…”

  “Has your back. You’re a very lucky man, Cid.”

  “To sum things up… I still see myself as a fat blind kid who loves to cook, read, and believes in the paranormal. I have seen things that I still don’t understand. But I have learned on my years on Earth that a good friend is gold, but a wife and family are platinum and worth fighting for.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Garrett. I’m an Army veteran who has PTSD which frequently manifests in an overactive fight or flight response. I fear our country is becoming a place that won’t accept the children I want to bring into it. I’m going to change the world because that’s what heroes do. I just don’t know how to do it yet.”

  Cid pulled the truck off the road. He turned to Sally. “I promise to help you, even if you put me on the just friends list.”

  “I’m not innocent. I’ve had lovers. But I’ve never been in love,” Sally said, locking her blue eyes with Cid’s brown ones.

  “I’m afraid of intimacy because of being ridiculed as a kid. Be gentle with me.”

  Sally melted. She crawled across the seat and into Cid’s lap, put her hands on either side of his face, and drew him in for a kiss. “We’ll take things slow,” she promised him when their lips parted.

  “Not too slow,” Cid said and kissed her again.

  ~

  Carl and Wayne were forced to call it a day at four. Faye sensed the ghosts gathering power and hustled the contractors above ground and then out of the house. Fortunately for them, the two men had a good idea of what they were up against.

  “Kiki, we’ve got measurements and the information we need to precut and prefab,” Wayne reported. “It’s a bitch down there. If it’s not the natural atmosphere eating the light, I fear it’s the ghosts drawing the power away. With your permission, I’d like to have more than Carl and me down there when we are ready to install the pipes and update the furnace and fuses.”

  “Yes, of course,” Kiki said. “I’m depending on you to tell me when we need to abandon ship. I don’t want any of you hurt on my watch. Speaking of watch, how did Faye perform?”

  “Magnificently. She’s a mother hen at times, but I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”

  “Where’s Sally?” Carl asked walking over.

  “I sent her with Cid to pick up a refrigerator and kitchen supplies. I imagine Cid’s got to take the local routes because of the refrigerator in the back.”

  “Cid’s a good guy. Just don’t send her off with Gary or Jesse,” Carl said.

  “I think Sally can handle herself,” Kiki said.

  “I know she can. I was worried about Gary and Jesse,” Carl said and roared with laughter. “Did you know Sally has a black belt in I’m-not-taking-any-shit-from-you?”

  “I bet there are a few stories attached to that,” Wayne said.

  “She was a gentle little thing before the Army,” Carl said. “After…”

  They heard Kiki’s truck pull up, and the three exited the building.

  Cid backed the truck as close as possible to the garage doors. Cid didn’t have to round up the troops to help him. They came out of the carriage house as if on cue. Cid took a back seat and let Kiki and Sally run the show. He was happy he ended up on grocery duty instead of hauling the refrigerator up the stairs duty. After the bags were sorted, he ran down the stairs and over to the trailer. He checked his watch and knew it may be too late to call Ted, but he did anyway.

  “This better be good, we just got the kids to sleep,” Ted growled.

  “I found the one,” Cid said.

  “You’re kidding. Minnie Mouse, Cid’s got a girlfriend.”

  Cid heard Mia wrestle for the phone. The Martins compromised and put it on speaker.

  “Tell us,” Mia pleaded.

  “Her name is Sally Wright and…” Cid spilled his guts.

  The Martins stayed quiet until he was finished. Mia broke their stunned silence. “Lucky her, lucky you,” she said.

  “To quote Ted the first time he met you, Mia, ‘She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to be the mother of my children.’”

  “Whoa,” Mia said. “I’m so happy for you. Now I’m going to be counting the days until we can get back in country.”

  “Take it slow, don’t scare her away. It took me a long time to reel in Mia,” Ted suggested.

  “I’m not a fish,” Mia said. “Don’t treat Sally like a trout, Cid.”

  “Yes, Mia.”

  “If this works out, Ted and I will go into therapy, so don’t worry about us. Your happiness is very important to us.”

  Cid smiled. “I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I had to tell my best friends.”

  “Call anytime,” Mia said.

  “Not anytime,” Ted said.

  Cid heard Mia smack Ted’s shoulder.

  “Ouch. Call anytime,” Ted said.

  “I will. Goodbye, send my love to all.”

  “Will do, goodbye,” Mia said.

  Ted just hung up.

  Jesse entered the trailer carrying Cid’s forgotten groceries and a basil plant. He set the canvas bags down and walked over and felt Cid’s forehead.

  “Hey, leave me alone,” Cid said.

  “I’m just checking to see if you’re sick. You left your stuff in the back of Kiki’s truck.”

  “Oh, sorry. I wanted to call the Martins before it was too late.”

  Jesse smiled. “The call wouldn’t have anything to do with the silly smile Sally has on her face would it?”

  “I let her know that I was very interested in courting her.”

&nb
sp; “Maybe you should give Carl a heads-up too,” Jesse suggested. “That way he’ll stop giving me and Gary the evil eye.”

  “I didn’t think. Honestly, I didn’t think she was interested. Maybe I better go and see him now,” Cid said standing up.

  Jesse looked at his friend. “You’re either a throwback to another age or the most evolved male I’ve met in a long time.”

  “I really don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” Cid admitted. “I’ve wrecked any and all relationships I’ve been in. This is too important. She’s important.” Cid sat back down and put his head in his hands.

  “Wash up, and comb back that Superman curl. I’ll go with you as your second.”

  “We’re not having a duel,” Cid said.

  “Come on.”

  Carl looked at his foster sister and shook his head. “You want to what?”

  “I’d like to date Cid Garrett, and I don’t want you scaring him off,” Sally said.

  “Cid’s a nice guy… Hey, how long has this been going on?”

  “A few hours,” Sally admitted. “I thought he was gay.”

  “How? Oh, we all made that mistake,” Carl realized. “He’s different. Very stable, why would I object?”

  “You have objected to all of my boyfriends.”

  “You were a stupid teenager,” Carl scoffed. “You’re a young woman…”

  “Hardly young,” Sally said.

  “Younger than me,” Carl compromised. “What I’m trying to say is that if you two want to take things slow and keep it out of work, then you have my blessing.”

  Sally smiled and jumped up and down.

  Carl had never seen his battle-worn foster sister act this way. He walked out of the kitchen, through the common room and down into the workroom. There Jesse and Cid stood. “I bet I know what this is about,” Carl said. “You want to date my sister.”

  “Yes, sir, I do,” Cid said. “I want to be upfront that this isn’t just me passing the time. I feel that she and I have a lot in common, and I want your permission to explore this further.”