Aggie didn’t realize it, but the use of the pronoun “we” was very comforting. “You’re not trying to tell me not to count on you for help?”
“Of course, I’ll help. Uncle Zeke, my cousins, my uncles-- we’ll all help if you’ll let us. We’re family, Aggie.” At the odd look on her face, he rephrased. “No, you’re not a Sullivan or a Tesdall, but we’re all Christians, and for us, that means we help just as if you were my sister and Laird was my brother. We’re here to help, if you want us, no matter what.”
For the first time in a long time, her spirit was at peace. She wasn’t alone in this daunting journey of hers. She had the Lord on her side; she had friends. Everything was going to be just fine. She just knew it. “Thank you.” She wanted to show her full appreciation but didn’t know how. Instead, she decided to invite him to stay for Kenzie’s party. “Hey, if you want to be family, you need to join in family festivities. We’re about to have a semi-impromptu birthday party. Would you like to join us?”
With a face full of regret, Luke tried to demur. “I’m filthy, I don’t have a gift, and--”
“Gifts aren’t necessary, I can probably find a generic T-shirt big enough for you, and dinner will be filling, if not exciting, and if I can find that box of potatoes. What did I do with those things anyway?”
Tina says: Aggie?? You around??
Tina says: Aggie…….. where areeeeeeeee youuuu?????
Tina says: Ding ding?? I saw you sign in…
Tina says: Woooooohooooooooooo
Aggie says: Back. Sorry. I got on and Ian decided he wanted to change his diaper habits, so I had to change him.
Tina says: Tee hee…
Aggie says: Easy for you to say… you don’t smell him! Toxic waste dump. I call him Chernobyl on really bad ones. Think I’ll warp his psyche?
Tina says: In that house, if that’s the worst that happens to him he’ll be fine.
Aggie says: “If that ain’t the truth,” as Granny would say…
Tina says: So, what chaos are you in the midst of this week?
Aggie says: Well, actually no chaos to speak of. Just the baby called 9-1-1, the electricity was wired backwards, we’re working night and day to get Vannie’s room done, and oh yeah, Luke thinks Vannie is starved for male attention. Oh… and I forgot Kenzie’s birthday. Not bad for a week’s work, huh?
Tina says: Wooooaaaahhh. One at a time. Ian did WHAT?
Aggie says: Somehow, he called the sheriff.
Tina says: 9-1-1?
Aggie says: Dunno, your guess is as good as mine.
Tina says: So what happened?
Aggie says: Deputy Markenson showed up. First I chewed him out, because the electricity was messed up, and then he shows up thinking he’s saving the day, only to find a baby chewing on the phone.
Tina says: I’m trying not to laugh here…
Aggie says: Why stop yourself? I’ll be laughing later, I am sure.
Tina says: So what’s up with the electricity?
Aggie says: Well, you see, William talked someone into doing the wiring for a reasonable price. Yep, got it free even. Well, free, after the guy wired my house backwards, so when I turned a light on in one room, it came on in another! Luke says he did a good job putting in the boxes, but he didn’t know how to connect it right.
Tina says: Who’s Luke?
Aggie says: Zeke’s nephew. Remember when I was looking for this place, and Zeke said his nephew really wanted it, but he’d already extended himself?
Tina says: So… what’s he like?
Aggie says: Well… he is really helpful. Knows lots about kids. He has Vannie’s room almost done.
Tina says: Details girl!!! Age, appearance… I want the works!
Aggie says: Hmmm, I am guessing here. I haven’t paid that much attention. He’s kind of average, umm probably mid to late twenties. His eyes are kind. That I noticed. He’s a Christian. What are the chances of that? Two Christians in my life right off the bat. I am so thankful.
Tina says: That tells me a lot. :P
Aggie says: Sorry, I’m just so busy that I don’t have time to notice these things. He’ll be around a while, so I’ll try to get a better run down for you later.
Tina says: You better. So what’s this about Vannie and men?
Aggie says: Oh, wait-- he has amazingly strong looking forearms. There. I noticed something.
Aggie says: Vannie hugged Luke today.
Tina says: And that’s significant how?
Aggie says: He told me we have to make sure the girls get enough male attention too. Like I can do that in between keeping Cari out of trouble and getting through to Ellie on her withdrawn days. Oh, and there’s that little matter of us all sleeping in the living and dining rooms because our bedrooms need work. I’ll tack that on at the end of a rough day maybe.
Tina says: I don’t know. Maybe Luke’s uncle would adopt them as a surrogate grandpa?
Aggie says: That’s what Luke said. It was really sweet. He said that we’re all Christians, all family, and he has cousins, uncles, and they’d all help. I think I’ll see if Dad can come up for a week too.
Tina says: That’s a good idea too. And what about Kenzie’s birthday?
Aggie says: Well, we totally missed Kenzie’s birthday. I have never been able to keep the birthdays straight and just assumed that the kids would be talking about them for weeks before hand. Well… she didn’t! Vannie noticed that today was the 14th, or she would have been completely forgotten.
Tina says: Uh oh… well, did she have fun?
Aggie says: She was thrilled. We let her make her own cake and decorate it anyway she wanted and we bought her this HUGE bear. She’s sleeping with the bear, but I swear it’ll knock her onto the floor before the night is over
Tina says: How funny. I’ll have to drop a card into the mail. It’ll make her happy. Well… looks like they’re going to cut us off. Just got one of those maintenance boxes. SEE you soon!
Tina says: Bye.
Aggie says: Thanks, Tina.
Tina says: What for?
Aggie says: For being you.
Tina says: Love you girl, bye.
Aggie says: *Poof*
Chapter 13
One Fine Day
Saturday, June 15th
By eight-thirty, Luke was busy working in Vannie’s room. While Aggie placed the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and ordered everyone to stay away from it, he taped off the trim, taped down the drop cloth, and started cutting in as he prepared for the roller. He’d started to wash the walls, but Aggie pointed to a box of TSP and a scrub bucket in the bathroom and assured him she’d scrubbed it down twice before bedtime the previous night. In her opinion, his prep work took an obscene amount of time; she was itching to get her fingers on a paintbrush and do something constructive in the renovation process. She hadn’t painted anything since her elementary school art classes, but just how hard could it be to paint a windowsill?
An hour later, she still waited. Between trips up and down stairs to check on Luke’s progress, she made beds, washed dishes, bandaged three scrapes, and kissed a bruise. Furthermore, she’d broken up two fights, changed a diaper, and realized that the dishes she’d washed were done without soap, necessitating another run through the sink. She’d accomplished that and more while waiting for Luke to finish a wall for her to start painting. Her clipboard now had a new page.
Kitchen Needs--
2 dishwashers
Sometime around ten-thirty, Luke called for her. She’d held off the baby’s nap in order to be able to put him down the minute she had to go upstairs, so now she handed him his favorite little silky blanket, patted his back, and crept out of the library. The baby’s wail slowly rose from a faint cry to a screeching wail and fell abruptly. After she hurried outside to remind the older children to keep an eye on the twins’ whereabouts, she peeked in on the baby once more before she went upstairs. A soft snore sent her out of the room with a peaceful heart. Ian would sleep throug
h lunch.
To her immense surprise, the “easy” job of painting window trim and baseboards wasn’t nearly as easy or exciting as she’d expected. Luke showed her how to use a guide, make slow steady strokes, and how to load her brush without overloading it. Kneeling next to her on the floor, he dipped, brushed across the bumpy surface of the paint tray, and then holding the trim guide in place, brushed with careful strokes until that incredibly small section was perfect.
Unlike his perfect eight-inch strip, hers was streaked. When she moved the guide, it dripped paint along the area of the wall that he’d just cut in, and the result was a mess. Stricken, she looked up at him with an apology on her lips. Laughing, Luke wiped their trim guides with a rag, and then, using a fresh one, wiped off the paint drip from the wall. “You didn’t expect it to be perfect, did you? You’ll get the hang of it.”
“Yeah, after you have to redo all your work,” she muttered, dipping the brush into the paint tray and trying again. With each swish of the brush and each push of the roller, it seemed as if the filth, grime, and even the stench of the old house were being replaced with a freshness that restored her spirit.
Lunchtime arrived before they expected it, and, once again, Aggie was at a loss as to what to serve. She was used to bagels with a cup of coffee for breakfast, salad for lunch and a simple dinner. The children were accustomed to three squares and two snacks a day, all nutritionally balanced, and with a variety that taught them to appreciate different tastes and textures. On the other hand, Aggie ate what she could procure quickly and didn’t worry about silly things like nutrition and health. It couldn’t happen anymore, and it was up to her to make the change.
Frustration welled as she realized this was at least the third time she’d made that resolution. Every other week, she planned to make more wholesome and nutritious meals, and a week or so later, she found herself pulling out pot pies, frozen pizzas, frozen burritos, and canned ravioli. Again. It had to stop, but regardless of her brilliant system for meals, she felt helpless to implement it.
Luke sensed her hesitation and began pulling out sandwich fixings and one of the watermelons she had purchased. Upon cutting open the melon, Luke sent it to the trashcan via Laird, carried another one to the counter, and knocked on it. Aggie was confused at his actions, but when she saw his smile before cutting open the second one, she knew that there must be a secret to good watermelons.
“Luke, what was wrong with the other one?”
Seconds ticked by into a minute as Luke continued to cut. It took every ounce of Aggie’s self-control not to scream, “Just answer! This isn’t a trick question! I did not ask for a dissertation on quantum physics!” Instead, she reached into the freezer and pulled out a roll of ground beef.
“Well, Aggie, it was over-ripe. Actually, I think it was on its way to fermentation. Or, maybe it was already Watermelon Wine. So, unless you want to be hauled in for intoxicating a minor, I think we’ll just leave it where it is.”
“I don’t get you. You brought juice yesterday and today instead of Kool-Aid. If I hadn’t heard Allie complaining about the stuff at Mom’s a few times, I would have loaded the kids up on that colored sugar-water without thinking twice. Kids drink Kool-Aid, right? You also look as comfortable in this kitchen as you do up there with your tools and paint.” She was determined to ascertain exactly how Luke seemed more at home doing her job than she was. Meanwhile, she started slapping mayo and mustard on bread as quickly as she could. “Most of the guys I know wouldn’t have had a clue.”
“Well, I have four sisters, and Mom kept us equally busy with every aspect of housework. She told me one day I’d have to keep things running for a pregnant wife, and she was going to make sure that I knew how to do it.” Luke paused and chuckled. “My sister says that she’s sending Scott to stay with Mom for three months before she gets pregnant again. That poor guy is worthless in the kitchen.”
Aggie giggled nervously. At Luke’s raised eyebrow she confessed quite sheepishly, “Well, I can’t make anything that requires more than one or two ingredients. And even then, I’ve really never tried that often. Boxes and frozen and I get along very well.” She was obviously embarrassed at her lack of homemaking experience.
Luke looked thoughtful and then replied, “Let’s start with what we have in here, ok?” Without waiting for agreement, he opened the freezer and continued. “Well, you have chicken chests and lemon pepper. Do you know if you have any rice?” Aggie shook her head and chuckled.
“Chicken chests?” she queried incredulously. Luke grinned and replied, “Well, you see, my mother always said that it was less intimate to call them chicken chests, and since the poor chicken was already plucked and stripped, the least we could do is give him the dignity of a less embarrassing name.” Aggie’s laughter could be heard across the street. It was a pity that Mrs. Dyke was indoors baking snickerdoodles for William. The curious neighbor needed more fodder for her next gossip fest with the quilt guild.
Luke tried again, “Noodles? Chips? Something?” Aggie shook her head again, and this time a look of defeat lingered around her eyes.
He opened and closed cupboards, taking stock of what was in the house. Picking up a stray crayon and one of the envelopes that Aggie had emptied from the previous day’s mail, Luke began a list of what he thought needed to be bought. “You have great main ingredients, you just need fillers. Rice, beans, noodles, potatoes, oats, and things like that. You bought spaghetti sauce, but it’s kind of hard to eat without something to put it on.” The twinkle in his eyes took away the sting that might come if he’d truly tried to mock her. When she protested that she’d just spent over eight hundred dollars on food, Luke assured her that with another sixty dollars or so, there would be enough food to last more than a month, barring milk, bread, and fresh fruits and veggies. Aggie’s relief left her speechless, until he was finally able to persuade her to admit that she assumed she’d be spending that much every week or two!
By four o’clock that afternoon, the first coat of urethane was drying. The baby gate was installed in the doorway of Vannie’s room, and the young girl leaned against it while looking at the lovely effect of robin’s egg blue, apple green and ivory. Aggie eased next to the girl and said, “Your colors turned out so pretty. With that green on the shelves, and curtains at the window, this will be a room to dream wonderful dreams in.”
Vannie smiled and looked wistful. “I’ve always wanted dotted Swiss curtains. Do you think we can find some anywhere? Momma tried every store and catalog, but she always thought they were too expensive on the rare times she found them.” The longing in the girl’s voice was evident, even to Luke, who was washing up his brushes in the bathroom.
Calling from his brush-washing, Luke said, “You know Vannie, I could look on eBay and see if maybe someone has some old ones that they are trying to get rid of. That’s a standard window size.” Her answering smile was lovely. “I’ll look tonight after I take Meggie for her walk.”
Sunday, June 16th
Aggie’s clan filled a back pew, and Aggie had her hands full just trying to keep everyone quiet. By the end of the service, Aggie sorely missed the less formal service in Rockland. She debated making the weekly trek to the other congregation but knew that a local church family would be important.
The people were welcoming and friendly. More than one person asked if they were “all hers.” Aggie couldn’t wait until her family was no longer a novelty and could just be another family who happened to have a few more people than most. Aggie graciously refused half a dozen invitations to dinner knowing that there was no way someone was really prepared to feed all of them.
Ellie asked if they could buy lunch somewhere and walk over to the park to eat. Aggie, with no regard for how quickly Ian would become heavy, readily agreed. With every child carrying a bag of something, Aggie and the children almost ran to the park.
“Aunt Aggie, may I go play now?” Kenzie’s little face was covered in lunch, but Aggie had, unfortunately
, forgotten to buy napkins.
“Go to the drinking fountain first, and try to wash your face. Try to keep the food from getting in the little basin though!” Aggie ended up calling out her instructions as the excited girl ran for the water.
Time passed slowly, as though too lazy to keep up with the day. After several minutes laying on Aggie’s chest as she swung gently in the swing, Ian drifted to sleep. She shrugged awkwardly out of the bolero she wore to cover her sundress and dropped it on the grass. While not as convenient as a blanket, and sure to be covered in grass stains before the afternoon was over, the jacket protected the baby’s face from the prickliness of the grass blades. He slept soundly, for which Aggie was grateful. The children were having much too much fun to drag them all away for Ian’s nap.
Aggie watched her little clan play all the games that she and Tina had played over the years. Freeze Tag, Hide and Seek, Mother May I-- all the games that punctuate childhood rang out across the grass and through the trees. When the twins grew tired, Laird ran to the van to retrieve a blanket he remembered seeing that morning. While the younger children slept, Aggie played every game she could remember, and even taught them a few that they didn’t know. It seemed to her that they were healing. Routines were developing into a new norm for all of them. It was going to be all right.
* * *
Meg Reese watched as William drove away from the church, trying to hide her amusement with his interest in the latest residents of Brant’s Corners. As she watched Aggie and her children walk towards the park carrying hot dogs and sodas, Meg saw William’s car make a U-turn and follow them. She knew it wasn’t any of her business, knew she should mind her own, but she ignored her conscience and followed William.
An hour later, Meg’s stomach growled, demanding lunch, but William hadn’t moved from his spot under a large maple tree. She bought two hot dogs from the nearby stand and loaded one with William’s favorite condiments. Taking a deep breath and praying for divine protection from the wrath of Markenson, Meg walked over to William’s car and opened the passenger side door, sliding into the passenger’s seat. “Here, eat.”
Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) Page 19
