Family Portraits

by JoAnn Aitken

  In spite of his wealth and success, he missed his wife and worried about his daughter. Barbara seemed to be growing further and further away from him. He tried to talk to her but was coolly rebuffed. In an effort to please her, he bought her a shiny new car for her sixteenth birthday. The gift was an enormous success, but then he hardly saw her at all. What she was up to, he could only imagine with deep foreboding.

  As soon as Barbara laid eyes on the new mechanic at her family’s Canadian Tire Store, she knew she must have him. She often dropped by the garage with mysterious car problems. She appeared at the coffee shop where he ate his lunch. She was not subtle.

  At closing time one evening, she arrived at the garage and said she needed to talk to him. They moved to the back of the bay, and she slipped off her coat. She was naked underneath, and he took her on the back seat of a car that was waiting for service in the morning.

  They began to meet regularly and had hot sex in all kinds of places. Dave knew this wasn’t wise, but he couldn’t resist a sixteen-year-old who was ready for anything. Barbara was crazy with what she thought must be love.

  When, according to her plan, she became pregnant, she coaxed Dave to marry her. They would live in the mansion, and her father and brother would surely give him a major promotion once he was in the family. Dave was smart enough to be skeptical, but he had seen her work her father, and he was sorely tempted. At the very least, he figured, the old man might pay him to get out of town.

  Nicholas reacted with quiet rage at the news. He signed the permission document, but before he slid it across his desk, he demanded Barbara surrender her house and car keys. Right then, Dave knew he’d made a big mistake. Now he would be living with a self-centered little bitch in his tiny apartment, no mansion, no elaborate wedding gifts, and no promotion. He’d been had, and he was furious.

  Barbara considered it to be merely a small setback. She swore to Dave that her father would relent really soon and they would be back on track with the mansion, etc. It didn’t happen.

  As her pregnancy advanced, she spent more and more time alone. Dave had resumed his affair with a waitress at a bar on the highway. Sometimes he didn’t come home at all. When he did, he was usually drunk and abusive.

  Since she didn’t go to school anymore, no one saw the bruises or knew of her plight. She was certain that her father would take her back, but her pride stood in the way. She hoped that Dave would turn around when their child was born. He didn’t.

  Now she was alone with David Murray Johnson. She had no experience with babies but muddled along as best she could. She came to love the little guy and extended herself for him more than she had ever done for anyone before. Dave, who was rarely at home, didn’t care one way or another about the baby as long as he was quiet.

  Besides drinking heavily and running with women, Dave had a scam going at work. He was turning back odometers for customers who were about to sell their cars. It brought him some additional funds, but it wasn’t a shrewd move. He was bound to be caught, and before long, he was.

  Dave was sentenced to two years in jail, leaving a pregnant Barbara with her nine-month-old child. She was only a couple of months along, so she took a job waiting tables in the diner under their apartment. Needless to say, she wasn’t much of a waitress, but the diner’s owner was a third or fourth cousin, so she gave her a chance. On the plus side, Barbara learned that she was able to perform really well when her back was to the wall.

  There was a new man in town, opening a John Deere franchise. Michael Campbell was from a John Deere family in New Brunswick. He was an amiable young man and a gentleman.

  Nicholas Murray had made his acquaintance and invited him to join the Chamber of Commerce. Michael impressed him as a go-getter, and Nicholas was pleased to help him any way he could with his fledgling business. The future was looking good for Michael Campbell.

  Down the street from his store, in the diner where he bought coffee and his lunch, Michael met Barbara. Her waitressing skills had greatly improved, and she had a winning personality when she felt like turning it on. Since tips were important, she was always on her “A” game at work and got on well with the customers.

  The regular customers were townsfolk who had known her all her life. They knew her background and the scandals. At first, they thought it was funny to see her brought so low, but soon that was old news and they admired her for coping with her new reality.

  Michael Campbell was enchanted. He made a point of coming in for coffee at off hours so he could talk to her. He had heard the stories, and he knew that she was pregnant, but he couldn’t stay away. He tried, but he just couldn’t resist.

  Barbara had changed a lot, and she honestly didn’t mean to lead Michael on. But she was lonely, and she enjoyed talking to him, a new person with a different perspective. She didn’t realize how he felt about her. She considered herself to be something of a joke in town, her personal business common knowledge, and she was increasingly pregnant, just to ice the cake of her disgrace.

  One afternoon, on her day off, she was struggling with the stroller carrying a tired and cranky David up the stairs to her apartment. One of the wheels came off, and she wanted to weep with despair. Michael Campbell came along; it was time for coffee. And he took the matter in hand.

  Once inside, she said that she would prepare a thank-you coffee herself if he could wait while she put David down for a nap. Oh, yes, he could, with pleasure.

  The world was spinning very fast that afternoon, and Michael made love to her. She had never had such an experience. He used words like “cherish” and “forever,” and they were both overcome. It was exhilarating and terrifying, but Michael swore that he would make everything perfect for her and her children. He called them “our children.”

  And he did. He talked to Barbara’s father and asked for his blessing and help. After his initial shock, Nicholas offered both.

  The first order of business was to get rid of that Dave. Nicholas’ lawyer was engaged to craft a deal too good for Dave to resist. Nicholas offered him more money than he had ever dreamed of.

  Dave wasn’t interested in Barbara or the children. He would agree to the quickest divorce possible, admitting to adultery and relinquishing all rights to the children. He would never set foot in the town again. Dave considered those conditions to be no problem at all, and he signed the documents with a flourish.

  He felt himself the beneficiary of a miracle. He was in such good spirits that he even reflected fondly on the outstanding sex he had enjoyed with Barbara. The annoyance of his marriage to her and the inconvenience of his incarceration seemed like trifles compared to his upcoming happy payday.

  The quickest divorce possible in those days took a long time, more than a year. It involved notifications in local newspapers which included details about the marriage, and reasons for its demise. The notifications were to run for six months. It was a humiliating process.

  In the meantime, Nicholas invited Barbara and Michael to move to Maple Lane. He figured that there had already been so much disgrace and embarrassment that they should just hold up their heads and enjoy their time together. He had never forgotten his deep sorrow when his wife passed away far too soon, and he believed that the young couple should enjoy their happiness while they could.

  And happy they were. Barbara saw the beautiful home through new eyes, a comfortable corner at every turn. It was warm and cozy, and there were no diner smells. She did everything she could to make up to her father for her past selfish and disrespectful behavior, and he was a happy man. He greatly liked Michael and loved his grandson, David Murray. To hell with the town gossip!

  Nicholas Michael was born into an adoring family. Barbara and Michael’s daughter Emma Lise followed in ten months. She and little Nicholas were like twins, and Barbara nursed them together. Michael called her the Earth Mother. He adored her and thanked God every day that he had found her.

  At last they were married, and Michael had a wonderful house built on th
e river, close to Maple Lane, for their growing family. Two years after Emma came Barbara Katharine, Kathy, and, three years later, Caroline.

  Often an ordinary meal seemed like Thanksgiving to Barbara. She would look around the table at serious David, big-hearted Nicholas ever near sweet Emma, bright, busy Kathy, the group leader, the strongest personality, and little Caroline, everyone’s pet, her grandpa’s “Puppy.”

  And at the opposite end was her knight in shining armor: her Michael.

  If only it could stay like this forever, Barbara thought. Sadly, life’s not like that.

  In 1973, Nicholas was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Barbara was beside herself, but he was calm and accepting. He told her to try to be happy for him because soon he would see his beloved Elizabeth again. Barbara arranged for him to stay at home with round-the-clock nursing. She spent a great deal of time with him, trying to present as cheerful a face as possible.

  At Nicholas’ direction, Michael sold their house. Maple Lane and half the farm were part of Barbara’s inheritance. The family moved in with mixed emotions.

  In November, a member of Michael’s family in New Brunswick passed away. Michael asked Barbara to come with him to the funeral, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave her father. “Please come home as soon as you can,” she begged Michael. “You know I can’t bear it when you’re not here.” He promised to only be away one day and two nights.

  In the afternoon after the wake, Michael and his brothers went snowmobiling. There was an accident, and Michael was killed.

  Barbara’s brother Lorne was the one to deliver the news and help with the funeral arrangements. She was in shock, walking in a fog. Her children surrounded her. She saw their heartbreak, but she wasn’t able to do anything but hold on to Caroline who was only eleven years only.

  Her elder brother, Nicholas, flew in from Edmonton, bringing along his family. He suggested that his daughter, Shyla, remain behind to help with the children and the care of his father who was shattered by Michael’s loss.

  In actuality, Nicholas was ridding himself of a problem by foisting it onto Barbara. Shyla was the child of his second marriage, spoiled and out-of-control throughout the course of her nineteen years. She had brought her father and mother endless worries and deep humiliation. From the time she was fourteen, she had slept with any man who paid attention to her. And she usually profited from it. Men loved to give her gifts.

  Nicholas and his wife were far beyond their wits’ end and didn’t know what to do. They actually tried to give her money to go away, but she refused. Why would she leave such an easy situation?

  This opportunity, however, was another matter. Living far away from her parents with Barbara, who appeared to be easily manipulated, looked very good indeed. All she had to do was act like a good person until the funeral was over and everyone had cleared out. The old man was well looked after by professionals, so there was nothing for her to do except suit herself.

  Shyla was cunning and kept a low profile. Barbara was so distracted she gave her little mind. Nobody remembered the old saying that the devil often disguises himself as a beautiful woman.

  In January, the old man died, Barbara at his side. His last words to her were, “Be happy for me. Elizabeth is here,” and he smiled. It was the end for Barbara who was sedated and remained in her room for weeks.

  Shyla’s time had come. She went out late at night to the bars on the highway. Sometimes she didn’t come home until dawn, and she stayed in bed until early afternoon.

  Basically, the kids had nowhere to turn. Shyla was a force to be reckoned with. Their mother was completely incapacitated, and their uncle Lorne was a weak, self-interested man who couldn’t handle any unpleasantness.

  By March, Shyla was bored with the local scene. Word was starting to spread about her, and she thought it would be a good time for Barbara and her to go on a vacation. She convinced her father of this during a phone call, and he sent money. He did agree that Barbara could use a break.

  It wasn’t easy to convince Barbara, who didn’t want to leave her room, but Shyla always prevailed, and they headed off to Jamaica for two weeks.

  When they arrived at the resort, Barbara was startled to see that everyone was naked. Shyla had neglected to tell her that this was a nudist resort. Barbara hid in their villa while Shyla checked everything out.

  Shyla decided that they needed massages to relieve their stress. The masseuse had been coached by Shyla, and he got Barbara quite altered on really delicious drinks called Banana Dreams. Barbara wasn’t used to alcohol, and the drinks, especially the drug he had added to them, put her into another dimension.

  He gave her a full-body massage and then fucked her royally. As Barbara floated off afterwards, it was Shyla’s turn, and she considered the afternoon to be a great success. Lesson learned: a good time was possible as long as Barbara was wasted.

  “Wasted” was the operative word. They drank copious amounts of alcohol, smoked ounces of weed, dropped mescaline, and snorted grams of cocaine. They had sex with dozens of men. Everything was cool as long as Barbara never sobered up.

  When they got home, they slept for a couple of days. Barbara was horrified when she remembered at least some of what had happened. Shyla soothed her with a few drinks and took her out to the highway. Now the descent to hell had truly begun.

  Gossip spread throughout the town. The children were embarrassed at school by the looks and whispers of their classmates. At home, they spent most of their time locked in their rooms since Shyla enjoyed inviting men to visit. It was frightening, and the sights they inadvertently saw were disgusting.

  David went to live with his long-time girlfriend’s parents. He planned to work the summer at the store, and he was going away to university in the fall. He was counting the days.

  The others weren’t so lucky, and Kathy applied to a Catholic residential school a couple of hours’ drive away for the coming school year. She implored her sisters to come with her. Emma refused to leave Nicholas, and Caroline, who no longer talked, was too scared. Kathy held her in her arms and tried to coax her, but the poor little child just trembled like a frightened poodle.

  Nicholas wasn’t going anywhere without Emma, so Kathy recognized that she was on her own. She had learned that she could get things accomplished if she woke Barbara up early, talked fast, and shoved pen and paper in front of her.

  She was only fourteen but smart and resourceful. She was accepted into Mount Mary Immaculate for Grade Eleven and got a good piece of money for her expenses using her early morning technique.

  All the children had to do now was make it through the coming summer. Knowing what was coming, Kathy talked to her uncle Lorne, urging him to call his brother Nicholas and have Shyla removed from the farm. “Oh, I don’t want to upset him. He’s such a busy man,” the coward responded. He was completely intimidated by Shyla.

  “How does he run his business?” Kathy asked David. “There must be all kinds of difficult situations all the time.”

  “He has ‘enforcers,’” replied her brother.

  As it became summer, things improved slightly when Shyla and Barbara opened the family cottage in Crystal Beach and moved the endless party there. Unfortunately, Shyla had met up with some bikers, so it was a movable orgy.

  The four children never rested easy. Many nights they all slept in the same room, sleeping lightly, and waiting for the thunder of motorcycles coming up the lane. Then the big lights in the back by the pool would come on, the music would start blasting, and it was on.

  Increasingly, they took refuge on the third floor, one sectioned part of which was accessible through a secret panel, an act of whimsy by their great-great-grandfather. They would cower in the dark, listening to heavy footsteps moving around in the house. They were lucky that, so far, nobody had been together enough to take a good look at the big house and figure out exactly how it was configured.

  Sometimes they went to Lorne’s house in the early evening to stay overnight.
Lorne didn’t appreciate the intrusion, but his wife insisted. She was on Kathy’s side and wanted to alert the police as to what was going on. Lorne was adamant that no police would ever be called to Maple Lane.

  One night at the beginning of September, after Kathy had returned to Mount Mary, Nicholas and Emma were hiding in the dark in the secret room on the third floor. Lorne’s wife, Helen, had kept Caroline with them at their house for several nights so, at least, she was safe.

  This night was worse than usual. There were more people in the yard and banging about in the house below. A massive bonfire was ablaze out by the pool. The room was lit by the flames.

  Nicholas and Emma were terrified. She couldn’t stop crying and finally told him about an incident six weeks back. She and Caroline were taken to the cottage by Barbara and Shyla. They didn’t want to go, but Barbara, in a semi-rational moment, insisted that they shouldn’t stay at Maple Lane alone.

  That having been said, the women went off to a local bar, and two men showed up at the cottage looking for them. Seventeen-year-old Emma was raped. Twelve-year-old Caroline was spared. One of the men, in an unbelievable act of decency, insisted that she was just a little kid and stopped his companion.

  Filled with rage and fear, Nicholas held her, kissing her gently. The extraordinary circumstances took them to places they had never been, and later he knew that he had broken the laws of God and man. He was filled with shame and despair and swore to himself that, if they made it through this night, he would put a stop to the nightmare once and for all.

  At last, the bonfire dwindled and people began to leave. The noise died down. As the sky lightened, Nicholas and Emma crept downstairs and exited the house through a basement door which was hidden from sight.

  They made it to Lorne’s house through the wooded area of the property. Lorne and Helen were awake, sitting at the kitchen table. They too had obviously been up all night and looked very much the worse for wear. Caroline had just gone to sleep.

  Nicholas took Lorne on immediately. “I’m driving to Edmonton right away. You won’t help, and it’s obviously no use trying to talk to Uncle Nick on the phone. He’s either going to come here immediately and remove that bitch from our lives or I’m going to come back and kill her myself.”