by K L Finalley
"Then, it's time to open up. It's time to tell her anything and everything. It's time to talk about the five-year plan, relationships, and what you want."
"Yeah, I know."
"That didn't sound convincing. Don't you know what you want?"
"I know what I want."
"Then, why'd you sound like that?"
"I dunno. I've been thinking about what I want a lot. I think about it all the time. When we are driving places or talking to people or hanging out, I think. I'm always thinking about our future together. Then, last night, I realized I never tell her. She doesn't even know, so what if she doesn't want it?"
"Dammit! You've gotta be kidding me. She's out on a limb with her kid waiting on you. She wants it. She thinks you don't."
"But I do. But, what if I get it and one of us don't want it? I mean, what if it doesn't last?"
"What if me and Alex don't last?" Neither of them said anything. Then, Elet said, "'member last night?"
"Yeah." Last night was a blur, but she thought she should agree.
"If it doesn't work out, then we move to Baltimore. We sell it all and just come here. We start over."
"Deal," she said. She remembered that conversation. Lying on her back in bed, replaying the prior night's conversation in her head made her smile. Then, she remembered, "Mallory gets in at two thirty. When does Alex get here?"
"Same time. I bet they're on the same flight. Do you think they know it?"
"Absolutely. They've all talked about us by now. Alex to Olive. Olive to Mallory. Mallory to Paige. Paige to Alex. Alex to Mallory. Olive to Paige."
"Don't forget Jo. She's in there somewhere."
Getting out of bed, she said, "Let's go to the port at one, and then, we'll swing by and pick them up."
"Can you patch things up by dinnertime? Maybe, we can all go out. My treat."
"I hope there's nothing to patch up."
"Oh, you're gonna have some patching and a lot of talking to do. A lot of talkin'. You've been hiding for too long."
"Gees," she said and hung up the phone. She spent the rest of the morning in her room, biting her nails, and trying to plan the biggest conversation of her life.
~~~~~~~~
The Port of Baltimore was only five minutes southeast of the hotel. They could've ridden public transit if they weren't heading to the airport afterward. Getting to the Port was simple, navigating around the Port in search of their terminal proved to be quite the challenge. After half an hour of searching on their own, then another forty-five minutes following the advice of twelve people, they found Dundalk Marine Terminal and the Ports America Packaging. Having called for directions so often, Frank, the Equipment Control Manager, was walking to the truck before Elet turned it off. As they parked and exited the truck, he stopped and waited.
"Thanks for sending us a selfie," Jacqueline said.
"No problem, folks. Glad we gotcha here. Let's go see your baby." Wearing a gray and yellow zippered suit and a yellow hard hat, Frank led them through a maze of containers.
Walking through the rows and rows of containers, Jacqueline felt lost. Left then right then straight then left then right. She wondered if they were lost. "How do you know which one is ours?"
"That's my job," Frank rifled off. From behind, his frame seemed thin, but when he turned to face them, there was a sizable stomach. As he walked ahead of them, Elet wobbled from side to side mocking Frank. Trying to hold her laughter, Jacqueline slapped him on his back.
"Almost there, Frank?" Elet asked after following him for fifteen minutes.
"Right around this corner." When they turned the corner, there was a clearing. In front of them sat half of a container, there was no metal top like all the others. Instead, there was a combination of pulleys and ropes that held a thick, black plastic in place. Frank held his arm out like a mother holding her children in the car when braking, and said, "Hang back a second while my guys open 'er up."
First, the bungees were released. They fell to the ground with such force that tiny pieces of gravel and dust floated into the air. Then, the pulleys were removed. With a clank, they swung down against the sides of the container. Then, one of the men in gray jumpsuits drove over a machine. With a claw on its end, it lifted off the plastic. There, in the maze of containers in the Baltimore port, there was an unveiling. Before they could see wood, they could smell wood. Crafted from koa wood on the Big Island of Hawaii and shipped to Maryland, it smelled of moisture, of soil, of Hawaii. It stood within its structure and radiated in its natural array of colors when fully exposed. The workmen who had unveiled it stopped and stared. They walked around its exterior, stood up against the container, and looked up at the slats overhead.
"Damn it, man. I thought it's was gonna be a two post arch. Four posts tops, but this thing's not an arch at all. This is like a damn gazebo," Elet said.
"More of an arched pergola," Frank corrected.
Concerned, Jacqueline said, "Do you like it?"
"I... love it. I don't know how I could ever..."
"You just did," she said as she blinked away her tears.
"This thing's a gift?" Frank asked.
"Yes, he's my best friend and he and his bride will get married underneath it next month."
"You're a helluva friend," Frank said.
"Not always," she responded.
"How the hell am I gonna get this thing home?" Elet walked toward it for a closer inspection.
Frank and Jacqueline followed. "Don't worry, son. It disassembles. We'll show you how to dissemble and reassemble it. You can do it yourself if you've got some friends. It's not hard." Elet stood next to one of the posts. Jacqueline stood across from him. Each ran their hand along it. It was smooth and cool to the touch. Jacqueline was pointing out the different patterns when Frank spoke. "The spirit of the volcano."
"Excuse me," Jacqueline had not understood him but knew he'd said something.
"Koa wood comes in the largest variety of colors and patterns. This one's called a curly pattern. They say the patterns and the color spectrum exist, because the volcano's spirit is in the tree which, of course, translates into the lumber."
"I like the sound of that," Elet said. As he walked around the structure, the workmen began to show him documents and features. They opened the container and the men stepped inside. Elet stood under the structure with a smile on his face. He rubbed against the posts. He pushed against them. He inspected the construction and lightning.
Jacqueline left Elet to discuss the construction with the workmen. She walked closer to Frank. Standing further away, she smiled and thought of home. Her bed and her front doors were made of the same koa but of the curved pattern. She thought of having bedroom furniture made, but her mind halted and her thoughts filled with one word, Mallory. She laughed.
"What was that about?" Frank asked.
"Sorry, I was just thinking."
"Oh, don't let me forget." He went to the container and extracted a large metal box. It had been harnessed inside the container. He unlocked the box and pushed it to where she was standing. He removed a key from his key chain and used a code on the invoice to open the electronic panel that was on the side of the metal box. Once the code was entered, the box beeped. Frank opened the door. Jacqueline peered into the open box only to see a smaller box inside. It was a simple lock box. "I think you have the code for this one."
"I do?"
"Yes, you should have an email with a code on it. It's the code for this."
She pulled out her phone and searched for her order. As she skimmed over it, she said, "Sure is a lot of security."
"I'd think you'd want something like this to be as secure as you could get it."
"You know what's in there?"
"Yes, ma'am. There can't be any secrets at the Port. I read the manifest and all items get x-rayed. I know what's in here. I thought it was for him, but, now I know it's not."
Looking up at him, she said, "No, it's not for him. He doesn't even know I
have it."
"Thought he was your best friend?" Frank nodded in Elet's direction.
"Found it," she said and ignored his comment. Frank passed her lock box to her. She took a deep breath and entered 3-3-6-0-6.
"Push the button and pull the handle," Frank advised. When she did, the box opened and inside was a smaller box. It was also made of koa. As she held it in her hands, she bit her lip. "May I look inside?" Frank asked.
"For a safety check?" she asked.
"No, I just want to admire the work." She passed the box to him, He opened it and said, "They're beautiful." He rotated the box in his hands as if to get a better look. He was turning the box to face her.
She halted him. "No! Don't!"
"You don't want to see them?" he asked.
"No, I think I'll wait."
He closed the box and smiled at her. "Love's scary. Prolly s'pose to be. Keeps you honest." He closed the box and held it out to her in his upturned palm. As she removed it from his hand, the sun reflected off his wedding ring. Speaking to the workman, he said, "Cover 'er up." Then, he yelled to Elet, "We'll be around all day every day. You leave 'er here and come get 'er when you're ready to head back south. We'll load 'er up and remind ya how to reassemble. Okay, boss?"
"Okay," Elet said with the same smile on his face as it he had had since he saw the arch.
"Can y'all make it back to the truck?" Frank asked.
With an overabundance of confidence, Elet said, "Sure."
"All right, then. Have a good one. Call me when you're ready." Jacqueline thanked Frank and waited for Elet to catch up to her.
"That's the best thing ever," Elet said placing his arm around her. He kissed her on the cheek. "I love you so much."
"Now, who's trying to bed who," she responded with a laugh.
Then, they walked around for another half hour trying to find their way back to the truck.
~~~~~~~~
They arrived at the airport only a few minutes before the plane touched down. Elet emerged from the truck, but he did not proceed inside of the terminal. Instead, he gathered cups, wrappers, and various other articles of trash. Jacqueline stood back and surveyed what was happening rather than help. Then, his faraway actions became quite obvious. He did not want Alex to see the truck in this condition. She opened the back door and collected debris in the back. She folded his sweatshirt and brushed out crumbs. She returned his phone charger to the glove compartment and used paper towels to wipe off the dash. Once it looked presentable, he stepped away and gave it the once over. After removing a few chewing gum wrappers, he nodded to her. She nodded back. The truck was ready.
Jacqueline had wanted to walk inside and be at the gate when Mallory emerged from the tunnel. Of course, that was no longer allowed. There was an atrium for people to await members of their party. She and Elet waited there. Neither sat. They paced about staring at the Arrivals sign for information. The ten minutes they waited felt like hours. Then, they saw them - a redhead in a white sweater, jeans, and black boots walking next to a black girl with natural hair who was wearing a red dress, black tights and black boots. Jacqueline and Elet left the atrium, pressing their bodies through the other people who were waiting, and headed straight to them.
"Hey, baby," Elet said. Alex did not respond. Gently, she kissed him.
"Hi, there," Jacqueline said, "I'm glad you're here." She hugged Mallory and kissed her cheek. While entangled, she took her bag from her hands.
"Maybe, we should stay away more often if we're gonna get these kinda receptions," Mallory teased.
"Do we need to go to baggage claim?" Elet said.
"No, we both just did a carry on," Alex answered. Taking her bag, they proceeded out of the terminal. No one said much of anything. As they snaked through the terminal, the two couples split from a party of four into two parties of two. Jacqueline and Mallory lagged behind Elet and Alex who were more determined to exit the airport. In their more leisurely pace, Jacqueline felt the awkwardness and wondered if Mallory had cried all night. Her face had more color than usual. She had felt bad about the conversation and kept looking at Mallory, hoping to meet her eyes. She never did. Mallory was focused on the exit, but her nonchalant pace reflected her apprehension.
When Elet and Alex reached the doors, he yelled back to Jacqueline, "Meet us at the truck."
She agreed, then she tried to talk to Mallory, "How was the flight?" She asked the classic traveler question.
"The turbulence was horrible. Alex threw up. It was crazy."
"Sorry, baby, I know how you hate that."
"I was so happy when we finally landed."
"You look tired. Elet wants to have dinner tonight, but why don't we hang out in the room some before we go?" Looking at her watch, she said, "It's still early. You and Alex could probably both use the rest."
"And, it seems that we all need to talk."
"What?"
"Nothing."
They stepped outside into the brisk October breeze of the Mid-Atlantic. Jacqueline saw Mallory shudder, so she removed her coat. Placing it on her shoulders, she said, "I want you to stop saying 'nothing' and 'nevermind' to me. I want you to just say what you feel or think."
Pulling Jacqueline's jacket tight around her, she asked "Sure about that?" and scurried across the parking lot to the truck. Jacqueline did not reply. This was not the place nor the time, but it was coming. It was coming very, very quickly.
~~~~~~~~
When they reached the hotel, Alex and Mallory spoke even less than they had when they arrived. They walked into the hotel and stared at its detail. They walked to the stairs and let their eyes wander upwards at the double winding staircase of marble that was three floors overhead. Alex touched the brown and gold walls noticing that the gold was relief.
Realizing that there was no reason to wait on them, Jacqueline spoke to Elet. "What time do you want to get together?"
"I'll text you with a time in a bit," he responded.
She said, "Okay."
As she headed toward Mallory, she heard him say, "It's okay to be honest." She nodded to let him know that she had heard him and followed Mallory up the winding stairs.
Elet returned to Alex who was admiring the paintings between the elevators, "Do you want to ride up to the room or walk up those stairs?"
"Let's ride." He pressed the button. Once inside, he selected their floor. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it was a rough ride."
"Wanna take a nap?"
"Nah, I just wanna sit down somewhere that isn't moving."
As the elevator doors opened, she leaned forward and looked out. Walking ahead of her, he said, "Come on, the room's down here."
"Why did you two get such a nice hotel?"
"I had nothing to do with this. You know me. I'da had us sleepin' in the truck. Jacqueline reserved these rooms." He swiped the door card and pushed the door open for Alex. "Welcome home," he said.
"Oh my God! Were you two planning on staying the whole weekend the entire time? This is not a one night stay kinda room."
Elet laughed. "I know, right? I've been asking her that since we left." He plopped down on the blue velvet couch. "She went downstairs today and changed the reservations through Monday. She had these rooms reserved for just one day. It's crazy, isn't it?"
Taking her bag into the bedroom, she said, "No, it's Jacqueline." Elet arose from the couch and came into the room to help her. He lifted the bag, placed it on the bed, and opened it. "We should just go ahead and get married. Screw the Club, the invitations, the flowers, the food, the band. Let's just elope. We already have a honeymoon suite."
"Hmm, we could do that. Go down to the courthouse, get married, and go back home like nothing happened. Fuck 'em all," he agreed.
Alex had undressed. She removed her yoga pants and his t-shirt from her bag. She was putting them on as she said, "What about all the non-refundable deposits?"
Elet snapped his fingers. "Fuck, I forgot about those. Well, I guess we b
etter go through with it. But, we could go ahead and get married here. No one would know."
She stroked his face, "You're brilliant, Elet Thomas Walden." String into his eyes, her smile faded. After a deep breath, she said, "I love you, you know?"
"I know. And, I love you, too."
"Do you really know?"
"I really know."
"I haven't always been fair to you. I know that. In fact, I've spent most of my life being selfish. Being self-centered. I'm not saying I can fix it overnight, but I am saying I'm working on it and have been."
Kissing her hands, he said, "Things've been better than they ever were. I'm sorry about last night. I was outta line."
"No, you weren't. You shoulda said that and so much worse to me. You shoulda said it years ago." She pulled her hands from his mouth and walked into the living room area. She sat on the velvet couch and patted for him to join her. "I wanna be an open book. I want you to ask me whatever you want to ask me. I want to tell you whatever you want to know, so you know that there's nothing between us." He didn't say anything. "Come on, Elet. You have to have questions." Still, he said nothing. "Why haven't I moved in?" she posed her own question. "That apartment was the first place I ever got on my own. It's dumb and selfish, but I was so proud of that. My sister lives in my grandmother's house. My parents live in a house that my uncle used to own. I've got something of my own. None of them do. I was the first one to do something on my own and I liked that. I didn't realize until last night how dumb that was."
"Nah, it's not dumb, but I do want that to be our house. Not yours and not mine. Ours. You know, your name is on it. It doesn't belong to just me. That's why I haven't moved into it. We'll move in together. You aren't coming to stay with me and I'm not coming to stay with you. We're moving in to a new place together."
"I like the sound of that. And, no one gave it to us," she was thinking aloud.
"Hell, no. We got a thirty-year mortgage on that thing," he teased.
"Don't tease. Ask me something. Don't avoid it. What am I doing at night? Do I have any other men's phone numbers? Have I slept with...?"
