A soft smile curved Miss Ethel’s lips, and she said, “Please forgive my impromptu visit. May I come in?”
Stepping back, she welcomed Miss Ethel into her apartment, saying, “Of course. Of course.” The heat of embarrassment hit her cheeks, and she smoothed her hand over her head and down her ponytail. “I’m sorry I am such a mess. I’d normally be at work at this time but…uh…called in sick—”
Seeing Miss Ethel’s sharp eyes, she hastened to say, “I’m not sick…uh…I mean, I’m not contagious. I just wasn’t feeling myself today.” Giving her head a little shake, she added, “I almost never miss work, but…uh…”
Miss Ethel patted her arm, effectively bringing an end to Penny’s babbling. “You don’t need to explain, my dear. I’m a firm believer that everyone needs to take a mental health day occasionally.”
As Miss Ethel settled onto one end of the sofa, Penny had enough presence of mind to ask if she would like a cup of coffee.
“Oh, thank you, but no. The older I get, the more I find coffee a little unsettling.”
“I have tea,” she offered readily.
Setting her purse down by her feet, Miss Ethel nodded in agreement. “Oh, a cup of tea would be lovely if it’s not too much trouble. I’ve always said that many of life’s problems can be settled with a cup of tea.”
At that statement, Penny looked over at Miss Ethel in curiosity. Unsure why Asher’s mother had decided to visit on what would have been a workday, she nonetheless hurried to the kitchen. Several minutes later, lacking a tray, she walked in with two steaming mugs of tea, placing them on the coffee table.
Nodding in appreciation, Miss Ethel took a sip then smiled in delight. “Oh, you make a perfect cup of tea. With a touch of lemon and sugar, it hits the spot.”
Still nervous over the reasons for Miss Ethel’s visit, she basked in the praise. They sat for another few minutes, sipping tea and keeping the conversation to general topics such as the weather and how Penny liked her apartment. Just when she thought she would burst from curiosity, Miss Ethel set her mug down on the coffee table, placed her hands in her lap, and said, “I’m sure you must be wondering about my unplanned visit.”
Nervously twisting her fingers together, Penny replied, “Well, yes.” Rushing to add, she said, “Not that your visit is unwelcome. You’re always welcome here. It’s just that…uh…”
“You’re very gracious, Penny, so I’ll get to the point. I sometimes feel things. Sometimes it’s an urging to see someone. Sometimes it’s the desire to nudge someone in a certain direction. Sometimes I understand the feelings, and other times they come as a complete surprise. I woke this morning with you on my mind.” Lifting her hands to the sides, she added, “Not Asher. But you. If I had awoken with him on my mind, I would have gone to see him. But no, my dear, it was you that weighed heavily on my mind this morning.”
Sucking in her lips, she remained quiet, uncertain what to say to such a curious introduction. She felt Miss Ethel’s kind, but penetrating, gaze on her and continued to clutch her fingers together in her lap.
Seeming to change direction in the conversation, Miss Ethel said, “Each of my boys came to me with their own special needs, and I was wholly uncertain if I was the right person to help. My husband and I were unable to have children, something which I had come to accept but also something that one never quite gets over. Like any type of grief, it stays with us. After my husband died, I was uncertain what to do with myself. A big home. Lots of room. And in hearing of the need, I decided to be a foster parent.” Her smile was warm and wide as she added, “It was the best decision of my life.”
Penny was mesmerized by Miss Ethel’s words as she listened to her story. She sank back into the cushions of the chair, keeping her eyes on the older woman as she reminisced.
“While each of my boys came to me from different backgrounds and needs, there was something about Asher that called to me. Zander had a strength about him. An independent streak of self-reliance.” Chuckling, she said, “I used to think that boy could be plopped down in the middle of a rain forest or a desert or on a mountaintop, and he would be able to survive.”
Penny grinned as well. Having now met Zander, she could well understand Miss Ethel’s assessment.
“Cael had a grandmother and a sister, so while he was raised by me, he still had the comfort of knowing family was close by. Rafe had been raised by a loving family, but his parents were killed in a car accident, and without other family members, he came to me. My darling twins always had each other. So, no matter what life had thrown at them before they came to me, they always had another half, so to speak. Of course, there were other boys, Zeke, Cas…but they came later. It was my first five boys along with Asher who made up what I consider to be my first family.”
Shaking her head slowly, her lips still curved in a faraway smile, Miss Ethel said, “My, my, Asher was such a tiny little boy when he came to me. Very afraid. Very uncertain. And he had no self-esteem at all.”
Penny closed her eyes, battling the sting but knowing her quivering chin was giving away how very close the tears were. The Asher that Miss Ethel just described was her first friend. Swallowing deeply, she opened her eyes, grateful that Miss Ethel was discreetly taking another sip of tea.
“I had read his record but had no idea what memories haunted him. Mark Lawrence once wrote, ’Memories are dangerous things. You turn them over and over, until you know every touch and corner, but still you’ll find an edge to cut you.’ With each of my boys, I had to be careful of the memories that would cut them, but particularly with Asher.”
She stared at Miss Ethel, whose gaze was now off to the side, as though a million miles away…or maybe just years ago when her boys were little.
“I still remember when he arrived, I knew he was terribly afraid, and with five other boys in the house, it could be quite overwhelming. I introduced him to Zander, Rafe, Cael, Jayden, and Jaxon. Then when I turned to introduce him using the name the social worker had given me, he quickly spoke up and introduced himself as Asher. I remember the look on his face so well. Frightened, as though I was going to reprimand him. But I knew that was his middle name, and as far as I was concerned, if he wanted to go by that name, then it was fine by me. In fact, I told him what an honorable name Asher was. That it meant blessed, and I was certainly blessed to have him with me.”
A tear slid down Penny’s cheek, new emotions swirling through her. Undeniable happiness that Asher had landed with Miss Ethel mixed with the disappointment that she had not found her own Miss Ethel when she was young. She swiped at the tear and blushed. “I’m sorry. I seem to be rather emotional today.”
Miss Ethel waved her hand dismissively and said, “You don’t need to apologize Penny. We all have days like that where our emotions are close to the surface. I’m a firm believer that it’s best to let them out and not bottle them in.” She tapped her chin with her forefinger, and said, “I just recently read something from Steve Maraboli. ‘Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.’ It struck me as particularly insightful.” Her thin shoulders lifted in a slight shrug, and she added, “I was gifted with the ability to memorize passages that mean something to me. Or maybe it’s a curse.” She chuckled slightly and shook her head before falling silent again.
“I understand how Asher felt when he was little because I felt exactly the same way,” Penny blurted, then immediately wondered why she had shared that. But now that the words were out, she admitted, “I felt so ugly.” Her hand lifted, and with her forefinger, she barely touched the tiny scar on her lip. “I was just a baby when I had a cleft lip repaired.” Sighing heavily, she tried to force her lips to curve, but their trembling was all she could feel. “Kids can be…so cruel.”
Miss Ethel’s face softened, and her eyes were kind as she said, “That’s true, Penny. It’s my experience that some adults can also be cruel.”
A rueful snort slipped out as she thought of being called a c
ripple. Nodding slowly, she replied, “Yes. Some can be.”
“And I assume that got no better after your accident,” Miss Ethel surmised.
She did not say anything but continued to nod slowly.
Miss Ethel, in another sudden change of topic, said, “Your name is very interesting. Penelope was derived from Pen, which is a female swan. Even your last name…Belcher. If memory serves, it means lovely.” A delighted smile settled on Miss Ethel’s face as her gaze held Penny’s. “Hmm…a lovely swan. How apropos,” she added. “It certainly describes you perfectly.”
A warm rush of pleasure moved through Penny at the thought. Her name was the one thing that her mom had given her, one thing that even her mother’s death could not take away from her.
Miss Ethel shifted forward on the sofa cushion, ready to stand. and Penny jumped up to assist. Patting her arm, Miss Ethel said, “Oh, thank you. These old bones don’t always move the way I want them to.”
She had only known Miss Ethel for a few weeks, but the sudden thought of her eventual demise slammed into her, knowing how devastated Asher and the others would be.
As though knowing where her thoughts had traveled, Miss Ethel gave her arm a squeeze, and said, “Don’t you worry. I plan on living forever.”
Chuckling, she found herself thinking that if anyone could do that, it would be the indomitable Miss Ethel. Escorting her to the front door, she said softly, “I still don’t really understand why you came by today, but I want you to know I’m glad you did. I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I can’t say that it’s sorted out by any stretch of the imagination, but just having you around was nice.”
“What a delightfully sweet thing for you to say,” Miss Ethel replied. “As I said, I really had no motive in my visit today, other than you were just on my mind when I awoke." As they stood at the door, saying goodbye, Miss Ethel pulled her in for a hug.
Suddenly wondering what Asher may have told his mom, Penny softly asked, “Do you know…do you know who I am?”
Miss Ethel’s grey eyes twinkled, and the lines in her face deepened as her smile widened. She lifted her hand and cupped Penny’s cheek, and said, “Of course, I do. You’re a beautiful swan.”
Her breath halted in her lungs as she watched Miss Ethel turn and walk away. She stood in her open doorway, staring at the empty hall for a moment, unsure that she trusted her legs to hold her up.
Suddenly wondering how Miss Ethel had traveled, she rushed to her living room window to peer out, seeing Miss Ethel climb into a car, Ruby behind the wheel. As she watched them drive away, she understood that Miss Ethel probably called Ruby first thing that morning with the need to visit her, and Ruby would have jumped at the chance. Any of them would. And now, having experienced Miss Ethel herself, Penny included herself in that list of those who would do anything for the iconic mother to a group of ragtag boys.
She turned and picked up the empty mugs, walking back to her sink. She still had so much to consider when thinking of the shared past with her and Asher but had to admit Miss Ethel was right. Things did seem a little more settled after a cup of tea.
27
Asher had discovered that pounding nails had given very little relief to his frustration. By early afternoon, he packed up his tools, thinking a drink at Grimm’s might be just what he needed. Standing by his truck, he dropped his head back, closing his eyes, and thought how much he did not want to have to go through the story once again with his brothers. So maybe Grimm’s isn’t that great an idea after all.
Hating to go back to his empty apartment, his phone vibrated, and he jammed his hand into his pocket to answer it quickly, hoping it was Penny. Seeing it was from a real estate agent that he had worked with in the past, he almost did not answer it. Hesitating for a few rings, he finally hit connect.
“Hello, Asher,” Terrence greeted. "I got a line on a house that’s right up your alley. I know you’re going to want to get your hands on this deal.”
Biting his lip, he grimaced, torn between having no desire to do anything else that day but hating to not look at a good opportunity. Sighing, he asked, “When you want me to take a look at it?”
“No time like the present,” Terrence said. “It’s an older couple, they need to sell, and they’re looking to sell quick. I wanted you to have the opportunity to see it before it actually goes on the market for anyone else to look at.”
He shook his head ruefully, still having little enthusiasm. “Okay, if it needs to be today, then I’ll meet you there. Text me the address.”
Receiving the address, he recognized it as a neighborhood close to Miss Ethel’s. Like her neighborhood, it was older, some revitalization going on with homes being sold and renovated. His curiosity was piqued, and as he drove down the street, he liked what he saw.
Pulling up to the address, he parked on the street and stared out his window at the property in front of him. Wide, deep yard. A picket fence framed three sides of the yard with a privacy fence in the back. Mature trees. Flower beds that had seen better days but would only need some tender loving care to be brought back to life.
Climbing from his truck, he walked through the front gate of the fence and kept his eyes on the house as he approached. The house was an older style colonial with a wide, brick front porch that encompassed the entire front of the house, with plenty of room for a swing and chairs. Lifting his gaze, he saw that there was a full, third-story attic with dormer windows in the front. He knew if it was not already finished, he could take care of that, adding another bedroom, study, or playroom.
Glancing toward the back, he saw a double garage that had been built at the back corner of the house, and it looked to be in good shape. A movement caught his attention, and he looked up toward the front door, seeing Terrence step out, waving to him.
“Asher! Come on in,” Terrence called out.
As he walked up to the porch steps, he cast his appraising eye around, glad to see that there were no visible cracks and that the structure appeared solid. Stepping into the entrance, he shook hands with Terrence then smiled at the older man walking toward him.
“Welcome to my home,” the man said. “I’m Howard Washington.” An older woman, walking with a cane, moved toward them, a smile on her face, and Howard said, “And this beauty is my wife, Eileen.”
After shaking hands with them both, he allowed Terrence to give him the tour, smiling as Howard trailed them through the house while Eileen moved back to the living room. He preferred to look at a house without the owners present, giving him a chance to focus on the structure and bones of the building without having someone try to give him a hard sell as to why he should buy their home. But as they walked around, he found himself listening carefully to Howard’s reminisces.
“Bought this house in nineteen sixty-eight,” Howard said. “I met Eileen when we were both kids. She was my best friend in grade school. Gave her a promise ring after we graduated, just before I shipped off to Nam. She said she’d wait for me, but she was such a beauty I was afraid someone else would snatch her up. Came back in sixty-eight, we got married, and spent every dime we had on this house. We didn’t want a starter home that we’d have to trade up. We wanted to have one house that we could raise our kids in and see our grandkids come to. We fixed it up over the years, keeping it just the way we wanted our home to be. We knew there was nothing better than the memories made here.”
Asher felt the sting of tears hit his eyes, and he turned away, pretending to peer into the laundry room with his back to the others, trying to get control of himself. What Howard and Eileen had done was something his mom never understood but was something Miss Ethel showed them. A house can be a home. And a family can be forever.
Sniffing discreetly, wiping his nose, he heard Howard apologize behind him, saying, “I’m sorry if the dust is getting to you. Me and Eileen can’t clean as well as we use to.”
Shaking his head, he said, “No, sir. Your house is perfect.”
They toured the three large
bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs then made their way to the finished attic. The bathrooms and kitchen had been remodeled about twenty years earlier and could use updating, but Asher was impressed with the state of the home. Every room in the house held a memory for Howard, and Asher soaked up each story.
“My Eileen was the best cook. I used to joke that her cooking was the reason I married her.” Howard’s voice softened when he said, “Truth was, she was the prettiest, nicest woman I had ever met. Couldn’t believe it when she said yes.” His hand trailed over the kitchen counter, adding, “Yes, indeed. She made a lot of good meals here over the years.”
When they stepped onto the patio with a large backyard, Asher closed his eyes for a moment, hearing the sounds of children running and playing in his mind. Giving his head a little shake, he wondered what was wrong with him. He had never had such an emotional reaction to a house before.
Turning to Howard, he asked, “May I ask, sir, why you’re selling now? If you had someone come in and do updating for you and take care of a lot of little tasks as well as some major ones, you’d be able to get more money.”
He watched as the older man rubbed his chin and blinked watery eyes. Howard cast a gaze back toward the house before clearing his throat and saying, “The time is right. The time is now. Eileen is getting more forgetful. Hell, neither of us are getting around good anymore, but her memory is slipping. Sometimes she turns on the stove and forgets about it. Sometimes she forgets to take her medicine, and I can’t always keep track of it. I got us a nice place in an assisted living facility near here. We’ll have a nice sized, one-bedroom apartment. We’ll get three meals a day, and someone will clean our apartment. They got nurses that’ll make sure Eileen takes her medication. They have all kinds of activities that’ll keep us busy and help her with her memory.”
Asher lost the battle of fighting back the tears as Howard’s voice cracked. "I figured at one time I’d live in this house until I died, but I was lucky that I got to spend my life here with the woman that I met when I was only about five years old. She needs more help now, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she gets it. So, I don’t have time to go through bids, wait for somebody to get the place all spruced up, and then try to sell it for top dollar. I got a certain amount that I need to get out of it so that she and I can live comfortably. Terrence told me that he had someone who might be interested. Someone who had a way with turning what is old and tired into something real nice and new for someone else to enjoy. So, son, I’m willing to sell it to you if you’re interested.”
Asher: Heroes at Heart Page 19
