Fantasy House

by Ruth Hay

  Mavis would finish eating and leave the kitchen to their private talk. When she went downstairs to her room she would do one last thing to make the night more acceptable. She would put Marble into the guest room as a comfort for Faith.

  Hilary made sure the barbecue party lasted as long as possible. It was essential to leave Harmony House to its three inhabitants. She found herself glancing over toward the trees that divided the Ridley property from the garages and Mavis’s garden, but making a move to look over there might draw attention.

  Excuses had been made to cover the absence of Mavis and Honor. Louise Ridley had seemed upset to be deprived of the full complement. Hilary quickly distracted her by introducing the others and giving a brief outline designed to capture Louise’s attention.

  Vilma was primed. She knew the dogs would be a subject of interest and she proceeded to describe, in the greatest of detail, how she found Astrid and Oscar, while Hilary led Jannice and Eve over to meet Dennis and the other crescent residents.

  It was a pleasant affair. The food was excellent and a table was set out with a variety of drinks and every possible condiment to add to the meats and salads. The neighbours were happy to meet the Harmony House women and intrigued by the co-housing project. As Vilma had suspected, all were younger couples with children in varying stages of growth and schooling.

  Hilary took the opportunity to enquire which high schools in London they recommended for quality and convenience. As she absorbed this information, she realized she was jumping ahead and presuming a great deal about the entire Faith situation. Mavis’s wholehearted involvement in ‘the plan’ had made an impression on her friend, in spite of her natural misgivings.

  Better to be forearmed in case a decision had to be made with regard to future schooling. It was something she was in a unique position to assess, even if she was inadequate to do what Mavis managed so naturally. It was borne in upon Hilary Dempster, not by any means for the first time, that she and Mavis made an exceptionally effective team.

  With that happy thought, she accepted another glass of white wine and circulated among the guests leaving all concerns about Honor’s dilemma in the capable hands of Mavis Montgomery.

  It was early Sunday morning in Toronto and Desmond Dempster had reached the end of his tether.

  Last night had been the final straw. Not only had Lou arrived home drunk as a lord at three in the morning but he was held up by two pals equally soused. The trio made such a racket, everyone on the 25th floor must have been disturbed. Desmond shut them all in Lou’s room rather than risk a noisy departure in the elevator or an accident on the stairs. They were in such a bad state they were sure to collapse any minute and they would sleep off the drink giving him hours to decide what course of action served him best.

  Definitely, Lou had to go.

  Desmond had inquired in a delicate fashion if anyone in the office needed accommodation. He was turned down several times and got the impression he was not first on a list of desirable flatmates. This was bad enough, but added to the latest info in the memo he read on the desktop when his immediate boss was on a coffee break, it spelled disaster.

  The company was required to drop employee quotas by 10% in the next quarter.

  What to do? Hang on to the last minute hoping he would not be selected? He could not see much hope in that scenario. He was older and far less flexible than the majority of employees.

  Start looking seriously for another position in a job market already inflated by a surfeit of young, eager, qualified men and women? Not much chance of that.

  No, the only salvation was to approach his mother in London and plead for the cash to tide him over until another room mate could be found in another company, and another job could be unearthed from somewhere, doubtless at a much reduced salary.

  The old dear must have investments tucked away. He was her only child after all. That must mean something to her. Of course, it might be time to move back to London altogether. Cut his losses in TO and live comfortably in the much smaller city where there must be old pals from schooldays who would welcome him back into the fold. He could go to his hairdresser in London and get the grey dyed out of his hair, lose a few pounds, and smarten up to give a good impression.

  But central to all of it was his mother. Didn’t she say there was a guest suite in this new house?

  He would just arrive and demand accommodation. Once he was installed in the guest suite there was nothing she could do about it. He was capable of making things difficult for his mother and she knew it very well.

  Blackmail? He would never admit to anything that crass. But, he could be stubborn, as she well knew. It was a little inheritance from his dear departed father about whom he could always reveal a few hidden secrets if it came to that.

  No, he would not go that far. Or would he? The old girl should have recognized his dire situation the first time he asked. She ignored him then, and now there was a higher price to pay.

  He would pack his own case and sling Lou’s case into his room as soon as there were signs of life in there. Once the drunks were evicted and the key recovered from Lou he would lock up and go.

  A quick call to work saying he had flu would cover him for a few days. That should be enough time.

  He knew the Sunday train schedule and was sure to get a seat in business class.

  With the decisions made, Desmond Dempster went back to sleep for an hour or so. He should arrive in London by early afternoon. Luckily, his last birthday card had included the address and postal code of Harmony House. If his mother had thought to enclose a sizable cheque on that occasion, this intervention would not be necessary.

  Chapter 15

  Honor did not sleep well. She was still stunned by the events last evening with Faith. Things had calmed down a bit when they went together by elevator to the kitchen. There was a moment when Faith reacted like a small girl as the elevator rose smoothly from basement to kitchen. Honor saw a quick glimpse of who she might have been had life not treated her so cruelly. That sight piled more guilt onto what was becoming a huge pile of regrets.

  On the lower level with her aunt, Faith had tearfully and noisily revealed her pain and sorrow. Honor had not expected to be allowed to comfort her. It was a poignant moment that brought tears to her eyes and also a renewed sense of her inability to deal with the situation.

  So many decisions.

  And yet, the choice had been made in that moment of revelation with her arms around her niece. Honor was the only one left to help the girl. It was her duty and her privilege.

  A wave of gratitude swept through her. Had it not been for Mavis and Hilary she would be sunk. Those two were a godsend. Their compassion and knowledge had constructed a plan that gave her a breathing space to accustom herself to the idea of Faith in her life. She could do nothing without their combined support. She would follow their lead and hope the other co-housing women would be equally compassionate, forgiving and helpful.

  She rose and opened her bedroom door to see rain spattering the window wall. The weather was reflecting her feelings this morning. Mavis was not in sight. She wondered how Faith had slept and guessed she was still asleep in the guest room after an exhausting day.

  Pulling on a dressing gown she yawned and went to the bathroom to fill the coffeepot with water.

  She would take a mug of coffee back to bed with her and try to think what she could do on this Sunday to form a bond with Faith. Shopping? Lunch together somewhere? What did a teenager want to do on a weekend?

  * * *

  Mavis had heard the barbecue party return home around eleven o’clock Saturday night. She was surprised they had stayed that long at the Ridley’s but relieved they had not interrupted Honor and Faith in the kitchen.

  She tiptoed along to the kitchen early on Sunday to check if everything was in order. She did not want Eve to have any cause for complaint about the girl’s arrival at Harmony House. Eve had been silent with regard to Faith’s predicament. Mavis believed
it was a reminder of her own feelings of abandonment when she was in the throes of the worst of her husband’s abuse. In time, Eve might come to see a role for herself in rescuing Faith. For now, Eve needed time to adjust.

  All six women needed time to adjust. Faith’s unexpected arrival during the period when they were still forming their own new lives at Harmony House was undoubtedly disruptive and could be divisive.

  Mavis shrugged off that fear. There was a lot of sheer goodwill among these women. She felt they would band together and take Faith into the fold.

  The kitchen was immaculate, as usual. She took it as a good sign that Honor and her niece had worked together to clean up after the lasagna and salad. She checked in the fridge. No leftovers. They had eaten well. Another good sign.

  In the silence of the morning, she heard the sound of the dogs coming down the stairs from the upper level and made her way to greet Vilma. It was still early but animals had their routines, as she knew very well.

  “Can you bring the dogs into the dining room so we can talk for a minute, Vilma?”

  “Sure! I’ll just take them around to their pee place and be right back. Everyone else asleep?”

  She nodded toward the guest suite and lowered her voice. “Seems likely.”

  “Get me a coffee, Mavis. I had too much wine last night.”

  In five minutes Vilma was back. She was drying off the dogs’ feet when Mavis returned with a tray.

  “I thought some toast would help settle your stomach.”

  “Brilliant idea! These two are not keen on wet weather, it seems. They’ll lie down now.”

  Mavis went straight to the fireplace in the dining room and switched on the gas control. Flames soon reached up and warmed the ceramic logs, and the dogs, as if they were raised to such luxuries, quickly claimed a spot right in front of the hearth and the two women joined them on the couch, placing the tray on a coffee table in front of them.

  “This is nice. Thanks, Mavis.”

  “No trouble. I want to check in with you about the barbecue and, more importantly, about your feelings around Honor’s situation.”

  Vilma crunched through her toast and sipped the hot drink before answering.

  “Well, the Ridley event went fine. I got grilled by Louise about Andy, of course, but Dennis is friendly and the other neighbours are more curious than anything else. Jannice got very Irish after a drink or two and she told some funny jokes. I’ve never seen Hilary so relaxed. Eve was off in a corner with the wife of one of the young couples. Crawford is their name I think. All in all it was a good night. We’ll need to do something similar some day to keep up the connections.”

  “I don’t think that will happen soon, Vilma, with everything so uncertain here now.”

  “Do you mean Honor will have to leave?”

  “No, I hope not, but it’s not up to me. Faith’s arrival is not in the co-housing plan. She would be a non-contributing member and any one of us could legitimately object to her presence.”

  “Oh, surely we don’t grudge her some food? She’s occupying an unused space. As long as she makes an attempt to fit in, I think she could be an asset in time. It depends on what she wants. We are not actually a kid’s dream hangout.”

  “You are right. She may not want to stay here although she has no one in the whole world other than Honor. She must soon attend school and that would give her more options for friends and activities.

  I am so glad you have such a positive attitude, Vilma. I have been worrying about all this.”

  “Listen, Mavis! These two monsters now leaning against your feet have been accepted without question. What trouble could one small teenager cause, compared to them?”

  Vilma laughed and Mavis joined in. As a pet person, she could not argue with Vilma’s logic. What she did not know was that Vilma’s statement now contradicted her own initial response to Faith. She had seen, up close, the mayhem that teenagers could cause. That had been a combined effort to disrupt. She hoped one girl would not be as malevolent as her step-children had been.”

  * * *

  Hilary turned over in bed and groaned. Through swollen eyelids, she noticed her drapes had not been drawn. Fortunately there was no bright sunlight flooding in. She knew her head would not cope with that right now. On her nightstand was a carafe of water. As soon as her eyes fell on that welcome sight she sat up slowly and poured a tall glass, drinking it down in one steady gulping process.

  That’s better. How much wine did I drink last night? What was I thinking? I guess all those new people around me and the worries about what was happening back here, were dulling my normal perceptions.

  Dennis was a good host. He made up for Louise who was gathering up gossip like a hen madly pecking grain before the others can get any.

  Vilma handled her expertly. That woman is a huge asset to Harmony House. I don’t even care about the dogs. They are a small price to pay for Vilma’s endless positivity, as long as the animals don’t cause any damage, of course.

  Do I dare try to get out of bed? I guess I must go to the washroom. What an advantage to have a private facility right here. One of those things in life you don’t realize you need until you actually possess it.

  Question for later consideration: Do I need a teenager cluttering up Harmony House?

  Chapter 16

  The rain gradually withdrew and the clouds were broken by blue patches through which warm late May sunshine shone.

  Mavis went out to see what damage the rain had done to her new plantings.

  * * *

  Eve prepared the joint of pork for later roasting and checked over the kitchen supplies. A grocery trip was needed soon. A teenage appetite must be taken into consideration it seemed. She planned a side trip to a craft store. She had an idea to buy paints and canvas and try her hand at creative painting.

  * * *

  Vilma decided to pile the dogs into her car and take them to the Southwest Optimist Park on Southdale Road. There was a community baseball diamond there, but further back from the road, behind a stand of trees, was a concealed grassy area where the dogs could run free for a few minutes. She thought the fresh air would be pleasant now the sun had returned, and afterwards she could go through the Tim Hortons in the shopping centre at Colonel Talbot Road and buy some fresh-baked bagels and tea biscuits for treats at the house. She would pick out a couple of donuts also, the more calorific the better, for a certain teen who was, undoubtedly, requiring major sustenance by now.

  * * *

  Jannice treated a slight hangover by cooking up a big breakfast. It was her Sunday tradition long established by her parents who said they needed fortification to withstand the long sermons of the parish priest. Chapel attendance was one of the customs she had dropped once her parents had gone, but the big breakfast had stayed. Today she was eating alone and wondering where the rest of the gang had gone. She had grilled lots of crispy bacon and placed the extra on a covered corning-ware plate in the warming oven. Even if it was dried out it would be a tasty treat for the dogs later on.

  She had a plan to retrieve a box from the storage cupboards in the basement and find some small china ornaments to add to the antique furnishings in her room. The larger wooden pieces should be given a burnishing with a clean cloth and some oil. As the official house cleaner, she must be prepared to check over all the common areas to maintain the good condition of all furnishings. Her very own room was the perfect place to start practising the high standards that would be required.

  With her dishes rinsed and placed in the dishwasher, she entered the elevator for the ride to the basement. By this hour, Honor would be at work. Jannice needed to know if her niece’s arrival had changed her work hours. Although she was soon to start her online courses, there were still a few details she needed Honor’s help with, in particular the transfer of information to the tablet Vilma had given her.

  Honor was there at the computer, but her fingers were not dancing over the keys at their usual rate.


  “Everything all right, Honor?”

  As soon as she said it, Jannice knew all was not right. A young girl arriving out of the blue was not something to get over in the twinkling of an eye.

  “Oh, sorry! That was a stupid question. Let me try again. How are you doing today?”

  Honor turned her pale face toward Jannice and attempted a smile. This was a woman without an ounce of guile. She spoke as she saw. No harm was ever meant.

  “I’m recovering from shock, I think, Jannice. Have you seen Faith today?”

  “Not at all. In fact the house is empty to all intents and purposes. Very quiet indeed, I’d say.

  I don’t know where any of them are, never mind your niece. Can I help you at all with the shock thing?”

  “I wish I knew what to ask, Jannice. It’s all very difficult. A lot depends on Faith. Will she settle in here?

  Will she get the chance? I don’t know if I can sponsor her expenses even temporarily.”

  “Now, don’t you be bothering about money at this time. Let’s get the poor lass over her mother’s loss and all the changes that has brought to her. The rest will take care of itself, God Willing.”

  It was a ray of hope from an unexpected source and Honor grabbed on with both hands.

  “Right! Thank you for your good sense, Jannice O’Connor. Now what can I do for you today?”

  * * *

  Hilary made her way slowly and carefully along the hallway to the elevator. She was glad the mechanism chosen for this structure was super silent. Today she was feeling fragile and a noisy churning motor sound was not going to be welcome. She descended one level to the kitchen and found the large area empty of women for a change. She could smell the irresistible aroma of bacon and soon found the dish in the warming oven. Somehow it was exactly what she was craving despite the fact it was now past lunch time. She made toast and washed several bacon sandwiches down with the contents of a pot of hot tea. With a lining in her stomach she felt much better. She wondered how things had progressed the previous evening with Mavis and Honor and the plan to make a bridge between Faith and her aunt. The girl must still be in the guest room. On a whim she went silently down the stairs and listened to hear if Faith was stirring. Not that she anything to say to her, as yet.