Quilt by Association

by Arlene Sachitano

  Harriet turned the quilt and folded it so only the embroidered portion showed.

  "You know, these images make more sense if you think about the South Pacific when you look at them.” She rubbed her finger over a line of green stitching. “This looks like it might have been a palm tree.” The stitching was broken where she indicated.

  Beth leaned in for a closer look. “I think you're right."

  "If Iloai is from one of the islands in the South Pacific, why would they say she was African?” Mavis asked.

  "That would be the question,” Harriet said.

  The women stared in silence at the quilt and shirt. A knock on the outside studio door interrupted their reverie. Harriet crossed the room and opened it.

  "I know where Iloai comes from,” Lauren said as she brushed past.

  "The South Pacific?” Aunt Beth said.

  Lauren's shoulders slumped, and the animation left her face.

  "You knew?” She paused. “Why didn't you tell me?” she said, anger replacing her earlier excitement. “You knew I was researching this."

  "We just figured it out,” Harriet told her. “Literally, right before you walked in. Would you like some tea, now that you're here?"

  "Yeah, sure, I guess."

  She set her purse on the floor by one of the wingback chairs and took off her caramel-colored barn-style jacket. Harriet went into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with tea and two cookies.

  "Okay, Harriet's back, so now—how did you come to the conclusion Iloai is from the South Pacific?” Mavis asked.

  "It was simple,” Lauren said. “I should have thought of it sooner. You think you're so smart, you should have thought of it."

  "Thought of what?” Harriet asked.

  "Her name,” Lauren said. “I ran her name through a name database. It tells you the origins of any name you type in. Iloai isn't an African name. It's Samoan."

  "Wow,” said Harriet.

  "I know, it makes no sense,” Lauren said. “Why lie about something like that?"

  "Maybe there's some sort of monetary advantage if the child comes from Africa,” Mavis said.

  "Or maybe there are immigration quotas that have been exceeded in one place but not in the other,” Beth suggested.

  "I suppose there's always the chance her parents emigrated from the South Pacific to Africa and then died or became otherwise unable to care for her,” Harriet said. “It seems kind of farfetched, though."

  "That would explain the language thing, too,” Aunt Beth said.

  "I wonder if Phyllis ever found Joseph,” Harriet said. “If anyone knows the answer to all this, it should be him."

  "I'll call Phyl,” Aunt Beth offered. She went to the phone and dialed.

  "I guess I better put this quilt back together,” Harriet said. “We said we'd return it before bedtime."

  Beth turned back to the group.

  "No answer,” she announced. “I tried the office, her home number and her cell phone and nada."

  "If Joseph is still missing in action, she's probably hustling to cover his appointments as well as her own."

  "Anyone need a refill?” Aunt Beth asked and headed to the kitchen with her cup.

  "I'll come with you,” Mavis said.

  "So, what do you really think is going on?” Lauren asked, and sipped her tea.

  "I'm not sure, but I'll tell you this—I don't think it has to do with immigration numbers or emigrating dead parents. I also think it's curious the social worker who could clear this up has been acting a little strange and is currently missing from his job."

  "Yeah, that is weird. But then, I've always thought that guy was a little strange."

  Harriet threaded a needle with beige cotton thread and began re-stitching the seam she'd pulled out on the child's quilt.

  "I better get back to work,” Lauren said when she'd finished her tea. “I was just finishing at the senior center when I had my epiphany. I used their computer to look it up. I'm with you about the immigration angle, but I'll see what I can find out when I get back to my own computer. Maybe I can at least eliminate some things."

  "That would be useful,” Harriet agreed.

  "Later,” Lauren said as she set her cup down and picked up her coat and purse. She went out the door without another word.

  Aunt Beth and Mavis returned and settled in to their own work, Mavis making dog quilt blocks and Beth continuing with her functional dog quilt for the shelter. Harriet re-sewed the seams she'd opened and repaired the ones that had torn apart before retrieving the new piece of flannel from the dryer.

  "You going to attach that flannel bag style?” Mavis asked, referring to the method of laying the front sides of two pieces of fabric together and sewing the perimeter, leaving a small open area and then turning the result inside out.

  "Yeah, I thought I would do that then top-stitch the edge. I think I'll quilt around the perimeter of each of the embroidered blocks then stitch over the quilting that was done in the blank half. Whoever made it obviously assumed the quilting would be covered up.” She held it up, showing Mavis the simple grid pattern that had been done on the lower half of the quilt.

  "I think I'll just use my sewing machine. There's no real reason to take the time to put it on the big machine."

  "I agree,” Beth said. “Especially since you need to get that back in...” She looked at her watch. “...a couple of hours."

  "I better get busy,” Harriet said.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 27

  The light coming in through the front window was beginning to wane when the trio heard a knock on the studio door followed by Aiden opening it and coming in. Harriet had Iloai's quilt on the big table again, clipping threads and generally giving it the once-over. Aunt Beth straightened in her chair and rubbed her lower back with a sigh.

  "This looks like trouble,” he said with a smile.

  "What?” Harriet asked.

  "Whenever the Loose Threads brain trust gets together, it's trouble."

  "We aren't the brain trust,” Mavis said. “That would be Lauren—just ask her."

  "I came by to see if anyone wanted to go get pizza. I have a couple of hours before the next round of meds starts for the rescue dogs."

  "How are they doing?” Beth asked.

  "Some will be ready for adoption soon, but there are a lot that still have a way to go, and there are a few that will have to have ongoing treatment that could last years."

  "That's so sad,” Beth said.

  "I'm just thankful you all do such a good job of raising money at your auction so we can take care of them. Unfortunately, a lot of places would have euthanized many of these dogs to avoid the cost of rehabbing them."

  "Hopefully, we'll get a good turnout this time,” Mavis said. “The community is usually very generous, but the economy has been so bad these last few years."

  "Someone will want to pay top dollar for the beautiful quilts you ladies make,” Aiden said with a broad grin.

  "Always the charmer,” Aunt Beth said.

  "So, how about pizza? Are you ladies in?"

  "Sounds good to me, if you don't mind having a couple of old hags tag along with you and Harriet,” Mavis said.

  "You beautiful ladies aren't hags,” Aiden said in a shocked tone.

  "Like I said.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Always the charmer."

  "I'm in,” Harriet said, “I'm starving."

  "Mamma Theresa's okay with everyone?"

  "Is there anywhere else?” Mavis replied.

  "Not if you want good pizza,” Beth said.

  "I think I'd better take my own car,” Harriet said. “I've got to go by DeAnn's and drop this quilt off when we're done. In fact, I better go call her and let her know."

  "Speaking of your communication problems,” Aiden said when she had finished her call. “I hope you won't think I'm being too forward, but it worries me that you're driving around without a way to call for help."

  She s
tarted to protest, but he held his hand up to silence her. With the other, he pulled a box out of the pocket of the blue fleece jacket he was wearing over his customary surgical scrubs and handed it to her.

  "I took the liberty of getting you a replacement phone. All you have to do is plug it into your computer to transfer your phone book.” He pretended to duck. “Okay, you can hit me now."

  A range of emotions swept through Harriet. Her knee-jerk reaction to anyone making decisions “for her own good” was anger. On the other hand, she needed a phone and had dreaded having to go to the phone store and fight through the myriad options, upgrades and other sales-related pressures such a trip would entail.

  In the end, gratitude won.

  "Thank you so much,” she said. She pressed the on button and smiled when she saw that he'd already programmed his own number into the directory.

  Never one to miss an opportunity, Aiden closed the distance between them and pulled her into an embrace.

  "We'll meet you there,” Aunt Beth said as she and Mavis gathered their purses and coats and hustled out the door.

  Aiden kissed her gently on her lips.

  "I'm glad we're not fighting anymore."

  Harriet tensed in his arms, but he put his finger to her lips.

  "Let's enjoy the moment, okay?"

  She smiled and put her arms around his neck, pulling his head down for another, deeper kiss.

  "Okay, we better go while we still can,” he said when they finally broke contact.

  Harriet picked up her coat and followed him out the door.

  "We took the liberty of ordering,” Mavis said when Aiden and Harriet arrived at the restaurant and joined them at their table.

  "We got a large pepperoni and one that's half artichoke, black olive and feta cheese and half Mamma's combo."

  "Sounds good,” Aiden said and took a drink from the large water glass that had already been set at his place. “Hey, I heard back from my friend in Africa."

  "Why didn't you say something?” Harriet asked, her voice rising slightly.

  "I figured you'd get all excited and then I wouldn't get a kiss when I gave you the phone."

  She started to argue and then realized he was once again teasing her.

  "I forgot,” he continued in a more serious tone. “She called when I was with a patient, and the phone connection wasn't very good."

  "Well?” Aunt Beth prompted.

  "As I suspected, she had no idea what I was talking about, and she definitely has not had a baby—now or ever."

  "Does she have a sister?” Harriet asked.

  "She does, but it's more complicated than that."

  "What does that mean,” Beth asked.

  "She has a full sister who is married and lives in Uganda, and she's seen her recently. The complication is that in Uganda, it's not unusual for men to have more than one family, each in a different village. Her father had at least two other families, and she's met several of her half-siblings. I was trying to ask her about Neelie when our connection was dropped."

  "So, we don't really know anything,” Mavis said.

  "We know Neelie's maybe-sister who worked with Aiden didn't send him a baby, so for sure that much was a scam. We're not any closer to knowing who Neelie really was or why she targeted Aiden."

  "We also don't know who baby Kissa really is,” Aunt Beth added.

  "Baby steps, ladies,” Aiden said as their pizza arrived and their waitress set it on a two-tiered rack at the center of their table. “One fact at a time is what I say."

  "That's easy for you—you don't have a motherless baby in your midst."

  "True, but I still think caution is advised.” He slid a piece of pepperoni pizza onto his plate.

  "The police aren't any further along in their investigation,” Beth said and proceeded to recount the trip to see Detective Morse while the other three munched on their pizza.

  "We ran into Neelie's so-called husband,” Harriet added when her aunt had finished the account of their police visit without mentioning Rodney. She described the action they had witnessed.

  "That's weird,” he said. “I just saw a guy who fits that description on my way through town on the way to your house. He was on the street in front of Little Lamb. It looked like he was trying to talk to Joseph, but Joe wasn't having any of it. He pulled his arm free and hustled into the building."

  "You saw Joseph?” Harriet and Mavis said at the same time.

  "Yeah, didn't I just say that? He was arguing with that Rodney guy in front of Little Lamb. Why are you so shocked?"

  "He was a no-show at work this morning. He left Phyllis in a real pickle,” Mavis said.

  "Didn't I hear somewhere he still lives with his mother?” He slid another piece of pepperoni pizza onto his now-empty plate.

  "He lives in his mother's house,” Mavis said. “It's that pink Victorian we pass on the way to DeAnn's. She remarried a couple of years ago and hasn't been seen in these parts since."

  "He takes care of the place for her,” Beth added. “She and Mr. Moneybags are living in a villa somewhere in Europe, according to Phyllis."

  "It was Joseph's grandma's house before that.” Mavis continued her local history lesson. “His mother lived there with her mother until the old lady went into the senior home. His grandmother was born in that house. Her mother died young, and she lived there and took care of her father who, if I'm not mistaken, was in the merchant marine. When she married, her husband moved in."

  "It must be nice,” Harriet said.

  Aiden's cheeks turned red. “I have nothing to say about that,” he said and took a bite of his pizza.

  "It's not the same thing at all,” Harriet protested when she realized what he was thinking. He was, after all, living in his mother's house. “You inherited your house when your mother died. That's completely different."

  "Living in Momma's house when she's still alive is a whole different kettle of fish,” Mavis concurred.

  "We think we know where DeAnn's new daughter is from,” Harriet said, changing the subject, to Aiden's obvious relief. She explained their conclusion that Iloai was from somewhere in the South Pacific.

  "Have you tried talking to her in her own language?” he asked.

  "Not yet,” Harriet said and wiped her mouth on her napkin. “We just figured it out. Besides, there are more than a few islands with more than a few possible languages."

  "Maybe you can record the child talking and put it through a translation program,” he suggested.

  "Now you're sounding like Lauren,” Mavis said.

  "Was that a compliment?” He grinned. “I'll take it as one. I only know about the translation programs on the internet because of my time out of country."

  "I can't believe it took us so long to figure it out,” Harriet said.

  "I can,” Mavis said. “Joseph told DeAnn she's from Uganda. Why would you give it another thought? People tend to believe what other people tell them until incontrovertible proof is shoved in their face."

  "I should have recognized that ‘Iloai’ isn't a Ugandan name,” Aiden said. “But I didn't put two and two together."

  "You've had distractions, though,” Harriet said.

  "True, but that's what I'm saying. Everyone has their own stuff going on, so you don't question information unless something happens that makes you doubt it."

  "Good point,” Aunt Beth said. “So, what else are we taking at face value that we should reexamine?"

  "Everything about Kissa,” Mavis said. “She's a delightful child, but I don't think we can believe anything Neelie said about her."

  "At least she has a Ugandan name,” Aiden said. “I encountered more than one Kissa while I was there."

  "I think Rodney falls into the question-everything category, too.” Aunt Beth said.

  "He does seem genuinely upset about Neelie's death,” Harriet said. “But I agree—I think he knows a lot more about Neelie and what she was doing in Foggy Point. But that doesn't mean he knows eve
rything."

  Aiden looked at her, and then at Aunt Beth and Mavis, in turn.

  "So, what's next, ladies? I'm not sure I want to know the answer, but I can't help it."

  "Someone needs to tell DeAnn what's going on,” Harriet said.

  "I'm not sure that's our place,” Aunt Beth protested.

  "I think she needs to know anything we find out that can help her ease her daughter's transition,” Harriet countered.

  "It's just guesswork on our part at this point,” Beth said. “We need to talk to Phyllis or Joseph and see what they have to say about it."

  "If someone pulled a switch at the other end, Phyl and Joe might not know any more than we do,” Mavis pointed out.

  "So, what do you think we should do?” Harriet asked her aunt.

  "I say we leave DeAnn out of it until we can get some confirmation her child is not from Africa. In the meantime, we keep trying until we can talk to Phyllis or Joseph."

  "We need to get hold of Rodney and see if we can get anything else out of him,” Mavis said.

  "That should be easy,” Harriet said. “He's all about money and who's going to pay him. We just need to figure out where he's staying."

  "Nabirye said she would e-mail me a list of her half-siblings,” Aiden added. “It won't be quick, since she was calling from a field phone. We have to wait until she gets somewhere that has computer access or a fax machine."

  Mavis slid another piece of the artichoke pizza onto her plate.

  "I've got plenty of quilting to keep me busy,” she said. “We need to get our blocks made and get on to making quilts. That auction is just around the corner."

  Aiden polished off his pizza and wiped his hands on his napkin.

  "I've got to go flush some wounds,” he said and stood up. “Thanks for dining with me, ladies."

  Harriet stood and walked him to the door.

  "This should only take me an hour or so. Can I call you when I'm done? Maybe come by and...?” He waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

  "You're incorrigible,"she told him with a smile. “Yes, you can call or come by. I have to stop by DeAnn's and drop off the little girl's quilt that I repaired, then I'll be home working on my dog blocks."