“Johnson, you’re a mommy,” said Gwennie. She patted the feline’s sagging tummy.
It was about that time a car drove into Luke’s driveway. The lifeguard Luke had asked to see to his cat jumped out and ran all the way around the back of his house, disappearing behind his gate.
“You’d best go and let her know she’s got a lot of pet sitting on her hands,” said Saphora.
“I’ll give her a piece of my mind,” said Gwennie. “Johnson could have been swept out to sea, for all she cares.”
“Go and give her the cat,” said Saphora. “Then help her hunt down Johnson’s kittens.”
“I can do that, Gwennie,” said Mario.
“I’ll do it,” said Gwennie. “I know my way around his place.”
By the time Saphora put Gwennie’s suitcase in the downstairs guest room, Gwennie was back inside pacing in front of the patio doors. “She’s awfully young. What is she, some high schooler?”
“She’s not much younger than you. Working on her MBA,” said Saphora. “Why? Does that matter?”
“Who is Luke?” asked Mario. He joined Saphora in the kitchen.
“Luke and Gwennie have dated,” said Saphora. “Didn’t she mention Luke?”
“Mama, Mario doesn’t care about my private life,” said Gwennie. “Did you say Luke danced with that lifeguard? She’s a cute girl for her age. How would you know about her MBA?”
“I overheard it said, is all,” said Saphora.
“Gwennie, is this the artist you mentioned over the copy machine?” asked Mario.
“We’re just friends,” said Gwennie. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a liter of club soda and a tub of hummus. “Are we cooking?”
“Gwennie, why do you care if Luke danced with her?” asked Saphora.
“I don’t care. I’m just curious.”
Mario leaned against the island, crossing his arms. “Gwennie, bringing me here was the last thing you needed, wasn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?” asked Gwennie.
“It was your idea to bring me here. Is this why? You wanted to use me to guard your feelings against Luke?” he asked.
“Mama, are you putting these thoughts in Mario’s head? You have a strange habit of working your will over me in ways even I can’t understand.”
“Gwennie, your mother didn’t say anything at all,” said Mario. His Brooklyn accent was getting more pronounced along with his growing irritation.
Saphora noticed that Gwennie’s knit top was spotted with cat footprints. “You should change out of your clothes and then stop complaining about Luke’s lifeguard girlfriend,” she said.
“Girlfriend?” Gwennie walked out and left Saphora and Mario in the kitchen. She locked herself in the guest room.
“Has she ever been in love before?” Mario asked.
“You think she’s in love with Luke?”
“She’s been floating around the office with that glazed-over look all week. Now I know why,” said Mario.
“Good to know,” said Saphora.
“Stop talking about me,” Gwennie yelled from the guest room.
“She’ll be miserable to be around all weekend,” said Saphora to Mario. “You sure you’re up for it?”
“It’ll give me someone else’s misery to worry about instead of my own,” said Mario.
He’s a smart Italian boy, Saphora thought.
17
You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.
MAYA ANGELOU
Mario said his mother taught him to cook because his father was so helpless when she married him that she could not bear to see her son standing like his daddy, staring into the refrigerator, not knowing what to do next. Mario picked through Saphora’s refrigerator crisper and her spice cabinet. He told Saphora she had the makings for a somewhat Italian meal. He would make dinner for them.
Gwennie had changed and was washing out her top in the kitchen sink. She held it up in front of the sunlight streaming through the kitchen window. Pin lights sifted through tiny claw marks around the arm holes. Johnson had pawed it into oblivion. She threw the mangled top into the garbage.
Mario pulled out an orange bell pepper and a red one, laying them on the cutting board. He sliced them into long, skinny strips and then cooked the peppers in olive oil. He got Gwennie to mince a garlic clove, seemingly to get her mind off the cat-sitting lifeguard.
Saphora poured one-half cup of white wine into the skillet over the peppers and garlic. Next she added some chicken stock. Mario’s peppers and garlic gathered up around the wine and chicken stock like the vegetables were dancing in an undulating circle.
“How is Tobias, Mama?” asked Gwennie.
“I think he’s looking for new friends. But that’s the way of it for him,” said Saphora. “I don’t know if Jamie is going to want to bring him back to this town again or not.”
Gwennie told Mario, “He’s the boy I told you about.”
“I remember,” said Mario. He was beating a chicken breast half to death with a mallet.
“Have they gone back to Wilmington?” asked Gwennie. “I was hoping to see him one last time.”
“They’re here for at least this weekend. I invited them to the dance Thursday night. But when Tobias walked in, you would have thought the bubonic plague had walked into the room,” said Saphora.
“I don’t get it,” said Mario.
“Is there any way to get Jamie to stay?” asked Gwennie.
“It’s a summer home for them, like us,” said Saphora. “Plus, Tobias has school.” She thought about how people came and went, to and from the Outer Banks, never taking root in each other’s lives. “I wonder how many kids like Tobias are expected to stay in hiding during the years they’d otherwise be out living life.”
“I’d like to know,” said Gwennie. To satisfy her curiosity, she printed facts off the Internet after dinner while Saphora explained to Mario how to make mint juleps. Gwennie laid the printout on the kitchen bar. “Why is it so secret if so many kids have it?”
Saphora got a call right then from Turner. After updating him on his father’s condition, she got off the phone and told Gwennie, “Turner’s wrangled time with Eddie for the weekend. He’s bringing him tomorrow.”
“Eddie’s my nephew,” Gwennie told Mario. “He’s friends with Tobias.”
“I’ll invite Tobias,” said Saphora. “He’s been missing Eddie something fierce.” Besides, she thought, she was missing Jamie and Tobias just as badly.
Eddie had gotten taller in just the short time away. He wore a thin-striped, red and white T-shirt that Turner had bought for him, he said, because it was a pirate shirt. Eddie threw down pancakes like all he had eaten since he was back at his mother’s were frozen breakfasts. “Nana, is Tobias coming?” he asked.
“The last thing Jamie told me was that he would be over this morning. Please stop fidgeting and eat,” said Saphora.
The doorbell rang and it was Tobias. Jamie came in too. She was glad to see Gwennie and Turner back. Mario took over as the pancake flipper. He made smiling pancakes. Then he took on Eddie’s challenge of making one like a penguin. That one he scraped into the garbage disposal.
“I’ll have one, Mario,” said Jamie. “Might as well. I haven’t cooked breakfast since Mel went back to Wilmington. Tobias eats like a bird.”
“Did you tell me when you were going back to Wilmington?” asked Saphora.
“Tomorrow,” said Jamie. “We’re packing up now.”
“I’m heading out too,” said Mario. “Tonight, the red-eye to New York.”
“You didn’t tell me,” said Gwennie.
“My ex-girlfriend called. She couldn’t get me at home. It was good for her to find me gone,” said Mario. He gave Tobias a hot cake.
“We’re all leaving you,” said Jamie.
�
�I wish you could stay,” said Saphora. “Eddie just got here, and he’s so lonely with no other kids around.”
“Tobias has clinic Friday. He hates it, but they’ve got to check his levels,” said Jamie.
“Are there a lot of children there?” asked Saphora.
“A hundred kids,” said Jamie.
Saphora sat, mouth open.
Eddie followed Tobias up the tree. Tobias had nearly made the fort his own in Eddie’s absence.
“Is this the rest of his life? Really? He has to live like this?” asked Gwennie.
“What else is there for him?” asked Jamie.
“I guess I thought he’d do better with modern medicine and all,” said Gwennie.
“It keeps him alive. I’m grateful for that,” said Jamie.
“He’s supposed to go around hiding his face. That’s not right,” said Saphora.
“I’m sorry he’s had some misunderstandings here this summer,” said Gwennie.
“He tries to takes it in stride,” said Jamie. “But, Saphora, you were wonderful the other night. Gwennie, you would have been proud of your mother.”
“What did you do?” asked Gwennie.
“Nothing that spectacular. At least, not compared to you, Jamie. I’m glad he’s got you.”
Jamie gave Gwennie and Mario a summary of all that transpired at the dance.
Saphora was uncomfortable with taking accolades considering what she had done was something anyone could have done. So she turned her back to the party and opened the curtains to watch the boys. Tobias was hanging his head out of the tree house opening. He was laughing while Eddie pulled on him from above. Tobias’s baseball dropped out of the tree like a fig.
That was when an idea came to Saphora. She was mulling it over when Jamie jolted her back into the present. “Earth to Saphora.”
She turned facing Jamie, clasping her hands in front of her, and said, “I was just thinking, I’d sure like to do something for Tobias. Something he’d like.”
“Tell her no way,” said Gwennie. “My mother can scheme like no one’s business.”
“I’m too intrigued,” said Jamie. “Give it to me, full throttle.”
Marcy was flying back from Nepal. She called Saphora as soon as she landed in Dallas. “I’ll be back in North Carolina tomorrow. Is Bender hanging on?”
“He’s at Duke” was all Saphora could say about that. “Tell me what time you get in. I’ll meet you at the airport,” said Saphora. “Sherry’s not here. You can have her room.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to put any more pressure on you,” said Marcy. “But I miss you awfully. And I’d like to see Bender.”
“I’m glad you’re coming home, Marcy,” said Saphora. “I’ve been lonesome without you.” They hung up and Saphora announced, “Marcy’s coming. I’m going to the airport to get her tomorrow.”
“Oh, there will be partying now,” said Gwennie.
“Who is Marcy?” asked Jamie.
“My mother’s best friend forever. They’ve been friends since college,” said Gwennie.
The afternoon rushed past. Jamie called Tobias in and told him, “We’ve got to finish closing up the house, Tobias.” She stroked his hair sympathetically. “We’ll have to tell everyone good-bye.”
Tobias looked put out, like all kids do when summer’s doormat is being pulled out from under their reverie. Tobias told Eddie goodbye until next summer. Eddie was trying hard not to show emotion, but when they hugged, he wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. Jamie thanked Saphora for helping Tobias find allies in Oriental. “After your speech, we had so many calls. People even sent baskets of food and flowers to our house.”
Saphora did not want to show weepy eyes to the boys and got down to business with Jamie as she followed her out to her car. “Here’s the map to the stadium. Sam the Hammer is expecting him before the game. Let me know all about it,” said Saphora. “Take pictures and e-mail me a few.”
“He’ll be surprised as all get-out,” said Jamie.
Tobias ran down the walk with Eddie in tow. “What surprise?” asked Tobias.
“Later,” said Jamie. She led him down the walk.
Mario hugged Saphora. “I appreciate your offering me a refuge for the weekend. It gave me time to think. This whole fight has been half my fault. I’m going to ask Evie to try again.”
“I smell trouble,” said Gwennie.
“Ignore her,” said Saphora. “If you love Evie, the two of you will work it out.”
Mario wheeled his suitcase to the rental car. He kissed Gwennie good-bye at the edge of the driveway. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him in return.
Saphora and Gwennie took coffee out on the deck after supper. Gwennie turned off her cell phone. “I’m sick to death of this case.”
“You’re too young to be sick of your job already,” said Saphora.
“Not my job. Just this client’s headaches.”
“You can’t have a job without them,” said Saphora.
“He’s truly a victim, and we’re fighting an uphill battle. Do the good guys ever win?”
“Maybe.”
“I thought practicing law would be looking out for the weak.” Time spent traveling had left Gwennie looking road weary.
“You’re not a savior.”
“So I’m finding out. I feel so helpless sometimes.”
“The light’s come on at Luke’s place,” said Saphora.
Gwennie turned around to see. “His patio light. Probably that cheerleader letting the cat out.”
“Lifeguard.”
“Whatever.”
“Then don’t let him go.”
“Who?”
“Luke.”
“I don’t chase after men.” Gwennie’s voice was showing exasperation with her mother.
“I didn’t say chase.”
Gwennie sat up, surprised. “Is that the top of Luke’s head?” she asked. She stayed in her chair but turned completely around to peer through the low-hanging branches.
“Might as well be neighborly,” said Saphora. “Luke, over here!”
“Don’t,” Gwennie begged.
“He’s going back into his house,” said Saphora.
Gwennie came up out of the patio chair. She waited to see if Luke was coming out. But his patio light went off. His backyard was dark.
“Something’s not right,” said Gwennie.
“I don’t understand you. Why don’t you just go over there?” asked Saphora.
“He hasn’t called me all weekend.”
“You were brushing him off.” She could not stand seeing Gwennie look so miserable. “Men need encouragement.”
“I don’t know.”
“Go over.”
Gwennie finally got up and went inside and left Saphora out on the deck alone.
Saphora retreated to the deck upstairs outside her bedroom. It was fully dark now. Up here, Gwennie would not be so likely to accuse her of spying on Luke. She even left off her own bedroom light to cloak her presence. But her curiosity about him lured her to look over that fence. Johnson stretched from the patio up against the screen door, her feline coat luminescent in the glow of the porch light. Three wee velvet shadows huddled at her flank.
Gwennie’s bedroom light filtered onto the lawn beneath Saphora. She was dressing for bed, talking to someone from New York most likely. That was what Gwennie did to protect herself from her racing thoughts. She retreated to the phone or her earbuds. She was like so many her age, not comfortable with solitude.
Saphora, however, had laid aside the hope for solitude. The splendor of the quiet house on the Neuse River was a dream. She had thought of nothing else during the days leading up to the Southern Living photo shoot. She wiled away the time imagining a quiet house all to herself along the Outer Banks. She was in love with the idea of hearing an old house creaking. There was something romantic about being alone and watching the sky die over the Neuse night after night, she had told herself. Ha!
What a joke! She had planned a life no longer dictated by the hours between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Instead it would be sunrise and sunset and all of the quiet hours in between those two predictable pages. But there had been few hours spent in solitude. Bender’s escape into the netherworld of a coma had left her in between a dream of a life without him and the life of worrying about him in a continual mental exercise of breathing life back into him.
She wondered if he was dreaming in his comatose state. Was he remembering her when they danced in Charlotte? His journal indicated that he remembered the night Turner was born. But could he recall that night or the spring afternoon when Gwennie rode her first bike?
To her surprise, Gwennie’s light went out. She was a notorious night owl, making her the ideal candidate for law school. But life in the busy world of law in the city had turned her back into a conformist.
With the lights out on either side of the house, Saphora’s eyes got amazingly heavy. She decided to head for bed herself. But then she heard the gate latch squeak open. Luke did not turn on his patio light—something he had always done when he went outside, with or without his shovel. Even in the dark, he was visible due to the moon overhead. He padded into and out of his garage. He made several trips back and forth, finally flipping on a flashlight.
The last time he slammed his garage door shut. Then he pushed open the gate. Saphora did not know whether to run inside or just wait and see what he was doing. The flashlight waved back and forth across her lawn. He walked past the tree and out into the open. Then his flashlight came right up into Saphora’s face. She was startled but tried to keep her comportment about her.
“Mrs. Warren, did you happen to notice my shovel?”
She had completely forgotten that she had taken it out of his yard. “How did you know I was up here?”
“I can see you from my patio.”
“I put it in my shed.”
“Do you need it?”
“I was going to replace it for you. It was a surprise. It’s very rusted.”
“I don’t mind the rust. May I get it?”
“Are you all right? You don’t sound the same, Luke.”
The Pirate Queen Page 22
