Henry

by Cilika Kunovic

  “It was not a bad test. Tomorrow I will have a hard one, so I guess I better go and study. Keep talking, Mom; don’t let me interrupt you!” Nicole laughed and Barb dismissed her with a wave. She was late for an appointment with an executive at the bank, who had come to investigate the day before how the situation was at the office. She had a good feeling about it. She had inquired at the bank if she would qualify for a bank loan. Being self-employed was not always a good thing. Without a regular paycheque coming in, you tend to become a financial risk, even though you are doing well financially. Besides, Sam was self-employed as well. So, she was a bit apprehensive over the possibility that they may not qualify for a loan.

  She and Sam had been talking about buying a large house; perhaps one with additional space in the yard for Sam and John to park their trucks. And there was plenty to consider besides the trucks — the children’s school, Barb’s office, etc.

  So off she went and met with the man, who was quite friendly, but to the point. He knew his job. He asked many questions, and some were hard to answer. He also asked to meet with Sam and find out about his financial standing. He and Barb decided on another appointment at the bank two days later and have Sam join in on discussions. In the meantime, she would approach the children and get their opinions about moving.

  Nicole was anxious. “But Mom, we would be too far from Henry’s place if we move into suburbia. I realize Henry is better now, but I would not be a part of walking Serge anymore. It’s something I look forward to.” She was almost in tears.

  Olivia added, “Yes, and you wouldn’t be able to see Dominic as often as you do now. And I also wouldn’t see Greg as much.” Then she turned to her parents. “So, where exactly are you planning to buy this house?”

  Trevor enthused, “You mean I would be able to see the trucks all the time if they are parked right at the house?”

  This was going to be a long and perhaps hard battle, Barb thought. “Well, we haven’t looked anywhere in particular yet. Your father and I are working on getting a loan from the bank and we are not sure if it will work out in our favour. Then and only then can we all decide on where we should live in the future.” She was impressed that there was so little opposition from the children about moving. Olivia and Trevor were not about to be overly inconvenienced. Only Nicole was to be deprived of seeing Henry regularly if they moved out of the city. Being a person who enjoyed the outdoors as much as she did, the walks with Serge and Dominic gave her the opportunity of being out in nature safely.

  She was a sentimental girl and had become very fond of the dog. Not being able to see him would be hard. On the other hand, Nicole was usually the first to compromise, if necessary.

  The idea of buying the house was actually Sam’s. He wanted to get it for Barb, who had supported him in his endeavours all along.

  While all this was going on, Henry had his own dilemmas. Having almost completely recovered from the accident, he had many days when he was bursting with anxiety regarding the two accidents. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he owed it to his brother to find out what exactly happened when his brother was killed. He just needed the nerve to act on the situation.

  Dominic was faced with having to tell his mother who would be providing the funds for his further education. At first, she was furious (likely envious); but in the end, she was grateful to Henry for giving her son the chance to fulfill his dream. Nobody else was to know about this; except Sasha, of course. She had become quite a young lady and keeping secrets was not a problem anymore.

  Ever since Olivia started going out with Greg, whom Sasha had known for years, Sasha had started looking at the boys around her in a different way. She no longer depended totally on Dominic, which helped him to concentrate more on his schoolwork, as well as his part-time job.

  “Mr. Miller, would you let me work full-time during the school break?” Dominic asked.

  “We are counting on you. I suppose you will be going off to the cottage at times?” Then, Mr. Miller winked at Dominic, as he did often when teasing him about anything and everything.

  “Yes, if it is all right with you? I can’t wait to go again. Then, in the fall, I will be starting at McMaster.”

  “You don’t say! That is good news, indeed. Wait till I tell my wife about that! She has a special place in her heart just for you, so make her proud and do a good job there.”

  “I promise you, I will do my best.” Dominic was happy that a man like George Miller took a sincere interest in him. He was also happy that he didn’t question him any further.

  Sasha was doing well at the store. She was friendly and willing to work hard. She often brought groceries home. Sometimes she paid for them, and other times Marianne refused to take the money and assured her that it was on her mother’s orders. Mrs. Miller was quite fond of the girl. Sasha often had to leave early when her mother was having one of her bad days. Susanne was still battling with Larry about Sasha.

  Larry had heard about his children working for the Millers and wanted to collect. He claimed to be in need of cash and decided to meet Sasha on her way home from work one night. He said he wanted to have a talk regarding her job.

  “What about it?” Sasha wondered what her job had to do with her father.

  “You know that I am unemployed, and money is not forthcoming. Here you are earning the money for your mother, when she should be earning it for you.”

  “Dad, we are fine. And, if you don’t mind, I am tired and I need to go home to get some sleep.”

  “So, since when am I your ‘dad’ and not your daddy anymore?” Larry wanted to know. He was getting more and more ready to tell Sasha that she was not his daughter. Were it not for the fact that she had always been his little girl (or at least he thought so), he would have told her this a long time ago, just to irritate his wife. She was going to pay for her misbehaviour.

  “I am older, now. Tell me, Dad: When were you going to start taking care of us? You decided to leave us in order to be free even though you knew that Mom was unable to look after us. I am now aware that we can’t depend on you, so leave us alone. I know that you are our father, but only in name. Dominic and I are doing our best to look after Mom when she has her spells, but it is hard.”

  “Sasha, I want to talk to you about —”

  “Hello, Mr. Lambert, how are you?” Nicole interrupted their conversation. “Am I interrupting something?” Nicole knew very well that she was but that was exactly what she wanted to do in order to rescue Sasha. “Come along, Sasha.”

  Larry felt awkward and annoyed.

  “Goodnight, Mr. Lambert,” Nicole said.

  “Goodnight, Dad.”

  The girls went off in a hurry, so he wouldn’t have the nerve to go after them with more questions or requests. There was no shame when it came to this character. He had no conscience. The girls decided not to tell Susanne about the unpleasant encounter. The only thing was, Sasha was now afraid that her father would come again and harass her. She decided to tell Mrs. Miller about her father; how he met her and wanted money.

  “Have you told your mother about this?” Mrs. Miller wanted to know.

  “No, no, I can’t tell her. She would be terribly upset. You know my mother, she gets that way.”

  “Leave it to me, Sasha. You go home and don’t you worry about it. He won’t bother you again —”

  “What do you mean? There’s no guarantee that he won’t show up again.”

  “Trust me; he won’t.” Anna had a plan that was sure to work. She was going to have a talk with her boys. They would take care of Larry.

  “Mom, do you think I could be of some help at the office? I realize I haven’t any qualifications in that direction but I can learn.” Olivia was sure her mother would be willing to teach her enough to be of assistance when things got crazy at times. She was willing to do her best and she told her mother just that. She was frightened but willing to at least give it a try. After all, there was plenty to do; even if she only did the f
iling, she would be helping. There was so much going on in their lives, and she had been the only one who had avoided helping. Even Trevor tried at times, with not much success. That was funny. “Mom, I will understand if you say no since I managed to disappoint you before regarding the office work.” Then she waited. She was envious of others earning money while she had none of her own to spend.

  “Well, now, where did that come from, all of a sudden?” her mother responded. “What is going on here? Don’t get me wrong — I am very happy to hear you say what you just said; I am just a bit surprised. I am very proud of you for taking a bit of a detour from your usual ways. You know that your father and I are not against providing for our children and have always given you a decent life; but seeing you taking responsibility is a wonderful thing.

  “So, young lady, if you wish, you can start Monday after school. We will arrange that you work only when you don’t have too much homework. You can also work on the weekends, when we need extra help.” Olivia was becoming one of them after all. She no longer pretended to be different. She was aware that at times she drove them crazy with her shenanigans. Her dreams, as well as Greg, will simply have to be put aside at times. Greg worked as well, so he would understand.

  April was a cool and wet month; there was a feeling of discontent. But once the month of May approached, everything started showing signs of great improvement. Now it was time to make plans for the rest of the year.

  Henry was not completely out of trouble but with his determination and good nature, he was hopeful that he would soon be independent, the way he used to be.

  He started taking Serge for short walks in order to keep moving and not get into a rut. By now, he had help only twice a week and that was mostly to get the heavier housework done. He managed to cook for himself again, and Dominic brought him the groceries that Anna Miller prepared for him to take to Henry. Having been a long-time friend of the Millers, he was being spoiled by them; as well as by others. Anna made very sure that he was not hungry. She often added some ready-made food on the side, much to Henry’s dismay.

  Barb and Sam decided to pay Henry a short visit. Sam happened to have the day to himself after that meeting at the bank. He suggested, if she didn’t have anything pressing at work, they should go and visit Henry and see how he was coming along. Barb quickly agreed to go.

  “So, how is the house hunting coming along?” Henry wanted to know. He had heard all about it from Nicole and Dominic. The two of them were not happy about the intended move. “I hear you want to move away from us? Not that I blame you when it comes to needing more space for yourselves, as well as the trucks.”

  “So the children have told on us? We have discussed it with them and now we are waiting for the bank approval; it could still go either way,” Barb answered.

  “I hear you are doing very well in your new office,” Henry commented. “You were smart to make that move.” Henry always enjoyed teasing Barb.

  “Yes, you had more faith in me than I had. You told me: If we don’t take chances, we never find out whether we can succeed. I will never forget that.”

  “I don’t believe that I recall any such conversation. It must have been someone else.”

  “Not to worry, Henry; I told Sam about it after I made my decision. So our secret would have been safe.”

  “Barb and I have had many such secrets in the past and some were quite risky but we are still married and happy!” He was proud of his wife for many of those risks, because she was always the one who braved it. He was the cautious one, especially when it came to money. “Henry, if you need anything, just say the word.”

  It was time to leave.

  Later that evening, Olivia seemed upset over something Greg did or said. Suddenly she was finished with guys, as they think only of themselves. “I don’t understand how people ever get married, since all the guys are so selfish.” She was in tears by now. Her parents waited for her to calm down before even asking what was going on. They simply let her vent until she had exhausted herself and stopped yelling. Then she sat down and looked at the two of them as if they were strangers. “Well, are you going to say anything at all?”

  Sam was first to comment. “If you wouldn’t mind explaining what this is all about, we might be able to assist. Perhaps your mother has the ability to know how girls work; she might even know how to answer your questions before you ask them, but I have no clue as to what you are talking about.”

  “Daddy, you are supposed to be on my side.” Olivia still hadn’t explained her dilemma.

  “Now, Olivia; what has he said or done that upset you so much? Is this about the move?” Barb asked.

  “Mom, I just knew that you would understand. Greg is upset about us moving and he is not willing to try and work things out according to our circumstances. He is trying to scare me and is being a total jerk about the whole situation. I don’t need him. I can easily find myself another boyfriend —”

  Sam put in, “There we go again. You’re being a drama queen. We’re not even sure if we are moving, but if this is such a catastrophe, then he wasn’t worth knowing anyway.”

  “Sam!” Barb was perplexed at her husband’s reaction.

  “Forgive me, Barb, but this time I think I am right.” He was beginning to feel sorry for what he said to his daughter but he was not about to back off.

  Trevor was the only one who was really excited about the move. He would finally have the chance to get up on the trucks and find out all about how they work. He was happy. All he wanted was to be with his dad. “Dad, when are we moving? May I go with you, when you go looking for houses?”

  “You may go, only I don’t know when that will be. Your Uncle John and I have to leave for Montreal tomorrow morning, and I have no idea when we are due back.”

  “Your father and I will be looking at houses on the weekend between your games, and if you still wish to go then, you are welcome.” Barb tried to comfort her son. Trevor never asked for too much and took things in stride.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  All that time while Henry was unable to get around, he had plenty of time to plan for the future. One of the things on his future agenda was to do something about his brother’s passing. He had all along suspected foul play. Something didn’t add up about the way the person who was at fault had never had to answer for it. Who was it and what had been hidden regarding the case? He decided to go to the library and find whatever he could from the newspaper report on the accident. At the time, Henry was overwhelmed by the situation and found himself unable to fight for his rights and question everybody who might have known what exactly happened.

  “Hi, Henry — what are you doing here?” Dominic had accidently run into Henry at the library.

  “Well, I could ask you the same question. I guess we both like coming to the library?” Henry answered. He was not prepared to get into a conversation regarding his brother.

  “I didn’t know that you were attending classes lately,” Dominic persisted.

  “I’m looking for newspapers, not books.”

  “Newspapers — can I be of some help? I am pretty good at finding things, you know. I pride myself as being a genius at finding things.” Dominic grinned sheepishly, while Henry started losing patience and didn’t quite know how to get rid of the boy.

  “You mind your business, young man, and I will not ask what you are looking for. Okay?”

  “Oh, all right, if you say so, but if you change your mind, I will still be happy to assist.”

  “It’s a deal. Now let me concentrate.”

  Henry welcomed such encounters with people but he just didn’t feel ready to disclose his plan at this point. He missed Lily, and this kind of interaction with his friends helped him live a so-called normal life. But what was normal? He had to start somewhere, and this was it for now.

  He wanted to find the paper from the date of his brother’s accident and see what was said about it. Perhaps he could come to some sort of conclusion as to where to go
from there. He was aware that the police had questioned several people (eye witnesses); there were comments such as, this had to be staged; they planned it; it was on purpose; etc. No one said, It was an unfortunate accident. The police had kept it quiet. Now, there could be a reason for that, because sometimes, the silence can help them with the investigation. Henry wondered why he hadn’t asked more questions at the time. But then he knew that he had been in no condition to get involved in police matters. He had lost his only sibling, his best friend, and a business partner, all at the same time.

  Much later, he questioned the authorities and was told that they were on the case and he was to let them handle it. However, nothing ever came of it. He had been assured that the case was still open, but the clues were slowly fading. That part was not unusual. Later, Henry went about his business knowing that he couldn’t bring his brother back, no matter what he did and no matter how hard he fought the bad guy — or guys. What he did know was that his brother had been hit broadside at an intersection and the car that hit him (although badly damaged) had taken off and was located abandoned shortly after not far from the scene, but the driver was not to be found. That in itself suggested that he or she had had help getting away. That much was known.

  For a former navy officer, who still looked like one, with his looks and the way he carried himself, especially when dealing with important matters, one would never know that Henry had left the navy such a long time ago. With his self-confidence and the calmness with which he carried himself, nobody would ever believe that Henry could possibly be a victim of somebody’s hatred. This was a man who would give others his heart and soul in the blink of an eye.

  Henry felt very alone. He was not in the mood to talk about it with anyone; although really he should have. He spent a lot of time looking for clues and trying to remember if there was anybody who might have wanted his brother dead. And what about his own accidents? After many trips to the library, Henry decided to try the police once more.

  “Good morning, Sergeant . . .”