Quilt As You Go

by Arlene Sachitano

"No,” Aunt Beth said. “I only know what I just told you. The officer said they wanted to ask her a few more questions. Harriet called Robin from the Loose Threads. She's a lawyer, and she was meeting your mom at the police station."

  "While we're waiting to hear something, you two boys can make yourselves useful,” Aunt Beth said. “Harry, you take the blue-handled broom from that closet over there and go through the dining room and out the French doors. When you reach the patio, start sweeping."

  She looked at Ben. “You go out to the garage and go upstairs and get the two white coolers down and bring them outside. If they need it, hose them out. Then you can take my car and go get enough bags of ice to half-fill both of them and two cases of bottled water. You can put the ice in the freezer in the garage until closer to dinnertime."

  "Yes, ma'am,” Ben said.

  "No fair,” Harry said. “You get to drive Aunt Beth's new car while I have to sweep the patio."

  "Harry,” Aunt Beth said and handed him the broom. “Life is tough."

  "Tell me about it,” the youngest Willis said, and headed for the dining room with his broom.

  The weather man had predicted comfortable evening temperatures, so Aunt Beth had Harry and Ben out on the patio an hour later, setting up tables and planting bamboo Tiki lights she had left behind in Harriet's garage in the soft dirt of the flowerbed that separated the patio from the grass of the back yard.

  "We won't light the Tikis until we see if anyone is still sitting out here when it starts to get dark. You two keep an eye on things and light them if we need them. There are matches in the drawer to the left of the stove."

  "Yes, ma'am,” Ben said.

  Harriet came out with an armload of table cloths that had been hanging in the upstairs linen closet, waiting for just such an occasion.

  "Do you want these on the tables now, or should we wait until closer to dinner?"

  "Let's wait a bit longer, so the trees don't have as much time to drop debris on them,” Beth replied. “How'd it go?” she asked as Mavis stepped out on the patio.

  "Are you okay?” Ben asked.

  "Aunt Beth wouldn't let us come help you,” Harry said at the same time.

  "Boys,” she said and held her arms out. “As you can see, I'm fine.” The two boys closed in on their mom. Mavis put one arm around the waist of each. “Beth was right. She and Harriet shouldn't have to do all the work for our family."

  "Harry,” Harriet said. “There are folding chairs in the garage attic. Can you and Ben go get enough to go around the tables?"

  The boys fetched chairs, and Harriet brought out a pitcher of iced tea and glasses and set them on the table closest to the house. Mavis and Beth sat down, and Harriet poured tea for everyone.

  "So, what did the police say?” Ben asked when he'd set up enough chairs for everyone.

  "They said a lot, but I can summarize it in one sentence—they don't have a clue."

  "Why did they make you go to the police station?” Harriet asked.

  "As near as I can tell, they are trying to go over everything one more time and they were trying to shake us up by making us come to their place."

  "Us?” Harriet asked. “Who us?"

  "Oh, didn't I mention it when I came in? They had Ilsa in there too."

  "Wow,” Harriet said. “She must have been terrified.” She thought a minute. “At least if she didn't do it,” she added.

  "Was she by herself?” Beth asked.

  "Robin called her husband's law partner and he came down. She said the partner had done some international law when he graduated from law school. He called the Dutch consulate in Seattle."

  "Do they have any idea why Gerald/Gerard came back?” Harriet asked.

  "I'm telling you they don't have anything,” Mavis said and shook her head in disgust. “Detective Black did say they had been in touch with detectives in Amsterdam. If they learned anything they weren't sharing."

  "Dios mio,” Connie exclaimed as she came through the house when she caught sight of Mavis. “Are you okay? Did the Federales beat you?"

  "Connie,” Mavis said with a smile, “as you can see, I'm fine. Everyone needs to stop fussing about the police. We've got more important things to talk about."

  "Like what?” asked Ben.

  "I can't think of anything more important than your freedom,” said Harry.

  Harriet felt sorry for the boys.

  "There's a reason we wanted to get all you boys together tonight, before the funeral on Saturday and before you have a chance to accidentally happen on the information. I was going to tell you all at once, but this might be better."

  "You're scaring me, Mom,” said Ben.

  Harry sat up in his chair, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Okay, lay it on me,” he said.

  "You have a sister,” Mavis blurted out without preamble.

  "What!” Harry screeched.

  "No way,” Ben said.

  "Dios mio,” said Connie, as if she, too, were hearing the news for the first time.

  Every one fell silent for a moment. “Geez, Mom. Don't sugar-coat it or anything,” Ben finally said. “A sister? How?"

  Mavis laughed. “The usual way, I expect."

  "Ben, your father was gone for a long time,” Aunt Beth said. “He apparently remarried fifteen years ago. It's not a giant leap that he might have had more children."

  "Are there more?” Harry asked.

  "I'm not sure I know the answer to that,” Mavis said. “Ilsa didn't say there weren't more, but if there are more kids, she didn't talk about them. And only her daughter came for the funeral."

  "Are you sure she's Dad's daughter?” Ben asked.

  "Yes,” Mavis said, “I think so."

  "I suppose she has red hair?” Harry said. Mavis and Gerald were both red-heads, and while their sons had a variety of hair textures and shades, they too were all ginger-haired.

  "She does."

  "What else?” Harry pressed.

  "You'll see when you meet her,” Mavis said. “Now, let's get busy and help get this dinner going."

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  Chapter 22

  All five Willis boys and the wives and children of the older three were present and accounted for before the Dutch contingent arrived. Harry had been pacing the kitchen and was the first down the hall and to the front door when Ilsa rang the bell. He opened the door and stood in stunned silence, leaving the new arrivals on the porch.

  Mavis came up behind him. She gently nudged him to the side.

  "Welcome,” she said to Gerard's cousins. “Come on in."

  Theobald, his wife Uda and Ilsa came in. Ilsa's daughter stood frozen, staring at Harry.

  "Don't be rude, Marit,” Ilsa said, and pulled her daughter by the hand into the house.

  Mavis poked Harry in the back.

  "Sorry,” he said. “I'm Harry."

  "Hello, Harry. I'm Ilsa, and this is my daughter Marit.” Ilsa held her hand out, and Harry took it.

  "Is this my brother?” Marit asked Mavis in nearly unaccented English.

  "This is one of them."

  "He's very old,” Marit said, staring at Harry's face.

  "Would you like to meet the rest of your brothers?” Mavis asked with a glance at Ilsa. Ilsa smiled encouragement.

  Mavis took Marit by the hand and led her into the kitchen. She completed the introductions, and although Marit wasn't very impressed with her grown brothers, her face lit up when she realized she was an aunt and that she had a niece who was just two years her junior. The two girls were shy at first, but Gerry's daughter Elfie was a talker, and soon the girls were chattering as if they'd known each other for years.

  Connie stayed in the kitchen until dinner was served.

  "Can you handle things, mija?” she asked Harriet when the rest of the guests were out on the patio filling plates with pollo con chipotle, fruit and potato salads and the rest of the delicious food the Loose Threads had delivered. “Any l
eftover salads and the chicken can go into the refrigerator in the containers they're in, so clean-up shouldn't be too hard.” She took her apron off. “If you get a chance, grill the little girl,” she advised. “Kids that age are more observant then people give them credit for."

  When Connie was gone, Harriet circulated among the people seated on the patio, refilling glasses, first with iced tea and then lemonade. Theobald was talking with Gerry and James, both of whom had visited the Netherlands and stayed with their dad's cousins after high school, before their dad left.

  "I never could understand why Mavis would divorce Gerald. And his story about you boys not wanting to see him anymore seemed unlikely, too,” Theobald said. “He insisted he'd been thrown out and needed to be far away so he could start his life over. I saw the way he studied the Christmas pictures your mother sent us every year, like a hungry man with a fish.” He made a dismissive wave with his hand. “I never believed it."

  Harriet moved on to the cluster of women.

  "We raised her to speak both Dutch and English. And she studies English at school,” Ilsa said. She was wearing a blue seersucker skirt with a sleeveless white shirt, a pale yellow sweater draped loosely over her shoulders. James and Pete Willis were both married to women who dressed to impress and both were outclassed by Ilsa.

  She moved on to the children. Mavis's older grandchildren had gone upstairs to Harriet's TV room to watch music DVDs they'd brought with them. Marit and Elfie sat side-by-side on the patio swing.

  "Where is your bathroom?” Elfie asked Harriet, who directed her to the half-bath off the kitchen.

  "This must be a little overwhelming,” she said to Marit. The girl shrugged. “Did you have any idea you had brothers?” Harriet pressed.

  The girl's face turned pink, and she squirmed in her seat. Harriet let the silence grow.

  "Vader used to keep sweets in his office at home. He would hide them, and then I would find them and he would move them again.” She paused.

  "And?” Harriet finally said.

  The girl's blue eyes filled with tears.

  "One day I opened a drawer, and there were no sweets. I began to shut the drawer, but then something fell from the surface above and it dropped into the drawer."

  "What was it?"

  "It was a picture. It had been taped to the board above the drawer, and the tape came loose.” She sighed. “It was a picture of five boys, and one looked very like me."

  "What did your father say? I assume you asked him."

  "Vader said it was his cousin's children."

  "But you didn't believe him?"

  "Uda and Theobald are his cousins, and they have girls, and they have blond hair. And at Christmas, Uda would get a picture card from her friend in America, and there were five men with ginger hair. I asked Moeder, but she said all only children imagine secret brothers and sisters."

  Harriet felt mean grilling a child, but she continued anyway. “Did your father tell you where he was going when he came here?"

  She tilted her face away. “He told me not to tell anyone. He said especially not Moeder, because she would worry."

  "I don't think he would mind your telling me. I'm trying to figure out what happened. I think he would want that."

  Marit turned her wide, blue-eyed gaze onto Harriet and then sighed.

  "He said there was a man who was doing something bad, and he could stop him. He told me he would be back before I knew it.” Her tears welled again.

  "What are you guys talking about?” Elfie asked, and when Marit held the swing still, she hopped back to her place beside her new aunt.

  Harriet was saved from having to answer by Aiden's arrival.

  "Hi,” he said, and kissed her on the top of her head. “I thought I'd come by and see if I could help with the clean-up.” He looked around at the clusters of people. I guess I'm a little early."

  "Your eyes are very strange,” Elfie said. “Are you wearing contacts?"

  "No, I'm not wearing contacts, and my eyes are just like yours, I just don't have quite as much color as you do."

  "Can you see the same as me?” Elfie pressed.

  "How do you see?” Aiden asked. Harriet could tell he was fighting to keep from smiling.

  "I see the regular way,” Elfie answered.

  "Me, too."

  "I've got to continue my rounds,” Harriet said, and tugged awkwardly on Aiden's sleeve as she walked away with her pitcher.

  "Give me that,” he said and took the lemonade from her. “How's it going?” He gestured toward the assembled Willis clan.

  "I think the boys were a bit shocked to find out their father had another child, but everyone is being civil. Marit was just telling me her father was coming to ‘stop a man who was doing something bad.’”

  "That covers a lot of ground, approximately half of the world's population being male."

  "Can you help me bring a garbage can from the garage to the edge of the patio?” She needed to think about the implications of what Marit had said, and working was a good way to think. She began gathering paper plates and crumpled napkins from the tables. Aiden brought the can then helped her.

  "Would anyone care for dessert?” she asked.

  Everyone but James's and Pete's wives nodded or murmured assent.

  "What are we having?” Aiden asked.

  "Jenny made two pies and a chocolate cake.” She'd also brought two half-gallon cartons of vanilla ice cream.

  "How do we know who wants what?"

  "We're going to cut pie and cake and put it on plates and put the plates on a tray and then carry the ice cream and scoop with us. We will offer cake or pie and then add ice cream if they want it. You think you can handle it?"

  "I think my two hands will handle it better than your one,” he said with a smirk.

  Harriet, however, surprised him with her show of one-handed scooping, and they quickly served the dessert and returned to the kitchen.

  Aiden's phone trilled with the low tones of Blake Shelton's rendition of the song “Home.” He pulled it from his pocket and pressed the green answer button.

  "Calm down, I can't understand what you're saying ... No, don't go anywhere ... Don't do anything until I get there.” He turned to Harriet. “I gotta go."

  "Trouble?"

  "Carla needs me,” he said.

  "Oh, well. You better go then."

  "I'm sorry,” he said. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up, then kissed her gently on the lips. “She's really upset about something, and I need to go see what's going on."

  She put her good arm around his shoulder and leaned into him, twining her fingers through his silky hair. “Of course you do—go. You can tell me all about it tomorrow.” She said this last with false enthusiasm and hoped he was distracted enough not to notice.

  He stepped away.

  "I'll call you tomorrow,” he said as he headed for the door. He glanced back at her, and she tried to convince herself it was a look of regret she saw on his face.

  "Where's he going in such a hurry?” Mavis asked. Harriet hadn't noticed her enter the kitchen.

  "Carla called. He said she was upset, so he had to go find out why."

  "You do know she's not a threat, don't you?"

  "That knowledge doesn't excuse his behavior,” Harriet complained and sat on a stool at the bar.

  "That youthful lack of finesse is one of the things that attracts you to him, isn't it?"

  Harriet didn't want to think about that, so she got up and started loading silverware into the dishwasher. She could justify the use of paper plates for a group dinner—they tended to start the bio-degrading process before dinner was over. Plastic silverware was a whole different thing, though. She imagined post-apocalyptic scenes with all living things gone and plastic forks sticking their tines skyward out of landfills everywhere, silent reminders of man's stay on earth. Because of this, she avoided them and opted to use her stainless flatware, even when the meal was eaten outside.


  "I have to wonder what Carla's so upset about,” Mavis said, and Harriet realized she had missed out on the whole “spy on Terry” mission.

  "Aiden didn't say, but my guess is it's something to do with her new friend, Terry."

  "Why would she call Aiden about man troubles?"

  "She's not having typical man troubles. Terry has proven to be a bit unreliable, which by itself might just mean he's a flake, but in reality, he's a man with an agenda. His claim that he's looking for people who knew his father doesn't ring true, especially in light of our recent discovery that he's sitting on a hill using binoculars to spy on Carlton's company."

  "That doesn't sound like the usual genealogy search, does it?” Mavis said.

  "No, I think he's investigating something else. It's not clear if the something else has to do with his father at all. He could be working for a person or persons unknown, or even an organization. He said he'd explain it all, and now he's playing hard to get."

  "What do you mean?"

  "He was supposed to meet Carla this morning for coffee, and he didn't show up. That alone makes me want to wring his neck. But if he's working for someone else, I'm sure his work, whatever it is, has to take priority over everything."

  "Something else must have happened,” Mavis said and took over the dishwasher loading process. “Move over, it's going to take you all night, working with one hand. Our Carla gets resigned and dejected, but she's had too much experience with disappointment to become agitated over a missed date. And to call Aiden, she must have been real upset."

  "I don't think so. They've become pretty close since she's been living there. You're right, though, she's not the hysterical type."

  Mavis shut the dishwasher and turned it on. “Well, we aren't going to be able to figure it out until one of them tells us something, and that's not likely to be tonight.” She glanced at her narrow gold wristwatch. “Goodness, look at the time. I'm going to run my bunch out of here so you can get some rest. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your letting me use your house like this."

  "After all the times you've helped me? Don't give it a second thought."

  True to her word, Mavis went outside and encouraged her guests to call it a night.

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