The War of the Roses: The Children

by Warren Adler

  “Believe it or not,” he paused and offered an expression of total frustration, “it’s about candy.”

  “That again.”

  “Can you believe it? My world hangs in the balance over….” He leaned over the desk, his eyes meeting hers, “damned candy.”

  “The Crespos…,” she began.

  He nodded and shrugged.

  “Them and every other parent.”

  “You’re not making much sense, Gor….” She checked herself. “Mr. Tatum.”

  “At first it seemed so trivial.” He shook his head. “Someone was just handing out candy bars. Simple as that.”

  “Milky Ways,” Victoria said in a kind of knee-jerk reaction.

  “Yes.” He paused and offered a wry but joyless chuckle. “And Snickers. Mars Bars, Tootsie Rolls, Good and Plentys. Look how expert I’ve become on the confection industry. Call it the attack of the candy bars, Mrs. Rose. Somebody was handing them out on a daily basis.”

  “To whom?”

  He paused and swallowed hard as if it were painful to articulate.

  “The children in Michael’s class.”

  “Free of charge? Just handing them out?”

  He nodded.

  “Is that an infraction of the rules?” she asked with some sarcasm.

  “Not exactly. At first I thought this was just a passing trend. I didn’t like the idea, of course. It’s the very reason why we do not have candy vending machines in the school. But we’ve been through all that, haven’t we, Mrs. Rose?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  She suddenly felt as if she had entered a surreal world as far removed from reality as the earth from the nearest star. What does this have to do with me, she wondered? Or was this another of his subtle ploys?

  “As you know there is no specific rule barring candy bars from the school, and it goes without saying that we do not encourage our students to eat candy per se. Nor do we restrict students from eating candy bars in the cafeteria.”

  “Get to the point, Tatum,” Victoria snapped.

  “It starts as a trickle, then accelerates and becomes a flood.”

  “What does?”

  “Parental complaints.”

  “If I’d known, I’d be the first to object. They’re absolutely right. I think I’ve made myself very clear on the subject.”

  “Yes you have.”

  “Am I here because I’ve been chosen to lead the charge against the practice?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then what?” Victoria said, wondering again if the man was brazen enough to begin his little game again. It crossed her mind that perhaps he had developed some sexual obsession about her, some uncontrollable impulse.

  “I’m afraid the benefactor of all this candy largesse is, as you might have guessed, your Michael.”

  “Michael!” she cried. “You can’t be serious.”

  Was this déjà vu? Candy? Was this a monstrous joke being played on her?

  “Considering the situation,” Tatum said, lifting his chin and scratching his neck in contemplation. “I thought we should talk. The truth is, Mrs. Rose….” He paused and whispered: “Victoria. I’m being pushed. Look, I’m completely at your mercy. I’ve been a fool. Worse. I’ve put my career and my family on the line. You can destroy me, Victoria.”

  “Have you talked to Michael about this?” she asked, ignoring his appeal. His pleading embarrassed her.

  “Yes, I have. Very tactfully, of course. Not accusatory. I did not tell him about the pressure I’m getting from the parents.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He admitted to giving out the candy. He hadn’t intended it to be a secret.”

  Victoria was astonished.

  “Did he say why?”

  “Proudly, he said: ‘Food is love. Candy is sharing and friendship.’”

  “Evie!” she cried, rising to her feet.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “My sister-in-law.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “This practice will stop, Tatum,” Victoria said. “I guarantee it.”

  “And you’re not angry that I brought it up?”

  “Hell no,” Victoria said.

  “I’m greatly relieved,” he said.

  “I’m not.”

  She felt the full fury of this revelation. Evie! Of course. Fat little Evie. This explained why the children were gaining weight. Evie was the help and Josh had deliberately kept it from her. It was an outrage, exposing the children to Evie’s destructive obsessions and influence.

  For years she had tolerated her cultish madness about food, her erratic and repugnant lifestyle, her stunted philosophy and behavior. Long after she had forbidden the children to visit with her she had tolerated Josh’s sentimental attachment with this obviously unbalanced woman.

  She berated herself for her naïveté. Once again, Josh had betrayed her. Worse, he had enlisted the children in this conspiracy. To her, that was the most terrible infraction of all. He had used them, abused her own magnanimity and fairness to corrupt her teachings and rearing principles.

  Driving home, she tried to work out some way of extracting them and herself from the dilemma she had unwittingly created. There seemed no point now in ignoring what she saw as the evil being perpetrated against her and her offspring. Josh was deliberately alienating her children from her, creating subtle animosities and, she was certain, stealing for the sheer pleasure of aggravating her.

  “What’s going on?” Mrs. Stewart asked when she arrived home. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

  “Leave me alone, Mother,” Victoria snapped. “I’m too furious to talk.” She went into the den and poured herself a stiff drink.

  “Must be serious business for a belt like that,” her mother said.

  “I’ve been fucked,” Victoria cried, blurting out the story in bits and pieces.

  “That fat bitch,” her mother said. “And the kids were in on it.” She shook her head.

  “They won’t get away with this,” Victoria cried, upending her glass.

  ***

  When the children came home from school, she had already worked up a good head of steam. She summoned them to the den and they came obediently with odd expressions of curiosity on their faces as they exchanged glances. She ordered them both to sit on the couch. She did not sit down. Instead, she paced the floor in front of them while her mother observed her.

  “Above all, children, I want the absolute truth. No more lies. No more denials. I’ve had enough.” She looked pointedly at Michael. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Both children looked at each other in confusion.

  “Who has been living here and helping Daddy?”

  She had expected a thunderbolt reaction. None came.

  “Aunt Evie,” Michael said calmly.

  “Yes, Mommy. Aunt Evie,” Emily said.

  “Why haven’t I been told?” Victoria scolded.

  “Because we know you don’t like Aunt Evie,” Michael said as if it were merely a passing comment on the weather. “We didn’t want to upset you. Did we, Emmie?”

  “No, Mommy.”

  “And what has she been stuffing into your fat little mouths?”

  “Ragoût,” Emily began, “de veau….” She looked helplessly at her brother.

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “Aux champignons,” Michael added in bad French.

  “Rich French food,” Mrs. Stewart sneered. “She’s been feeding them that slop.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Victoria cried.

  “Lots of sweets and cakes and pies, right?” Mrs. Stewart said, raising her voice. “You were keeping it a secret from your mother, weren’t you, children?”


  “Mommy doesn’t like Aunt Evie,” Emily said, looking at her grandmother with obvious disdain.

  “She’s been brainwashing them about food being love and candy sharing a sign of pure friendship and nonsense like that,” Victoria fumed as she paced in front of them.

  “It’s disgusting,” Mrs. Stewart sneered.

  The children frowned and looked at each in confusion.

  “I spoke to Mr. Tatum today,” Victoria said, directing her attention to Michael. “He informed me about your little candy caper. How could you defy me in that way, especially after that other episode with the Crespo girl?”

  “All I did was give candy to my friends,” Michael protested.

  “Their parents are complaining, Michael. Mr. Tatum says he may be forced to take some action. Hasn’t my teaching meant anything to you? I thought we had an understanding. You were taught the difference between right and wrong.”

  “Ask him where he got the candy,” Mrs. Stewart interposed.

  “That’s pretty obvious, Mother,” Victoria said, pausing and shaking her head. “What I can’t understand and what boggles my mind is how you conveniently neglected to tell me about Aunt Evie being here.”

  “We didn’t tell Dad about Gramma,” Michael said with an air of defiance.

  Victoria observed her son curiously. Suddenly she saw him in a strangely different light and it startled her. What had earlier been merely disappointment was now compounded by another more frightening vision. He seemed a complete stranger, someone who was not at all like the child she thought she knew.

  “I think this child hasn’t got a clue to what’s going on here,” Mrs. Stewart said. “And I believe he ought to be told.”

  “Told what, Mother?” Victoria said, her mind still dealing with the unanswered questions of her parenting.

  “About why this is happening, Victoria,” Mrs. Stewart said, rising from her chair. “If you won’t tell them, Victoria, I will.”

  She was unstoppable now, and Victoria was too psychologically exhausted to make the effort. Mrs. Stewart faced the children, her eyes wandering from one face to the other.

  “Your father betrayed your mother,” she began, pausing to watch their reaction. Victoria agonized over the revelation, but said nothing. “He broke up his family by violating the marriage contract, having sex with another woman. You may not yet understand what I’m saying. But someday you’ll remember what I said, and you’ll know what I meant. He was unfaithful to your mother. He lay with another woman. He is a selfish, evil, bad man.”

  “Good God, Mother,” Victoria shouted. “They don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

  “Oh yes they do,” Mrs. Stewart snapped. “Don’t fool yourself.”

  Emily’s expression was one of total confusion. She began to cry hysterically. Victoria rushed to comfort her with an embrace. Michael sat stone-faced, lips pursed, his expression contemptuous, his reactions curiously unchildlike. She had the impression that Michael knew exactly what his grandmother had meant.

  “Your father is evil,” Mrs. Stewart shouted.

  “This is getting out of hand,” Victoria cried, tightening her embrace of Emily.

  Michael looked at his mother with eyes blazing. Victoria saw in them something she had never seen before. Pure rage.

  “I’m going to tell Dad about Gramma,” he shouted, then turning to Mrs. Stewart, “My dad is not an evil man.”

  “He’s not,” Emily cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “You’re a very bad woman,” Michael blurted, still facing his grandmother.

  “Don’t you dare talk to your Gramma like that,” Victoria screamed, releasing Emily and slapping her son hard across his cheek, his skin quickly reddening with the imprint of her fingers.

  Emily ran to her brother and clung to him screaming. “Mommy, stop it. Please.”

  “I don’t care what you tell your father, Michael,” Mrs. Stewart shouted. “What he can’t change is the fact that I’m your grandmother. I don’t care if he does despise me. I hate him, too.”

  “Stop it. Stop it. Stop it,” Victoria said, reaching for her son, overwhelmed by contrition over what she had done.

  “Please forgive me, Michael. Please. I didn’t mean it. My God, what has got into us?” She kissed his reddened cheek. “Forgive me, my baby. Please.”

  “He deserves it, Victoria,” Mrs. Stewart shouted. “Why are you coddling him?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Mom,” Michael said, caressing his mother’s arm. “All we want is for you and Dad to love each other and stay together.”

  “Fat chance,” Mrs. Stewart hissed, turning to her daughter. “We know where the source of all this trouble is coming from, don’t we, Victoria?”

  “I wish you would shut your mouth, Mother,” Victoria yelled. “Just shut up. Shut up. Please shut up.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that, Victoria.”

  “I just don’t want to hear any more,” Victoria snapped, fighting for control. She and her mother exchanged fiery glances.

  “You’ve got a big problem here, Victoria,” Mrs. Stewart said, turning, and with obvious indignation leaving the room.

  When her mother was gone, Victoria tightened her embrace on both children. Emily continued to sob.

  “Please forgive me, kids. I don’t know what got into me. I love you both so much.” She gently caressed Michael’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, Michael,” she sighed. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  Her plea for forgiveness seemed to have the desired effect. Both children kissed and hugged their mother and remained in her arms until they had all calmed down. After a while, she released the children and sent them upstairs.

  On further reflection, although contrite and thoroughly ashamed of her outburst, she began to have second thoughts about her mother’s revelation to the children. Despite the bad timing and acrimony, sooner or later they had to know. Maybe they did not understand what sexual infidelity meant, but surely they knew the meaning of disloyalty and betrayal. Perhaps her mother’s mean-mindedness did serve a useful purpose after all.

  This incident made it increasingly apparent that she and Josh were competing against each other for the love of their children. She didn’t have any illusions about who was winning. Josh and Evie were indulging them with food. But that was only one manifestation of their technique. As the disciplining parent, she was playing the less-attractive role and suffering the consequences.

  It was obvious that this “bird nesting” arrangement was not the solution she had hoped it would be. She had not foreseen that Josh could be so devious when it came to the children. Once again, she had been naïve in her assumptions. She was now convinced that Josh’s cooperation in this venture had been a pose.

  It was time, she decided, to take another tack, one more aggressive and considerably less trusting.

  Chapter 16

  Josh got the call from Michael in his office. He sounded panicked and upset. It was late Friday and he would not be back at the house until Sunday.

  “Mom knows about Aunt Evie,” Michael said almost in a whisper, as if he feared discovery.

  “How did she find out?”

  “Emily and I didn’t tell her. She….” He hesitated. “She went to the school. I… I was giving away candy to the class.”

  “That wasn’t too smart, Michael.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad.”

  “What was her reaction?”

  “Not good, Dad. She slapped me.”

  “Oh my God. Emily, too? Did she?”

  “Just me. Then she said she was sorry.”

  It was out of character for Victoria to ever hit her children. In fact, she had railed against such disciplinary measures, and he had never lifted a hand to them in rebuke.

  “And Dad….”

  Again he could hear the hesitation
in Michael’s voice.

  “What is it, son?”

  “Gramma said bad things.”

  Mrs. Stewart’s sad face surfaced in his mind, bringing with it all the aura of her mean spirit. How did she get into the picture? The truth dawned on him with explosive force. His rage erupted.

  “What is that monster doing in my house?” he screamed into the phone. He immediately regretted the outburst. Both Josh and Victoria had been scrupulous in not defaming Mrs. Stewart in front of the children and were extraordinarily tolerant of Victoria’s love-hate attachment to her. His rage accelerated and he had to pause and take deep breaths to compose himself before he was able to speak again.

  “Are you okay, Dad?” Michael asked.

  “I’m fine, son. It’s just… well never mind. Tell me what kind of things your grandmother said about me.”

  It took Michael some seconds to get the words out.

  “Bad things,” Michael said, his voice suddenly hoarse.

  “Tell me, son,” Josh said.

  “About laying with another woman. About betraying Mom.”

  Josh was stunned. Then it occurred to him that she might not have spared Emily.

  “Did Emily hear these things?”

  “Yes, Dad. She made Emily cry.”

  “Bitch,” Josh muttered, inflamed by the idea that this bitter woman, who had preached her hatred of men as a solemn cause could be let loose to spew her poison over his children.

  “And this all happened today?”

  “When we came home from school.”

  “And now? What is it like now?”

  “Mom and Gramma are making dinner.”

  “And Emily?”

  “She’s standing right here.”

  Emily took the phone.

  “I love you, Daddy,” she said. He could hear the sadness in her voice. “Gramma said bad things.”

  “I know, darling. I love you, too. But it’s all going to be all right. Cross my heart. I promise.”

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  He was at a loss for words. What could one say to a nine-year-old who had just heard her father was a bad man?

  “I’m not a bad man, sweetheart.”