by Joy Redmond
“I hope your mama decided to come home, little darling.” She headed for the front door, unlocked and opened it. She gasped and her heart sang because her son was standing in front of her. She grabbed Tony in a bear hug. “Son! What a surprise! I’m so glad you came down for Thanksgiving. How long can you stay?” She hugged him again, then said, “But aren’t you out of school a little early?”
“I flunked out of school. I’m back to stay with you,” he said.
“You flunked out?” Mandy repeated in disbelief as Tony stepped into the living room.
“Hey there, little Tina bug. Come here and give Uncle Tony a big hug.”
Tina ran to Tony as if she had known him all her life. “Hi!” she said, then threw her tiny arms around Tony’s neck.
Mandy didn’t say anything until the hugs were over and Tony put Tina on the floor. “Sit down, Son. Tell me what happened. You’ve always been a good student. I don’t understand.”
Tony drew in a deep breath, lowered his head and said, “I was a good student. We’ll just leave it at that. I left Granny and Poppa because Granny trails me like a she’s a bloodhound. I’m eighteen and she treats me like I’m still twelve.” Tony went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Mandy and Tina were close behind him. “It’s rather bare, Son. Money is tight right now. Oh, how did you find me?”
“I’ve got your address, Mama. Largo isn’t that big. You’re not hard to find.”
“I’m just so happy that you’re here. You can enroll in high school here. You can get caught up and graduate. I don’t need two dropouts.”
“I said we’d talk about school later.”
Mandy stepped back and looked at her only son. She couldn’t believe Tony’s demeanor. He wasn’t the same sweet boy she had always known. Tony took out the left over roast from the fridge. Her instincts told her not to push Tony for any information. He’d talk when he was ready.
After Tony had eaten, Mandy rocked Tina until she fell asleep, her mind in a whirl over Tony showing up like he did. She whispered to Tony. “Her mother might be home before daybreak and she may not. I never know. I’ve only got two bedrooms and they are both taken. I’ll have to fix you a bed on the couch. It’s the best I can do until—until I don’t know when.” Mandy fought the tears that wanted to roll. She was so happy her son was home, yet she had no idea how she was going to pay all the bills and feed everybody.
Mandy gently laid Tina in her crib, then went into her bedroom to check on Abbie. I’m surprised you slept through all the noise. Boy, are you gonna be surprised when you wake up and find your brother is back home to stay, she thought, then closed the door.
She walked back into the living room and found Tony sprawled out on the couch, snoring. She took a light-weight blanket from Kati’s closet, covered her son and kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, my sweet son,” she whispered. She was thankful the next day was Saturday and she didn’t have to go to work.
I don’t think I’m going to like what Tony has to say, she thought, as she undressed, slipped on her pajamas, then eased her body into bed beside Abbie. She tenderly stroked Abbie’s hair. Please don’t grow up and break your mother’s heart, too. Lord, help me survive my two oldest. And help me survive until I can get the money from my house sale.
Mandy’s mind was in turmoil. She knew it was going to be a sleepless night. Just as she rolled over, ready to get out of bed and read, she felt strong, warm arms enfold her. She lay still, letting the warmth and love flow through her body. Soon, she drifted into peaceful sleep.
Chapter Thirty
Thanksgiving Day, Wanda, Todd, and Debbie came over for dinner. Wanda brought several dishes to go along with the turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce that Mandy had cooked. And they had pumpkin pie.
Tony was so happy to see Todd. Abbie was overjoyed to spend the day with Debbie. Mandy was always happy when she and Wanda got to spent time with each other outside of work. Kati and Tina played outside, and it was a wonderful day.
The next day, Tony announced he was going to work with Todd, who had also dropped out of school. They would be building Tiki huts on the Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg Beach. “I’ll be making good money, Mama. I can help out with the bills. I’ll think about school next year. I’ve messed up this school year and there’s no way to fix it.”
Mandy looked at her son and knew it wouldn’t do any good to argue with him. He was eighteen and he was going to do as he pleased.
Christmas was a happy time, though it was lean. But still, the smells of the holiday floated upon the air and Christmas carols rang throughout the house. Mandy was overjoyed her three children and grandchild were home and they were a family again.
She found it difficult to concentrate at work, and couldn’t get home fast enough in the afternoons to check on her family. She felt as if a dark cloud hung over her head. Her family was in danger, she was sure.
Mandy wondered what the New Year would bring her. The uneasiness in her gut still plagued her. The following week, Abbie went back to school and Mandy’s guts tied in knots. One evening after she cleaned up the kitchen, the uneasy feeling inside her was overwhelming. By the time she was ready to help Abbie with homework, the phone rang. “Hang on, honey. I’ll talk fast and get right back with you.”
Just as she touched the receiver, a tingle ran up her arm. It’s either good or bad news, she thought as she picked it up and said, “Hello.”
“Hi Sis. This is Don.”
“I recognize you, but I have to admit, you and Lee sound so much alike it’s hard for me to know which one I’m talking to sometimes. It’s so good to hear from you. How’s it going?”
“Well, I’ve had to take a hard blow, but I have faith that things will work out. The small Christian school where I was teaching closed down, and the small church that I pastor is going broke, they can’t even pay me a full salary. For the time being, we’re living on Anne’s salary, but we can’t make it on what she makes. LPN’s don’t make that much.”
“Oh, Don. I’m so sorry.”
“Well, we’re going to rent our house so we can make the payments on it. But the good news is, I’ve found another church and they pay as good a salary as any pastor can expect. But we have to move over to Evansville, Tennessee. It’s not that far from Cleveland, but you have to take a ferry across the river to get there. Anyway, Anne has already got a job working for a pediatrician.”
“Well, that’s wonderful! You’ll be making a living and you won’t lose your beautiful house. I love that house. That fireplace in the TV room is just breathtaking.”
“Well, that’s another reason I called. The last time I talked to you, you were not that happy in Florida and to tell the truth, I’m very uneasy about all the killings that’s going on down there. I hope you don’t let Abbie and Tina out of your sight. The Lord talks to me, and He is telling me you need to get out of that state. So, I was wondering if you’d like to rent our house. You’ll fall in love with the mountains here, and soon you’ll forget about the beach and the ocean.”
Peace flowed through Mandy’s soul and without hesitation, she said, “Yes, I want to rent it! You’re not the only one the Lord or angels or holy spirits or whatever, talks to. I get messages loud and clear. Kati is in danger because of her lifestyle. Abbie and Tina are in danger because idiots are kidnapping and killing children their age almost every day. And now that Tony is back with me, he’s taken up with his old friend and they go out after work and Tony comes home drunk every night. So I need to get my family out of his crazy state and away from the people they’re running with.”
“The house will be empty by February first. I’ll have it all cleaned out and cleaned up for you. Now, the rent is steep, but I’ll rent it for what our payments are. I can’t afford to take less. If I could, I’d let you have it rent free. I’m just not in a position—”
Mandy cut Don off. “I don’t expect anything for free. As soon as I have the closing on my house, I’ll be a
ble to pay the rent. But if I like Tennessee and decide to make Cleveland my home, I’ll want to buy. Would you be interested in selling?”
“I’m not sure about that, Sis. We love this house and we want to keep it and return to it when we retire. I know that’s years away, but right now we can’t entertain the thought of selling. We’ll see what time brings. We’ll only live thirty miles from each other. We’ll be as close as we’ve ever been since we were separated the last time.”
“That’s the best part,” Mandy said. “I never thought we’d ever live close enough to visit each other every week if we want to. Your misfortune is my good fortune.”
“Well, I don’t believe in misfortune. I believe in divine providence. This is how things were meant to be until the plans for our tomorrows are revealed.”
“I agree, Brother. I feel like I just lost another ten-ton elephant that’s been sitting on my heart. Thanks. Love you.”
“Love you too, Sis.”
Mandy hung up the phone and a fog lifted from her heart, and for the first time in months, she felt as if she could completely fill her lungs with fresh air. Then she realized that they would be moving on Tina’s birthday. I can’t believe my grandbaby is already two-years-old. Well, we’ll sing happy birthday to her before we head up the road. And I’ll make sure she has a few bottles of bubbles to keep her happy.
Finally, Mandy got the phone call she had been waiting five months for. She had a date for the closing on the house, January 21st.
Mandy took a half day off from work, they all met at the lawyer’s office, and within an hour, it was a done deal. She sat in her car stroking the piece of paper. “My freedom again,” she whispered. “Now I have to turn in my resignation. I hate to leave my job. I love it so much and most likely I’ll never find another one that brings me as much pleasure—or pays me enough to live on.
She closed her eyes and whispered, “Please be with me in finding work in Tennessee. I won’t be returning to cold and snow like it was in Kentucky and Missouri. The winters in Cleveland are mild and though they do get snow, it’s seldom. I can deal with that. I’m still flying on wings of faith. So far, it’s working. Thank you.”
She chuckled. “I really need to stop talking to myself. But I’m really talking to the spirit world. I guess I think they can’t hear my thoughts.”
She drove home, singing all the way. Just as she walked into the house, she picked up the phone. I hope this call will make Mother and Dad happy.
Iris answered the phone. “Mother. I just closed the deal on my house. I sold it and I’m moving to Cleveland, Tennessee. I’ll be there—”
Before Mandy could finish her sentence, Iris cried, “Oh, Amanda. That’s great. You’ll only be about a five hour drive from us. Now, your father and I expect you to come see us once a month.”
“I can’t promise that I’ll come once a month, but I’ll come as often as I can. Gas is expensive and I’ve got to find a job before I can make plans to do much traveling.”
“You know we’ll give you gas money, Amanda. You’re just using that for an excuse not to come. Well, since it’s not that long a drive, we’ll just come see you.”
“I’ll come once a month. I need to go. I’ve got to start gathering boxes and start packing. I’ll talk to you soon. Love ya. Bye.” Mandy hung up the phone. “Shit! I wasn’t counting on a once a month visit, but I’ll go. I don’t want them coming to visit me. They might decide to stay for a week. I’d be close to murder by the time they left.”
That afternoon Mandy made the rounds, going down alleys, searching for discarded boxes. She loaded as many as she could get into the back of the station wagon, then she went home and started packing. Every day she gathered more boxes and packed everything but what they had to have before moving day.
After almost five wonderful years in Florida, they were ready to head to the mountains of Tennessee. They stood at the front door and watched the moving van pull out of the driveway, then they loaded into two cars. Kati and Tina were going to ride with Tony. Abbie and Fluffy were riding with Mandy. Fluffy refused to get in the car. He was a hard wrestle and Mandy got a few scratches, but she finally got him in and put him in Abbie’s lap. “Damn stupid cat,” she said as she wiped a trickle of blood from her arm.
Mandy backed out of the driveway and Fluffy set up a howl. By the time Mandy was crossing the bridge over Tampa Bay, her nerves were standing on end. She looked at Fluffy, shook her finger in his face and sternly said, “If you howl one more time, I’ll pitch your hairy butt out the window and you can swim back to the house!” He was in mid-howl by the time Mandy finished her speech. He swallowed the rest of the howl and didn’t make another sound. “That’s more like it, and if you start up again, your butt will go flying out the window. You hear me?”
Fluffy tucked his head, Abbie rubbed his ears and he went to sleep. It was if he had understood and he wasn’t going to push his luck.
Ten hours later they arrived in Cleveland. Mandy pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine, then Fluffy woke up and went crazy with loud howls as he started clawing at the car window. Abbie opened the car door and did her best to hang on to him, but he clawed and jumped to ground. He took off like a streak of lightening with Abbie running after him, crying, “Come back!”
“Abbie, come back here. He’ll be back.” Abbie kept running. Mandy yelled at Tony, “Catch that kid. She’s going to get run over by a car!”
Tony took off running, caught Abbie and carried her back to the house as she screamed and kicked. “Abbie, calm down! He’s just exploring his new neighborhood,” Mandy said as convincingly as she could, but she figured Fluffy was headed back to Florida.
Don and Anne were there to greet them. The minute Mandy walked in the house, peace and happiness flowed through and around her. Mandy and the kids had always given the spirit visitors a name in the past, but now Mandy just called the spirit, IT. And IT had been giving her warnings about Abbie’s safety for four years.
Don and Anne hugged them all. “Oh, my! You still have your three children and a grandbaby. We’re going through the empty nest syndrome. Danny and Darla have their own apartments, and they’re on their own,” Anne said, as she took Tina from Kati’s arms. “We’re so happy that you’re all here and close to us.”
“I know the empty nest feeling. I went through it when Kati and Tony left. I’m just thankful I still had Abbie. She held me together. But kids have a way of returning to the nest and bringing babies with them.”
“I’d be thrilled to death if mine would come back. And a grandbaby would be nice too. But I don’t see that happening with our two,” Anna said.
By midnight, Don and Anne had left. Mandy was ready to collapse from the long drive, and she was grateful that Don and Anne had left two couches in the family room, along with pillows and blankets, which would be their sleeping arrangements until the moving van arrived.
Abbie cried herself to sleep because Fluffy hadn’t come back and Mandy tried her best to calm her down, but Abbie fell asleep still whimpering. Mandy sat with her for a few minutes, rubbing her back and telling her how much her mom loved her. Tony had done his best to console her to no avail. “She’ll cry it out, Son. Right now nothing we’re going to say is going to be enough.”
The next morning, Mandy had the coffee pot going, thankful that Anne had left it. She jumped as Tony walked up behind her. “Mama, pour you a cup of coffee and I’ll take a cup, then let’s go out on the back porch. I need to talk with you.” Tony headed out the sliding glass doors, a grave look on his face.
Chills ran through Mandy’s body. Something is wrong with him, but hold yourself together. Go have the talk and let him get whatever it is off his chest, she thought, as she poured two cups of coffee and joined her son. “We don’t have any lawn chairs, Son. But we can sit on the steps,” she said as she unlatched the screen door. They sat side by side on the top step, and Mandy held her breath.
“I don’t think I’ll be happy in Tenne
ssee, Mama. I’m going back to Kentucky. I’m not going to go back to live with Granny and Poppa. I can’t get a thing past Granny. I’m going to go stay with Grandmother and Granddaddy.” He chuckled. “They’re too old and naïve to figure out things. And I promise I’ll go back to school and finish my senior year, next school year. You know Grandmother won’t give me a minute’s peace until I do. And I can’t get by with that lie if I tell her I graduated. She’ll demand to see a diploma.”
“Tony, they aren’t as naïve as you might think. They’ll smell booze on you just like I do. You aren’t and won’t be fooling anybody. Do I have to remind you what it was like having to live with a drunk when I was married to Billy? Drinking will take you down the same road, and you’ll end up in the gutter.”
“I don’t act like Billy did when he was drinking. I just get silly and laugh. So don’t start with the lectures. I want us to part on a good note. And I’ll get back down to see you as often as I can.”
“Live and learn, Son. That’s all I’m going to say.”
They went back inside and Tony gathered what little he had brought into the house. She knew he wanted to hurry on his way before the rest of them awoke. Tony didn’t do goodbyes well. Mandy understood that, but her heart hurt for him and she wanted to hold him close and tell him that everything was going to be okay. He wasn’t a little boy anymore and she had to let him choose his own path.
Mandy kissed Tony goodbye and she felt her heart breaking into pieces. How many times can a heart break before it kills you, she wondered. She held back her tears as she stood on the front porch and waved until Tony was out of sight.
She went back inside and heard tiny feet running toward her. She picked up Tina. Her tiny two-year-old body next to Nana brought Mandy comfort when everything in life seemed to be going wrong.
