by Hawke, Jessa
“You know the DeVilliers will be our first guests, right?” He said, with a note of warning to his voice.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. You can hardly blame them. They’re our main investors, after all.”
“A little more than that, I think. Pretty much our only investors, other than the money we kicked in which- let’s be honest- wasn’t that much.”
“Uh huh. Don’t remind me!”
He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “It’s not forever. We’ll get them paid back before you know it.”
“I’m sure. Still, it’ll be nice to see the boys.”
He nodded in agreement. “I’m glad Sue and Wes are spending more time with them. I hate to say it, but they were kind of-”
“Self-involved jerks?” She laughed.
“You said it, not me! But yes. Well, before the accident. Yes.” He shrugged.
They walked around front and climbed up the short stairway to the porch. She fell into the porch swing and held a hand out to him. “Not too tired to sit and rock with me a minute?”
“Never.”
He snuggled next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “I bet you never thought you’d be here this quickly. How’s your ankle today?”
She held it up her foot and turned it slowly. “It’s not given me any pain in a week. I think it’s finally past.”
“About time!” He pets her knee. “I think I could just sit on this swing forever and not move.”
“Forever is a long time.” She mused, turning to meet his eyes. She rested a hand on her husband’s chest. “Maybe not long enough.”
“Nope.” He said quietly, leaning down to kiss her. “Not enough time by far, babe.”
THE END
Summer Splash!
The sun had yet to warm the fresh morning dawn. David knelt on the carpet beside the bed and smiled while his wife slept. Holding an envelope, he gently brushed it across her dainty nose. ”Wakey, wakey, rise and shine.“
“David?”
“Good morning, my love.”
“It’s not even six... come back to bed.”
“I know. But I wanted to give you a little present.” David softly kissed her cheek then left his lips to linger. “I’m taking us to Florida this Friday.”
“Florida..?”
“I wanted to wait until Thursday night to tell you, but I couldn’t sleep with the excitement.”
“But David, I thought you were going to spend the holiday renovating your parent’s house?”
“I was. But we’re too damn busy nowadays that we hardly see each other anymore. So I thought it would be nice to spend a full week as a family.”
Cynthia climbed to her knees on the bed, then rested her lips on his. The taste of coffee proved that David had been up for a while. “You might have become a moaner... but you’re still a romantic.” She then slid the tickets out of the envelope onto her hand. “Four... You’re bringing Sophie?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No. But I thought you said it was going to be a family holiday.”
“It will be.”
“But?”
David rested his hand on Cynthia’s tense shoulder. “Sophie is a good as family. Little Zach sees her as his sister.” He traced his hand down his wife’s arm. “Anyway we need Sophie to care for Zach when...” Wearing a smile, he cupped Cynthia’s face in his hands. “...me and you go to a mountain top villa and celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary in style.”
“Fricken hell.”
“What?”
“You remembered.”
David nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “How could I forget?”
“Well you forgot eight of the last nine.”
“Don’t be like that.” The bed creaked as David sat beside his wife. He then lumped his arm around her shoulders. “This is going to be extra special. I’ve been planning it for months... OK, a couple of weeks. But I must admit, I’ve outdone myself this time. You should see it. Spectacular”
“Can’t wait.” Cynthia giggle as she kissed David on the cheek before resting her head in the crux of his neck. “Despite everything... I love you.”
~
David opened the living room door and smiled at the young brunette. He watched while Sophie struggled to dress his reluctant seven year old son. “Sophie, I’ve left some money for you in the vase on the mantel piece.” Stepping up to the mirror, David began to feed his tie through his collar. “Because he’s off school, I promise that I’d take him to the...” David whispered, “...zoo. But I got a desperate phone call from head office this morning. ”
“Yes. No problem.”
“I hate letting him down, but I really have no choice.”
“It’s not a problem Mr. Levy.”
David adjusted his fringe in the mirror. The strokes of grey on his temple annoyed him, but he had made a conscious decision to let it take over. “Treat him well.” He then glanced at Sophie who had stopped tending to Zach to gaze back at him. “Buy a little something for yourself, Sophie... As a thank you for reminding me about the anniversary.”
“That’s kind of you.”
“You deserve it.” David smiled as he walked up to his the chair where his son sat. “I know Zach can be a little terror... can’t you boy?” He picked up Zach from under his arms. Lifting him up above his head, Zach laughed out loud.
“Put me down, Pappy. I’m watching TV.”
“How about I take you outside and throw you so high you land on a cloud.”
“Don’t be silly. I want to watch TV.”
Sophie ducked to avoid being clubbed by Zach’s feet while David spun him around. “What time should I be back with Zach, Mr. Levy?”
“Cynthia wants to take him to his grandmother’s before the holiday, so five thirty or so.”
“How did she react when you told her?”
“Pleasantly surprised... it was good to see her smile.” David put Zach back on the chair. Smiling at Sophie, he patted her on her upper arm. “We’re taking you to Florida with us.”
“Me? I thought it would be time to spend with your wife... surely you don’t want me getting in the way.”
“I need you there to look after Zach while I whisk Cynthia off for a couple days. That will be the only time you’ll be working. The rest of the week is yours to enjoy.”
Sophie placed her hand under her long flowing hair, then rubbed her neck. “Do you really need me to come with you?”
“Do you not want to come..? It will be like a paid holiday for you.”
“Of course I do... it’s just...”
David reached out and stroked her back. “Don’t worry.” He brought her close so he could whisper softly into her ear. “I want you there.” His arm relaxed and let her go. Witnessing her smile massaged his ego. “You would be a big help.”
“OK. I’m onboard.”
“Great. So, beside the Wednesday and Thursday, you can do whatever you want, young lady. Just don’t get into trouble... or cause me any.”
“I won’t Mr. Levy.”
“Good.” David picked up his suitcase. “Enjoy the Zoo.”
~
Zach held onto his ice-cream cone while peering through the railings at the regale lion. Fixated on the powerful feline he didn’t flinch as the ice-cream dribbled from the cone onto his hand.
The lion lazily strolled behind a large bolder leaving Zach nothing to concentrate on. With nothing to grab his attention Zach finally noticed the ice-cream on his hand and licked it off. Sophie kneeled at his side with a wipe in her hand. “Look at you, what would mommy think Zach?”
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Mommy.” Sophie lovingly smiled at Zach while she wiped his hand clean. “What would she say?”
“Mommy told me she doesn’t like... like”
“Your mommy doesn’t like you being messy?”
“No silly.” Zach giggled. “Mommy doesn’t like you.”
“Me? Why would mommy no like me?”
“Mommy says you... you like pappy too much.”
Sophie leant backwards with her eyebrows arched. “I like your daddy. But we’re just friends.” She leaned forward to wipe the ice cream from Zach’s lips. “She’s mistaken... that’s all.”
“Nanny likes pappy, Nanny likes pappy.”
“Be quiet, Zach. Now watch the lions.”
“Nanny and pappy sitting in a tree, K – I – S – S – I – N –G.”
“Good you can spell... but can you outrun a hungry lion?”
Zach glanced back at the enclosure. A large lion stared back while licking its thick black lips. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Well, if you sing that song one more time... you’re going to find out.”
“Please don’t.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” Sophie sniggered while she combed her fingers through Zach’s ginger waves. “Just keep that song for yourself.”
“I love you, Nanny.”
“Love you too, Little Zach.”
“But can you love me and pappy at the same time?”
“We’re family.” Sophie rubbed Zach’s back through his blue sweater. “We love each other with kindness. By sharing and caring, respect and honesty.” She giggled while taking his picture using her Smartphone. “All those kind of things.”
”Share?”
“Yes, it’s good to share.”
“But what about when we’re told to keep secrets.”
The colour drained from Sophie’s face. “What type of... secrets?”
“I’ve made a promise and can’t tell you.”
“Who made you keep a secret?”
“Pappy.”
“You can tell me. I’m your best friend... remember?”
“OK.”Zach closed his eyes while he slipped into contemplation. “My secret is...” He then opened his eyes. “A secret.”
“What kind of joke is that, Zach?”
“Can I sing a new song?”
Sophie sighed. “I suppose I have no choice, do I?”
“I saw nanny and pappy sitting on the bed, K.I.S.S.I.N.G”
“Shush, Zach. I’ve told you already. No you didn’t!”
“I did.”
“If you’re talking about the other day, I already told you.” Sophie rubbed Zach’s arms. “I was helping pappy with his contact lenses.”
“What are... con, con...”
“Contact lenses? They’re invisible glasses.”
“Wow, can I have compact lazers?”
“You’re lucky. You have good eyesight.” Sophie stood so she could peer into Zach’s eyes. She thought they were exact replicas of his father’s. “Promise me, to never sing that song again. It can get me into terrible trouble.”
“I promise.”
“I mean it.” Sophie rested her forehead against Zach’s. “If you love me, you won’t... because if mommy hears it, I’ll vanish forever. Never to come back.” She giggled as she took Zach’s hand. “Now come on. Let’s go to the crocodile lake... maybe I’ll give you some swimming lessons.”
~
Cynthia unlocked the front door and stepped off the street into the warmth of the large colonial town house. Her heels thumped on the oak floorboards of the long entrance hall. She could hear Zach’s laughter while watching his children’s television show. Arms wide open, Cynthia walked into the living room. “Where’s my Sweety?”
“Hi Mommy.”
“Now how is my little man?” Cynthia leaned down and tickled her son with her long fingers while showering him with sloppy kisses.
“EEE... let me go.”
“Never, never, never. I’ll never let you go.”
“Mommy... I... Never mind.”
“What?” Cynthia kissed Zach’s forehead. “Go on, what is it. Tell me what have you been doing today... with nanny?”
“The zoo!”
“What did you see at the zoo?”
“Lions, tigers, elephants with their big noses.” Zach impersonated an elephant, causing Cynthia to lean back to avoid getting covered in spittle.
“Elephants have trunks, not noses. Did nanny look after you well?”
“Yes. Gave me ice-cream.”
“Good. Not too much I hope.”
“I have a new song.”
Cynthia placed a hand on her heart. “Let me hear my little opera star.”
“But I can’t sing... because nanny told me that... that she would feed me to the lions.”
“Did she?”
“Said that if I sing my song she’ll make me swim with crocodiles as well. Mommy, I don’t want to swim with crocodiles.”
“Well that’s just awful.” Cynthia stood, then glanced towards the kitchen door. “I’ll go and see her.”
Cynthia opened the kitchen door. The extractor fan drowned out the clips of her heels on the black and white tiles. She leaned against the worktop as Sophie stood below the loud fan frying fish. “Good Evening, Sophie.”
“Oh hello.”
“A good day at the zoo?”
“Yes.” Sophie turned the dial on the extractor fan, lowering its intensity. “Zach enjoyed himself. I’ve uploaded some pictures onto your account.”
“Good.”
“Coffee?”
Cynthia coldly smiled. “Wine. It’s been one of those days.”
“Red or white?”
“Smells like your cooking fish, so white please.” Cynthia sat on the chair and rested her elbows on the table. “Sophie?”
“Yes?”
“When are you finishing your course?”
Sophie opened the refrigerator door. She peered inside then pulled a bottle of white wine from the rack. “Next June.”
“Will you be working here until then?”
“I hope so.”
“Oh.” Cynthia wryly smiled. “That’s great.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No. Not really.”
Sophie placed the bottle of white on the table. “It’s the lions, isn’t it?” Turning the corkscrew, she watched as Cynthia nodded. “Well...”She heaved with all her might until the cork popped out. “Have you heard his song?”
“Not yet... is it that bad?”
“Well, it’s more than a little controversial.”
“Even so, would it really merit threatening to toss my son to the lions?”
“It wasn’t a threat. It was said in jest... I’m sorry.”
“I could easily fire you for this.” Cynthia glared at Sophie. “What could possibly be in the song which made you want to feed my son to the lions?”
“Cussing...lots and lots of cussing...he could have been a gangster rapper.”
“My Lord. He must have got it from the TV... or his father.”
“I do regret what I said. But I panicked because we were in public.” Sophie covered her face with her open hands. “God knows how many people he offended. I just needed Zach to stop cussing before we got thrown out.”
“I’ve been telling David to stop swearing in the house when Zach is around. Can’t have my son singing like a drunken sailor.”
~
David found Sophie sitting at the dining table which was covered in printouts and text books. He stepped up the table and noticed that she appeared engrossed in her studies. He coughed into his hand to draw her attention. “Sophie, what’s this about Zach swearing?”
“He has a new song.”
“So I believe?”
“It was a little embarrassing.” Sophie closed the lid of the laptop. “As well as scandalous.”
“I’ve scrolled through the stuff on your IPod.”
“Excuse me?” Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Personal property.”
“I wanted to know where he got his dirty tongue from.”
“Still should have asked.”
“I have to say.” David pulled out the chair then sat. “Quite an eclectic mix... but you do have quite a liking for nasty rap.”
“He wasn’t swearing OK. It was worse. A lot wors
e.”
“Oh.”
“Potentially damaging.”
“Like what? How?” David straightened his back. “Racist?”
“Like saying that Cynthia doesn’t like me because I like you too much, then singing that me and you were kissing.”
“What the fuck?”
“Exactly.” Sophie glanced about the room. “Now do you see what situation Zach put me in?”
“Is this about the..?”
“Contact lenses, yes.”
“How do we deal with this?” David stood from his chair. “If Cynthia hears this... me and you will be... well, fucked isn’t the word.”
“Cynthia’s right. You do have a dirty mouth.”
“Only when I’m scared... and I’m positively petrified.”
Sophie chewed her fingernail while staring at a worried David. “Maybe you can pay for Zach’s silence.”
“But that will corrupt my child. Teach him bad ways.”
“It will save our skin.”
David placed a hand on his forehead. “As bad as it may be... I think we’re left with no option.”
~
Holding Zach’s hand, Sophie stood at the vast window of the observation lounge. Her nose brushed the glass as she watched the huge aeroplanes taxiing on the windswept runway. Both gasped in awe as a jumbo roared into the grey sky. Cynthia watched the pair from a distance. She then stepped up to Sophie to pass her a cup of coffee. “You look just as excited about flying as Zach.”
“I’ve never flown before... not sure I’ll like it. But watching them is fun.”
“Never flown? You poor little thing.”
“I know... poor little old me.”
Cynthia turned up her nose. “I can’t imagine what you did for your holidays.”
“Spent them in New Jersey for the most part. Went to Philadelphia once.”
“Phil... for your holiday? You’re joking, right?”
