by Robert Brumm
He cleared his throat and glanced awkwardly down at the work order again. “I really wish it were something simple we could just patch up and get you on your way. You’re not from around here, are you?”
“I live a few hours away,” Kelly said quietly. “We’re going to visit my aunt but her place is at least a couple of hours from here.”
“You don’t have any credit cards, or maybe somebody back home that could wire you the money?”
Kelly shook her head and looked at the floor.
He sighed and scratched the stubble on his chin before checking his watch. “We’re closing up in about fifteen minutes anyway. Even if you could afford it, it wouldn’t do you much good tonight. Do you have someplace to go? Somebody that can pick you up?”
Keegan crawled out from under the chair and pulled on Kelly’s pants leg. “Mommy, I’m hungry again.” He glanced over at Cheryl and her behind-the-counter-stash-of-plenty.
“I know baby, just hold on.” For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Kelly tried really hard not to burst into tears.
“Tell ya what,” the man said. “My wife and I have a guest room that’s been collecting dust for years. I wanted to turn it into a den but she insisted we needed a spare bed for visitors. Been years since anybody’s even set foot in there, much less spent the night.”
Kelly looked up.
“’Course, we keep it clean and all. You and your boy are welcome to spend the night until we get everything sorted with your car. My wife would love to have some company for dinner besides me for a change.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Kelly stammered. “I mean, I could never impose…”
“Go ahead, honey,” Cheryl interrupted from behind the counter. “I’ve known Eddie since I was a little kid. He may be a big ugly son of a gun but he wouldn’t hurt a flea. You’ll be safe there. And his wife is a damn good cook.” She glanced at Keegan. “Darn good cook, I mean.”
“Well,” Kelly stalled, rubbing Keegan’s head and feeling uncomfortable.
“It’s just down the street,” Ed said. “Just give me a few minutes to clean up and call the missus to let her know we’re having two more for dinner. What do you say?”
Kelly looked over at Cheryl who gave her a little smile and a nod.
“Okay, thank you very much.” Kelly said. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?”
“Not at all,” Ed smiled and held out his hand. “Ed Sheridan’s the name.”
Kelly shook his beefy hand. “I’m Kelly Raney and this is my son Keegan.”
“Nice to meet you ma’am,” He held his open palm out to Keegan. “Put ‘er there, champ.”
Keegan buried his face in Kelly’s leg but had a big smile on his face.
Chapter 4
Ed’s wife met them at the door and greeted Kelly with such an enthusiastic hug she would have thought they’d known each other for years. She beamed at Keegan who hid behind his mother’s legs as usual. She introduced herself as Sue and took their jackets.
Ed and Sue lived in an old Victorian style house a couple of blocks off the main road with a huge back yard bordered by the river. The house was warm, simply decorated, and very cozy. Compared to the sparse and run-down dump that she and Don rented with second hand furniture, it was down-right homey. Best of all, the house was filled with the delicious aroma of home cooking. Kelly realized she was ravenous the second she walked through the door.
“You poor dear.” Sue guided them into the kitchen. “I can’t image how scary it is to break down away from home. Thank goodness you were able to pull over and not get in an accident.”
Before Kelly could think of a response, Sue added more silverware to the table and continued. “I hope you like roasted chicken. I usually make enough food for Eddie to take leftovers for lunch so we have more than enough to share.”
“Well, I really appreciate it. Everybody is so nice here.”
Sue paused and smiled at her. “I like to think people are nice everywhere. Some folks just need a little nudge to let it out on more of a regular basis, don’t you think?” She tousled Keegan’s hair before whirling back to the stove. Sue was heavy-set like Ed, probably around the same age, pushing sixty if Kelly had to guess. She had long silver hair tied in a pony-tail and wore an ankle-length dress made from different patches of colored material, like a quilt.
Ed appeared in the kitchen door, changed from his work uniform into a pair of old jeans and a flannel shirt. “It’s just what we need in this house. More people to eat some of the food Paula Deen over there whips up.” He patted his belly. “You don’t get this way from eating celery sticks and rice cakes.”
“Oh Eddie, stop.” Sue set a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. “I don’t hear you complaining while you’re shoveling it in your mouth like a caveman. Sit! Sit! Everybody take a seat.”
Kelly helped Keegan into the chair next to her. Ed produced a few yellow pages books for him to sit on so he could reach the top of the table. Keegan, used to sitting on his booster seat with the built-in safety belt, found his little throne of phone books very amusing.
The feast laid out before them was truly amazing. Kelly found it hard to believe Sue cooked such a great meal for just the two of them like this all the time. Roasted chicken with homemade stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, golden biscuits, an overflowing bowl of steaming sweet corn, and an huge salad loaded with fresh veggies.
She put together a plate for Keegan and he dug into plain mashed potatoes, one of his favorites. Kelly usually just made the instant stuff from a box. With her son taken care of, she turned her attention to her own plate. Everything looked delicious.
“Is her car serious, Eddie?” Sue passed the bowl of corn to her husband. The sudden mention of her car threatened to put a damper on Kelly’s appetite. She hoped for a second that maybe Ed’s diagnosis had changed and he’d wave it off with his hand and say it was no biggie.
“We won’t know for sure until tomorrow. I told Kelly it might end up costing more than the car’s worth.”
Sue hissed through her teeth. “Oh, you poor dear, what a shame. My daddy once told me to marry a doctor or a mechanic, and boy was he right. We’ve had our share of car trouble over the years and thank goodness Eddie could take care of it himself.” She patted Kelly on the hand before turning back to Ed. “There isn’t anything you could do to help her out?”
“Well,” he shifted in chair and looked down at his plate. “I could give her a break on some of the labor, but you know parts cost what parts cost. The profit margin is so thin already and ever since the Walmart opened that auto center, business has really taken a hit.”
“You folks have already been too generous,” Kelly protested. “I’ll figure out a way to pay every penny it costs to fix the car. I was thinking I could call my aunt tonight and ask to borrow the money from her.”
Ed seemed relieved and took a bite of his biscuit. They finished the rest of the meal, Sue and Ed asking questions about her life and Kelly answering with vague answers. She couldn’t help think of her cell phone in her purse and how many missed calls from Don would show up if she turned it on.
She learned Ed and Sue were born and raised in Black Water Creek and married shortly after high school. They couldn’t have kids of their own so they took in several foster kids over the years. Sue was an art teacher at the middle school before retiring a few years ago. Ed worked as mechanic for the county in the motor pool and finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening Ed’s Auto Service ten years ago.
Keegan, full of mashed potatoes and bored with adult conversation, slipped off his phone books and started exploring the house.
“Eddie, why don’t you find one of those cartoon channels on the television for the little guy while Kelly and I clean up?” Sue said.
“Car-TOOOONS!” Keegan screamed and ran for the den.
Kelly brought some of the dirty dishes into the kitchen while Sue filled the sink with hot water. “You can’t go home again, can you dear?�
�� she quietly asked.
Kelly was caught off guard and almost dropped the dishes. “What?”
Sue shut the water off and turned to her. “I can tell you’re a good mother to that boy. And good mothers don’t go on road trips with their toddler without packing at least an overnight bag for no good reason.” She gently took Kelly’s arm. “And don’t give me any stories about walking into doors, either. Don’t think I didn’t notice your nose.”
That was all it took. The gravity of the entire day slammed into Kelly like a load of bricks and she burst into tears. Sue immediately grabbed her and pulled her close. Kelly hugged her back and cried into the bosom of a woman she had just met and didn’t care. Sue said nothing, she just stroked the back of Kelly’s hair and gently rocked side to side.
She finally got a hold of herself and Sue handed her some tissues. “I’m sorry,” Kelly said and blew her nose.
“Nonsense,” Sue scolded. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m proud of you.”
“What are you talking about? I’m a mess.”
“It’s a brave thing you did. I’ve seen too many women in your shoes who were afraid to leave. Too many who forgive the bastards when they apologize the next day and swear they’ll never do it again.”
“I guess,” Kelly sniffled. “I don’t feel very brave. I’m scared to death.”
“A good night’s sleep will help you feel a lot better. It’s been a long day and I want you to get some rest. Let me show you the guest room.”
“But the dishes.”
“Oh, that was just an excuse to get you into the kitchen for a little girl talk. I’ll take care of them, come on.”
Sue led Kelly past the den where Keegan sat on the floor, eyes glued to the TV. Ed was reclined in an easy chair, mouth open and snoring. “I swear, that cable bill is such a waste,” Sue said. “I hardly ever watch television and Eddie can never stay awake longer than five minutes to watch anything.”
Sue opened the door and turned on the light of the guest room. A double bed sat between two night stands. It was small but cozy like the rest of the house. After the long day, the bed looked heavenly.
“The bathroom is right down the hall,” said Sue. “I’ll get you some clean towels and you can borrow something of mine to sleep in.”
Kelly carefully washed her face in spite of her sore nose and changed into a nightgown Sue placed on the bathroom counter. It was plaid flannel and made her look like an old lady but soft and ridiculously comfortable. She went back into the den where Keegan was still watching TV with heavy eyelids. She managed to pull him away without too much protesting, changed his diaper, and helped him into his side of the guest bed. She sat with him for a few minutes and stroked his hair while he sucked his thumb.
Once he was asleep, she quietly slipped off the bed and took her cell phone out of her purse. She held down the power button and waited for it to turn on. After a moment, it vibrated in her hand and the display lit up.
MISSED CALLS: 23
NEW MESSAGES: 9
She didn’t have to check the call log to know who it was. Half of her wanted to delete the voicemails without listening but other half was curious. Was he screaming obscenities into the phone or apologizing and begging for her to come home?
LOW BATT the phone warned. “No,” she whispered to herself and held down the power button.
Chapter 5
Kelly tip-toed past Ed still snoring in his easy chair into the kitchen. Sue was finishing up drying the dishes and putting them away. “What can I do for you, dear? Is the little guy sleeping?”
“Yep, out like a light,” Kelly smiled. “It’s been a long day for both of us.” She picked up the last remaining plates in the rack and handed them to Sue. “Do you happen to have a computer? I don’t have my aunt’s phone number but I think I could probably look it up online.”
“We sure do,” Sue wiped her hands dry on her aprons and took it off. “It’s getting on in years, but still gets the job done. Just like me.” She winked at Kelly and led her out of the kitchen and down the hall.
She sat Kelly down at the computer desk in one of the bedrooms set up as an office. “Help yourself. Would you care for a cup of tea? Maybe something stronger? I’m actually thinking about grabbing one of Eddie’s beers. A cold one sounds good about now.”
Kelly couldn’t hide the mild look of shock flash across her face and she laughed. “Sorry. I guess I didn’t peg you as a beer drinker.”
“I’m not usually, but every once and while it hits the spot.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Sue excused herself while Kelly hit the power button on the old beige computer tower and CRT monitor. Her anxiety rose as the computer groaned into life. She was nervous about calling her aunt unannounced and couldn’t help imagine what her reaction might be. Kelly always tended to overthink awkward situations. As the operating system logo flashed across the screen, she heard her Aunt’s voice in her head, angry for calling late and bothering her. What if she told her not to come? What if Aunt Sarah told her to go back to Don and leave her alone?
She was being ridiculous and knew it. As the web browser launched, she tried to picture Sarah the last time she saw her at Mom’s funeral, hugging her tightly and smelling slightly of peppermint.
Kelly searched for a white pages type website and finally found a decent looking one. She entered her aunt’s last name and town and was relieved to find only one entry: FOSTER, SARAH A. It listed an address on Hickory Street in Allenton but she didn’t know if that was the right street or not. Correct address or not, that had to be her aunt.
She reached for the desk phone and paused for a moment, debating whether or not to ask Sue if it was alright to make a call. She didn’t want to lose her nerve and figured Sue wouldn’t mind, so she quickly dialed the number and held her breath. She glanced at the computer clock, wondering if it was too late to call her elderly aunt while the phone rang its seventh time on the other end. She was just about to hang up when the connection went through. A man’s voice answered.
It threw her for a loop and she almost hung up. She stared at the phone number displayed on the computer screen but had no way of knowing if that was the number she dialed or not.
“Hello?” the man said again.
“Hi. Um…I’m sorry, I think I must have the wrong number. I’m looking for Sarah. Sarah Foster?”
“Sarah Foster,” the man repeated. “No, this is the right number. Who is this?”
“Kelly Raney, her niece. I’m her sister Katherine’s daughter.”
The man on the other end let out a big sigh but didn’t say anything.
“Is Sarah there? Could I talk to her?”
“I’m Phil Albert, the owner of the apartment building here. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I guess nobody else has. Your aunt passed away.”
A soft croak escaped from Kelly’s mouth as she stared at the screen, mesmerized by the seven digits of her aunt’s phone number. The silence over the phone line was deafening.
“Miss? Did you hear me?”
She nodded her head and cleared her throat before finally answering. “I don’t understand. Passed away when? How?”
“We’re not sure. They think it was about a week ago, maybe more. One of the kids pulled the fire alarm yesterday afternoon as a joke. As we all waited out in the parking lot for the fire department to arrive, I didn’t see your aunt, even though her car was in the lot. I figured she was home, but she never came out.
“Once we got the all clear, I knocked on her door for a quite a while and got worried when she didn’t answer. So I let myself in and found her on the kitchen floor. They say she had a stroke.”
Kelly didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t anything at all. She just kept nodding her head.
“Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m just, God, I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t know your aunt very well but she seeme
d like a nice lady. I happened to be walking in when you called. I’m waiting for some of her friends from the church to arrive so they can pick out an outfit for the funeral. I’m actually relieved you called because nobody around here seems to know how to get in contact with any of her family.”
Kelly wiped a tear from her cheek and instantly felt guilty for feeling sad not for her aunt, but for her own misfortune.
“That must be them at the door now. Would you mind if I took down your number? I’m sure somebody from the church or coroner’s office will want to get in touch with you.” She rattled off her cell phone number and said goodbye, hanging up the receiver and not even remember doing so.
Chapter 6
Kelly woke with a start and panicked when she reached over and felt Keegan’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up too quickly, her back throbbing from yesterday’s stress and sleeping in a strange bed.
Relief washed over her as she opened the bedroom door and heard Keegan’s voice from down the hall. She found him perched on his phonebooks at the kitchen table, face covered in pancake syrup behind a stack of flapjacks big enough to feed a linebacker. Ed sat across from him, frowning at the local newspaper and sipping a steaming cup of coffee.
“Oh good, you’re up.” Sue stood over the stove, spatula in hand, waiting to flip another cake. “I hope you don’t mind, but I decided to let you sleep in a little. You looked so exhausted last night.”
“That’s okay.” Kelly tousled Keegan’s hair and kissed him on the top of his head, slightly sticky from the syrup.
“How many pancakes can I put you down for?” Sue asked.
“I’m not really hungry but the coffee smells magnificent.”
Ed got up from the table and poured her a big cup. She wrapped her hands around it, enjoying the aroma before taking a sip. Keegan tossed his fork on the table and started to climb down, proclaiming he was full.
