Bittersweet Memories

by Cecelia Dowdy

  Karen placed the cloth over the table then turned to glance at Keith. “I’m glad everybody’s been praying for her.”

  Her eyes were drawn to his muscular calves, revealed by his knee-length shorts. She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring. Since they’d been working together in the youth ministry over the last couple of months, her thoughts about Lionel were fading.

  She pulled a gift from the shopping bag, placing it on the table. Turning, she caught Keith staring at her. He smiled.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  He laughed. “Nothing. I was thinking how much you’ve changed since you moved back to Annapolis. Remember you didn’t want to go back to church because of. . .” His smile faltered. “Well, you know what I’m talking about.”

  She knew, but she didn’t want to ruin a nice day by talking about Lionel. The door opened and some of the teenagers arrived.

  “Hey, Karen,” said Sharon, one of the youth, “I picked up the cake you ordered from Cakes and Confections!” She glanced around the space, her curls gleaming in the sunlight. “Where should I put it?”

  Karen nodded toward a table. “Right there is fine.” Sharon opened the bakery box. The delicate roses and vines outlining the chocolate icing were beautiful. The words Happy Birthday, Amanda were scrolled across the triple chocolate mousse cake. “Well, I hope Cassandra was right about chocolate being Amanda’s favorite flavor.”

  They had barely finished setting up when Amanda arrived with one of the youth members. When she entered, everybody bellowed, “Surprise!”

  “Oh my goodness.” Amanda smiled, tears streaming from her eyes. Karen looked closely at the girl, noting her thick makeup. A few minutes later, she pulled her aside, shocked when she saw the shadow under her eye.

  “What happened to your eye?” Karen touched the dark bruise.

  Looking away, Amanda didn’t respond.

  Karen’s anger bubbled. “Did Ron hit you?”

  Amanda frowned. “He didn’t mean to.”

  Keith approached. “Is everything okay here?” He looked closely at Amanda’s face then scowled. “What happened to your eye?”

  Tears slid down Amanda’s cheeks. “This is my birthday, and both of you are ruining it with your questions.” She abandoned Keith and Karen, rejoining her party.

  Karen touched his arm. “Keith, I don’t know what to do. She says Ron didn’t mean to hit her—”

  He took her hand. “Honey, we’ll talk to her another time.”

  “But Ron—”

  He hugged her. “I know. We’ll talk to her later.”

  Karen blinked away tears, saying a silent prayer for Amanda’s well-being.

  Soon the party was in full swing. As the teens filled up on an exorbitant amount of crab cakes and pasta, Karen’s head rolled thinking about the bill Keith would be paying at the end of the evening.

  Once the food and most of the cake had been eaten, the teens left the party. Amanda followed, grinning as she carried off her bundle of gifts. Karen still wished they could have talked about Ron, but she figured she would broach the subject again during their next Devo night. Right now she was too exhausted to do anything.

  “Tired?” asked Keith.

  “Very.” Rubbing her eyes, she continued thinking about Amanda. “I hope Amanda’s not seeing Ron today.”

  “I know. We can advise her, but we can’t force her to break up with him.”

  “I know.”

  He stood and stretched. “It shouldn’t take us long to clean up.”

  As they worked in companionable silence, Karen realized she could really get used to spending time with Keith. Being around him gave her a warm fuzzy feeling.

  After they boxed up their stuff, they exited the private room, carrying their containers, and headed to the front of the restaurant. Karen nearly tripped when Keith’s twin stumbled through the door. He looked at them, sneering.

  “Well, if it isn’t my little brother.” He stood on unstable feet, slouching toward them. Kyle had already slipped into the old habit of calling him Little Brother. He’d been doing that sporadically since their father told them that Kyle was ten minutes older than Keith. “If I’d known you were going to be here, I wouldn’t have come.”

  Speechless, Karen leaned toward Keith as they set their boxes on a nearby table.

  Placing his arm around Karen, Keith said, “We were just leaving.” He glanced around then turned back to his brother. “Are you here alone?”

  Kyle’s mouth hardened. “That’s none of your business.” His breath reeked of alcohol. Kyle looked at Karen. “Who’s this?” He leered, and Karen jumped when Kyle clapped his hand on her shoulder.

  Keith shoved his hand away. “Don’t touch her.”

  “ ‘Don’t touch her,’ ” Kyle mimicked his brother. “She’s a pretty little thing.” Kyle grinned. “Don’t worry, little brother. I wouldn’t try to steal your woman.” He glared at Keith. “I don’t steal things, unlike you.”

  Abandoning Karen, Keith forced Kyle outside. The day had turned overcast, and it looked like it was going to rain. While Keith stood outside with his brother, Karen watched them, wondering if Keith could have a civilized conversation with Kyle since he was so sloshed.

  An attractive woman exited the restroom, glancing around the restaurant. She noticed the twins outside. “What in the world?” she mumbled.

  “Are you here with Kyle?” Karen asked.

  “What’s it to you?” The woman gave her a cold look.

  “I’m friends with his brother. Keith is concerned that Kyle might try to drive home drunk.”

  “I didn’t even know he had a brother.” She went outside and Karen followed. Keith spoke with Kyle’s date for a few minutes. After Kyle and his date reentered the restaurant, Keith joined Karen. As thunder cracked from the cloudy sky, Keith frowned, his shoulders slumped. “Come on, let’s go,” he mumbled. They walked back into the restaurant to retrieve their boxes then headed out to Keith’s vehicle.

  They dumped the boxes into the car. Once they were both inside, Keith drove off as rain splattered against the windshield.

  They were silent during their ride, and when he pulled into his driveway, he gripped the steering wheel.

  Karen glanced over at him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He sighed, his shoulders slumped. “I’ve been praying for my brother for the last nine months.”

  She remained silent, unsure of what to say. The rain continued to pound against the window. “I’ll start praying for your brother, too. Maybe with both of us praying, it’ll make a difference.”

  “Sometimes I think it’ll take a miracle to help him.”

  “Sometimes God does miracles. I’m sure you know that. . . . D–do you want me to go home?”

  He held her hand. “Could we sit in the house for a while?”

  She turned to look over at her mother’s house, its windows dark. “Well, doesn’t look like Mom’s home. . .so sure. Why not?” She glanced around his car.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Do you have an umbrella? I don’t want to get my hair wet.”

  “No, but there’s an old newspaper in the back. You can cover your head with that.” Karen shielded her hair with the paper as they bounded onto his porch. He unlocked the door and, after they’d stepped inside, turned on the lights.

  Thunder cracked, prompting Suzie to bark. The lights flickered before they extinguished. Keith led her to the couch. “Sit down. I’m getting some candles.”

  Soon after he lit the scented candles, the smells of vanilla and strawberry permeated the room. Suzie plodded into the living room and rested on the floor.

  “I hope things work out with your brother.”

  He leaned back against the couch. “Thanks. That makes two of us.”

  “Do you see him often?”

  “That was the first time I’ve spoken to him since the trial.”

  “What trial?”

  “I alr
eady told you that my dad passed away.”

  “Yes. . . ”

  “Well, tonight you heard my brother say that I stole from him.”

  Karen nodded. “I assumed Kyle was talking crazy since he was drunk.”

  “Nope. He believes every word he said.”

  “Well, I know you didn’t steal from your brother.”

  He folded his arms in front of his chest. “I didn’t, but he doesn’t see it that way.”

  “Okay, now I’m really confused. Do you want to clue me in?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  Rain continued to batter against the window. “I’m listening.”

  Keith began to explain, his voice sounding distant in the shadowy room. “After Kyle and I were in college, he decided he wanted to join my father in his law practice. Our dad wanted both of us to work with him, but I didn’t want to be a lawyer.” He shrugged. “After I’d gotten my bachelor’s, I told my dad how I felt, and he wasn’t pleased. Kyle was in law school, so my dad convinced me to get my MBA. While earning that, I got to know a lot of people in a local church. The pastor was a plumber. As a new Christian, I spent a lot of time with him and his family. . . . I liked the idea of having my own business, and he showed me what to do to get started. My father was horrified when he found out.”

  She nodded.

  “My dad said I brought shame to the family because I wanted to be a plumber. But he admired Kyle for joining the family law practice.” His mouth set in a firm line. “I always felt my dad favored my brother over me because of his career choice.” He frowned. “Anyway, sometime later, when I accepted Christ, I had to stop doing certain things. Kyle didn’t get that. That’s when things started getting tense between him and me.”

  He sighed, looking at her, the candlelight wavering in the darkness. “Then when my dad got sick with cancer, he couldn’t work anymore. So I moved in with him to help with his care.” He took her hand. “I lived with my father for a year, sharing the gospel with him.” He squeezed her hand. “I bonded with my dad. His cancer changed him.”

  “Did Kyle visit when your father was ill?”

  He nodded. “Yes, but he didn’t spend much time with him. I think seeing our father sick like that affected him. It—it was hard for him to be around Dad, knowing he was going to die. Kyle always did have a hard time dealing with death.” He sighed. “Plus, he’d fallen in love and almost got engaged when my dad was sick.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. When Kyle started dating Andrea, I saw some changes in him. He was nicer, and their personalities seemed to click. Then he told me he was going to ask Andrea to marry him.”

  “What happened?”

  “She left him for another man.”

  “He must’ve been devastated.”

  He nodded. “A few months later, our father died. Kyle has been bitter ever since. That’s when he started drinking more heavily.” He paused for a few seconds. “When my dad’s will was read, the real trouble started. Dad had gathered a lot of money over the years from his successful law practice and from some smart investments. He left me most of his wealth.”

  “You mentioned that to me when we had dinner.”

  “He only willed 15 percent of his estate to Kyle.”

  “Why such a small amount?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve asked myself that question a million times. It appears that he changed his will while I was living with him. Kyle thinks it was my doing, that I’d influenced Dad with my Christian talk. But I was as shocked as my brother when I heard Dad’s will.”

  Karen shrugged. “If that’s what’s causing so much animosity between you two, then why don’t you just give Kyle an amount equal to half the estate?”

  “I wanted to, but not if my dad did this for a reason.”

  “Why didn’t he tell you about this before he died?”

  “I think he tried. The day before he passed, he said he had something important to discuss about his finances. But then the nurse gave him his medicine, and he—he just wanted to go to sleep.”

  “And never woke up?”

  “Right.” He stared at the candles. “After today’s performance, it’s obvious Kyle’s drinking has gotten worse. He usually doesn’t get so sloshed that early in the day. If he keeps this up, it’ll affect his job.”

  “Earlier you mentioned a trial.”

  “Kyle took me to court, trying to prove I’d influenced Dad to change his will. But he lost the case. I don’t blame him for being angry, but I’m still wondering why my father did this.”

  Walking home later that night, Karen thought about Keith’s rocky relationship with his brother, hoping he’d find the answers to his questions soon so that he could heal the rift.

  Ten

  The following morning, Keith awakened and walked into his kitchen. Glancing out the window, he noticed Karen watering her mother’s flowers. The buds danced in the breeze as the moisture rushed from the hose. He found himself staring at Karen, unable to tear his eyes away. When she returned to her house, he roused himself from his reverie. Time to wash up and get dressed.

  Minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of his brother’s trendy town house in an upscale Annapolis neighborhood. He knocked on the door, but when nobody answered, he used the spare key Kyle had given him years ago.

  “Kyle!”

  His brother stumbled down the steps minutes later, his face still lazy with sleep. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk to you.”

  Kyle shook his head. “Not now.”

  Keith sighed. “Man, I’ve been worried about you.”

  “My head hurts.”

  “Take some aspirin. I’ll make some coffee.”

  Several minutes later, the twins sat at the kitchen table. Kyle, having already downed two aspirins with a cold glass of water, sat sipping his hot black coffee.

  Keith looked at his brother. “Your eyes are red.”

  “So?”

  “Do you remember running into me at the Rockfish Restaurant yesterday?”

  Kyle winced. “Barely.”

  “What’s up with you, man? You never get that drunk in the middle of the day.”

  Kyle remained silent, sipping his coffee.

  “Kyle, you need help. And you know you don’t have to walk this road alone.”

  Kyle shook his head. “Don’t start talking to me about Jesus.”

  “Listen, part of your trouble is you’re trying to handle all of your problems under your own power. You’re still mad because Andrea left, you’re still not over Dad’s death—”

  “Are you over his death?”

  Keith shook his head. “No. . .but I take everything to the Lord, knowing He’ll work everything out. That’s what you need to do—lean on the Lord to help you with your problems.”

  “Some of my problems would be solved if you’d give me my half of the money.”

  “Kyle, I don’t like it any better than you do. But Dad changed his will for a reason. And until I figure out why he arranged things the way he did, we’re both stuck.”

  The brothers were silent as Kyle sipped his coffee. Then a bleary-eyed Kyle asked, “Who was that woman with you at the Rockfish?”

  “What?” Keith was surprised Kyle even remembered seeing Karen.

  “Are you deaf? I asked who you were with at the Rockfish yesterday.”

  “Karen. And I don’t like the way you talked to her. You can act pretty ugly when you’re drunk.”

  Kyle hung his head. “I’m sorry about that,” he mumbled. Lifting his head, he asked, “So what’s up with you and this Karen?”

  Keith frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t seen you out with a woman since you turned religious. Are you two dating, engaged, or what?”

  “She’s my friend. Karen helps me with the youth ministry.”

  “That’s it?” Kyle looked at Keith. “You like her. I can tell.”

  “So what if I do?”

&nbs
p; “I’m shocked! My brother has been living like a monk for six years, and now he’s finally spending time with a woman.”

  Keith shrugged. “We’re just friends for now. I’m not sure how she would feel about dating me.”

  Kyle stood, walked to the sink, and rinsed his mug. “My only advice to you is be careful. You know how I fell for Andrea. Days before I plan on asking her to marry me, she dumps me for another man. You’d better make sure Karen doesn’t do that to you.”

  Keith knew Karen wouldn’t be so callous, but he didn’t think Kyle would understand, so he decided to change the subject. “I just stopped by to check up on you. You haven’t talked to me since Dad died, and. . .well, I’m concerned about you. I want you to promise me you’ll at least try to get some help. You could go to AA or something like that.”

  Kyle was silent as he placed his cup in the dishwasher.

  Keith spoke again. “Is it okay if I call you once in a while to. . .touch base?”

  Kyle leaned against the counter, looking at his twin. “I guess, if that’s what you want to do.”

  Keith inwardly cringed, still wishing there were more he could do to help his brother. At least Kyle had agreed to speak with him again, so it looked like the Lord had answered one of his prayers after all.

  Eleven

  The alarm sounded, waking Keith from a deep sleep. Forcing his eyes open, he gazed at his clock, remembering he had set the alarm for 4:45 a.m. He lay back on his pillow, taking pleasure in knowing he was off from work today.

  Eventually he got out of bed and, after a rough workout, showered then brushed his teeth. When he entered his kitchen, Suzie plodded over, begging for breakfast. “I’ll feed you in a minute, girl.” After starting a pot of coffee, he poured water and food into Suzie’s dishes.

  Hearing the water spurting from the hose at Ms. Doris’s house, he opened the blinds in his kitchen and saw Karen outside, watering her mother’s plants. Her slender arms held the hose over the flowers. She turned the faucet off and wrapped the hose around the stand. An idea formed in his head, and seconds later, he was approaching Karen in her mother’s backyard.