by Fry,Patricia
“What kids?” Colbi asked.
Savannah responded, “Next door. Rodney Turner lived next door to us.”
Colbi stopped and looked at Savannah. “Oh no, the house with all the kids? He wasn’t their dad, was he?”
“Their uncle. I saw Kira, one of the nine-year-old twins, this morning and she was pretty upset.”
When Savannah started to reveal more, Colbi said, “Well, here we are.” She looked at her watch. “Gonna have to eat on the run again today. Thanks, Savannah, for helping me with this.” She clasped her hands together under her chin and stared into the sky. “God, let’s hope we get a call, and soon.” Leaning over, she kissed Lily on the cheek and cooed, “Always fun to see you, little princess.” She released the buckle on the safety belt and lifted the toddler out of the stroller, then watched as Savannah folded it up and placed it in the car.
“Colbi, are you doing okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I know how attached you are to Dolly. But you don’t seem as…you know…upset as you were when she ran off before.”
“Savannah,” she said, placing Lily in her mother’s arms, “I love her dearly and I am worried. But there are two things at play here. First, I’m going to have a baby and I know that worry and stress are not good for him or her, so I’m working hard to keep a healthy outlook. Besides, Dolly’s with Rags. He kept her safe during their last adventure.” She choked up a little when she said, “I’m counting on him to take good care of her now.” Before Savannah could respond, she added, “Plus, we have sweet Molly to keep us company when we miss Dolly. It’s not always easy, but I’m just trying to trust and stay positive.” Her eyes welled. “We will find them unharmed. I have to believe that.”
Savannah smiled at her friend and gave her a one-armed hug. “Good for you. Smart thinking. I’ll try to do the same.”
Once Savannah had strapped Lily and herself into her SUV, she drove off slowly, waving at Colbi. “Let’s go meet Daddy for lunch, shall we?”
“Daddy?” Lily chirped.
“Yes, we’re going to have lunch with Daddy.” She glanced in the rearview mirror. “What did you say? Daddy?”
“Daddy,” Lily repeated.
“Oh my, aren’t you growing up—no more da-da. Now it’s daddy?” She smiled. “What a big girl you are…and so smart.” After driving a few more blocks, Savannah asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Cookie?” Lily said.
“Yes, we’ll get you a cookie and maybe some macaroni and cheese.”
“Cheese?” Lily repeated.
“Hi, hon,” Savannah said minutes later when Michael approached her parked car to help with the baby.
“Da-da!” Lily squealed.
“Hi, ladies,” Michael said, lifting Lily from the car seat.
“What do you mean, da-da?” Savannah said, picking up the tote containing a few of Lily’s toys, snacks, diapers, and wipes, as well as her wallet and a bottle of water. When Michael looked confused, she said to the baby, “Daddy. Daddy.”
“Da-da,” Lily repeated.
“Dang,” Savannah said. “She called you Daddy on the way here—just as plain as day.”
“Oh really?” Michael said, his face lighting up.
She kissed Michael on the cheek. “Having a good day?”
He nodded. “So far, so good. How about you?”
“Well, the cats aren’t back,” she said solemnly. “But we must have posted fifty flyers and we talked to several people. Unfortunately, no one we spoke to has seen them.” Searching his face, she asked, “Michael, where could they be?”
He shook his head. “Who knows? He marches to his own beat, that cat of yours.”
Savannah chuckled a little as she opened the door to the diner. “Hi Becky,” she greeted, letting out a sigh, as if exhaling the tensions of her morning. “Looks like you’re one of the chosen few.” When the young waitress looked puzzled, Savannah explained, “To take Iris’s place. You’re still here. I assume you’ve been hired on full-time.”
The young woman nodded and smiled. “Yeah, me and Joanne. I think we’re permanent. At least I hope so. Two and a half for lunch?” she asked, grinning at Lily. “Want a booth or…?
“A booth is fine. Thanks.”
“Dr. Mike; Savannah,” came a voice from behind them.
When the couple turned, Michael said, “Well hello Mrs. Robles.”
“Anna,” the woman corrected.
“Anna.” He faced Savannah. “Hon, you remember Anna Robles. She has attended a couple of the Cat Alliance meetings.”
“Yes,” Savannah said, offering the woman her hand. “How are you?”
“Well,” she said, rather dramatically, “I was just fine until I heard the awful news about Leo Kittleman.” When she saw the look of apprehension on Savannah’s face, she leaned toward her, “Haven’t you heard? He’s missing.”
Savannah nodded. “Yes. I…I thought maybe something…you know…had happened. No sign of him, yet?”
The robust woman shook her head. “I’m just so distressed to hear this. He is one of the…” Without warning she began to cry. She waved a hand in front of her face and apologized. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that…”
Savannah took the woman’s arm and spoke more quietly. “Anna, would you like to sit down with us for a moment? Come on,” she said, leading the distraught woman slowly toward their booth.
As Michael got Lily settled with a crayon and paper in a booster seat, Savannah slipped into the booth across from them and invited Anna to scoot in next to her.
“She’s very cute,” Anna said, motioning across toward Lily. “She colors already? Look at that. How old is she?”
“Almost seventeen months,” Savannah said, smiling at her daughter. She turned toward Anna. “So Mr. Kittleman is still missing? There’s been no other news, then?”
“I guess not. I just heard this from Mr. Hodgeson when I placed my to-go order.” More haughtily, she explained, “I have people working at my house today—landscapers, you know. I came out to get them some lunch.” She sat straighter. “I don’t want them leaving to go find something to eat and taking hours to return. I need the yard completed in time for my daughter’s wedding.” She smiled. “Did you know my daughter is marrying a college professor from San Francisco? They’re moving into a gated community outside the city.”
“Nice,” Michael said. “You must be proud.”
She smiled broadly. “That I am.” Suddenly, she winced. “When I think of what could have happened to that girl…” She shuddered. “If it wasn’t for Mr. Kittleman…” Before continuing, the woman clasped her hands in front of her and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what would have become of her. I swear he is her guiding angel.” She started to sob into a tissue. “And now he’s gone….” she wailed.
Savannah put her arm around the woman. “He’s not gone, Anna, just missing. He’s become kind of confused and he may be lost. I’m sure they’ll find him.”
“God almighty, I hope so,” she said rather loudly.
In order to help her calm down, Michael asked softly, “How was it that he helped your daughter, Anna?”
“Well, you see, after her father died, I had to go to work. When I came home, I had two small children and a teenager to take care of. It was a hard time for all of us. I knew Angelina was struggling, but I didn’t know how much.” She paused. “She started getting into trouble at school. Her grades dropped. She spent most of the time in her room sulking. And then one day Mr. Kittleman caught her fighting after school. He broke it up, sent the other girl on her way, and set Angelina down. Then and there he gave her a talking to like she hadn’t had since her father passed.” She leaned toward Michael. “I don’t know everything he told her—maybe he just listened to what she had to say. By then, you see, our relationship had become so dreadful that my daughter and I barely spoke to one another unless we were shouting. I was at my wit’s end with that girl.”
She took a breath and glanced at Savannah, then Michael. Before she could continue, Becky approached Anna. “Your to-go order’s ready, ma’am.”
“Thank you. I’ll be right there.” She then sat back so Becky could take Michael’s and Savannah’s orders.
“Turkey sandwich,” Savannah said, “with coleslaw and an iced tea. And could you bring us a side of your macaroni and cheese—and crackers, please?”
“The same,” Michael said. “…only I don’t need a side of macaroni and cheese.”
Becky smiled, nodded, and walked away.
“So what did Mr. Kittleman say to your daughter?” Savannah asked quietly.
“Well, he managed to get her to talking about her art. She’s a wonderful artist. It’s something she has loved since she was small.” Anna leaned toward Michael. “You see, her grades were so bad that I made her drop her art class. Mr. Kittleman knew of Angelina’s talent and her obvious passion…he called it…for her art and he made a deal with her. He said he’d do everything he could to get her back into the art class if she’d raise her grades.” Anna turned to Savannah. “He used another bribe, too. He said he would not report the fight, which would surely result in detention or even being expelled, if she would accompany him to the Girls and Boys Club the following afternoon.”
Anna’s face lit up. “Well, she kept her word and went with him—with my blessings, of course—and he got her involved in helping the younger children with an art project.” She raised her hands to the heavens. “My little girl came home that day just bubbling over with excitement telling me how much she loved teaching the children and how satisfying it was to see them look up to her, follow her directions, and actually create something. She said she remembered how good she had felt about herself when she was creating regularly—pursuing her art. Mr. Kittleman stayed in touch with us and later he urged Angelina to enter an art contest. That was the year she won the community festival poster contest. Her drawing was chosen for the poster that year.”
“What a wonderful story, Anna,” Savannah said, smiling. “And now your daughter is getting married. What will she do in the city? Does she have plans?”
“Make babies, I hope,” Anna said, laughing. “She wants me to move closer. In fact, once her brothers are both on their own, I may move into their granny flat so I can help take care of those babies. She’ll also pursue her art. She wants to open a studio in her home and teach. Oh, and she’ll volunteer in a program for at-risk children. You can bet she won’t give up on those kids.”
“That’s really wonderful. What a tribute to Mr. Kittleman.”
“Yes. So you can see that he is more than just a teacher in my world. He saved my daughter from what could have become a life on the streets or an early death, even. I will go to the church every day and pray for his safe return until he is found.” She looked across at the counter. “I’d better go take lunch to the workers before they abandon me. Very nice seeing you both and your sweet baby.”
Savannah watched as Anna left the diner. Handing Lily a crayon that had rolled out of the baby’s reach, she said to Michael, “Wow! What a story.”
“What a man,” he added.
Savannah nodded while opening a fruit pouch for the baby.
“Turkey sandwiches and coleslaw with a side of mac and cheese,” Becky said upon approaching the Iveys. After placing the items on the table, she started to turn, but instead said, “I couldn’t help overhearing Mrs. Robles talking about Mr. Kittleman.” She hesitated. “Have they found him?”
“No. Not that I know of,” Savannah said. When Becky continued staring down at her hands, Savannah asked, “Are you a friend?”
She nodded. Her lip quivered when she said, “I consider him sort of my godfather.” When she saw the Iveys both looking up at her, she explained, “He gave my dad a kidney.”
“Wow!” Savannah said. “Unbelievable, that man. Are you related to him?”
“No. Not at all. My dad worked as a janitor at the high school for a really long time. When he got sick, Mr. Kittleman heard about it and he tested to see if he could be a donor. Sure enough he could, and it was just in time to save Dad. He got sick really fast. We were preparing for his funeral when the news of a donor came. It wasn’t until Dad was set up to receive the kidney that he learned it was Mr. Kittleman. Dad said later that he wasn’t totally surprised that Mr. Kittleman would do something like that. He’d always been kind to Dad, even though Dad was only a janitor.” She tightened her lips. “I just hope he’s okay.” Her eyes brightened when she said, “It’s my dad who organized the candlelight vigil. Are you coming tonight?”
Michael glanced at Savannah. “Yes. Yes, we’d like to be there.”
Savannah reached out and squeezed Becky’s hand. “I’m sure they’ll find him safe. Try not to worry.”
The young woman smiled weakly and walked away.
“Well look who’s here,” Savannah said, nodding toward the entrance.
Michael turned to look. “Oh, Iris. Who’s that she’s with?”
Savannah took a bite of her coleslaw and shrugged. After a few moments, she said, “That’s odd.”
“What?” Michael asked while wiping a smudge of cheese sauce from Lily’s face.
“She barely acknowledged us.”
He looked around. “Where’d she go?”
“Into the dining room. I know she saw us and she just walked on past.”
“Oh, those people are probably clients and she wants to appear professional.” He started to take a bite of his sandwich. But when he noticed Savannah still staring after Iris, he said, “Come on, eat. You can talk to her later.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She looked across the table at Michael. “So how’s your day going so far? Did you neuter Luke’s cats?”
“Uh-huh,” he said while taking a bite of his sandwich. Once he’d swallowed, he continued, “Both patients are resting comfortably and we scheduled the last two surgeries for next week.” He chuckled. “I get such a kick out of Luke. It’s as if he has just discovered life and he has grabbed it by the tail.”
“How so?” Savannah asked, giving Michael her full attention.
“You’d think he was the first person ever to get a job and to be…well, sort of an independent agent.”
“He was barely existing when we found him—or did he find us?” she said, chuckling. “You have to give it to him; he had figured out a way to survive without actually becoming a part of society. That took a certain amount of creativity and skill, don’t you think so?”
“Sure, but the kid was scarely operating above the law—in fact, he was breaking the law by trespassing and taking things.”
“Michael, he…”
“I know, he only borrowed things…” He laughed. “…and bartered, but he was still trespassing and maybe even breaking and entering.” He shook his head. “At any rate, he’s now out in the open, no longer living underground, and he’s thriving. It’s refreshing to see.”
“Michael, I think you have a crush on the boy.”
“A crush?” he said with a scowl.
“Well, not in the lovesick sense, but you are kind of taken with him…you know, fond of him.”
“I am impressed with him and I enjoy watching him blossom.” He rested his elbows on the table and looked at Savannah. “He reminds me a little of me.”
“Really? In what way?”
“Oh, I was kind of lost there for a while when I was in high school. My parents didn’t encourage me to follow a life path. I had this underlying dream to work with animals, but no idea, really, how to make that happen. I was just drifting with no real direction, until…”
Savannah’s eyes grew larger. “Until what?”
Before responding, he helped Lily take a sip of juice. “Until I spent a summer with my grandfather. He’s the one who asked me all the important questions and made me see what Luke now sees—that I could mold my life into pretty much anything I wanted by recog
nizing what was available to me, making the right choices, and reaching out. Grandpa’s world was filled with the things he loved—animals and nature. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was in my element there on his little ranch. I felt such a kinship with the barn cats, the old burro he kept as a pet, the pigs and goats, not to mention his array of dogs. And I especially enjoyed learning about the idiosyncrasies of each animal, according to Grandpa. When he saw how quickly I took to caring for them and the doctoring of them, he began kind of helping me to chart my life course. I finally saw the beginnings of a direction.” He sat back in the booth. “Yes, if it wasn’t for Grandpa and my experience that summer at his place, I might have become a mechanic, a short-order cook, or a gardener.” He laughed. “Or, I’d still be drifting.” He looked at Savannah. “Yes, I guess I do feel a connection to Luke, like I did with Grandpa Ivey.”
Savannah reached out and took Michael’s hand. “That’s a beautiful story, hon. So your parents were able to support you through veterinary school?”
“No. Grandpa died and left some money earmarked for my education.”
“Wow! What a gift. And now maybe you can sort of pay it forward with Luke. I mean, do you think he would like to become a veterinarian?”
He chuckled. “It’s too early to tell. For now, I think he needs to stay on track—get his high school diploma, tuck some work experience under his belt, and just grow as a young man.”
She smiled. “How astute of you.” She jumped a little. “Oh, here comes Iris. Hi,” she called out.
“Hi,” Iris said in a hushed tone. She glanced over her shoulder. “Didn’t mean to ignore you guys.” She smiled at Lily. “How’s our sweet girl today? Out to lunch with Mommy and Daddy?” she cooed.
“Mama, daddy,” Lily said.
Michael’s eyes lit up. “She said it! Did you hear that? She said daddy.”
In the meantime, Savannah gazed toward the dining room. “Are those your new clients?”
Iris nodded. She turned more serious. “It’s gonna be a long, drawn-out project, I’ll tell you. I’m a little nervous about it. Those people are kinda…” Suddenly, she straightened up and whispered, “Gotta go. See you later.”
