Malachi, Ruse Master

by Pamela Schloesser Canepa

  So, instead, I called Jack.

  “What’s up, Malachi?” He sounded surprised to hear from me.

  I felt foolish. “Hey, I was just wondering how things are going.”

  “With me? I’m fine. A buddy of mine was at the Pentagon today. I haven’t heard back yet. You sound a little freaked out. It’ll be okay. You didn’t have any family up in New York did you?”

  “No.”

  “We’ll be fine. Some things will be a little different, though.”

  “What do you mean, Jack?”

  “Well, we’re most likely going to war. Don’t worry, though. I’m pretty sure they’ll never enforce a draft again.”

  “Did you serve?” I asked.

  His voice grew abrupt. “I’ve gotta go now, Malachi. You’ll continue your current job. Mrs. Rusche is probably gonna be worrying more about her son and his secretive goings on than before. Hell, we may even get some interesting little side jobs as a result of today’s events. But I understand if you’re done for the day. Give me a call in the morning. Let me know your progress and your next steps. And get some sleep!”

  It was strange, but my conversation with Jack was a lot more comforting than the talk with my dad afterward. Mom wasn’t so well, and he said I should find a way to visit. Then came the game of twenty questions. Not such a fun game for me.

  “Yeah, I just started a part-time job. The money’s pretty good. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “That doesn’t interfere with your studies, does it?” He sounded concerned.

  “Uh, no.”

  “What major did you decide on?”

  I hemmed and hawed.

  It went on and on: “Shouldn’t you have chosen a major by now? Don’t they require that at some point?” and questions like, “Are you eating right?”

  I mostly gave him answers in grunts and an occasional “Yeah” here and there just to get off of the phone as quickly as possible but not before asking him to forward any college mail to my current address, citing steep dorm fees as a reason for taking a room off campus.

  The next day, nothing was the same. I walked into my usual coffee shop, noticing all the weary faces. A man sitting at a table talking about how many lives were lost at the Pentagon. I heard another customer say the word “war” more than once, and Shaun still had the news on.

  “Did you and your family make out okay?” Shaun asked somberly.

  “Oh. Yeah, they’re all okay. My family lives in N—” I caught myself. “North Carolina. They’re all okay.”

  He nodded. “Will it be the usual?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  He turned and started the cappuccino machine. “I have a sister who lives in New York City. She hasn’t returned my call yet.” He stared off into space.

  Uncomfortable, I handed him my money. He opened the till and gave me my change. Going through the motions.

  “Can she call you here?” I asked.

  “Oh yeah. I’ve got my cell phone on me.”

  A female voice spoke from behind me. “You should close up early, Shaun.” A young looking woman in a cream colored power suit stood there. She had a fussy child by the hand.

  “Yeah, Bridget. I’m thinkin’ about it.” Unsmiling, he handed the child a lollipop.

  I stood at the side of the counter waiting for my coffee.

  “I’m sorry.” She turned toward me to speak. “My son’s anxious. He knows things aren’t right. My husband couldn’t get home until well after Mason’s bedtime. He was gone to work before sunrise today. I know Mason hears the news from his bedroom, recognizing the tone of the newscaster.”

  All I could think was, The kid’s name is Mason? That’s different. “I’m sorry,” I said, “I guess it has affected all of us.” I thought of Macie, my one actual friend, and then my fake friend, G.D., the only people I currently could even call friends. As much as I felt myself sometimes leaning on Jack, I knew he didn’t count. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere of the coffee shop any longer, the confirmed losses of the day before, the fear of even further losses not reported yet. Shaun’s anxiety was palpable; the fear of the anxious child was just as bad.

  “Order’s up, Malachi!” Shaun called, placing my cup before me. He tried to muster a smile; I truly appreciated that.

  “Thanks. Take care, and you too, ma’am.” I turned to leave.

  The cell phone calls I made on a slow walk to Jack’s office yielded nothing from G.D. and terse replies from Macie, at first.

  “Yeah, I’m alive. It sounds like you are too, Malachi.”

  “I was concerned, just thought I’d check up on you. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Is that all you needed, Malachi?” She wasn’t thrilled to hear from me at all.

  “Well, I guess—”

  “Yes, Mom. It’s a friend. Malachi. What? Why would I?”

  I heard another voice in the background. “Macie?” I asked.

  “Yes, Mom. His name is Malachi. He’s just a friend. We’re, um, we’re working on this project thing. No, not in college.”

  I chuckled. She really needed my story-telling skills. “Tell her you’re helping me with a script for a movie. You know, my amateur movie-making gig?”

  “Ugh.” I heard her turning away from the phone. “I’m helping him with editing a script. Yes, it’s pretty interesting, I guess.”

  In the background, I heard, “Ask him to come to dinner tomorrow.”

  “What?” Macie asked.

  A muffled voice said, “Ask him to dinner. He might be lonely. This is the worst time for that.”

  I heard Macie sigh. “Malachi, come on over for dinner tomorrow. Mom is making her prize-winning lasagna. We’ll tell her all about your movie-making venture,” she bubbled with fake enthusiasm.

  “Well, I appreciate that.” I looked down at my notepad, trying to determine if there was an important errand I had to do for Jack. Darn it all, I still had to eat, and a stakeout could always wait until dinner was over.

  Macie gave me the address and told me to be there right at 6 p.m. With that, she hung up.

  ***

  I showed up right on time. Macie’s mom was Linda, and man, could she ever cook a mean lasagna. I had brought a loaf of store bought bread, and immediately regretted it when I saw her home made loaf.

  Macie was obviously uncomfortable. She got a call on her cell phone and left the room for a good 15 to 20 minutes. I was able to B.S. my way through a conversation with Ms. Linda, as she requested to be called.

  “So, someday you’ll be a famous movie maker!” Linda exclaimed as she dished me a second helping. “Did you meet Macie in college?”

  I weighed my options. “Um, no. I didn’t go to college. My buddy, G.D., did, though, and I think he met her in a class, some sort of Drama class, if I remember correctly. You have to be good at reading a script to be good at writing one.”

  Macie came back into the room looking irritated. “I heard that, Malachi.” She sat down. “It was Trevor on the phone.” She looked over at her mother.

  Linda just looked at her and smiled. “Oh, I guess I should have invited him, too.”

  “That’s okay, Mom, and he and his family are doing just fine. Thanks for asking,” Macie intoned sarcastically.

  Linda just shrugged and went back into the kitchen to get us more tea, or bread, or who knows what. I thought she just wanted to escape the current direction of the conversation. It sounded like a good plan to me.

  Macie lowered her voice and turned to me. “Mom doesn’t like Trevor.”

  I grinned. “Is that the reason she invited me?”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. She had the idea you were some sad, lonely individual who needed some company in ‘these times.’ I guess she felt like we were reaching out to help a neighbor.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it. The food is great, too.” I hid my own discomfort and decided I would just be grateful, no matter what Macie’s attitude was toward this evening.

  Linda returned w
ith dessert. “I made cupcakes, no time for a whole cake.” The cupcakes were decorated with red, white, and blue icing. “You wouldn’t believe how much red, white, and blue stuff they had today. They were really patriotic. It was pretty heart-warming.

  “Yes, ma’am. That is nice to hear.” I knew where she was going with this.

  She took a seat. Macie looked horrified. “It’s just horrible,” Linda said. “How the events of yesterday could just shake our country and make us all feel so unsafe. We have to band together as a people. Where are your parents, Malachi?”

  I took a deep breath. “North Carolina. They’re all alright.” I honestly couldn’t remember if that was the same story I’d told Macie. She didn’t seem to care what I was saying at the moment, though.

  “So you’re all on your own here?” Linda asked.

  “Well, I’ve got my friends.” I looked down. “Oh, goodness, look at the time. I really need to go. Thanks so much for the lasagna, Ms. Linda.”

  “So, we’ll talk soon about that thing, Malachi. I’m kind of busy the rest of this week.” Macie stood as she composed her own little story. She might be good at this, after all. Her mother had no idea how perturbed she was at the whole idea of having me over for dinner. I was pretty sure Trevor wouldn’t be too happy, either, when he heard about it.

  “Malachi, you really don’t have to leave now, do you?” Linda called as I headed toward the door.

  Macie moved toward me, most likely to help ‘see me out.’

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Linda. I really do need to go. Thank you so much. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in a while.”

  “Macie, I’ll call you in a few days so we can decide when to work on that—thing.” This was partly true. I promised Macie a really nice dinner for the help she would be giving me with my neighbors.

  She opened the door for me. “Alright, Malachi. Goodnight.” I could tell she was glad for me to leave.

  “I really hope Trevor’s not upset,” I whispered to her through the small crevice in the partly open door.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Macie replied.

  I truly hoped that meant it wasn’t a problem. I did want the best for her. “Bye,” I called.

  I heard Linda call another goodnight to me as Macie closed the door. “Maybe next time—” she added after the door was shut.

  “Enough, Mom. He’s gone. Sure, we’ll do it again sometime. Just, let him go already!”

  It had been nice to be cared for, fed a home-cooked meal, and treated as part of someone’s family, even though we did have to fabricate a lot of our friendship story. Still, I’d be needing Macie’s help soon, so I suffered her sometimes crass attitude toward me.

  Walking to the car, I wished I could stay longer. I wished I had always been honest, or could be honest with Macie. I found myself longing for a place, with people who cared about me, where I really felt I belonged and wasn’t just pretending I had a reason to be there.

  I’d never felt so disconnected in my whole life. I didn’t lose anyone, wasn’t close to anyone who lost a loved one, but 9-11 still shook me. As time went on, people talked about how 9-11 united them with others, but I was feeling even more alone.

  Chapter 12

  Balancing Work with

  My Own Designs

  I’d have to say, the greatest ruse I ever pulled off was not a job for money, even though Jack had some pretty interesting jobs for me.

  When I went in to see Jack the next day, he handed me a manila folder.

  “I think you should dye your hair. This kid may have seen you around somewhere.”

  I peeked at the photograph in the folder. “Um, Okay.” I shrugged.

  He handed me a box of blond dye. “It’s better that you weren’t seen purchasing it.”

  Now, this would be interesting. I’d probably look ridiculous.

  “Anyway, you’ve got to tail him. The name is Clinton, a senior in high school. Find out where he’s hanging out. You could even befriend him. Talk to him, at least.”

  “Why am I following him?” I asked.

  “Parents say he’s been acting different lately, and they’re real concerned. They suspect he may be getting involved in drugs or some illegal business. He’s rarely home.”

  “When do I need to start?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Well…”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No. I have dinner with a girl. I can do it after that.”

  “Mrs. Rusche says he only has dinner at home one or two nights a week. Supposedly he is at a friend’s. She is a little beside herself, but what can she do? He is a senior.”

  “Is he eighteen yet?”

  “No. But he may also know how to get a fake ID. Yours may come in handy.”

  I sat back. “Ah. I may be following him into bars and places like that?”

  “Yes. There may be some late nights.”

  “Okay. Let me get home and start on this new look.” I shook the box of hair dye, feigning excitement over the prospect.

  Jack handed me a pair of black framed glasses. “It could go well with the look.” He chuckled.

  “Alright. Alright. If I can’t keep the girls away, it’ll be all your fault.”

  “I think you’ll be fine. Report to me tomorrow, even if you don’t have much.”

  “Okay.”

  ***

  The dinner with Macie could have been great, but instead I think it came off to her like I was just paying off a debt. She grew annoyed at our conversation. Evidently she was the type of girl who could sniff out a liar.

  “Where did you go to high school?” she asked.

  Nebraska was on the tip of my tongue, but that was my home state. What if she was the type to do some fact-searching on her own?

  “North Carolina,” I answered.

  “Where in North Carolina?” She took a taste of the escargot and wrinkled her nose. “Hmm, looks gross, but it doesn’t taste too bad.”

  “Did you know, in certain cultures, escargot is an aphrodisiac?” I interjected. There was really no credence to my claim; it just sounded good to me at the moment.

  After a quick giggle, her straight face returned, and her intense purpose as well. “Back to my question, Malachi.”

  “Raleigh, North Carolina.”

  “What school was that?” She took a bite of her salad.

  The steak arrived. It looked thick and juicy, which helped me divert my attention away from the last question. I’d have to really rack my brain to think of some actual schools in North Carolina, since I’d never even been there.

  “Yeah,” I continued, “I came here to get away from my family. It was not an option to go home. We don’t get along too well.”

  “Any brothers or sisters?”

  “No,” I lied.

  “So, you just didn’t get along with your parents?”

  “Yeah. My dad was sort of abusive. Mom left him and got remarried; I didn’t really like the new guy, either. He was not as angry, but he had these really high standards. Dropping out of college was not ‘what a man would do.’ He highly advised me against it and told me I could not move back in with them. I really didn’t want to anyway, and there was no living with Dad. So, I’m just doing the odd jobs and waiting to catch my big break in film.” I looked up to see if she was buying my embellishment.

  “How long have you known your friend G.D.?”

  “About two years. I’ve been here for three. Enough about me. You’re taking classes, right?”

  “Yes, I’m going to Georgetown, just at night.”

  I briefly wondered if she had ever seen me there on campus.

  “What is your major, your main interest?” I asked.

  “Fine arts. I’m also considering interior design. We’ll see how it goes. One of them is more likely to earn me a job. That’s what my parents say, that I should get an idea which will result in employment. And they’re right. College is expensive.”

  “For sure.”

&nbs
p; “What was your major, Malachi?”

  “I didn’t have one yet, but I was starting to enjoy Literature and Film classes. Makes sense, right?”

  “How’s it going with your neighbor?” she whispered.

  “I’ll need to be out of there soon. The landlord is not too happy with me. My attempt to help out the neighbor lady was not appreciated. Now Don’s giving us both the stink eye.”

  She smiled. “But you won’t let that stop you. I know. You could be a theater director. Hmm, I guess those skills would come in handy in film, too. So that’s your future, then?”

  “Yeah. That’s what I want to do. It’ll certainly take years of hard work and cutting my teeth on crappy projects. I’m willing to learn though, to make my way into that world.”

  “Do you vote?” She had changed the subject quickly.

  “No.”

  “No? Could there be any actual solid reason for not exercising that right?”

  “They’re all liars,” I responded.

  “They’re all liars?” She snorted ironically, as if I was in no position to call anyone a liar. Maybe she was right.

  Despite all of the good food and my attempts to answer her questions, Macie could tell I was in a hurry to pay the bill and leave. I couldn’t tell her where I was going.

  “G.D. and I have some work to do tonight. I’m sorry I have to end the night here, but you and I could get together tomorrow night,” I offered as we walked to the car.

  “Don’t worry about it. Remember, I’ve got a boyfriend. I don’t need you to try and take up all my time. You don’t owe me anything. Our dinner transaction is finished.”

  “Macie, I really enjoyed dinner, and I owe, no, I want to hang out with you more, sometime soon.”

  “Well, we’ll see. Just call when you actually have time you can spend with me. The dinner was great.”

  “Fair enough.” I waited for her to speak again; as a result, the drive back to her place was very quiet. I broke the awkward silence with a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for all you’ve done to help me out. I hope you’ll give me the time of day sometime again soon.”