Secrets of Amelia

by Andrea Anderson

  Amelia put her hand to her mouth so they wouldn’t hear her giggle. She and Shelly ran to the kitchen, trying to stifle their laughter. “That sofa has seen more action in the last month than it has in a lifetime,” said Amelia, trying hard to contain her laughter, “I felt like a little kid spying on grownups.”

  “I wonder what happened to Darrell’s straight and narrow morals,” Asked Shelly. That succeeded in giving Amelia the giggles. She tried to hold them back, they were coming out in squeaks, and sputters making Shelly laugh even more.

  “We don’t have to wonder how that argument turned out do we,” more giggling and laughter.

  “Jez, Darrell was like a mad man when he got here, he calmed down quickly didn’t he?” Said Shelly.

  “You silly cow,” snorted Amelia, “you keep making me laugh and they’ll hear us.”

  “Do you think that’s the first time they have ever had sex,” asked Shelly.

  “We sound like two nosy, old maids,” said Amelia, “from what Betty says, yes, it is, and it looks like Darrell changed his mind about having sex before marriage and purity and all that.”

  “Now that you’re an old married lady said,” Shelly, “what do you think about sex before marriage?”

  “I can tell you I’m glad that I waited.”

  “You were a virgin? Get out,” said Shelly, “you and Chad stayed in this apartment and slept together.”

  “You’re right about Chad staying here and we did sleep together in bed or on the sofa, but Chad really controlled himself and we never had intercourse, I guess you could say we had sex, but not intercourse. We came awfully close several times, but he thought it was such an honor that we wait until we were married. If it were up to me, I probably would have given in.”

  “But he said all those things about standing by you if you had a baby and all.”

  “I’m sure he meant them, he loves having sex, but sex is not everything. Shel, I will be honest, I love having sex with Chad, as much as he does with me, but it’s more than sex, sex is only a part of a relationship, not the basis for one.”

  “I hope that in this case,” Shelly said, gesturing toward the living room, “that it brings that relationship together and is the exception proving the rule.”

  It did and Darrell asked Betty to marry him all over again. She told his yes with one condition, that she keeps Gina. He told her he hoped he would make a good dad.

  [ Chapter 38 ]

  Amelia and Chad decided that she would stay in the same apartment with Shelly, Betty, and Gina until they talked over what Chad was going to do in the future.

  Betty and Gina would be moving soon because Darrell told her he wanted to marry her and had accepted Gina that night he came to the apartment banging on the door. Betty was having a small wedding and her parents would probably not attend. They had not spoken to her since the day she told them about the baby. Betty was a good mother and was so happy now that she had Gina with her all the time. All three girls were planning the wedding just as they did for Amelia. They were planning on getting a special outfit for Gina and taking her to the wedding. Shelly would take care of Gina and Alice would help while Betty and Darrell went on a short honeymoon.

  The day of the wedding arrived and soon after the ceremony began, Betty’s mother showed up. Betty didn’t see her until she and Darrell had taken their vows and the Chaplin pronounced them man and wife and they turned around. Betty started to cry and whispered to Darrell that she saw her mom in the chapel, but she left before Betty could approach her.

  Betty told Shelly and Amelia about seeing her mother and they told her they saw her too, but she spoke to no one.

  The wedding reception was immediately after the ceremony in a small local restaurant. Amelia and Shelly told Chad they were taking the baby in the ladies’ lounge to change and feed Gina so she would not be fussy for the reception. Shelly was changing the baby and Amelia was taking the chill off Gina’s bottle by holding it under the warm running water at the sink, when someone rushed into the lounge. It was Betty’s mother; Mrs. Jacobs. She went to where Shelly was sitting holding the baby and asked if she could hold the baby. Shelly looked at Amelia and she shook her head yes. Looking at the baby Betty’s mother said, “What a beautiful baby.” She cooed and talked to the baby and then started to cry. Betty came into the lounge and looking startled, “What are you doing here mom?”

  “I came to see the baby, she is my first granddaughter, and I just had to see her,” she said crying.

  “Daddy would probably have a fit if he knew you were here,” said Betty.

  She just finished her sentence, when her father burst through the door. Darrell and Chad saw him and came running in thinking there might be trouble.

  “What are you doing here Jane?” He asked.

  “I’m holding my grandchild,” she said, heatedly, “are you blind?” This kind of response was very unusual from Jane. She was usually meek and mild and went along with the program.

  Betty’s father’s demeanor changed, he said very nervously, “Jane take it easy now, I don’t want you to get upset?”

  “You kept me from attending my daughter’s wedding, I was only able to come in and see the ending, and now you don’t want me to see my first grandchild? Well I’m not going to stand for this anymore,” she shouted fervently. “If you want to be a fucking, old, stupid, ostrich and stick your head in the sand, while life goes on around you, you can. I want to see my granddaughter grow up and I want my family back again. If I can’t have that you will have a very unhappy wife because now, I’m royally pissed off.” She handed the baby to Shelly and look around as if she were looking for something to use as a weapon.

  Betty said, “mom what are you doing?”

  I’m looking for something to throw at you father, he needs to have some sense knocked into him.”

  “Mom, mom, I have never seen you like this before.”

  “I don’t get like this often honey, sometimes you have no alternative, and you have to do what you have to do.”

  Jane walked over to the table and seeing no other objects, she was going to pick up the lamp.

  “Jane, Jane, honey, just please take it easy, it’s OK,” said Mr. Jacobs backing up, “anything you want honey, I give in, everything is going to be alright.” He moved to her side, hugged her, and kissed her on the cheek. While taking the lamp from her other hand. Then he hugged Betty and said, “Congratulations baby, you made a beautiful bride,” and shook Darrell’s hand and said, “Welcome to the family, son.” Then he went over and looked at the baby. “She sure is cute Betty, I’m young to be a grandpa don’t you think?” When things calmed down Mr. Jacobs said in an aside, “boys I have some advice for you, always remember one thing, “A happy wife is a happy life.” The last time Jane broke bad like this is when I got this scar right here near my ear. That happened when we brought Betty home from the hospital and I lit up my pipe in the house. Remember, “still water runs deep.” Chad and Darrell looked at each other and hooted with laugher.

  The rest of the reception went well.

  Later that evening, Chad and Amelia were reflecting on how the wedding went and they talked over the whole scene that took place in the ladies lounge earlier. Chad said, with a laugh, “Mrs. Jacobs sure took me by surprise when she looked around for something to hit her husband with. I would have never thought she had it in her to stand up to him like that. She’s such a quiet little thing. Now, if that were you, I would have known you wouldn’t take any of that stuff from me.”

  “Why do you say that honey?” Asked Amelia.

  “Because you are as tough as you are sweet, and I know you would kiss me into giving in to anything you wanted, wouldn’t you, Delilah?”

  “Yes, and now that you are my husband some other things too.”

  “I guess that’s what Mr. Jacobs meant.”

  “I didn’t
hear him say anything except something about a happy life and a happy wife.”

  “He told Darrell and me quietly, that, “That little patch of fur commands a lot of power.”

  “Chaddddddd,” she said, “that was a wicked thing to say,” she said laughing, “I would never do anything like that to threaten you, I would tease and taunt you, like this,” she said, as she got close and pushed her body into him and put her hands under his shirt and began rubbing his chest and touching his nipples.”

  “Whoa, he said, see what I mean, I surrender; I’m putty in your hands.”

  [ Chapter 39 ]

  Amelia found a job working in the city in the city forensic lab. She was employed as a lab assistant. She was accepted, as a graduate student at the Pennsylvania University, one of the best schools in the United-States in the field of forensics. The director of the lab Dr. Jonathan Cosgrove, whom everybody called Buzz, was very pleased that Amelia was going to Penn because that was his alma mater. He was a man in his late 50’s with graying hair that usually stood on end, because of his habit of running his hands through it. He always wore bolo string ties and was proud to say he was from Texas. At first glance, he seems somewhat untidy, as his lab coat was often covered with spots of dye used to stain specimens but standing next to him the smell of after-shave and soap was pleasant and clean smelling. He was definitely a man of science, and often began explaining the science behind the most common things mentioned in conversation, the consummate teacher. He was kindhearted and very passionate about his work. He loved his job and felt it was his duty to help people bring closure to why a loved one died.

  The lab was large and the main area had stainless steel tables with microscopes and other equipment, near that area were two offices on one side and a large storage area, and hooded work area on the other side, Buzz’s large office was around the corner and down the hall from the main area. Autopsies were done elsewhere in the building and the specimens were analyzed here.

  Amelia was one of three assistants that worked in the lab. Amelia already had some skill with the microscope, which she got with help from Shelly. She was confident in her preparation technique of most common tests. She had a solid knowledge of chemicals and already knew how to do some basic tests. Buzz liked Amelia because she was a hard worker, was very intuitive with preparing reports, with an investigative eye, looking for causes to explain test results. She was willing to stay and finish a test, even if there wasn’t an urgent reason for a result. When she was not busy doing tests or washing lab equipment, she would clean up the lab and restock the chemicals and other needed supplies without being reminded. Or do some research online.

  The other two lab assistants were Barbara and Philip. Barbara was a middle age woman who worked at the lab for the last 18 years. She and Buzz got along well, but their relationship was specific, she did testing of specimens and did the reports only, she never cleaned up or restocked. She considered herself the senior lab assistant.

  Philip was a few years older than Amelia. He worked at the lab for the last two years. He was somewhat of a hot shot and wanted Buzz to praise him for everything he did. He wanted to know everybody’s business. Philip considered himself a stylish dresser. Amelia thought it was to conceal his short stature; he had a stock of red hair and a mustache and goatee. He wore horn-rimmed glasses which he thought made him look intelligent. As he did with Amelia, Buzz encouraged Philip to go to school and work on furthering his education, but Philip thought he already knew everything. Barbara and Philip were supposed to orient Amelia to the lab, ordering supplies, doing some of the easy tests, and entering the data into the electronic filing system. Although Barbara was not always forth coming and Amelia had to ask a lot of questions to be sure she understood the procedure, she was honest.

  Philip on the other hand sometimes didn’t explain the entire procedure, left certain steps out, and as a result, some of Amelia’s tests had to be done over. When she asked Philip why he didn’t explain things thoroughly he told her, he thought he did, but she didn’t have enough experience, and laboratory knowledge to understand or comprehend tests at his level.

  Philip was quite upset when he found out that Buzz had asked the front office to allow Amelia to get tuition assistance for her courses at the university. He approached Buzz and asked why Amelia was given more benefits than he was, and he was there longer. Buzz reminded him that he had offered Philip the same benefit to both he and Barbara if they wanted them, since they were not interested in going back to school, they didn’t get them.

  Amelia didn’t let Philip’s overt behavior bother her because she liked what she was doing and felt she was learning so much. More importantly, she was able to bring what she was learning into practical use. When she first started, and Philip began criticizing her work. Amelia talked to Buzz about it worrying that she was not doing a good job. Buzz more or less told her to ignore what Philip said and to be concerned only with what he said, and she did just that.

  Betty and Gina moved to their new apartment with Darrell and Alice kept Gina for Betty during the day because she was in graduate school. Shelly and Amelia were staying at the old apartment for one month more and then were moving to a two-bedroom apartment, where the rent was cheaper.

  Amelia came home from work and found an email from Chad saying he would try and call her that evening. She was so happy to hear his voice.

  “Hi honey,” she answered when he called, “How are you? I miss you. I love you.”

  “Baby, Baby it’s so good to hear your voice. I miss you and love you to. How is everything going?”

  “It’s going fine, school is so interesting, and I like my job a lot.”

  “Are you doing anything interesting?” She asked.

  “I’m doing some teaching; I want to discuss something with you Babe. I have been approached by the commander to do some teaching and training with a consulting firm for 6 months to a year, at the end of that time, maybe join them as a civilian and make some good money.”

  “What would you have to do, and where would the training be done?” Asked Amelia.

  “Some physical training at first here in the states, then the work would be mostly in foreign lands honey.”

  “Like Iraq or Afghanistan?” She asked.

  “Probably, yes, that’s where they pay the best.”

  “Chad honey, do you have a choice in this, or would it look bad if you declined?”

  “I have a choice. I can decline if I want to.”

  “What do you really want to do? Honey,” She asked.

  “I know I can do the job. I’m doing it now for Uncle Sam, only at a much lower compensation rate. I view this as an opportunity to make some extra money, maybe you wouldn’t have to work so hard and could go to school full time and finish quicker.”

  “Babe, I think you know that I don’t care that much about having a lot of money, I have not had money all my life. You know that, and you know also that I was willing to live in a barn to help my family survive. Yet I think I’m one of the richest persons I know because I have you and our families, my health, the ability to work and friends.”

  “Thanks honey,” Chad said, “for putting this in perspective for me, I guess I lost sight of the fact that I should be counting my blessings, I was thinking how to make it easier for you.”

  “The best way you can make it easier for me is to find a way for us to be together every day or at least more often. Honey if you really want to do this you know I will give you my full support, but if you are asking me my opinion, my vote is no don’t do it.”

  “OK Babe, that’s what I needed to know, I’m going to tell the commander that I’m passing on the offer, I love you Babe, and thank you for your truthfulness and helping me see what I really should be aiming at.”

  “Now could we talk about when I will see you and get some kisses next, because I crave them and you know what else, because ju
st as you made me a kiss craver now I want to make love to you all the time, I guess I’m not supposed to tell you that…..pause Honey are you still there?”

  “Yes Mellie, I’m trying not to get excited while I’m talking to you and pretending you are in my arms, and no, you can say that as many times as you want to me. I love it when you tell me you want me, don’t ever stop saying that. I can’t wait to get home to you.”

  [ Chapter 40 ]

  Jerry was sick and tired of Rosalie and the brats, as he called her children. They were living at Rosalie’s mother’s farm in rural Mexico. He still hadn’t found the money he paid Roberto for letting Rosalie pretend to be his wife. Roberto hid it well and Jerry was running out of places to look. He thought about their time back at the farm a lot and wondered if Roberto could have possibly brought the money there somehow and hid it somewhere on the family farm. Jerry was surprised when Roberto showed up at the farm because that was not their plan. The plan was that Jerry would get the deed to the farm and hold his sibling’s hostage by making them pay rent. Once he had everything under his control, he would leave and have them send him money or he would sell the farm. He would take anything of value he could, he would find his father’s guns, knives and some old coins that were collectors’ items. There were two guns in particular that Henry got for digging a basement for the local Gun Club. They gave him a prize shotgun and a high-powered rifle instead of money. With the regular rent from the farm he could live well in Mexico and not have to work or worry about the feds coming after him. When Roberto showed up at the farm and said someone found out about the money he had, and he was afraid they would kill him, that’s why he had to leave, that’s when the whole plan went to crap.

  Jerry’s scheme to have power over his family failed. He didn’t think they would stick together like that. As far as anything valuable, he knew those things were long gone as soon as he looked around the farm and saw how poor they were.