Laura's Big Win

by Michelle Tschantre'

  Later that day when they had a few minutes alone, Ryan filled Laura in on the discussion about the success of the IT operation and how pleasantly surprised they had been. And, because of that, the excess funds would result in bonus checks for a lot of people who had worked really hard, including Laura. He concluded the discussion by suggesting perhaps she should get an even bigger share for all the hard work she had put in to engender that success.

  “Don’t be silly. I’d love a bonus check, sure, but that’s not why I do this. It’s like, I don’t know, being something as part of a larger picture, maybe giving away food, taking in young girls with babies, stuff like that; am I nuts or something?”

  “Nope. You’re great, as expected. Cal and Roger and I were talking about that this morning, and they said about the same thing; but, you know why? They say it’s you. You have become Windmere’s personality, it’s soul so to speak. We would never have thought to do some of those things you did; Alice would not have reassessed her life and made a life changing leap like she did. This place has changed. We didn’t sit there and talk about what property we could buy next or something we could develop; we talked about the people that make up Windmere, you know, all creatures great and small. Roger’s right; the place is alive again, and so am I, and I love you very much. Would you marry me someday, maybe the Saturday between Christmas and New Years?”

  “I will. You can’t buy me off with a bonus check either. But come closer and I’ll show you what will work on…..mmmm….”

  The remaining days of the week went even faster than Monday as plans came together. It appeared they would have a rather good turnout in spite of the short notice, and Laura looked forward to meeting some of the people she had only heard about, the “travelers” Windmere used to conduct their field operations test services on clients places of business. Mostly, these were everyday people who had worked their way into a lucrative and very entertaining good time, for the cost of doing a little paperwork for the company. It was no secret how Ryan had managed to come up with a cadre of surveyors; he had simply approached the members of the local amateur theater company after he and Mary had attended a performance for an entertaining diversion one evening. It was simple, he thought, to go from learning lines for a play and learning essentially the same thing for a road trip. The theater company was thrilled at the prospect of paid vacations, plus some badly needed revenue for their small theater operation. The whole thing was rehersed on weekends at Windmere itself until the travelers could play their parts with skill and ease. The diversity of the group itself made it work even better, and the individuals command of language made their reports not only readable but more importantly, understandable to clients in exquisite detail if needed. Because some members were retired, and some worked different days or hours, Windmere was not limited to providing their services only on weekends. There was a tendency of resorts to staff down a bit during the week when there might be fewer paying customers, and that is frequently when weak points would best be discovered by the travelers. If nothing else, it was a very rewarding symbiotic relationship.

  Saturday came, and with it more people than Laura had seen at Windmere since the auto parts deal she had aced. The mood was very upbeat as people who saw each other rarely were trying to catch up. Some of the off-site managers had been able to make the trip in, which delighted the airport manager with the landing fees accumulating in the register. Even more importantly, Doris had been right about the food, as usual. Both Henry and Fernando were kept busy, although those who elected the “hot” version from Fernando were also seen consuming large glasses of juice to quench the fire down below after eating. Laura was introduced to many of the travelers, and to those managers who could make the trip; she was surprised that everyone seemed to know a great deal more about her than she knew about them. She surmised, correctly, that Windmere had few secrets among its ranks.

  Nine o’clock, and with the great room packed to the doors, Roger started with a general report and some slides showing the overall progress in operations during the year in various categories, everything from growth in employment numbers to growth in actual revenues. He particularly outlined the growth in vended IT services, and gave Laura all the credit for the new direction Windmere had taken along with its more traditional lines of service. Winding things down, Roger took a few minutes to explain that the unexpected increase in revenue had caused a serious management planning problem, that is, what to do with the excessive funds. A number of suggestions were shouted from the crowd, none impolite or unrepeatable, but Roger kept going. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of dithering, but in reality was less than a minute, he reported that the funds would be disbursed in bonus packages during the next regularly scheduled payday. The applause was deafening, interspersed with a few yells plus a strange native noise Fernando had been known to emit from time to time.

  Winding down his portion, Roger once again gained the crowd’s attention. “That about wraps it up for me for this year, except to say you are a great staff, a great family, and together we beat hell out of the competition. Truthfully, we have seen a few competitors arise in the past couple of years, and die off about as fast. We have added services faster than the competition can think of them, and this last thing, the IT services, has them really scratching for something they can advertise they do better than Windmere does. I believe we are in this for the long haul, and it’s going to take a Brinks truck to handle the load. If there is an area of operation in which I have a concern, it is in the staffing of management here at the home office. I believe we have hit upon a partial solution to the retention problem, now that certain staff members are becoming well known outside of Windmere, and the headhunters are knocking regularly; isn’t that true Laura?.....So, I give you Ryan Williams to discuss that issue. Mr. Williams.”

  The assembled staff was somewhat puzzled by this turn of events, but realized these people had a unique way of making things come out right. And in the process it was certainly not beyond them to have a little fun. Most were well aware of the events in Ryan’s life, the loss of Mary, his love of children, the weight of sadness he carried for a long time. Yet today, he seemed happier, more cheerful, more like his former self; many of them knew about the relationship with Laura and how things were developing, although most were not quite up to date with things. They also knew that Laura had stepped into the shoes of Alice Hamilton and wore them well along with her other duties. There were, indeed, few secrets at Windmere. Ryan stood to address the assemblage, with as solemn a face as anyone could imagine.

  “My friends, in order to assure the peace and domestic tranquility…..wait a minute. I think that speech has been done once. But speaking of domestic tranquility, I find that working next door to this woman, this Laura person, who of late has become a real moving force at Windmere, is making life difficult for me. I find it is nearly impossible to come in here in the morning and be grumpy all day. Passing her in the corridor …well ….I just want to turn around and look back. It’s that sort of thing going on that can disrupt the social structure of an office so much that it is barely functional. And I find that I need to leave my office frequently just to look in hers to make sure she’s still with us. I have discussed this with her at some length in private, and I believe we have reached an amicable solution. In short, we have a deal. But, businessman that I am, I would like to present that deal to the stockholders for your approval. Ms Laura, please rise”

  Laura hesitated at first, wondering what this man she so loved was up to, but gave in quickly. “Ryan, what’s going on? What are you up to?”

  “Nope, not good enough. Here, up on the chair.” And placing his hands on her waist, he literally picked her up and stood her on a chair for all to see. Her puzzlement grew, but she loved and trusted this man, and if this was what he wanted to do, well, it was fine with her.

  “Okay, can everybody see her now, our IT guru and princess of the domain? Here’s the deal. Laura, will you marry me on the
Saturday after Christmas, to have and to hold, and all that, forevermore? People, here’s your chance to vote. What do you think?”

  The chant started as a roar and grew ever louder by the second: “Say yes, say yes, say yes…..” so loud Ryan could barely hear her reply and she had to shout it out over the crown noise. “Yes, yes, yes you crazy man; I’ll marry you!”

  The chant dissolved into general applause and cheering. In retrospect, it was unclear if everyone was really that happy for Ryan and Laura, or if it had something to do with the hot pepper omelets that morning; regardless, the people had spoken, and now wanted to hear more.

  “Okay. With every deal, there is a plan, and we have that all worked out, with the help of some of you, probably a lot of you. You are invited. We know the time. My job is to find the place and things like that. I’m a manager, and you all know what that means: I know what to say, but have no idea how to actually get it done; that’s why all of you have jobs, and partly why all of you are here. We gonna need a little help here with this. Okay? Big picture: the ceremony will be in a tent on the grounds, weather permitting or not; we have no backup plan. The reception following that will be in the Great Room of the White House; dinner will be served somewhere in here eventually. Open bar. Any questions?”

  The hall that had been noisy before was now very, very quiet. Finally Franz, in his halting speech, broke the silence. “Did you say the White House Great Room? We are to open the White House, is that right?”

  “You are right my friend; open the White House. It’s been closed too long and needs some sunshine, and probably a lot of dusting. I know you and Dennis have been taking care of it the past couple of years, and I thank you for that. You know, it isn’t exactly easy to disguise footprints as big or deep as his. Let me assure you; you did the right thing. So, that’s it. I have a bride to be, I have a time, and I have a place, and I have all of you. My job here is done; anyone for seconds in the kitchen? I believe this meeting is adjourned. Okay Roger?”

  “You got it. I need a brief chat with the travelers please, just a couple of minutes.”

  And with that, the meeting broke into small chat groups of friends, some with Roger or Cal, others just as friends. Ryan and Laura made their way around the room greeting people and receiving their congratulations. Wandering back into the kitchen for the moment, Laura noticed Leslie standing to one side, enjoying another cinnamon roll and a cup of Windmere’s finest coffee, but without a baby on her arm.

  “Les, good to see you this morning, but aren’t you missing someone? I’m not used to seeing you empty armed.”

  “Oh, Laura, no, he’s here, just not right here. There he is; see? But mom, I think maybe I screwed up this morning.”

  “What happened, Les?”

  “Cindy had to work and Jason came over to bring me here. I cooked breakfast for him and all that, then told him I had to feed my baby before we could leave. He asked if he could watch, and I said okay. I mean, I know I’m nursing; how could I forget that? I guess I wasn’t thinking or maybe just wanting to have him stay around. Anyway, I do my feeding in the rocker, so I went on in, unbuttoned, unhooked, and plugged in; simple as that. What was I going to do, tell him no at that point? Anyway, I promised.”

  “How did he react? He didn’t know before time you were breast feeding?”

  “No, he’s just never been there and I guess I never mentioned it. But, mom, it gets weirder. He seemed a little embarrassed at first, maybe more than a little, but after a few minutes he said in a real funny sounding voice it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he’d wait in the kitchen. It sounded like he was all choked up, and I cried after he left the room. No one has ever said anything like that to me before, not ever. How bad do you think I screwed things up?”

  “Les, not at all. I think you got to see a side of him most women never get to see in their men, and I do think he may be your man. I wouldn’t go around doing that little act a lot in public, but it is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and I think he very much respects that you are a good mother. Is this him coming now?”

  “That’s him, and thanks mom; I feel better about things now.”

  “And don’t call me mom.”

  “Okay, mom.”

  Laura had noticed the tall, well built young man only from the side, and knew he looked a little familiar but was not someone she actually knew. Now that he approached face on, Laura could see that the facial resemblance to Cindy Jefferson was unmistakable, as much as the baby in the new front carrier resembled Leslie. The look on Leslie’s face summed things up pretty well; like Laura, she had gone from somewhere below zero, to regaining her pride in herself and what she wanted to be.

  “Mom…I mean Laura…this is Jason Jefferson, Cindy’s brother. He’s a fireman and teaches some of the EMT classes I take. I don’t know why, but he likes wearing babies around his neck….. this one anyway.”

  “Pleased to meet you ma’am. Les has told me a lot about you, and what you’ve done for her. I sure appreciate that, not that it’s any of my business, but it sure seems nice of you to do, you know, like that.”

  Laura intervened before he ran out of oxygen trying to thank her. “Look, someone helped me, and I think it’s right to help someone else, sort of pass it along. Les just looked like she needed a hand up, that’s all. Besides, she’s a great employee, and we’re proud of what she’s doing with her life. She told me about you, too, working on Cindy’s house. Sounds like you’re a great brother to have around. And you’re welcome here anytime, preferably not in an official capacity though.”

  Jason laughed. “I see what you mean. Anyway, I do plan to be around, as least as long as Les is around. I just sort of standby in case she needs any more help all of a sudden, you know.”

  “Come on Jason; I’m not old enough to be your mother, but I can read a man’s face, and I like yours. Les seems to like you, and if you like her back, that’s a good start. We’re sort of like a family here; once you’re in, it’s hard to get rid of us.”

  “You’re not kidding. That big guy over there saw me come in with Les and watched me all the way though the room. Sort of scared me, he did, not that I can’t handle myself.”

  Laura followed his gaze, and landed on, Dennis Anderson. “Not to worry about him. Dennis will only mangle you into bits if you don’t treat Les right. He has a bad temper about things like that. Les, you need to introduce them, so Dennis doesn’t worry.”

  “Okay, mom.”

  “And quit calling me mom. Next thing you’ll be wanting tuition money from me.”

  “Nope. You already got that for me. Thanks, mom. Come on Jase; time to meet Dennis the Menace.” And off they went.

  By the end of the day Laura was convinced there was some sort of plot working toward having her marry Ryan, not that she minded. Things just seemed to fall into place, and Ryan adding the White House was totally unexpected. She knew what it meant to him, and when they had time to sit and feel each others’ warmth and presence, she finally decided she had to know. “Ryan, you didn’t have to include the White House; I know the history and how deeply ingrained in you that history is, and I can sense how difficult that must have been for you. But I already love you, and you don’t have to prove anything.”

  “It’s not that I’m trying to prove anything, unless maybe to myself. You’re right about the house holding a special place for me, but you’re in that special place now. I told Jack that things get better, that we shouldn’t ever forget the past, but that we shouldn’t let the past control us. My memories of things past don’t change things present. Truthfully, when Mary died, I wanted to die too, but I didn’t; and now I see that I had a lot left to do. I don’t know why she had to go, but I had no power over that, and it’s over and done. Much as I loved her, and miss her, I can’t have her back. But, I need someone to love me for being me, and I need to love them for being who they are, and that’s why I love you. As much as you are like Mary in many ways, you are so opposite in man
y others; you’re two different people. I loved her very much in the there and then; I love you very much in the here and now. Does that make sense at all?”

  “It does. You are who I believe you are, and I understand that, and love you the more for it. This has been one crazy day. Think things will calm down a bit after we’re married?”

  “I hope not. But just in case we ever have a fight or something, I think we should practice making up, you know, sort of a rehearsal, in case we ever have to know that sort of thing. Maybe if you just sort of turned around so I could get both arms around you…..there, that’s much better. Now, where were we…..?”

  Sometime in the small hours, after they awoke and found their interlocked arms totally asleep and had a good laugh about it, they parted for the day, looking toward a future that promised to hold as much organized chaos, and love, as they could stand.

  Chapter 20 – Alice’s Return

  The ensuing weeks between their date setting and the actual day of the wedding flew like the wind. Guest loading business actually increased, which kept the home facility itself very busy. It had become apparent to some companies that having a holiday party in a controlled environment away from the office would generate the desired familiarity between managers from different branches, but would avoid the pitfalls so often seen where familiarity and alcohol generated unacceptable behavior. Then, too, there were the Thanksgiving Holiday festivities to deal with thrown into the mix, not to mention school events involving Jack and Amanda. It was during a quiet evening repast with just the four of them when Jack mentioned the school activities in the upcoming weeks. The Conyerville school district had neglected to keep up with the times, in particular where keeping religion out of holiday activities came into play. It wasn’t that they flaunted their violation of state school policy, they simple disregarded it as a matter of course, and people came to like it that way. It was a very fine line they toed, but they managed somehow to continue flying under the governmental radar. And so it was that both Jack and Amanda had events for parents to attend. After talking about what they would be involved in, Jack asked his mother if she thought maybe she could come to see him.