CHAPTER 13:

“Well, dare I hope that the worst is behind us?” said Claire.

“Not by a long shot. He’ll be looking for evidence that everything we’ve proposed was a sham, but over the long haul maybe it’ll all work out,” he said. “And, he didn’t ask for a lawyer to get involved yet, but he still may, so that’s a small concern.”

“Yes, well, all we can do is hope I guess,” she said.

“That cab, van, he’s always using to get around in that has got to be a super hassle for him. There are cars that have the equipment to make it possible for handicapped folks like him to drive and get around,” he said. “They are super expensive. He couldn’t afford one, but we could. Getting him to accept something that big, big to him, would be the problem.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of cars like that. But you’re right, even suggesting something like that to him would get him to thinking that we were trying to buy him off. No, it has to be his idea. And if he ever does ask us about it, we mustn’t seem too happy to accommodate him. Man, that ex of mine is kind of a pain in the ass sometimes in spite of everything,” said Claire.

“I guess,” he said. “You know that is one area where we might actually be able to convince Sammy to give us a hand. It’s worth talking to him about it if only obliquely.”

She gave him a look. “You know, yes, I think that that might be the way for sure. And like you said, obliquely. We can’t seem to be pressuring him,” said Claire.

“The good news is that Rebecca may be the catalyst to solving all of our problems, his and ours,” he said.

“Seems so,” she said. “But, the other biggee is still out there waiting to bite us in the ass.”

“Yes, a woman. Hell, I’d buy him one if he wouldn’t ever know about it and end up hating us more than he does now,” he said.

“Funny,” she said. “You cannot buy love, Rodney, and slavery is still illegal. And, in case you’re wondering you did not buy me.”

“I know. You are one of the few incorruptibles who actually does marry for love and not money. I got lucky there,” he said.

“And, so did I, get lucky I mean. That is one thing I do regret about marrying Jim in the first place. We were young and thought we had it together. But, then you came along and I realized, deep down I realized, that I’d made a mistake. Not because Jim wasn’t a good husband; he was good husband and a good man. I just didn’t love him enough to be a one man woman, not for him. Talk about shitty decisions,” she said.

“Yes, well all water under the bridge. At some point we have to hope that he’ll find someone, some woman, to love him the way he deserves to be loved. Anyway that’s the hope,” he said.

“You know, I’m going to take matters into my own hands and talk to Sammy about the car thing and how it would facilitate things for Jim and Rebecca. I really think that is one thing that must happen. The man needs to be able to get around. He has to accept our help this time. I think if we are delicate enough about it that we can get the ball rolling. We can even ask him to pay us back. Him paying us back, him owing us, might be a winner. I don’t know; whaddya you think?” She said.

“Yes, I think it’s a good idea, like I said. Can’t hurt regardless,” he said.

******

She saw the man at the bar; he was alone. She strode up to him.

“Sammy, fancy meeting you here,” said Claire Pollard. “How are things with you and your family today?”

He looked at her and smiled too. “Good, and thank you for asking,” he said.

“Well good. Your wife’s name? Colleen isn’t it?” she said.

“Yes, it is,” he said.

“So, you’re here alone tonight, no Jimmy or Henry?” she said.

“Yes, my wife works nearby. She’ll be joining me, but not the boys, not tonight. Henry’s got a poker game going and Jim is exhausted,” he said.

“Exhausted!” she said, showing concern.

“Yes, that’s what he said when I called him today. Colleen and I are going out to dinner and invited him to go along, but he declined said he was still gassed,” he said.

“Gassed? Why?” she said.

“I guess he took his daughter to the zoo last weekend and it really got to him. I guess he’s not as strong as he thought he was. But, according to him it was the best time he’d had in a coon’s age,” said Sammy.

“The zoo! That was a week and a half ago, not last weekend,” she said. “He seemed fine when they got back from the trip. But you say he’s still gassed?”

“That’s what he said. He doesn’t begrudge getting overly tired. He just said that in the future he’s gonna plan a little better when it comes to outings with his kid,” said Sammy. She nodded.

She had to think. It was true that they hadn’t heard from him in nine days. Becca had gotten a couple of phone calls, she knew, she’d told her about those but no visits or requests for any. A matter for concern? She’d be talking to her husband.

“Sammy, we, my husband and I are concerned about him. He must be having trouble getting around and all. You looking after him still?” she said.

“As much as I can. He’s kind of an independent cuss, but you know that I’m sure,” he said.

“Oh yeah, I do know that for damn sure. If he’d let us we’d help him out a lot more, but like you said, he’s too damn independent and proud to allow anything big to be coming from us.

“I’d like to get him one of those cars that are set up for handicapped folks, but I know he’d shut me down if I even suggested such a largess. Well, you know what I mean,” said Claire.

“Yes, well I figure that’s about right,” said Sam.

******

“So you talked to the man,” said Rodney.

“Yes, I think it went well too. I did mention the handicapped enabled car. But I didn’t ask him to say anything to Jim about it. If he does it’ll all be on him not you or me,” said Claire.

“Hmm, well good, I guess,” said Rodney.

“Where’s Rebecca?” said Claire.

“She’s over at her friend’s house, Gloria’s,” he said. She nodded. Young teens do have their moments, she thought.

******

“So how was your time at Gloria’s?” said Claire.

“Fun,” said Rebecca. “Her mom took us to the movies.”

“Well good,” said Claire.

“Mom, how come dad hasn’t come by?” said Rebecca.

“Uh—I don’t know, honey. But he has called right?” said Claire.

“Yes, four times since we went to the zoo. But that was two weeks ago!” she said. “I asked him to come over. He said he would.”

“Okay, I’m sure he will soon then,” said Claire. Her daughter nodded.

******

“She’s actually concerned that he hasn’t been by. Shouldn’t we call and ask him over?” she said.

“Yeah, I guess. I didn’t want to be putting any pressure on him, but it has been a little while. I mean I would have thought that he would have called you or me or come by already. I mean after we gave him carte blanche like we did,” he said.

“Hmm, yes. Well, I’m going to call him. I’ve got his number. He gave it to me after they got back from the zoo that day,” she said.

The two of them turned toward the phone attached to the wall of the kitchen they were standing in. It was ringing as though on cue.

She went to answer it. “Yes,” she said, to whoever was on the other end. For the next two minutes she listened intently to whoever was on the other end only grunting understanding at what must have been appropriate junctures.

“That was Sammy,” she said. “Jimmy’s in the hospital!” she sagged down into a chair at the table. “My God, can’t that man catch a break!”

Her husband shook his head. “What hospital?” he said.

“Grayson Memorial,” she said. “I’m going. I’m going now.”

“It’s seven in the morning. They won’t let you in to see him yet. Maybe in a couple of hours,” he said. She nodded.

“I’m going anyway. I want to be there when they do allow visitors. I need to be able to say we cared enough to try,” she said.

“I see what you mean,” he said. “Okay, I have to go into the office. Call me when you get there. I’ll come as soon as I can. Okay?”

“Yes, that’ll work,” she said. “I wonder what the deal is? I mean what the matter is?”

“Yeah for real,” he said. “Sammy didn’t say?”

“No,” she said. “He was in a hurry for some reason but knew we’d want to know. He’s a very good friend to that man for damn sure. If he ever needs anything himself . . .”

“For sure, we’ll be there for him. I agree,” he said.

“Yes,” she said.

“How about taking Rebecca with you? It might make him feel a little bit better,” he said.

“It’s a school day, but okay,” she said. “Yes, I will.”

******

“Yes, Doctor, I am his ex-wife, and I still have a relationship with the man. We have a little girl together, this little girl,” said Claire, motioning toward the thirteen year-old Rebecca.

“Well, okay then, Missus Pollard, your ex-husband has an infection. It was very bad, but, we were able to bring it under control. Missus Pollard, the man hasn’t been taking care of his legs like he needs to. If you can get him to be a bit more scrupulous in that regard then he’ll be fine, but . . .” said Doctor Mildred Montrose.

“I understand doctor. I’ll take care of that little matter, I promise,” said Claire. The good doctor nodded, and glanced at the teenager seated across from them.

“And yes, you can go in for a few minutes. He’s awake, but maybe a bit disoriented still, the medications, so please do not excite him,” she said.

“We won’t,” said Claire. The two women entered the darkened room.

She noticed that the man’s breathing was shallow. “Jimmy, what are we going to do with you, sir?” she said. Her tone was kindly but her words were reproving.

“Claire? Rebecca?” I said, barely squeaking out the words. I was genuinely surprised. It had to be Sammy told them. I did not want them to know. I was tired of the phony sympathy. They didn’t want me or need me. I was just in the way. Yeah they were glad I was there that day, but they were more glad that they were not the ones who were destroyed by that scaffolding.

“Yes, we heard about your infection. I talked to Doctor Montrose just a bit ago. Jimmy, if you can’t at least take care of yourself, we’re going to have to tie you up and do it for you,” she said, she was smiling but it was a smile laden with pseudo-sympathy.

“No, no I’ll do better,” I said. “I’m fine. How are you Rebecca?”

“I’m fine, daddy. I wish you were around more, at the house or your house or something,” she said.

She’d clearly been coached; well, that’s what it seemed like to me.

“Doctor Montrose said if everything goes the way that she thinks that you’ll be out of here is a few more days. Jimmy, you have to come and stay with us until you really are better. I mean it. Rod is at work but he’s coming down as soon as he can break away. Okay?” she said. “He is insisting that you stay with us, me too.”

“Me too, daddy,” said Rebecca.

I had been about to tell the woman that I would not be staying at her house. But Becca’s words stopped me.

“Okay, but just till I can get back on my . . . to normal,” I said. She caught my mistaken wordology.

“Yes, well good,” she said. “Rodney will be pleased, as pleased as am I.”

“Okay, well good,” I said.

We talked for some time. I learned some of what my baby had been doing over the past couple of weeks plus. Then, they left. The man did show up about two hours after the women left. He was a deal less sympathetic than she had been.

“Jim, you’re being downright stupid. I mean an infection! Really?” he said. “No more of that. I’m sure Claire told you the same thing. No more, okay!”

“Yeah sure, whatever,” I said.

The fact was that I hadn’t neglected myself on purpose. But I had run out of the lotion, medicine, whatever the stuff was that I was supposed to apply to my stumps and hadn’t gotten the prescription renewed. I would now. But, my stupidity, as my ex-best friend was happy to refer to it, would not be repeated.

He looked over to the side of the room across from me where my Hospital chair stood. “How’s the chair working out?” he said. And he said it in kind of a strange tone of voice.

“Good,” I said. “They gave it to me. Some charity donates the things I guess.” He nodded.

“Yes, I’ve heard that they do that sort of thing. So it’s a good machine then?” he said. I shrugged.

“Can’t have sex with it, but it is a lot easier to get around with than the non-electric kind,” I said. He nodded and changed the subject.

“Claire told me that you’ve agreed to stay with us for a while,” he said.

“Yes, I guess so. Becca asked me to. Hard to turn her down, so yeah,” I said.

“Yes, well good,” he said. “I’m glad somebody in this family has some influence with you. And, by family, Jim, I do mean the four of us. Okay?”

I shook my head. “Rodney, I’m going to give it to you straight. I’m not a member of a family of four. I’m a member of a family of two. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but you and my wife, my ex-wife, will never be part of me again. Yes, we all share in the life of my daughter, yeah Claire’s and mine, okay. That’s something I have to accept. But, be a family with the two people who betrayed me and made me a cuckold and that for all of the time I was married to the woman? The humiliation alone will never allow me to be that close to the two of you again,” I said.

“Jimmy, please. You’ve got to . . .” he started.

“Rodney,” I said, interrupting him, “the white hot hatred I had for you for so long a time has faded. But the reality of what you did to me, and the reality of how you talked about me behind my back even after she got rid of me: well, there is no way I can get by that in any possible world I can imagine. The fact is, Rod, old bud, I’m sure you still diss me behind my back. I can smell it every time she comes around and opens her mouth. She holds me in contempt. And yes, I know that some of that is my fault because I am such a wimp when it comes to her. But, Rodney, I do not deserve to be talked about that way. I do not,” I said.

“Jimmy, you are so wrong. Yes, she and I did say some unconscionable things in the past. I admit it. But, since you caught us that time we have never, and I mean never, dissed you since. I swear it,” he said.

“Yeah right,” I said. “Just let it be, Rod. I’m able to deal with it now. I couldn’t before. But, since I’ve gotten to know my baby, well, things are somewhat different. I may never have a woman again; I know that. I’m nothing if not a realist. But, having a daughter, who I do believe cares about me, is almost as good, not the same, but still good. She respects me; that’s important to me. Boy is it.”

The man was beginning to cry. He was fighting it, but he was crying. Well, what the hey, I’d done enough of it.

We talked for a few more minutes. He said his goodbyes and left with a final salvo vowing to prove to me how wrong I was about the two of them. I just waved him off.

******

“Man-oh-man that guy is hurting so bad it’s almost too much for me to take let alone him!” said Rodney.

“Are we bad people, Rod?” she said.

“No, I don’t think so. You could maybe sell me on the possibility that we’re stupid people. That one I could buy, oh yeah,” he said. She snickered.

“Yeah well actually, I think that that’s probably a given,” she said.

“He’ll be here the day after tomorrow. We will not, I mean not, be putting any pressure on him. We will give him all of the space he needs or wants. And, we will not even think about dissing the guy even in our sleep. And the biggee . . .

“He gets all of the quality time that he wants with Becca. That’ll be the key to ever getting back to anything even remotely resembling normal,” he said.

“I agree. Yes, no dissing, and quality time for him and Rebecca,” she said.

“Taking a page from your book, we will be watching him closely to see that taking care of his legs becomes a habit,” he said. “I just can’t believe that he was so careless. But at least it explains why he was so lackadaisical about coming around to see Becca,” he said.

“Yes, I breathed a sigh of relief if you want to know when I found out he’d been in the hospital for so long.

“And, you say he thinks that the hospital or some charity bought him that expensive wheelchair?” she said. “It’s a different one than the one he abandoned here the last time, right.”

“Yes, smaller and way more sophisticated, a technological marvel actually: $20,000 dollars’ worth. He never even mentioned it to me while I was there. I brought it up, but he didn’t. I just asked him how it was working. He just said that it was good, working fine. He has no idea it was us paid for it. It’s best we leave at that. I have a sick feeling that if he knew he’d give it back to us and pay us rent on it to boot. It’s who he is.”

“Yes, and you’re right. There is no upside to telling him.

“So are we picking him up from the hospital?” She said.

“Yes, I was able to get him to allow that. So yes. I’m borrowing Al’s pick up. It’ll be easier to get the chair in and out more easily,” he said.

“Good thinking,” she said, “smaller or not the thing is still kinda bulky.”

******

Because my chair is electric, and because I can get around pretty easily even in my weakened state, I was already waiting for him in the lobby when he arrived to pick me up four days after our little talk. Oddly, I did feel a little bad laying my feelings on him as I had. Everything I said to him was true of course, but he was trying to help me. And it wasn’t his fault that the accident took my legs, and essentially any future I might ever hope to have as a man. But all of his proffered help paled in comparison to what he did to me when he stole my wife and took over first place with my daughter, and he did have first place with her; I was fully aware of that little reality. But, a daddy, even a daddy in second place, felt things toward his children that were undeniable and impossible to ignore.

“The pickup was a good idea,” I said, as we drove toward his castle in the sky. “I’ve been thinking of getting one when I get to a place where I can afford a car. They make ‘em so that guys like me can drive and load up the chair pretty easily, you know. Expensive but they do make ‘em.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that too. Haven’t actually seen one of them, the kind you’re talking about, but I know they can be gotten.

“You know if you’d let me, I’d get you one. I owe you way more than the cost of a fucking car,” he said.

“No, no, I’ve got to do for myself. I’ll be able to get one one of these days. But, Rod . . .” I started.

“What?’ he said.

“Well, the other day, I was pretty cold talking to you like I did. I apologize,” I said. He gave me a look that screamed disbelief. He didn’t push it.

“Apology accepted. But, truth told, I deserved it. I’ve done you bad, Jim. I know it. You have a right to be angry and all. In my ‘weak’ defense, I couldn’t help myself any more than you could have in my situation. She is just too much woman for any man to resist. And for what it’s fucking worth, I apologize too,” he said.

I know he was waiting for me to say apology accepted too. I didn’t say it, and he didn’t push that either.

“Jimmy, over the next days, we need to get along. I mean be, well, almost friends again. Would that be all right with you?” he said.

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “Don’t worry, I won’t be getting all mopey and problematical. I need to have a good relationship with my baby. If what you’ve said turns out to be true, I mean in terms of my rights with my baby. Well then, we’ll be able to get along if only for practical reasons.”

“Yes, and I hope that as time goes on we will get on for way more than just practical reasons,” he said. I didn’t respond to that either.

We pulled into the structure and parked. He got my chair down for me, and wheeled it around to where I could literally drop into it from the truck’s seat. I’d learned that trick while cabbing it. I was actually getting pretty good at stuff. Well, one does adjust when one has to.

The ride up in the Otis was short, and, we got to the penthouse in short order. He let us in and the smell from the kitchen was actually tantalizing. Hospital food wasn’t the best and I was pretty hungry. I was going to get my fair share of whatever it was that was cooking even if it was her doing the cooking.

She came out and looked absolutely dazzling: dark hair and wavy, purple midi-dress with a demure neckline, low heels, makeup perfect, and the smell of her enslaving; and oh yeah, tall. Problem was he got to be her slave not me. I think I actually frowned, but I’m not sure.

“You look very beautiful today,” I said, as if that were the exception to prove the rule which it was not.

“Well, thank you, sir. You look nice too, and very much better now that you’ve got your health back.

“Jimmy, welcome, okay? I’ve taken the liberty of making us kind of a welcome home lunch for you,” she said. I nodded. I didn’t state the obvious that it wasn’t my home and never would be.

“Yes, and I’m grateful for the food; I am kind of hungry,” I said.

“Hi dad,” she said. “You look good today.” I smiled. She’d clearly been coached, but I decided to not make an issue of it or of anything else for the days I’d be staying with them. The doctor had released me contingent on my willingness to be cared for at least two or three weeks. I’d agreed.

I told myself a couple of weeks wouldn’t be too bad. I still felt uncomfortable being around the woman, but on the plus side, I would also be around my daughter. I figured the two conflicting realities would be a wash.

CHAPTER 14:

The food, beef stew, was really good, and I did eat more than any of the rest of them. Well, I really was hungry, damn near starving. The woman seemed to be happy that I liked her food. Truth was I didn’t even know she could cook like that. She never had while we were married. I mean she did cook just not like she did today.

“So, the food was good then?” she said.

“Yes, very good actually,” I said, “thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. I’ve been practicing. Made it kind of a hobby, actually,” she said.

“Well, you seem to be getting very good at your new hobby,” I said.

“Dad, would you like to go outside with me for a little while?” said my almost fifteen year-old daughter. I gave her a look.

“Sure, I guess,” I said. I was kind of surprised that she would ask me to go outside for an outing with her. I knew that there was a small park behind the Towers and it would be pleasant, I was sure, tooling around in it.

The Crown Towers was a ten story complex with a curved driveway with parking areas to east and west sides of the building. The front was essentially a garden separated from the building’s main entrance by a curved driveway leading to the parking areas. But, to the rear of the building was an actual cultured park which, as I learned later, consisted of two hectares of winding pathways and little copses replete with concrete tables and benches for the residents to picnic at. It was a very nice place.

I hadn’t been down to it, the park, any of the other times I’d been to their place, but I’d seen it through the picture window each time I’d visited.

It took the best part of three minutes for us to get down and into the park area. It sure was beautiful; I had to give the man credit for a choice location for his residence.

“You did good, dad,” she said. I looked her askance. We were moving slowly around the grounds. The paved path meandered in and out of the verdure and among the tallish trees.

“I did good?” I said, not knowing what she meant.

“Yes, telling mom you liked the food. She spent a lot of time trying to make it just right for you. I know because I helped her,” said Rebecca.

“Well, she deserved to be complimented, she, or the both of you I guess, did real good,” I said. “It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a meal I liked as much, a good while.”

“Well, thank you,” she said.

We’d been touring the grounds for some little time talking about purely mundane stuff. I learned she’d just started the tenth grade the month before. I learned she was an A/B student. I learned that she didn’t have a boyfriend that was anything like steady, but she had been on a few dates. Her school was a private-secular affair, Morningside High, with relatively high standards. She and her mom were close. What she didn’t offer was how close she was with the man: I thought that very significant. Probably coached relative to that subject too. She’d likely answer any question I had, but wouldn’t be offering anything otherwise—read she wouldn’t be rubbing my nose in it. Oh yeah, she’d been coached. I let things be.

“Dad,” she said, as we were on our way back and nearing the lobby and the elevators.

“Yes?” I said.

“Dad, my other dad really feels bad about everything. I hear him and mom talking sometimes. I mean about you and everything. I hope you can like each other,” said my daughter.

“Anything for you, dear heart, I love you,” I said. “Your—other—dad and I will get along. But no matter what, I won’t let anything come between you and me; I mean if I have a choice in the matter. Okay?”

I could tell that she got the nuance of what I was saying and that she didn’t much like it, but she would go along with it for the moment; well, that’s the feeling I got from her looks. This kid, my kid, was likely a helluva lot smarter than me. Probably read a lot of books.

The rest of the afternoon was resting time for me. I came out about 4:00 P.M. and heard Becca and her mom talking. The man was nowhere around at that moment.

“Mom, it’s Sunday, and I haven’t had any fun at all this weekend,” said Becca. “Gerald asked if I could go with him to the movies. Please mom!” she cried.

“Becca, your dad, told you no. You have to be here for our visitor for the near future. He needs you and he needs us. Okay?” she said.

So, he was her dad and I was a visitor, and the kid was being cloistered because I needed to be coddled. I decided to put an end to that charade immediately.

I wheeled into the room. I’d surprised them. “Let her go to the movies. I mean if you know the young man. This ‘visitor’ does not want to be in the way of your normal lives. Okay,” I said. “Her ‘dad’ told me I had a say in these things. So do I or don’t I?”

“Jimmy, I . . . Of course you do.

“Okay then, Becca, since your dad here says okay, you can go to the movies with Gerald,” said my ex-wife.

Becca was startled and I think feeling a little embarrassed by the scene. That said she wasn’t near as troubled as I was.

I wheeled around and headed for my room. The woman didn’t follow or say anything else. She’d be regrouping and figuring out how she was going to handle what I’d overheard.

******

“Oh my,” he said. “So did he say anything else?”

“No, but he stayed in his room all day. I didn’t mean anything by what I said. It just came out that way. But I’m sure, given everything, that he is ascribing all kinds of conspiracies and wrong motives to them, my words, regardless,” said Claire.

“Yes, I’m sure that he is. Jesus, I was so hoping that we could make inroads into ending this undeclared civil war we’ve got going here,” said Rodney Pollard.

“I know, me too,” she said. “Rod, it just slipped out. I’m just not used to him being around and having to worry about everything I say and how I dress and everything. I don’t know if I can do it. The way he looked at me when you guys came home. Yes, I dressed up for him, but not to turn him on or tease him, really! I did it to honor him.”

“You, and me too, have to figure this out. Maybe we even need to include him in our figuring it out. It’s a helluva lot harder for him than it is for us, Claire. Anyway, so Becca went out with the kid?” he said.

“Yes, she felt bad for Jimmy and didn’t want to go after the fact. He was obviously hurt and she picked up on it for sure. But, in the end she did go out. But, Rod, that’s another thing. He’s going to be making things hard on her too. He won’t mean to, but he will be, just like he did today catching us talking about him like that,” she said.

“Fuck,” he said. “Only the first day and we already have conflict. Damn it!”

******

She’d left me alone all day, and I actually appreciated that. I didn’t want to get into it with them. I had to stick around for two more weeks and that was the bottom line. I knew she’d be calling me in for dinner, or he would. But until then I was going to just be not in the way. Fact was I just didn’t know how to handle things. I had to allow that maybe she didn’t either. I didn’t think that she meant to demean me, calling me “the visitor” but she had and she knew it was hurtful after the fact.

I also knew she didn’t actually respect me. She was grateful to me for saving the lot of them, but I was a nothing to her compared to her current lover and husband. I’m sure she was virtually always comparing the two of us. She might, as she said and he said, allow me great latitude in dealing with Rebecca, but that was it wasn’t it: she was doing the allowing not me. I actually had little or no real relevance when it came to anything. Yes, she owed me. Yes she felt guilty for betraying me. Yes, she wanted me to find another woman—talk about the impossible dream. But the fact was I was pretty much nothing when it came to their lives and mostly just in the way. I was sure she’d have just loved it if I only showed up on the big holidays and left it at that. Fucking wonderful! Well she was going to get her wish in just about two more weeks.

******

Then it was a week later. It was Saturday, and one of Becca’s friends, Jill something or other, was overnighting it. As it happened each of the four bedrooms in the condo had small balconies. The cheaters had theirs upstairs in the west wing. The other three rooms were downstairs in the east wing. Mine was next to Becca’s. I think that they did that, the room assignments so as to maximize my interplay with my daughter, another crumb thrown my way is the way I saw it. All of the foregoing having been said, the room assignments turned out to be fortuitous after the fact. I was out on my patio relaxing while the two teenagers were out on theirs. I heard it all.

“No Jill, I have to be around for him. Well, he is my biological dad. And I do like him. I mean how many daddies actually save the life of their kid? He saved me as well as mom and dad. So no, I can’t be going out all of the time even if he tells me to. I need to be around for him,” said Becca.

“I understand,” said her friend.

“Well, thanks for that,” said Becca.

“That chair that he uses sure looks like it cost a lot and it’s not much bigger than a chair in your dinette. I’d like to have one of those myself,” said Jill, laughing and changing the subject.

“Yeah, dad got it for him. He doesn’t know it either. Dad is afraid, that if he knew, he’d give it back and get one of those cheapos. Dad pulled me aside to make sure that I knew not to say anything about it, ever,” said my daughter. “The thing cost a lot almost twenty thousand dollars. I was with dad when he bought it for him.

Well, my daughter was right about one thing, or the man was, whichever. I would be giving the fancy dancy chair back to him. There was no way I could come up with the cost of the thing; and truth told I would like to have. It did make things way easier than they were going to be now in terms of getting around.

I did have a grand in the bank, kind of a backup fund in case I needed a little cash for a rainy day. Well it sure as hell was a rainy day now as far as I was concerned. I’d have to keep quiet about it until I could leave of course.

******

My plans to leave, though I hadn’t said anything about it to the cheaters, were set for the Monday morning of the following week, two weeks and one day, since first coming to their house. Things had gone relatively smoothly since my overhearing the two girls that one time. I had some quality time with Rebecca over the two weeks that was something I guess. The two cheaters seemed to be going out of their way to make it easy for me. I was glad for that. It might be a long while before I was going to be able to see my kid again. I would not be going back to their house not for anything, not ever again. No, if I got to be around my daughter again it would be at my place or some other place, but never at the Pollards’.

I did have my cheapass phone. It was good for making calls and texting but that was it. I’d used it to call Sammy and get him committed to picking me up after the man went to work. I’d also sent him a check for eight hundred dollars for a new chair, well, it wasn’t new; it was used, but supposedly it was in good condition. At any rate that’s what the seller on eBay said. Sammy did all of the ordering and had done the pickup for me too. He had a truck and he’d be coming over in the morning after Claire left to do her usual Monday morning shopping trip. I’d leave them a thank you note attached to the seat of the fancy dancy chair they’d gotten, on the sly, for me to use.

I was sitting back on my little bedroom patio when she came in to see me. “Hi,” she said. I wondered at her tentative tone.

“Oh hi,” I said.

“You up for a party?” said Claire.

“A party?” I said.

“Yes, a little barbecue. Your friends Sammy and Henry are coming over Saturday. You haven’t had a chance to see much of them these past weeks. I had the idea and I ran it by the two of them and they’re onboard. I mean okay?” she said.

She’d really surprised me, and it was clear she knew it. “Uh—sure I guess,” I said.

Two days before I was to cut country and we would be having a party. Well it would give me a chance to talk to Sammy and take care of any little details per my plans that might come up.

******

We were actually having an okay time. Well, why the hell not. The beer was imported, the hot dogs were all beef and great, and the mood music my thing. It would be the last time that we would be having anything like it ever again; oh yeah, that was a blood mortal fact! I’d gotten to the point where I couldn’t stand being around the cheaters, and my daughter was on thin ice.

The interesting thing was the fact that Claire was spending so much time talking to Sammy and Colleen. I mean they did know each other; we all knew each other, but neither Henry nor I were getting much confab time with her, some but very little. Rodney, on the other hand, was at pains to make sure I wasn’t lonely. He and Henry almost never left my side the whole damn day. Had I not known better, I would have to have considered the possibility that I was being scammed. How, I could not have imagined, but it sure looked like something was going on, I decided to ask my ex-best bud about it.

“Want another one of those?” said Henry, noting the state of my beer bottle.

“Yeah sure,” I said.

“Me too,” said Rodney, if you don’t mind.

“I’m on it,” he said. He’d be gone for a minute or two.

“So, Rodney old bud, what’s going on with Claire and the Gilchrist clan?” I said.

He gave me a kind of startled look. Then he sagged back on his feet a bit. “Nothing really,” he said. “But, since you asked, Claire and I, well, we are kind of conspiring with Sammy and Henry to help put your true self back together. Nothing nefarious, really, we just think well, that you need to kind of kick start your life again.”

“Really, kick start my life you say. Just how do you think that you might accomplish that virtually impossible task?” I said.

“The operative term there is ‘virtually’,” he said. “I know it can be done. But, for it to happen you have to be willing to help us out a little at your end.”

“Me help you out?” I said. “You mean like you helped me out by taking my wife away? Oh, and my relationship with my daughter too for that matter?”

“Jim, we are not and were not at any time trying to cut you off from your daughter. Did we do everything right and according to Hoyle? No. And, I’ve apologized and Claire has apologized seven ways to Sunday about that. You have to give us credit for that at least,” He said.

“I do?” I said.

“Yes,” he said, “you do.” I noticed that Henry had stopped to have a few words with Sammy and Colleen and Claire on his return trip form the beer cache.

“Hmm, well we’ll see about that I guess. But, since were on the subject. Are you saying that you are no longer hiding things from me? You’re claiming that you’re not trying to legislate how I deal with my daughter? You saying that from now on there won’t be any backstabbing on your part or Claire’s or hiding things from me?” I said.

“Yes, sir, that is exactly what I’m saying” he said. I had to hand to the man; he did sound convincing. He was lying through his teeth, good intentions or no, but he was lying. I knew for a flat fact that trust would never be a term that I could associate with the pair of them, no not ever.

******

She left for her shopping trip but fifteen minutes gone and Rodney was at work. Sammy pulled up close to the door and hefted my new “cheapo” wheelchair onto the landing. I came out just as he set it down. I was skittering along just using my arms to get to the bottom step.

“Sam, just put it back in the truck, okay. I can make it up the door. You might need to help me a bit to get in, but except for that, I’m good,” I said.

“Okay, man, I wasn’t sure how we were going to work it. But good,” he said.

He did have to help me get up and into the seat. And then we were outta there.

I’d left the cheaters a letter and a check. The check was for the food and drink I’d consumed at their place for the two weeks I’d been there. I wasn’t taking anything from them, not ever again. I’d had enough, boy had I ever.

Sammy delivered me back to my own digs. He’d even done a little shopping for me. I had food and drink in the frig. I was grateful for that. And then I waited.

I knew I’d be getting a call, or maybe even a visit. I hoped I’d short shanked the latter by the letter I’d left for them, but I figured it was fifty-fifty they’d try and come by to fix things. I wouldn’t be having any and I wouldn’t even open the door to acknowledge them if they did. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with that particular level of harassment.

******

“How the hell did he find out about that!” said Rodney, holding the letter in his hand and looking straight into his wife’s eyes.

“Well sure as hell not from me!” said Claire. “Why are you looking at me like that!” He sagged into a seat at the dinette.

“Well, he found out somehow,” he said. He looked over at her. She was leaning against the door jamb leading into the kitchen.

“The only other person who knew is Rebecca. But I swore her secrecy the day we bought it. I just can’t believe she would go against me like that,” he said.

“No, she wouldn’t have said anything to him. I’m certain of that,” said Claire.

“And then there’s this check for $233.16: a reimbursement for food consumed while he was here these past two weeks!” The amount literally screams that it’s all the money he has left in his bank account,” he said.

“We gotta go to him and try to make things right. Somehow we gotta make things right,” said Claire.

“The letter says not to try that. He sounds pretty adamant,” he said. “I don’t cotton to making things worse than they already are. I mean we do have to fix things, but damned if I can figure a way to do it.”

“Me either,” she said.

“Wait, I have an idea,” he said.

“Okay?” she said.

“What if we get that Salvation Army guy to run interference for us?” he said.

“Okay, that might be one way to go. But the guy is going to want to know what the problems are,” said Claire.

“Yes he will,” he said.

“Rod, I know neither of us believe it’s the case that she’d do or say anything untoward, but I think we need to ask Becca about things anyway. I just have an uncomfortable feeling about it all: the chair, the check, especially the chair, but all of it.”

“Yes, I guess we gotta cover all of our bases,” he said. She nodded.

******

“No mom, I never said word one to dad about the chair. I’m not stupid. I know how my other dad thinks,” said sixteen year-old Rebecca.

“Baby, did you tell anyone else who might have told him or told somebody they knew?’ said Rodney Pollard.

“Well,” said Rebecca.

“Rebecca?” said Claire.

“I told Jill, but I know she’d never say anything not to anybody?” said Rebecca.

“When did you tell her?” said Claire.

“The Saturday before last,” she said.

“A week ago Saturday? And that’s the week after he overheard all of that stuff between you and Becca that made him so upset. Jesus! The bad stuff just keeps piling upon us!

“But honey, you said he spent the entire day in his room, right?” he said.

“Yes,” said Claire. A funny look covered the face of the teenager.

“Mom, we were in my room when I told Jill. Actually we were on my patio when it came up. Jill was saying how nice the chair was. She’d seen him use it of course. Jill just commented that she wouldn’t mind having one herself. She was joking and I told her yeah it is nice and how much it cost. I told her I knew that because I was with you dad when you bought it,” said Becca.

“Oh my God!” said Claire. “If he was on his patio when you told her, then he undoubtedly overheard you girls talking. That has to be it!”

The man was shaking his head. “Oh my God!” he said.

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” said Becca. “I didn’t realize . . .”

“It’s okay, baby. It could have happened to anyone,” he said.

“It did happen to someone else, Rod, it happened to me and Becca the week before as you noted,” said Claire.” He nodded.

“Well, at least we know that the man can’t read minds,” he said. “I was beginning to wonder.”

“I think we need to do what you suggested earlier,” said Claire.

“Yes, it can’t hurt and it might get some results. Hell, I’ll start going to church regular myself if the idea works because it would be proof positive that there is a God,” he said.

“Maybe we can all go to see the man. Rebecca being there would be an indication of the degree of importance of our visit and our commitment to helping the guy on all fronts,” said Claire.

“Yes, yes, I think you’re right on that score,” said Rodney.

“Daddy?” said Rebecca.

“We’ll all be going to church this Sunday,” said Rodney.

“Really dad?” she said.

“Yes really. You’re other dad goes to a certain church sometimes and the pastor there has helped him out a bit on this or that occasion,” said Rodney. The girl looked her dad askance but didn’t ask any more questions.

******

It was 11:00A.M; the Pollards took their seats in the miniature chapel. They’d be speaking to the man, Captain Traynor, as soon as the service was over and the little post service fellowship gathering got underway.

Claire looked around at the smallish congregation as the service was about to conclude, maybe forty souls, mostly seniors and homeless folks, she thought. She saw one of the fellows in a Salvation Army jacket bring out refreshments and place them on the serving table at the left of the chapel.

She nudged her husband, and nodded toward the table. He smiled and nodded. They would be collecting a donut or two preparatory to closeting the Captain.

“Dad? We gonna get a donut?” said Rebecca, looking like she really could use one.

“Yes honey, we are,” he said.

******