Chapter 32

2015

“Mom, Dad,” she said. “There’s something I have to tell you, and I’m double crossing Aunt Delia to do so.”

They’d eaten and the second round of drinks had been poured. There’d been an elephant in the room since the two younger marrieds had arrived. But, Jenna had put off the conversation that was now beginning until after dinner. That was now.

“So, Jenna?” said Stacey. They were all still seated at the dinette table.

“Mom, Dad, everyone at this table knows what Daddy did for me, Daddy David,” she said.

“Wait, wait,” said Stacey, “so you’re not pregnant? I mean I thought, we thought...”

“Huh?” said Jenna. “No, no, no, not pregnant! No, for heavens sakes no, not yet! I mean no, not pregnant, really.”

“Okay?” said her daddy.

“Mom, Dad, again, you know how much Daddy David did for me. I mean it was way more than I can even express...” she said.

“Yes, sure, for sure,” said Stacey. Jenna nodded. James was looking down or away; he was clearly nervous, or, something.

“Okay?” said Ronald.

“Well, Aunt Delia came to us yesterday as I told you. She had some rather startling news,” said Jenna. “Mom, Dad, this is bad of me; I mean I’m double crossing Aunt Delia.”

“So, this is news about my brother?” said Ronald. “Hmm, of course it is that’s obvious. So what is it Jen. What has my little brother done now?”

“Dad, Daddy David was the one who donated the kidney for your operation,” she said.

At that moment all color drained from the face of Ronald Carter. “Huh?” he said. “I mean no, tell me this is—something...”

The sudden silence in the room, as the saying went, was deafening.

“Jenna...” broke in James, wanting to say something but changing his mind in mid-thought.

“Jenna,” said Stacey. “I mean huh?”

“It was actually Aunt Delia who told him about your illness, Dad, in an email. She essentially asked him if he would be okay with you know ... Anyway, she kind of left it up to him.

“Daddy, Daddy David, said okay, but it had to be anonymous. No one was to ever know. He didn’t want you to die, Daddy, he didn’t,” said Jenna.

“Dad, said James—and yes, James had taken to referring to Ronald Carter as dad—Jenna and I talked. We talked long and hard on this. We think that David Carter is and has been mellowing out. And well, we, Jenna and I, see this as an opportunity. I mean him opting to help you at a really bad time has to mean something is still there of the old sentiments. I mean dontcha think?” said James.

“Honey?” said Stacey. “You know, I think the kids might be right. If David is ever going to be in a place where he might be receptive...”

“To rejoining the family?” said Ronald, breaking in on her.

“Yes,” she said.

“That man. That crazy-assed brother of mine. He makes me so mad! I will never, never be able to pay him back for all he’s done for me, for all of us.” And Ronald Carter began to sob, loudly sob.

“I’m a salesman. But, I’ll be damned if I can figure a way to sell that man on how much I love him, how much all of us love him, and get him to a place where he would be willing to rejoin us and take his place as king. Because that’s what he is to me, king,” said Ronald. But damn it he needs a woman.

“Stacey the one fly in the ointment is getting him to be accepting of us as a couple, you and me. He’s just not...” started Ronald.

“Dad, if I may,” said James.

“Huh? Okay? But, please don’t tell me he’s brought peace between Israel and the Palestinians!” said Ronald. His son-in-law smiled.

“I had a PI friend of mine check him out. Dad, Mom, Dad David is married,” he said.

“What? Who! What are you saying?” broke in Stacey.

“Her name’s Rozelle. Don’t know a lot about her, but she was able to get him a better paying job than he had at that bar,” said James. “He’s started over. I think he might be trying to move on. I mean that’s what it looks like without actually talking to him or his new wife.”

“Well Whaddya know,” said Ronald, but he said it quietly.

“Yes, for real,” said Stacey. She wanted to ask more questions, but for some reason or no reason she held off.

“Well, that settles it for sure. We’re going to go there and talk to the sonovabitch and get him come home,” said Ronald.

“Ronald!” screamed Stacey.

“Okay, okay, he’s not a sonovabitch, I am; but he has been way over the top in a lot of this,” he said.

“Dad, I think that Jenna and I should be the ones to go down there first. If it looks promising we’ll call, and you guys can hot foot it down there later,” said James.

“James, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it to you, but you are one smart fella,” said his father-in-law.

James snickered. “Yeah well, you might wanna check with my wife on that one,” he said. Everyone laughed, nervously, but they did laugh.

“I’m nervous,” said Jenna, “no, scared, no nervous. Oh, I don’t know what I am.”

There was still a good 125 miles to go. But, the road was clear and the sunny day nice. He smiled over at her.

“We’re doing this right,” said James. “We know what we have to do, and, we can do it.”

“We have to convince him,” she said.

“We will, I have a feeling,” said James. “You wanna stop and get something to eat before we get there?” She looked over at him.

“Yeah, I guess,” she said. “You don’t think it will put us behind schedule do you?”

“If it does, we’ll just shack up at a motel for the night and go to his workplace tomorrow. No problem,” he said.

“Okay, then, let’s eat,” she said.

“Pantano’s just ahead,” he said.

The Wild Horse Café had a limited menu, but the place was friendly and service acceptable.

They’d gotten seated within two minutes of arriving and menus and waters had been delivered a minute after that.

“Whaddya wanna eat?” he said.

“Just a burger,” she said. “James, I’m nervous,” she said.

“Well, you’ve said that often enough so that I’m getting to the point where I actually believe you,” he said, and laughed.

“Funny!” she said, and frowned.

“Honey, we’re in the right here. We’ve got God and righteousness working for us. We’ll be fine. Okay?” he said.

“Okay, I guess,” she said. She was still frowning.

The waitress finally came with their orders. They ate mostly in silence. They were on the road again in half an hour.

“It’s only 4:00PM,” she said. “Shall we try?”

“Yeah, why not. If he got off early, we’ll just get a room and try again tomorrow,” said James. She nodded.

The trucks were clearly shut down for the day, and so were the yards. But, the gate was open, and there was a light in what appeared to be the office. They headed for that.

He parked the car in an empty space but a few yards from the office door.

“Well, this is it, let’s see what we can find out,” he said. The two of them climbed the four steps and rapped on the door. A woman, a pretty woman looked up to see who the visitor was. She went to the door and admitted the pair.

“Yes?” she said.

“Hi, we’re looking for David Carter if he’s still around,” said Jenna.

“And, who might you be?” she said, looking from one to the other of the two strangers.

Jenna looked over at her husband; he nodded his okay.

“I’m Jenna Carter. I’m here to see my dad,” she said. The woman in front of her appeared to recognize her.

“Yes, yes, of course you are,” she said, there was an amused smile on the face of the speaker. “I’ve seen your picture; it just didn’t click with me till you said it.” Jenna gave her a confused look.

“I’m Rozelle Carter, your mother-in-law,” said Rozelle.

The visitors looked startled.

“Uh-well, nice to meet you,” said Jenna.

“Yes indeed,” said James.

The next few minutes were spent in the mandatory introductions and pleasantries after they had taken their seats at the small round table in the office.

“Yes, it is indeed a surprise,” said Rozelle. “Of course, as I said, David isn’t here right now. He’s home, presumably getting dinner ready. I had to stay a little later: paperwork that had to be done by morning.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll get a room in town and be back to see him tomorrow,” said James. “I mean, I’m sure you know of the problems that have gone down in recent times among the family...”

“Yes, yes, of course. We’ve talked long and deeply about it all, has David and I,” she said. “Still let me check.”