Chapter 21: Two Women

Josie Maxwell yawned as she stood in line for the immigration inspection. It had been just her luck! She had been seated just across from a famous football player, his ex-model wife and their two hyperactive children.

For the first time in years, she had not brought along work. She had been planning on getting some shuteye during the flight. It was not to be.

The stupid anorexic bitch had allowed her brats to drink two or three glasses of Coke. The kids had chased each other along the aisle, bumping into other passengers and screaming shrilly.

The happy parents had just put headphones over their ears and did not bother to admonish their offspring who were terrorising the First Class. The two flight attendants did not dare to say anything for fear of alienating two certified celebrities.

In the end, the problem was solved when one of the kids stumbled and knocked his stupid head on a seat back. Of course, now the famous couple came awake blaming the poor flight staff for their offspring's near-mortal injury, i.e. bump on the head.

Hastily, a seat row was cleared as a makeshift infirmary. Fortunately, that was five rows away from where Josie sat. However, the necessary change of seating gave Josie the star footballer as a seat neighbour. Even worse, he felt the urge to give her a dose of his conversational skills.

"Sorry 'bout that ax-itement. You travel alone?"

'Yes, I do, here's your I-am-stupid badge, ' Josie thought. Aloud she said, "Yes, obviously."

"Know who I am?"

"Vaguely. I don't follow soccer. I'm American."

"But you know me wife?"

"Again, vaguely. I'm a bit too busy to read tabloids."

"What do you do then? No, let me guess. You're in fashion, right. Oh no, no, advertisement?"

"I run a chain of retail stores, consumer electronics."

He whistled with satisfaction. "Close."

For a few moments, the famous player obviously whipped his brain to come up with a suave follow-up.

"If you're at loose ends in London, call me. I can show you the town, know what I mean?"

"Thanks for the offer, but it's a 'no, thanks'."

"Aw, come on! Lynn will be visiting her parents with the kids. I can show you a good time."

"I'm visiting my fiancé, you see? Even if not, I wouldn't mess with a married man. Besides, I don't feel attracted to you."

The coin finally dropped.

"Aw right, aw right, I's just tryin' to be friendly. What's wrong with me? Are you some sort of a snob?"

Josie just rolled her eyes. "Nothing is wrong with you. It's just me. I have a weird taste in men, that's why I don't appreciate your offer."

"Aw, don't be too hard on yourself," he answered, obviously mollified.

For the two remaining hours of the flight, he was engrossed in the movie he was watching and Josie was able to close her eyes.

She saw the famous couple again as they pulled their screaming kids towards the exit after the landing. Being stuck in the line at immigration she lost sight of them and heaved a sigh of relief. Five minutes later, an immigration officer studied her passport and ran it over a scanning device. Then she was cleared to visit Her Majesty's Dominions.

She saw Henry at once and her bad mood evaporated immediately. God, it was stupid, but her heart was in her throat as she ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

"Oh my God, that feels good," Henry laughed holding her tightly.

"I missed you. I missed you so much!" Josie whispered into his ear.

He held her at arm's length. "You look wonderful!" he smiled.

She was wearing blue jeans, a black turtleneck sweater and a black leather jacket. She knew her hair was tousled, she knew she had rings under her eyes, and she knew that she was pale from the sleepless night. His statement was therefore met with both doubt and gratitude. Then she thought of his greeting a year ago and laughed.

"Not like shit?"

"No, you look like a million."

"Make that ninety-five millions!" she grinned. "That's what I'll get for the stores."

"Oooh, I'm marrying money," Henry teased her. "So you're moving ahead with the merger?"

"Yes. You can count on us being married in June."

His kiss made it more than clear that he was looking forward to the state of Holy Matrimony. They were both a little breathless when he led her from the terminal to the parking lot.

On the drive home, he filled her in on what had happened that week. Josie was feeling a little nervous tension at the thought of meeting this strange girl who would irrevocably be a part of their future family.

When they drove up to the manor house and Josie got out of the car, she found herself in a violent group hug with her daughters. Wow! Things had changed for sure! A year ago, all she could get from them was tolerance! Now they were all over her!

They had grown a bit more in the past months Josie noticed. Both girls had to be six feet tall she guessed. She felt a silly bit of pride and looked up at Henry. He smiled back at her. Beyond him on the steps, she saw Milena and Chris with two more females. One was a blonde girl and the other was a black-haired girl. Taking each of her daughters under one arm, she approached them.

Milena and Chris came down for a hug and kiss, but then Josie stood in front of the two strange girls. She let go of her daughters.

"You must be Tammy and Sandy," she said with what she hoped was her friendliest smile. She saw the black-haired girl swallow.

"I'm Tammy," she said shakily. "Are you Mrs. Maxwell?"

Josie made another step and held out her hand. Tammy took it. Josie gave her an encouraging smile.

"If you don't want to be called Miss Wu, you had better call me Josie," she said. She let her eyes wander over the reedy girl. "Henry told me a bit about you already, but he did not warn me how pretty you are."

Tammy blushed.

"I really hope we can be friends soon. We're both stuck with that man," she pointed at Henry, "and we need to side with each other."

"He's not so bad," Tammy answered in Henry's defence.

Josie was eyeing the other girl now. She did not have the delicate features Tammy possessed, but she had an open face with big blue eyes, a cute nose and a wide friendly mouth.

"Hi Sandy," she offered. "I'm Josie. I'm glad to meet you too."

"Hi," Sandy offered and held out her hand. Josie shook it taking in the girl's appearance. Sandy spoke again, her voice showing her confusion. "Are you really a millionaire like Megan told me?"

Josie was surprised at the question. Then she looked down at her clothes. Of course, she did not really look the part. She was in her comfortable jeans, sweater and leather jacket. She smiled openly.

"I own a number of stores and they are worth quite a bit, but that doesn't affect the way I dress. I always liked blue jeans. Having money should not force you to dress differently from what you like."

She noted Tammy's nod at this. Tammy wore black and shapeless clothes from head to toe in what must be an attempt to mask her femininity. Josie could only guess at her reasons, but she felt a wave of sympathy for the girl.

They all went in for breakfast and Josie's mouth watered at the smell of freshly brewed coffee. It was one of Henry's idiosyncrasies. Coffee in his house was always made from freshly ground beans, with boiling water and a paper filter. No percolator would ever be allowed in his kitchen, least of all coffee pads and other abominations. A coffee lover herself she could live with that prospect.

Milena had prepared a full English breakfast and Josie was thankful for the eggs, sunny side up, the bacon and the hashed potatoes. Eating with an appetite she took a second to speak to Milena.

"You are a treasure, Milena. I just hope you will never leave us."

Milena smiled in response. She shot Henry a questioning glance, which he answered with a minute shake of his head. The interplay did not go unnoticed by Josie, but she decided to ask Henry about it later. She also noticed how Sandy and Tammy were digging in. With sudden clarity she realised that maybe their skinniness was not of their own choosing. Again, her sympathy for the girls welled up.

After breakfast, Henry took Josie's luggage up to their room and she followed him. Once in the room she peeled off her clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. The hot water felt wonderful and when she opened the shower door, Henry wrapped her in a big towel. He carried her into her bedroom, laying her gently onto the bed. Thoroughly exhausted as she was, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head came to rest against his chest.

She woke up disoriented. It took a few seconds to remember where she was. Henry was gone and there was a note taped to the bedside lamp.

'Have taken Tammy to visit her mother in Reading. Back at four. Love, Henry.'

It was four already. Josie thought about that woman, Tammy's mother, who knew she was dying and who was trying desperately to give her daughter a better start into life. She must be worried Josie mused, knowing that Henry would marry a woman who brought her own daughters into the marriage. Josie knew she would be worried if the situation had been reversed. From there it was only a small step to form the next thought.

When Henry and Tammy returned, Josie was up and waiting outside. She greeted them as they climbed from the car. From Henry's expression and even more from Tammy's red eyes, she could tell that the visit had been tasking.

"Hi, guys," she said softly. "Is everything all right with your mother, Tammy?"

As if waiting for a chance to vent her frustration and anguish, Tammy exploded.

"What kind of a stupid question is that? Nothing's all right. She's fucking dying!"

Not looking left or right, the girl stormed up the stairs and into the house. Josie made a face.

"I guess it was a stupid question. What happened?"

Henry looked at her with an apologetic smile.

"You must understand Tammy. She had quite a shock seeing Chien-Mei. Her pneumonia hasn't got better at all. It seems she has picked up a therapy resistant pneumococcus strain. She's coughing all the time now. That and a bad skin mycosis all over her back. It was tough, even for me."

He looked shaken Josie thought.

"I was thinking, Darling, should I perhaps visit her tomorrow? I want to meet her before it's too late and give her a chance to get to know me a bit. You know, to tell her that I'll help you take care of Tammy and reassure her a bit."

"I think it would be a fine gesture. You'd have to convince Tammy though."

"I'll try. Which is her room?"

"Across from my bedroom. You'll hear the music," he answered with a wry grin.

Music was indeed blasting from inside the room. She knocked twice without getting an answer and decided that Tammy could not hear her. She turned the knob tentatively. It was not locked. Cracking the door open a bit, she shouted over the din of the music.

"Tammy, it's me, Josie. I want to apologise. May I come in?"

After two or three seconds, the music stopped abruptly and the door was torn open. Tammy stared at her.

"Tammy, I want to tell you that I'm sorry for my stupid question. I really didn't mean to upset you. I can't imagine what you are going through, much less what your mother is going through. So if I say something that bothers you, just remember – I don't have a clue."

Tammy nodded, sniffing.

"Hanky?" Josie offered from a fresh pack of tissues.

Tammy took one and blew her nose.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, sorry," she mumbled, but her lips were clearly trembling.

Josie had barely time to wrap her arms around the girl before she became unglued. For the next fifteen minutes, Josie just held the sobbing girl in her arms. When the sobs slowly subsided, she led her to a small sofa under the window and they sat down together.

Tammy looked up and saw the big, wet stain on Josie's blouse.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Ssh, that's just a piece of clothing, no problem. Tammy, I was thinking while you and Henry were away. Would it be asking too much if I came with you tomorrow to see your mother? I would really like to meet her and talk to her."

Tammy blushed. "Why would you want to talk to her? She's just a stupid woman who turned tricks until she caught AIDS."

There was some challenge in Tammy's tone, but Josie shook her head.

"You're ashamed of your mother, or rather of what she did for a living. Let me tell you a short story then. I was eighteen. I had just started college when I met my first husband. He lured me to a deserted old farm house and raped me. When I found I was pregnant, I confessed to my parents. I showed them the hospital reports, I showed them my bruises. My father then took his gun and went after Max. I fully expected him to kill the bastard, but when he returned he told me that I was to marry Max, simple as that. My parents received a condo in Miami for their silence. Max would put me through a ten-year ordeal, but my parents, Earl and Madeline Butler, sold me for a condo. Do you think your mother would have ever done that?"

Tammy shook her head, her eyes big now.

"Who has the more despicable parents then?"

Tammy nodded. "Do you still talk to them?" she asked.

There was a grim smile on Josie's lips. "They're dead. I'm convinced that my husband Max had them killed. You see, Max didn't think I was worth a condo."

"And your husband was killed by that kidnapper? Megan told me the story."

"That's what the police think and good riddance to Max! All I wanted to say is this: If I had the choice between my parents and your mother, your mother would win hands down."

"But she's dying!"

"So I've heard, Tammy. That's why I want to talk with her, while I still have a chance. Life is full of missed chances. Not ever knowing your mother would be a missed chance for me. Will you allow me to come?"

"Could we go alone? Dad, I mean Harry, he gets terribly torn up when he sees Mum."

"It's okay to call him 'Dad'. He's your father. I suppose we can go alone. Maybe Henry can drive us though. I'm not comfortable with the traffic here."

They were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It was Pat who stuck her head in.

"Supper's ready. Are you guys coming?"

Josie took Tammy's hand. "Let's go and have supper."

Henry's relief at seeing them at peace with each other was obvious. Josie gave him a reassuring nod. Tammy sat with Sandy at Henry's right side whilst Josie claimed the chair to his left.

"Hey, Tammy. I downloaded that Avril Lavigne album. You know, the live gigs? I'm just burning the CD now."

That was Pat, bless her heart.

"You did? That's ... that's great. Thank you."

Tammy was a fan of the Canadian singer and Pat had downloaded the songs from the iTunes online store. Josie was strictly opposed to file sharing. If her daughters wanted to hear music, they had to pay for it from their generous allowances. File sharing was the same as shoplifting in Josie's opinion.

Pat had discovered another legal source of music. It was Henry's collection of vinyl records. Deep Purple and Uriah Heep were balsting from the speakers in her room, ever since she had talked Roger Tolley out of one of his expensive Rotor Systems turntables. She had found more vinyl LPs in flea markets and she spent a lot of time listening to rock music from the late sixties and early seventies. This sometimes put a strain on her relationship with Megan.

"I hope you won't mind, Darling, but Tammy and I will visit her mother tomorrow. Tammy thinks it would be better if just the two of us went in to visit."

Josie saw that Henry felt relief and that he felt bad for feeling that relief. She pressed his hand. "You can drive us, but I'd like to have some one-on-one with Tammy's mother."

"I can drive you over, sure. Perhaps, we can go in the morning. I can drop off Sandy at Ellen's on the way."

Sandy smiled happily. The prospect of being with Ellen lifted her spirits.

Then Milena had a point to raise that put a damper on their spirits.

"Ladies? We'll have dinner guests tomorrow and you know what that means."

"Aw, nooo!" Megan groaned. "Not polishing silver again?"

"Yup," Milena grinned. "If everybody helps, we'll be done in less than half an hour."

"Can't we use stainless steel cutlery like everyone else?" Pat groused.

"That's the price of entertaining reactionary aristocrats," Milena grinned, once more falling back to mocking the communist jargon of her youth.

In truth she loved laying the table with the old silverware and the family china. She liked having candelabra on the table and warming plates made of silver. With Henry's approval she had even bought a complete set of French pots and pans. They were handmade from thick copper and coated with tin on the inside. She also cooked on a gas stove claiming it to be superior to ceramic stoves. Not that anybody ever complained about the food she prepared.

After dinner, Josie spent two hours with the twins. She meant to speak about school issues, but in reality they just planned future family life. Pat and Megan were as enthusiastic about having Henry as their stepfather as Josie was about getting him as her husband. Josie tried to find out about the girls' feelings towards Tammy and here Megan confessed to some initial misgivings.

Around ten o'clock, Henry knocked. "Are you guys done talking?"

Megan jumped up from their bed and opened the door.

"Did you come to claim your fiancée?" she asked.

Henry grinned back. "There's just too much competition for your mother's time. She spends all her waking hours with some girl, it seems. I only get to see her sleeping."

Josie beckoned him to join them on the bed.

"Poor you! I've neglected you."

"Yes, you did," he answered with mock petulancy.

He was buried under a pile of female bodies when Josie and the twins threw themselves on top of him. Josie had secured the intimate body contact for herself, but she noticed that Pat straddled one of his legs.

"Better?" she asked him.

"Much so!" he grinned up at her. "Pat, stop humping my leg!"

"I'm not humping your leg, you dirty old man!" Pat huffed. "Not my fault that Mom hogged all your good parts."

"I don't have to hog them, they're mine," Josie replied haughtily.

Then she shrieked. Henry had let his hands wander under her shirt and his thumbs had diddled her nipples.

"Just checking what's mine," he grinned shamelessly.

"Don't you two have a room?" Megan complained.

"Stop that, Harry!" Josie gasped, her face beet red.

Henry complied and pulled her down for a kiss. This flustered Josie even more, especially when Pat whistled appreciatively.

"Girls, your mother is embarrassed. Let us up before her head explodes."

Giggling, the girls got off Henry's leg and Josie's back. Henry lifted Josie from his torso, pulled her up from the bed and walked her to the door.

"Good night, girls! Your mother and I need some privacy."

Once outside Josie swatted his back.

"I can't believe you groped me in front of my daughters," she scolded him.