Chapter 15: Growing Pains

My doublewide manufactured home arrived two weeks later. They delivered it in two halves and spent the entire day lifting, leveling, moving, and connecting them so that they formed a seamless whole. While one crew was putting it together, another went around and hooked up the power, water, and septic systems, testing them all repeatedly to ensure that there would be no callbacks. When they left, I was able to access the front door via a set of stacked cinder blocks. The back door was still two feet above the ground, something that would be remedied with the wrap-around deck I had yet to install. But for now, I had a bigger home and all it needed was some furniture.

The very same day the final parts for Trinity’s buggy arrived and we finished assembling it later that evening. The original Meyers Manx version that she chose came with a detachable hard top. We had to make several modifications to make it compatible with the reinforced roll cage, but it worked out even better than she expected. While it was apart, we wired it for all the lights to make it street-legal and I helped her apply for the kit title and registration. One day after dropping her off at school for her GED studies, I returned home and installed the electronic musical horn I bought behind her back. It was fully programmable with up to 50 tunes and included a hand-held microphone for public addresses. I programmed a myriad of tunes by uploading them from my laptop. With the press of a button, it would blare out Dixie, Imma Barbie Girl, Baby Shark, That’s Not My Name, Wipe Out, Dance Monkey, 1812 Overture, or dozens of other annoying songs. Lastly, I hand painted the words, Sassy Pants in bold italics across the metallic green rear faring.

During our trips home I began letting her drive the truck for short distances, gradually increasing the mileage until she became comfortable on both the back roads and the highway. Once her buggy was finished, we took it into town for her to begin practicing around other cars and in traffic. She was typically nervous but she always fell back to her breathing and focus exercises until she was calm and collected and able to engage with her surroundings. After a week of cruising the town and swinging by the wrecking yard to say hi to Randy (and show off her new wheels—and the horn), she became comfortable enough that I felt she was ready for the big test.

On the day of the exam, she was all nerves and energy. I made her drive to town and cruise around a bit to practice the different maneuvers she might be called upon to perform. She did them all flawlessly and I hoped it would be enough to settle her down when the time came. We waited in the parking lot of the DMV for her testing person to come out. She walked back and forth nervously and bounced excitedly as she tried to burn off excess fuel. I finally resorted to smacking her upside the head when she wasn’t looking.

“Ow!” she growled turning on me, “what was that for?”

“Calm yourself!” I ordered and she straightened before closing her eyes and going through the breathing exercises I taught her. After a moment she looked sheepishly at me.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Ms. Davis?” A short stout-looking black lady approached us with a clipboard and a severe expression.

“That’s me!” Trinity replied eagerly with a wave of her hand.

“Please show me your driver’s learning permit,” the woman said neutrally.

I watched Trin pull it out of her back pocket and hand it over. The evaluator clipped it to her board and made a note.

“Please get in, turn on your engine, and wait for my commands.”

The light and brake check took but a few seconds and then the lady approached the passenger side staring at the door uncertainly. I politely reached over and raised it so that she could climb in. The four-point restraint system gave her another dubious expression but Trinity showed her where the lap band was.

“You don’t have to wear the four-point if you don’t want to,” she explained nervously, “unless you wanna have some fun...” her excited grin withered under the expression of her evaluator. “Okay then, no fun today.”

I stepped back grinning and watched as they pulled away.

They were gone for ten minutes when my phone rang. It was Kevin.

“Hey Kevin, guess who’s taking her driver’s test right now?” I answered.

“Carter!” Rachel screamed in my ear. My sense of Being went into hyperdrive instantly.

“Rach ... what’s wrong? Is everything...” I stammered

“NO! Everything is NOT okay!” she yelled in my ear, “I’m in labor and you need to get your butt in here RIGHT NOW!” The line went dead.

Holy shit! I stood there stunned. ‘Oh Fuck! I got to get to the hospital!’ I turned around trying to figure out just where the hell I was at the moment but nothing looked familiar. Where was the hospital? I could run, it can’t be that far, right? Goddammit, where the fuck was Trinity? I spun around in a panic, nowhere in sight. Fuck! Double-fuck! Okay, run it is. Now which way was the fucking hospital?

Just then I heard the obnoxious musical notes to ‘Oh Mickey you’re so fine!’ and I whirled to see the standout metallic green dune buggy pull into the parking lot. Trinity was grinning ear-to-ear and Ms. Surely Britches was sitting beside her in the passenger’s seat ... smiling? Not only smiling but she was bobbing and weaving to the groove as they pulled up. What the hell?

She parked and turned off the engine before flinging her door up and bouncing out. “I passed! I passed! I passed!” she screeched as she jumped up and down and ran around to help her evaluator out of her bucket seat. Next thing she had the smaller woman in a tight embrace and continued jumping excitedly.

“Okay!” the black lady chided her with a pat on the back, “let go, the Tester. That’s it now,” she primped herself and adjusted her shirt once she was released. She tore off a pink piece of paper and handed it to Trin along with her temporary license. “You will receive your official license in the mail in three to four weeks. Have a good day now!” She turned and walked back towards the DMV humming ‘Mickey’ to herself.

Trinity turned back to me all aglow and then faltered when she saw my expression. “Carter ... what’s...”

“Rachel! Labor! Hospital! Now!” I blurted.

“Oh my God!” she screamed back and began jumping excitedly again. “Okay! Get in! I’ll drive!”

That was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! And legal too! God, I had a smart kid! I raced around and plopped into the passenger seat. Trinity climbed behind the wheel and fired up the engine. “Where is the hospital?” she asked suddenly.

“I don’t know!” I replied staring straight ahead, expecting to pull up to the entrance any second.

She whipped out her phone and began tapping, “Okay! Breathe ... okay here we go, hospitals...” She looked over at me dumbfounded. “Uh, which hospital is it?”

“I don’t know that either!” I replied stupidly, “Just pick one!”

“Jesus Carter! You’re hopeless!” She pulled up her contacts and called Kevin.

Fifteen minutes later we were escorted onto the maternity ward and shown into a room where we found Rachel sitting in bed propped up with pillows and Kevin standing next to her looking like he hadn’t slept in probably ... ever. She glanced over at us calmly and then looked up at the clock over her door.

“25 minutes! That’s not too bad,” she stated flatly and smiled brightly at us with that incredible glow of hers. She reached out with her arms for a hug and I just stared at her stupidly. Trinity carefully approached the bed and bent over to embrace the tiny woman.

“Wha...?” I gaped looking from her calm and relaxed face to Kevin’s ... zombie expression.

“Oh, it was just another Braxton Hicks spell,” she said nonchalantly, “false alarm. I just wanted to make sure that you would actually show up and be here for me like you promised.” She gestured impertinently, “Now get over here and kiss me!”

I obeyed and knelt on the floor beside her while Trin scooched in beside her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “Jesus Rachel,” I exclaimed quietly, “You about gave me a freakin heart attack!” She didn’t even look remotely apologetic.

“Oh, that’s sweet!” she purred patting my hand, “just be ready. I’m close enough that I could pop at any second.” She looked over at her exhausted husband, “Kevin, why don’t you go lay down baby? They want to keep me overnight and there’s no reason for you to be here at the moment.”

Trinity kissed her fondly on the cheek and spryly rolled off the bed. She walked around and took his hand, coaching him to follow her. “C’mon Uncle K,” she urged him gently, “let me take you home and get you tucked into bed. You are a wreck.” He blinked and let himself be led away without even a wave of dismissal. She turned back at the doorway, “I’ll be baawk!” she winked with a lame Terminator voice.

After they were gone, I pulled a chair over and sat beside her, taking her small hand into mine. “Kev’s looking pretty rough Rachel,” I pointed out, “hasn’t he been sleeping well?”

“I’m afraid I have been a bit of a tyrant to the poor man,” she confessed with a guilty look, “he has been so wonderful seeing to my every comfort and silly craving.” Her face suddenly clouded over and tears sprang from her eyes. “I’ve been such a moody bitch to him!” she sobbed accepting the tissue I handed to her. “One minute I’m mewling over how fat and ugly I am, the next I demand he goes out and get me take-out pizza or Crying Tiger from Two Koi (her favorite Thai restaurant).” She blew her nose and sniffed sadly. “Then the next thing you know I’m horny as fuck and make him pound me like a heifer in heat!”