Chapter 34

“Hi honey,” said Ava. “Daddy said you were coming over this morning. Said you’d seen your other Dad.”

“Yes,” said Candace. “We need to talk.”

“Okay, let me get your dad; he’s upstairs shaving.” Candace nodded. It was 8:00 a.m. Her dad always did his morning thing at 7:30, done by 8:00 a.m. He’d be down in a very few minutes. Her mom disappeared up the stairs.

She waited by the big picture window that looked out upon the broad sward of lawn that fronted the mansion. Time elapsed: three minutes.

“Candace, good to see you. So, the news,” he said. He clearly knew the reason for the visit. Candace sagged into a chair to the right of the fireplace.

Her parents sat across from her on the sofa.

“I went to see him, but not to tell him anything; but he figured it out and I had to tell him,” she said. “There, I’ve said it.”

“Figured it out?” said Blake.

“Yes, I don’t know. My look, tone, time of visit? I don’t know for sure,” she said.

“Okay?” said Ava.

“He’s scared, humiliated, and angry,” said Candace.

“Okay, but scared?” said her daddy.

“Yes, he’s afraid people, us, will be laughing at him, or pitying him, or doing dumb stuff to try and make him feel good. He is real upset that anyone knew about it: the cutting off of his manhood. The humiliation he was feeling because I knew about it was tearing him up inside, no doubt about it,” she said.

“And us,” he said. Candace looked down.

“Dad, do not try to talk to him now. Maybe some time, but definitely not now. And you Mom, never. He really does not want to talk to you,” she said. “He is terrified that you will think him some kind of ‘half’ a man.”

“Oh my God,” said Ava. “I would never...”

“But me?” said Blake.

“Dad, he hates you for telling us. He hates you for even finding out about it. He knows you had to have had him investigated or you wouldn’t know about it,” she said. “He’s so ashamed and hopeless.” She started to cry.

“My God!” said Ava. “Candace you should have lied to him, anything!”

“No Mom, lying to that man ... he’d have found out and likely killed himself. Never, ever, lie to him again, not for any reason. None of us must ever contemplate lying to him,” she said. “And for goddamn sure forget any form of pity as a tool in your tool kit! I mean it!”

“I hear what you are saying, Candace. And I can appreciate that what you say makes a deal of sense. But I will be trying to talk to him, somehow. Maybe a meet up on some neutral ground,” said Blake.

“Dad, if it’s on planet Earth it will never be neutral enough,” said Candace.

“Honey,” said Ava, looking at her husband. “I will absolutely be there with you. He may spit on me, but I have to talk to him, now more than ever. We’re going to help him and that’s that. I don’t care if he doesn’t want the help; he’s going to get it. Period!” Her husband nodded, but it was a questioning nod.

“Candace, can I ask, was Marian ever mentioned?” said Ava.

“No, not really. Just that she might have been an acceptable replacement for you. He did kind of say that, but again, he didn’t talk much about her except to emphasize that she blew it with him.” Ava nodded her understanding.

“Blake?” said Ava.

“Yes, I will talk to Marian at some point too, but he’s kind of down on her. So, I don’t hold out much hope for anything there,” he said.

“Any hope at all is better than no hope,” said Ava. Her husband shook his head.

“Yes, exactly, better than no hope, but in this case damn little better!” he said.

Well I suppose it was now, sooner rather than later. I decided to talk to the man immediately but on my terms. I called him; and he was surprised, and I think in a positive way. We’d be meeting at the Blue Boar in Bullhead, without the woman or Candace or Bea any of the women, for lunch on the morrow.

I would be there a bit late on purpose. He could be doing the waiting for once. I had to wait twenty-some years; he could wait twenty-some minutes. I smiled at my genius.

High noon had been the time agreed to, and no, I was not heeled and in the street.

I had told myself that I would be arriving a bit on the late side, but I guess I was more full of shit than the chulos in the joint had assured me that I was. I was half an hour early, but I also made sure that I was not seeable, well not easily, when he did arrive.

I had situated myself at the backside of a secondary bar with a potted plant literally right next to me covering me, mostly, from those entering the bar.

I was early, as stated, but he was not. He was right on time. Well that is they were. The woman was with him. I was white hot angry. He had agreed to come single-o. He’d lied to me. Well, and why not, lying came easy for the two of them.

I waited to see if he would notice me, potted plant or no. He did not; they did not. They took a booth on the same side of the room that I was at, but half a dozen feet to my front and across the aisle from the main bar. They were talking. I saw her look around, for me I supposed; she didn’t notice me, not yet: a break for me. She looked—pissed. I had to wonder at that.

“He’s not here yet,” she said.

“He’ll be here,” he said. “And he’s not going to be happy that you are,” said Blake. He’d hit the nail on the head with that one.

“Tough shit. The little shit can just cool his ungrateful ass down, and talk to me. Blake, we did him wrong, but our hearts were in the right place. He needs to forgive and forget, and let you, us, help him. He just does, and by God, after this meet up, he is going to!” she said.

“Honey, you need to calm down. Being pissed at him is not going to fly, not with him, not now, especially not now,” he said. She sagged in her seat, noticeably.

“Blake, I’m tired of his playing the childish martyr every time we try to do something to make his life easier. Sick and tired of it. He’s got to grow up. We’re going to give him the money and he’s going to take it, and if we can manage it; he’s going to make up with Marian and take her home too,” said Ava. “Yes, we have to get her to be willing to put up with his dickless self, but all things considered she won’t be missing all that much anyway. He was a bit less than useless in bed the one time we did it. And yes, I know he never had a chance to learn much about that kind of thing; but him being the impatient kind of almost-man that he is; I’m pretty sure he never would have.”