Chapter Thirteen - Payback
Harry, Roger and Laura retired to Roger's office for the moment. Once inside, Harry broke the silence: "Was that fun or what? I have to admit, I thought things were going to get out of hand there for a minute or two; good thing Fred was there. Miss Laura, just how stupid is your ex?"
"He was pretty up and coming when I married him; I guess that says a little something about me."
"Nope, I wouldn't say so. I'd say you were young and impressionable, and he's a salesman; looks like he sold you a bill of goods. Anyway, I think we've seen the last of him for a long time, if not forever. Now, Roger, I think we should drink a toast to our success. You wouldn't happen to have some really elderly single malt Scotch around here, would you?"
"Could be. You'd share some in a toast if I can find some?" Roger had already turned toward a file cabinet in the back corner of his office and was unlocking it. The bottom drawer slid out noiselessly to reveal another locked compartment that was quickly keyed open. Inside lay several boxes of different shape and size, all with gold seals. Extracting one such box, Roger carefully placed it on the desk, and magically produced three small glasses.
"Guess I have to share now. Miss Laura, I don't know if you partake or not, but I believe this is one occasion we should all mark as one small step toward justice for all. You in?"
"Yes, sir. I'm in. Right now, after all this, I think I could down Hemlock and feel no ill effects. You were wonderful in there, your honor; how do I thank you?"
"Well, if you ever need someone to do a wedding, I'd be happy to preside at the more joyous occasion. Just thought I'd mention that. Never can tell what might happen. Anyway, Roger, would you do the honors please?"
"Thank you, but no, I would rather not. This is your jug, and I know if I spilled so much as a drop I'd never hear the end of it. Suppose we have the guest of honor do the decanting? Okay?"
"Okay by me. Miss Laura, pour please."
Laura carefully opened the latched wooden box, noting the intricate printing and embossed seals on it, then gently extracted the amber bottle and removed the cork stopper. She didn't know much about whiskey, Scotch or any other kind, but she did know that the to-do about a single bottle meant it was either rare, or good, or good and rare. The liquid inside was crystal clear and a beautiful amber in color. Laura poured three equal shots, and replaced the bottle carefully in the box.
Harry was impressed with the exact measurement, but more so with the care she took in replacing the bottle in the box and carefully closing it. "Ladies and gentlemen, justice has been served; I give you the newly freed Laura Nessing. To you, Miss Laura."
Clinking glasses marked the end of a trial by marriage for Laura. The whiskey slid down her throat easily, not at all like some drinks she had experienced in the past, but one was quite enough.
"Again, I thank you Judge, and you too Roger, for putting all this together. I don't know what I would have done without you two. I still have to tell the kids, but somehow I almost look forward to that. I think Jack has worried that somehow his father might come back and disrupt things for us; this has been hard on the kids. Roger, could I ask you something, and it's not another favor?"
"Sure, ask away."
"I saw you reach over and restrain Ryan's arm. What was that all about, if you don't mind my asking."
"Ah, well, I'm sure you saw the sheriff get up and intercept Dennis. I was doing the same thing with Ryan, just not quite so overtly. It was coming down not to whether your ex-husband was going to get the crap kicked out of him or not, it was who could get there first to do it, Dennis or Ryan. Either way, he was in big trouble, but out of respect for the Judge here, we just couldn't let that sort of thing go on, could we Judge Harry?"
"No, we could not, although it would have taken me a long time to issue the stop and desist order. Might have thrown a punch or two myself if I wasn't so high mileage. Anyway, he's worse off now than if he'd been beaten. I'm sure he would have tried this on you again if you had given in; we weren't about to let that happen to you. We both know why Dennis took offense at the comment: he sees an attack on you as an attack on those kids, and I really believe he would kill for them. As to Ryan, Roger might not tell you, but I will; he needs you very much to give back to him what he lost a couple of years ago: his wife, and more than that, kids. They were such a great couple, and I felt so bad when that damned cancer took her; it just wasn't right. You probably know that's why that beautiful house they built together stands vacant with weeds around it; it isn't abandoned exactly, but he won't let anyone in it. I think the guys take care of it anyway when he isn't looking. Anyway, that's my opinion; I watched him in the hearing room; I don't think he ever took his eyes off you. He may not know it, but he's a goner. The only thing is, I think he's still in mourning, and things might move rather slowly; still, I'm sure you're the answer he needs; be patient. Trust me on this."
Laura was awed by this man's perception of things, and more than a little embarrassed that he had read her like an open book. No wonder Harry had made the comment about marrying people. Still, it looked like a long road ahead, and she yet had to tell the kids, and earn a living, and deal with other events that are required to go on living. But most importantly at the moment, she was clear of the marriage, her children were safe, and she had discovered what real friends are for. She understood that while Roger and the group professed this to be a business matter, she did not, for a moment, believe that was entirely the case. Some weeks later, when calm had pretty well returned to the offices, she casually drifted into Cal's office and mentioned that Harry had really seemed to enjoy his "payment", telling Cal she was idly wondering if Scotch was expensive to buy. He informed her it was not particularly expensive, unless it was very elderly single malt imported from a small distillery in Scotland; in that case $250/bottle was about par. Laura concealed her amazement as best she could, but the point of how much these people were willing to invest in her well being was most certainly not lost.
The remainder of liberation day Laura spent almost in an afterglow, only a bit of which was due to the well aged Scotch. The kids heard her out on what had happened, and seemed relieved that it was over, Jack in particular. She called her sister to fill her in, and her parents a little later in the evening. She would not see Ryan for a few days since he was off again on a business trip with several stops; maybe that was for the better after what Judge Harry had told her. At least she knew more of the story, and knowing that much, maybe she could get Alice to fill in some of the details. There was something else she had learned, or rather, sensed, about Ryan; from her first days at Windmere, Laura believed these people held Ryan in some special place in their lives, seeming at times to be as protective of him as they would a child. Maybe it was their empathy for him at the loss of his wife. Whatever it was, they did not appear to be excluding her in any way. Reflecting on what had happened over the last few months, she laughed at what a soap opera her life would make, and there was more to come.
The next couple of months seemed to fly by, but not without their highlights. Since the divorce, Ryan had several times suggested they go to dinner in town, sort of a "working dinner" to review things going on at Windmere that needed their attention. In retrospect, Laura realized they never talked about business at all over dinner, and on more than one occasion had discovered music and a dance floor that couldn't be neglected. Ryan made no overt gestures other than maybe a kiss on the cheek at her door. She sensed that Judge Harry had been right; there was more going on than she could see, and she would have to be patient. In the meantime, Ryan had suggested they take the kids to a nearby amusement park for the day, including Ernie and Vicky in the group. Laura was well pleased with the way he treated her children, realizing they were drawing closer to him than they ever had been to her ex-husband. Ryan seemed to enjoy their company and he seemed happier than she had ever seen him. It was one of those moments when the kids were enjoying cups of ice cream, Amanda wearing hers as much as eating it, when L
aura realized her hand was in his; she didn't know when he had reached out, or even if he did, but the hand was there nonetheless. Fearful of breaking the moment, she glanced briefly at him, only to realize he was looking at her, and then down at their clasped hands. The important thing was, he didn't let go, and when they were leaving and had to part hands to go through the gate, his hand again sought out hers as soon as the gate was behind them. It was a small step, she realized, but it was a step, and again she heard Judge Harry's words: "?..be patient?.." Maybe Harry knew something she didn't, maybe not; she would be patient and find out.
Opportunities occur when least expected, and so it was with Laura, an opportunity to repay a kindness, a deed that in the joyous end became much more than she had intended. Most Saturdays Laura made sure the kids were well into whatever activity they chose at the moment, then would go to her office for a brief review of e-mails and such; it was quiet time, but seldom did she spend much time there on the weekend; that was pretty much company policy. Today was no exception to the rule; after a brief look, she closed down her desktop and decided on one more cup of coffee. Entering the kitchen, she was surprised to see Doris rather than Marie.
"Good morning Doris; what brings you out on a Saturday? Miss us?"
"Nothing that easy. You remember that company retreat we had scheduled for today and tomorrow? I know you weren't very involved with it; anyway, it was cancelled about two hours ago. Seems they had a fire in their Singapore plant and all the top brass went there today instead of coming here. Probably a good idea on their part, but it sort of leaves me with a disposition problem to handle."
"Really? What sort of disposition problem? Anything I can do to help?"
"Probably not. Anyway, the deal is, we were supposed to have a big steak cookout tonight, you know, open grill, open bar, that sort of stuff, salad, baked potato with full boat toppings, all the good stuff. Fernando picked up the meat yesterday from a butcher we use from Johnson City, then put it in a secret marinade he concocts; best steaks you ever had when he gets done with them. So here we are with 75 prime?..and I do mean prime?..steaks that have to be used today or discarded. Seems criminal to throw them out, but we can't sell them or take them back after being in the marinade, and even if everyone here ate one, we wouldn't do much to the pile. I mean, these are thick, prime Angus, could be used to feed a small army. It just pains me to think about throwing them out when people elsewhere are going hungry."
Laura pondered the dilemma for a moment. "How many steaks?"
"Seventy-five, plus spuds, salad, and so on. Everything's paid for; even though they cancelled they have to cover the procurement costs. Probably a drop in the bucket to those boys."
"How much time before you have to decide what to do with them?"
"Probably noon time or within a couple hours of that at the most. You having some thoughts on this?"
"I am having thoughts on this, yes I am. I'll be right back." Returning to her office, Laura called Roger at his home. Quickly she made her apologies for disturbing him on a day off, and laid out her idea. The response was positive and swift in coming.
"Laura, you are a goddess to think of this. Tell you what: get the numbers, and if we can't cover the multitudes let me know what more it would take. The only thing is, this is going to take some people to get it done, and except for Doris and Marie plus their husbands who were already scheduled to work the retreat, and you can count on me and my wife,?..maybe we can swing it. Let me know the count as soon as you can. I cannot believe you came up with this; you are truly wonderful."
The next call was to the homeless shelter, and as fortune would have it, the night supervisor she had met, Angie Costello, was temporarily working days and answered the call. Laura identified herself, and briefly outlined her plan. Angie was incredulous this was taking place, and sought reassurance it was not a practical joke of some sort.
"Okay, you're telling me you are going to show up here this afternoon with enough steaks to feed the 59 adults and six kids we have in-house, plus baked potatoes, plus salad. Is that what I'm hearing? I find this a little hard to believe. I mean, you know, I want it to happen; we're really short of funds right now, but out of the clear blue like this? Come on; you can't blame me for being a little gun shy. It would be a really cruel trick to pull on these people, after we're down pretty much to peanut butter or bologna sandwiches. Is this for real?"
"I assure you, it is for real. I don't know just yet how I'm going to get this done, but I will find a way. You gave me a place to go when I had no place to go, and I would like to repay you at least a little. So, I need to get off the phone and try to find some help. This isn't going to be easy, but trust me on this. I'll call you back within two hours with the details, and after we stuff our faces, I'll tell you how all this happened. Okay?"
"I don't know. This sounds far too good to be true, but I do remember you, and I know you understand how mean a trick this would be on these poor people. And I remember that monster sized guy who came after you, plus getting the air fixed. Two hours?"
"Two hours, but I have to start now or I'll never make it, and I have a lot to do. Okay? Talk to you later."
Returning to the kitchen, Laura briefed Doris on her proposal, and assured Doris she had obtained not only Roger's blessing but his assistance as well, and that of his wife. Now her problem had become one of logistics, how to transport the food and the grills and other things they would need; good deeds can be contagious. Comrades in arms looking for a light snack and cup of coffee, Dennis and Franz wandered into the kitchen, accompanied by their weekend shadows, Amanda and Jack. Sensing an opportunity, Laura quickly explained the problem and asked if they had any ideas on how she could get all this done. It had all the effect of a toreador's cape; this was something to do, different, no doubt a good deed, and probably fun. Dennis was first out of the starting gate.
"Franz, how about I get old blue fired up and bring her around? What shape is the tandem in, good enough to use it for a hayride?"
"Good enough shape after we air up the tires. You got any of those straw bales left in the field house? We'll need some seating, and knowing these girls, probably a fire extinguisher and restraints before it's all over."
"How about the volleyball posts? We can load them with the hand truck and still leave room for the two big grills and the charcoal and stuff. Girls: what all do we need to load? Oh, and Franz, we need the revolver on a post for safety. Okay?"
"Done. Now if I could just get a cup of coffee in this burg so I had the energy?.."
Laura leaped for the coffee pot. She was a little unsure of what had just happened, but it seemed the process was suddenly out of her able hands. "Dennis, can you translate please? I think I missed something in there somewhere. Who's old blue, or is that 'what's old blue'?"
"Go ahead, Jack," Dennis coached. "You know all the stuff we got. Can you tell your mother the deal?"
"Sure thing" Jack replied, anxious to be a part of whatever these people were up to. "Old Blue is the big ol' farm tractor the guys restored; it's kept in the field house 'cause it's too big to fit into a regular garage; I mean, it's too high for the door with the stack on. Mom, you should see it; it's really neat and it runs great."
"Sounds good so far. What's a tandem? I always thought it was a bicycle of some kind." Laura replied.
"Mom, it's not a bicycle; that's silly." Jack had never actually heard of a tandem bicycle and thought his mother was teasing him. "It's a big trailer with two axles, that's why it's called a tandem. And they can haul stuff on it like the grounds mowers and things like that. Can I help you get the stuff Dennis?"
"That you can. You think a dozen bales are enough Franz?"
"Should be. I'll go to work on getting the light ready. Girls, anything you need to haul should be in one of the big plastic carriers; this could get a little dusty before it's over. Now, who's going to help me with all this stuff I have to do?"
Amanda was quick on the trigger. After all, her
brother had switched associations and got himself hooked up with the machinery side of things and she didn't want to be left out. "Me, me!"
"Okay, let's get on with it. We have some wiring to do. Ready?"
And out the door went the four of them, bent on a mission. Laura was trying to keep up with events but had the uneasy feeling things now had a life of their own. She remembered she had promised to call Angie at the shelter to confirm things, but was interrupted in mid-thought by an incoming call. "Hello?..yes Roger?..this thing is gaining speed. I think maybe I just have to get out of the way. Dennis and Franz heard what was going on, and they and my kids are out doing things with old blue and the tandem, whatever all that means??Wow, that's great. I'll add that to the list, and Roger, thanks a bunch for all this. We'll see you about 2:30 at the shelter."
Laura's ears were assaulted by the roar of engine exhaust as her transportation arrived in the form of a large blue tractor followed by the long flat trailer. The original design had been modified with stake sides so it could carry more bales, and it worked out great that the single tier of bales made fine seats, with the side boards as backs. While Franz and Amanda worked to install the revolving warning light, Dennis started the loading. Marie and Fernando, unaware the original plan had been scrapped, arrived to start food prep for the cookout. Brought up to date, Laura suggested one of them retrieve their kids so they could go along for the ride, while she would help the other do whatever was needed in the kitchen. Fernando was back in their car in a flash, while Marie took Laura in tow and headed for the kitchen storeroom.
"Here, Senora, is where we make things fly. You and me, we will do the salad. Okay?"
"Fine by me, but why are we in the storeroom?"
"We need the cutter. Here, we put this on the cart; then I will show you how to make lots of salad very quickly."
Laura helped her load the heavy machine and wheel it back into the kitchen. Marie opened the large cooler and pulled out a tub full of lettuce heads, washed and ready to be chopped. After placing a small metal measuring cup upside down on the work counter, Marie took a head in both hands, carefully turned it until the base was straight down, and drove it down on the cup in one smooth motion. Pulling the head back up, she reached underneath and pulled out the liberated core. Laura was duly impressed, but then it was her turn. She missed twice on her first try, causing minor damage to the lettuce head but none to herself. Between the two of them, the giggles started, only to be made worse when they were ready to feed the cutter and realized it worked much better plugged in. Marie was certainly right about one thing; they made a lot of salad and in a hurry. The powerful cutter made short work of the lettuce, while the girls added salad tomatoes and other ingredients as the lettuce flew. In short order the tub was back in the cooler and ready for transport. That done, they turned their attention to packing up the utensils and things they would need on their road trip, and helping Doris as she needed a hand. The steaks were already resting comfortably in their marinade containers, and the loaves that would become garlic toast were split and ready to go.
Just as they were doing the final loading, Roger called back one more time. "In case you were thinking about dessert, although I don't know how anyone is going to eat any after one of those steaks, a friend of mine is going to bring some by later in the day. Just thought I'd let you know. And I'll pick up some hamburger patties as well; I'm sure the little kids don't want to deal with a big steak; they'd rather go play. Anyway, see you in a little while. Oh?..Cal and his family will be with us also; he sounded pretty excited about it." And with that, he was off the line.
Laura was impressed with the load-out. The guys had actually managed to load the very heavy volleyball standards, and the net, all of which wasn't much of a strain for the big trailer but a good load for a couple of people to handle. Fernando had returned with Ernie and Vickie, and helped the guys carry out the coolers filled with steaks, and the other food items. Dennis would drive, since he looked more at home on the big tractor, while Franz would ride the trailer and try to keep everyone safely inside.
"Okay, last call for a potty break. Everybody ready?" Four small bodies raced for the bathroom, just in case. Laura, suddenly remembering the call from Roger, had a quick chat with Dennis while they waited for the kids, then with everyone in place and seated, the big blue tractor roared to life, down the lane, through the gate, and onto the open road. One of the things Franz had never been able to accomplish with the machine was to cure it of one small ill that, while it didn't seem to affect the way it ran, took getting accustomed to. Every so often the engine appeared to belch, and would blow a big puff of black smoke out the tall stack; it was a sight to behold, and the kids simply loved it, however disconcerting it may have been to Franz. The flashing amber light high in the air above the trailer served as adequate warning to approaching vehicles, although the big machine and the hazard warning on the tail gate would be pretty hard to miss. Along the way to the heart of town and the shelter, Dennis made a short detour past the local soft drink distributor; Roger's call to Laura had been to tell her he had called in a favor from the distribution center's owner, and drinks were awaiting them. Pulling into the dock area, the men loaded the two big coolers onto the trailer, straining with the weight of the boxes full of drinks and ice chips. Then, back on the road and on to the shelter. Dennis knew the area well enough to know he could cut through the alley, then swing into the parking lot beside the old hotel, leaving plenty of room for the cookers, coolers, volleyball net, and whatever else they brought. Roger, Cal and their wives were there waiting for them, as was the totally amazed Angie Costello. If Angie recognized anyone in the group, Dennis stood out in her mind from their one previous meeting. She had watched him scoop up Amanda as they were leaving the shelter; that one act had stayed in her mind a long time.
Had it been a little less organized, the event could have been mistaken for a small riot. People from the shelter had not really been told what was to take place; Angie just could not believe this was going to happen, even as much as she wanted to trust Laura, but here all of them were. Dennis muscled the rusty gate of the parking lot closed to keep curious onlookers out, and the guys started unloading and setting up the cooking line and the volleyball court. Angie announced on the PA dinner would be in the parking lot in a couple of hours, but she needed some help carrying tables and chairs. People who minutes before had no spark of interest or energy, down on their luck, or just depressed with their condition in life, were suddenly given a chance to do something, however briefly, for their own good, and they took the bait. Introduced all around, Angie remembered Laura and the kids from their one brief encounter.
"I just can't believe this is happening. Are you sure this is for real, there's no catch to it, no hidden camera or something like that?"
"Nope, nothing like that. As soon as we can get things just a little organized and the cookers heating, we'll have a chat about how this happened. In the meantime, I think the guys could use a little direction setting things up so the line can move along easily. They do great with eating, not so good with the "how to" end. If you work with them, I'll see what else needs done. Okay?"
"Deal, even if I can't believe this." Angie could see the problems developing with the food line and hurried over to make some adjustments. Working with Dennis while the other men unloaded and set up the volleyball court, she showed him where things should go so people could serve themselves a little easier. Laura watched out of the corner of her eye when she could, amused at the incongruous matchup between the extra large Dennis and the medium small Angie.
"Okay, Dennis, we need to set up two steak lines if we can. I know there aren't that many people here, but believe me, when the serving starts, it's gonna be like a stampede. Some of these people haven't seen a meal like this in a year or two, maybe more. Okay?"
"Yes ma'am. Where would you like this?" Dennis had simply picked up one of the large cookers at arm's length and was waiting to reposition it accordin
g to her wishes. Admittedly, he was a little taken with this woman he had just met, her small stature compared to him somewhat fascinated him, but mostly it was because she talked to him not like a big, dumb jock but as another human being.
Floored by his raw power, Angie could only point to the location for the grill until she could gather her wits a bit. "Jeez but you're strong. Do you work out a lot or something?"
"No, not so much anymore, just hard work at my job keeps me going I guess."
Laura had worked her way back through the assemblage in time to hear the vocal exchange. "He's an ex pro football player, you know. Aren't you Dennis?"
"Are you really? I should have guessed, all those muscles. What position?"
"Lineman mostly, wherever they needed me, but it was more semi-pro than the big time stuff, and my knees couldn't take it anymore. Do you watch football?"
"I do, I just love it, but you know, I know there's stuff about it I just don't understand. I mean, all those little hand signals the coaches give, and then there's the zebras running around all over the place. Things like that."
"Maybe?..we could watch a game together so I could explain some of that. Maybe?"
"I think that would be great. Right now, I have to do a couple of other things whether I like it or not. We'll talk about it a little later for sure, okay?"
"Okay. Find me."
"You can count on it."
Dennis found himself in a mental jam. He wanted so badly to ask this woman out to his place, but he thought it might be awkward with Franz around, and he just couldn't ask Franz to stay away. That wasn't right either since they shared the quarters. What to do? Maybe, he thought, he should ask Franz; they had been roommates for a while and had few secrets. Dennis knew he wanted a couple of cold beers very badly right then, but decided his own courage would have to do. With things pretty well set up and volleyball underway, Dennis located Franz and took him aside for a moment.
"Look, buddy, I got a real problem here and I don't know what to do. I don't want trouble between us, but Angie's a real doll and I ain't gettin' any younger you know. I want to ask her out to the place, but she might feel a little strange being there with the two of us; you can see my problem.
"Yeah, I can see the problem. I got the same deal with Bernice over at the hardware store. I know she likes me, and I think maybe she'd go out; I just haven't had the guts to say anything to her?..Wait a minute. You remember that old thing about strength in numbers? How about this: we both take the plunge, and invite them out to our place for pizza and beer tomorrow afternoon? I could call Bernice now. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay, make the call. Man I'm nervous; I never was before a game, even a big one, but this?it's all different. Lemme know what she says. Maybe the girls would like to talk to each other; they seem to do that a lot on television."
And so it went, but in the end four people met in the carriage house loft at Windmere for pizza and beer, not necessarily in that order. It would become a weekly event, and in the course of time, a lot more.
After the brief comment about Dennis, Laura had continued to move around making sure things were going well. Everyone was doing their job, the grills were heating, drinks were being distributed, and two food lines set up. Things were coming along well and she was getting a really good feeling about all this, Roger has been well pleased with the idea and everyone had jumped in quickly. The people at the shelter could hardly believe their good fortune, and Laura made sure they knew it was because Angie had welcomed Laura and the kids when they needed help. Laura sort of glossed over the fact that they had not actually stayed even one night in the shelter; it seemed to her that was more information than anyone really needed to know. Besides, she had just seen something else she wanted to look into. Sitting on an old park bench that was a permanent part of the parking lot was a fairly young looking girl; she seemed a little withdrawn from the rest of the crowd, not in any hostile manner, just somewhat left out of the activity. Laura made her way over to the girl to see if maybe she just needed a better invitation to join in the activities, and discovered why she was sitting by herself, the nursing baby concealed in a blanket so as to be nearly invisible. Neat trick Laura had done herself when it was feeding time and she was out in public, but this girl looked more like she needed a friend at the moment.
"I'm Laura; mind if I sit a minute?"
"Whatever. It's a public bench."
"Beautiful baby. Boy or girl?" Laura was determined to draw this girl out a little and find out why she was at the shelter.
"Boy."
"How old?"
"Ten days, that's about how long I've been in this place, not that it matters."
"It matters to me, and I was only here one day, with my kids, a few months ago."
"Naw, you couldn't have been. I see your clothes and your friends. Somebody said you were doing all this for the shelter; you couldn't have been in here, not you."
"Doesn't matter what I look like today. About six months ago I was sitting here like you, wondering what happened, when some nice people came along and helped me out. If you tell me your story, maybe I could help you out in turn. How about it?"
"I don't think so; nobody can help me, anyway nobody wants to; that's how I got here; nobody cares."
"Okay, maybe that's fine for you, but what about your baby? Doesn't his father care what happens to him?"
"Hell no. You think I'd be here if that bastard cared? When I told him I was pregnant he told me to get lost or get an abortion, it was all my fault somehow, and then when I wouldn't get an abortion he said if I tried to get child support he'd take my baby away. My folks let me stay there 'til he was born, then my dad said he didn't want his slut daughter around, he was ashamed of me, and put my things on the front step. So, there, do you know enough now? Satisfied?"
"No, but don't be angry with me. I didn't get you into this, and I may be able to help you get out of it, at least a little. If you don't care about yourself, at least you could care about your baby."
"I do care about him, I just don't know what to do and nobody wants to help me and I'm afraid?.."
Laura put her arms out and the young woman leaned into them, tears streaming and sobs wracking her body, all the while her baby happily nursed along oblivious to the ongoing trauma. When things has subsided a bit, Laura leaned back and looked at the child with child. "Okay, now that we have that out of the way, talk to me, name, age, things like that."
Reddened eyes still weepy, she started in: "Les, Leslie really, Leslie Friend, I turned 20 last week. I'm sorry for talking so mean to you; it's just that nothing has gone right about the last nine months?.."
And the story finally came out. Les had graduated from high school in Conyerville at 18 and wanted to become a paramedic. With no funds available from her parents, she had hired on at a cleaning firm to work nights, earning enough money for tuition at the community college to carry a couple of courses a semester and still have time for the homework. All had gone well the first year; the second year she had been assigned to a different building, one with a lot of professional offices. An impressionable young girl, she was seen by a lawyer in his early 30's as a fairly easy mark, easy to impress with his expensive suit and some expensive gifts, and it wasn't long before she believed she was in love with him. He even engendered her sympathy with his "frigid wife" story, in spite of his three children, and how he was going to divorce her. Someone more experienced would have read him like an open book, but Les was young, and inexperienced, and eventually pregnant. Her mother was sympathetic, her father was not. Her lover wanted only for her to go away and not rock his little boat. With no place to turn, she was in the shelter where at least she could find food and a roof for her baby, but not a lot of hope. She was nursing because she really did believe that was best for her baby, and, she simply couldn't afford formula anyway. She wanted to continue working after delivery, but the company wouldn't let her take her baby along, and without a job, she couldn't afford child care; Lesli
e Friend had learned the true meaning of "between a rock and a hard place", but she had just met Laura Nessing.
"Sounds like you were beaten up on pretty bad, and abandoned by the very people who should have been helping you. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I do know some people here and there and I can make some calls. Now, here's what you do. Here's my business card with my direct number on it. Monday morning you call me, say 9 AM; I assume you have no transportation, so I'll have someone pick you up and bring you out to my office at Windmere. See the big guy over there, and the smaller guy next to him?"
"Hard to miss the big one. Friends of yours?"
"Yes, they are; the big guy was one of the people who picked me out of here a few months back. Anyway, one of those two will be driving you, just so you know. We'll talk things over and see where things can go from there. Okay now?"
"Yes, thank you; I'm sorry, I guess I was just feeling sorry for myself. I know things haven't really changed much, but somehow I feel better now. Are you sure this is okay, for me to call you? I've heard people talk about that place, how exclusive and fancy it is and all that stuff; I don't want to get you in trouble or anything."
"Nope, no trouble. See the guy over there dipping soft drinks out of the ice for the little kids? He's the CEO of Windmere. Can't get closer to the big dogs than that. Come on; I'll introduce you, and don't tell me no. He may be the person to get you out of all this."
And so it went, Laura with Leslie in tow, intent on repaying what was done for her by doing unto others.
All the little asides were played out with minimal notice, Franz and Bernice, Dennis and Angie, Laura and Leslie, but there was one thing left to be done this day, other than the inevitable clean-up and trip home. Laura noticed a man wearing some sort of what looked like a delivery driver uniform talking first to Roger, then to Dennis, and finally turning and walking out the gate as though he were leaving. Dennis strolled over the heavy gate he had closed several hours before and dragged it open about one lane width, just in time for the refrigerated truck to drive through. Stopped in a convenient location, the driver popped back out of the cab, clipboard in hand, strolled to the back of the truck and said "What'll it be? Anything that's on my truck, courtesy of Sievers & Sons Distributing."
There was not a kid in the parking lot who didn't know what that truck was, or an adult for that matter. Deluxe ice cream. It may not have been Christmas, but surely this was Santa himself, just a lot thinner. Laura couldn't wait to get to Roger: "Is this your idea of the dessert you promised me earlier? You are one big thinker, but what is this going to set me back? Eye watering or mind bending?"
"Neither. I called up the owner and sort of negotiated with him a bit."
"Negotiated? How?"
"I sort of told him we were getting free soda pop, and if there was any publicity to be had, those boys would suck it all up. He took the bait okay. The driver said his boss called him at home and told him if he wanted to make the biggest one stop sale he'd ever make in his life he needed to get his truck at the plant and bring it here. All he has to do is keep track of what he hands out, and his boss pays him the commission on the sale like he was doing it door to door. Old man Sievers refused to be one upped by the bottling boys, and here we are. What I want to know is: who in hell thought up all this? Wait a minute! That would be you, wouldn't it? If you can do for Windmere anything at all like you did here today, we are all going to be very happy people. Nah, I won't hold you to that, but you are one miracle worker. Anything else I don't know about up your sleeve?"
"Roger, there is just one little thing about this girl who's coming to see me Monday in the office?..:"
"No, I don't want to know anything about it. She isn't a convicted felon or something like that is she?"
"No, just someone a lot like me."
The stampede to the ice cream truck capped off a long, truly great day. It was true that it was only one meal, although there were a lot of leftovers carried off, and the shelter had a goodly supply of ice cream in storage, but the effect it had on people lasted a long time. Not everyone benefited long term, but some did like Leslie Friend, and eventually Angie Costello, and Bernice from the hardware store. There was never any intention to gain publicity, but word got out anyway, and the word was good. The ride back to Windmere was punctuated with occasional snorts and clouds of black smoke from old Blue, but the path was illuminated with the glow of having done a good deed. On Monday, Leslie Friend would pull her feet out of the mire of rejection and start up the ladder. Roger e-mailed Ryan several pages of details, along with some pictures he had taken of the event with his digital camera, especially the happy faces of children, and Laura with her arms around Leslie. Roger couldn't explain that photo except to say "I think her do-gooder gene is acting up again. Brace yourself."