Chapter 8
Brad looked down at his watch for the umpteenth time, and then looked about the hospital cafeteria, while with his other hand he held up one leg of his pants, rubbing the stiff fabric between his thumb and forefinger.
“Where are they?” he asked, stretching his neck to see above the crowd in front of the entrance.
Derek covered his face with his hand and snickered, shaking his head from side to side.
Brad looked at him and frowned, “What is so funny?” he asked.
Derek shook his head, a goofy grin on his face, “nothing man. It’s just that you’re acting like a teenager on his first date,” he paused to chuckle; then looked up at him, his eyes dancing.
“Relax man. They’ll be here.”
Brad growled at him, “just… leave me be alright.
Derek laughed. Brad turned to look at the entrance once more, and excitement flowed over him like a flood when he saw Anna enter, pushing Casey in front of her in her wheel chair. The wheel chair Casey hated so much and had to be talked into using, which could explain her puffed out cheeks and indignant composure.
Anna was looking about the room hoping to notice Brad, the hospital cafeteria was their best option for Brad’s little lunch date, given Casey’s condition, but it was more crowded than she had expected. She noticed Brad waving to her from across the room, a wide smile on his face.
She smiled back at him in acknowledgement and made her way toward the table.
“Mom careful!” Casey whined.
Anna winced, “sorry, I was never any good at maneuvering these things.”
When they finally reached the table both Brad and Derek stood up to greet them.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” said Derek with a charming smile and an offered hand.
Anna took it and he leaned forward and brushed his lips against the back of it, then lifted his eyes to hers.
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” he said with a smirk and a charming sweep of his lashes; he had eyes like that of a lion and she stared deep into their golden depths as they searched her face, knowingly, suspiciously, slightly glistening with natural gaiety.
Derek was a tall man with a very strong build, he wore his wavy hair cut close to his scalp and a neatly trimmed circle beard, the wavy black complementing his milk chocolate skin, but his most distinguishing feature was his long curvy lashes that highlighted his captivating eyes and softened his very masculine face. He wore a blue button down waist coat over a crisp, long sleeved white shirt which was neatly folded up to his elbows with a silky blue and white striped tie, and long, grey, sharp seamed dress pants and two toned loafers with tassels. A little much for their cafeteria meeting Anna thought.
Anna concluded that he was quite handsome despite his over confident apparel and by the time they were all seated, she added polite and well mannered to her observations.
“You must be Casey?” Derek said.
He smiled at Casey then looked up at Brad briefly. Brad rolled his eyes and lifted his glass to his lips. Anna looked at Brad then at Derek, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“What’s that you’re drinking?” Derek asked, gesturing to the glass in Brad’s hand.
“Fruit punch,” Brad replied, his tone gritty.
Brad and Derek purchased the food and carried it to the table, where they chatted some more. Anna learned very little about Derek, it seemed he was constantly talking and answering her questions but in the end he wasn’t saying very much about himself. But he was very funny, he had Casey bobbing up and down in her chair and doubling over with laughter. Even Brad was laughing his eyes bright with unshed tears but Anna, Anna was onto him, or at least she thought so.
They ate in silence now, it seemed like Derek was out of wise cracks. Every now and then Anna would look up at Derek with narrowed eyes.
“Do you believe in God, Mr. Reed?” Casey asked suddenly.
Derek gave a slow smile, “I’m sure you do,” he said with a smirk, he waved his fork in Anna’s direction, “I’m sure your mother made sure of that.”
Anna couldn’t miss the odd tone in his voice, or the slight twitch of his lips when he said it.
“Well do you?” Anna interjected with more brashness than she’d wanted.
Derek looked up at her, his eyes bright with some joke that only he knew, one corner of his lips curved slightly, in a devious yet thoughtful manner.
“What if I said that I do?”
Anna shrugged, “it’s very easy for someone to say that they believe in God,” she said and lowered her gaze to her plate in a dismissive manner.
Derek frowned at her; he looked over at Brad, who was subtly trying to hide his smile with a forkful of potato salad.
“What would you prefer to hear, Ms. Wright?”
Anna looked up at him as though surprised to find him there. Derek was very slighted by that action, though he tried his best to conceal it. He had never been ignored like that before by any woman, they’ve always thought his charm, good looks and charisma too special to ignore.
“Well?” he persisted, growing a little annoyed.
Anna put down her fork and took up her napkin; she looked over at Derek as she slowly wiped her lips.
Derek’s grip tightened on his fork, and he was beginning to tap his feet unsteadily underneath the table.
“It’s not about what I would prefer to hear,” she said finally, “but it’s about what is the actual truth. But I’m guessing you’re the kind of guy that’s used to telling people what they want to hear.”
She leaned forward and locked gazes with him, “you see Mr. Reed, I’m not the kind of woman who would settle for what I want to hear, but I like the truth. You on the other hand live on forming impressions of yourself on people; you know exactly what to say when in fact you say absolutely nothing that gives the slightest impression of who you really are.”
Derek’s smile had long vanished and there was a withdrawn look in his eyes, his frown reflected discomfort and displeasure and when he spoke his voice had lost all its gaiety and gentlemanly charm.
“So I guess I can count on you to be a woman of your word,” he said stiffly, his eyes accusing.
He glanced over at Casey, so that only Anna could notice his meaning.
Anna sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, “I hope you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”
Brad looked up at them, his gaze going from Anna to Derek and back again, then he met Casey’s eyes. They were bright with interest; he could see her absorbing every inch of Derek and Anna’s exchange.
“Hey Case, there is a very nice view at the back,” he said as he got up from his chair, “how about we check it out.”
Casey gave him a warning look, which Anna noticed almost immediately.
“That’s a great idea,” she said nudging Casey with an encouraging yet slightly mischievous smile.
After Brad and Casey were no longer within hearing distance, Derek leaned toward Anna his elbows perched on the table top for leverage.
Anna met him half way, her eyes blazing with as much passion as his own.
“If you think you’re gonna pull a fast one on Brad you’ve got another thing coming,” he hissed.
“And why would I do that? For money?”
Derek shrugged, but his eyes gave her his definite response.
“Unlike you Mr. Reed, money isn’t what makes my world go ‘round and it sure ain’t gonna stop it. You think I wanted to tell Brad, but he’s not stupid and I’m not selfish. Casey is Brad’s daughter, and whether you like it or not they’ve both accepted that. Maybe if you started trusting your own self you would stop placing others in the bottomless pit, and realize that there are some genuinely honest people out there.”
She sat back and folded her arms over her chest in a huff.
Derek sat back quietly, with a thoughtful frown. He didn’t say anything.
&nb
sp; Anna shook her head slowly, disgustedly, “you know what? I don’t need to put myself through this,” she got up and pushed in her chair, “I’m taking my daughter and am leaving. It’s clear to me that all you really wanted from this meeting is to prove your theory and I’m not going to be your test subject.”
Brad and Casey were approaching the table now, with Casey looking up at him as he pushed her along, and saying something with a grin.
Brad regarded them with concern; the tension could be felt, not to mention the sight of Anna standing up looking down at Derek with obvious contempt. He wanted them to get along, Derek was after all his best friend and Anna, she was the mother of his child, not to mention the only woman who could awaken a part of his personality that he thought had died.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his brows drawn together.
Derek jumped to his feet and gave a quick preoccupied smile, “I was just leaving,” he said, giving Anna a warning look.
She glared at him as he took out his wallet from his pocket, “desert’s on me,” he said.
“You don’t have to leave Derek,” Brad said in dismay, looking over at Anna with a frown.
Derek smiled at him, “no I don’t,” he looked at Anna, “but I will. You guys need your bonding time, you don’t need me fogging up the air with my… pessimism.”
Brad looked confusedly from one to the other. Anna was standing stiffly, her arms folded across her chest and her lips pressed together in that stubborn frown he’d come to remember. Derek looked equally uncomfortable, a forced smile on his face.
“Well, see y’all around… or not.”
Brad watched him saunter toward the exit, in his signature walk, a quick, comedic, swaying gait, yet not in the least ridiculous or harmful to his strong personality and masculinity. He looked back at Anna.
“What happened here?” he asked.
Anna shrugged, “ask your friend,” she sat easily down in her chair and gave Casey a reassuring smile.
Casey was shaking her head knowingly, as she wheeled herself back into position. She looked up at Anna.
“You okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine darling.”
Brad sat down, lifted his hand to his taut face and fingered his chin, his eyes hooded.
Anna looked over at him and sighed, “it’s nothing to worry about Raj.”
The next couple of days had no indication of what had happened at the cafeteria, Anna, Brad and Casey filled up the days waiting for Casey’s discharge with spending time together. And Anna came to conclude that their choice to tell Casey the truth was not such a bad idea after all. The girl was taking to Brad quickly; it was like they had never been apart, like she’d known all along that he was her father. They didn’t see Derek again, though he was still in the country, he was too busy working to drop in now and again or to join them for lunch again, at least that was what he’d said, but Anna knew why he was keeping away, she knew it was because of her. It could’ve meant either of two things, either her words had genuinely struck a nerve or he really didn’t think she was worth facing again because of her so called ways.
Their final day in Trinidad was a strained one, though they tried their best to make it memorable, but the fact that they would soon have to part hovered over them like a rain cloud. It bothered Casey especially, she had only now found her father and he had to leave them again, Anna on the other hand couldn’t wait to get back to her flowers and garden, of course that desire was much too selfish to voice.
Brad was an emotional wreck, he kept staring dreamily at Casey and Anna whenever he wasn’t doing anything, and the dread of confronting his issues at home was gnawing at him. They were having a picnic that day, and it was the quietest time they’d ever spent together. Anna kept trying to lighten the atmosphere with jokes that no one else thought was funny enough to laugh at, while they munched on the last of the sandwiches.
Anna looked down at the quickly diminishing lunch and sighed, it seemed that eating was an absent reaction while thinking.
“You guys do know that this would probably be the freshest memory we have of our time together until we meet again right?” she said with arched eyebrows.
Brad paused mid chewing and looked at her, then he looked over at Casey, who was now rummaging in the bag for some water.
“She’s right you know,” he said.
Casey nodded, “yeah sure, but it’s not like it’s gonna be such a long time before we see each other again.”
Brad smiled, “yes but at least let’s try to make the best of it huh.”
Casey gave a nonchalant shrug.
She wasn’t so nonchalant the next day though, when they were parting at the airport. She clung to Brad, like a ‘suck stone’ on a wet river stone and cried into his shirt.
“I don’t want to go,” she sobbed.
Brad rubbed her back comfortingly and pressed his lips to the top of her hair, he looked up at Anna with a pleading, uncomfortable stare.
Anna looked at them sympathetically, her forehead furrowed with short frown lines, her lips pursed. She didn’t like to see Casey like this, and it grieved her that she had to be in this situation, if only she had reacted earlier, then maybe their parting wouldn’t have been so painful for the young girl.
She stepped up behind her and placed a reassuring hand on Casey’s shoulder, looking up at Brad’s pained face.
“Casey darling, we’ve got to go,” she said, in her soothing mother’s voice.
Casey shook her head, but released Brad dashing her hand across her face, now flushed with embarrassment.
“I’ll call you, first thing,” Brad said with a promising smile.
Casey nodded and turned her wheel chair toward the entrance to the departure lounge.
Anna gave Brad an encouraging smile and leaned in to hug him for the second time that day, from over his shoulder she could see Derek standing among the smiling arrivals, his hands shoved deep in his pocket, his gaze glued to the ground, he looked awkward and quite out of place.
Still leaning near Brad’s ear, she whispered, “We depend on the lord alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield, Psalms thirty three, twenty.” -
She stepped back and graced him with a reassuring smile, his own face crumpled in confusion.
“What?”
She smiled at him and walked away, “see you, Brad.”
Once they were both gone and he’d gotten his emotions under control, Brad went back to Derek, who looked up at him with relief.
“‘bout time,” he said, “all this gushing and hugging and ‘have a good flight?’” he mimicked, in a perfect feminine pitch, “it was driving me up the wall.”
Brad chuckled, “why do you always have to act like such a tough guy?”
There was a long silence as they walked back to the car, until Derek looked over at him with narrowed eyes, “that’s rhetorical right?”
Brad shook his head, smiling, he opened the front door of the rental and got in, “let’s go Derek, I’ve got some business to handle.”
Derek jogged over to the other side and got in, “it’s about time brother.”