Chapter Seven
The sound of rain hitting the tin roof of the porch under his open bedroom window made it impossible to stay in bed. Just his luck, Michelle was sleeping late and he needed to get up. He groaned and made his way to the washroom.
He was almost finished washing his hands when he heard a pounding on the door. "Daddy, gotta go. Gotta go, now!" Michelle finished with more pounding.
"Okay, squirt. Out in a sec." Jerry called as he quickly turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel.
As he opened the door, Michelle ran past him quickly, hiking up her nightgown. Then she looked at him and stopped. He quickly vacated and said, "Wash your hands when you finish."
"Yes, Daddy. Close the door."
Jerry closed the door and went to Michelle's room to lay out her clothes for the day. Then he made sure that he had his clothes laid out so that he could take a quick shower when Rose came to get Michelle.
Thoughts of Miriam came next. Maybe he'd get a hug to start his day right. That brought thoughts of lawyers and Annabelle which was never a good way to start a day.
Jerry got Michelle dressed and made sure that his satchel had a decent book. He was supervising two exams today, but there would be some long stretches where he wouldn't he doing anything, at least until he had exams to mark. If the staff room wasn't too busy he could look up a family practice lawyer and maybe get started on that.
Michelle asked for oatmeal for breakfast, so Jerry made a small pot to share. He stirred in a big spoonful of blueberry jam for her and put a large dollop of honey on his. The coffeemaker was sputtering as the last of the water dripped into the filter when Rose and Miriam came into the kitchen.
Miriam took off her new raincoat and duck boots then came over to Jerry for a hug.
"Coffee just finished brewing. Help yourself."
Michelle came running, prompted by the screen door slamming behind Rose. "Auntie Rose!"
"Mitchie!" Rose held out her arms for a big hug.
"Good morning, Mireeyum." Michelle turned and asked her father for up and a hug.
"Good morning, ma belle Michelle." Miriam ruffled Michelle's hair and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"I'd best get my shower and be off to work." Jerry put Michelle down and headed upstairs with a coffee cup in his hand.
He came downstairs to the sound of Michelle's favourite Wiggles video playing and Rose and Michelle dancing in the living room. There was a sound of running water in the kitchen and he headed that way to see Miriam washing up the breakfast dishes. He paused in the door to the kitchen to admire the view of her neck and shoulders as she stood at the sink. It was a view he wanted to see more often, maybe every day for the rest of his life.
"You didn't need to do that." Jerry smiled.
Miriam put the pot in the dish rack and turned around. "No, but I wanted to. I'm still not quite used to being able to rinse dishes in running water. Canadians don't know how lucky they are to always have enough water." Miriam looked at the water running in the sink. "We didn't have to ration water, exactly, but we always had barrels of water filled in case the well ran dry. There were times in dry season when you couldn't bathe for more than ten days. That was when I missed Hamilton the most." While she was talking she was admiring his lean form that was still damp from his shower. She turned back to the sink and tackled the remaining dishes.
"Well, we are on well and septic here, so when the power goes out, we don't have water either. I have small generator and the wood stove, though, so when we get a bad power outage, the neighbours can camp out here until the power is restored.”
“A couple of winters ago, the power was out for four days after an ice storm and we had about twenty people living here and another twenty more for meals. The generator can only run the furnace, the fridge, the water pump and a plug in one room, but that's enough to keep everyone warm and the television going for the news or movies for the kids. Rose and Jan Schultz are wizards with the wood stove, so it wasn't that bad keeping everyone fed. Although it's quite a chore to heat water for baths. I missed having everyone around when the power came back on." Jerry grabbed a tea towel and started drying.
"I miss having people around too. But not my uncle's family." Miriam turned off the water and hugged Jerry. "I miss Elena so much. I was expecting that I would end up living with her eventually. But I don't dare let her know where I am. Rafiq might try something, even here in Canada."
Jerry just hugged her in return, to reassure her that he was there and that he understood. "You can use my phone to try to find an immigration lawyer." he said.
"Rose made the same offer. I'll be calling a few today. I hope that I can see someone on Thursday when Rose goes into Halifax for her shopping. I'd also like to stop by Frenchy’s again. I think maybe I could try to find some short sleeved blouses and Capri pants or walking shorts for the summer. But I don't think I could wear some of the tiny shorts we saw the girls wearing at the mall." Miriam hugged Jerry tight then went to get a cup of coffee.
"I don't think that they would suit you anyway, those styles are more for teenagers. You might want to consider a modest swim suit for the beach. Well, modest for Canada, anyway. If you think that the short shorts at the mall aren't modest, wait until you see some of the tourists at the beach."
"I'll think about it. I'm still a bit self-conscious showing my ankles and elbows. I have to work up to knees and shoulders, not to mention low cut blouses. It may take a while to get used to." Miriam smiled up at Jerry. "Don't you have to get to work?"
Jerry looked at the clock on the stove. "I don't have to leave for a couple of minutes." Jerry paused and then said "I was wondering if you would like to be my date for the graduation dance. The teachers are expected to attend as chaperones. It's two weeks from Friday."
"I'd like that. I even bought a party dress when we went to Frenchy’s last time."
"The black dress? The one you wouldn't let me see you in?"
"Yes that one. I think you'll like it, but it makes me feel a bit wicked. I’ll have to practice wearing it at home before I go out in it."
"I'm sure it will look good on you." Jerry reached out to touch Miriam's cheek and brush some wisps of hair back over her ear. Miriam shivered with the intimacy of the gesture.
Rose called from the living room. "Jeremiah! Isn't it time you were on your way?"
"Yes, Aunt Rose, but I can be a bit later than usual because I don't have anything to do before the bell today." Jerry squeezed Miriam's shoulder. "Have a good day."
Miriam reached up and pulled Jerry's head down to give him a peck on the cheek. "Go give Michelle a hug and get to work."
"Yes, ma'am." He kissed Miriam on the cheek and walked to the living room to say his goodbyes.
The rain meant that everyone was inside for most of the day. Miriam made her calls to the lawyers and after a brief conversation with each decided that the second lawyer she called was the one who best understood the situation with women's rights in Hezbollah controlled territories. She called back to set up an appointment for Thursday at ten a.m.
They did make one trip down to the corner store for milk and a diversion. Michelle insisted on splashing in every puddle. Rose introduced Miriam to a few more people on the way there. The same woman who had directed Miriam to Jerry's the previous Thursday was putting out new stock when they walked in.
"Hello, Gert. Business good?"
"About normal for this time of year, Rose. There's a few tourists down to the campground, but the weather hasn't been hot enough yet. Business'll pick up when the kids are out of school."
"Gert, have you met Miriam yet?
"Just the once when she came in asking after Jerry."
"Gert, this is Miriam Nadif, Jerry's girlfriend from McMaster. Miriam, this is Gert Boutilier." Rose pronounced it ‘boot-a-leer’ rather than the French pronunciation Miriam was expecting.
"Pleased to meet you." Gert looked at Miriam with an appraising eye. "Will you be in town for a while
?"
"Yes, at least for the summer." Miriam smiled at Gert.
"Well, I'm sure we'll see you around then." Gert went behind the counter to ring up Rose's purchases while Miriam followed Michelle around the store.
"Any word from Annabelle?" Gert asked Rose.
"Of course not. She'll breeze in some day in July and expect to have Mitchie to herself for a couple of hours or days. At some point, Mitchie's going to wonder who this woman is. It feels like she just wants to remind Jerry that she can take her away any time she feels like it." Rose glowered. "I think Jerry's finally fed up with it. He's talking about filing for a divorce."
"Anything to do with Miriam?" Gert asked.
"He says he’s courting her, so yes, I assume so. Miriam says they spent a lot of time together when they were at Mac. She probably knows him better than most of us do even if neither of them thought they were dating at the time. And Mitchie likes her a whole lot." They both looked over at Michelle who was explaining something to a patiently interested Miriam. "She raised her younger sisters after her mom died in childbirth."
"Well, I suppose that could be why she and Mitchie get along.” Gert looked over enviously. “Look at her, though. She's got to be the same age as Jerry and me, but she doesn't look old enough to go out on a date even."
"She was fourteen when her mom died and she had to take over running the house."
"That's pretty hard."
"She's a lot tougher than she looks."
"She'll need it to deal with Annabelle." Gert tried to hang on to her envy but seeing Miriam dealing patiently, almost lovingly, with Michelle put a wistful look on her face.
Noting Gert’s gaze, Rose smiled knowingly then said, "It’s never easy dealing with Annabelle. Well, we should get back to the house and make lunch. See you later." Rose paid up and stood by the door.
Michelle jumped in every puddle on the way back home. Rose decided she needed a warm bath. Miriam volunteered to cook lunch. It felt good for her to be useful and appreciated.
Jerry battled boredom all morning by alternately daydreaming about Miriam and worrying about starting the divorce proceedings.
He didn't have an address for Annabelle, just a cell phone number that appeared on his call display at home once in a while. He supposed that he could try to get hold of her through her parents. Her mom called Mitchie almost every week and they'd come down for her birthday a couple of times. Annabelle's dad was creepy, but her mom seemed mostly all right. Mitchie liked her Oma Trudi, but she did not like her Opa Julius all. It explained some things about Annabelle.
The exam finally ended and Jerry picked up his pile of tests for marking. He'd get a start on those during the afternoon exam period. He looked up a couple of local lawyers in the battered phone book and recognized Carolyn Dorey's name from St. Michael's, so he called her first. Her secretary put her through right away.
"Hi Carolyn, it's Jerry Ernst, from church."
"Hi Jerry, are you calling about the parish picnic?"
"No, it's professional. I need a good divorce lawyer."
"That's not my usual line of work, Jerry. I mostly do real estate and contract law. My family law work is mostly wills."
"That's what I remembered, but I thought that you could recommend someone good." Jerry launched into a brief synopsis of his marriage and Annabelle leaving. "I can't bear the idea of giving Michelle back to her. She isn't grown up enough to be a fit mother. I think she knew it when she left me, but I also think she'll fight me on this one at every turn."
"That happens too often, Jerry. I know a couple of good people in Lunenburg you should try first. Let me get you their numbers. You want to make sure that you stay out of the courts in Halifax on this. It would be much better to fight this out in Bridgewater if it comes to that. It would mean some mileage cost file the documents, but with Annabelle being from away, the judge in Bridgewater is likely to be more sympathetic to your side."
There was a pause as Carolyn looked up the numbers. Then she read them off to Jerry who repeated them back.
"Best of luck, Jerry. I'd heard a lot of things about Annabelle, but you never know what's true or not. When you get on the bad side of folks around here it can take years to get your reputation back."
"I've heard a lot of rumours about her, too. Not all of them are true, they couldn't be, but enough are that the rest of the gossip sounds logical. Anyway, thanks for the referrals. I'll keep you posted, but don't think this gets you off the hook for the parish picnic."
Carolyn laughed as she said goodbye.
Jerry called both of the lawyers that Carolyn suggested. Only one of them was interested in taking on a potential custody case in the short term, so Jerry decided to set up an appointment at Whynacht and Slaunwhite for Wednesday afternoon at four.
The afternoon exam produced another twenty-eight papers for Jerry to mark. He managed to get through half of the first batch of exams during the exam itself and called home to let everyone know that he was staying at school until five or so, to finish the rest of the first exam.
Miriam cooked Lebanese meatballs and potatoes with a salad for supper. Rose had left around four to get supper on the table for Jack.
"How was your day, squirt?"
"Good."
"How good?"
"Just good." Michelle didn't want to talk this evening. They ate in silence for a while.
"Any luck finding a lawyer? Jerry asked.
"Yes. I've got an appointment Thursday. She seemed to know a lot about what's happening to Christian converts in Lebanon and Syria. She doesn't think that I'll have a problem making a refugee claim that will allow me to stay in Canada."
"That's good news. I called Carolyn from church to see if she could represent me, but she doesn't specialize in family law. She gave me some names of lawyers in Lunenburg. I have an appointment on Wednesday after work."
"I'm happy to look after Michelle." Miriam smiled at Michelle.
Michelle looked up and smiled back. "Mireeyum is nice, daddy." She took the last bite of her kafta. "All done. Can I go play?" she said as she was sliding out of her chair.
"Sure. But stay inside." Jerry called after her running form.
"And how was your day?" Jerry looked at Miriam.
"My day was fine. Michelle is very good company. I met Gert at the corner store today. I don't think she wanted to like me, but I think she does anyway."
"That sounds like Gert. Like a porcupine – prickly on the outside and soft inside. She and I go back a long way. There was time in high school when we thought we'd end up married."
"Oh, I see now why she was so cool to me."
"If you can win her over, then the rest of the town will be fine with you being here."
Miriam giggled. "She seems pretty nice."
"Nice? You have a different definition of nice, then. I find her..."
"Irritating and demanding? Intimidating?"
"Yes."
"I think the main problem between you is that she is not comfortable with the idea of raising someone else's child so she can't accept Michelle. If she had, you might be married to her by now."
"I think it's because she likes to argue for fun and I don't. But you might be right. She knows I couldn't send Mitchie back to Annabelle. So there was never any question about us getting together. I keep hoping that Gert will find someone who likes a good argument."
"I could never imagine you without Michelle. She's a part of you."
"Thank you for supper. I could get used to seeing you here."
"It feels right to be here in this kitchen with you. And kitchens are for cooking and for feeding your family. It feels like home here." Miriam reached for Jerry's hand and drew him close for a hug. Then she rose up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek and stepped back.
They gazed longingly at each other for a while and then the noises from the living room reminded them that they weren't alone. Jerry cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher while Miriam put away the small amount of le
ftovers for Jerry to take for lunch.
"Would you like me to watch Michelle this evening while you get some marking done? We can take a walk over to Rose’s or Jan’s and visit for a while."
"That would be very kind. It would give us an opportunity to do something together on Saturday." Jerry said.
"That would be fun. I'll go sit with Michelle until she gets restless then we'll be on our way." She gave Jerry another peck on the cheek before heading to the living room.
Jerry took a deep breath and reached for his messenger bag. About a half hour later, Miriam and Michelle came into the kitchen to get a small container of baklava to bring to with them and collect some hugs before leaving. Jerry managed to get just over half of the exams marked before Miriam came back with Michelle.
A quick story in the story chair and then Michelle was dressed for bed and tucked in.
Jerry came back down to find Miriam watching Newsworld. There was a story in the rotation about increasing tension between Hezbollah and Israeli defence forces along the northern border near the Golan Heights.
"Is it close to your family?" asked Jerry.
"Not necessarily. My family lives about fifteen kilometres from the border. But this is what that pig Rafiq was bragging about to my uncle. The Syrians have been giving them Katyushka rockets."
"Fifteen kilometres isn't that far."
"I know. I'll have to pray that God will keep my sisters safe."
Miriam motioned Jerry to sit next to her. "Let's find something less worrying to watch."
Jerry flipped through the channels. They watched a Michel Courtemanche special on the Comedy network that was very funny. Miriam leaned against Jerry and pulled his arm around her shoulders.
Jerry kissed her goodbye shortly after the show finished.
"See you tomorrow morning."
With the head start on the marking, Jerry knew he could finish during the one exam he had to supervise tomorrow morning, so he headed for bed. His evening devotions were perfunctory, but his prayers for his family, Miriam and her family were not. He fell asleep thinking how perfectly Miriam fit against him while they were watching television. She feels like this is home, he thought. It feels more complete when she's here. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Miriam sent up her prayers as well. Sitting with Jerry on the sofa watching television together felt so right, even if his warmth and his scent distracted her and made her heart beat faster. She wasn't sure what love was supposed to feel like, but the combination of contentment and passion she felt when she was close to Jerry felt perfect.