The Fourth Day of November

by Mark Campbell

  “Yep, that’s the one. I spoke with him on a few occasions, and he’s a nice guy and good businessman.” Peter drummed his fingers. “He’s more than willing to hire the three of us since they are short-staffed on the nightshift. Just complete these forms, return them to me and I will take care of the rest.”

  “Okay.” I agreed hesitantly. “But, if for any reason working nights compromises our family lifestyle we must come up with other means.”

  Peter and Ronnie agreed since they too were family men.

  ---

  I was driving myself crazy trying to come up with an exit strategy just in case Peter's plan fell apart.

  Lee pulled up a chair next to me at the kitchen table. “What’s wrong, honey? You seem a bit tense.” Lee rubbed my shoulders.

  “I'm thinking of different routes that will prevent Peter, Ronnie and me from falling short of our expected business goal.” I sighed.

  “Alistair, darling, there's always another approach.”

  “Like what, sweetheart?”

  “How about our savings?”

  “That’s mindful of you, my love, but I couldn’t put us in a financial bind. We're just starting out and we need a savings cushion.” I kissed Lee’s hand. “There has to be a better way.”

  “If you don’t want to go down that road, how about using your credit cards? I'm sure that between the three of you it can be done.” Lee suggested.

  “Sweetheart, that is a bloody good idea!” I perked up.

  “Well, you know what they say?” Lee pushed her forehead against mine.

  “And what is that?”

  “Two heads are better than one.” She smiled before her lips touched mine.

  December 23, 1988

  Christmas was around the corner. It would be Lee’s and my first Christmas together as man and wife. She and Lacy had asked me to accompany them as they finished the last of their holiday shopping. I told them that I was still recovering from the trauma sustained during the last shopping escapade, and that I would rather be tied to a treadmill, barefoot and naked. Both women laughed before telling me that they would return later that evening.

  When they left, the house was quiet so I slipped in a mixtape with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin and Glenn Miller, and kicked back in my old brown leather recliner. It barely reclined, but it was still really comfortable. Working an extra job was taking its toll on me.

  As I listened to the soulful tunes, my stomach began to grumble. I followed its urgings and headed to the kitchen to remove ground beef and vegetables from the refrigerator. I placed each on the counter, and gathered the remaining ingredients to make shepherd’s pie. I assembled everything and placed the unbaked mixture in the oven to complete.

  As I waited, I picked up the newspaper and scanned through the pages to catch up on local happenings. Each headline got more depressing than the next—murder, kidnapping, Wall Street embezzlement, etc. Nothing was good-natured with the exception of a mention of the Dow Jones going up and an ad publicizing Lee and Joanne's upcoming college breast cancer walk/run. They were offering specially-designed tee shirts for a reasonable price.

  An hour later, the timer on the oven went off and my pie was ready to be removed. I pulled the dish out with its dark brown gravy bubbling over the mashed potato topping. As my mouth watered, I heard chatter and footsteps in close proximity of the open kitchen window. Keys jangled and the front door opened, announcing Lee and Lacy had returned from their shopping excursion.

  “Hi, honey.” Lee walked in carrying several shopping bags.

  Lacy’s hands were also filled with bags. “Hello, pinhead.”

  “How are you crazy Lacy?” I retorted.

  “You two, don’t start.” Lee warned.

  “She started it, honey.” I whined.

  “I know. Be the bigger person.” Lee kissed me before dropping the bags on the floor.

  “Lacy, leave him alone.” Lee defended my honor. “That smells utterly delicious.”

  “Yeah, what is that you’re cooking, pinhead?” Lacy poked.

  “If you call me that once more, I won’t invite you to stay for tea.”

  “Sorry pin-- I mean, Alistair.” Lacy caught herself.

  “That’s better, now. Both of you get washed up and tea will be waiting on the table.”

  Lacy muttered something under her breath before Lee grabbed her sister by the hand, tugging her towards the bathroom.

  ---

  When both women returned to the table, we took turns saying grace. Afterwards, Lee dished out two serving spoon helpings onto each plate.

  “Ummm.” said Lacy after a forkful. “This is delicious, sis. You definitely have a keeper here.”

  “And what does that mean?” I sarcastically cut my eyes at Lacy.

  “Well, Alistair, since most men are like dogs, when a woman brings one home it’s like training a puppy.” Lacy winked. “You have to teach him things like sitting, not going poo in the house or destroying the furniture, and especially, how to not chase after every pussy he sees.”

  Lee choked on her soda.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” I patted Lee on the back. “Look what you've done Lacy. Are you trying to choke my wife half to death?”

  Lee laughed loudly between gasps of air. “That was funny!” she and Lacy high-fived one another.

  “That’s great. Now you've managed to pollute my wife’s mind.” I rolled my eyes. “Just tell me this Lacy, what would you do without us men?”

  “Oh please, Alistair. I always make sure there's a fresh supply of AA batteries nearby. Right, sis?”

  “Got that right, sis.” Lee quickly responded.

  “That was far too much information. Now if you will excuse me, this puppy-in-training is about to clean the dishes.”

  After a few more spats back and forth, our conversation turned more serious. Lacy wanted to know what Lee and I were planning for Christmas.

  “Alistair and I are going to spend Christmas here, together in our flat.” Lee answered.

  “Sis that’s nice; however, why don’t the two of you come spend it with us at home, just like we always do?”

  “Remember what dad said to me? If I left he said never to return. Furthermore, I'm not going to spend the holidays away from my husband.”

  I wanted to speak, but Lacy interjected. “Nobody is asking you to exclude Alistair. He’s a part of the family now, whether dad likes it or not. He has to face the fact that you and Alistair are always going to be together, and that the rest of the family supports both of you one hundred percent.”

  “Sweetheart, I think you should go to your parents for the holidays and leave me here. I will be okay.” I interjected.

  “I'm not going anywhere without you. You make it sounds like you’re a pet that I could leave locked up at home.” Lee rejected my offer.

  “You know what I mean, sweetheart.” I added a rebuttal.

  Lacy sided with Lee. “Alistair, we’re not breaking up the family to please my father. So, get that out of your head.”

  December 24, 1988

  On the night before Christmas, Lee and I went to a local Catholic church. It had been a long time since my last confession, and there was plenty for me to confess. I recalled Father Fitzpatrick’s voice from my childhood in England. He would say, “Mr. Scott, the soul has much to confess.” Mum had made a point that she and dad regularly attend church. Lee’s faith, however, was different from mine. She was raised as a Protestant Christian. But despite our different religious upbringings, Lee wanted to learn more about Catholic faith and traditions. She believed that everyone was striving for the same things, using different methods.

  Lee and I entered the church. She watched me make the sign of the cross and followed my lead. We found seating close to the front pew. Slowly, the church’s congregation filed in as the choir boys began joyfully singing. At the song’s ending, Father Powers asked for us to be seated before delivering his sermon. He moralized the importance of
faith, and what it meant to have a relationship with God, our Creator. It wasn’t the first time I had heard this proclamation, but I connected more deeply with the message this time. Father Powers mentioned that this message would be digested by those with open hearts and minds.

  Service lasted until 1 a.m. before leaving, Father Powers shook our hands, and reminded Lee and me to return on Sunday.

  Christmas Day 1988

  Lee wasn't the kind of person to become unhinged or deterred by anyone’s witlessness, including her father. Hence, we both agreed to not allow him to spoil the day, even if he conducted himself in an unfriendly manner. I reminded Lee that getting into a verbal confrontation with her father would not earn his respect on any level.

  When we walked into the house, Mrs. Chang and the rest of the family warmly greeted us.

  Lacy introduced me to her aunt Wendy. “Alistair, this is dad’s sister, my aunt Wendy and her husband uncle Mike.”

  The couple shook my hand, revealing that they had heard so much about me. They then congratulated Lee and I on our nuptials. Lee greeted her father who eyed our movements throughout the living area. Willie unwilling acknowledged his daughter and gave me the cold shoulder. The women busied themselves in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. Grandpa Chang, Uncle Mike and I made conversation amongst ourselves. Mr. Chang chose to distance himself, showing no signs of wanting to have anything to do with his new son-in-law.

  Lee and Lacy arranged the table with red napkins, sterling silverware and fine china. Mrs. Chang and Aunt Wendy started bringing in food, which looked and smelled delightful. My stomach grumbled as I watched the different dishes put on display—rice, pork, beef, turkey, yams, corn, spuds, green beans, broccoli and plantains. Once the table was set, everyone was called in to take our seats at the table. Mrs. Chang asked that one of the family members say grace before we ate. Since no one readily volunteered, Lee said a prayer of thanks over the meal. Mr. Chang stoically carved the turkey that looked like it was pumped with steroids before its untimely death. Lee and Lacy joked about the size of the massive bird, saying that they thought the pterodactyl was extinct. The family laughed at their exchange.

  As we ate, aunt Wendy broke the ice with a question of whether or not Lee and I were planning to someday have children. Willie choked at the realization of his daughter possibly having children with a man he disliked.

  “Dad, drink this.” Lee handed her father a glass of water.

  Uncle Mike fired the next question. He wanted to know more about the man married to his niece. He asked about my plans for the future. I told him that my friends and I were working night jobs to earn funding for a construction equipment rental business we wanted to start. He and the other family members seemed fascinated by how driven we had been by working extremely long hours to reach our goals.

  A sudden chime from the doorbell caught everyone’s attention. Mystified, Lacy got up to answer the door. Minutes later she returned, saying it was Christmas carolers. Lee asked her aunt about Marcus, her cousin serving in the armed service as a ranger. Aunt Wendy explained that Marcus was due to come home for the holidays, but unexpectedly was called to duty at the last minute. This was uncle Mike’s and her only child. Marcus had always dreamed of serving his country. He had enlisted as soon as he had graduated from high school at the age of eighteen. And now at twenty-three, he was still proudly serving.

  The dining room door opened swiftly and a young man wearing military battledress greeted everyone. It was Marcus! Apparently, it hadn’t been carolers at the door after all. He had wanted to surprise the family and asked Lacy to play along.

  “Mom, Dad, it's really good to be here.” Marcus beamed.

  Wendy and Mike stood up flabbergasted. Marcus returned the hugs of his emotional parents. The entire family welcomed Marcus with hugs and kisses. Then aunt Wendy introduced him to me.

  Once dinner was over, a dessert spread of cheesecake, apple pie and peach pie was placed on the table. The last confection to join the table was Lee's and my personal favorite, yellow cake with cream cheese frosting.

  Marcus mentioned to Lee that he had heard of our recent conjugality. He then reminded Lee of her declaration to never get married. But being the optimist, Marcus had told Lee that she would be married before he and Lacy. He reached into his duffel bag and retrieved a gift he purchased while in Germany. Marcus told Lee that she should open it later with the other gifts.

  There was no shortage of conversation that evening. However, a bleak bout of homesickness momentarily loomed over me. I missed my family back home, and Aunt Monica's cooking. She would always put together a huge nosh-up because she enjoyed cooking with her husband, uncle Clinton. Between the two of them, there was always enough food to feed an army. Looking around the table reminded me of how special family was.

  December 31, 1988

  For New Year's Eve, Lee decided that she wanted the two of us to bring in the New Year together at home. Other New Yorkers weren’t quite so sentimental. They opted to stand for hours in Times Square, waiting for the ball to drop among thousands of locals and tourists. City workers were busy clearing the snow from the previous night’s heavy downfall in and around that part of the city. According to weather reports, the temperature was expected to drop again late in the evening. However, the mayor of New York was undeterred by the weather forecasts. No amount of snow could halt this momentous occasion.

  With a small corner heater and a bowl of Chex Mix and peanuts, Lee and I snuggled in front of our 26-inch television set. It was less than an hour before midnight. NBC’s Al Roker wore a bobble hat, gloves and dark blue winter coat as he chatted with guests. He was speaking with a red-nosed, rosy-cheeked woman wearing a pink ski hat with long blonde hair peaking from underneath. The woman stated that she had come all the way from Germany with her husband.

  The camera panned to a black gentleman dressed in a grey ski hat with matching overlay standing next to her. Al asked the couple what they thought of the Big Apple. In distinct accents, they both affirmed their love for New York and its wonderful history. Al jokingly asked them what they thought of the snow and cold weather. The pair quickly replied that New York’s weather was paradise compared to Europe’s subfreezing temperatures. Al thanked the couple for chatting with him and turned to interview another couple wearing matching pink wooly hats and white ski jackets.

  The new couple confessed that coming to New York for New Years Eve was an annual tradition since they had gotten engaged in Times Square at the stroke of midnight. The pair also mentioned that they would be returning in March for the breast cancer walk held by two university students. Teary-eyed the woman avouched to have had recently undergone a double mastectomy. She pointed to the hats she and her husband wore, and said that they were specially designed to aid breast cancer awareness. She also said that one hundred percent of the proceeds from their sale would go to research. Taking their cue, Al addressed the importance of breast cancer and attending the upcoming walk.

  The ticker on the bottom of the television screen was just minutes away from midnight. Lee poured some wine in a glass and filled the other glass with sparkling grape juice. She knew my dislike for anything with alcohol. As the seconds ticked down, Lee and I yelled in unison, “Five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!” Confetti showered onlookers in Times Square as they watched the dazzling ball drop.

  Lee moved in closer and kissed me passionately.

  February 1989

  Things appeared to be going well for Lee as her graduation day quickly approached. But as for me, working two jobs had proven to be more than it was worth. I was mentally and physically exhausted, as I barely got five hours of sleep each night. Some would say that the sacrifice was worth it in regards to the potential success, but I now doubted the philosophy.

  Before getting married, I promised myself that I would never neglect my wife. And this particular night, Lee was anxiously waiting to see her husband.

  “Hi, honey.” Lee
greeted.

  “Hello, sweetheart. I'm knackered.” I yawned.

  “You look very tired. Would you like a cup of tea?” she offered.

  “I could murder one.”

  Lee laughed as she got out of bed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I'm still not used to your British terminology.” Lee giggled.

  “Just give it awhile and you’ll soon be speaking like a real Brit.”

  “Soon enough my love.”

  Lee made tea and I took a quick shower. After retreating from the bathroom, I was greeted by Lee who was holding a steaming mug. “So, how was the shower?”

  “It felt great.” I stretched. “Thanks for making a cuppa.”