by Barbara Ebel
“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, “for rescuing my little sweetheart. She’s all I have left after my husband passed away.”
“It’s okay,” Casey said, fidgeting with the placemat. “It’s just that I like animals but my mom says we can’t have any.”
“I rarely see your mother but I know she often doesn’t feel well.”
Casey absent-mindedly nodded while he looked around. A kitty litter box was in the corner of the room, some of the pellets scattered on the tile floor nearby. A flowered teapot sat on the stove and several stoneware mugs lay in a dish drain by the sink. He wondered if she had any grandkids that visited her.
The elderly woman pursed her chapped lips. “I know just the thing. After all, it would be polite to offer you something after helping out with Pumpkin. I made the most delicious vanilla pie yesterday.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a covered dish.
After placing the pie on the table, she fetched a plate from the cupboard along with a knife and fork from a drawer.
Casey thought about his predicament. He hated leaving Tommy too long by himself back at the house. However, even though his mother had taught him not to really take things from people he didn’t know well, this seemed like an exception. He thought it may be ruder to not accept her offer than to get up and leave.
Kelley McKinley sliced a piece of pie and slipped it onto the plate and put it in front of Casey. “Here’s a fork,” she said, then turned to pour him a glass of milk.
“Actually, I have a secret,” she said as she watched Casey take a bite. “That pie is sinful and all I did was make a box of pudding and put it into a store bought graham cracker crust.”
Casey managed to smile. Since his mom didn’t fuss too much with baking either, it was the kind of dessert he was used to. “Mmm. It’s good,” he said.
The phone rang somewhere beyond the kitchen. The old woman got up as if arthritis had just stiffened her up and she headed out of the room.
Casey occasionally heard her voice respond as he polished off the vanilla pie, leaving the best part – the crusty side – until last. When he finished, he drank the milk but then wasn’t sure if he should put the dishes in the sink or continue to sit there. When the elderly woman returned, however, he had to tell her he must leave.
Kelley McKinley walked through the doorway with a frown on her face. She nervously wiped her hands on her blouse, took Casey’s dishes and put them on the counter.
“That call was from your house. Your mom wants me to drive you over to your friend’s. They are expecting you.”
“That was my mom?” Casey asked.
“Not exactly. But your mom made the request.” She went to the sideboard and picked up her purse.
“But I left my brother, Tommy, outside.”
“They said not to worry about him; he’s with your mom.” She motioned him up from the chair and towards the front of the house.
“Are you taking me to Danny Tilson’s?”
“Yes. He must be a very good friend. And they told me you know the way. You can show me, all right?”
“Okay,” Casey said following her through the living room and out the front door to her car.
-----
Casey had already been in the same elementary school class with Danny Tilson for two years. They’d become best friends and the only thing that limited Casey from spending more time with him was either because he had to mind Tommy or because he needed a ride to Danny’s house. Sometimes Danny’s mother or father would drive Casey home with them after school or sometimes Elizabeth Hamilton would feel well enough to drive him over and keep Tommy at the house with her.
The Tilson’s home was a far cry from the situation Casey had at home. The big house and the surrounding property were like visiting a palace. The two boys could get lost and even lose track of time playing beyond Donna Tilson’s magnificent gardens and trees, or playing board games, or talking in any of the numerous bedrooms. He respected Greg and Donna Tilson and never minded their soft approach to scolding the boys when needed, and he also never minded Danny’s sister Mary when she joined them.
Mary was three years younger and had striking red hair and blue eyes. They would tease her about her funny gait; her right foot turned inwards. If she wasn’t tagging along with the boys, they would spy on her; she was usually off somewhere with a pad of paper, drawing what she saw in front of her.
On this strange summer day, it was Kelley McKinley who drove Casey to the Tilsons as he directed her down the last long street with large verdant gaps between houses. When they pulled into the double driveway, he jumped out of the car although the woman took her time following him up to the front door.
With much exuberance, Casey knocked and the heavy door was quickly opened.
“Casey, welcome,” Donna Tilson said and tenderly cupped his head, pulling him towards her slightly. She let go and pointed. “Danny and Mary are in the kitchen.” As Casey walked down the hallway, he wondered why she’d given him a little hug for just walking in the door.
Danny stood at the kitchen table near Mary who sat bent over a large sketch pad. “Wow, Mom said you were coming over,” he said. “Cool.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He went closer to them and realized Mary had drawn the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table.
“Danny and I don’t even know what we’re going to be when we grow up,” Casey said to Mary, “but you already have it figured out. And you’re littler than us!”
“She’ll be making people happy looking at paintings but we’ll be helping people by using our hands, too.”
“How?” Casey asked.
“Well, I don’t know. In medicine, I guess.”
Casey turned around to look down the hall again where Donna Tilson and Kelley McKinley stood close to each other, a whispered conversation in progress; they both had concerned looks on their faces. Finally, Mrs. McKinley patted Donna’s shoulder and left.
-----
For three days, Donna Tilson gave Casey some of Danny’s clothes to wear and he slept at their home. The second afternoon Danny’s father took the three children to their Downtown Italy restaurant where they sat at a back corner table and ate spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread while Greg worked.
After taking a customer’s payment at the cash register, Greg walked over. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his long legs extending under the table.
“How long am I staying with you all?” Casey asked. He didn’t know why he had been sent, especially since he hadn’t requested a sleep-over. Not that he minded; he was having a great time but now he was curious.
Greg Tilson’s thick dark eyebrows scrunched closer as he leaned over the table. “Your mom told us to tell you that Tommy’s cystic fibrosis has acted up. His lungs have made him sick and the doctor’s need to take care of him. She doesn’t want you to worry while you’re with us. You are going home tomorrow.”
Casey wiped some sauce off his mouth with a linen cloth. He stared into Greg’s eyes, his look of pleasure fading to sorrow. “Poor Tommy. He’s always getting sick. I wish I could help him.”
“I heard that you often take care of your brother, even when he’s not well. You are a young caretaker, Casey Hamilton.” Greg got up, reached over, and lightly patted the youth’s head. When he left the table, he went into the kitchen to glance at the chef’s preparations.
“I hope he gets better,” Mary said.
Casey nodded.
“And just so you both know it,” Mary added, “I’m doing stuff without you this afternoon when we get home.”
“Good,” Danny said. “You’ve been like a stray cat hanging around us.”
“Shut up, Danny.”
“I will,” he said.
-----
Late in the afternoon the next day, an unlikely breeze stirred through the neighborhood as Elizabeth Hamilton drove up and rang the Tilson’s front bell. Upon entering, she spoke with Donna for some time.
Donn
a went upstairs to Danny’s bedroom where Casey was sprawled on the floor and Danny lay on the bed, each with a book; Casey was reading “Anne of Green Gables” which Mary had offered from her collection.
“Casey, your mom is here to take you home,” Donna said. She sat at the edge of the bed, speaking softly in her usual pleasant way. “You may borrow the book if you’d like.”
Casey popped up. “Okay, I’d like to. Bye, Danny. See you soon.”
Danny rolled onto his back. “Okay. It was fun.”
“You are welcome any time,” Donna said as they walked out the door.
As Elizabeth drove Casey home, a silence enveloped the car. He had questions for her but she seemed more upset than normal. Perhaps she had a killer migraine in which case he would be wise to avoid talking to her. Instead, he thought about his brother and hoped that his cystic fibrosis flare-up had gotten better.
When they got to the house and went inside, Casey didn’t have time to look for his brother as his father called to him from the small living room, a surprise since his father shouldn’t have been home. His dad pointed for him to sit at the end of the couch while his mother followed and sat sideways on the coffee table.
Mr. Hamilton stoked his mustache, considering his words, and Casey prepared to get scolded for something he’d possibly done wrong. He tried to avoid his father’s gaze.
“We have some very, very sad family news,” Wendell Hamilton said.
Casey relaxed a little bit. It appeared he wasn’t in any kind of trouble.
“You know how difficult Tommy’s medical condition was. The doctors had told us he probably wouldn’t live many, many years like all of us will.” His father let that sink in for a moment before he continued.
“Your brother hasn’t done too well in the last few days and … he’s passed away, son.”
The gravity of what his father said registered slowly as if he was in a slow-motion dream. “You mean, he’s … he’s dead?”
“Yes. He’s no longer with us. God has taken him early.”
For the rest of the day, Casey clammed shut, not fully accepting it. But as the evening progressed and Tommy’s bedroom took on an eerie quiet, the emptiness of not hearing his brother’s voice set in. He must have been really sick, he thought, for his bedroom and toys looked the same as the day they were on the front porch together and he went off chasing the neighborhood cat.
-----
The next morning, the funeral parlor visitation room swelled with families familiar with the Tilson boys through school. They outnumbered friends and relatives of Tommy’s parents who were scarcer in number due to their private lifestyle.
Several times, Casey stared blankly at the wooden box that housed his brother. It was ‘closed,’ and he was glad he didn’t have to see Tommy like he had seen an old, dead relative in a coffin one time.
After most people left, a few folks remained and were part of the funeral procession to take his brother to the cemetery where a heavy humidity hung in the air. With his parents on one side, and Danny and Mary on the other, he watched the casket disappear into the earth.
There was nothing in Casey’s childhood that changed his life as much as Tommy’s death. He tucked the memory of his brother deep into his soul and had trouble with the empty void he felt in their home. And talking about his brother with his mother and father became less and less.
Although Elizabeth Hamilton had to take an occasional sick day due to her migraines, eventually she was able to take a job as a waitress, especially since Tommy’s absence and not dealing with his medical condition seemed to unburden her. Since she now wasn’t home as much, Casey spent even more time at the Tilsons. Donna didn’t seem to mind since the two boys were like close brothers and she treated him with warmth and thoughtfulness.
-----
Casey’s arm slipped off the leather chair’s armrest, causing him to wake with a start. He rubbed his eyes in the darkness and looked at his backlit wristwatch which read 1 a.m. His entire dream surfaced and he couldn’t believe it; such detail of Tommy and his most potent childhood memories. He hadn’t given it all that much thought in at least a year.
Nowadays, the most thoughts he had of his brother were when he visited his failing mother in a nursing home. She had been in a retirement facility when she attended his wedding but had since been moved to the full-care part of it.
He lingered in the chair, the quiet comforting and the blackness causing him to search his soul. After a big sigh, he whispered his brother’s name. “Tommy,” he said, “I hope you’re enjoying heaven.”
Casey took his legs off the ottoman and got up, his eyes scanning for the nightlight back by the kitchen. As he walked through the center hall, he realized Mary must be sleeping so well she didn’t miss his coming to bed. He chuckled to himself, wondering if he had ever finished the book she had lent him long ago as a child.
Chapter 14
It had been a long day in the OR. Rachel walked into her apartment, dropped the mail and her purse on the kitchen island, and leaned over to acknowledge Snoopy whose tail circled like a portable fan.
“You sure are jollier than the stuffed shirts I deal with all day,” she said, although her day in the eye room hadn’t been that bad. Ophthalmologists didn’t chitchat that much about nothing because their quick, yet tedious, cases required concentration.
“I better let you relieve yourself before I pick up Julia.”
She glanced at the top piece of mail; it was from Mark Cunningham. That’s odd, she thought, as she hadn’t initiated her legal shenanigans yet. So why was she hearing from Danny’s lawyer? Normally, his attorney sent papers to her attorney first so it wasn’t usual for her to receive any legal matters directly. Maybe there had been some kind of a mistake.
She tore open the envelope. Passing over the letter, she recognized a familiar format on the legal size documents. What the …,? she thought.
Casey Hamilton vs. Rachel Hendersen.
Casey didn’t have anything to do with child support or Julia or Mark Cunningham, so what was this all about? Ignoring Snoopy who kept running back and forth to the door, she picked up the cover letter.
Dear Ms. Hendersen,
Enclosed please find notice of a legal lawsuit against you for Casey Hamilton’s medical bills. These charges were incurred due to the almost complete severance of his left middle finger due to your negligence.
In case you’ve forgotten about this matter, please refer to the specific details in the enclosed court document. I am assuming you will be contacting your attorney, Phil Beckett, about this. I look forward to hearing from him.
Yours truly,
Mark Cunningham
Rachel pursed her lips with anger. I’ve always disliked that Casey Hamilton, she thought, and wondered why he was such a loyal friend to Danny. She never could understand it. But why should she suffer any consequences for his stupidity?
Snoopy bounded back to her, stopped, and piddled by the corner of the counter.
“No! Bad dog!” she yelled. She pushed the dog gently with her foot and then picked her up. Walking over to the door, she grabbed the leash and clipped it on her collar. They headed towards the dog run as she mulled over the new legal intrusion in her life.
By the time Snoopy did her business and Rachel let her run in the fenced area for a few minutes, her indignation had subsided. She looked up at the billowy clouds and pondered that Casey was stupider than she thought. Why would he bother to bring a lawsuit if he didn’t have anything to gain, like a profit? Even if he received back the money for his medical bills, he’d have lost part of an appendage. If it were her, she’d have put a large price tag on that.
Going back to the apartment, she lightened up. If this debacle ended up with her having to chalk up cash for his bills, she could always work in some more hours at the outpatient facility, especially after her community court-appointed service was done and over with. However, she wasn’t resigned yet. Phil would have to get involved and she’
d have time to come up with a good ‘defense’ and try to sidestep the whole matter.
For now, she had to get ready and pick up Julia for the more extended weekend visitation she had planned.
-----
Danny came home from the office to have dinner with Sara and also give Julia to Rachel. Luckily, he had had free time before making evening rounds for the whole group. He brought in a pizza and Sara made a salad while Nancy set the table; Julia sat and waited with more patience than Danny thought possible. He slid slices onto the plates and then cut Julia’s into manageable pieces.
“Your dad and I are going to the lake house tomorrow after work,” Sara said to Nancy. “Casey and Mary will be around.”
“Sounds like I’m not invited.”
“We could use an alone getaway,” Danny said.
Nancy reached over for the salad bowl. “That’s fine but, next time, please take me especially if you bring Dakota. He is so much fun when he gets near the water.”
Dakota bounced up from the floor and nuzzled her hand.
“My dog Snoopy is funner,” Julia said.
“You mean to say ‘is more fun,’” Nancy said. “But that can’t be because Dakota is the best.”
Julia slapped her fork on the table. “Is not,” she said.
“Yes he is.”
“Okay, girls, let’s not argue,” Sara said. “Most dogs are wonderful.”
Danny shot a glance at Sara and shook his head. “I am looking forward to the weekend.”
“No school, no medicine, and no weekend chores at the house,” Sara added.
Danny folded a slice and ate silently. He watched Julia as she ignored the salad and ate most of her pizza without the crust.
“Are you finished?” Danny asked.
Julia nodded and he wiped her hands and mouth.
“Your mom will be coming in a few minutes so let’s go outside and wait,” Danny said. He gathered her things and he held her hand as they went to the front porch. On purpose, he told Dakota to stay inside; he’d had enough comparisons made between him and Snoopy.