The Many and the One

by Donald Wells

  “We’ll do what we have to. I’d leave the country before I’d hand Simona over to him.”

  “You mean just leave everyone and everything?”

  “I would have you and Simona, that is everyone and everything,”

  “No, it won’t come to that, the blood tests will end this, when do you have to give blood.”

  “The order said we have thirty days, so we’ll show up in thirty days.”

  They’re quiet again. Lindsay sets her wineglass on the coffee table and leans back, laying her head upon Jason’s chest.

  “I can hear your heart beating.”

  “It beats for you alone my love,” He says. “As it has and always will,”

  Lindsay falls asleep, listening to the music of his heart.

  22

  The Island of Ocean Beach comes alive every summer with thousands of tourists and sun worshipers. Before Memorial Day unofficially starts the Island’s invasion, two of its natives have returned. Senator and Mrs. Derek Stern are home.

  Marta the maid smiles brightly. “Hello Sir and Madam, it’s good to have you home.”

  “Hi Marta, it’s nice to see you again.” Emily says.

  Derek says nothing; he rushes past Marta and into the house. “Mother, where are you?”

  He hears a bell ringing from his mother’s office. Tinkle tinkle tinkle

  As Derek rounds the corner, he sees Charlotte at her desk. Her mouth is wired shut.

  “Mother, Lindsay did that with only one punch?”

  Charlotte picks up her bell and rings it in the direction of the two wing chairs in front of her desk.

  Tinkle tinkle tinkle

  “What do you want? Do you want me to sit down?”

  Tinkle tinkle tinkle The bell rings again, as Charlotte points it toward the chairs.

  Derek settles across from her. Fuck. She’s turned into Harpo Marx.

  Charlotte writes on a pad and hands the note to Derek, who reads it.

  “Lindsay will be punished for what she’s done. Our petition will see to that. I’m more concerned with hurting Jason, but it’s really a two birds with one stone sort of thing, don’t you agree?”

  Tinkle tinkle tinkle

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Emily comes into the room, upon seeing Charlotte, she breaks out in peals of laughter.

  “Oh Charlotte, Lindsay kicked your ass good.” Emily then totters over to the other wing chair and plops down beside Derek.

  Charlotte writes furiously and hands Derek the note.

  “Yes mother, she is drunk, it’s been happening quite a bit lately.”

  Tinkle tinkle tinkle

  “I know. I’ll deal with it, for now it seems to keep her out of my hair.”

  Charlotte writes again and hands it to Derek.

  “Yes, a baby would keep her occupied, but she doesn’t seem to get pregnant. I’m taking her to see a doctor, she may be sterile, I know it’s not me.”

  “I’d love to have a baby, Charlotte, maybe we’ll win Lindsay’s little girl in the lawsuit. It would be so nice to have something she actually wants back.” Emily says, and then she smiles sweetly at Derek.

  Derek returns her smile with a cold stare. “We won’t win her like a prize Emily. I’ll simply be taking what’s mine.”

  Tinkle tinkle tinkle This time in Emily’s direction.

  Derek is puzzled for a moment, but then he gets it.

  “Emily, go to my room and take a nap, lock the door on your way out.”

  “Okay, I am a little sleepy.” Emily wobbles to the door and leaves.

  Charlotte gets up and stands in front of Derek; she places a hand under his chin, almost tenderly.

  “I see you’ve missed me mother. It has been a while for you, hasn’t it?”

  Charlotte takes Derek by the hand and leads him to the black leather couch; she hangs the bell around her neck by its chain to free her hands for undressing. Soon there comes from the office a rhythmic sound of, Tinkle tinkle tinkle tinkle tinkle tinkle

  Marta comes back into the house, upon hearing the first Tinkle she heads toward the office, but then she comes to an abrupt halt.

  Normally, Marta would answer the chiming, but she knows from the cadence of the chimes that Charlotte is not ringing the bell; her bell is being rung. Marta shudders and scampers away from the sound.

  * * *

  Jason arrives home from picking up Simona at school, and sends her upstairs to change clothes. He finds Lindsay in her garden, behind the cabin.

  Lindsay took what was once a plot of brush and weeds and converted it into an oasis of beauty, among the white trellises and wicker furniture, aromatic flowers bloom in various colors and fragrances. Jason joins her at the potting bench and wipes a smudge of dirt off her cheek.

  “Lindsay I think we’ve got trouble. It’s Simona; she seems sad and says there’s something she wants to talk to us about.”

  “You don’t think she heard about the lawsuit do you?”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “Dear God, she would be so confused. Let’s go see what it is.”

  They go upstairs to Simona’s room, the former nursery that connects to their bedroom. Simona’s changed into play clothes and sits on her bed petting Sunshine. When she sees Lindsay, she places the puppy on the floor and runs to her.

  “Mommy, pick me up.”

  Lindsay picks up Simona and sits on the bed, with Jason sitting to her right.

  “What’s wrong with mommy’s precious little girl?”

  Simona lays her head on Lindsay’s shoulder. “Rosemary’s mommy got sick.”

  “Oh Jason, Rosemary’s mom is three months pregnant.”

  “Rosemary says her mommy lost the baby, it died.”

  “Oh no sweetie, I feel so bad for Rosemary’s mommy.”

  Simona begins to cry. “Mommy, daddy, why would God kill her baby? Was he mad at it? Did God hate the baby?”

  “Oh sweetie, God doesn’t hate anyone. God loves everyone.”

  “Then mommy why did she lose the baby?”

  “I don’t know honey, sometimes things happen that don’t make sense to us. We can’t always know why.” Lindsay hugs Simona, as she casts Jason a pleading look for help.

  “Baby,” Jason says.

  “Yes daddy?”

  “Honey, you know how sometimes you wake early to see the sunball come up?”

  “Un huh,” Simona says between sniffles.

  “Well, what happens when it’s a really rainy morning with a lot of dark clouds?”

  “Then I can’t see it.”

  “That’s right, you can’t see it, but baby, isn’t the sunball still there, shining away behind the clouds?”

  “I… I guess so daddy.”

  “Well honey, there are times when life is like the sunball on a rainy day. It’s still bright and shiny; it’s just that sometimes you can’t see it.”

  “Oh—but daddy will the baby go to heaven?”

  “Yes honey, all babies go to heaven right away to be with God.”

  “What about people daddy? Does everybody go to heaven?”

  Jason looks thoughtful.

  “I believe they do. I think in time everyone makes it there… somehow.”

  “Because God loves everybody, right daddy?”

  “Right baby, because God loves everybody,”

  Simona reaches over from her mommy’s lap and hugs her daddy and gives him a big kiss.

  “Can I go play now mommy? Sunshine wants to go out.”

  “Sure baby, mommy and daddy will be right out.”

  “Come on Sunshine,” Simona grabs her puppy and skips away. Lindsay smiles after her and wipes at a tear.

  “Not what we thought it would be, thank God.” Jason says.

  “Pretty tough anyway,” Lindsay says.

  “Tough enough, life and death,”

  “Jason,”

  “Yes honey?”

  Lindsay lays her head on his shoulder. �
�You’re my heaven Boomer.”

  * * *

  Later, while Simona watches TV, Jason and Lindsay prepare the dining room table for dinner.

  “Why are you setting an extra place, are you eating for two now?”

  “Not yet Boomer, Marcy’s coming by for dinner. She called while you were picking up Simona and I invited her. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No I like her, she makes me laugh.”

  “Hmm,” Lindsay says.

  “What was that ‘hmm’ about?”

  Lindsay smiles, “I was thinking how Marcy would love to make you do more than laugh.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Jason, Marcy has had a crush on you since high school.”

  “Marcy? Your friend Marcy?”

  “Oh, you’re so blind to those things, I know at least three women who would jump your bones if you so much as winked at them.”

  “I only have eyes for you sweetie.”

  “I’m not saying I’m jealous, but I know if anything ever happened to me there would be plenty of women on this Island happy to console the grieving widower.”

  “Honey don’t even talk about such things, if anything ever happened to you I don’t know what I’d do.”

  “I know what you should do.” Lindsay says.

  “What?”

  “You should marry as soon as possible. I can’t imagine you alone, with no one to love.”

  “I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have Simona, and as far as having someone to love, I would still love you. Death wouldn’t end my love for you.”

  Lindsay goes to Jason and drapes her arms around his neck.

  “If anything ever does happen to me I’d want you to be happy. It wouldn’t be a betrayal of me if you found someone else.”

  “I think it would be a betrayal of me.” Jason says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lindsay, I know something most men never do. I know what my life’s purpose is.”

  “What is it?”

  “To love you,”

  “That’s it? Not your art or raising our children?”

  “Those things are important, but they’re not why I’m here. I was put here to love you.”

  Lindsay searches his face. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

  “It’s the one thing I know.” Jason says.

  She kisses Jason tenderly and then nuzzles her head into his chest.

  “There’s something else you should know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That I was put here to love you too.”

  Jason grins. “As I always suspected,”

  * * *

  Marcy shows up right on time. The dinner conversation is kept light, but after Simona is put to bed, they talk about Derek’s attempt to gain custody.

  “I heard about it from a mutual friend of Emily’s. Derek’s such an asshole.” Marcy says.

  Jason grins at her from across the table. “You think he’s an asshole? I knew there was a reason I liked you Marcy.”

  Marcy smiles back at Jason and colors a bit.

  Lindsay takes Jason’s hand. “Maybe you should give blood for the test sooner rather than later. It’ll put an end to this nonsense.”

  “You’re right, we’ll go tomorrow.”

  “Thank you Jason, for believing me, when I tell you she’s yours,”

  “If you want to know the truth, it’s never mattered to me, if she were the spawn of Satan himself I’d love her, she’s my little girl.”

  “I know. It’s one of the reasons I love you so much, but Jason I know she’s yours, I just know it.”

  “Have you guys talked to a lawyer yet?” Marcy asks.

  “Yes, a Mrs. Jordan, unfortunately she wasn’t encouraging. She says that if Derek can prove paternity, he would almost surely be given some custody or visitation rights.”

  Marcy sets down her coffee cup and throws up her hands in dismay.

  “That’s insane, why is Derek doing this?”

  “He rapes me, now he wants to claim our daughter as his, the man’s sick.” Lindsay says.

  “I interviewed him for my newspaper about a proposal he supports and I swear he was high, he also hit on me.” Marcy says.

  “I guess he’s not being faithful to Emily. I’m still amazed they’re married.” Lindsay says.

  “Rumor has it that Emily has another problem.” Marcy says, and pantomimes someone drinking.

  Lindsay gasps. “No Marcy, really? I guess her marriage is driving her to drink.”

  “You and Emily used to be so close, it’s so sad she threw your friendship away over Derek.”

  “It was a blessing in disguise, after my break-up with Derek, Jason and I got together.”

  Marcy looks over at Jason. “You got the better of that deal.”

  Lindsay smiles, “Don’t I know it.”

  23

  In the winter of 1982, Adam Reynolds—the owner of the cabin at the time—started work on a cottage. The project went along well, but was not completed when Jason bought the property.

  The white, ranch style building had everything but the interior walls that would essentially act as room dividers. When Jason and Lindsay moved in, Jason decided it would make a great art studio and installed two large skylights in its slanted roof. Simona spent many happy hours as a baby, crawling around the various easels and drawing tables in the building. Later, when Lindsay began her writing career, a desk and a word processor were added to the mix. The building is filled with Jason’s artwork and also the many crayon drawings of one Simona Lynn.

  Jason is out with Simona in tow and so Lindsay works alone. She hears a car come crunching down the graveled driveway from Hills Road and goes to see who’s come.

  “Simone, hi, where’s Paul Jr.?”

  “Paul’s parents have him for the day, which means he’ll be spoiled rotten when he comes home, but it’s nice to have some free time, do you have a moment to talk?”

  “Sure, come on inside and I’ll make coffee.”

  With coffee in hand, they sit at a table in the cottage.

  “So what’s up?” Lindsay asks.

  “I was going to ask you about the paternity suit, any news?”

  “Just that Jason and I decided it was better to take the blood test sooner rather than later, it’ll end things quicker.”

  “Un huh, I see.”

  “All right Simone, I know when you disapprove of something, what was that, ‘Un huh, I see.’ about?”

  “No, I don’t want to say anything that might threaten our friendship.”

  Lindsay grins. “Now you have to tell me or I’ll get so mad that we won’t be friends anymore.”

  Simone takes a deep breath. “Here goes, I’m not saying you’re wrong, but honey, what if you are wrong about Jason being Simona’s father? Have you even thought about it?”

  “No, because I know Simona is Jason’s.”

  “Lindsay, sometimes we want things to be a certain way so much, that we convince ourselves that that’s the way they are. I don’t want to see you devastated if Derek is the father.”

  Lindsay glares at Simone.

  “Listen and listen good, I know what I know, Simona is Jason’s daughter, you got that!”

  Simone looks uneasy and stands up. “I’m sorry I said anything. I’d better be going.”

  When Simone reaches the door, Lindsay calls to her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “What?”

  “I said where do you think you’re going? Is this how you’ll run your practice? You’ll tell a patient something they don’t want to hear and when they deny it’s true, you’ll just say, ‘Oh I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.’ You disappoint me Simone. I count on you to help me see things straight and not be self-deluded. I know there’s a slim chance that Simona is Derek’s. I’m not in denial. I only wanted to see how tough you could be with me.”

  Simone’s mouth hangs open and then she sta
rts laughing as she walks back over to sit down at the table.

  “You had me thinking I had damaged our friendship… bitch.”

  Lindsay laughs. “Is that a clinical term you’ve learned in school?”

  “Yes it is, now I’m mad at you.

  “Simone Really?”

  “No not really.”

  “Simone?”

  “Yes bitch?”

  “Thanks for caring.”

  “You’re welcome bitch,”

  “Simone!”

  “I’m sorry, it’s habit forming.”

  24

  From his viewpoint at the granite bench, Jason looks down and watches the children playing in the surf, as Paul acts as lifeguard.

  Tyler Johnson, forty-six-years-old with salt and pepper hair and skin the color of old pennies, approaches Jason from the patio.

  “Mr. Reynolds, I want to thank you and your wife again for letting my kids use your beach, it’s so nice and quiet here. It’s usually a nightmare to keep track of them on a public beach.”

  “Tyler you’re welcome and call me Jason. When Simone told us about your charity for abused children we knew we wanted to help somehow. Having our own beach always seemed so hoity-toity to us anyway, it’s nice to see someone else enjoy it for a change.”

  “They love it Jason and thanks also for all the food you guys are providing, those kids of mine can really eat. Now I better give Paul a break so he can eat too.”

  “See you later Tyler.”

  Jason returns to the grill and finds Lindsay hard at work cooking more burgers.

  “How are the kids doing?” Lindsay asks.

  “They’re having a ball, say where’s Simona?”

  “Simone took her and Paul Jr. inside for a nap.”

  Paul runs over and grabs four cheeseburgers from a fresh stack. “I am so hungry, those kids wear me out. I must have—hey look, Bob’s here.”

  Chief Rollins drives in and parks an unmarked police car. He and his wife Kathy walk across the sizable lawn and over toward the grill.

  Kathy Rollins is slim and shapely, with long brown hair and a dazzling smile, her white sleeveless dress accentuates her tanned legs nicely.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, it’s nice to see you again. Thank you for inviting us to your cookout.”

  “Our pleasure Chief,” Jason says. “Grab a seat and get a bite. By the way, your wife’s an old classmate. Hi Kathy, how have you been?”