Quiet As It's Kept

by Monique Miller

  Once he was finished, he sprayed each car’s interior with the same car freshener he’d seen his previous car detailer use. Then he looked at his handiwork and had to pat himself on the back. If he hadn’t known it himself, he would have sworn that both cars had been professionally detailed with the way they shined and smelled.

  He continued to admire his work until he couldn’t put off going back inside his home any longer. When he made it upstairs to his bedroom, he saw that Morgan was already fast asleep in the bed. Will looked up and mouthed a silent thank you to the Lord for allowing his break of solitude to last a little longer.

  Will took a long, hot shower and prepared for bed himself. He knelt down at the foot of his bed and said a silent prayer to God.

  Dear God, I thank you for allowing me to see another day. I thank you for my family and my friends. And I thank you for blessing and keeping my family safe, fed, and sheltered in the midst of this storm. Lord, I am holding on to your hand. I trust you, Lord, through these trials and tribulations, just as Job trusted you in his storm.

  Lord, I pray that you will intervene in our situation. And I believe that you can do this for me. I’ve asked it and I believe, and now I am thanking you for stepping in to help Morgan and me as we raise the blessing you have given us. Lord, I trust you to guide me in the right direction as I toss and turn in this storm. I know you won’t allow me to sink.

  I thank you so very much, Lord, for all you have done and all that you will do. You are awesome, Lord; you are magnificent, Lord Almighty, and I praise you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Will whispered, “Amen.”

  As he had felt after the sermon in church, Will knew that God had his situation in the palm of His hand and there was no need for him to fret or worry about a thing. He climbed into bed and slept like a newborn baby that night, more peacefully than he had in days.

  The next morning he and Morgan barely said two words to each other before she left for work. After waking the baby, and feeding and dressing him, Will got a phone call from a company who wanted him to come in for an interview. The Lord was already turning things around. The door that had been closed on him Thursday with the retail position was now being opened, which would lead to an even better job offer in his field. He was glad to get the call for the interview until he found out that the company wanted him to come in that very same afternoon at two o’clock. He told them that there might be a problem with the time and short notice, but he asked them to give him a few minutes to see if he could make some arrangements in order to make the interview.

  Will whispered a thank you to God for finally getting a call, and then he wondered what he was going to do about the fact that he didn’t have a sitter for the baby. He knew that both Phillip and Shelby were back at work, and neither of them had any other family or friends in the area to help with the baby. Morgan had some friends, but, just as with his friends, she didn’t want any of them watching the baby.

  Their home phone rang as he pondered his situation. He answered it on the first ring. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Will,” Morgan said.

  “Yeah. Ah, what’s up?” His words were rushed.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, why?”

  “You sound as if you were busy or something.”

  “Nah, I’ve just got something on my mind, that’s all. What’s up?”

  “Did I leave my lunch on the counter?”

  Will looked around, but didn’t see the lunch bag she normally carried. He peeked into the laundry room and saw it sitting on top of the dryer. “It’s here on the dryer.”

  “Ah, man. I was in such a rush to get out of there this morning that I forgot it.”

  “Do you want me to bring it to you?”

  “Sure.”

  “What time is your lunch?”

  “At noon.”

  “Or maybe Isaiah and I could just meet you for lunch?” he offered, knowing that Morgan would probably say that she’d be too busy.

  “Yeah, that would work.”

  “Huh?”

  “I said yes. And what is on your mind? Because you sound preoccupied.”

  “Yeah, I got a phone call for an interview.”

  “You did? Great.”

  He heard the apprehension in her voice. He knew she was probably wondering if it was an offer for a minimum wage job.

  “What kind of job is it?” Morgan asked.

  “It is in my field. It’s pretty much the same thing I was doing before, only with a better salary,” Will said.

  “That sounds really good.” This time Morgan’s voice sounded relieved and excited.

  “Yeah, but the only problem is that they want me to come in today at two. I would take Isaiah over to Phillip and Shelby’s but—”

  Morgan cut him off, speaking fast. “You don’t have to take him over there. Meet me for lunch and I’ll take him so you can go to the interview.”

  “Don’t you need to go back to work after lunch?”

  “I’ll make some arrangements. I’ll call my boss when I get off the phone with you. I’ll just let them know an emergency came up.”

  “Oh, okay.” Will was taken aback. Morgan had never offered to get time off from work to help him. She always acted as if the place would fall apart if she weren’t there. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, it’s not like the place will fall apart if I’m not here. Other people take off for emergencies all the time.”

  Will kept his thoughts and comments to himself. “All right, then, where do you want me to meet you for lunch?”

  “I can meet you at the food court in the mall. That way we can grab something quick to eat,” Morgan said. “And then you can go ahead and finish preparing for the interview.”

  “You’re right, I need to go back online and print out the specs on the company. I’ve applied for so many jobs, I don’t want to get my information from another company mixed up with this company.”

  “I know that’s right. Let me call my boss and let him know I’ll be gone for the day after lunch.”

  “All right, then, we’ll see you in a few hours.” Will hung up the phone and audibly thanked the Lord. “Thank you, Lord.” He was optimistic, and hopeful that the events of the last couple of minutes on the phone with his wife were a good sign that the rest of his day would just continue to get better and better.

  He pulled up all the information he had on the company and studied it for an hour, then he put Isaiah in his playpen as he took a shower, shaved, and put on one of his suits. Afterward, he got the baby ready by changing his diaper, putting his clothes on, and packing his baby bag.

  Unsure if Morgan was going to go straight home after they met, Will packed three outfits, five bottles, and enough diapers for the baby to last him until the next morning if need be. He also packed a couple of the baby’s favorite toys and a new toy that the baby had never played with to give the infant some variety.

  Before he knew it, it was time to meet Morgan. The drive over to the mall’s food court was a breeze. All the traffic lights they came to were green, which made it a pleasant drive, not having to continually stop and go.

  Will found a parking spot right outside of the food court next to Morgan’s car. He still had to admire his handiwork in detailing both cars. Each looked as if it had just been driven off of a car dealership’s showroom floor. He was beginning to think that he had a talent for what he’d done, and maybe it was something he should look into as a business.

  He looked at his watch and pulled Isaiah out of his car seat. He locked the car doors and walked into the food court to look for Morgan. She was sitting on the far side of the food court at a table with containers of food and drinks.

  “Hey, babe,” Morgan said. She stood and greeted Will and the baby with kisses on their cheeks.

  “Hey,” Will said. He was still taken aback by how cordial and loving his wife was being. He would be so glad when their storm was over so that he could have his loving wife back completely. “Today
must be my lucky day.”

  “Why is that?” Morgan asked.

  “So many great things have happened. First I get the phone call for the interview, then on the drive over here we didn’t hit any red lights, and next I found a parking space right outside next to your car.”

  “I think you are right, this is your lucky day. I can feel it. So lucky that I went ahead and ordered some of your favorite foods. It will save time so you’ll have more time to focus on the interview.”

  Morgan had gotten food from a restaurant that was known for its good country cooking. Both of their takeout containers held mashed potatoes, collard greens, meatloaf, and corn bread. She had also ordered sweet tea for them to drink.

  Will pulled a high chair over for the baby to sit in and they bowed their heads while he said the grace. Will put a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and savored the taste.

  Isaiah looked at him expectantly and then signed the word “eat.” Will took the direct hint and spooned a little into Isaiah’s mouth.

  Morgan shrieked. “Don’t give him that food. He needs his baby food.”

  Will inwardly rolled his eyes, forgetting that he’d been a little lax on the rules Morgan had when it came to feeding the baby. “Oh, Morgan, it is just creamed potatoes. They are smooth enough not to hurt him. All the baby food companies do is take the potatoes and add water to them to make them runny, then they put them in jars and sell them to people for five times the cost it would be for us to do the same thing.”

  “I know that,” Morgan said, “but you don’t know exactly what that restaurant puts in their food. There is gravy on those potatoes, and they probably used fat to make the gravy. You know the doctor said to try foods by themselves before giving him mixtures of foods and foods with extra additives. If he breaks out we won’t know what he is reacting to.”

  Will wasn’t going to let his wife’s idiosyncrasies spoil his good day. He pushed his chair back and stood. “Let me go grab his baby bag out of the car. I packed some baby food in it.”

  “Sit down, honey, enjoy your meal. I’ll run and get it.”

  Again Will was hit with the feeling that wonders never ceased, because Morgan wasn’t the type to show courtesy when it might cause her any inconvenience, like being disturbed from eating her food. He sat back down, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  “Sit and enjoy your food. I’ll go get the bag. You said you parked next to me, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Will was glad things were going well between him and Morgan. That would be one less major thing he would have to worry about as he tried to impress the person or team of people who would be interviewing him today. He pulled the information he had printed out earlier and set it next to his container of food so that he could peruse it as he ate.

  Isaiah touched his arm and signed the word “eat” again. Will looked around to see if Morgan was anywhere in sight. Not seeing her, he slipped another spoonful of mashed potatoes to the baby. Isaiah kicked his legs and smacked his lips as he gobbled the food down.

  “Oh, isn’t that a cute baby.”

  Will heard someone talking and looked up to see a woman passing by with shopping bags in her hands. He realized she was talking to him.

  “Thank you.” Will smiled.

  “And he looks just like you,” the woman said.

  “Why, thank you again. But a lot of people think he looks more like my wife.”

  Morgan walked up and set the baby’s bag on the table. “Here you are, Isaiah. Mommy got you your baby food.”

  The woman looked at Morgan and squinted. “Ci Ci? Is that you?”

  Morgan looked at the woman and then at Will.

  “Ci Ci. It is you,” the woman said. “And this is your cute little baby. Ah, he is cute and he does look like you. Wow, he looks just like—”

  Morgan cut the woman off. “Excuse me, but my name isn’t Ci Ci. You must have me mistaken with someone else.”

  The woman did a double take and put a hand on her hip. “Excuse you? Ci Ci, how you gonna act like that? It’s me, Sharon, from James Kenan High School. We cheered together in ninth grade. I was the base for all of those pyramids we formed in the cheers. And I held you up many a day.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss . . . Sharon, is it? My name isn’t Ci Ci. I am so sorry you have me mistaken for someone else.” Morgan turned her attention back to the baby’s bag, pulling out two jars of baby food.

  Will watched the exchange between the woman and his wife. Morgan had basically dismissed the woman. She ignored the woman as she continued to stand there.

  “Oh, is that how it is now? I see how it is, you get a little money and fix yourself up and now you don’t have time for us little people anymore.” The woman shook her head. “You can act like you all that now, but in my eyes you will always be Ci Ci Jackson from the other side of the tracks.” The woman held her bags closer. “Humph. Good riddance to you.” She walked off in a huff.

  After the woman was gone Morgan shook her head. “You never know when you are going to meet crazy people nowadays. I guess they let them out sometimes to shop in the mall.” She laughed at her own joke.

  “That was weird,” Will said.

  “I agree. You know they say everyone has a twin. Obviously she has me mixed up with someone else.”

  Will shook his head. He’d seen stranger things in his life. He turned his attention back to the papers next to his plate. Morgan opened up the jars of baby food and offered some to the baby. The baby tasted the food and then spit it back out. When Morgan tried to give him more food, he squeezed his mouth shut and shook his head, refusing. He reached for Will’s plate.

  Morgan stared at Will. “What in the world? He doesn’t want these green beans and sweet potatoes. These are his favorite.” She made another attempt to give the baby some of his food. This time he swatted the spoon away from his mouth, causing sweet potatoes to splatter all over Morgan’s face and shirt.

  “Great.” Morgan took a napkin and wiped her face.

  Will held his breath, knowing that his wife was going to get upset about her clothing getting dirty.

  In one of the sweetest, calmest voices he had ever heard Morgan speak in, she said, “Isaiah, honey, Mommy is just trying to feed you.” She stood and kissed his forehead. She looked at Will. “Baby, can you try while I run to the bathroom and see if I can get at least some of this off of me?”

  “Sure, honey.”

  Morgan picked her purse up and went to the bathroom. Will tried to feed the baby, but he continued to refuse the food. He made sure to keep it away from the baby’s hand so as not to get green beans on his suit. The last thing he wanted was either to be late for the interview, or to make it on time for the interview with green smudges on his dress shirt and suit.

  Hoping Morgan wouldn’t return too soon, Will mixed a little of the greens in with the potatoes and fed them to the baby. Isaiah ate the food quickly, as if sensing he needed to do so before his mother returned. And, although he knew it was wrong, Will took some of the baby food out of the jars, hid it in some napkins, and balled them up to make it look like the baby had eaten some of his food. By the time Morgan returned, Isaiah was drinking his sippy cup of formula.

  Morgan blotted her shirt with a dry napkin. She smiled when she saw that the baby had eaten his baby food. “Now that’s a good boy.” Isaiah smiled back up at his mom.

  Will looked down at his watch. His interview was in less than an hour. He closed up the container with his remaining food. “I need to go ahead and head over to my interview.”

  Morgan looked at her own watch. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t realize it was so late.” She helped him pick up his papers. “I’ll take the rest of this food home and save it for later.”

  Will stood and adjusted his suit jacket. Morgan stood, closing the distance between them. She straightened his tie and removed a piece of lint from his shirt. “Honey, I know you are going to knock those p
eople off their feet. I am sure none of the candidates will even come close to your qualifications. And you’ll be back in the workforce in no time.”

  “Thanks, baby.” Will appreciated the boost of confidence his wife was offering to him. He needed to hear that she believed in him; too often he felt like she didn’t have his back when it came to believing in him. He knew it was because of the strain their marriage had been going through. “I appreciate you for believing in me.”

  Morgan gave him a lingering kiss on his lips. When she pulled away she looked him directly in his eyes and said, “Honey, I know that after today your luck will go in a whole other direction. I can feel it.”

  “I don’t know about luck, but I pray that God’s favor will grant us the changes we need.”

  Morgan turned and gathered up the food containers to put them back in the bags they’d come in. Then she picked up the baby bag and baby. “We’ll walk you out.”

  They passed by a trash can and Will threw the napkins and their drinks into it. When they passed a pole separating two tables, Will said, “Bread and butter?”

  Morgan replied, “Huh?”

  “Bread and butter. Aren’t you going to say it? You normally do when a pole splits us.”

  Normally Morgan was superstitious about things like opening an umbrella in the house, stepping on cracks in the sidewalk, and walking around the opposite side of a pole from Will. She would rather walk around the same side of the pole, and when Will refused to do so, she always said “bread and butter.” He figured that maybe his wife was finally dropping her superstitious ways.

  “Nah, no need to say that right now.”

  When they got to their cars, Morgan said, “I wish you luck, baby.”

  “Wish me favor, honey,” Will said.

  Morgan laughed. “Honey, you can be so silly sometimes. I love you.”

  Will put his arms around his wife and son. “I love you two also.” He kissed his son on his forehead and kissed Morgan again on her lips.