by Rob Mclean
Geoff grinned a lop-sided guilty smile in reply.
“Well you’ll have to stop before you bring up a lung.”
“Just having a bit of fun.”
“Besides, Angela’s just pulling up now.” The sound of a car in the driveway confirmed her words.
“Clarice doesn’t remember her own father,” Geoff said as an aside to John as an exaggerated whisper, “and the grief he used to give me when I first started dating her.”
It was Clarice’s turn to blush. “Now, that was a long time ago, Geoffrey.” A self-conscious smile appeared on her thin lips. Her thin and frail body was momentarily transformed by that smile. John remembered a youthful photograph he had seen of her in the hallway. For a moment, John saw her not as the aged thin lady with mean lips, but the radiant and vibrant girl Geoff had dated fifty odd years ago.
John knew then that he wanted that sort of relationship with Angela. He wanted her to be the one that was smiling when she remembered things they had done half a century ago. He wanted her to be the one who helped him in his old age.
They could hear Angela outside as she got out of her car and made her way in.
*
Angela saw John’s car out the front and wondered why he was here. She hadn’t called him, despite wanting to. She was still feeling angry with Zeke from the other night, the way he had used her, but figured that wasn‘t a good enough reason to call him. The fact that he was gorgeous probably was, but she was still with Zeke, at this moment.
On top of that, she had had a terrible day at work. Chelsea had lunched with a couple of hunky young sales reps, and she had been left to look after the shop all afternoon by herself. Chelsea had said nothing about her quick visit to see Zeke the other night, and Angela felt certain that Chelsea saw her as Zeke’s plaything by night and her workhorse by day.
Now with John waiting for her, she felt somewhat worried that she might not be able to stick to her mother’s plan. She felt very attracted to John, despite him not being a Christian. She worried that she might do or say something that she might regret if she wasn’t careful.
She went in the back door through to the kitchen, humming a tune. She hoped it would make her sound casual, but then she worried that it might look like she was trying too hard to sound casual, so she stopped.
Her mother was waiting in the kitchen, next to the radio, as if she had been listening to it. It was tuned to the same news station that she had been listening to in the car. Some congressman was droning on about his state not wanting to follow the lead from Washington and wanting to join the new UN.
Angela could see by the way her mother was wringing her hands, that she was nervous. She didn’t think it was about the news items. “What’s going on, Mother?”
“Don’t be angry, dear,” Clarice said, “but after the way you came home the other night, I knew that things weren’t working with Zeke.”
Angela felt a flash of annoyance at her mother and her interfering ways, but then chided herself, as she knew that her mother meant well.
“What’s he doing here?” Angela asked, hoping she sounded more annoyed than she really was. She didn’t want her mother to know that there was any possibility that she was happy to see John.
“We thought we might ask him for the pills that you were getting for your father,” Clarice said. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Well, good luck with that,” Angela scoffed. “I’ve already tried. He offered to pay for them though.” She started towards the piano room, but her mother held her arm.
Clarice smiled and said in a hushed tone, “He’s just now promised to get us the right pills.”
“What?” Angela exclaimed, then, in a quieter voice to match her mother’s, “You’ve got to be kidding, right?”
“No, he said he would,” Clarice’s lips twisted. Angela took it that her mother thought she had won a major triumph and was rather proud of herself.
Angela pressed her own lips together and frowned. She felt her blood pressure rising. “So much for my powers of persuasion.”
Clarice patted her forearm, “Don’t worry, dear, I’m sure you softened him up for us.”
Angela gave her mother a pitying smile. “Thanks,” she said and went to go. Again, her mother stopped her.
“There’s another thing…”
Angela didn’t like the way her mother was whispering and keeping her from seeing John. “What is it?”
“Your father and I were thinking…” Clarice began. Angela hated the conversations that started like that. She knew that something concerning her had been discussed between her parents without her around. It was never good.
Angela sighed and her shoulders sank. “Do we have to talk about it now? Whatever it is, and here?”
“Yes, dear, we do.”
Angela stomped to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. She plonked the juice onto the kitchen bench. She then grabbed a glass from the drying rack and banged it down on the bench.
Her mother watched and waited until her daughter was ready. She said nothing as Angela played out her little drama.
Having poured the juice, Angela scooped up the glass and leaned heavily against the kitchen bench. She crossed her arms and legs and half hid her face behind the glass of juice.
“So what is it?” Angela asked, having run out of diversions.
“We were thinking about your problems with Zeke…”
“I’m not the one with the commitment problems,” Angela said. She fought to keep a respectful tone.
Clarice didn’t look at Angela before continuing, “and we thought you should think about keeping company with this security man.”
Angela couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sure, they had talked about making Zeke jealous. It was their hope that he would be shocked enough to realize what he was in danger of losing her. Angela was torn between hoping that that her mother’s plan would work and the new thrill of being with John.
“But he’s not a Christian.”
Clarice gave her daughter a serious stare. If she was aware or concerned at Angela’s torment, it didn’t show.
“I know, dear, but he does seem nice.” Clarice smiled.
“Oh, he’s very nice,” Angela didn’t hide her sarcasm. She had never really considered going out with a non-believer, before meeting John. It had always been a rule her parents had insisted upon that she should only consider Christian suitors. It had been her good fortune, or so she had believed at the time, that she had met Zeke at such an early age. She had been deeply in love with him in a totally immersive way that only teenage girls could be. She had virtually spent every waking moment at one stage, early on in their relationship, totally infatuated. Thinking about being with Zeke, wondering what he was doing, what he was thinking, especially about her. At one stage, her whole life had revolved entirely around his every movement.
She compared those days to how she felt about him now and wondered if she had changed or maybe just matured, or if it was simply that he had not.
Whatever the circumstances, she had remained fiercely loyal to Zeke over the years they had been together. There had been some hopefuls amongst the young boys of other churches, but none had withstood her father’s inspection or had seemed as exciting as Zeke had been at the time.
Now that her mother was actually suggesting she keeps company with a ‘worldly’ man, Angela couldn’t help but be cynical. It would certainly make John try harder to keep his promise to get the pills if he were ‘keeping company’ with her. Also, Zeke would be truly dark about her seeing someone else. She wondered if there were more to her mother’s sudden relaxation of the rules. Maybe her mother was beginning to realize that she was an adult woman of twenty-two years and that she couldn’t control her forever, especially after her father passes on.
“There is a condition however…” Her mother paused, not quite sure how best discuss the whole subject.
‘Of course, there’s a catch,’ thought Angela.
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“…but we‘ll talk about that in a while.” Clarice took her daughter’s hand and walked her into the piano room as if she were escorting her to a royal ballroom.
*
Angela saw John turn and smile to see her enter the room. He stood in a hurry and started towards her, but stopped after a step. He shuffled from foot to foot, and she could see that he was unsure how to greet her.
She wondered at what her parents had said to him before she got home. Had they already promised her to him? He did look very uncomfortable. It brought a scowl to her face, which in turn, made him frown and look even more uneasy.
“What are you doing here?” she thought her voice sounded suitably cool and distant, but her eyes took in his sculptured shoulders, the broad chest and capable arms. She remembered being held by him and longed to be so again.
“I, um, your parents… they asked me over,” he said looking to Clarice for support.
“Come now, dear,” her mother intervened, patting Angela’s forearm, “don’t be like that.”
Angela broke free of her escort. She prowled the room, deciding to sit a safe distance from John. She turned to face her father, but she kept John in her view.
“I hear he has agreed to supply you with your special medications,” Angela addressed her father.
“Yes, he has,” her father grunted. “Didn’t I tell you he’s a good man?”
Angela’s cheeks reddened at the memory. She noticed that John was also looking uneasy.
Clarice broke the uncomfortable silence. “We did ask young John over so we could ask him for the pills,” she admitted. Angela regarded her mother with a suspicion, her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed.
John cleared his throat. All eyes watched him as he walked over to Angela. He took her hands and she let him gently pull her up. They stood face to face.
“I want to ask you, in front of your parents, if you would like to see me?”
“See you?” she asked; her blush deepened and her heart pounded. She tore her eyes from John’s rich dark blue eyes and glanced to her mother. She saw her mother nod; a wry smile creased her lips.
She looked over to her father. He was smiling broadly.
“See me,” John said, “as a boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Her voice managed to convey both happiness and worry. She turned to her mother, “What about Zeke?”
“Zeke’s an ass-hole,” her father said.
“Language,” Clarice glared.
“We all got them,” he said by way of explanation, “but our poor Angela’s got two of ‘em.” Even Clarice managed to smirk.
“Zeke will have to think about what it is that he feels is important,” Clarice said in a sanctimonious tone. “Until then, you can keep company with John if you want.”
Clarice looked to her husband. “Can’t she, dear?”
“Of course she can,” he said Geoff. His approval twinkled in the gleam of his eyes
Angela turned to John. She could see that he had been waiting for her reaction, watching frantically as the conversation had bounced around the room. She looked into his eyes, wide with anticipation and saw a longing and hope that she had never seen in Zeke. She decided then to abandon the self-centred Zeke and allow the devoted John into her world.
She was about to let John know of her decision, when her mother interrupted. “There is a condition, however…”
Angela spun to glare at her mother, but it was her father who spoke.
He addressed John. “Angela has had a bad run with Zeke,” he said without emotion. He ran his withered fingers through his hair as bowed his head. It looked as though he was speaking to the floor. “She has given herself to him in all the ways that are womanly possible…”
Angela took a moment to register what her father was saying. When she did, she was mortified.
“Dad, you have no right to say that.”
“He has every right,” her mother countered, stepping forward, “as your father…” Clarice took a deep breath, “as your parents, we have always hoped that we have judged the situation correctly.” A look of sorrow crossed her face. “But it has become increasingly apparent that we have not.”
“Mom!” Angela protested.
Clarice ignored her and focused her attention on John.
“As Christians, we have to insist that you show the respect that our daughter deserves, despite whatever she has done in the past.”
John nodded, “And what about my past?”
“We don’t know,” said Geoff, “and we don’t want to know.”
“I’m sure it’s colourful,” added Clarice, her distaste evident in her sour look.
“I’ve done nothing that I’d be ashamed of,” John said.
“That’s good to hear, son,” Geoff said, “but it’s more than our Angela could say.”
Angela glared at her father, but she couldn’t deny his words. She was deeply ashamed. Not only that they both should know about what she had been doing with Zeke, but they were talking about it in front of John. She would have stormed out of the room if John had not been still holding her hands. Instead, she bowed her head and closed her eyes while her father continued.
“It is partly because of her past and partly because of our beliefs that we must put this condition upon your relationship.”
Angela looked up and saw John nod. She couldn’t think what sort of condition her parents would demand. She just hoped that John wouldn’t baulk at their demands.
“I understand,” she heard John say.
Geoff gave John a long measured look. “We would be happy for you to keep company with our Angela, just so long as you…” Geoff paused, took a determined breath and continued, “promise to not to have sexual relations with her.” Geoff held John’s gaze, his intent measured by the intensity of his stare.
Angela felt her anger welling up. It threatened to burst and drive her screaming from the embarrassment that she had to endure.
“Ever?” John asked. His cheeky smile made light of their demands. In that instant Angela felt her whole mood change. She could not help but smile as his humour lightened the sombre tone and gently mocked their seriousness.
Clarice stood and strode over to John. She jabbed a thin finger at him as she said, “The only way we would let a worldly sinner like you anywhere near our precious daughter is if you promised not to have sex with her before marriage.” She glared at him as if to sear her words into his mind.
Angela expected him to reject the whole deal and to storm out of the house cussing and swearing at them; telling them to get real and that they were a bunch of prudish Bible pushers.
Instead, he said, “Sure, I hear what you’re saying.”
“Do you?” asked Geoff. “Do you know what it means to us for you to make this promise?”
“Sure,” John said. “It means that you will be judging me by my actions, or lack of them, in this case.” He gave Clarice the briefest of smiles before continuing, “You will be judging me by the fruits of my tree, so to speak.”
“The actions of a man have always spoken louder than the declaration of his intentions,” Geoff said.
John nodded and turned to Angela. His dark blue eyes bore into her with an intensity that she matched. She felt him searching her soul, looking into her deepest secrets, her hidden past and all her carnal desires. She felt him assessing her, wondering if she was worth all the trouble and sacrifice.
She looked away, afraid of the outcome. She cast her eyes down, but he reached out and lifted her chin. He held her gaze afresh.
“Is this what you want?” His eyes searched her soul.
“I…” she faltered. She didn’t know what she wanted; everything had been so sudden. She looked to her mother, but her stern expression didn’t give her any guidance and certainly didn’t make it any easier to say what she really wanted in front of her parents.
“Or should I just go?” A worried frown crossed John’s face.
“No,” Angel
a hurriedly said, squeezing his hands tighter. She was relieved to see that brought a broad smile to his face.
“Then, I agree,” said John. He looked into Angela’s eyes, held her hands and declared, “I will not have any sort of sexual relationship with Angela before marriage.”
Angela gasped. “You’d do that for me?” She looked to her mother and could see that Clarice was similarly shocked that John would agree to their terms.
John nodded. “It would be the best way I could show you how special you are to me.”
Angela felt a starburst of happiness erupt from deep within her. She threw her arms around John and hugged him tight. She buried her face in his chest to hide the tears that flowed.
“Is that a yes?” John asked.
Angela simply nodded, unable to trust her voice.
John held her in his arms and kissed her gently. She felt tenderness in his kiss that she had never experienced with Zeke’s hungry trysts.
A twinge of guilt passed through her as she thought of her now ex-boyfriend. She had to tell Zeke soon that he had been replaced. She made a mental note to confer with her mother on how best to do it. She then saw that, if it all went to plan and Zeke came back with a proper marriage proposal, she would have to tell eventually John the same thing too.
“Didn’t I tell you he’s a good man?” Geoff crowed.
Angela’s happy mood evaporated at the thought of how she and her mother were trying to use John for their own purposes. She looked away to her mother, but saw John smiling at her as she turned. He probably thinks me shy, she laughed to herself, returning his smile.
Clarice stood with her arms crossed. She watched her daughter’s turbulent, effervescent emotions with a detached cynicism.
“We’ll see,” she said to her husband, but Angela could hear her tone suggested that she didn’t believe that John was capable of keeping his promise. “You know, God made all men the same. He just gave them different faces, so you can tell them apart.”
Chapter 28
The following night was a Friday and, for John, the end of a demanding week. His aching muscles were glad it was the weekend. The week of retraining had also left his head full of updated procedures and his voice hoarse from yelling at his charges.