“Come on in your old room. I’m here getting things ready for a new girl.”
Tessa walked into the room. No brown spread covered the bed. A burgundy spread covered it. Pictures of floral arrangements accented the wall. The room gave her a sense of home, instead of a servant’s quarters.
“Everything has changed.”
“Oh yeah, Tessa, that’s because of Mrs. Houston. She came to me one day and said she’s going to ask her husband to let her have fun decorating our rooms. You know, to keep her happy, he gave her the okay.”
Tessa thought of how he could treat his wife with such dignity but degrade any other woman, or maybe it was just the ones who he felt were beneath him.
“Child, she asked me to help her. I felt like we were sisters, not by race, but by blood.”
“I’m happy for you and the others.”
“Sit down on the bed and rest yourself.”
“I don’t want to mess it up. It’s so neat.”
Elsa sat down on the bed. “It’s not neat anymore.” Tessa sat next to her.
Elsa put a hand under her chin. “You got to tell me what made you leave here. There’s been rumors, like one of them was you were buried somewhere on this property. And you know I didn’t believe that one.”
“No, I’m here and alive.”
“Then what was it?” Elsa wondered.
Tessa became tearful as she looked at the windowsill. The window seat looked inviting, a few magazines sat in the corner next to a throw pillow. She eased her hand across the bed covers.
“I kept my mouth shut, Elsa. I had no contact with Mr. Houston. I did my work very good. But that didn’t help me. Mr. Houston still came to my bed.”
“That’s strange. He usually doesn’t take girls to his bed unless they start making talk with him.”
“Mr. Houston was jealous because I talked to Mr. Chavis. He got mad and told Mr. Chavis to stay away from me. That’s when he started to come after me.” Tessa cried.
Elsa took a tissue out of the pocket of her uniform. She patted Tessa’s eyes to absorb the tears.
“So to keep him from touching you, you left,” Elsa concluded.
Tessa placed her hand on her stomach and patted it. “Like you, I became pregnant with Mr. Houston’s baby.”
“You had a child by him?”
“Yes.”
Tessa couldn’t tell her all the truth. After all, Rupert had sent her money every month for a baby that did not exist.
“I’ll bet that man went to his grave and didn’t know he had a baby.”
“He knew, Elsa. Remember I was sick that day? Mrs. Houston sent a doctor to check on me. The doctor told her I was with baby. She told Mr. Houston. He came to my room and had sex with me one last time. He made me throw my things in my bag and put me on a plane back to Mexico. I wish I could have kept my pregnancy a secret like you did.”
“Yeah, I did what I had to do to keep my job. It was heartbreaking. I even let Mr. Houston take me after one of my abortions. Blood was everywhere. He thought I was on my period. Nasty bastard!” Elsa yelled.
“Why’d you stay here with so much hurt?”
Elsa nodded. “A plain fool, I guess…a fool for a good dollar.”
Tessa smiled. “Maybe you really stayed here to warn and protect other girls. You did that for me.”
“It didn’t help.”
Tessa patted Elsa on the hand. “Your warning prepared me for the worst, and I’m also sure you’ve saved some other girls around here from him.”
“Can you believe he’s gone?”
“It feels weird. That’s why I had to come and see for myself.”
Elsa tapped her knees. “I’m somewhat nervous. Don’t know what’s going to happen now. All our jobs may be gone.”
“I’m certain his daughters will keep you on. You’ve been good to them.”
“I don’t know. You remember their little girl, Milandra? She’s all grown up.”
Tessa nodded. “I saw her at the funeral.”
“She sure enough got ways like her daddy—not gracious like her mother. Noelle has her mother’s ways. And that Kenley, the baby girl, she’s in a world of her own.”
They smiled.
“Tessa, did you know that Mrs. Houston was pregnant the same time as you were?”
“We both had girls.”
“You have a girl?”
“Yes,” Tessa said with a nervous voice.
“She didn’t come with you?”
Before Tessa could answer, a knock turned their attention to the door.
“Come in,” Elsa called.
A young girl, barely out of high school, entered. “Hello, I’m here for job,” she said, speaking her best English.
“Hola,” Tessa said.
Elsa flagged the girl to come over to a closet. The girl carried her small suitcase.
“Bags in here.” Elsa pointed into the closet. “Fresh uniform on the hanger. The bathroom is right over there,” Elsa said as she pointed in the direction of the bathroom. The girl hurried to change.
“I’ll leave now,” Tessa said. “My ride is waiting.”
Elsa wondered about Tessa. “Got yourself a husband?”
“No, never married.”
“Mr. Chavis never married either.” Elsa saw how her eyes lit up. “You really liked him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but that’s the past.”
“Have you seen him since you been in town?”
“Not at all.”
“I say you’re prettier now than before. You’re free now. You’ll never know what could have been if you don’t go and see him while you’re here. The man may still have you in his heart. Run along and find your king.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I thought you listened to my words,” Elsa replied.
“Goodbye, Elsa.” Tessa giggled as she stood up to leave.
“I think you’ll see more of me than you bet on. Call me. My number is still the same.”
“I still have that number, but I was too embarrassed to call you.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. Pick up the phone.”
Tessa left knowing that Elsa was right. The only way to bring peace to her heart was to visit Baron.
Chapter 14
The Houstons stepped out into the lobby. Kenley was almost in tears. “I can’t wait to get home.”
“Maybe it’s still your home, but it’s not ours unless one of us strangles her,” Milandra said.
“I’m not living with any stranger,” Kenley wept. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.
“Forget that, first things first. We must get to Father’s office and pack all his personal belongings,” Milandra said.
“We can leave that to Mr. Chavis,” Noelle said, confident that her so-called man would handle things.
Arriving at the elevator, Milandra tapped repeatedly on the down button until the elevator doors opened. “After what just happened, we’ll look into Father’s personal things.”
They stepped into the elevator, taking it to the top floor, or as their father called it, the Penthouse.
As they got off the elevator, they were greeted, one after another, by the employees of Houston Commercial Construction Company, who offered them their condolences.
Milandra nodded her head while her sisters thanked them for their kindness. They reached their father’s office, noticing his bronze nameplate had been removed.
Milandra turned around. “Who took my father’s nameplate off his door?”
The employees became silent, not uttering a word. They kept their eyes glued to their computer screens; others acted as if they were on business calls.
“Don’t say a word and every one of you will be fired,” Milandra sternly said.
A woman in her mid-forties got up from her desk and spoke up: “I believe it was taken down by one of the cleaning crew. No one here would dare stoop that low.”
“Then what’s up with the silence?
” Milandra asked.
The woman turned around and looked out amongst her co-workers. She mumbled, “Scared, I guess.”
“Have it put back ASAP,” Milandra ordered.
“I will, Miss Houston,” the woman said as she tried to walk away fast in the straight ankle-length skirt she wore.
Milandra joined her sisters. They went inside their father’s office. “One of you close the blinds,” Milandra said as she shut the door.
Noelle closed the blinds on a glass window that gave a good view of the employees at their desks.
Kenley sat in the leather chair where her father handled his business. She giggled as she looked on the desk to see a photo of her as a kid posing at a piano recital.
“Get up,” Milandra said as she nudged Kenley.
“You’re so bossy,” Kenley argued.
“Watch your mouth,” Milandra said as she took a set of keys out of her pocketbook. She searched each key until it opened the desk drawers.
“Run and ask for some boxes, Kenley,” Milandra instructed her.
“Why me?”
“Just go,” Milandra insisted.
With her arms folded and her lips poked out, Kenley stormed out the office.
Noelle stood over Milandra to see if she found any other information about their father that they were not aware of.
Milandra felt her breathing over her. “Don’t stand over me. Go check one of the files to see what you can find.”
Noelle went over to a cherry file cabinet. She tried to pull a drawer open but it was locked. “I can’t open it. I need a key.”
“Try one of these keys.”
The keys dangled as Milandra handed them to her sister.
“Father had too many keys.”
Noelle fumbled through several keys before she finally opened the file cabinet.
“I bet Father’s employees are gossiping.”
“Let me hear them. I’ll fire them.”
Noelle giggled. “You sound like Father.”
Kenley came back in the office. Her sisters noticed she had one small box.
“All these personal items that Father has, and you bring back a tiny box,” Milandra said.
“The woman who spoke to you, Milandra, is getting the custodians to bring us big boxes,” Kenley said. “I think she’s kissing up to us.”
“The woman could happen to be nice,” Noelle defended her.
“She wants to be nosey,” Milandra said. “No one comes in here. Kenley, you guard the door.”
“You’re treating me like help. I’m a Houston; have you forgotten?” Kenley asked, making her way to the door.
The woman came to the door. Kenley stepped out of the office.
“Please leave the boxes here. We’ll come out and get what we need.”
The woman helped one of the custodians place the boxes outside the door. She tried every angle to peek into the office, but Kenley kept a close watch on the door opening.
Once the woman left, Kenley carried in the few mid-sized boxes.
“Let’s dump everything we think is personally important in the boxes. We can sort things later,” Milandra supervised.
Kenley stacked the photos from the desk and around the room in one of the boxes. Noelle went through the file cabinet and gathered up personal financial files. Kenley cleared out her father’s desk.
They left one portrait of their father on the wall.
Once they had searched the entire office, the boxes were ready to be carried out by the custodians.
“What are we going to do with the boxes now?” Noelle wanted to know.
“Take them to the Houston Villa,” Milandra said.
“I know we’re not going there right now. I’m hungry,” Kenley said.
“No food. We have to get this done,” Milandra shouted.
“Can you and Noelle do it without me?” Kenley asked.
Milandra gave her a “don’t mess with me look.” She picked up the phone on the desk and called in the movers to move the boxes.
• • •
The movers followed their limo to the Houston Villa.
The sisters pulled up to see a home approximately four thousand square feet. They got out of the limo and stood looking at the brick house surrounded by trees. Pine straw scattered on the grass.
“This is unacceptable. Father knew I have allergies.” Milandra sniffled.
“He always told you not to run away from any problems. Deal with it,” Noelle said. “I guess this is one of the things he meant.”
“Be quiet,” Milandra said.
They walked up to the house. Milandra pulled the screen door open. She unlocked the steel white door. Inside, the home was heated with the outside warmth.
They fanned as they walked throughout the house. The kitchen was half the size of the one in the Houston Estate.
Rupert had furnished the house with cherrywood furniture. There were photos of his daughters in the family room. They went upstairs to the bedrooms. There was no east or west wing; only a small hallway to the three bedrooms. Each bedroom had a small-scaled bathroom. The queen-sized beds were covered with quilted spreads, not like the lavish comforter sets at the Houston Estate.
Noelle came to tears. “This is nothing compared to our real home.”
“I changed my mind. I’m staying with the crazy half-sister,” Kenley said.
Milandra rolled her eyes at Kenley. “Father is testing us. He wants to see if we can be strong.”
“This isn’t a test, Milandra. Father is gone. It’s for real,” Noelle argued.
Back downstairs, Kenley and Noelle got lost checking out the backyard. They left Milandra to inspect the rest of the interior and oversee the movers.
One of the movers came in carrying two boxes stacked on top of each other. His muscular arms were exposed from his sleeveless shirt. “Where would you like these boxes placed?” he asked in a deep voice.
It was something about the way he looked at Milandra that caused her to blush. It was unusual for her to smile. “You can take them to the family room.” She pointed in the direction of the room.
The mover placed the boxes down on the floor in a corner. “It’s warm in here.” He wiped sweat from his forehead as he looked at Milandra, thinking of how efficient she was. It turned him on.
Milandra fanned. “It is hot in here.”
She wanted to turn on the air conditioner but had no idea where to begin looking for the thermostat controls. The mover knew by her manicured nails, flawless skin, and her upright posture that she was raised letting others do for her. He found her to be sexy in her straight black skirt and tailored white blouse.
He volunteered, “I’ll get some cool air stirring in here.”
Relieved, Milandra said, “Thank you.”
The mover went down the hall to find the thermostat on the wall. Milandra followed him for future reference. Her first task for the place would be to hire help.
The mover adjusted the temperature. She studied him, noticing how clean-shaven he was. His arms shined as if they had been polished with Vaseline. The cologne he wore overpowered the staleness of a closed house.
“By any chance, would you be interested in changing jobs?”
The mover smiled. “I’ll have to shut down my business. I’m the owner of Rice Moving Company.”
Milandra felt embarrassed. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. . . .”
“Call me Nolan.” He grinned. “Everyone calls you and your sisters the Houstons, but what’s your first name?”
“I’m Milandra.” She reached out her hand.
Nolan extended his hand to shake hers. “Nice meeting you, Milandra. Pretty name.”
“My baby sister is Kenley and my middle sister is Noelle. I truly apologize for being out of place. I assumed the wrong thing.”
“I’m not a big time moving company, but I hold my own. Listen, you and your sisters have suffered a great loss. It takes time to get things in order.”
Nolan handed her a bus
iness card. “Call me. I’ll help you out in whatever way I can.”
“That’s kind of you, but I don’t want to take you from your work.”
“I wouldn’t miss the moment to catch your pretty smile,” he flirted.
Kenley and Noelle came back into the family room. They witnessed their sister blushing.
“These are my sisters. Kenley and Noelle, this is Nolan.”
“Hi.” Kenley stared. “Man, you’re cute.”
“Kenley,” Milandra said. “You have to excuse my baby sister.”
“She thinks you’re cute, too. But she’ll never admit it.” Kenley giggled.
Noelle placed her hand over Kenley’s mouth. “Enough.”
“I’ll go and get the rest of the boxes.” He smiled.
“We have some things we’re going to need moved from our other house to here. My sister would love to have you move it for us,” Kenley instigated. “Wouldn’t you, Milandra?”
Milandra rolled her eyes at Kenley. “Yes, I completely forgot. You have the job if you’d like, Nolan. I’ll give you a call when we’re ready.”
“Thanks,” Nolan said and left the room.
Kenley and Noelle teased their sister.
“I can’t believe you, Milandra, smiling up in a man’s face. I’ve never seen your eyes pop open so wide,” Kenley said.
“They were not,” Milandra said. “You are silly.”
“He’s hot. And it’s about time you have a man. You have to pick your own; Father isn’t here to do the picking for you,” Noelle said, wanting to spill her guts about her feelings for Baron.
“I don’t understand how come you two never had boyfriends,” Kenley said.
“Father said he would find the right men for us,” Noelle said.
“I plan to have one as soon as I find one,” Kenley said.
“Oh no you won’t, young lady,” Milandra said. “You’ll wait until you’re as old as us.”
“Never!” Kenley yelled.
Nolan made his way back in the room with more boxes. The sisters waited until he finished. They locked up the house. Their next stop was the Houston Estate.
“We will have lunch by the lake and then pack up our things,” Milandra said.
• • •
The girls sat out on the patio overlooking the lake. Dining on tuna sandwiches, potato chips, and a melody of fruits, they watched the neighbors out and about on their sailboats. The sailors reminded them of their father, as he too used to love to take his boat out on the lake.
We Didn’t See it Coming Page 8