by Teisha Mott
“Why do you have a picture of Matthew on your fruit machine, Bianca?” Grandma had asked.
Matt’s uncanny resemblance to Nick Cannon had been verified, and he had been devastated.
“You’re handsome, then!” Klao said. “Is that better?”
“Much!” Matt told her.
“Where are you?” Klao asked. “Back at home?”
“Nooo. Still at Church, but I am leaving in a bit. What you doing now? You realise you only have one more week of ‘holiday’ left?”
“I know!” Klao exclaimed. “And day one, I am back in court with the stinking June Charles case!”
“How is Rupert’s case going?” Matt asked, referring to the pro bono case he had passed on to Klao.
“I wrote to the Attorney General already. I gave them 30 days to respond, so we still have a few days left. If they file a defence, we go to mediation, then case management conference, then pre-trial review, then trial.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then I apply to the court for a default judgment. I’m asking for a ten million dollar interim payment.”
Matt whistled. “Ten million? Do you think Rupert can get that?”
“Hey, I’m Klao Persaud!” Klao joked. “I make opposing counsel cry, and I always get what I ask for! Rupert will be rolling in dough when I get done with AGD!”
Matt did not laugh. “Hey, Klao, if I haven’t said it before, I am really grateful that you are helping Rupert…”
“Don’t mention it! It’s my pleasure. Someone has to bat for the helpless in this society. I’m only glad I’m able to help!”
“And you have helped in so many ways!”
Matt was not just referring to the bags of clothes that she had scraped up from her parents and her brothers. He was not just referring to the $500,000 check that had come to his office from her personal account, or the $2 million check that had come from Persaud Enterprises, or the medical supplies that had come from Mercy Hospital Group. All those meant the world to Matt, and the Inn. But what meant most to him was Klao’s constant presence at the Inn every week. She was eager and excited to help. She was not a ‘Persaud snob’ at all. No job was too menial for her, and she was genuinely pleased to be there.
It was obvious that the Inn meant as much to her as it did to him, and Matt realised that with each passing Sunday, he grew increasingly attracted to her. Klao was the most beautiful girl in the world. Not just when she sat in the congregation at church between Mary and Sheena in her atrociously overpriced designer dresses and shoes, or when she was in her office in her tailored Izzy suits, but equally when she sat on her couch licking a popsicle, her puppy in her lap, dressed in her Disney character pyjamas and watching Law & Order. And when she was at the inn, her hair pulled back in a scarf, serving rice and peas, and trying to explain to ‘Souja Man’ that he would not get any food until he had taken a bath. Matt was positive. Klao was his one. The one that God had sent!
“Matt? You still there?” Klao wondered whether the call had been dropped. Matt had been silent for a while.
“Yes!” He snapped back to attention. “I’m gonna run now, though. I have to run to Megamart. Should I pick you up in the morning? I’m doing both services.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m picking up Mary. She promised to help me do something different with my hair. So I’ll see you later?”
Matt smiled to himself. Mary and Klao were almost as close as Mary and Sheena! He could not imagine Mary offering to fix Georgia Maragh’s hair.
“Of course!” He promised. “Bye!”
“Bye Matt!”
Klao hung up, and smiled, pleased with herself. Yes. She was really, really happy. She would go home from work and watch ‘Breath of Life’ with Walter Pearson on 3ABN. Matt would come by the time that was over, and they would watch Central Study Hour online, and argue out the lesson. Then he would leave, and she would call her parents and wish them a ‘Happy Sabbath’. Her mother teased that she was turning into a perfect little Seventh-day Adventist, just like Andie.
Klao was not sure if she was turning into a ‘perfect little Seventh-day Adventist’. She liked service, and lunch and AY. Of course she liked helping at the Inn, and Mary and Matt and Sheena and Marvin. But she was not sure about the total commitment part of it – the ‘I surrender all’. She loved God, but…
Mary and Matt had covertly raised the subject of her conversion on a number of occasions, but she had managed to circumvent the issue. Sheena had been a bit more outright, stating that she could not have a proper relationship with Matt unless she converted. But she did not want to convert to have a relationship with Matt. As much as she wanted Matt to kiss her, she would not make a life altering decision until she was truly convinced. Although, she realised, it was getting more and more difficult to ignore the pricking of her conscience whenever Matt gave an altar call. Even then, sitting at her desk and thinking, there was the little voice in her head telling her she had to make a decision. Outside of Matt, she had to choose – God wholly, or not at all.
Klao reached for her earphones once more, and turned on Ella Fitzgerald. She did not want to think about God and conversion right at that moment. She preferred to think about Matt and how awesome it was that he wanted to take care of her. As Ella Fitzgerald’s smooth voice filled her ears, she began to forget about the appeal song that Mary had sung last week.
She hummed along with Ella, as Matt’s smiling face popped into her head. This song was written for her, she decided. Her and Matt. From the day she met him, he had been taking care of her, and she never wanted him to stop.
“...I hope that he turns out to be someone to take care of meee…”
***
The computer made a loud chiming sound, announcing that a new e-mail had come in to her personal inbox. Klao looked away from the June Charles file. Court came off holiday on Monday, and she would be in court with Ms Charles at ten o’clock, so she was using her Saturday night wisely. No shooting the breeze with Mary and Matt tonight. Not even a rerun of Law and Order was in the cards – just a Saturday night and Sunday of serious work. She was only allowing herself one distraction: checking her email. She maximised the computer screen. There was one new message from [email protected]. It was her sister-in-law. Klao opened the e-mail wondering what Amanda was e-mailing her about on a Saturday night. They were not close as sisters-in-law should be. She was closer to Synclaire – Darrin’s girlfriend; possibly because they were closer in age.
‘Please open the attached e-vite,’ was all Amanda’s message said. That was just like Amanda. She did not use many words. Klao noted that the entire family was copied on the email.
She opened the e-vite and smiled. It was a funky little birthday cake, dancing across her computer screen. Obviously Amanda did not create it. She was an accountant of the same boring order as Ricard Shalkowski. This must be the work of Synclaire. She was into Marketing.
‘Mark Twain said, ‘Age is an issue of mind over matter!’ The e-vite read. ‘If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!’ Dylan and Darrin are turning 30. Please join us for the celebration on Saturday, September 30, 2008, at 8:00pm at the Ravi P Rose Hall. RSVP Amanda or Synclaire’.
Klao’s heart leaped. Of course the twins were turning 30 in two weeks! She had already marked the date on her calendar, and had ordered their gifts. She didn't know there was going to be a party, though. Dylan and Darrin were not big on birthday parties. Amanda and Synclaire must have convinced them at the last minute to celebrate. Klao immediately picked up her cell phone. She sent a text to Matt.
‘What r u doin Sept 30 in d nite?’
‘Whatever u doin.’ Matt replied.
‘My bros bday party in Mobay. B my plus 1 pls?’
The cordless phone on her desk rang almost instantly.
“Oh my God!” Matt exclaimed the second she picked it up. “You are taking me to meet the family? Am I worthy? Have I graduated?”
“Yes, from being a little silly to being a bi
g dufus!” Klao kidded. “Not because you are hiding me from your parents means I am hiding you from mine. So, will you come?”
“I don’t know what would keep me away! When is it again?”
“September 30. So write it down. If you want we could drive down Friday night and go to church in Mobay…”
“You are putting me up for the night at the Ravi P?”
“Perhaps, or better yet, Chez Michael and Kimberly Persaud! That would be fun.”
“Watching me sweat under your father’s glare would be fun for you?” Matt asked. “What you don’t realise, Klao, is that I am cool and smart, and usually a hit with fathers…”
“You forgot cocky and self-indulgent!” Klao said, rolling her eyes. She heard the sound of the intercom. “Are you at my gate?”
“No! I’m at home.”
“So who is at my gate at nine o’clock at night?”
“Only one way to find out!” Matt pointed out.
Klao rolled her eyes again as she made her way to the intercom. Minx was standing at the door, as though ready to attack whoever it was that was coming in. “Who is it?” She called.
“Samantha!”
“It's Sam,” Klao told Matt as she pushed the button to open the gate. “I’ll call you back later, okay?”
She hung up and met Samantha at the door. She had Caitlin with her.
“What are you doing here?” She asked. It was not that Samantha did not drop by on occasion, but she was Miss Manners personified. She would never just pop in without calling.
“Caitie needs to potty, and I didn’t think we’d make it up the hill!” Samantha explained shortly as she set Caitlin on the ground. Caitlin instantly scampered off to the nearest powder room. “Wash your hands when you’re through, and don’t waste Auntie Klao’s hand soap!” Samantha called after her and sat on the couch.
Klao looked at her. Samantha looked tired. “Where are you coming from?”
“Some crappy, birthday party over in Caribbean Estates!” Samantha told her, loosening her ponytail. “One of Caitlin’s classmates – Tobi or Rori or Codi or some crap like that!”
Klao was stunned. “A five year old’s birthday party went on until so late?”
“Can I tell you! It was never ending. Four straight hours of screaming, whining brats, and their screaming, whining parents… I swear to God, Klao, if one more of those little children – my own included – had stepped on my toes, or touched me with their grubby little hands… I was going to spank the crap out of them.”
“Why didn’t you leave?” Klao asked sensibly.
“We did – from about eight, but Portmore is an effing maze. I could not even find my way back out!”
Klao smiled. Samantha was not usually so crabby. It did not take a genius to figure out that she was being so short because she missed her husband. She was always miserable when Jeremy worked away. The only thing was that he had never been gone so long before. It had been five weeks so far, and she had another seven weeks before he came home.
Caitlin emerged from the powder room, wiping her hands on three squares of paper towel. Clearly, she had no concept of ‘enough’. “Finished, Mommy!” She announced.
“Why don’t you go into my room and play with Minx for a bit?” Klao suggested, an idea forming in the back of her mind. “Let me and your mommy talk for a while.”
Caitlin was instantly game.
“Just don’t pull his tail or turn him upside down!” Samantha warned her as she ran off. “And don’t plait his fur!”
“You look beat!” Klao noted. “Are you okay?”
“As good as I can be,” Samantha told her.
“How’s Jeremy? How’s his project going?”
“Slow! I wish it could just be done already so he could come home…”
“Why don’t you go and spend a weekend with him? I mean, since you miss him so much…”
“If only it were so easy…”
“But it is!” Klao disagreed. She hopped out of the couch and made her way to her office. “We can book you on an Air J flight and you can spend a couple nights…”
“And what do I do with Caitie?” Samantha asked, following her. “She’s four. She can't stay home alone.”
Klao pulled up the Air Jamaica website on her computer. “That is why God invented babysitters and grandparents.” She pointed to the computer screen. “Look. Here is a flight into JFK. It leaves… Look at that -- 12:15 am. If we book it, I can drop you off at the airport and by five in the morning, you will be with Jeremy. The return flight is on Monday morning… You get in at 9:45 – enough time to make it into work…”
“I can't just spring Caitie on my parents without notice…”
“I’ll keep her!” Klao decided. She could not believe what she was saying. She was volunteering to keep Caitlin? But there was no turning back. It was a splendid idea – sending Samantha off to Jeremy for the weekend! Husbands and wives should not be apart, and she was going to play her part in ensuring that, even if it meant babysitting Caitlin for an entire weekend. Her handbag was on the ground next to her. She reached inside for her PE charge card. “Am I booking this flight or what?”
“No, you’re not!” Samantha exclaimed.
“C’mon, Sam, live a little!” Klao pleaded. “Do you think Jeremy doesn’t miss you as much as you miss him? Think about the look on his face when he opens his door and sees you there in the morning? It will be totally exciting, not to mention romantic… Oh my God! It's going to be so romantic!” Klao cheered gleefully.
“But … but… Caitie has to go to school on Monday!”
“I can take her!”
“But … But… But…” Samantha could not even think of another excuse. She did not have to. Klao was already typing in her credit card information. “This is nuts!”
“No, this is sporadic!” Klao corrected. “This is the kind of thing I am going to do all the time when I get married. There. You’re booked!”
“Klao have you gone crazy?” Samantha thought she was asking the obvious. “The flight is in three hours. I don’t have time to go home and pack…”
“Sweetheart, you are going to see your husband, who you have not seen infive weeks!” Klao shook her head. “What are you going to pack? All you need apart from your passport is a tube of lip gloss, and I can give you one of mine!”
“Are you serious?” Samantha could not believe what was happening.
“Samantha Charlotte Persaud-Malcolm, I just paid for a first class ticket on Air Jamaica, which cost $1,334.74. I offered to take your child for two nights. I don’t run those kinds of jokes. Now are we doing this, or are you going to stand in my house and snub my beneficence and waste my money?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I don't have a choice." Samantha was beginning to feel excited about her impromptu trip. Jeremy was going to freak when he saw her. He had called that afternoon, and after talking to Caitie, had told her how much he missed her, and how much he wished she was there with him. Now, thanks to Klao’s quick thinking, his wish was going to pan out!
“No, you don’t have a choice!” Klao told her smugly. She grabbed her bag and her keys. “Leave your car here. I’ll take you up so you can get your passport and some clothes for Caitie, and her things for school!”
“Klao, I don’t know how to thank you…” Samantha began, as she settled into the front seat of Klao’s CRV.
“Don’t!” Klao said. “Just make sure that you don’t come back here pregnant. And if you do, make sure it is a boy this time; and if it's not, make sure her middle name is Klao!”
211
On Time
chapter twelve
“Auntie Klaa-oo…”
Klao groaned in her sleep. Where was that little voice coming from?
“Auntie Klaa-ooo…”
The voice was nearer, tugging her from the land of the subconscious. Life began to make sense to Klao once more.
“Auntie Klaa-ooo! Wakie wakie!”
Klao groaned again, this time out loud. What the dickens did she do? Did she really book Samantha on the last flight (or first flight) to New York? Did she actually take her to Cherry Gardens for her passport, and only her passport, before dropping her at Norman Manley International Airport? Did she really volunteer to take care of Caitlin?
“Auntie Klao!”
Yes, she did! A pair of chubby little fingers pulled her closed eyelids apart.
“Are you in there?”
“Why are you up so early?” Klao muttered, burying her head into the pillow.
She was immediately sorry she said anything, because the moment Caitlin realised there was life, she bounced into the bed, almost jumping on Minx.
“It’s daytime, and I am spending the entire day and night with you, and you are taking me to school tomorrow! Yay!”
Klao sighed and glanced at the clock by her bed. It was not that early. It was a quarter to eight. She just felt totally knackered, because after coming back from the airport at 1:15 am, it took Caitlin an hour to unwind and go to sleep, then it took her another hour to do the same. So, she was now operating on approximately five hours of sleep.
“Don’t you want to sleep some more?” She asked Caitlin.
“Nope!” Caitlin said positively. “I’m not sleepy.”
“So what do you want to do?” Klao asked through a mighty yawn that almost swallowed her face. Caitlin giggled.
“First, I want to have breakfast; then we can watch TV and paint!”
Klao sighed. Couldn’t she say she wanted to have breakfast then go back to bed? Anyway, she was the one who volunteered to keep Caitie so her mother could go get her groove on. She only hoped, as she pulled herself out of bed, that Samantha and Jeremy were currently enjoying themselves enough for the three of them.
“What do you want for breakfast?”
“Let me think…” Caitlin indeed looked as though she was thinking really hard as she followed Klao to the kitchen. “Can I have ice-cream and pickles?”
“How about a bowl of cereal?” Klao suggested, pulling the box of honey nut cheerios from the cupboard.