On Time (Persaud Girl)

by Teisha Mott

  The house was pitch-dark. It was a quarter to one in the morning. Klao knew her parents were both working that night to make sure that they were free to take Saturday night off for the twins’ party. Klao did not understand why her parents insisted on working regular shifts when they owned the hospital. She guessed they were just really dedicated to being great doctors.

  She and Matt unpacked the car, and she let Matt into the quiet house. It was a romantic, historic stone structure built from 400 year old stones and mahogany, and often times when she was growing up, Klao was convinced that her home was haunted. But now, she was better able to appreciate the archaic structure. It had history and character and all sorts of nooks and crannies to hide in, and a huge sunny kitchen where she and her parents and brothers had enjoyed many breakfasts over the years, and a library like one straight out of ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

  The house had maintained much of its old charm over the years. The Persauds had neither the time nor the inclination to redecorate every year, and only bought new furniture when the old ones wore out, and got the painter when the old paint started to look grotty. That greatly distressed Grandma Sylvia, and so she hardly ever paid a visit to her eldest son’s home – not that her daughter-in-law complained. In fact, Klao could still mark the spot where she had crayoned on the wall, although it had been long since painted over, and she was convinced that the carpet at the foot of the stairs still had Andie’s ‘splat print’ from where she had landed and broken her arm after being chased by Klao. Klao could not remember why she was chasing Andie that day. She wondered if Andie remembered… She would ask her Saturday night at the party.

  “Welcome to my home, Matt!” Klao said, reaching for the note that her mother had left on the entrance table.

  Matt was already making himself at home. He had let Minx out of his cage and was now examining all the framed photographs of Klao’s family that were scattered around. He had seen childhood pictures of Klao already, but he liked to see more. Klao had not been a remarkably beautiful child – not like Samantha and Bianca -- but she had been cute. Cute and sturdy – not thin and sickly like Andie had looked. He thought Klao looked a lot like her mother. He wondered whether Klao’s mother went by Dr DeLisser, or Dr Persaud… He could not believe he had not thought to ask before. She would be his mother-in-law (he hoped), and he did not know her professional last name! Matt suddenly felt very strange and self-conscious. He was all alone in a house with a girl that he was so in love with.

  It was not like they had not been alone before, but this alone felt different. He had never thought about her family as his family, and her mother as his mother-in-law. He thought about a day in the future – hopefully not the far future -- when they would be back in that house, and sleeping in the same bed. He thought about the day when they could be together without him having to pray beforehand that God would help him not to crossthe line… Gosh, he hoped he would not disappoint her when the time came. Klao had experience, albeit with that cretin what’s-his-name who had broken her heart. She would know if he was doing the right thing or crap. He wondered how odd it would be to ask Marvin for pointers. He was quite adept at giving marriage counselling, although he was not speaking from experience. He hoped he would not muck up his and Klao’s marriage with his inexperience…

  “Mommy said if we are hungry, Miss Bev left food in the fridge for us,” Klao reported, reading from the note, and breaking his thoughts. “And she said she and Daddy will be home by eight, so we should make ourselves comfortable…”

  “What does your mother go by -- Dr DeLisser or Dr Persaud?” Matt interrupted.

  “Dr DeLisser. Why?”

  “Just something I think I should know. Wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression by calling her by the wrong name.”

  “I don’t think you will make a bad impression unless you run repeatedly into a wall ten times!” Klao chuckled. She looped her arm with his. “Are you hungry?”

  “No. I think we should just go straight to bed!” Matt regretted his choice of words the moment they came out. He remembered laughing at a pastor who had suggested that the congregation stand and ‘lustfully sing’ hymn number twelve. Now he knew how the poor man had felt. “I mean ‘to sleep’. We should go to sleep. You in your room, and I in mine… Can you show me my room please?”

  Klao could only smile. Poor Matt. He was probably tired and weirded out about being alone with her in her parents' house. She decided she would not tease him. “Sure thing. Follow me!”

  She led him to the guest room that the housekeeper, Ms Bev, had prepared for him, probably earlier that morning, as per her mother’s note. After getting him settled in, she plodded down the hall to her own room. It looked the same as it did when she ‘moved out’ at age eighteen to start university. She still had her stuffed pooh bear sitting on the dresser, and her Raggedy Ann that Ms Bev had threatened to throw away. Her violin was still in the corner. She really could not believe her parents had wasted money buying it when she told them she was not interested in playing the violin. And her bookshelf with all her Sweet Valley High teen crap, and her Sydney Sheldon and John Grisham novels were still standing. She had bought every John Grisham novel when she had decided that she wanted to become a lawyer.

  Klao pulled on her favourite Eeyore nightshirt and got into her canopy bed. Minx got in with her and she pulled the covers over them both.

  “You know Mommy doesn’t want you in the bed with me,” she told him through a retarded yawn. She was still tired, although she had slept for half of the trip.

  Minx whimpered, probably hoping he would not get kicked out of bed.

  “Don’t worry,” Klao told him. “I won’t tell her if you don’t want me to.”

  She turned out the lights and kissed Minx’s shaggy forehead before almost instantly falling asleep.

  255

  On Time

  chapter fourteen

  Matt opened his eyes to what sounded like a million birds chirping. He looked around the room, unable to focus. He knew where he was. He was in Klao’s house in Montego Bay. It was Sabbath morning.

  Matt reached across to the night table for his glasses. He blinked as the room began to take shape, then he glanced at his wrist watch. It was 8:30. He wondered whether Klao was awake, and if they were still going to try to catch the service at Mount Salem church as they had agreed initially.

  He got out of bed and dressed, then went to the room door and peeped out into the hall. Silence. Matt felt a bit creeped out. As a Minister, he was accustomed to sleeping in strange houses. He was always at the receiving end of hospitality of strangers, especially since he was in such great demand across the Inter American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But this was different. This was Klao’s house. Her parents, who he had heard so much about but had never met, were probably lurking around somewhere. He wondered whether they would like him, and whether Dylan and Darrin would like him. It was important that they did, because he really liked Klao, and he knew she probably would not want to be with him if her family did not like him.

  He pacified himself with the thought that Grandma Sylvia and Grandpa Ravi liked him… That was a good start, because after spending countless Sundays on the back veranda at Paddington helping Mary and Sheena with details for Bianca’s wedding, he had come to realise that Grandma liked very few people… But Grandma and Grandpa, he realised, liked him for the same reason that Klao’s parents would: because he was good and kind and honest and respectful, and he treated Klao well. Matt smiled to himself and decided to go downstairs. As long as he was himself, everything would be fine.

  Dr Kimberly DeLisser was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of tea and looking over a patient file when Matt entered the kitchen.

  “Good morning!” He greeted her, smiling his most endearing smile.

  Klao’s mother smiled back. “Ah!” She replied, placing her mug on the table. “Either you are Matthew, or my house is being burgled by the most polite burgla
r ever!”

  Matt laughed. “You were right the first time, Dr DeLisser. I’m Matthew, but everyone calls me Matt!”

  “Of course you are! Come here baby!” Dr DeLisser gave him a huge, warm hug. “It is so nice to finally meet you. Klao told us so much about you! Welcome. Klao’s dad will be down in a minute. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  “I’ll get it!” Matt offered. “You rest. You must be so tired after working all through the night.”

  “Well, after thirty years you get accustomed to it!” Klao’s mother told him, shooing him to take a seat. “Besides, it was not a very busy night.”

  Matt watched as she poured water from an elegant looking tea kettle into an equally elegant looking mug. They were as elegant looking as she was. She was probably on the downside of fifty, but looked at least twenty years younger. Her skin was like ebony, with nary a wrinkle or crease. Klao had mentioned that her mother had been a lingerie model when she was young. That was how she had managed to pay for medical school. Matt could look at her and tell that she must have been an awesome model. He could tell that Klao would be as gorgeous when she got old.

  “So how was the drive down?” Dr DeLisser asked him, placing what appeared to be chamomile tea in front of him.

  “It was fine. Klao fell asleep before we got to Ocho Rios!”

  “Poor thing! Klao has never been able to stay awake for an entire trip. When she was a baby, the minute the car started, she would be out like a light. That was how we would get her to sleep most times.” She took a sip of her tea. “Are you going to wake her for church?”

  Before Matt could offer a response, Dr Michael Persaud bounded down the stairs and to the kitchen.

  “Cicely says your hernia guy woke up and is grumbling about pain,” he told his wife. “I told her to increase his codine and call you if his discomfort increases.”

  “Okay!” She accepted the kiss he placed on her cheek. “Mike, this is Matt…”

  “Ah! Klao’s young man!” Dr Persaud shook his hand, smiling broadly. “Welcome!”

  Matt blushed. He did not expect to be called ‘Klao’s young man’. Klao had not given him permission to refer to himself as such.

  “I don’t know if I am Klao’s young man!” He said.

  “Sure you are! I know my Kare Bear, and if you were not her young man, you would not be here right now! So where is she? Still sleeping?” He accepted the cup of tea his wife gave him and took the seat next to Matt.

  “Yes, sir. We got in pretty late last night.” He looked at Klao’s parents. Klao could not help but be a quadruple threat. Her parents were good looking and successful and pleasant. And they were so young. Matt thought of his own parents who were both over seventy. They were probably almost twenty years older than Klao’s parents. He could not help but wonder what it would be like to have young parents.

  “So tell me about you!” Klao’s father insisted. “Kare Bare says you are a Minister?”

  “Yes, sir. I did undergraduate and seminary at La Sierra University…”

  “The Seventh-day Adventist School!” He interrupted, nodding knowingly. “What did you do there?”

  “The Master’s in Theology, with emphasis in Theology and Christian Philosophy, and an MBA in General Management…”

  “MTh. So you had to do Bible Languages?”

  “Yes, sir! I had to master Greek and Hebrew!” Matt hoped he did not sound like he was bragging. Bible languages were not a walk in the park, and he was sure Dr Persaud was aware of that. He didn’t bother to add that he had been the youngest in the class, and that he had to be conversant in French before the school would even consider taking him.

  Klao’s father nodded. “So you are a career Minister? Is Ministry what you plan to do forever?”

  “Well, I like being a Minister. And I’ve only been at it for a couple of years…”

  “Yes, but for someone who mastered Greek and Hebrew, and holds an MBA, I’m sure there is so much more you could be doing than just ordinary preaching!”

  “Don’t give him the third degree, Michael!” Klao’s mother interrupted. “Would you like me to fix you some breakfast, or do you want to wait for Bev?”

  “I’ll wait for Bev,” Dr Persaud told his wife. “You should rest. And I’m not giving him the third degree…”

  “You had better not be!” Klao warned, coming into the kitchen. She was still wearing her Eeoyre night shirt and Minx was tucked under her arm. She gave her father a kiss. “Good morning, Daddy!”

  “Hello my pretty girl!” Her father gave her a hug before she moved to hug her mother.

  “Klao I hope the dog did not sleep in the bed with you!” Dr DeLisser warned after she had hugged her only daughter.

  “He has a name, Mother!” Klao said, circumventing the question. “It is Minx!” She put her puppy on the floor, and he immediately made his way to Matt, begging to be picked up again. “Did you sleep okay, Matt?”

  Matt nodded. “Very well, Klao, thanks!”

  Dr Persaud did not miss the look that passed between his daughter and Matt. “Don’t worry, Kim!” He told his wife. “Kare Bear will soon have someone else in her bed who will insist that the dog not be there!”

  Matt blushed.

  “Daddy!” Klao warned.

  “What?” Her father put on a look of pure innocence. “Did I say something wrong?” He looked from his daughter to her friend.

  “You know you are incorrigible, right!” Klao rolled her eyes at him.

  “Nope, I just like to see young people in love. Makes me feel young again!” He went to put his empty tea cup in the sink, while he hummed a tune Matt was sure he’d heard before.

  “My father is a moron!” Klao told Matt in a mock whisper. “Ignore him!”

  “I think he is adorable!” Dr DeLisser disagreed. She gave her husband a kiss on his cheek.

  “Oh my God, both my parents are morons!” Klao moaned, burying her face in Matt’s shoulder.

  Matt smiled. He turned to his ‘father in law’. “That tune you are humming, Dr Persaud, it sounds familiar. What is it?”

  “Oh it is an old, old song especially for you, pastor! It’s called Let me call you sweetheart.”

  Matt was sorry he had asked.

  “I hear you sing well.” Klao’s father continued. “That is one song you might want to learn the words for. There’s nothing like a song to express your feelings. Once, I sang it to this girl who hated me!”

  “And what happened?” Matt asked cautiously.

  “Now she is my wife and the mother of my children! I’m going to have a nap. I’ll see you children later.” He hopped up the stairs, still whistling ‘Let me call you sweetheart’.

  ***

  “I’m sorry, but why are we here again?”

  “Because Amanda and Synclaire asked us to drop off the twins’ suits so they could change and get to the party,” Klao explained to Matt for the third time as she parked next to Darrin’s Subaru WRX in the doctors’ parking lot, at the Montego Bay Mercy Hospital.

  It was a quarter past eight, and there was panic to the nth degree because the ballroom at the Ravi P Rose Hall was prepared for the twins’ thirtieth birthday. All the family and guests were beginning to arrive, and Klao’s brothers, notwithstanding the fact that they were the guests of honour, were still at work. Amanda Stern-Persaud was livid when her husband phoned to say he was running late because he had stopped to scrub in on an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy. She could not understand why, of all the resident surgeons on duty that night, Dylan, who was due at his birthday party, had to be the one to ‘scrub in’. Klao listened in awe as she chewed out both Dylan and Darrin who happened to be the ER consultant on duty that day. He was the one who received the poor 24 year old bartender whose appendix had almost ruptured, and passed the surgery to his twin brother as some sort of macabre birthday present. Klao wondered if she would ever yell at Matt that way if he did not come home for his birthday because someone at the church needed counselli
ng.

  “I just don’t see why Amanda is so upset,” Matt repeated.

  “He did not have to do this particular surgery,” Klao told him, seeing Amanda’s point.

  “Would you rather the patient die?” Matt asked.

  “You are so missing the point, Matthew!” Klao rolled her eyes. She pushed the doors of the hospital open and Matt looked around, impressed.

  “Wow!” He commented. “Nice! Are we sure this is a hospital?”

  “One of the best in the region!” Klao bragged. “If you ever get sick, this is where you want to be taken.”

  “Sure, Klao M!” Matt nodded sarcastically. “You would say so because there is the Persaud Enterprises seal on the front door!”

  “Well, yeah,” Klao said, as she and Matt trotted down the sparkling hospital hallway that smelled a lot like disinfectant and nothing like death. “But I also say it because it is true. The Mercy Hospitals have the best facilities, the most up-to-date and cutting edge equipment, and ambu-care, trained Emergency Response Technicians, not to mention a level one trauma centre and the finest doctors in the Caribbean. Speaking of whom, here are two of them now…”

  They had finally reached the trauma unit, and Matt spotted two young doctors in matching white coats and matching stethoscopes hanging around their necks, pouring over a chart by the nurses’ station. They heard footsteps and looked up simultaneously. Matt was a little taken aback. As one of twins, he was not too mesmerised by twins, but Dylan and Darrin Persaud blew him away. The Persaud twins were identical. He knew that; Klao said it all the time, and he saw pictures of them. But in person, they were more identical if that was even possible. From their haircut, to the green scrubs under the white coat to the sneakers they wore… Even their smiles were identical when they spotted their baby sister, and in an identical motion, placed the charts they were examining in front of the nurse and moved over to greet her.