by Rita Hestand
Everything happened so fast that her leaving with his son was a calamity.
The school officials must have not wanted her to leave as she kept repeating offers they were making to her. And she refused them all. All because of Mike.
Mitch made mental note of what this woman was willing to give up, so she could be with Mike. It was impressive.
"Si, if I move back, I'll call you and see if you have an opening. But for now, I have a higher obligation, my nephew. I must take care of him and teach him. Thank you for understanding. It was a privilege working for your school system and I apologize for this brief and late resignation, but it cannot be helped."
When she finished her call, she sighed heavily.
"Problems?"
"Si, I forgot to call all the utilities to be turned off. Perhaps my friend Monica can help."
She picked up her cell phone and dialed another number.
"Monica, this is Sarah. Look, I know this is short notice, but I'm leaving the area for a while and I need my utilities turned off. I cannot go back since we are already on the road to Plano. So could you take care of it for me? Si, and let me know if there is anything owed on the bill. I will send the money to you immediately."
There was a short pause.
"Gracias, I will remember you forever."
When she paused, again Mitch listened.
"Well, it's complicated. My nephew's father showed up wanting to take him home. Naturally, I cannot leave Mike with a total stranger. So...I am going to be Mike's nanny."
There was another long pause.
In the middle of the conversations, Mike looked up at Mitch for a long moment, and then blurted out. "Are you my daddy?"
Mitch was driving in and out of traffic. He couldn't simply stop on the side of the freeway and answer the question, so he blurted out. "Yes son, I'm your father."
Meanwhile Sarah was still talking on the phone.
"Oh, perhaps I will return, unless I find more desirable work in Plano. However, we can keep in touch over the phone. Call me anytime and let me know if they turn everything off. I called the landlord. At least I took care of that. But this was such a last minute thing…"
"Si and I love you too, Monica." She sniffed.
"Did you get it all taken care of?" He asked.
"Yes, everything is under control." She smiled.
"Is he my daddy?" Mike looked at Sarah.
Sarah's mouth flew open as she stared down into Mike's eyes. "Well…yes…yes Mike. He is your father."
"Are we going to live with him now?" Mike asked with big eyes.
"Y-yes. You will have a nice home, and I will be your nanny."
"What's a nanny?" Mike asked.
"A nanny is someone who takes care of you while your parent works."
"Oh!"
Mitch looked from one to the other. He hadn't meant for this to come out just yet, but now that it was, some of the tension left him.
He looked at Sarah.
"What about your boyfriend?" He suddenly asked her.
"What boyfriend?" She looked at him strangely.
"You mean you have no entanglements?"
Sarah shrugged with a sigh. "No, raising a small child and teaching is full time. There is little time to shop around for a man…" She protested. "And the men that are singled most do not wish for instant fatherhood."
"You've got a point."
"There is Julio. He wants to be her boyfriend, but she won't let him. I don't like him."
"Why not?"
"He drives a loud truck and has tattoos on his arms and he doesn't like me that much."
"Oh…So are you going to call him?" Mitch asked smiling at Sarah.
"He'll call me, I'm sure. I will tell him then."
"I've never seen you before…" Mike screwed up his young face to look at his father.
"Well no Mike, you haven't."
Sarah took Mike in her arms. "Mike, we will talk about this later, together as a family. But right now, we must get to where we are going. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am. It's okay that he's my father."
"Good. Now is not the time for this conversation. Your father will explain to you later, I promise."
"Okay." Mike said and from that moment on, he watched his father curiously.
Sarah glanced at Mitch. "Forgive him; he is at a point where questions are a big part of his life."
"I can see that."
"Perhaps you could tell him now of the people we will meet when we get there, so he won't be afraid." Sarah offered.
Mitch thought on that a minute. "Well, Mike aside from the fact that I am your father, you have three Uncles and an Aunt on my side of the family, too. And they will all love you…"
Sarah stared at him a moment. "Don't make promises…you cannot speak for them. Let them speak for themselves. Tell us about them. Tell us who and what they really are. Tell us what they do for a living. Are they married, do they have children, those kinds of things."
Mitch felt a little manipulated, but after reasonable consideration, he realized that Sarah was merely guiding him in the right direction to explain to Mike.
"Okay, let's see, first I would tell you about Daniel. He is your oldest Uncle, but he's only twenty-nine, so he's not old by any means. He's a cop. Actually an under-cover detective. Meaning he disguises himself a lot to do his job. His work is exciting and dangerous. But he loves it. He isn't married. He dates lots of girls, but he's never brought one home. Therefore, we suspect that he has never been too serious about any girl he's dated. Daniel is impressive in most ways. He has lots of talents. You'll like him."
Mike listened. "Will he like me?"
"He's very fond of kids, actually. And you can call him D.J. or Daniel."
"He is a man?" Mike asked twisting his head to look at his father. "What does the J. stand for?"
"John, His name is Daniel John, but now that he's grown we call him Daniel."
"He is a man, fully grown, yes."
"Then I will call him Uncle Daniel. He sounds interesting."
Mitch smiled. "Well he's that alright."
"Who else?" Mike asked.
"Um…that would be Lucas Neil; he's my second oldest brother. He is a chef. He can prepare fantastic meals and he does a lot of the cooking in our household. Except when he is gone for a long period." Mitch explained.
"He is a cook? A man is a cook?"
"Well, we call it a Chef…" Mitch chuckled.
"Oh…maybe he can teach me too…" Mike said as though he were filing this information for later.
"Maybe so…" Mitch smiled again.
"Then who?"
"My youngest brother is Ray, he's a fireman."
"Wow…he puts out fires…and drives the big trucks?"
"Sometimes, yes, and rescues people in burning buildings, and trapped cars. But mostly he's a paramedic."
"You have an interesting family…"
"It is your family too, Mike…" Mitch assured him.
"Si…I am anxious to meet them. Who else?"
"My sister, Leann. She's still young and she just graduated college. She is a special needs teacher…" Mitch explained.
"What does that mean?"
"She helps children that have special problems."
"Then she is kind…?"
"Very kind. She loves kids. She'll be your best pal." Mitch assured him. "And I'm also sure Sarah will like her. They have a lot in common."
"You have a nice family…do you have a father or mother?"
"No…Mike, they are gone to heaven. And I'm sorry for you that you will not meet them for a very long time."
Mike was quiet a moment. "Like my mother?"
Sarah gasped and looked at Mitch, shaking her head.
"Yes Mike," Mitch glanced at them both then nodded. "Like your mother."
"I miss my Mama. But I know she is in heaven…with God and Jesus, so I do not worry. She left me Auntie Sarah…and you" Mike said so plainly that no one could say a w
ord. "As long as I have my Auntie with me, I will be fine."
Mitch suddenly realized the importance of the woman sitting next to the door now. As long as he had her, he wasn't afraid and that was a comfort to Mike and suddenly to him.
"Yes Mike, you are right." He smiled at Sarah.
Sarah stared at him a long moment, then offered a demure smile.
"I'm glad you understand Mike, but who told you that your mother was in heaven?" Mitch asked his curiosity peeked.
Mike shrugged. "No one. I just knew." He stuffed his mouth with a piece of candy that Sarah offered him then after he swallowed, he continued. "She would not leave me, she loved me. So she has to be in heaven. Auntie Sarah says heaven is a wonderful place and that we will all go there someday. So I will see her once again. I am not afraid. Besides, she has left me Auntie Sarah….and now you!"
Mitch nearly swerved the truck. He was shocked at his son's words. Those words had warmed his heart. He had never been so touched in his life. Was this what it was like to have a son?
The reasoning in a small child couldn't compare to what a grown-up could say. Mike had it figured and because of his good up bringing, he understood things that some adults found hard to understand.
"Then you are not afraid to live with me?" Mitch asked him watching for his reaction.
"No…Auntie Sarah will be there. And you…and my Uncles and Aunt. I am not afraid. I have many to love me."
Mitch glanced at Sarah; she looked as perplexed as he did.
To think the hardest part of this trip had been how he would tell his son who he was and here his son was accepting him, on faith. It bewildered and pleased Mitch no end.
Mitch felt revved. He could hardly believe it. All the worry faded.
"There is another person who is important to our family, and you will meet him too, his name is Niles. He has been a great friend to me for many years. He was also a great friend to your mother…" Mitch offered.
"Niles? That is a strange name." Mike snarled his nose a bit.
"Yes, I guess it is. But he is a very nice person."
"If you like him, I will like him…" Mike agreed grabbing a chip from the small bag of goodies that Sarah brought with her to keep him from wanting to stop and eat all the time. He stared at the chip, turning it around in his hand as though that particular chip was different.
Could it all be that simple? Mitch doubted it, but he was through the biggest hurdle now and the tension began to fade away. Mitch realized that Maria and Sarah had raised this young man wisely and that he had a child-like understanding of things that made it easier for others.
If Sarah had a large part of this outlook, then Mitch knew he would have very little problem getting along with her. No one could raise a child that well, without good breeding and understanding.
Yet Sarah herself looked relieved too, and just as surprised.
Chapter Four
When they pulled into the full circular driveway, Mike craned his neck to see around him.
"You live here?" Sarah gasped.
Mitch saw the look of awe on Sarah's face and knew she was shocked. Hadn't Maria explained that he came from a wealthy family too?
"Yes, welcome to my home…" He said huskily, as he unbuckled Mike from the child seat he had had installed before his trip to Pecos.
"Wow…" Mike nearly whistled through his teeth as he stepped out of the truck and glanced around the immaculate grounds.
The house sat in a shaded valley, with perfect kept lawns, and waterfalls. The house itself made of stones and cedar, spread majestically against a western background that took Sarah's breath away. She had never dreamed of such a place. Out of her element, she moved with Mike in awe.
"This is your home?" She repeated as though she didn't quite believe it.
"Mine, and my siblings, yes."
"It is…magnificent!" She said her eyes widening with wonder as Mike held onto her hand.
"We like it. We all have separate quarters and we have a couple of guesthouses out back. You may take your pick of which one you like." Mitch explained.
A servant came out to take their luggage and quietly carried it inside the house. He greeted them with a smile and shook Mitch's hand. "Good to see you home, sir."
"Thanks William. This is Sarah, and Mike. Mike is my son. I will want the adjoining room for him behind mine." Mitch instructed.
"Yes sir, please to meet you." William smiled at them and took their luggage away.
Sarah was staring. "I had no idea, you were this rich? I mean the way you were dressed…"
"The way I was dressed, was comfortable. Don't be too impressed, I didn't earn this majestic home alone. My father and grandfather are responsible for it, more than I am or my brothers and sister. My father added on to it as our family grew so that we all had a home, within a home. But as I remember, Maria's home was as grand." Mitch acknowledged.
"We lived in a Hacienda, but not quite on the same scale as this. It is lovely, beyond words." Sarah sighed, her gaze encompassing the entire landscape.
Mike was busy investigating the place too.
"Where is my room?" He asked suddenly.
"It is connected to my own. Come, I'll show you."
The room was spacious, and more western than modern. Mike's eyes were wide as he looked at Sarah. A train circled the room every few minutes and Mike followed it wide eyed.
Sarah was confused, it looked like a child's room, but he had no children.
"I called a couple of people to fix this room up for Mike. They did an excellent job, didn't they?"
"I wondered?"
"And my Auntie's room?"
"She will be in the guest room…toward the back."
Sarah immediately thought of a servants quarters and was shocked when he led them to a magnificent cottage all its own.
Sarah couldn't believe the huge bed, and the wide openness of the room, the glass that went from floor to ceiling so she could stare out at the pool. A patio led out into the yard where landscaping dressed the imagination. The bathroom was huge, with all the conveniences she could imagine. The tub was huge and circular, big enough for two. She shook her head in wonder. It had a portable icebox, a built in large screen television, stereo. There was an exercise bike and treadmill to one side of the room. The bed was a California King, with a gorgeous burgundy spread. Everything a person could need was at her fingertips right here in this room. She was flabbergasted.
"This is where I will live?" She gulped.
"Yes…do you like it?"
She shook her head. "Like it…how could I not? I never expected anything so beautiful…"
"Good. You'll have your own mini kitchen, there's a microwave hidden in the built in closet. Leann says the closet is big enough for a bedroom. You have your own private entrance. So it will be like a real home for you." Mitch smiled. "Anything you need, you just let me know. We have a woman that stocks the cupboards, so make your list early in the week. We have a personal aide who sees to everyone. A chef is on call for your convenience. A maid will take care of most of the housework."
William brought her luggage through. "William is only here when I call him. For parties, family occasions and business meetings."
Sarah sat on one of the lounging chairs not far from the bed.
The room was bright with color and the view so spectacular she couldn't take her eyes from it. The bed beckoned her. She walked to the patio and spotted the huge pool with statues, plants, and waterfalls, it was so lush she had to squeeze herself to realize this was for real.
"Now, you relax and rest a bit from your journey and I'll send Mike to fetch you for supper." He insisted.
Mitch was leaving her here, in this beautiful place and she hesitated a moment.
He glanced at her small luggage case. "If you want to shop we have a mall within a couple of miles, and my sister loves to shop too. So you don't have to be lonely most of the time."
"Thank you," she barely breathed, still trying to g
et her bearings.
When they were both gone, she went about the room, admiring everything in it. She twirled around in a circle and landed on the bed. She laughed at the luxury surrounding her. The bath was heavenly, with its sunken tub and granite and gold features. She had two sinks and a shower if she preferred.
A white robe hung on the back of the door, and she shook her head. "My God…I never dreamed he was this rich. I was so wrong to deprive Mike of all of this."
She couldn't help but remember how humble Mitch seemed in Pecos, and how different. She'd mistook him for the plumber. No wonder he was baffled.
She considered Mike now. He would live in the lap of luxury all his life if he so wanted. He would have a father to love him and she could rest easy.
That did nothing to comfort her, for if it came to choosing, he might have a hard time with all of this.
So why was she here? But she knew, and it brought a tear to her eyes. She loved Mike, and parting with him was impossible. He had come to mean too much to her. Yet, now, she saw his father's place, she worried if she would lose him, despite the fact that she came along.
They didn't need her. He could hire any number of people to take care of Mike. Why had he agreed to bring her along as his nanny?
Fatigue battled with her wits to explore, and before long, she felt herself caving into the big bed that awaited her.
Mike came running in and woke her.
"Auntie, you must come and see my room. It has a train that goes all around the room and a table for Legos, with every color in the rainbow. And the bathtub is big enough for both of us…" He laughed.
Sarah looked at Mike. "You like it here?"
"Oh yes, Auntie. And I like my father too." His eyes were wide with wonder.
She looked at him and realized she could lose him to this place, and she couldn't blame him.
"Then I am happy." Sarah smiled at him.
"Father says we are to come and eat now…"
"Alright, let me comb my hair and wash my face first." She said.
She saw the excitement in his face, and the radiance there too.
And sadness overtook her. She was losing her nephew and she knew it by the look on his face. This scared her a bit, and she felt displaced suddenly, as though she were an intruder.