Book Read Free

Vada Faith

Page 20

by Barbara A. Whittington


  “We’re supposed to get rain later.” The other woman glanced up at the sky. “That weather man could be wrong.” She smiled at me. “You’re right, honey.” She patted my arm. “It’s a beautiful day for a picnic.”

  I felt almost close to her as I put some food on a plate and took it over to one of the lawn chairs. I ate a piece of chicken and a hot roll. Then I put my plate on the ground beside my chair, kicked off my shoes, and leaned back. A gentle breeze swept across me. I closed my eyes and in seconds I was asleep.

  When I woke, the high school band was marching down the street in front of us playing a lively number. The town’s new fire truck roared up behind the band and several young firefighters hopped off and passed out candy to kids lining the street.

  Behind the fire truck marched a group of uniformed men. “Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice came over the speaker as the band number ended, “I have a special announcement to make. I give you the new emergency medical technician team of Shady Creek, West Virginia. Let’s hear it for these fine men. It’s the end of our volunteer era folks. We now have our own medical team and firefighters and it’s been a long time coming.” The speaker was on the back of a convertible and he stood and clapped along with the crowd.

  “Uncle Bruiser!” Charity and Hope squealed when they spotted their uncle in his new uniform among the group of young men on the street.

  He grinned and waved at the girls standing on the lawn.

  “So that’s where he’s been spending all his time,” his mother said, shaking her head, her face melting in a smile. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen from her in a while.

  I didn’t say anything. I knew he had been spending as much time with my sister as he was learning to be a medical technician.

  A clown on a unicycle grabbed everyone’s attention as he spun around in the middle of the street and juggled red balls over his head.

  Next came a black convertible carrying Miss Shady Creek who sat next to Mayor Benny Johnson his brown hair still in a crew cut. Miss Shady Creek smiled, reminding me of myself when I was her age and had my whole future ahead of me. Yes, I’d been on that float back then and look at me now.

  I had to bite my lip to keep from crying on this beautiful sunny day. Suddenly, I felt my world crumbling around me.

  “Isn’t that your friend Midgy?” Louise interrupted, pointing to the group coming up behind the mayor’s car.

  “Save-Our-Lady!” Midgy chanted along with the other women. “Save-Our-Lady-Cem-e-tery!” She kept up the chant while several people in her group passed a hat for donations.

  “Yes,” I said. At least her interest in my surrogacy had waned as she became immersed in the cemetery project. I wanted as little attention now as possible.

  “Look who’s coming there.” Louise shaded her eyes.

  The sun was so bright I could barely see the long dark car coming into view.

  Dottie Kilgore sat on the back of the seat, waving, her hand cupped like the Queen of England. She smiled as if surrounded by an adoring public. I stood to get a better look at the procession.

  Roy Kilgore sat at the wheel of the big car, effortlessly guiding it along behind the feed store float which sported a live cow. Pink roses covered the car A sign on the back of the car read, “Kilgore’s Home Improvement.” Suddenly Roy spotted me and waved. When he blew the car horn, I wanted to sink into the ground. At that moment his wife caught my eye. Instead of smiling and waving she stopped her hand in mid air and turned away. Roy smiled and waved again and then the dark car slid forward.

  I turned to see my husband coming across the lawn toward me. “Hi there,” I called loudly, hoping he hadn’t seen the couple in the long dark car. They always put him in a terrible mood.

  “I see you,” he said, when he got close enough. “I see you.” He scrutinized me from head to toe and frowned. “Why are you wearing those, those clothes?”

  “What’s wrong with them?” I looked down at myself, puzzled.

  “They’re maternity clothes, Vada Faith.”

  “Yes,” I said, “they’re maternity clothes, John Wasper. I’m pregnant. Remember? Whether you want me to be or not.”

  “Do you have to announce it to the world?”

  “I’m not announcing it to the world,” I said, feeling worse by the minute. “I am trying to be comfortable for your information. I would think you would want me to be.”

  “I would think you would want your husband to be comfortable.” He went over to the table and started tossing food on a plate. “I am not comfortable with you wearing that big outfit. Not today.” He glared at me. “Not here at the picnic.”

  “This outfit is not that big,” I said, my anger slowly rising. “Do you want me to stay in the house until this baby comes, John Wasper Waddell? Because if you do, just say so. I’ll go home right now and lock myself in. I will just tell everyone not to look for me until it comes. Is that what you want?” I glared at this stranger who was my husband. “Just say so, and I will.”

  His mother walked over to the table and busied herself setting out more plates, cups, and plastic forks.

  “Now James,” she finally said, turning to pat her son’s arm, “this is not the time nor the place to have this little, uh, discussion.” She smiled. “You two kids kiss and make up. Come on.”

  Ignoring her, my husband stomped away and went to sit in one of the lawn chairs. He started eating, shoving food into his mouth, keeping his head down.

  I opened my mouth to blurt out that I was keeping my baby and what did he think of that when his older brother, his broad face beaming, came striding up to the table and poured himself a cup of lemonade. His mother gave him a quick hug and he blushed. I swallowed my words as he smiled over at me.

  “Hey, everyone,” Bobby Joe called, coming across the lawn to join us, a young woman swinging on his arm, and my two girls following close behind.

  ”Look who we found on the swings,” he said. The girls giggled. “Uncle Bobby’s got a girl,” Charity cried. “Uncle Bobby’s got a girl.”

  “This is Pattie Clyde, everyone,” he said, smiling as he introduced the girl on his arm.

  “Hi,” I said, smiling, glad the muscles in my face were still working. I made the girls a plate before they ran off to play with their friends. I cut myself a generous piece of graham cracker pie and sat down at the picnic table. The pie was my reward for being so miserable.

  My husband was eating dessert and watching me.

  “I’d love to do what you’re doing,” Pattie Clyde confided quietly, sitting down beside me on the picnic bench. “I’d be scared to death.”

  “I was scared too,” I said, as I finished the pie. “I’m still scared. There’s no turning back now.” I sounded calm but I was shaking inside.

  “You’re a hero in my book,” she smiled warmly. “Very brave.”

  “Come on,” Bobby Joe said, coming over to nudge Pattie playfully, “let’s go swing with the girls.”

  “I’m no hero,” I said. “Far from it.” She smiled at me again as my husband’s younger brother pulled her away laughing.

  I glanced at my watch. The picnic was almost over and it was time to say what I had to say. My husband was back at the table getting some lemonade.

  “Everybody,” I said, clearing my throat. “I have something to say.” My heart was thumping in my chest.

  Mama, who finally joined us, paused as she cut a slice of pie. Thankfully, Bobby Joe and Pattie were still at the swings with the girls. Louise, sitting in her lawn chair, turned to look at me. Bruiser, stretched out on a blanket on the ground, kept his eyes closed. He had worn himself out looking in the direction of the courthouse steps where Joy Ruth was helping with the book sale.

  “I have decided to keep this baby,” I said, firmly, “it’s my baby and I want to keep it.” I leaned on the picnic table for strength.

  John Wasper’s face went white as a ghost.

  My mother and Louise wore the same stunned expression. Bruiser�
�s eyes popped wide open but for a change he didn’t utter one word.

  “I’m seriously thinking about it,” I stammered, backing away, as I saw the hurt in John Wasper’s eyes.

  Well, holy cow. Why had I said I was thinking about it? I’d already made up my mind. I wasn’t thinking about it. I had decided. For sure. No turning back.

  “You don’t have to say anything.” I looked around at the faces of all the people I loved. They didn’t look about to say anything anyway. I picked up a water bottle and took a sip. “I just wanted you to know.”

  All around us people were milling about. Eating. Drinking. Talking. Like there wasn’t a care anywhere in the world. Well, they didn’t know the half of it.

  I stood there, my fingers like stone as I clutched that water bottle. I needed to get away but couldn’t move.

  “Why’s everyone so quiet?” Bobby Joe walked up with his arm around Pattie who wore the look of a girl in love. The girls trailed behind them licking ice cream cones.

  “We’re all partied out,” I said, flatly, feeling my body finally go limp. I turned and walked slowly across the lawn with my water bottle. I sat down under a big tree and put my head in my hands.

  “Hell-o!”

  I raised my head. Dottie sauntered across the grass toward me, wearing a navy silk dress and matching heels. Her shiny hair skimmed her shoulders. She belonged in a glass house or at the mall. Not here at a picnic. Not here in my life. Ha. What life? I didn’t have one anymore.

  I glanced over to see my husband helping the girls assemble kites. For some reason he’d decided against going up near the podium where Benny Johnson was giving his mayoral speech. It was being broadcast over speakers but John Wasper didn’t seem to notice. Worry etched his face. At least he hadn’t seen Dottie. I didn’t want any more scenes.

  “Vay-da Fa-ith,” she said, slurring her words as she bent over me, “you little stin-ker. Who-are-all-those-people-you’re-with?” She pointed at our table.

  “My family,” I said. Under my breath I added, “They used to be.” I scooted back against the huge tree trunk to avoid the woman’s breath but she came even closer.

  “My husband wants to see you,” she said, shaking her perfectly manicured finger at my nose, “You naugh-ty girl.”

  “What’re you talking about?”

  “He wanted you to drive your new car today. Show it off. He drove by your house and it’s still in the driveway.”

  “Look here,” I said, sharply, “I can’t take that car. You have to get it out of my driveway.”

  “Sure you can take it, honey. Roy said Dottie-kins our little girl needs a car. I said, Roy-see Boy-see you get her one and he did.” She threw out her hands and I could see the flash of a huge diamond on her finger. I’d never noticed it before. She saw me looking and she held out her hand. “It’s new. He gave it to me just this morning. It’s part of our deal. We have some issues we are working on.”

  “It’s a beauty,” I said, checking the ring on her finger. Then I looked back at my husband. The worried look on his face had been replaced by a big smile as he knelt alongside Sandy Dooley, a cute little blond, who was chatting with him and helping the girls tie the tails on the kites. Sandy was a secretary at the trucking company and sold real estate part time.

  “You know,” the woman beside me said, “I would rather be pregnant.”

  I had to pull my eyes away from my husband and Sandy to hear what Dottie was saying. Her voice had sobered some.

  “I would rather be pregnant,” she said, “than have this expensive ring any old day. You do know that. Don’t you?”

  “I know.” I looked back to see John Wasper and smiling Sandy Dooley flying one of the kites together. I thought my heart would break.

  “Do you really know?” She moved closer and looked into my face. “Do you know what it’s like not to be able to get pregnant with your own child? It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Since I was a little girl. To be pregnant. It’s the one thing I could never have. All I ever wanted was to be loved. Really loved. But,” she said, cheering up, “my life is about to turn around. I am about to get my baby and I thank you for that. That’s all that matters in the end. Isn’t it? It’s just the baby, really, that’s important?”

  “Yes, yes, that’s all that’s important.” I couldn’t tell her I’d changed my mind and was keeping my baby. I had to tell her. Now just wasn’t the time.

  I had to figure out why the woman across the lawn was spending time with my husband. I had to somehow fix our relationship and get issues in my own life resolved. I didn’t have a clue where to begin.

  Suddenly, I noticed the sky getting dark and the wind picking up. People were gathering their picnic baskets and lawn chairs.

  “I’ve got to find the girls,” I said, standing up and brushing off my clothes. I could no longer see John Wasper, Sandy Dooley, or the children. “A storm’s coming,” I said. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  “O-key doo-key, girl,” she said, “we’ll talk later.”

  I should have been angry at her. Instead I was sorry for her. I watched her teeter on her high heels toward the concession stands.

  “Where are you parked?” I asked when my husband appeared back at the table as I started packing our picnic basket.

  “Behind the courthouse,” he yelled over the wind. “It was the only space left.”

  “You get the girls,” I called, gathering my things and tossing them into the picnic basket, the wind nearly blowing me away. “I’ll be in the truck.”

  By the time he finally swung into the truck a few minutes later, the wind was dying down and the dark clouds seemed to be moving away. My husband was alone and his face wore a strange look. He started the truck.

  “I asked your mom to bring the girls home, later. They’ve set up games inside the courthouse and they’ll stay for the fireworks. If they have them.” He didn’t look at me. “We need to talk, Vada Faith.” He peeled out of the parking lot leaving a patch of rubber that would be the topic of the next council meeting.

  “Fine,” I said, furious at him for driving like a maniac. “Let’s go home and get this over with.”

  “Fine,” he barked. “Let’s get it over with.”

  Over with? What did he mean, over with?

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  “Whose car,” he asked, swinging the truck into our driveway past the new car? We hadn’t spoken all the way home.

  “Not mine,” I said, getting out of the truck and slamming the door extra hard.

  “That door is gonna fall off its hinges one of these days, woman. Not that you care. You don’t care about anything anymore,” he said. He came around to take some of the picnic stuff.

  “I’ve got other things on my mind besides truck doors,” I said, marching into the kitchen and piling the picnic stuff on the counter. In a huff, I headed up the stairs toward our bedroom.

  “Come back here, this minute,” he demanded, following me into the living room. “I want to talk to you.”

  “All right.” I turned around and came back down the steps slowly. “What’s on your mind, mister smart guy?”

  “Were you with Roy Kilgore last night? Tell me. That’s all I want to know.”

  “I wasn’t with him last night. Not with him, anyway. Why?”

  “You have never lied to me before. So don’t start now.”

  “I had dinner with Roy Kilgore. I wasn’t with him,” I insisted. “You make it sound like we were on a date.”

  “You’re married, Vada Faith. In case you’ve forgotten. Which I’m sure you have and have you forgotten about the girls?”

  “I only had dinner with the man, John Wasper. I didn’t marry him. Stop being so dramatic.”

  “Why would you have any reason to have dinner with that man?”

  “I had dinner with him to tell him I’m keeping my baby. He didn’t get it.”

  “He didn’t get it?” He looked incredulously at me. “Well, I don’t get it either. You went
into this thing swearing to give this baby to them. Then you meet him, by yourself, in some bar and you want me to believe it was just to tell him you’re keeping the baby.”

  “I was not in some bar. I was in a restaurant. I was not hanging on anyone like your informant, Mac Hill, who was hanging on some blond who was not his wife.”

  “Well, that crook had his arm around you.”

  “I was not feeling well. Now, Mr. Goodie Two Shoes, let me ask you something. Why was Sandy Dooley hanging out and helping you with those kites? I saw you both laughing. Even holding onto the same kite string. What was that about, Mister Know It All?”

  “Sandy Dooley is a good friend from work. She’d never flown a kite and I was showing her how. It was obvious if you’d been watching instead of talking to that Kilgore woman. What kind of people are you mixed up with anyway? That woman was drunk as a skunk.”

  “I’ve been trying to tell you how messed up those people are. You won’t listen to me. That’s why I can’t give them this baby. I’m not ashamed of being seen with him in a dining room. That was innocent.”

  “Of course, you wouldn’t be ashamed. This big new Vada Faith would never be ashamed.

  No matter how wrong she was. I don’t know what you’re up to. I know what that man is up to. Don’t think for a minute I don’t. He’s after you. He wants you and that baby. You know what I think? I think you’re leading him on.”

  I gasped, not believing what I was hearing.

  “That’s right, honey,” he said, none too kindly. “That’s exactly what I believe.”

  “I’m not leading him on and I think you’re mean for saying that.”

  “Before you call anyone horrible you should look in the mirror. You’ve destroyed us. How could you announce today in front of everyone you’re keeping this baby that belongs to Roy Kilgore? I should have some say in this. You didn’t tell me you were going to do that. I have feelings too.” He dropped down on the sofa where we always had our serious discussions.

 

‹ Prev