The Heavenly Grille Café

by J. T. Livingston

  “I’m so sorry,” Doug said as he put his arm around her and pulled her to him. He rested his chin on the top of her head. “That must have devastated your father.”

  Amanda looked up at him and smiled. “I don’t think he ever got over it... he never quit blaming himself for what happened. But, you know…I think when something like that happens, it either rips a family apart forever, or…it brings them even closer than they ever thought they could be.”

  “I’m glad it turned out to be the latter for you and your father, Amanda.”

  “Whew!” Amanda sighed. “It always wears me out emotionally when I tell that story. You know, it’s been a really long day. It’s getting late and I am so tired. I’m sure you are, too, but I am also starving to death. You are staying until Dean gets back with the pizza and hot wings, aren’t you?”

  Doug stood up and pulled Amanda to her feet. “I would love to, but I have a few things I need to get done at the café while it’s closed today. I promised Max I would check out a clog in the kitchen sink. Just between you and me, I think he’s been pouring that fat back grease down the drain again.”

  Amanda laughed. “I’m surprised he would waste any of it by throwing it out. I thought he seasoned everything with that stuff. Did you ever try any of it when he fries it up, though? My, God! The stuff is amazing! I had never really heard of it before working at the café, but Max really does use it to season just about everything! Maybe that’s the secret to his good food.”

  He fries fat?” Doug asked. “I must have missed that lesson.”

  “Fat back!” Amanda corrected. “It’s actually the fat and skin off a pig’s back. He buys it in blocks and slices it up. It’s been salted down so even after you rinse it good, it still has a very salty taste to it.”

  Doug’s complexion paled noticeably. “And you’ve eaten that? Pig’s fat?”

  Amanda’s eyes rolled back in her head. “Oh, God, yes! It’s so good, Doug! Max said the best way to eat it is to throw a couple of pieces between a slice of white bread. The bread cuts down on the salty taste, and soaks up the grease, but you’re still mighty thirsty afterwards.”

  “I see…well, pizza and hot wings are sounding better and better,” Doug groaned. “Maybe I can stay for just a little while…”

  “That’s great…” Amanda stopped mid-sentence when she heard another loud thumping sound that startled them both. It sounded like it came from the direction of the living room.

  They both raced out of Amanda’s room when they heard Kris’ panicked voice.

  “OH, GOD…AMANDA!” Kris screamed.

  Doug reached the living room first and stopped dead in his track when he saw Kris slumped back in the recliner, both hands holding her massive belly. He took at the glass of iced tea that had tumbled onto the tiled floor, but had not broken. He noticed the liquid trail that flowed down the front of the recliner; his first thought being that it must be the spilled tea.

  “Amanda!” Kris cried out again. “Oh, Jeez…I’ve pissed all over myself…”

  Doug reached her and knelt in front of her just as a quick knock came at the front door.

  Amanda ran to open the door and practically dragged Dean inside.

  “Dean!” Kris screamed, reaching out to him from the chair.

  Doug was already attempting to pull Kris to her feet but feeling ill-equipped to offer any real help.

  Dean stopped in his own tracks when he saw the panicked look on Kris’ face. He threw the pizza and hot wings to the floor in his wild dash to the recliner.

  Amanda appeared momentarily torn between helping Kris and salvaging dinner.

  Doug looked at Dean and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know what’s wrong. She just screamed and we came running.”

  “Oh, damn, this is embarrassing…” Kris groaned, looking down at her wet shorts. “I didn’t even really have to pee. I was just sitting here and the next thing I knew…”

  The realization of what was happening suddenly dawned on all four of them simultaneously and seemingly in slow motion.

  Kris looked terrified as she was the last one in the room to realize what was happening.

  “Your water broke!” her three friends exclaimed in unison.

  CHAPTER 17

  Max and Bertie Discuss Amanda and Kris

  The café was closed that Monday for the Labor Day holiday, so Max and Bertie decided to use the extra time to catch up on some general cleaning as well as preparing vegetables and desserts for the next day. They had both enjoyed their day off, the day before, spending it as they did every Sunday, in Heaven.

  “Hey, I thought Doug was going to be here to fix that clog,” Bertie commented as she used the old straw broom to sweep a lone cobweb from a corner. “You do know it’s clogged ‘cause you’re throwing too much of that fat back grease down the drain, right?”

  Max was whistling, out of tune as usual, and grinned back at her. “That fat back grease is what makes my cooking the talk of the county, I’ll have you know.” He began whistling “Amazing Grace” and stopped in mid-whistle. “But, you know…you’re right. Doug was supposed to meet us here and fix that drain. He’s pretty handy with things like that. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll be along shortly. Wasn’t he helping Amanda move this weekend?”

  Bertie slapped her open palm against her forehead. “I’d forgotten about that.” She continued sweeping the floor for a few minutes before speaking again. “You know, Max, we haven’t talked about it, but I can’t get it off my mind. You know what I’m talking about...”

  Max swept some chopped carrots into a plastic bag and tied it securely before placing it in the huge, commercial under-the-counter refrigerator. He looked over at Bertie and sighed. “Yes, Bertie, I do know what you’re talking about.” He shook his head. “I even searched the data base when we went Home yesterday, but…”

  Bertie nodded. “I know… that fancy data base only contains information on dead folks; and, that couple that was in here a few days ago, well, they certainly weren’t dead. You know as well as I do, Max… well, something just felt off about those two. I can’t seem to wrap my head around what it is, though. I couldn’t tell if they were good folks or bad folks, but something about them just made my skin crawl. One thing I am sure about, though… the woman is sick. She may not know it yet, but she’s really sick.”

  “Yes, she is,” Max agreed. “The husband seemed to be very protective of her, too, which is perfectly understandable.” He stood at his full height, which was an impressive seventy-six inches and rolled his shoulders. “Still, something about them… I don’t know… I just had the feeling that we needed to protect Amanda from them.”

  Bertie resumed her sweeping. “I thought it was Amanda, too, at first… that’s why I encouraged Doug to convince her to agree to move in with Kris; but… now… I’m not so sure. The connection could have been between them and Kris, rather than Amanda.”

  “Well, one thing we do know for certain is that the couple isn’t related to either of the girls. Neither of them has a single living relative. Even though something felt off about the couple, I did not pick up on any threatening thoughts from either of them, did you?”

  Bertie looked at him and shook her head. “That’s what was so strange. Usually I can get a quick reading off any human being, you know, as to their nature, whether they’re good guys or bad guys… but… it felt blocked this time. I just got that uneasy feeling, knowing in my gut that something just wasn’t right about the two of them, even though they seemed perfectly harmless. How much time do you think the woman has?”

  Max picked up a few stalks of cleaned celery and began chopping them into large chunks for the vegetable soup on Tuesday’s lunch menu. “We’re not always privy to that information, you know that, Bertie. Sometimes, like with Andrew Brown, we know, but I think that’s just because Andrew is special in our lives.”

  “What makes him any more special than that stranger?” Bertie asked. “I mean, we’re angels! Shouldn’t we
be able to know something like that about all of them if we can determine it about someone like Andrew?”

  “I don’t know,” Max shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers, Bertie. Sometimes I think we both forget that we’re not real angels. We’re just God’s messengers.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know all that,” Bertie sighed in exasperation. “I just think the man upstairs should let us know if there’s something dangerous about that couple, something we need to be on the look-out for.”

  “Oh, you do, do you?” Max grinned.

  Bertie walked over to the counter and punched Max hard on the shoulder. “Don’t you go making fun of me, Maximus. You know what I mean. Hell, I know He doesn’t have to tell us a damn thing if he doesn’t want to. It’s His overall plan, right? What will be, will be, and all that philosophical crap.”

  Max rubbed his shoulder, still surprised that so much strength came from such a little woman. “Yes, Bertie, He does have an overall plan, one written for each and every one of us before we’re even born; however, and this is important to remember… He also gave free will to all men. People tend to forget that during difficult times. It isn’t God who makes bad things happen to people; it’s a combination of Satan’s influence and the free will given to mankind… a deadly combination at times.”

  Bertie leaned her broom against the wall and placed both hands on her broad hips. “Well, whatever His plan is, I’m hoping and praying it doesn’t involve our Amanda. I’ve grown pretty fond of that young woman.”

  “We all have,” Max agreed. “But I really do think it’s a good thing that she moved in with Kris. I have a feeling that Kris is in dire need of a true friend. She’s been disappointed by so many people in her life. I’m thinking that God may even be using Amanda to convert Kris to Christianity. What do you think?”

  Bertie retrieved her broom and moved toward the dining area. “That’s going to be a hard sale, I’m afraid. You do know that Kris doesn’t believe in God, the church, the Bible, none of that stuff?”

  “That’s because she was never exposed to it while growing up,” Max said. “Her mother was a bad seed, indeed, and there was never anyone else to pull Kris toward those beliefs. I do know that she actually blames God for everything bad that has happened in her life, but, she doesn’t know any better.”

  “That’s so sad. Maybe Amanda will be a good influence on her because one thing is for sure. Our Amanda is one of the finest Christians I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, before and after I died!”

  Max grinned. “Yes, she is a good soul, indeed she is. She not only believes… she has the faith that will be needed to get her through life, no matter what happens. I wish more young people had her faith.”

  “Yep,” Bertie nodded. “She’s not the type to blame God for any of her failures or disappointments in life. She seems so sure about her faith, in spite of everything that’s happened in her young life. Hey! Did you get to meet her parents while we were there yesterday?”

  “Yes, I did,” Max nodded. “They should both be credited for being instrumental in building Amanda’s strength and faith. They are very good people…so much love between them.”

  “Well,” Bertie sighed. “Let’s just hope Amanda can help turn Kris around before it’s too late; and, if that couple comes in again, I’ll try to get a better reading on them. That yucky feeling might have just been a false alarm.”

  “Maybe…” Max agreed, “We’ll see. Just remember, it is NOT our place to interfere in any of their lives. That’s something we may need to remind Doug of, too.”

  The front door suddenly slammed open and Doug stumbled inside. Bertie and Max were caught off guard at the normally confident and secure young man who now appeared disheveled and frightened.

  “Bertie! Max! You have to come quick! Kris is having the baby!”

  Bertie threw down her broom and ripped off her apron.

  Max dropped his knife and was beside them both in the blink of an eye. “Well, praise the Lord!” he beamed. “Let’s go, boy!”

  Although the three of them could have easily and quickly metamorphosed their way to the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital, they decided to travel the way most humans did, via automobile. All three quickly jumped into the café’s van that Doug had borrowed to help move Amanda’s boxes. The three angels were so delirious with joy and anticipation that none of them noticed the dark sedan parked amongst the trees across the street from the café.

  The couple who had been the subject of Max and Bertie’s earlier conversation watched the café employees scurry into the van. They waited a few moments before they pulled the sedan onto the roadway and followed at a safe distance until the van pulled into the hospital’s parking lot.

  The angels never felt the couple’s presence.

  CHAPTER 18

  Waiting for Baby to Arrive

  The trio of angelic messengers rushed into the waiting room and found Officer Dean Hall, out of uniform, pacing back and forth in front of two older men who were sitting in the uncomfortable folding chairs provided. Bertie looked over at the men, who smiled back at her and nodded toward Dean.

  “First-time father, eh?” one of the men asked, nodding in Dean’s direction.

  Bertie knew that Dean had been spending some Sunday afternoons with Amanda and Kris, but she was still surprised to see him there. “Goodness, no!” she exclaimed while quickly scanning the area for Amanda. “He’s not the daddy.”

  The other man took one look at Doug, who was still flushed and sweating from his quick run from the hospital to the café and back to the hospital. “Must be that one, then. He looks more nervous than a whore in church if you ask me.”

  Bertie resisted the urge to ask the man if he knew many whores who frequented his church; instead, she nodded toward the towering black man by her side. “Don’t recall asking you, but…no, this is her Daddy, so you may want to take your assumptions down the hall and use them to wipe your…”

  “BERTIE!” Max turned toward her sharply. “Please try to behave…”

  The two men looked at each other and then looked back at the giant black man standing beside the little spitfire of a woman. “Lord help you, sir. Sure looks like you’ve got your hands full today.”

  Max shook his head and guided Bertie forward by the elbow. “You have no idea…I’ve got my hands full every day, trust me.”

  The mood inside the treatment room was a lot calmer than it was in the waiting room. Kris sat atop a table, with her legs dangling over the side. She pressed both hands hard upon the table as another contraction took its’ turn.

  Amanda stood beside her, rubbing her back. “The nurse said you should lie down.”

  Kris made a slight grimacing sound before exhaling. “That one wasn’t so bad. I don’t want to lie down, Amanda. I feel like I need to get up and walk around. Help me?”

  “But the nurse…”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass about the nurse!” Kris hissed as she scooted to the edge of the table. “Are you going to help me or not?”

  “Okay, okay!” Amanda said, “Just be careful, please.”

  Once she achieved a full-standing position, Kris exhaled deeply and actually smiled. “Whew, that feels better on my back, anyway. God, where are they with that that epidural? So far, it hasn’t been all that bad, just some cramping, but I don’t want to feel anything worse than that if I don’t have to. Bring on the drugs!”

  “I think you’re doing just great, Kris. Much better than I would be, I’m sure.”

  Kris began walking slowly, in a large circle, around the room. She stopped for a moment and looked over at Amanda, who walked by her side every step. “Did I ever tell you that I considered giving the baby up for adoption?”

  “No…” Amanda whispered, “I never knew you were even thinking along those lines.”

  Kris nodded. “Well, I was, especially the first few weeks after Danny left me stranded at Sam’s. The same day I met you. All I could think about was the fact that I
was alone, without much money, no real education, and no family to help out. I just thought the best thing for the baby would be to let someone else raise it, to give it everything I couldn’t.”

  “What changed your mind?” Amanda asked.

  Kris stopped as another contraction began forming, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She felt another sharp pain in her lower back. She allowed it to pass before moving back toward the table. “Well, actually… it was meeting you that changed my mind about things.”

  Amanda helped her friend back up on the table. “Me? How did I change your mind? We never even talked about your options after giving birth. I just always assumed that you would raise the baby on your own. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, so I’ve never had any doubts that you could do it.”

  “Well, you had more confidence in me than I did myself, and, don’t let it go to your head, or anything, but…” Kris lay back on the table, drawing both knees up until her feet pressed flat on the table. “I…well…the truth is, I didn’t feel so alone after I met you. You became more than a friend. You became the sister I always wished I had. And then there’s Doug, Bertie… and Max. It just felt like all of a sudden I had my own little support group, you know?”

  Amanda offered a sheepish grin. “And don’t forget about Officer Hall.”

  Kris closed her eyes and held her open palms against them. “Oh, God…how could I forget him? He saw me piss all over myself. He’s seen me fat and grumpy; he’s seen me abandoned; he’s seen me eat an entire meat-lover’s pizza by myself!”

  Amanda smiled and nodded. “And yet… he’s still here, isn’t he?”

  “Is he?” Kris asked, “Really?”