by Naomi Niles
***
I had driven all day and was finally coming upon Baton Rouge, and my little boy. He flew into my arms, even more joyful to see me when I handed him the bag I had brought. I had stopped on my way home and bought him a selection of toys that he could play with in the backyard. This would be a novel experience for him.
I looked forward to finally having peace in our lives. Sarah was glad to see me and seemed to have no problem staying with Kirk by herself. This was encouraging as I would need her help a great deal in the near future.
Two days later I made an appointment with the realtor and began to tour the city. There were areas of town that I needed to avoid; they were simply too dangerous. However, much of the city loved Southern comfort food and Maudie’s recipes would be well received. I found a building on the corner not far from the expressway. The neighborhood was good; the location was even better. The building was two stories tall and would permit me to mount a billboard on its roof, thereby letting cars on the expressway see the sign and point to the next exit. I made an offer on the building, and forty-eight hours later I owned it.
I sat down with a graphic designer and began the basis of what would become my brand. I had a photograph of Maudie, and gave this to her that she might find it illustrator to make a caricature. It was only right that Maudie be a part of what was ahead. I found an attorney who seem trustworthy and drew up all the legal paperwork.
At the same time, I made out a will. I left everything, including my son, to Blake. I knew he would see to it that Jill was also taken care of, but by leaving things to Blake, I was leaving things to my son.
I was becoming very optimistic about the future. I had hired a contractor to renovate the building and my designer had become her own advertising agency as she worked not only on the logo, but the billboard signage and all the other items we would be needing. I visited some restaurant supply stores and picked out furnishings for the interior. I wanted it to look very country, very much like the original Maudie’s Café. There were uniforms to be selected, glasses and plates to be chosen. I spent several days fine-tuning the menu, pricing the ingredients so that I was making a fair profit and yet staying within the budget of the people who would become my customers. This was somewhat out of my realm of experience, but I was pretty sure I could figure it out.
I was visiting the building one day when a woman walked in. At first glance, she reminded me very much of Maudie, but somewhat younger.
“May I help you?” I asked her.
“You the owner?” she inquired.
“Yes,” I acknowledged.
“I want a job.”
I was somewhat taken aback by her brusque attitude, but I had learned that some people just didn’t have time for nonsense. “What sort of job are you looking for?”
“Anything you need. I can cook, I can wait tables, I can wash dishes, and I can tell my friends and neighbors to come and bring their business to you.” I had to admire her guts. She was bargaining with everything that she had. I understood this; I had been in her shoes before.
“Have you ever run a restaurant?” I asked her.
“Six of them,” she said. “And they were all good ones. Management sold the places out from beneath me.”
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Bertha. Bertha Pullens,” she informed me, her chin rising a bit with dignity.
“Well, Bertha Pullens, you’ve got yourself a job. How would you like to manage this new restaurant?” I heard myself mouth the words and was surprised. I had no intention of hiring a manager until that very moment. Bertha’s attitude had convinced me. I knew I could not handle expanding the business as well as running this newest branch. Bertha was the answer. We talked for a while and as we did she relaxed and began to smile more frequently. Eventually she was telling me jokes and old anecdotes from her years in the business. When she left, we hugged and I knew I had just added a member to my family.
Between Bertha and myself, we managed to open the restaurant only two months later. True to her word she brought in so many customers they had to line up on the sidewalk outside the café. I was thrilled. The food seemed to be well received, and the atmosphere even more so. I recognized my niche, and made a note to duplicate this with every branch I would open in the future.
Maudie’s Café, second location, was a huge success. My life and my future seemed to be golden. If it weren’t for the ache in my heart, I don’t think there would have been anything I wasn’t happy about. I longed to bring Jill, to let her see what I had accomplished and perhaps even become a part of it. I knew if I did, however, she would feel jealousy. She always had. She was so much like our mother. She was better off staying at Blake’s for the time being. Perhaps someday I would find a place for her but until then she had to be kept in the dark.
Chapter 14
Blake
I had finally arrived at the day. This was the day I was going to change my life. I looked myself in the mirror and called myself a coward. I was a bull rider. That’s what I did for a living. It had brought me plenty of money up until now and if it weren’t for my weakness, these cursed panic attacks, I’d still be out there. I was making excuses; I knew the industry had bad parts to it. But I would be better changing it from within then from without.
Jill and I had settled into a routine. She cooked the meals, cleaned the house, did the laundry and shopping, and was there for me to talk to when I was in the mood. In return, she had a roof over her head, plenty to eat, a vehicle to drive, an allowance of sorts, and the privacy to entertain whomever she wanted as long as they stayed in her wing of the house. I thought that was a pretty good arrangement. My wing of the house stayed empty, except for me.
I was torn between decisions. On one hand I wanted to know where Silver was and what she was doing, who she was with. On the other hand, I wanted to give her privacy, and hope that one day she would change your mind and come back to me. I didn’t want to hold out too much hope for the latter, but that’s where my heart was.
I spent a few days getting used to riding again. I suppose it’s like a bicycle; you never truly forget, but the muscles certainly did get sore. Of course riding my horse was nothing compared to a bull, but I had to begin somewhere. It felt good to be out in the fresh air again. Most of all, it felt good to not feel sorry for myself.
I set up an appointment with a therapist; someone who supposedly had a good deal of experience treating anxiety disorders. Her name was Dr. Drew, and although I held out great hope that she could help me, I was a bit doubtful. I had never been to counseling before; this was a totally new experience. I had never been someone who could pour out their troubles to a stranger. I was taught to keep my business to myself. She pushed me to talk and eventually the words came pouring out. I told her about my childhood, just like they say in the stories. She made no comment; just sat there quietly taking notes and nodding from time to time. At times, I felt hideou,; as though I was a freak, something sick. But eventually I grew accustomed to it and eventually she began to help me.
I understood that part of the therapy was to put myself in a situation that produced anxiety on a gradual basis. Riding the horse on my ranch hadn’t bothered me in the least. I knew the time had come to go back to the arena. I hung around with the old guys, heard their comments, re-earned their respect. It wouldn’t be easy; they saw me as somewhat of a traitor at this point. But my self-esteem in the future depended on being accepted again. In order to become a bull rider, I needed to be allowed on a bull. It was a pretty simple concept, I knew.
I took some heckling, but I expected that. The management wasn’t terribly happy with me after the deal with Chaos, and I couldn’t blame them, either. I was called into the office and asked just exactly how ready I was to come back.
I knew they would have their doubts. It was a very closed society: not open to newcomers and not open to traitors. They had to know where I stood. I told them what they wanted to hear and I started out in a clown cost
ume for the first couple events. It was hard on me to do this, to take a lowly job when I had been the king. But I was getting used to being around the animals again and I could remember a time when I was a kid and not a king. Kingdoms come with a price.
I overcame my pride quickly. Pride couldn’t pay the bills and couldn’t restore my sense of worth. I had to do that for myself. It wasn’t long before I was ready to ride the bulls; the only question was when would I take the test? The guys were getting ready to go on the circuit in the near future and I decided I would go with them. I’d rather test myself on the road, than at home.
For the first time in my life, I began a regimen of healthy activities. I had stopped drinking entirely and there wasn’t a cigarette in the place. I got up each morning and jogged five miles and then came back to do a hundred laps in the pool. I dragged Jill with me down to the grocery and made her pick out healthy foods, as she called them. I put her in charge of cooking and she agreed, as long as I promised to stay out of the kitchen. It meant no more chips, no more sub sandwiches, and no more midnight bowls of cereal. It was hell, but I was up to it. I really had no choice. I was surprised that I actually began to feel human again. I slept well despite the fact that my bed was empty. I didn’t make the mistake of bringing anyone home. Even though she didn’t want it, that place belonged to Silver.
I ended up dropping about twenty pounds and I could actually run my five miles without stopping to cough every twenty yards. Jill tried to start me on some shit called yoga, and while I fought her, I eventually gave in, if only to get her to shut up. It wasn’t half bad and actually made me feel pretty limber. It felt good to stretch out those sore muscles. I knew there were a lot sorer muscles in my future.
We left on the circuit, pulling out early one morning while the fog was still thick upon the pastures. I watched the ranch drop away in my rearview mirror and Jill was standing on the front porch, waving goodbye. I was a little nervous about leaving her all alone. She did have a tendency to party hardy and I hoped that my place was still in one piece when I got back. I had taken the precaution of locking away the firearms and the cash I kept on hand. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her; it was her friends I was worried about.
I joined the caravan of vehicles as we headed north. Some of the guys rode together, but I preferred to be alone. It gave me time to think about things, even if they weren’t always happy things. I took a sip of my decaf coffee, rolled down the window, and dumped it out on the street. There was only so far I was willing to go.
The first event was in Kansas City. I could feel the nerves building up inside, but I told myself I had been there a thousand times and this was no different from the others. I was scheduled for a young bull; he was a little wild but not the biggest thing I’d ridden. I was riding fifth that afternoon and I watched the first three guys lose their seat in the dust. Rider number four managed to stay aboard but just barely.
Then came my turn. The announcer took his time introducing me. It wasn’t every day that the number one rider lost his nerve and attempted to come back. I wasn’t fooling anyone. The fans in the stands had bought tickets just to see me fail again. I couldn’t let them get to me; I had a job to do in my life depended on it.
I straddled the fence as a bar brought my ride into the pen I felt the sudden calm come over me. I knew where I was: I was home.
The strangest thing happened then. The animal seemed to sense my calm and he settled down. I could see the handlers look at one another, as though they were questioning whether they should prod him. I muttered in a low voice, “Leave him the hell alone. He’s mine.” One of the handlers nodded; he knew better than to cross me at that moment.
I lowered myself down onto his back and wrapped the reins around my hand. They felt good and solid and I was in full control. The gate opened and he was loose. He did what he was supposed to do, he knew his job. I knew mine as well. I stuck to him past the buzzer and well beyond. I think I could’ve stuck to him all day. I finally had enough, so I threw up my hands, slid my leg over his back and dropped to the dirt. He seemed almost anxious to be rid of me, trotting off on his own.
There was a noise I hadn’t heard in a very long time. It was the sound of the crowd cheering; they were on their feet and there was wild applause. I dusted my chaps, picked up my hat, and with one hand, signaled my gratitude to the crowd as I left the ring. Outside of the spotlights I made my way to the barns. I felt jubilant inside. There was no longer any anxiety; I was back!
Chapter 15
Meli
Business was brisk. We were generally standing room only as people waited for a table. My graphic designer had become more of a publicist and she did her job well. There were reviews in all the local papers and her social media campaign had generated a tremendous interest. It was the time of year when people thought about comfort food, as autumn had brought cooler temperatures. We couldn’t seem to bake enough pumpkin pie and apple crumb cake. I had ordered a unique blend of coffee, and we opened a tiny gift shop at the front of the restaurant people could buy bags to take home. I ran a contest for the best barbecue sauce; the winner not only won $5000, but the opportunity to distribute their product through us exclusively. It was marketed as Maudie’s BBQ and the jars carried the same logo and color palette as did our restaurants. I had remodeled the original restaurant to match the newer one, and felt a certain pride as I began to look for a location for the third. There didn’t seem to be any stopping me.
Sarah was working daily with Kirk, teaching him to read and to write the alphabet. He was smart as a whip and could already read books at the age of 3 ½. Where had the time gone? It seemed like only yesterday that I had lain in bed with Blake and he had given me this precious child.
I had been following him, which wasn’t exactly difficult to do as his name was splattered over every sports program on the television. Blake had made his comeback. I felt a certain amount of pride at this, believing that I had had something to do with it. I knew he had it in him to be a success, and I knew he needed to stay in his field of expertise. It was where he belonged. In choosing a third restaurant, I had considered going in the direction of Dallas. It was difficult to trust my instincts; did I want to go that direction because it was a good business decision or because I wanted to be closer to him? Could it be both?
It was a Monday morning. Sarah and Kirk were going to visit preschools that day. We had agreed that they would narrow the selection down to three or four and then I would go along and visit before we would choose the right one. I wanted Kirk to begin school early, not only because he was very bright, but because he was an only child and he needed to socialize with other children his age. As they left, I climbed into the car and headed back to the original Maudie’s Café. I hadn’t checked in there for a long time and I was anxious to visit with Marie.
I pulled into the small town and while it was still cool that morning, there was a small group of people waiting outside the café for seating. I had given some thought to enlarging both cafés to accommodate more seating, but instincts told me that when I did that, it would be less desirable to diners and my customer base would decrease. People wanted what they could not have. That was a simple life lesson that I had learned over and over again.
I went inside the café and Marie was busy seating customers and pouring coffee as she oversaw the remainder of the staff. What a different sight this was from the days when Maudie owned it. It saddened me a bit to see that it had lost her personality, but the recipes remained the same and the decor still included pictures of Maudie and the many celebrities who had stopped by over the years. There was an ambience, one that invited people to come in and be a part of the family. It was important that I never lost that, or to modernized Maudie in any way.
I helped out in the café until the breakfast crowd died down and then Marie and I stole a few moments to chat at the table in the corner by ourselves.
“Marie, you’ve been doing a wonderful job,” I told her. “The numbe
rs are up, we have a smaller turnaround with employees, and everything here is clean and attractive. I’m going to give you a substantial raise; you’ve earned it.”
“My dear Meli, your words are like honey dripping over my heart. But what I do is what I do and you do not pay me more for that. I am more concerned about how you were doing my dear.”
“Things are pretty much the same, Marie. Kirk is growing quickly. He and Sarah are out looking for a pre- school today.”
“And the father?” Marie’s eyes were sympathetic but direct.
“What about him?” I asked her, becoming suddenly a bit uncomfortable in my seat.
“Does he know about Kirk?” she asked me.
“No, he doesn’t. I have only seen him one time and it tore my heart to not tell him. But Marie, if I told him, he would come and want Kirk to be with him. I could not bear to lose my child.”
“I understand this, sweet lady, but he does have the right to see his own child.”
“I know.”
“Meli, there must come a time in the near future when you look to marry. It is not natural to spend your life alone. Kirk could use a father. Is not his own father the best choice?”
“Yes, he would make an excellent father, actually. I’m just afraid of losing Kirk.”
“Would it be so bad to live with him and Kirk and be a real family?”
“I thought about this many times. I’m not good enough for him, Marie. He is very successful, and has just made a comeback in his career.”
“He is the bull rider,” Marie said quietly.
“How did you know?” I asked, my eyes flaring.
“I told you before, my dear. I have ways of seeing things that others do not. I have known you some time now, and I have seen the things that you respond to. There would be no reason for you to watch rodeos, unless he was in it. It was a simple matter of deduction to figure out who he was. After all, Kirk looks just like him.”