Alice's Summertime Adventure

by Suzanne Jenkins

  Chapter 19

  Mario and Ellie were sitting at the kitchen table eating Pizza Pop Ups when Faye and Bill got home. Mario was throwing paper napkin spitballs at Ellie, and she was having laughing hysterics trying to dodge them, but ending up with little wet pieces of paper stuck in her masses of red curly cues.

  “Mom! Make him stop!” She laughed.

  Faye grabbed Mario and pulled him out of his chair, scaring the heck out of both kids, and instead of spanking him as he expected, she buried her face in the top of his head and started to sob. She dragged him over to Ellie and put her arm around her daughter and started kissing her head, telling them both how much she loved them. Bill walked in just as Bill Junior came running in.

  “What the hell is going on?” he asked.

  Bill brought him into the huddle, and then he lost control, too, and started crying.

  “Dougie was killed in a car wreck today,” Bill said through his tears. “We were going to call you in for a meeting, but evidently good intentions weren’t enough,” he said, raising his eyebrows at Faye.

  “Call Ginger and Danielle in here,” Faye said, hiccupping.

  Mario was crying too; just a day ago, he was playing on the beach with his cousin, proclaiming they were best friends for life.

  “Are Junior and Markie okay, Mom?” Ellie asked.

  “Yes, but they’re in the hospital. We have to pray for them tonight, okay?”

  Bill came back with the two girls, both upset.

  “Let’s sit down,” Bill said.

  Everyone pulled out a chair, but Mario was sticking to his mother’s side. He was only eight years old. Faye was already regretful that she’d pounced on the kids like she did, not preparing them for such awful news. It would seem she had less self-control than usual, and that was precious little. She looked over at her husband with pleading eyes.

  “Go ahead, Bill,” she urged.

  He nodded his head. What to say to soften the blow? There was nothing. He was more worried now about the little one being afraid to go to sleep that night.

  “Dougie did everything correct. He sat in his little booster seat, he had his seat belt on, but a truck hit their car. You might hear about it on the TV or from your friends, but what I want you to remember is that Dougie was a good little boy and he’s happy in Heaven now with Grandpa, er—” Bill quickly backpedaled, not wanting the children to think having the name Doug wasn’t such a good thing. He thought of John and Beth’s son, Doug. Too many Dougs. “Todd’s doggie Otis. Can you think of any other pets that might be in heaven?”

  Faye looked at him with fuming eyes, not quite the look but close. He passed the responsibility on to her. “Mommy, maybe you can explain it better.”

  She knew she’d made a mess of it. “That’s right, Daddy, Dougie is in heaven with Grandpa and Otis, and even Petey.” Petey was the godforsaken iguana.

  “Petey? Petey’s in heaven?” Mario asked, and for some reason, gallows humor perhaps, he found that funny and began to laugh.

  Ginger threw a spitball at him, and the sad situation was quickly forgotten as they began horsing around again. Faye decided to let it go; cleaning up spitballs was better than dealing with a bunch of crying kids.

  “Sorry about Doug, Mom,” Bill Junior said, kissing her cheek. “I have a paper so I better get back to work. When’s the funeral?”

  The others paid attention, interested in the talk of a funeral.

  “I don’t want to go,” Ellie said. “It’s sad enough without having to see Granny crying and the casket. Ew, I don’t think so.”

  “Well, not sure we have a choice. Don’t worry about it now, okay? We’ll talk about it tomorrow night.” Faye moved over to the counter, opening the refrigerator. “What should we have for dinner?”

  “Before you get involved in cooking, we have another matter that needs to be discussed,” Bill said, coming out of the shadows. He walked to the middle of the kitchen and motioned to the children who were leaving to come back. “We aren’t finished here yet.”

  “Bill, you’ve got to be kidding me. This is not the time,” Faye said, fear and anger in her voice.

  “I disagree. It’s exactly the right time. Sit down, kids,” he said. “I have something else to tell you.” He turned to Faye and whispered, “Unless you want the details revealed, you’ll support me in this.”

  His threats worked. Faye, shaken, walked back to the table and pulled out a chair. The older children were clearly concerned.

  “Dad what is it?” Ginger said.

  Bill pulled Mario to him and made him sit on his lap.

  “Mommy and I are going to try a separation. We love you with all of our hearts, but not each other so much.”

  “Bill! For God’s sake,” Faye said, shaking her head at him.

  “Mommy doesn’t want me to tell you because she doesn’t want to hurt you. But I think we have to have the truth at all times. Is that a deal?” Bill asked this looking at who he knew might have the hardest time, Mario, his youngest.

  “Come on, Dad, out with it,” Junior said. “Are you in love with another woman?”

  “No, no nothing like that. As a matter of fact, until the legal arrangements are made, I invite any of you to live with me.” He glared at Faye, intimidating her with his words. He would let his children move in with him regardless of her wishes.

  “But why?” Danielle said. “You and Mom seem okay to me.”

  “Well, we try to make a nice life for you, but the truth is Mommy doesn’t love me anymore.”

  “Okay, Bill, enough. That’s simply not true, you guys. Dad wants to move out, so I’m letting him go. I don’t see the point of fighting. I don’t want any of you to move into his temporary apartment. That’s my opinion. As a matter of fact, I refuse to let you move until he gets a decent place.” She glared at him. “I don’t care what you say, Bill.” Right then, Faye decided she was ready for a fight with Bill. The same quality that allowed her to have sex with his dad came to the surface and would make it possible to fight for her rights. Finally, her ability to have her needs met would be used properly. “Yes, I think that I’m ready for whatever you care to throw my way. My kids will not be used in a power struggle.”

  “I’m not using the kids,” Bill argued. He turned back to them. “I just want you to know I’ll still be around.”

  “It’s not like you’re here much anyway,” Ginger said with attitude.

  Oh, oh, I knew the quiet was too good to be true, Faye thought.

  “Let’s not let this turn into a free-for-all to be cruel, Ginger,” Faye said. “We’ll be okay, all of us.”

  Mario was playing with a matchbox car, running it back and forth on the table. His apparent disconnect from the discussion was due to the swirling going on in his mind. His best little cousin was dead, and now his dad was moving out. What exactly would that mean for him? He tried thinking about his dad, how he fit into his daily life. He remembered the last soccer game he had, looking up at the bleachers and seeing his mom and grandmother there, cheering him on. Had his dad ever even seen him play? He slid off Bill’s lap and picked his car up off the table.

  “Can I watch TV?” he asked, looking at Faye.

  She nodded. He came to her and put his arms up, and she bent over and kissed him. Mario left the room without acknowledging his father, which wasn’t missed by Bill.

  “You’ve already done a number on him,” Bill said sadly.

  Faye ignored him and continued pulling food out to make something for dinner. “How about calzones?”

  Ellie was the only one who answered. “Who can eat?”

  Faye turned to look at her daughter. Ellie was the only daughter who’d responded to the sadness.

  “Maybe you’re right,” Faye said. “Daddy, do you need some help getting your things together?”

  Bill looked up at Faye gratefully. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  “You’re moving out tonight?” Ellie asked. “Honest to God, do you think you might
try thinking of someone else besides yourself for a change?”

  Bill was taken aback. It looked like his children were going to side with Faye. If they only knew.

  “Look, young lady, I’m thinking of myself now. Believe it or not, I’ve always put myself last. Do you think this house and that closet full of clothes you own just popped up on their own? I’ve been working to make that possible.” He tried not to sniff, but it was impossible, tears near the surface. He never believed he’d have to defend himself to his own kids. He thought of everything he didn’t have because he got something for his kids instead. The pool, for instance. The kids had to have a pool. “We live in New Jersey,” they chorused. “You’ve got to have a pool in the summer.” Or Faye’s Escalade. She could’ve driven a minivan like all the other women in her family, but she needed the best. He admitted he had a fancy truck now, but he needed it for work. His old Ford F-15 was starting to be an embarrassment. Or his clothes—jeans and a company T-shirt. Granted, he spent some cash on his work boots and his fishing gear, but the boat they used belonged to his dad, and house down the shore, that was family, too. Every cent he made went to Faye. He just hoped she’d saved something they could divide, because if they didn’t, the house would be the first thing to go. Even in the economic downturn, it had to be worth a few million and change.

  “Let ’im go,” Danielle said to Ginger. “Dad, we’re not begging you to stay.”

  “I never asked you to!” Bill yelled, getting up. “Jeez! Talk about disrespect. Can you see why I’m leaving?”

  Faye kept her back turned to the group as she opened up a head of lettuce. It was purely for something to keep her hands occupied so she didn’t throw anything at Bill. When she closed her eyes, she realized Bill was bickering like one of the kids. She bit her tongue to keep from telling him so. But she didn’t have to because the girls were on to their father.

  “Dad, you’re acting like a kid! We don’t want you to go; can’t you understand that?” Ginger said, crying. “Honest to God, I can’t believe this family. I hate all of you.” She stomped off. Nice job, Dad.

  “How about taco salad?” Faye said.

  “I hate Mexican food,” Danielle said.

  Faye turned around to look at her, frowning. “Since when? You asked for enchiladas yesterday.”

  “How in the hell am I supposed to think you want me to stay by saying you hate me?” Bill yelled after Ginger.

  “Let it alone, Bill,” Faye said. He was so out of touch with his own kids.

  Suddenly, like being smacked in the face with a wet towel, the realization that everything she had ever accused her mother of was coming back to taunt her. She had skated through life, scratching every itch at the expense of her husband. Her disrespect of him had sifted down, evident in the attitudes of his children and the way they were treating him. He brought much of it on himself by being involved in everything but their life. Now he was reaping the rewards of being absent. But because she had just told her mother as much about the way she managed her own life, Faye knew she needed to make amends to Bill regardless of what his contribution to the mess had been. She tossed the lettuce in the sink and rushed over to him.

  “Bill, I’m so sorry about this. There’s no excuse for us treating you with disrespect.”

  Bill looked at her with his mouth hanging open, struggling not to burst out with his usual sarcastic comeback. Faye went to the stairway leading to the upper level. There was an open atrium looking out upon the pool and a walkway that led to the in-law suite where Vinnie once resided.

  “Kids, come back down, please,” she hollered. She’d make it right by Bill and then let him go. It would be much easier if everyone could stay cordial, at the very least.

  Chapter 20

  Around midnight, Dave Jensen drove his Harley Davidson into the garage behind his antique shop in Fenwick Island. He pulled the saddlebags off and headed to the private entrance of his apartment. Exhausted, his goal was getting to bed. He was faced with a two-hour drive up to Alice’s in the morning before she got home from the hospital. He was sad for her; losing a young child like that in the family wasn’t going to be easy. He imagined they were all in shock, and when reality set in some time after the funeral, the real emotion would hit. He planned on being there for Alice, if she would have him.

  Their relationship was still open to question. They didn’t know each other fully, and he worried the truth about him would be too much for her to handle. But he was patient, and when the time was right, there would be full disclosure. In the meantime, he would try to woo her like any man who was interested in a woman would. He would shower her with attention and gifts, and show her he really wanted to be with her forever. He was sure she was the one. The ten days they’d spent together was all he needed. And the idea that his luck had changed because her engine blew up on the interstate would be a story to tell his friends. No one would believe it. “I picked her up on the side of the road,” he’d say. Alice liked the story, too. But her version she would keep to herself; she was happy he didn’t care she was so much older.

  He fully expected his parents to be up in his face first thing in the morning, wanting details, wringing their hands. His father, especially, was completely immersed in Dave’s personal business, worried to death his son would get hurt. Dave knew that in normal circumstances, the situation would be considered more than bizarre. His one hope was that, if Alice would have him, he could leave Fenwick Island for good. His business would thrive anywhere, and as long as his parents enjoyed running his shop, he’d have the income as well. He’d figured it all out on his way home after he’d put Alice on a plane.

  Putting the water on for his nightly cup of chamomile tea, he thought of Alice and what she was doing right that moment, probably trying to sleep at her grandson’s bedside. He pictured her in her jeans and shirt, her hair bunched into a ponytail because it had been smashed under a helmet before her plane trip, sitting with her feet up on a chair, trying to get some rest.

  The truth was that rest was impossible. She was rocking her youngest grandson because he was missing his mother and dad. “Nonny, nonny, choo, choo,” she sang softly. “Nonny, nonny, choo, choo. Go to sleep, my darling boy, morning coming soon.” She didn’t know where the song came from, just that someone had sung it to her and she’d sung it to her own children.

  Little Mark was fussy and miserable, he wanted to get down and run around. The nurse said it would be okay to put him down, so Alice followed him out into the hall. The lights were dimmed, and she had to remind him to whisper as he took off running, his agile grandmother close behind. The days on the back of the motorcycle had the added benefit of her being limbered up. She smiled at the memory of the trip juxtaposed with the horrible reality of what they were confronting.

  Mark reminded her of the tragedy when he said, “Dougie got a’ ouwy.”

  She’d been rocking him for a while, sure he’d finally fallen asleep, when he squirmed to sit up and look at his grandmother. “Let’s go see Junior,” Alice said. She carried him over to Todd’s bed, and they looked at him, curled up on his side sleeping.

  “Junior sleeping,” Mark whispered. “Dougie got a’ouwy.”

  Alice patted his head. “Yes, Dougie got an ouwy.” She hoped that’s as far as he went. How do you tell a three-year-old his brother is away forever? Heaven wasn’t a topic she wanted to delve into in the middle of the night.

  After a few laps around the ward, Mark got tired enough to lie down and close his eyes. Alice sat next the bed, stroking his head, when she fell to thinking about her daughter. Why weren’t Todd and April at the hospital with their small boys? She didn’t care what their mental state was. The proper place for parents was to be with their children at a time like this. It was too early yet, but she decided when seven rolled around, she was calling them for relief. She needed to be there for April, but she had the same clothes on she’d been wearing since yesterday morning. They would be okay while she went home to change.r />
  ~ ~ ~

  Dave’s alarm woke him five hours later. He got ready for his trip north and packed a bag with a dark suit and dress shoes, just in case Alice wanted him to accompany her to the funeral. He picked up his phone to call his mother.

  “I’m surprised you’re back already!” she said. “What’s going on?”

  He told her the sad details, and she got upset about such a tragic loss. She was interested in the details of her son’s life, and now Alice was part of it. She would do everything in her power to support her.

  “I put Alice on a plane in Chicago yesterday morning and got in late last night. If you don’t mind opening up again, I’m headed to New Jersey now,” Dave explained.

  “Okay,” his mother said, reservation in her voice clear. “It sounds like it’s getting serious.” She was dying to come right out and ask him how serious, but bit her tongue. He’d never withheld anything from his parents before.

  “I hope so, Mom. When I get situated, I’ll phone you back,” he said. They said good-bye.

  He went around his apartment to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, not sure how long he’d be gone. He’d take his truck for the trip.

  About the same time he was pulling out of his garage to head north, Alice was dropping off the driver who’d picked her up in the rental car at the hospital. She had an hour drive south. When Todd and April hadn’t showed up by eight, she was on the phone summoning them.

  “April had a rough night,” Todd explained. “But we’ll be right there.”

  Now as Alice drove home alone, the full impact of what her family had been through the past twenty-four hours hit her. She tried not to dwell on the little face of her grandson, but he lingered in front of her. She’d had an exhausting night, and her goal was to get home in one piece, so although she wanted to remember every detail, she found she was continuously banishing all thought of him. Periodically, his presence would manifest, stronger than her will to ignore it, and she would succumb, crying out against God for the injustice. She refused to think of her daughter’s responsibility. It looked like the courts would do enough of it so that her own recriminations would be unnecessary. She could be the mother with unconditional love.