Letter to Belinda

by Tim Tingle

  “What is such a long way, Lennie?”

  “Well, I think it’s a long way. I never been there before. I’m not really sure where it is.”

  “Where what is, Lennie?”

  “Hold on, I got it wrote down somewhere. Let me find it.” She heard the receiver bump as he laid it down.

  “Wait a minute, Lennie!” Too late, he was gone looking for his paper. She was starting to get impatient with him. No, she already was impatient! She knew she shouldn’t have picked up the phone! She sighed, and was about to hang up, when he heard another bump, and Lennie was back, and out of breath.

  “I found it! I must’a carried it to the kitchen with me, an’ didn’t remember doing it! I do stupid things like that all the time! I think I put things somewhere, but later I find out they’re not there! Of course only stupid people like me do things like that! I know you’ve never done it!”

  She opened her mouth to say ‘yes I have’, but nothing came out. She was too struck with the profound truth this stupid moron had just uttered. Yes, she was just as stupid as a mentally retarded person! She had stupidly not put a bag of something where she thought she had, and now she was stuck with it!

  “Miranda? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here, Lennie! What do you have wrote down there?”

  “My doctor over in town wrote it for me. He said the insurance and Medicare would cover it, as long as he referred me to it.”

  “What did he refer you to?”

  “Some kind of specialized doctor. I can’t even start to pronounce his name. It starts with an ‘X’. Have you ever known anybody that their name started with an ‘X’?”

  “Are you sure it doesn’t say x-ray, Lennie?”

  “No . . . no it don’t say x-ray! I can pronounce that. No, this is the name of a doctor at the ‘C.R. Center, at UAB Hospital’. That’s in Birmingham. That’s why I don’t know if you want to take me that far. You’re probably too busy to take me all the way to Birmingham. I could call a taxi, but they are real expensive when they take me that far!”

  “Birmingham is almost 40 miles, Lennie.”

  “I can afford it, but my check don’t come in until Thursday, and this appointment is Monday. Think the taxi will let me charge it?”

  “No, they won’t do that.”

  “Well, maybe you could loan me some money for a taxi then? I really hate to ask, but I really, really need to go see this special doctor, my regular doctor said. He said it could kill me, if I don’t go see him!”

  “Gracious! Is it that serious?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t feel sick, but he says I am. It’s not the kind of sickness that anybody else can catch. It’s just something that he says I was born with. I guess it’s some kind of ‘stupid sickness’.

  “So it’s like, a psychiatrist you’re going to see?”

  “I don’t know. I guess.”

  “Do you know what a psychiatrist is?”

  “No.”

  “And you don’t have any cousins or nephews or nieces that could come take you to the doctor?”

  “Nope! I don’t have no family. At least nobody that wants to claim me.”

  “Well, if something happened to you, who would get your house and property?”

  “I guess whoever wants it.”

  “You don’t have a will, or anything like that, to tell who you want to get the house?”

  “Not that I know of. I don’t know who would want it. Do you want it? I mean after I die? I’ve got to have it while I’m still alive.”

  “No, Lennie! I don’t want your house!”

  “I know it ain’t much, and it’s kind’a run down, but it’s all I got. I take care of it best I can.”

  “Oh, it’s a fine house, Lennie! You take good care of it! I didn’t mean there was anything wrong with it, I just meant that I already have a house! I don’t know what I would do with another one! It needs to stay in your family. Surely there is someone who will live there after you are gone. But you may live another 50 years!”

  “Not accordin’ to my doctor.”

  “I’ll tell you what, Lennie. I don’t have anything to do tomorrow. I will take you to the doctor. What time do you have to be there?”

  “Ten A.M., that’s in the morning, I think.”

  “Do you have an address of how to get there?”

  “Yeah, it’s wrote down right here. Want me to read it to you?”

  “No, just don’t lose it. Bring it with you. Be ready to leave at 9 in the morning, and I will come by to pick you up.”

  “That’s awfully nice of you, Miranda. I really do appreciate it! I’ll buy you lunch, while we’re out, as long as it ain’t over ten dollars!”

  “No, save your money, Lennie. I’ll buy lunch, anywhere you want to eat.”

  “I’ll go take a bath right now!”

  “Yes, you do that! You want to be clean all over, when the doctor examines you. Especially your head. Bye now. Be ready to go at 9.”

  “I will. Good evening, Miranda!”

  She hung up the phone thinking that she was doing a good thing, and besides, it would do her good to get her mind off her problems for awhile.

  18

  Monday morning they woke up refreshed, and ready to go, after a good nights sleep. They had recovered from the jet lag, and were eager to go down and eat breakfast, and see what was on the agenda for the day. They arrived in the dining hall before most of their group, and delighted over the selections on the breakfast buffet. As they sat down to eat, Lois asked her son how his ‘business dinner’ had gone the previous evening.

  “The food was great. They took me to a really nice restaurant.” (He intentionally referred to Angel as ‘they’, because he didn’t want his Mom to know that the representative he had met with was a really good looking woman. After all, she was Janice’s ‘watchdog’.)

  “I don’t care to hear about the food! You know what I mean! What do they think about your book?”

  “It’s Great Britain’s #1 Best-seller, Mom! They love it! What else can I say. They welcomed me to England, and told me what I could expect from Jester Books, and what Jester Books expected from me, as an author.” (He certainly wasn’t going to elaborate on that, in particular, Angel’s expectations of him.)

  “Well, I hope you realize that this is your big chance! You are on top of the world, as a writer, and you need to take advantage of your book doing so well, by getting a good contract on your second book! You did take the manuscript for your next book with you last night, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I did, and I left it with them to read, so we’ll see what comes out of it. But you know, Mom, I was thinking. It might be better to take the manuscript to a reputable American publisher in New York or somewhere in the States. It would make it more convenient for me to deal with them, than it would be with a publisher way over here across the Great Pond. What do you think?”

  “Has any U.S. publisher shown an interest in it?”

  “Not yet, but then, I have just now hit the list. After this, I should have offers rolling in from everywhere.”

  “Well Travis, I’ll tell you what I think. I think a bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush. If you can get a good contract on your second book now, I’d go ahead and take it! I would agree to do anything they wanted me to do, in order to get that contract! And I do mean anything! Because an opportunity like this one doesn’t come along every day! Make me proud! Be a smart son, and take the contract!”

  There it was. A mother’s advice to do anything it took, to land a contract! That was also why he seldom took his mother’s advice. She seldom knew all the details. He could hear his lame excuse now: ‘That’s right, Janice, my Mom told me to carry on a torrid affair with the publisher’s daughter, to get that contract! It was the o
nly way! Business is business! She said to ‘do whatever I have to do’, and that was what I did!’ And then, he’d better be running like hell, because Janice would be going for her gun, and she was a pretty good shot. If he ran fast, jumped high, and took evasive actions, he might make it across the field, to the security of the woods before she dropped him. And then he would live to sign the divorce papers, which would leave him with exactly zilch, plus his Fruit-of-the-Looms. Some decisions were no-brainers.

  “So what are you thinking? You seem to be deep in thought.”

  “Just considering the consequences of taking your advice.”

  “You should know by now, that you don’t have to take my advice, just give it equal consideration. I just want to be able to hold my head up high and say that my son is a famous writer!”

  “Sometimes fame is not what it’s cracked up to be, Mom. Like last year, when I was kidnapped in Colombia.”

  “That wasn’t your fault. It was a series of bad luck, that was totally misunderstood by the press.”

  That was what he liked about his Mom. She was always ready to believe a half-truth instead of the whole truth, if it made her kids look better. If only that would rub off on Janice. His mother’s advice sounded pretty good in this situation, and he would have gladly followed her advice, were it not for Angel’s sexual stipulations. That created a dilemma for him. He couldn’t take his mother’s advice without compromising his integrity, and if he didn’t take her advice, her feelings were going to be hurt. So, I’ll just have to hurt her feelings, by not taking her advice. I can come up with plenty of reasons for not taking the contract. Reasons that should be sturdy enough to withstand her scrutiny. Besides, after reaching the #1 spot, I should get more, and better offers.

  “Whatever decision I make, Mom, be assured that it will be with my long-term welfare in mind. I’m going to do like coon hunters do back home. I’m going to shake the tree, and see what falls out.”

  “What falls out,” his Mom repeated, shaking her head. “Professor Cunningham said we are going to the British Museum this morning. That should be really interesting! It’s one of the biggest museums in the world.”

  “Yeah, as a colonial power, Britain pillaged nearly every ancient civilization in the world. When Janice and I were in Greece last year, the guides told us about all this great Greek art work that used to be here or there, but then disappointed us by telling us that it was no longer in Greece. It’s all in the British Museum now! So if you want to see the best of ancient Greece, you have to come here to London! How long is this tour supposed to last?”

  Drew answered, “It’s not a tour. They just give us the tickets, and we explore on our own. They say it takes three days to see everything.”

  “Well, I don’t intend to see everything. I get burned out very quickly in museums. But there are a few things I would like to see. I’ll have to be out by one though, because I have to be at my book signing at Piccadilly Circus at two. Do you both want to go with me to my book-signing, or see more of the museum?” In retrospect, Travis knew that was a stupid question. He had done book signings before, and they were pretty boring events. If he were in their shoes, he would choose the museum, any day.

  “If it’s really interesting, I think I’d like to see more of the museum,” Drew said, then added, “And Audrey said she was probably going to stay there until it closed!”

  “So you vote to spend the day with Audrey! Hey, that’s fine. If I were you, I would too. What about you, Mom?”

  “I think I’ll stay with the museum too. Mrs. Parker and I will find plenty to interest us there. Besides, Professor Cunningham said that we will go to one of your later book signings later on, as a group.”

  “That’s fine. No problem. I can go alone.”

  “You’re not disappointed, just a little bit?”

  “No, if I had a choice, I’d probably stay at the museum too. Book signings have never been my favorite way to spend the afternoon.”

  Mrs. Parker, then Nikki and Audrey showed up for breakfast. Nikki smiled at them and waved.

  “Hello, Lee Clan! My, but you guys are up and ready to go!”

  “Where is everyone else?” Lois asked.

  “You’re not familiar with college kids, are you? They stay up and party late, and then get up late! An 8 A.M. English class looks more like a scene from ‘Night of the Living Dead’. We still have an hour before everyone has to be on the bus. I predict that you won’t see any of them at breakfast until 15 minutes before the bus leaves! Most will just get a bowl of cereal, or a glass of juice, and the ones who were drunk last night, will feel too bad to eat anything.”

  “They partied last night?”

  “Yes, some of them stayed up late down here in the hotel bar. Fred and Steve were here watching them, I heard.”

  “Yes, I think I saw them when I came in,” Travis said, then added, “I was too tired to stop. I went on to bed.”

  “How did your meeting with your publisher go?” Mrs. Parker asked.

  “It was interesting. They were excited about ‘The Relic’ doing so well. I gave them a manuscript of my second book to read over.”

  “Great!” Nikki said. “So they will publish it too?”

  “They are thinking strongly about it.”

  “Here comes Professor Cunningham.”

  “Greetings, one and all! I trust everyone is well rested, and eager to visit the British Museum? In my opinion, it is the finest museum in the world.”

  “Yes, we’re ready, I think,” Lois said.

  “A word of warning. Professor Foust is headed this way, and he is in rare form, so everyone brace yourself! He was literally up most of the night, worrying about his students. He was obsessed with having them all in bed before midnight.”

  “So he has a curfew now?”

  “No, but he would like to implement one! I swear, he’s about to drive me crazy, rooming with him! I would ask for a single room, but I am afraid of what he might do, if I’m not there to keep him in balance! This is absolutely the last time I will travel with him!”

  “Just let him go,” Nikki said. “He will burn himself out after awhile.”

  “Just let him go? Are you sure that’s safe?”

  “If no one else supports his paranoia, he’ll give it up.”

  “That sounds like good advise.”

  “He must not have kids of his own.” Lois said.

  “No, he’s not even married. He’s the youngest professor to ever hold a department head position, and so he is learning as he goes.”

  Professor Foust entered the dining area with a worried look, and went straight to them. “Okay, Audrey is here, but where are the other eleven students?”

  “They will be here, don’t worry.” Nikki said.

  “Let’s get a plate, Steve. The breakfast looks great.”

  “I don’t have time to eat! We only have 45 minutes to be on the bus, and eleven students are missing!”

  “They’re not missing,” Nikki said, “They are in their rooms getting ready to go. If they are your average college students, most probably won’t even eat breakfast. They will get up and barely make it to the bus, the same way they barely make it to a an 8 A.M. English class! And some may decide not to visit the museum, and just sleep late!”

  “But why would they pay this much money to come to England, and then sleep late?”

  “It’s their vacation, they can use it any way they want.”

  “Well, in case there are some who accidentally slept late, I’m going to knock on doors, and find out who is going, and who is not!” He hurried away, and Nikki gestured for Fred to not stop him.

  “You have to let him burn out, or he’ll be this way the whole trip.”

  It proved to be just the way that Nikki predicted. Only three of the eleven students
eventually came to breakfast, two wanted to sleep in, and the other six went straight to the bus without eating. At 9 they left for the Museum. Fred handed out the tickets as they got off the bus, and most of the students took off on their own, in groups of two or three. Lois knew there was going to be a lot of walking, so she stayed with Mrs. Parker, Nikki, Fred and Steve. They were planning an ‘easy walking’ tour. Travis, Drew and Audrey struck out on their own, with their own agendas in mind. Travis wanted to see the Greek and Egyptian displays, and Audrey wanted to see anything concerning the Maya of Central America.

  They went to see the Greek displays first. Travis was amazed at the quality of the marble statue collection. It was much nicer than anything he saw in Greece. Travis explained why.

  “Back in the 1800’s, the British went to the Turks, who occupied Greece at the time, and got permission to remove these statues. They probably had to grease a few palms to do it, but they secured permission to leave with all this stuff! And I heard that there was one British ship that sank off the coast of France, loaded with a fabulous cargo of unique and one of a kind sculptures. They still haven’t been able to find it.”

  “And Greece has never tried to get these things back?” Drew asked.

  “Well, yes, in recent years Greece has tried to sue Britain to get these treasures back, but of course, the British are masters of creating a legal basis for them keeping them. In the past, they said that Greece was not stable enough politically, to allow such treasures to go back there. And as recently as the ‘60’s that might have been true, because Greece is sort of a crossroads of clashing cultures. It is where East meets West, where Islam meets Christianity, so there is a basis for that concern. Greece will likely be the battleground of more wars in the future, so the safest place for these treasures might be here in London. But you can understand the resentment by the Greeks, because this art is a part of their culture. They would like to see it reside in Athens again. It was a little disheartening to go to Greece and visit their museums, and see just broken pieces on display. If you do see an intact statue, you find out that it is just a replica. The original is here, in the British Museum!”