by Sewell, Earl
Chapter Five
On Saturday afternoon, Olivia was busy running errands. She’d just dropped off her dry cleaning and decided to pop into the adjacent coffee shop. She had a craving for a beverage and something sweet. While she waited for her order of a cappuccino and a slice of carrot cake, she pulled out her cell phone and began reading an email.
“Hello, Olivia,” she heard a voice say and immediately spun around.
“Hi.” She greeted him like a blast of bitter winter air.
Ignoring her cool demeanor, Langston asked, “Do you always walk out on your dates and leave them wondering what happened to you?”
“I didn’t, and I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“Olivia, I had no idea of what happened to you. I didn’t know if you were sick or got mugged in the bathroom or what. I went crazy looking for you and when I couldn’t find you, I went back inside and asked the waitress if she saw where you had gone. She said no, but suggested that I call you on your cell phone. That’s when I realized that I didn’t have your phone number. I never thought to get it from you.”
“Well, you won’t need it, that’s for sure. I’m positive you have plenty of other women who would enjoy having dinner with you and receiving your undivided attention.”
“Why do you keep saying that? I told you, I’m not that type of guy,” Langston insisted.
“No, you’re the type of guy who fires teachers,” Olivia shot back, figuring that would shut him up.
“Olivia, somehow we’ve taken a wrong turn, and I would like to get directions on how to get back to the main highway.” Langston maneuvered around her and waited to place his order.
“I am not the type of woman who dates men who want to share themselves as they see fit. I like exclusivity. That’s the end of it. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
Langston shifted uncomfortably. “I think you’ve got me confused with your ex, and I am nothing like him.”
“Look, it’s okay if you want to date multiple women. That’s your choice,” Olivia continued on. “But I’m not the type of woman who walks around with blinders on. I’m not the type of woman who doesn’t notice when some woman comes up to the guy who I am on a date with and tells him that she loves and misses him.” Okay. She had him there. There was no way he would be able to deny that fact.
“If you had stuck around a moment longer...”
Olivia interrupted him. “For what? I saw no point in participating in your little game. I don’t have time for that type of nonsense, Langston.”
“Okay. There are some things that you don’t understand. Sit down with me for ten minutes so I can clear the air between us.”
Olivia sighed. “There’s no need to clear the air, Langston. You’re a ladies’ man and a jerk who is trying to close my school.”
Olivia’s order came up. She grabbed it and turned to leave.
“Please, Olivia, give me ten minutes. That’s all I’m asking. I really like you and don’t want there to be a misunderstanding between us.”
Olivia looked into Langston’s eyes and saw something she didn’t anticipate. It was sincerity.
“Please.” He pointed to an empty booth.
“Ten minutes is all I’m giving you,” she conceded and walked with him toward the booth, where they took a seat across from each other.
“You were very hard on me at the hearing,” he said as he settled in.
“You had it coming. You took me out to dinner, then kissed another woman and told her that you loved her. I saw the writing on the wall. I’m no fool. I knew what that was about.”
“If you had not walked out, I would have loved to introduce you to Sharon,” Langston said. “She is my ex-sister-in-law.”
“What?” Olivia didn’t think she’d heard him correctly.
“Sharon is my ex-sister-in-law. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time. I didn’t expect to run into her at Riva that night,” Langston explained.
“Well, she didn’t hug you like she was a former family member.” Olivia wasn’t ready to accept that she had rushed to judgment. “And the way she looked at you, there was something else there.”
“You’re right. There was something more in the look that she gave me.” Langston paused.
“Oh, God. Please don’t tell me that you had an affair with your sister-in-law. Is that why your marriage failed?”
“Wow! You have a very creative mind. You must be a writer.” Langston smiled faintly. Olivia looked into his eyes and she could see that her comment had hurt him. She also saw something else that she couldn’t readily identify.
“So now I know that you were once married. How long have you been divorced and what happened?” she pried.
“I was married for eleven years. I got married when I was twenty-three and got divorced at thirty-four,” Langston said.
“How long have you been single?” Olivia asked, worrying that she was starting to hate Langston a little less.
“Four years now,” Langston said as he took a sip of his drink.
“What happened to your marriage?” Olivia asked again.
“We lost our daughter to a very rare condition called mixed connective tissue disease. Actually, we lost her to a combination of illnesses. She also had lupus and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.”
Olivia felt as if she’d just been sucker punched. “Oh, dear,” she said weakly. “How did that happen and how old was she?”
“She was six and I don’t know how or why it happened. She went to bed one night, seemingly healthy, and the next morning she woke up crying. I went into her bedroom thinking that she’d had a bad dream. When I walked into her bedroom, she was lying very still on her Barbie bed.” Langston paused for a moment, and Olivia could see he was holding back emotion. She felt tears pricking at her eyes and wanted to beat herself up for being so hard on this man.
Langston continued. “‘I can’t move, Daddy,’ my daughter said to me. I could tell by the anguish in her voice that she wasn’t horsing around. I asked her, ‘What’s wrong, sweetie?’ and she said, ‘My legs, Daddy. I can’t move my legs.’ I pulled back the covers and saw that her knees had swollen to the size of softballs.”
“Oh, Langston. What did you do?” Olivia asked, feeling his pain and terribly regretting the way she had treated him.
“I tried to bend her knees and the wail that came out of her mouth paralyzed me. It was a scream that I’ll never forget. So I picked her up.” Langston held on to his words, and then placed his hand around his throat as if he were about to choke himself. “You know, sometimes I can still feel her arms wrapped around my neck.” Langston stopped talking and wiped away a tear before it fully formed.
“I apologize for asking such a personal question. I have no right to pry into your life.”
“It’s okay. Talking about it helps. I apologize for bringing you down,” Langston said.
“You’re not bringing me down. I’ll listen. No, that’s not what I meant to say. I want to listen is what I meant to say,” Olivia corrected herself.
“You don’t have to clean up your statement. I didn’t mean to open myself up like this.”
“Please don’t shut down on me,” Olivia said. “Please continue. What was your daughter’s name?”
Langston exhaled long and slow. He looked down into his coffee cup before he continued. “Her name was Kate. When we took her to the hospital, they admitted her. That’s when all the needle sticking, testing and guessing began. Kate had a fear of needles and would put up one hell of a fight before she’d allow anyone to stick her. She had to be restrained in order to draw her blood. My ex-wife and I thought they’d get the swelling to go down and keep her two, maybe three days tops. We thought it was a food allergy or an allergic reaction to something she’d touched. The days turned into weeks, then a mon
th went by and they still didn’t know what was wrong with her. Her condition worsened. The swelling spread to all of her joints, elbows, fingers and toes. The doctors told us that they wanted to send her to a hospital in another state to see a leading geneticist. At that point, I felt like they were experimenting on her and wouldn’t allow it. I wanted to bring her home so that she could sleep in her own bed in familiar surroundings. I wasn’t about to send my six-year-old daughter to another state where she didn’t know anyone and would be frightened out of her wits. Kate clung to me. She didn’t like being away from her family.”
“I don’t blame her. To be so young and go through something like that is hard for children to understand,” Olivia spoke softly.
“Yeah.” Langston drew in another deep breath and exhaled slowly. “After weeks of living in the hospital and sleeping on uncomfortable sofas, I had finally raised enough hell and got the doctors to agree to allow us to take her home for a weekend. We had to follow strict medical instructions, which my wife and I made sure we understood. We were told that when we came back the following week, it was vital for her to be seen by a geneticist. The next day, I told Kate that she would be coming home for the weekend. She sat up in her bed and hugged me tightly. She gave me a bunch of kisses on the cheek and... Well, I was happy.” Langston paused again and swallowed hard.
“You okay?” Olivia asked.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Langston tried to conceal the frog in his throat. Olivia saw the moisture in his eyes, but somehow he was holding back the flood of tears that threatened to break through.
“On the day she was to come home, Sara stayed behind because we had planned a welcome-home surprise party for Kate and she was doing some last-minute preparations. I waited around for the doctor to come and sign the release papers. When he arrived, he asked to speak to me privately. He told me about some test he had run and that the results that came back were not good and that it was too risky to allow Kate to come home. It was a matter of life or death that she remain at the hospital.”
“That’s awful,” Olivia said, interrupting Langston. She reached for the metal napkin dispenser on the table and plucked out a few napkins. Listening to and watching Langston retell what had happened pulled at her heart.
“You have no idea how awful it was.” Langston looked at Olivia and then dropped his gaze back to his cup. “Anyway, a nurse told Kate that she would not be coming home while I was talking to the doctor. She tried to put her back in the bed and Kate fought her. Kate ran out of the room, screaming and wearing only one shoe. She screamed for me to save her from the witch. When I saw her, I rushed down the hall toward her and picked her up. She buried her face in my neck and locked her arms around me. She wasn’t very strong, but I could tell she was holding on to me with everything she had. ‘Save me, Daddy,’ she said. She could hardly get the words out because she was in hysterics. I could feel her heart beating like a machine gun against my chest.” Langston touched his heart as if he could still feel her. Olivia reached over and placed her hand on top of his free hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
“The doctor ordered a sedative to calm her and lower her heart rate. I told them no, that I would get her to calm down. Kate was inconsolable. She pleaded with me and kept saying, ‘Let’s go, Daddy. Please, I’ll be a good girl.’ The medical staff was forced to do what was best. The nurse came up behind her and injected her. Kate felt the needle prick and whispered, ‘Why?’”
Olivia noticed a faraway look in Langston’s eyes. She understood that his wound was very deep, like a black hole in the heart of this man who seemed by every outward appearance to have everything going for him.
“Kate passed away a few hours later. I carry her with me wherever I go. A loss like that is something I’ll never fully get over.” Langston’s voice was unsteady and knotted.
“Langston, I don’t know what to say. I had no idea what you’ve been through,” Olivia said compassionately.
“Yeah, well, it’s not like I go around broadcasting it. I haven’t talked about it in that type of detail in a long time. I didn’t mean to dump my heavy load on you, Olivia.”
“You’re not dumping on me,” Olivia said quickly. “I can only imagine how hard it must be to carry such a devastating emotional load,” she whispered.
“After our Kate was gone, my marriage was never the same. The void that her passing left in the marriage was the size of the universe. I was indirectly blamed for the loss, and there were misunderstandings between Sara and me that couldn’t be resolved.”
“Is that why you wanted to speak to me, to clear up the misunderstanding?” Olivia asked.
“Yes,” Langston admitted.
“Consider it to be cleared up,” Olivia said.
“Thank you.” Langston took a sip of his drink and then continued. “After my divorce, life was tough. I took some time off, went back home to stay with my parents, and spent time horseback riding, camping and soul searching. A job opportunity brought me back to Chicago. I buried myself in my work and tried to forget about what happened, but I couldn’t. That pain is imprinted on my DNA. It’s my history and my story. Then, about a year ago, I got involved with volunteering through my church. That led to me volunteering at Children’s Hospital, helping other families and children cope with being in a hospital and away from home. My ex-sister-in-law worries that my volunteering is keeping my wound open, but it isn’t. It’s Kate’s spirit that has directed me to volunteer. I know this to be true because I feel it in my soul.”
“My goodness, Langston, you are indeed a very special and compassionate man. I can honestly say that I’ve never met anyone as unique as you.” Olivia stood up, positioned herself near Langston, leaned over and hugged him tightly.
“Please forgive me for misjudging you,” Olivia whispered.
“I was never mad at you,” Langston said as he accepted her embrace.
Chapter Six
Olivia had just finished another tutoring session with Matthew and was heading home. She decided to stop in at her favorite vegetarian restaurant and order something off the carryout menu. As she walked down Chicago Avenue, she thought about what she’d do if and when her school closed. She knew that she’d likely be unemployed, along with hundreds of other teachers, and her career as a public schoolteacher in the city could very well be over. She’d have to reinvent herself and reshape how she’d make use of her knowledge and expertise. She thought about what more could be done with her nonprofit and how she could do more with it. She’d need to find a facility to either buy or rent. However, without strong financial support she wouldn’t be able to secure a facility. Even if, by some miracle, she was able to locate a place, she’d need at least $250,000 to do all the things she wanted.
The restaurant was busy. She walked over to the cashier and asked for the takeout menu. As she reviewed her choices, she had trouble deciding if she wanted the stuffed eggplant or the grilled polenta.
“Olivia, we’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she heard someone say. She glanced up from the menu and saw Langston’s smiling face.
“Are you following me?” she asked.
“I’m the one who should be asking that question. I was here first,” Langston said and pointed out where he was sitting.
“Well, just so that we are clear, I am not following you.” Olivia gave him a quick hug and continued to look over the menu even though she had already decided to get the stuffed eggplant. It had only been a few days since she’d last seen him.
“Are you waiting for anyone?” Langston asked.
“No, I’m getting my food to go,” she said.
“I’m having dinner alone and would welcome some company.” Langston moved in a little closer to her.
“I really don’t—” Olivia paused midsentence. She looked at Langston, and even though she knew now that he was a good guy, she wasn’t sure if she was
ready.
“Don’t worry about it. I understand.” Langston made the decision for her.
“Langston, I just—” Her words lodged in her throat. She knew what she wanted to say, but her thoughts got in the way.
“Look.” Langston leaned in. “Thanks for listening to me at the coffee shop. I was trying to get you to like me a little more, but I think the only thing I succeeded in was turning you off with my baggage. So, thanks for giving me some of your time.”
“Langston,” Olivia spoke softly, “I would like to sit and have dinner with you.”
Langston smiled and Olivia studied the gorgeous man before her. Langston didn’t just smile with his mouth, but with his eyes, too. The best kind of smile.
“Right this way.” Langston led the way to the table where he was sitting. He pulled out a chair for Olivia and she took in the papers on the table.
“Where’s your dinner? You look like you were working,” she said.
“I haven’t placed my order yet. I was about to when I saw you walk in.” Langston took his seat opposite her.
“Looking at your work spread out on the table makes me feel like I’m getting in the way of something,” Olivia said.
“Trust me, you’re not. Besides, I needed to take a break. Dealing with all the school hearings, the budget shortfalls and the political fallout is stressful. On top of that, practically everyone involved in the process is being scrutinized by the media. My home and cell phone ring constantly, and reporters from every media outlet in the city have been trying to get me to say something that can be taken out of context and fed to the public. I don’t want to be vilified and tried in the court of public opinion. Two days ago, two news vans from different television stations were parked outside my condo. As soon as I came out, they turned on their cameras and started asking questions that were absurd and inaccurate.”