by Anne Hagan
After waiting a couple of minutes, I slipped out of the restroom and around to a stairway that would take me up and out towards the front of the sanctuary rather than through the fellowship hall and out to the parking lot. I felt confident that if either my mother or Chloe were still in the hall, I wasn’t spotted leaving the restroom.
###
Mel
Saturday Evening, October 17th, 2014
The Boar’s Head Bar
Chloe had the house well under command. She’d decided, after talking to Mario back in McKeesport, to go ahead and stay on for another week, at our request. While I went back to work, she and Dana were going to go shopping for a dining set and some living room furniture among other things plus whatever the ‘dog to be named later’ needed.
I was still refusing to call the puppy ‘Boo’ but I think my wife was undermining my desire to have it named anything but that.
Dana and I took the night off since we were still technically supposed to be on our honeymoon. We were relaxing at the Boar’s Head, the bar owned by a former ex-girlfriend turned enemy then friend, Barb Wysocki. There was a country western band playing on the little stage near the newly installed dance floor and the place was jumping with a mixed crowd of fall foliage tourists and locals all out enjoying a warm fall Saturday night.
We’d ordered food that Barb brought out herself. We invited her to join us.
“Don’t mind if I do ladies. My crew can handle this crowd just fine for a few minutes.” She took a seat.
“You’ve really turned this place around. The difference is amazing,” I told her.
Barb smiled, “I won’t say it’s been easy. It hasn’t, but it’s been more fun than I expected. Continuing to do this was a difficult decision to make after my partner died.”
“If you’ve transformed all the places you’ve taken over like you’ve transformed this one, you’ve done really well despite your loss,” Dana told her. “The struggle seems to bring out the fire in you.”
“Thank you for that. Yes, you’re right. It does keep me busy and keep me going when my mind gets to wandering.”
I was curious, “Will you stay Barb? Now that this one’s pretty much done, I mean?” I asked her.
“You know the deal is ‘turn and burn’ right? I know I told you that.”
“You also told me once that you keep ownership of a few places for the revenue to buy and flip other places, right?”
She laughed. “That’s why you’re such a good cop. You have a memory like a steel trap. Yes, that’s what I said and yes, I’m keeping this particular bar in the portfolio.”
“But you’re not going to stay on, are you?” Dana asked.
Barb leaned into the table, “A secret, just between the three of us...well, and my banker...I’m tired of life on the road. I put an offer in on a house a couple of days ago and the seller took it.”
Dana said, “That’s awesome!” through gritted teeth as she tried to not look too excited and arouse attention.
“Barb, that’s great! Where?” I asked her, whispering just loud enough to be heard over the bands current ballad.
“It’s a place Aiden Quinn bought several years back and renovated. I think he thought one of his kids would live there one day but none of them have showed any interest. They all think the grass is greener outside of Morelville. Anyway, I’ll have a couple of dozen acres but he keeps the mineral rights. I don’t care about those anyway. I’m comfortable with what I have now.”
“If it’s the place I’m thinking of, we’ll practically be neighbors.”
She confirmed the location I suspected and then I described the house there for Dana’s reference. Once I’d divulged some of the features it, Dana recalled seeing the house in question and she became even more excited for Barb. “When do you close?” she asked her.
“Pretty quickly. Probably in the next couple of weeks. It’s an all cash deal so his lawyer is drawing it up for mine to look over.” She sighed.
“That doesn’t sound so good...”
“No, really, I’m very happy about it. I’ve lived on the road for so long though that it’s just, well, I have a storage unit near Detroit, my last stop, that’s full of modern steel and glass stuff. It never really was my taste and it’s not a fit for this place at all.”
“Oh Barb, do we have the perfect person to help you!” Dana couldn’t contain her excitement. Dana and I looked at each other and laughed.
“Sounds like Mama Rossi could have a new assignment when she’s done with our place...”
“Mama Rossi?”
“My mother Chloe, Barb. You met her at the wedding reception last week...she hasn’t actually left. Instead, she’s been trying to put a dent in my wallet by furnishing our place for us.”
“Really? Do you think she’d help me?”
“I’ll ask but I don’t see why not,” Dana replied. Can your wallet take it?”
“Oh, money isn’t an issue. But, will she work with me on styles?”
“She’s done fine by us but we’re both okay with the rustic wood look and she knows that. You’ll probably want to hang with her the first couple of shopping trips until she gets a feel for what you like.”
“What does she charge as an hourly rate?”
We both laughed but Dana recovered first, “Our bank account, our patience, the use of our kitchen, putting up with fussy little dogs...take your pick.” Dana coughed. “In all seriousness, she’s not a professional decorator, if that matters. She’s a trained nail tech and that’s what she does for ‘pin money’, as she calls it. You’d have to work out any sort of payment arrangement with her but don’t be surprised if she refuses anything but expenses.”
As Barb nodded, the country/western band stopped playing on the little stage on the other side of the room and announced a set break. She stood up. “I best get behind the bar. Their breaks always mean everybody’s off the dance floor, thirsty and crowed around up there.”
After she walked away, I asked Dana, “You’re okay with her moving so close and your mother helping her if she’s willing, right?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She squeezed my hand briefly. “Mel, I know there’s nothing between the two of you. Frankly, she’s still in mourning and she always seems so depressed. Maybe once she settles down, she’ll feel up to finding someone new.”
“Don’t ever say that to her babe. You can’t push Barb to do anything she doesn’t want to do. She’s changed a little over the years but I still see flashes of that stubborn streak in her that so irritated me way back when.”
Dana smirked at me but I didn’t want to know what she was thinking.
While she gloated, the group sitting at the table next to us got up and left. Just as fast, a group of four local guys swooped in and took over the dirty table. They were faster than the server who was working her way over to it to clean it.
While she tried to clear off around them and their good natured ribbing, one of the guys, Chuck Knox, turned sideways and noticed me.
“Hey there Mel. How are you?”
“Fine Chuck, and you?”
He tipped his head side to side, “So-so; just out tonight doing a little send-off for my old buddy Terry. I’m going to miss him.”
I nodded. “You two have known each other a long time, haven’t you?”
“Ever since his family moved up here from Tennessee when he was a freshman in high school.”
“Helluva way to go,” one of the other men said. I didn’t recognize the guy.
“You don’t have to tell me! I feel bad about that every day!” Chuck’s head dropped.
“Chuck, he drowned. It wasn’t your fault,” I told him.
“He drowned in my pond Mel. If only I had been there. He usually fished that pond for bluegill with somebody else. I didn’t know he ever worked his way out to that one alone.”
“That’s not something you could have helped, Chuck,” the man who’d spoken before told him.
“Stop beating yourself up about it,” I added. There were nods all around the guys table. The server finished clearing and asked the men if they wanted anything. They ordered a round of drinks for themselves and included refills for me and Dana.
“Just one, Chuck,” I said, “for my dad, in Terry’s memory.” Dad had stopped drinking at mom’s request several years back. I’m sure they’d invited him out tonight and just as sure that he’d told them no.
When the server returned with the drinks, Dana and I stood near their table while Chuck raised his glass. “A toast to Terry Ford. Rest in peace old pal and make sure you keep the tall tales under your old fishing hat.”
Everyone grinned and swigged their beverage of choice. A man who looked vaguely familiar to me said, “The fish in the fish stories are going to be a little smaller around here now.” There were nods among all the men.
Dale Walters, who hadn’t been at the funeral or the wake that I’d noticed, spoke up and said, “And the poker pots will be just a little bit bigger.” Chuck shot Dale a look but the other two men nodded their agreement.
I was about to politely excuse myself and Dana when cranky old Art Majors stepped up to the men’s table.
“Why so glum, everybody?” he asked the assembled men.
“We were just drinking a toast to Terry, Art,” Chuck told him.
Art waved his hand in the air like he was swatting a fly. “Hell, fishing around here will be a lot more ‘honest’ now that Terry’s gone.”
Chuck looked annoyed but the man I didn’t know at all jumped on Art’s comment and ribbed him right back, “At least he caught fish pal. You’ve been casting for pond scum lately.”
“That may be so, but I just picked up a sweet reel that I can’t wait to try with one of my rigs. I’ll be up at Dillon next weekend if anyone wants to come up and have a little bass hooking contest.”
No one responded. Art, seemingly at a loss for anything else to say, shrugged and said, “Have it your way.” He took his leave of the table.
Chapter 19 – Family Fun Day
Mel
Sunday, October 18th, 2014
Dana’s dog was bouncing up and down beside the bed on my side. The room was still dark. Squinting at the clock, I saw it was only 4:35.
“Dana, your dog needs to go outside,” I mumbled to her. No response came from the other side of the queen bed we were currently using. I stretched a foot behind me. I touched cool sheets, not warm legs.
Rolling over, I reached for her but she wasn’t there. A thin glimmer of light shone from the bathroom.
I got up and walked toward the door then tapped gently so I didn’t startle her. When she didn’t respond, I pushed the door open. Dana was lying in the big soaking tub, fast asleep. Walking in and touching the water, I realized she must have been in the tub for a while. It was only lukewarm.
I called to her gently and woke her. “How long have you been in here?”
“What time is it?” She tried to stretch splashing a little water out. The pup, who’d followed me in there, didn’t like the water much and ran back out.
“Just past 4:30.”
“I couldn’t sleep and you were out cold. I didn’t want to wake you so I thought I’d soak a while. What are you doing up?”
“The dog is bouncing around like she’s on a pogo stick. We should probably get a kennel for her to sleep in at night.”
“She probably has to pee. Help me out of here and I’ll get dressed and take her outside.”
“I’ll help you up but I’ll take her out.”
After helping Dana out of the tub, I walked back into the dark bedroom to find it strangely quiet. In the dimness, I stepped down on something that probably shouldn’t have been in the middle of the floor in the dark and hurt my foot. While I hopped about, rubbing out the unexpected pain, I stepped into a puddle with my good foot of what could only have been dog pee and I cried out.
Dana yelled from the bathroom, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I don’t think your dog needs to go out after all.”
“Mel, you said you were going to do it!” She walked into the room.
I hobbled over to the bedside light and turned it on. Pointing back at the puddle, I said, “She already peed.”
“My shoe!” Dana yelled again while looking at the floor near the foot of the bed. “My shoe! Bad dog! Bad Boo!” ‘Boo’ cowered in a corner as Dana picked up and inspected a well chewed Nike.
“Boo!” I yelled, throwing my arms in the air and waving my hands like a scary monster in the direction of the dog. She whimpered and laid down. “Her name does fit her after all...”
“You don’t have to scare her Mel!”
“You just yelled at her Dana!”
Dana exhaled heavily, “We both need to stop yelling at each other and at her. She’s only a puppy. I’ll get her a kennel and get better about taking her out. We both need to mind what she has the potential to chew on.”
“Look, I’m sorry. You’re not in this alone. I’ll help you with house training her and getting her outside.” I shook my head and looked over in the corner at her. “Despite my reservations, she is a cute little thing.” The terrier had the nerve to seem to understand my basic show of affection for her by coming over, sitting at my feet and looking up at me expectantly.
“I think she likes you.”
I just shook my head as I reached down and scratched hers.
Our early morning turned into a long one. We were in and out with a puppy who I think was thriving on the attention she was getting from us more than she actually needed to relieve herself. Going outside seemed to be more of a sniff fest for her than a time to potty. Still, we’d made an agreement so tiredly we both trudged on, trying to housebreak our new fur baby.
Around about 7:30, while we were slouched in wood chairs in what had once been meant as a dining room but would be more of a sitting room for us, Chloe came regally down the stairs behind a Little Lady bent on heading for the door.
“We’re so sorry mama; did we wake you?”
“No, no sweetie,” Chloe said, waving a hand at her daughter. Lady always gets me up about this time. Besides, I’m going to church with Faye this morning and then after that, we’re headed out to the farm for a ‘Family Fun Day’ as your mom called it,” she said as she looked at me.
Dana and I both groaned.
“What’s wrong with you two?” Chloe asked.
“There’s nothing fun about family fun day!” we both told her, in unison.
“Kris and Lance are coming back from their honeymoon this afternoon since they couldn’t change their flight in time to come in for the funeral. The kids are excited. Your mom,” she pointed at me this time, “thought it would be nice to all get together for a family dinner to check in with each other.”
I just nodded. It wasn’t worth trying to explain it to her. She’d learn the truth about ‘Family Fun Day’ soon enough.
“Mel and I will meet you out there later this morning mama. We have several things we need to take care of first.”
“So, you’re not going to church then?”
Dana’s look was sheepish but her reply firm, “Not this time. Sorry.”
###
Mama Rossi
Faye and I sipped coffee in the fellowship hall after the service while she introduced me to different people here and there. The congregation represented a slightly smaller slice of the community than was present at the funeral service the day before and, as I suspected might be the case, everyone really did seem to know everyone. Try as I might, at my church back in McKeesport, it just wasn’t possible to learn all the names but that didn’t seem to be a problem here.
“Oh, Chloe, this is Amy Johnson. Amy, this is Chloe Rossi, Dana’s mother.”
The woman took my hand and smiled slightly but the smile didn’t seem to reach her eyes.
My ears perked up anyway, “Nice to meet you Amy.” I did my best to sound sincere and cordial. Faye took it from ther
e though.
“Were’s Rich, hon? I thought I saw him during communion.”
“He’s upstairs talking with the Council President about the Fall Festival.”
Faye caught my eye and tipped her head to the side, toward a back corner of the hall. Taking Amy’s arm, she tugged her slightly toward the area she’d indicated. Once we were safely away from most of those reveling in coffee and cookies, she said to the younger woman, “Amy, I don’t mean to be forward, what I do mean to do is apologize and try to smooth any feathers that may have gotten ruffled recently.” Faye gave her what I took to be a sympathetic look.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for Faye. Don’t even think about it.”
I heard her words, but her tone didn’t match. Diving in myself, I tried to be diplomatic, “Faye and I were out doing some shopping and we were chatting with Lucy about...well, you know. Our conversation was brief, completely in passing and only between the three of us. Lucy really feels badly about mentioning anything at all and we feel horrible about even thinking to gossip, Isn’t that right Faye?”
Faye nodded along with me.
“So,” I went on, “please don’t take it out on poor Lucy. We started it and the buck ends with us.”
“Oh,” Amy sighed, “If only it were that simple.”
At our quizzical looks, she leaned forward into our tight little circle, “The thing is, I don’t know how Lucy found out. Word seems to be spreading and I don’t know who’s saying what to whom or how much they really know.” She hung her head.
Faye reached forward and touched the woman’s chin gently nudging her. As Amy looked back at Faye, I could see the glimmer of tears shining in her eyes.
We were standing next to the closed door of the nursery. Nudging it open, Faye peered inside and then, satisfied that it was empty, beckoned the two of us in. She shut the door firmly behind us.
Spying a tissue box on a changing table, I grabbed it and offered it to Amy. She took one and dabbed at her now brimming eyes.
Faye hugged the younger woman briefly then took one of her hands and, looking her in the eye, prodded her, “Please tell us what’s wrong dear. Get it off your chest and let’s see if we can help you.”