Breaking the Ties That Bind

by Gwynne Forster

  His eyes widened, and he was sure that he gaped. “Jail? What was she doing in jail?”

  “Driving an unregistered car with a suspended license. She begged me to use my tuition money to bail her out, but this time I refused. My uncle bailed her out after letting her stay there for nearly a month. I was so close to getting back in school. Papa had just bought the apartment for me and filled my freezer with meat and said he’d meet me every night at eleven o’clock when I got off from work, but she was storming and raging because I wouldn’t let her take it all from me.

  “Not long ago, she told me that she got pregnant with me accidentally and didn’t want to have me, but Papa forced her to do it. I think she’s been making me pay ever since I was born.”

  “She told you that? I hope to hell I never meet her.” Anger furled up in him, and he told himself to take a deep breath and calm down. “How have you managed to live with this . . . this constant destructiveness? I hurt for you.”

  “It’s always been with me, Sam. I try not to think about her unless she contacts me, but, sometimes, when I need a friend, knowing that I can’t count on her hurts.”

  As she said the words, he saw pain etched in her face, and the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. He took her hand and held it. “You can depend on me. Did your father remarry?”

  “No. He’s had a hard time paying off those debts and getting his business started, but he’s doing well now. I wish he’d find someone who’s loyal and kind to him. What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

  “I wish I did have, but when I was born, the doctor advised my mother not to try to have anymore children. She died nine years ago.”

  “I hope you don’t mind my asking this. Were you surprised that your dad had been attracted to Edwina?”

  He had barely answered that question for himself. Drumming the fingers of his left hand on the table, he let a smile move over his face. “Surprised hardly covers it. He unloaded that one on me without a single preliminary. Funny thing is that she knew I was his son and never alluded to it. Amazing.”

  Kendra supported her chin with the palm of her hand and rested her elbow on the glass-top table. “Edwina meant business. I’m happy for her. For both of them.”

  Sam thought of the previous evening, of the wonder and joy of their being together and conceded, “Sure she does, and my dad means business, too. You’d better believe it.” Considering the fire that he saw burning in both of them, it wouldn’t surprise him if they’d spent the night together. And bully for them!

  Kendra leaned toward him, stroking his fingers as she did so. “How would you feel about having her for a stepmother?”

  Damn! What a wild idea!

  “Whatever makes my dad happy will make me happy,” he said truthfully. “He’s a great guy. I’ve always come first with him, and it’s time I took second place.” His answer seemed to please her. “You liked my father a lot, didn’t you? Mind if I ask why?”

  She bunched her shoulders in a slight shrug. “Simple. He looks like you. He talks like you, and he acts like you. How could I not like him?”

  For a moment, he stared at her. Then he couldn’t contain the laughter. “I guess that puts me in my place.”

  “I think I ought to tell you something, Sam.”

  He leaned back in the chair and gave her his full attention. “Do I want to hear it?”

  “That depends. I’m planning to enter the journalism school’s competition for hard news reporting. We’ll all be given the same assignment. There will be three prizes for overseas travel and study next semester. If I win, I want to go to Egypt or Italy.” The cold hand of disappointment squeezed his heart, but he didn’t want to discourage her.

  “What about the language difficulty?”

  “In Egypt, I could get along well enough without Arabic, since English is so widely spoken. I’m prepared to take a crash course in Italian.”

  “I’d suggest Rosetta Stone, but it can be expensive. It’s also exactly what you need. I used it to learn German.”

  “That’s a good idea. Thanks.”

  “How long would you be away?”

  “Six weeks, and before leaving, I’d have to enroll in all my classes, and catch up before the end of the semester.”

  “And you’d do it, too. Think you’d miss me during those six weeks?”

  “I’d miss you if I were away only one week.”

  “You deserve a kiss for that.”

  “I think I’d better make a list of the things I can do that will assure me of getting one of your mind-blowing kisses.”

  “Mind-blowing, huh? You only have to be close by. Incidentally, when it’s convenient, I’d like to meet your father.”

  She seemed pensive for a moment. Then, a grin spread over her face and her eyes sparkled. “You sure? Papa believes in cutting to the chase. He’ll ask you straight out what your intentions are.”

  “And you think that’ll frighten me? I’ll tell him straight out what my intentions are.”

  Her stare was worth good money. “You would? Maybe you should meet him for coffee at some place like Starbucks, when I’m not around.”

  She had the appearance of sincerity, so he decided to shake her up. “Which one of us don’t you trust, your father or me?”

  “If you’re as candid as he is, I’d rather be somewhere else. Simple as that,” she shot back.

  He decided to let up. “Let’s you and I meet him for supper one Saturday or Sunday evening.”

  “Okay, but Sunday would be better, because Saturday is a very busy day for him. I’ll arrange it and let you know.”

  “Then that’s settled. Good.” He looked at his watch. “It’s only eight o’clock, and I’m not ready to end the day. Want to go to Treasure Island and see the puppet theater? Last time I was there, the show was hilarious. The current play is a political satire.”

  “I’d love to, as long as they’re bashing Republicans.”

  “Trust me, sweetheart, they spare nobody.”

  Shortly after they took their seats in the fourth row of the small theater, Kendra noticed that a man sitting on the aisle of the third row continuously glanced back at them. Eventually, he smiled at her. She averted her gaze and focused on the puppet named Jimmy, who raised his nose in disrespect for Ronald, his rich-thespian next-door neighbor. They sat on their respective back porches, talking across their fences.

  “I never could abide no-good actors,” Jimmy said in his rich southern drawl. “Anybody who’s worth a dime can act. Nothing to it.”

  “I suppose you’d know,” Ronald replied. “Trouble with you is that you did your acting while residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”

  Jimmy shelled a peanut and rocked in his oldfashioned rocker. “At least I could act, friend,” Jimmy said. “Nobody ever accused y’all of acting anywhere.”

  Ronald shook his head sadly. “You’re a cruel man, Brother Jimmy. At least I was a good enough actor to get elected twice.”

  “That’s nothing to brag about, Brother Ronald. The same people who elected you twice also voted for vice president of this great country a fellow who couldn’t spell potato.”

  “I know, Brother Jimmy, and that was a terrible shock to me. Let’s go down to Jake’s Tavern and down a couple of beers.”

  “I’d love to commune with you, brother, but two beers don’t sit well with my conversion. How about a margarita? That seems fairly benign.”

  Ronald raised an eyebrow. “It’s named for a woman, Brother Jimmy, and that ought to tell you it’s lethal.”

  Jimmy released a long, tired sigh. “Maybe we’d better have our usual.”

  “You’re right,” Ronald said. “Alcohol and rheumatism are like oil and water. Why don’t we go over to Zach’s and get our usual decaf and scones?”

  Sam’s laughter mingled with that of others in the audience. Lost in the merriment, he draped his arm around Kendra and hugged her to him as if he’d done it regularly for years. “That little guy playing Jimmy is so funny,
” he said. “Imagine a puppet eating peanuts. Do you want to stay for the second act?”

  Even if she hadn’t been enjoying it, and she had, she wanted to stay just to be with him. She had never been to a puppet theater or seen any other live acting by professional actors, and the magic of it captivated her. During intermission, they drank coffee in a little bistro off the theater lobby.

  “I was hoping I’d find you here, Sam.” Kendra looked up and saw the man who had attempted to get her attention earlier. “Haven’t seen you for a while. Who’s this lovely lady?”

  The smile vanished from Sam’s face. “Ms. Richards, this is Leonard Chasten, a former classmate.” She noticed the lack of warmth in Sam’s voice and the absence of enthusiasm for the man’s presence.

  “Hello,” she said, omitting the customary graciousness.

  “Just my luck that you should be with this guy,” Chasten said. “Women take to him like ants to sugar.”

  Kendra cast a censuring glance at the man, but she didn’t share her thoughts. Sam was more than capable of handling the intruder. And he did. “Some other time, Chasten. As you can see, I’m very busy.”

  As if they had not been interrupted, he said to her, “It’s all right with me if you don’t want to stay for the rest of the show. Frankly, this intrusion has taken the fun out of it.”

  She understood that he wanted to leave, so she said, “I’m sorry. If you’re ready to leave, so am I.” He paid the bill, helped her into her coat, and, with an arm snug around her waist, they left. She noticed that Sam didn’t look back, but with her peripheral vision, she saw Leonard Chasten standing with both hands on his hips not far from the table they had occupied. Hmm. So it was not Sam’s first unpleasant experience with the man.

  Outside, a brisk and refreshing breeze announced the early arrival of winter, and she tightened the collar of her jacket. “I would have left you in the lobby while I went for the car,” Sam said, “but Chasten would have pounced like a cat on a mouse.”

  “I was about to suggest that we walk for a while,” she said. “The sky is clear, and the moon is so beautiful, even if it does seem cold and lonely. This time of year, I like to stroll around Dupont Circle eating roasted chestnuts and window shopping. I’m not much of a shopper, and certainly not a compulsive one. Observing my mother at that turned me off shopping. But I like to look.”

  “I’ve got an idea. Would you like us to have a picnic at Rock Creek Park next Sunday, provided of course that the weather permits? Maybe your dad could join us. I’ll bring everything.”

  “That’s a great idea. You bring everything but the meat. Papa will definitely bring that. Can you get a grill?”

  “There are plenty of grills in the picnic area. Let me know whether your dad likes the idea.”

  “Look at that,” she said in awe as little clouds seemed to chase the moon. “I know it’s an illusion, but the moon seems to be running from the clouds.”

  “Watching the evening sky can use up a lot of your time,” he said. “As a teenager, I spent a lot of time doing that.” They got into his car, and he drove several blocks, double-parked at Timothy’s, and asked her, “What kind of ice cream do you like?”

  “Anything lemony, caramel, or black cherry.”

  He returned a few minutes later with lemon custard ice cream for her and strawberry for himself. “You hold these,” he said. He drove on and after parking in front of the building in which she lived, he reached for the bag.

  “Are we going to eat it here? Why can’t we go inside and eat it in my apartment?”

  “That’s certainly better than eating it here. I wanted some ice cream, but I didn’t want to impose on you.”

  Inside her apartment, she put the ice cream in bowls, and they sat together on her living room sofa, quietly eating. She finished hers first, and rested her head on his shoulder, because it seemed so right. He finished, took the glass bowls to the kitchen, and put them and the spoons in the dishwasher.

  Sitting beside her with his arm around her, he was quiet for a while, and she waited for his cue. “You will encounter Chasten again, Kendra, because he and I frequent the same places, and we have some mutual friends. That’s to be expected, since we were classmates throughout college. Morehouse is known as much for its arrogant men as for its leaders, and Chasten was an ass when he was a freshman. By the time he graduated, he’d become unbearable, at least to me. If you don’t want his company, nothing short of rudeness will work.”

  “I gathered as much.” She did not want to spend precious time talking about Leonard Chasten. “Oops! Did you call your father today? I forgot to call mine.”

  “I did, too. It’s ten-twenty. I’ll leave now, and you can make that call.” He stood, extended his hand to help her up, and gazed down at her with such intensity that shivers plowed through her.

  “Sam, you’ve got to stop doing this to me. When you look at me like—”

  He locked her body to his, parted his lips over hers, and possessed her. “Walk with me to the door, and don’t forget to ask your dad about next Sunday. This time with you has meant a lot to me. My first class is at ten tomorrow, so I’ll call you at eight.” His lips brushed hers. “Sleep well.” With that, she was alone.

  After taking a few minutes to calm her emotions, she dialed her father. “How are you, Papa?”

  “I’m fine. I called you earlier, but I didn’t leave a message. I hate talking to a machine. I’m glad to know you weren’t at home on a Sunday evening. Today was beautiful, something special, but it’s getting colder.”

  “Uh . . . Papa, I was out with a friend. He’s real nice. Next Sunday, he and I are going to picnic in Rock Creek Park, and he told me to ask you if you’d join us.”

  “Did I hear you right? You met a guy who’s willing to drag your old man on a date with you? Times have changed more drastically than I thought.”

  “I met his dad, so he wants to meet mine. I didn’t know anyone who knew him, so he said if I met his dad, I’d be more comfortable with him.”

  “Are you?”

  “I was already comfortable with him, and I was a nervous wreck till I met his father. I liked his dad a lot.”

  “All right. If he wants to meet me, you bet I want to meet him! What does this fellow do for a living?”

  “He teaches at GW, and his father is a lawyer. They’re both down-to-earth. You’ll like Sam.”

  “Is that your fellow’s name?”

  “Yes, sir. Samuel Hayes.”

  “Say! He was on that radio program with you. So that’s how you met. Okay. Sunday’s a good day for me. If he’s got a good grill, I’ll bring along some porterhouse steaks, serrated knives, a bottle of red wine, and a six-pack. We’ll have a feast. What time?”

  “He didn’t say. I’ll let you know tomorrow when I get off from work.”

  “Right. I’ll be there at midnight as usual.”

  “Thanks, Papa.”

  As faithful as the sunrise, Sam called at eight the next morning. “Papa said if you want to meet him, you bet he wants to meet you. He’s bringing porterhouse steaks, serrated knives, a bottle of red wine, and a six-pack; I don’t know what kind,” Kendra told him.

  “He likes beer?”

  “He rarely drinks anything. I suggest you bring whatever you like to drink. What time shall we meet?”

  “I’ll be at your place around eleven. Is that okay?”

  “Great. Kisses.”

  “Kisses to you, too. Talk later.”

  At school, she glanced at the bulletin board on her way to her class in Vocabulary Building and saw a notice that caused her to stop. She had two more days in which to apply for the reporting competition prize which, if she won, could mean six weeks in Egypt or Italy. Making a mental note to speak with Clifton Howell about getting leave from her job if she won, she rushed on to class.

  It seemed to her that she rushed to school, rushed to work, rushed home, rushed to bed, and then got up hurrying to get in as much study as possible befo
re rushing to school and starting the treadmill all over again. Six weeks in which to roam a country she’d never seen before could be a stress remover as well as an education.

  She met Clifton Howell in the hallway as she rushed to her studio. “Good afternoon, Mr. Howell. I have to ask you something one day soon when you have time.”

  “One day soon when I have time? This is as good as any. What do you want to know?” Too bad! She hadn’t planned how she’d ask him, so she said to herself, Out with it, and explained about the competition.

  “I can find a temporary replacement for you,” he said, giving her a steely look, “but what will your fans think? And what if the listeners decide that they prefer your replacement? Never throw away the ball just because you scored a goal. The game continues, and if you want to play, you’ll still need a ball. Let me know what you decide.”

  Well. He couldn’t have been more pointed. He liked her, but if the circumstances warranted, he wouldn’t hesitate to replace her. Lesson for the day: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and nobody is indispensable.

  At her eight o’clock break, Clifton Howell walked into the studio. “You’ve done well as host of this radio program, Kendra,” he said without preliminaries. “Advertising is up and so is the number of listeners. I’d let you go for a month, but six weeks is pushing the envelope. If you win, tell your adviser to call me. Maybe I can work out a deal for one month. Would you object to that?”

  Her concern about keeping her job was on par with her feeling about leaving Sam for a month, when their relationship had barely begun. “That would be a better deal for me, sir. You have been more than considerate and helpful. If it wasn’t for your kindness, I wouldn’t be in school, and I am not going to throw this away for a prize that makes me look good, and which I do not need in order to graduate.”

  He nodded. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. My offer stands. Good night.”

  “Good night, sir.”

  When she walked out of Howell Enterprises’ building a few minutes past midnight that night, her father stood beside his car waiting for her as he usually did.