“Well, that brings me to my main point. I will need someone to head up the program once I receive funding for it. It would be an administrative position, requiring a person with good organizational skills and someone who wouldn’t be shy about working with the inmates. You’d be amazed how many people are afraid to even drive by the facility, much less come in. There will be a good salary and, of course, all of the benefits the State allows. The only problem right now is, I don’t know when exactly the funding for the program will come through. I do know that it is being considered for this year’s budget, though, which should be decided on by no later than the first of July. I want you to be the administrator of this new program, Lara, if you think you would be interested.”
Lara stopped chewing and put her fork back on the plate, not sure she had heard Miriam correctly. “Did you say you want me to head up the program?”
“That’s right. I know what a terrific job you did for the college, and I have already seen how you handle yourself around the inmates. I also know how the inmates feel about you. As far as I am concerned, you are perfect for what I have in mind. You would report directly to me, and believe me, I would give you all the support – financial or otherwise – you needed.”
Lara shook her head. “Oh, Miriam. I really appreciate your vote of confidence, even more than I can say, but things are a bit complicated right now.”
“They always are.” Miriam thought back to the last time she stopped for fresh produce on her way home from work and Ed Johnson’s offhanded comment about the young woman who worked at the college. She couldn’t help but notice that Lara wasn’t wearing her wedding ring. She wondered if Lara was the young woman who had lost her baby and was going through a divorce, and those were the complications she was referring to. Every time Miriam had been around her, she had always put up a brave front. But Miriam sensed a sadness there. That might even be the reason her girls at Braden seemed to like her so much.
“You see, I have been talking to some friends about starting our own cleaning business. I have no idea if it will work or not, but at the moment, it seems like something I should try.”
Miriam nodded. “Listen, you don’t have to make a decision about what I am offering you yet. I am sure your emotions are running high right now with the suddenness of the college closing – and all.” She paused, gauging Lara’s reaction. This wasn’t the time to ask about her personal life. Besides, it wasn’t any of her business. “You need time to let things settle down. Just think about it as you consider all your options. Then, once the funding comes through we can talk again. Maybe by then you will know if the cleaning business is something you want to do. How does that sound?”
“Thank you.” Lara took a deep breath and drank some tea, afraid she would start bawling. She was so grateful for Miriam’s kindness. Things would work out. But for now, she needed to stay focused on one thing at a time. She would get the Maids going and then see how she felt.
* * *
Leona’s friends, Jeanie and Ralph, had been more than happy to take her in. They never liked Jake to begin with. They thought he was loud, vulgar, and too full of himself. The times they had invited him and Leona over for drinks and dinner, he had drunk too much and had become somewhat obnoxious – not to mention boring. Leona had tried to cover it up, but it was pretty evident to her friends: Jake had no class. Within a couple of hours after Leona’s arrival, Ralph had gotten hold of the family physician, the police, and another attorney in Ralph’s firm; and all of them came to the house within minutes of each other. There were enough photographs made of Leona’s cuts and bruises to fill a truck. A warrant would be issued for Jake’s arrest, and the lawyer from Ralph’s firm would file the necessary papers for an immediate divorce. Before leaving, Leona’s doctor gave her a sedative and sent her to bed where she slept on and off until the next day.
The following morning, using Jeanie and Ralph’s guest bedroom as her command post, Leona started making her own phone calls. Even though her head felt like it was swollen the size of a basketball and every joint in her body ached, she was determined to start getting some things accomplished. She first called the manager of where she did her banking. She had to call him at home, but it didn’t matter. This was an emergency. She wanted that checking account that she had opened up in Jake’s name when they first got married closed and all the money in it transferred to her own personal checking account. And she wanted it done immediately. He assured her that he would personally take care of it.
Next she called a man who had worked for her family for years as a handyman. She wanted all the locks changed on the house. Until she was able to get everything she owned out of there, she didn’t want Jake anywhere near her things. Then she contacted the Caldwell family, specifically Mark Pearson, and invited him over for a “discussion of an urgent nature.” When Mark got there soon after noon, Leona wasted no time in telling him exactly what kind of employee he had working for his family. And if he didn’t take immediate measures to get rid of Jake’s ass, she might even find Mark partially responsible for her situation in a law suit. Not only that, she would make sure that Evelyn, Louise, and Margaret knew just what kind of man was running their business and destroying their reputations besides. When Mark left, Leona had no doubt that Jake would soon be joining the ranks of the unemployed.
Leona’s threats were unnecessary. Mark in particular hadn’t been happy with the way Jake had been taking care of business matters. He took unnecessary risks, and he couldn’t seem to finish up a task, instead jumping from one thing to another and getting involved in things that should have been left up to his men who were more than qualified to get the job done. And he especially didn’t like the rumors he was hearing regarding Jake’s abusive behavior leading up to Lara’s divorce. Now, seeing Leona and listening to her accusations against Jake, there was no question that Jake had become a liability to the company and to the Caldwell family. They just couldn’t afford to have him around.
On his way back into town, Mark called Stanley and explained the situation. Stanley agreed with Mark that they needed to get rid of Jake as soon as possible, and Mark should be the one to do it. Mark then tried calling Jake on his cell phone. Either he was out of range, or he wasn’t answering. With no luck after the third try, he redialed, this time reaching the office to find out if anyone there knew where Jake was. The secretary told him that he had called to say he had a family emergency, and that he wouldn’t be in. Leona had already filed a complaint with the police department, so they would be out looking for him with a warrant for his arrest. This time he dialed the police department and asked for Captain Blake.
“Ron, this is Mark Caldwell. How is everything?”
“Just fine, Mark. Can’t complain. What can I do for you?”
“I understand you have a warrant out for Jake Kruger’s arrest. Will you let me know when you pick him up?”
“I’ll be glad to. I’ve got an officer on it now, so, hopefully, it won’t be too long.” Mark heard him sigh. “He really did a number on Leona Walker.”
“Yeah, I just talked to her. I wouldn’t mind if once Jake gets picked up, he stays in jail. You know what I mean?”
“Sure do. I’m not too big on a man who beats up on defenseless women either.”
“Thanks, Ron.”
He had one more call to make, and that was to the attorney who handled all of the personnel matters within the company. Mark wanted to make sure that under no circumstances was Jake going to get any legal assistance at the expense of Caldwell AgriServices. He had already cost them enough.
At this point, there was nothing else Mark could do. He would wait until he heard something from Ron. One thing was for certain, he wanted Jake off the streets before anyone else got hurt.
* * *
Jake spent another full day driving around town and calling people listed in Leona’s address book. No one knew where Leona was; either that, or they simply weren’t saying. So far all he had gotten were strange lo
oks and the brush-off. He knew that by now Mark was probably wondering where he was and what was going on. He would have to check in and take care of the things that he had left hanging. He had no idea what he would tell Mark and the others. One thing was certain; he would have to come up with something believable. The Caldwells weren’t going to let him get off this time like they had with Lara.
He had driven to Nashville, a little town just east of Rocky Mount, on the chance that Leona had gone there to visit her relative – a half cousin he thought who lived there. But he didn’t have any more success there than he had in Rocky Mount. The woman had acted like she didn’t even know who Leona was, much less who Jake was. He felt like an idiot. It was getting dark and he needed a good night’s sleep if he was going to get any work done the next day. Maybe she would come home on her own after she got over being angry.
It took him another forty-five minutes to drive home, and when he got there he couldn’t seem to find the right key to unlock the door. After several attempts, he realized what it was: Leona had apparently gotten the locks changed. Now, unable to get in his house, and with no where else to go, he drove out to Old Town Farm. At least he could sleep there. In fact he even had some of his clothes there. If he needed to, he could spend several nights there, at least until he got this mess cleared up with Leona.
He had no sooner fallen into bed and turned off the light when he heard a loud banging on the front door of the old house. Half asleep, he thought the old ladies of the Historical Society had come back. Cursing, he turned the light back on and impatiently yanked on his pants.
“Open up, Jake.” He recognized the voice. It was Glen Creighton, one of the cops he had hired to keep a watch on Lara during his off-duty hours.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jake asked.
“You’ll have to come downtown with me.” The cop moved forward, blocking any entry or exit of the front door.
“What are you talking about? Look, Creighton, I’ve had a bad couple of days. I’m trying to get a little sleep. We’ll talk about this in the morning.” Jake started to shut the door.
The cop grabbed Jake by the arm. “I’m afraid we’ll have to talk about it tonight, Mr. Kruger. Now, you can go like you are, or you can put some shoes on and a shirt. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”
The fact that Creighton had called him Mr. Kruger instead of Jake didn’t go unnoticed; that and the fact that the cop was a lot bigger than Jake. As mad and tired as he was, Jake knew he wasn’t going to win this one. He found his shoes where he had dropped them in the living room and put his shirt back on. The cop then put handcuffs on him and led him to the patrol car.
“Tell me what this is all about,” Jake repeated.
“They’ll have to tell you downtown. I’m just supposed to find you.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE NEXT DAY during lunch Lara took Darnell’s grandmother, Bulah Tilden, and little Prissy to see Darnell at the women’s detention center where she would have to stay until after her trial. It was a little difficult getting the old woman in and out of the car, and Lara didn’t have a whole lot of time to spare. But she was determined to do it, and the Maids had agreed that it was important for Lara to have this time off from cleaning houses, for Prissy’s sake. They were fully capable of managing without her for a while, and she could meet them later.
It was a happy time under the circumstances, especially for Darnell. Prissy simply wanted to go, just so long as it involved riding in “LaLa’s” car. The grandmother seemed to accept the situation with little or no comment except when they first arrived. “By the unquenchable fire we are to understand the fire which shall burn the body; by the never-dying worm, the worm of conscience, which shall eternally gnaw the soul. This hell is called a prison,” was how Mrs. Tilden greeted Darnell. Lara was mortified, but Darnell seemed to take it in stride. Apparently she was used to it.
Lara stayed in the background as much as possible during the visit, not wanting to intrude. She also watched the little girl who had so much love to give. There was no doubt that Prissy was a special child. Lara worried about what would happen to her.
Lara also knew how difficult it was for Darnel. She looked pale and thin. Her anxiety over the up-coming trial had exhausted her both physically and emotionally.
Before it was time for them to leave, Darnell sought Lara out, wanting to talk. Lara tried to steer the conversation to when Darnell would be released. There was still a chance her lawyer would be able to work out some sort of plea deal. Whenever she got out, there would be a job waiting for her if she wanted it with the Maids of Honor, that ragtag bunch of social misfits and survivors of life whom Lara had grown to love.
“How does that one-armed guy do work?” Darnell asked abruptly.
“Jimmy?” He runs the vacuum cleaner and floor polisher,” answered Lara. “And Doc, even though he is confined to a wheelchair, empties all of the trash cans and dusts. We’ve only been working together for a few days, but so far there haven’t been any problems. Everyone works well together.”
A little later Darnell surprised Lara by suddenly asking, “And you think you’ll make enough money for all of you to get by on? Doc, Jimmy, Randall, Tyree, and Beth?”
Lara was glad that Darnell was showing interest in the Maids. “We will make enough. If anything, we’ll have to turn down jobs so we don’t over-commit ourselves.
“Doc and Jimmy always call Randall ‘the Colonel,’” Lara continued, laughing. She wanted Darnell to understand how well they all got along. “They all served in VietNam together. They were from the same Division at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Soon after the war, Randall retired from the service and moved to Rocky Mount and started living at the YMCA. Jimmy and Doc later followed Randall and got some rooms there as well. Apparently Jimmy and Doc couldn’t quite make the adjustment back into society. So Randall kept taking care of them, just as he had during the war. He got work for them to do through the Veterans Health Administration – things like stuffing envelopes and putting together mailings, or fixing small appliances. They were capable of doing anything just so long as they did it in their rooms.”
“What about Randall – the Colonel?” asked Darnell. “Why didn’t he get a regular job instead of just hanging out like that?”
“So much had happened to them – both in VietNam and after they got home to the States. Randall was angry. He was angry at society for turning its back on the VietNam veterans, for not offering to do more to help those who really needed it; and he was angry at those in the government who said he and his buddies should never have fought in the war to begin with.” Lara suspected there was a broken marriage in all of that anger as well, but she didn’t know. Randall had never talked about it.
“I can dig that.”
“They are good men, Darnell. I admire them a great deal.” Then Lara added, “You’ll like them too when you meet them.” Lara hoped Darnell would add something, but she didn’t. She simply refused to talk about her own plans for the future, and it worried Lara. Instead, Darnell turned her head. Once again she closed herself off to Lara, disappearing somewhere beyond Lara’s reach. It was time to go. Lara needed to take Mrs. Tilden and Prissy home, and the Maids were waiting for her. She had told the others she would meet them at the residence they had scheduled for that afternoon.
Actually, the business had started off extremely well. Immediately after deciding to become the Maids of Honor in Lara’s kitchen, Lara contacted Mrs. Dunn, Carole’s neighbor. Not only did she hire the Maids, she got hold of several of her friends who hired them as well. All of them wanted to be scheduled immediately. In addition, Mrs. Dunn’s husband wanted them to clean his office located downtown in the evenings. As a result, they got several other cleaning jobs not only in the same building, but in buildings located nearby. In just a few days, they had already written up enough contracts on regularly-scheduled weekly jobs that would keep them busy for the next year.
Carole and
Bob hadn’t objected to Beth’s working as a maid as much as Lara feared they would. In fact, they seemed relieved that Beth was finally focused and enthusiastic about something. They had battled with her for so long over college.
Tyree, true to his word, produced a new, bright yellow van, complete with air conditioning, a stereo sound system that could vibrate Lara’s tooth fillings and bring tears to her eyes, a special lift for Doc and his wheelchair, and large enough to transport the six-member team and their equipment. No one asked Tyree where he got it. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding among the others that it would have been an insult to Tyree if they had asked.
Doc and Jimmy were always in tandem, as though physically connected. Quiet like Randall, they spoke very little, choosing to express their thoughts and feelings in other ways – hand gestures, shrugs, and knowing looks that only the two of them seemed to understand. Tyree and Beth accepted their strange behavior without question. However, Lara occasionally found it a little disconcerting to find that Doc had silently rolled up behind her when she hadn’t realized anyone was there. Jimmy went around with his head cocked at a peculiar angle, as though listening to something no one else could hear. Sudden noises, especially loud ones, disturbed him tremendously. But Randall was always close by to calm him and to once again restore order. Both men worked hard, and even though they never said so, she knew they enjoyed being a part of the Maids.
Lara had thought she would have to use all of her savings, what little bit she had, to purchase the equipment and supplies they would need to get started. But Doc, Jimmy, and Randall insisted on paying for everything needed. They had their pensions from the government, and were more than happy to spend some of it. Since Beth’s father did what legal work they needed pro bono, there was only one thing left that Lara wanted to do. The morning they were to start their first job, they all met at Lara’s house. It was then that she presented them each with a uniform – a tee-shirt with “Maids of Honor” printed on the front. She had seven shirts printed up for each of them, a clean one for each day of the week. She wasn’t sure if Doc would wear his. She had only seen him wearing his camouflage fatigues. But along with all the others he put on his new shirt – the shirt and the dark paint on his face.
Gospel According to Prissy Page 17