True Grit

by Bella Knight

  "Woo hoo!" said the usually soft-spoken Vu. Everyone laughed.

  At the end of the week, David rode with Billie and Mishina in the special medical transportation van. The was room for both women, their IVs, and their medicines. David gave them each a tablet. "They have Netflix," he said. The women were absolutely silent as David helped them turn the tablets on, then he showed them how to use Netflix. He put the wireless earbuds in their ears, and soon both women were having fun watching movies.

  They were greeted by --well, everyone on the farm, even the ponies and horses. They day had dawned somewhat warm, so the animals were grazing. The Wolfpack ran out of their house and in front of the horse barn to greet them. Nantan and Chayton struggled to keep up. The Owl Pack stood ready, and Henry and Inola rushed forward to help the technicians move the motorized wheelchairs out of the medical van.

  There were balloons and a “Welcome Home” banner. Billie and Mishina put away their tablets and smiled through their tears. Inside, there were muffins, special applesauce ones for diabetics. Then, they were given a tour of the bottom floor in the house, introduced to their day nurse Micah from the res, and wheeled into the solarium. Vu gave them their afghans, and the Owl Pack surrounded them with quiet questions, and love. David brought in a simple chamomile lavender tea with honey, and a second pot of peppermint tea, and left them to chat.

  Bao finished her Mandarin Chinese lesson. She left early; Hu was sleeping with her kindred sister Grace that night, along with the twins. She went to an off-Strip casino and ordered a small steak and potatoes. Her mother shoved Chinese food down her throat all the time, but she loved living in a cosmopolitan city where she could eat anything she wanted. She was exhausted; she and Mama had the twins while Ivy and Callie took turns going snowboarding. They were beautiful babies, but their constant needs made her glad she no longer had an infant to care for. But still, there was a longing that arose in her heart. She loved children, from their first squalls to the teens in the expanding Nighthawks homeschool. She was getting certification online to teach mathematics, her first love, to the children. This tired her as well as exhilarated her; learning in English was difficult, but not an insurmountable problem. She took out her tablet, and read a Chinese education magazine.

  Bruiser saw Bao through the glass that divided the restaurant from the rest of the casino. He'd seen her teaching; she was smart, funny, and very good with children. He was hungry, and had been looking for someplace to eat. He didn't want to make her nervous, but she could always ask him to leave.

  He went in, waved off the greeter, and went to her table. "Bao," he said, "I saw you as I was walking by."

  "Bruiser," she said. "It is difficult to forget your name."

  He smiled. "My real name is Benicio. My friends call me Nico."

  "Nico," she said, "I just ordered dinner. Would you like to sit?"

  "If I make you uncomfortable..."

  She laughed, a musical, joyous sound. "No," she said. "I have been around children all of the last year. I welcome speaking to an adult."

  He sat, and called over a waitress. "Filet mignon, loaded baked potato, side salad, honey mustard dressing," he said. "And a Coke."

  She smiled warmly at him. "Nearly exactly my order. But, I ordered home fries."

  He smiled. "They put sour cream, butter, and bacon on the baked potato, so I couldn't resist," he said.

  "You know what I do?" he asked.

  "What do you do?"

  "I work in a construction office, and I'm partway through my degree in construction project management," he said.

  "I'm working on a certificate that will let me teach mathematics to the children as well."

  "Bet that will relieve Henry and Callie," said Bruiser. He thanked the server for the Coke, and popped the top on the can and poured it over ice.

  She laughed. "They're pressuring me to do more certificates."

  "How does that work, exactly?" he asked.

  She sipped her iced tea. "You pay for a course; study it on your own, then pay to take a test. It adds onto your teaching credentials. Mine is in bilingual education. I teach Chinese as a second language."

  "Wow!" said Bruiser. "Bet you could make a lot of money teaching at a high-priced private school, or someplace in San Francisco where there are a lot of Chinese people."

  "I also write Mandarin online textbooks, for Chinese learners, and children's stories, primarily translating old stories into kid-friendly language." She smiled and leaned forward. "I'm making a bundle," she said in a stage whisper, then sat back.

  He laughed. "Good for you," he said. "What will you do with the money, other than spend it on more education for yourself?"

  "I missed the whole snowboarding thing the Nighthawks attended. One, I'm too busy, about to take the test. And two, no interest. I mean, zero. I think I'm going to have Killa and Bonnie, and probably Ajai, build me a Harley. Hu is getting old enough to ride on the back with me. So, I could get a trike, or I could get a sidecar."

  "That daughter of yours is a heartbreaker," he said.

  "Thank you," said Bao. "She and Grace are joined at the hip. It's like having twins. Squabbling twins. Hu is learning to tell Grace ‘no,’ and Grace hates that particular word."

  Bruiser laughed, and they were silent as they fell on their salads like starving people. The server took away their plates. "Sidecar sounds good," he said. "But, you can't lean into the turns."

  Bao nodded. "That's fun. Ivy's taken me on her bike. I love the curves."

  "From what I hear, Hu stays with Ivy and Callie a couple days a week."

  "Split custody," said Bao, nodding. "Ivy and Callie took on Hu when I was still in China. Amazing women. The girls became inseparable, so we parent them together."

  "So, why not have the bike be just for you?"

  Bao stared at him, stunned. "That's kind of... anti-Chinese. We're kinda all about the family." She grinned wickedly. "I've been thinking of building my mother a little house in the back, or adding onto the duplex. Make it a triplex. Anyway, I need time as a mom, just me and the kids. Hu gets special time with me, and I'd like that to be just me. First, I can build onto the house, and piss off my mom by getting the Harley. She'd move in out of irritation."

  Bruiser laughed. "My Mamacita sticks to me like glue. My brother Miko died. Drug overdose, got hooked on pain pills after he hurt his back."

  "I'm sorry," said Bao. "My husband took a fall. He was working very far away, trying to earn money for us."

  "That's terrible," said Bruiser. They were quiet as the server dropped off their steaks. Nico ate a piece. "My god," he said, after cutting off and eating a piece of his steak. "Wonderful steak."

  Bao nodded. "I come here when I can get out of sticky mother fingers. My dragon mother runs a Chinese restaurant. I’m glad she works long hours, or she'd be dead by now. Traditional Chinese mothers are called dragon mothers, and they push their daughters toward excellence."

  "Seems like you're already there," said the impressed Nico.

  "I know!" said Bao. "But getting her to stop constantly criticizing me is difficult. She learned it from her mother," said Bao, gesturing with her steak knife. "I get that. But I'm beginning to want to kill her. I definitely need my alone time."

  Nico froze. "I'm sorry, I..."

  Bao stopped him with a look. "I need non-critical adults in my life."

  "I think those are called friends," he said.

  She sighed. "I had good friends in China, but I moved past them, you know? Made it out of the small town, lived hand to mouth. I still write and email, but it's hard. Ivy, Callie and I mostly talk about the girls."

  "You need girlfriends," he said. "Adult ones."

  "Exactly," said Bao.

  "You came to the right place," said Nico. "First of all, I just became a Nighthawk, and got out of the Iron Knights. Those guys can be pretty intense; most are ex-military or adrenaline junkies. I like things a little calmer, these days. Secondly, I have a sister named Lucia. She's wa
rm and friendly. She'll get you hooked up with her eclectic band of friends."

  "Good," said Bao. She smiled. "Want my phone number?"

  "Absolutely," said Nico. He couldn't wipe his fingers and get his phone out of his pocket fast enough.

  They ordered dessert and espresso; apple pie for him, flourless chocolate cake for her. He pulled up a picture of a motorcycle on his cell phone.

  "This is mine," he said, showing her a black and chrome Harley. He took back his phone and pulled up some pictures. "These three are great women's bikes," he said, showing her one in burnt orange, one crimson, and one in a mesmerizing electric blue.

  "This one," she said, pointing to the crimson bike. "Inscribe some Chinese characters on the side, like the ones for energy and change, and it would be amazing."

  He texted the bike picture to Killa to get a quote. "The price will be a bit steep, because Killa and Ghost both rock, but it will be worth it."

  "How about the extension to my duplex?" She called up the house on Google Earth. He stared at it a while, took down the address, and said, "I can come by tomorrow, give you a quote. Since you're sometimes watching Ivy and Callie's new baby, we can install a nursery in your mom's old room, and a playroom in her segment."

  "Bless you," said Bao. "Another excuse to get her to move out. I love her, but I don't want to end up killing her."

  "I feel your pain. The way Mamacita Picado meddles, it's an art form," he said. "Half guilt, half control freak."

  He got a text. "They have one there," he said, stupified. "A crimson one. Some lady ordered it, then her son came home a mess from overseas, and she had to bow out. Killa says they didn't weld on the gas cover. Text her the Chinese characters, and she'll get it done for you. Some guy named Yi does it for them." He snorted. "Didn't think Chinese characters on Harleys would be that popular. Tattoos, yes. But on bikes?" He smiled at the next text. "You get a discount, because she'd already paid for the labor." He held up his phone to show her the price.

  Bao took down Killa's number, and texted her with an “okay.” She was so excited by the text back that she danced in her chair. Nico laughed.

  "They can have it ready by the end of the week."

  "You have the funds that soon?" Nico asked.

  "Absolutely," said Bao, and texted Killa the go-ahead. "Hu's college funds are already locked and loaded."

  "Locked and loaded?" said Nico. "You've been around the Nighthawks too much."

  "No kidding," said Bao. "I need a vacay."

  Nico nodded. "So do I. Saddest damn year of my life, burying my brother. Need to have some fun."

  "Let's go on a ride when I get her," said Bao.

  "You've named the bike, haven't you?" said Nico. He waited until Bao found a picture online, and sent it to Killa.

  "Dragon," said Bao. "You build me that addition, then I get to be the dragon for once." Nico laughed. They set up a time, and Nico walked her to her car. "See you tomorrow," she said.

  He smiled. "Absolutely," he said.

  He knew she worked swing shift, so he took an early lunch the next day and went out to the house. He did a lot of measurements.

  "What do you think?" asked Bao, handing him a sealed coffee cup.

  "Thanks," he said, tasting it. "Wow," he said, "you make great coffee."

  "You learn, being around Ivy," said Bao.

  "I think it's already been graded, and you just need a concrete pad to get started. Then, a simple one-story addition. Kitchen, one and a half baths, bedroom, office, playroom."

  "The office is a nice touch," said Bao.

  He showed her the existing plans, and his addition that was a little smaller than the duplex halves. He showed her his estimate, then said, "I added a thirty percent fudge factor. This kind of thing, you can do a pour, then wait, do framing and the roof, then wait. Then, electrical and pipes, then insulation and Sheetrock. Then, paint, carpet or tile, fixtures, and cabinets. Interior design stuff. Essentially, pay as you go."

  "May have to do that at the end, but I have enough for the first two."

  His eyes goggled. "Even with the Harley?"

  She laughed. "My mother makes a bundle on that restaurant of hers. Wildly popular. Did you think she wouldn't contribute?"

  "I thought you said she wouldn't want to do this." He rubbed his forehead. "Or insinuated it."

  "She will when she sees this plan," Bao said. "Do it, now. How much is the first segment? The pour?" He quoted her a price. "Let's go do a money transfer," she said. "My bank branch is just around the corner."

  He sent a text to his business partner, Tito. “We need a pour. Adding onto Bao's house, the side of the duplex opposite Ivy and Callie.” He sent the plan he'd drawn up at two in the morning, the night before.

  “Doable,” texted back Tito. “Can start the pour in two days. I will set it up now.”

  “Getting a money transfer for everything through framing and the roof,” texted Nico.

  “Good. Framers were getting antsy about work. So were the roofers --just did the Admiralty Road house, and nothing on the books until March for them.” Nico could practically hear Tito's sigh of relief.

  “On my way to get the money,” Nico texted, walking with Bao to the bank.

  “You are my best bud,” texted Tito. Nico laughed.

  They banged out the pour at the end of the next day, after Nico swung back to get Callie and Ivy's approval. They did more than approve, they gushed.

  "Dragon Mama's starting to make me want to kill her, too," complained Ivy. "She tells me one more time how to hold the babies, she's dragon toast." Nico laughed.

  Callie nodded. "Dragon Mama's trying to tell me how to teach Hu. I. Am. A. Teacher. My actual job." She burped Aiden, then handed him to Ivy.

  She took Kiya, and popped a bottle in her mouth. Ivy took Aiden and put him in his bouncy chair. He squealed with laughter and tried to eat his fingers.

  "I've got an electronic form here. If you can both sign," said Nico. Both women signed with their fingers on his tablet. He said, "Great! Gotta go." He and Bao got out quickly before getting ensnared by baby love, and before the girls went out of their room and started to bother Bao.

  Bao said, "Want some lunch? I'm buying."

  "Gotta get this pour rocking," said Nico. "I barely have time for Sonic."

  "Sonic it is," said Bao.

  He put her on the back of his bike; she had been so excited that she had bought a helmet and full leathers that morning. They had chicken strips, fries, and chocolate shakes, and laughed until Nico realized he had to be in a meeting. He dropped her off, and praised his good fortune all the way back to the office.

  Tito, the concrete guys, and the roofer, were all at the office. They clapped and cheered when he walked in, and plied him with Coke. Tito had been busy; he put the plans onto blueprints.

  "Bobbi got the original plans from the city, so it's to scale," he said, and rolled them out.

  "I love you," said Nico. Everyone laughed.

  The concrete guys headed over to get supplies and prep the pour, and the framers calculated what they needed and headed out as well.

  "Those guys are way too excited," said Nico, as he finished his Coke, crushed the can, and did a perfect three-pointer into the recycling bin. "They're liable to go over and frame while the concrete is still not cured."

  "That's why the pour is tonight," said Tito. "Got the lights. Oscar will bring over the generator, set it up. Wind is calm; be good to do it before they freeze their balls off."

  "Alrighty then," said Nico. "Let's get some other shit done. How's the Admiralty Road situation?"

  They were rehabbing a huge home, a complex-owned basketball court next door; infuriating the owner with the sound of dribbling basketballs day and night. They needed soundproofing for the basketball court, the tennis court behind it, and their sixteen-year-old son's rock group. They also added onto the house, with a game room for the teens and a huge office for the mother; a tycoon who bought, sold, and traded slot m
achines for a living. The dad painted, so a painting studio got tacked onto the plans. They were working on interiors.

  Tito caught him up on the project. "Jack's got the studio windows in. The dad loves it, says it has 'perfect light,' whatever that means."

  "South-facing windows," said Nico. "More light for more of the day."

  "Oh-kay. Well, we've got the game room painted, lots of Smurf cable for the electronics." Electronics cable was blue, hence the name. "The boys are pushing for a wet bar, but the mama said no. Got them the little refrigerators; two, one in each corner. Pool table, foosball, the gaming systems will all be set up by tomorrow. The futons are going in today, plus the beanbag chairs."

  "You know one or both of them will move in," said Nico. "Those futons are a siren song to teens."

  "Absolutely," said Tito. "So, almost done. Let's get the rest of this plan for this addition up and running. You said this is for Bao's mom?"

  "She's apparently become a hyper-controlling dragon mother," said Nico. "We need to make this as inviting for a Chinese dragon mama as it can be."

  Tito smiled. "Let's call Yi."

  "The guy that paints Chinese characters on bikes?"

  "One and the same." He held up a hand. "Don't get it, not my jungle, not my monkeys. Anyhoo, he's an expert on Chinese Feng Shui. He'll make Dragon Mama feel serenity, get her off her daughter's back."

  "Feng... oh, the Chinese interior decorating for luck."

  "I'll send him the plans," said Tito. "Be a bitch to have to reframe the doors if they were the wrong way on the dragon's back." At Nico's blank stare, he said, "The world lays on the back of a dragon."

  "Alrighty then," said Nico. They both smiled. Tito sent the plans and photos of the site to Yi, then called him to position the addition on the correct spot of the dragon's back.

  "New life brings joy, peace, love, and sometimes heartache.”

  4

  Letting Go