The Ring

by Florence Osmund

  Her mother leaned in just as far. “When are you going to get it through your thick skull that we both have to work to support ourselves. The free lunch we had with your father is in the past. Gone. Over. No more. You’re almost thirty years old. You have this beautiful child here to raise. Time to grow up, Jess.”

  Jessivel scrutinized her mother’s face, then bored into it with her stare.

  “Are you done eating?” she asked Kayla.

  “No.”

  “Well, hurry up. We have to take Nana home.”

  “I’m sorry you don’t see it my way, Jess,” her mother said. “But it’s reality, and apparently you need it shoved in your face in order for you to get it.” Her scolding tone still held a level of concern. She turned to Kayla. “Kayla, dear, would you mind going to the restroom and washing your hands while I talk with your mother alone for a minute?”

  “But I’m not—”

  “Just go, please.”

  Jessivel’s mother continued. “You may as well hear this from me. And I’m not going to repeat it…ever again. I don’t know how much your father really loved us, but he did put a roof over our heads and food on our table. He pretended we were a family because he felt obligated to do so. His real family lived in a big house in Lakeview—Paige’s mother’s house now. We were something on the side he took care of so he wouldn’t feel guilty or be exposed. The sooner you realize this and get over him, Jess, the better. And the sooner you grow up and be the responsible adult I know you can be, the better. You deserve it. Kayla deserves it. And I deserve it. I’m fifty-one years old and do house cleaning for a living. I can’t support a family. You have to support yourself.”

  Kayla returned, leaving Jessivel no opportunity to respond the way she wanted.

  The ride back to the Perlman home was a silent affair.

  Chapter 37

  “I’m not a child, Paige,” said Natalie. “I think I can handle doing a few things for Mom now and again.”

  Paige’s mother had strong feelings about having Natalie take care of her—as opposed to some stranger. But Paige had her doubts that Natalie could carry it off.

  “It’s more than that, Nat. She has to take her medications at the right time, she has at-home physical therapy, doctor’s appointments, a strict diet. She may need help getting dressed, taking a bath.”

  “So? I can do all that. Contrary to your beliefs, I’m not inept.”

  “Have you given any more thought to getting yourself weaned off your meds, alcohol?”

  “Believe it or not, I have. Can you give me the name of that doctor you talked about?”

  Shocked at Natalie’s response, Paige grabbed a scrap of paper, wrote down the name and number of the doctor she’d found, and handed it to her.

  “Can we agree on something, Natalie?”

  “What’s that?”

  “When Mom comes home, if you’re ever at a point where you can’t take care of her, will you call me?”

  “And just why would you think I might not be able to take care of her?”

  “You know what I mean. Too strung out on meds, alcohol, whatever—”

  “How will I know?” she said laughing. “I’d be too strung out to—”

  “That would be funny if it weren’t so true.”

  “I’m getting help, what more do you want from me?”

  “It’s a start.”

  “You know her past,” Paige said to her mother the next day. “She’s an addict, and now she’s pregnant. She’s agreed to get help, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to be cured in a week and fully able to take care of you.”

  “You talk like I’m some sort of invalid. I don’t need help...not that much.”

  “They’re releasing you tomorrow. Natalie’s first appointment with Dr. Gibbs isn’t until Friday. I have to tell you, I’m nervous about this whole thing.”

  “You’re nervous over nothing. I’m sure Natalie and I will get along just fine. Maybe all it will take for her to turn things around for herself is being home, with me.”

  Paige changed the subject, not at all convinced of her mother’s analysis.

  “Do you remember a teddy bear Dad brought home from one of his trips? The one Natalie ended up with.”

  “No.”

  “You don’t remember? Natalie found it in his suitcase and started playing with it, and he got mad at her. Caused quite a commotion.”

  “What time tomorrow?”

  “What time tomorrow for what?”

  “Will I be released.”

  “Morning, I think. I’ll have to check with the nurse. You don’t remember the teddy bear?”

  “I said I didn’t. Why do you keep bringing it up? Can you check with them now?”

  “Check with who about what?”

  “What time I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  Paige asked at the nurses’ station, then went back to her mother’s room to let her know she’d be back at noon the next day to take her home.

  “What do you think?” Peter asked Paige.

  “I don’t know. You’ve taken me by surprise here.”

  Peter Alexander, owner of the strip mall where Paige leased her office space, had informed her that he and his wife were retiring to Boca and planned to put the property up for sale. He’d told her the asking price and wanted to know if she had any interest in buying it.

  “What do you think of the price?” he asked.

  “It doesn’t seem to be too far out of the ballpark, but I’ll have to pull comps and study the rent roll you gave me.”

  “No vacancies. That’s a plus. And no one is in arrears.”

  “I know. But I’d still have to do my due diligence.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll give you two weeks. Then I’m going to make it public.”

  “What about the other tenants? Do they know?”

  “They will tomorrow, but you’re the only one I’m meeting with prior to the announcement.”

  “Will you let me know if any of them are interested?”

  “I highly doubt they will be, but sure, I’ll let you know.”

  When they shook hands, he gave her a look she often got after shaking a man’s hand—one of surprise that it wasn’t your typical female handshake that instantly slips away as if it had never happened.

  “You know the history behind the handshake, don’t you?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “It dates back to ancient Egypt. An open right hand was used by men to show they weren’t carrying a weapon.”

  “Really.”

  “I’m glad you’re not carrying a weapon,” he said through a smile. “I would never want to mess with you.”

  Paige contemplated the deal. She had the money to invest in it, but so much needed to be taken into consideration before making such a decision—leases analyses, taxes, mortgage rates, the condition of the building in general and of the other tenant spaces. He had priced it well, and the location was good, not only for her business but for the others as well—close to public transportation, ample parking, high visibility from the street. She considered the other tenants—a sandwich shop, optometrist, pet store, currency exchange, nail salon, and a Catholic Charities resale shop. Lots to think about.

  She spent time reviewing her assistant Olivia’s proposal on new transaction software before leaving the office for home. She had nothing planned for the evening except to rest up for the next day when she brought her mother home.

  Paige awoke from a deep sleep to the sound of “Bohemian Rhapsody” emanating from her phone.

  “Where does Mom keep the friggin’ spare key?”

  “What?” Paige asked half-awake.

  “The spare key. Where is it?”

  “Natalie?”

  “Who else would be calling you at two in the morning looking for Mom’s key? Yes, it’s me!” Natalie’s slurred speech could mean only one thing.

  “Where’s your key?”

  “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be calling you, no
w would I?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m standing outside Mom’s door, ready to piss my pants if I don’t get inside soon. Where does she hide the spare key?”

  “You have her spare key. Remember? That’s how you got in in the first place.”

  “Can you just come here and let me in?”

  “It’s two in the morning, Natalie. Where have you been?”

  “I know it’s two in the morning. I just told you that. Okay, I can’t hold it any longer. I’m going to pee on her front lawn.”

  “Please don’t do that. Natalie? Natalie!”

  Paige waited for Natalie to come back on the phone.

  “Now can you come?”

  “I’ll be there in a half hour.”

  “Drive fast. It’s cold out here.”

  Paige threw on a long coat over her t-shirt and sweatpants, grabbed her keys, and jumped in her year-old BMW, grumbling about her sister as she wound her way down Clark Street toward her mother’s home.

  “Damn that Natalie,” she said aloud over the female singer on the radio. The day was going to be hard enough dealing with her mother’s release without sleep deprivation thrown in.

  When she arrived twenty minutes later, Natalie was sitting on the front stoop of the brownstone, her knees tucked up into her arms.

  “Took you long enough.”

  Paige opened the front door without saying a word. Natalie followed.

  “You’re not going to lecture me?” Natalie asked.

  Paige turned around to face her.

  “Where have you been?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Where is Mom’s key?”

  Natalie shrugged.

  “Well, you had better find it or Mom is going to have to pay to have the lock changed.”

  “I lost it.”

  “Where?”

  “Somewhere between here and where I went. Does that help?” Natalie snapped at her as she walked toward the stairs.

  “You know, Mom needs someone more responsible than you to take care of her. Maybe I should hire a nursemaid for the both of you and be done with it.”

  “Go ahead, Miss Perfect. Whatever makes you geel food.”

  “You can’t even talk. Are you drunk or high on meds?”

  “Both, know-it-all.”

  “I hate you right now,” Paige mumbled.

  “Love you too, big sister,” Natalie shouted.

  “Nothing wrong with your hearing, I see. At least that’s working!”

  “You can go now.”

  Paige glanced at the mantle clock. Three-fifteen. With any luck, she would be able to fall back asleep for a few hours before heading to the rehab facility.

  She walked out the front door, ignoring the loud thump that echoed from the second floor.

  “Can’t get out of here fast enough,” Paige’s mother said after signing the release papers. “Goodbye and good riddance.”

  “Seems to me they treated you rather well here, Mom. You look a hundred percent better than when you arrived.”

  “I didn’t say they didn’t treat me well. I just can’t wait to get out. Go home. Sleep in my own bed. Have an old fashioned, if I feel like it. In the middle of the day, if I want. Let’s go.”

  In the car, her mother asked about Natalie. Paige chose her words carefully.

  “She needs help, Mom. I gave her the name of a doctor who specializes in drug-related pregnancy cases, but I’m not sure if she called him. I told her I’d pay for it.”

  “I’ll pay for it. You shouldn’t have to. She has to go for the baby’s sake.”

  “Exactly. The fact that I had to convince her that she had to get medical attention is, well, beyond irresponsible. I don’t know if she’s that ignorant of the importance of seeing a doctor, or her brain isn’t working right, or she just doesn’t care.”

  “You’re being a little hard on her, don’t you think? She just needs a little guidance.”

  “She needs more than that. Just look at her!”

  “I will when we get home.”

  “The drugs are affecting her brain, her thinking. She needs to get off them.”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “Well, I don’t want to see her ending up having a ‘drug baby’.”

  Her mother turned her head sharply toward Paige. “You think I do?”

  “You’re downplaying her problem.”

  “I’m supporting her. You’re turning against her,” her mother said.

  “No, I’m not. I’m trying to help her. Don’t you see that?”

  Her mother’s tight lips told her she probably shouldn’t go any further.

  “If you become her enabler, there will be no hope for her. Tough love, Mom. That’s what she needs.”

  “Just plain love is what she needs.”

  “And you’re going to need help when you get home. How is she going to help you if she can’t even help herself?”

  “I don’t need any help, so that’s not a problem.”

  “Mom, I watched you walk from the rehab place to the car. You’re not that steady on your feet, even with the cane.”

  “You just got done saying I looked one hundred percent better.”

  “Well…you had a long way to go.”

  “Try being cooped up in that place for as long as I was, and we’ll see how you walk. Anyway, they wouldn’t have released me if they thought I couldn’t take care of myself.”

  “And take care of Natalie too?”

  “She’ll be fine. Don’t be such a worrywart.”

  “Would you like to know what she did last night?”

  “Not really. But I think you’re about to tell me anyway.”

  “She called me at two in the morning, drunk, locked out of your house. She wouldn’t tell me where she’d been. Doesn’t know where your spare key is. We’re going to have to call someone to change the lock on your front door. God only knows who has her key.”

  “You’ve never lost anything in your life? I’ll call a locksmith. No big deal.”

  “She peed on your lawn, Mom.”

  “Poor thing.”

  Paige continued the drive in silence, frustrated with her mother, convinced something bad would come out of Natalie living with her but not knowing how to change that course of events without upsetting the two of them.

  Chapter 38

  “Paige, this is Jessivel, and I need your help.”

  She had been vacillating between forgetting about Paige altogether and giving her another try. Desperation led her into calling her.

  “Okay…what is it?”

  “I screwed up, big time, yelling at you at The Coffee Bean, and now I can’t find another job. I stand to lose my apartment if I don’t find work, and then Kayla and I will be homeless…again.” She struggled to hold back the tears.

  “Are you looking for another barista job?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where have you looked so far?”

  “I went to Goodwill Industries, like you suggested, but that didn’t work out.”

  “No? Did they tell you about the opening at The Daily Grind?”

  “They did, but it was already filled, and it was only part-time anyway.”

  “Have you tried any online job-search sites?”

  “I don’t have a computer.”

  “They have free ones you can use at the library.”

  “To be honest, except for what I had to do in high school, I’m not very good on a computer. I’ve been on social media before but not for years, Craigslist once, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  She had to wait a few long seconds before hearing Paige reply.

  “I have an older laptop I don’t use anymore. You may have it, if you like.”

  The Internet intimidated Jessivel. She had struggled using it in school and since then had avoided it as much as possible.

  “That would be…great.”

  “You’re hesitating.”

  “I
’m not very good on the Internet.”

  “I could bring over the laptop later today and help you with it if you want.”

  “Okay,” Jessivel said, horrified that Paige would see her apartment, how she lived. She gave her the address, agreed upon a time, and then ended the call.

  Jessivel peeked into Kayla’s room, shrugged off the messiness, and spent some time tidying up the rest of her apartment. When she had done everything possible to make the place look decent, she plopped herself down and waited for Paige’s arrival.

  The harsh sound of the door buzzer caused Jessivel to jump. She fingered her father’s ring on the chain around her neck before slipping it inside her shirt on her way to the door.

  Paige wore jeans and a simple top—something Jessivel figured she had chosen to dress down for the occasion, down to her level.

  They smiled at each other, awkwardly, before Jessivel took a step backward.

  “Come on in,” she said. She led Paige to the small kitchen table. “We can set up the laptop here. Would you like a cup of coffee or something?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve got water in my bag.”

  Jessivel watched as Paige turned on the laptop and started clicking away.

  “I like this site for job opportunities. It’s called Job Find, and it works well both for job seekers and employers.”

  She scooted closer to Jessivel. “This site is pretty easy to navigate. Here’s their main page.”

  “Can I be honest with you?” Jessivel asked.

  “Sure.”

  “I’m not really following you. You’re so fast on this thing.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it. I’ll write down each step, and if you get stuck, you can call me. Or get help from your daughter. Kids seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to electronics. After you’ve used it a couple of times, you’ll be fine.”

  “If you say so.”

  “So, here is where you type in the job you’re looking for. Barista, right?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “And you want to stay in Chicago, right?”

  “Yes. Not too far from here.”