“Oh,” Peter whispered to Andrew, feeling starstruck, and as Tyla looked at her more closely, she recognized her too. It was the same woman she’d seen in the yoga class, although Andrew didn’t believe her.
“I’m Meredith,” she said easily. “Do you all have the tools you need to turn your gas off?”
“I don’t,” Joel said, standing in his bathrobe. “Does anyone have a joint? I’d much rather have that than a wrench. Or a drink?” They all laughed, and Ava looked embarrassed to be standing in a terrycloth robe with nothing under it. You couldn’t see anything, but she knew, and Joel loved it. Meredith spoke to Will and Daphne then, and Daphne told her about her doll named Martha who was still inside on her bed. She looked worried about it, with her little brow furrowed, and her long dark pigtails with bows on them.
“I’m sure she’s okay, if she’s on your bed,” Meredith said with a gentle smile. “She’s probably sleeping.” Debbie and Jack were watching the entire group from a little distance with a look of displeasure. They seemed awkward and out of place, and didn’t mingle with the others. They kept their eyes on Meredith, as though she had escaped from jail, and they were eager to get her into custody again, but weren’t sure how to do it without creating a scene. Only Arthur, who couldn’t see her, and Joel and Ava seemed to have no idea who she was. Andrew and Tyla and Peter were stunned to be talking to Meredith White on the sidewalk, like any ordinary mortal. She didn’t act like a recluse. She seemed like a very normal woman, and Daphne was smiling at her. Andrew said regretfully that he had to get to the hospital soon. He was enjoying talking to Peter and Joel, and he knew now who Joel was too, the current king of the high-tech startup world, and Ava was very nice to look at. She had long dark hair cascading down her back, and even the terrycloth bathrobe couldn’t hide her figure. She kept having to tie the belt tighter to keep the robe from opening and revealing too much. Peter couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He was even more fascinated by her than the famous movie star. It was turning into a very exciting night.
“I can’t supply a joint,” Meredith said, smiling at Joel, in response to what he’d said, “but I can offer you all a drink and something to eat at my place. We’ve got plenty of bedrooms if you’d like to spend the night. I mean the offer. Things may continue to shift and fall through the night, and my house is built like a fortress.” It was the only stone house on the block. “You’re more than welcome to come in. We’ve got an emergency generator, so we’ll have some light.”
“We’d love it,” Joel said for both of them. It sounded like a party to him. And he was intrigued to see the inside of Meredith’s home. Andrew liked the idea too. Daphne was holding Meredith’s hand, and Tyla smiled shyly. They all looked grateful and relieved by her offer. Debbie and Jack looked horrified and exchanged a glance. The last thing they wanted was a horde of strangers coming in, and having to watch them to make sure that they didn’t steal anything while they were there, or take photographs, which wasn’t allowed. Suppliers had to sign a confidentiality agreement just to make deliveries. And now she was inviting strangers in. Debbie rolled her eyes at Jack. Meredith wasn’t in the least worried about her neighbors, and was enjoying chatting with them.
Joel and Ava rushed into his house to get some clothes to bring with them. Tyla disappeared into theirs, and returned triumphantly carrying Martha, Daphne’s doll, and iPads for both children. Andrew looked annoyed but didn’t comment. They all locked their front doors, hoping that there wouldn’t be looters or vandals later in the night. Then they followed Meredith to her front gate. She opened it with her key, Debbie and Jack had gone ahead, and the others followed her inside with a look of awe. Peter explained to Arthur where they were going, and when he said Meredith’s name, Arthur looked stunned.
He turned and spoke to Meredith immediately and introduced himself and she was equally impressed.
“I’ve wanted to meet you ever since you moved in. But I never wanted to intrude,” Arthur said warmly. “What a great pleasure it is to meet you, and how kind you are to invite us in. I’m beginning to think the earthquake was a stroke of good fortune,” he said enthusiastically, and Meredith laughed, and ushered them all into her home. They stood admiring what they could see by flashlight, and she led them all down to the kitchen, where some of the lights were on. Their emergency generator had kicked in, which would power a few lights and appliances around the house.
She asked Jack and Debbie to come up with something simple to eat for all of them. “Sandwiches and cookies would be great,” she suggested in an undertone. She could see they didn’t look pleased. She knew how protective they were of her and the house, and they had a profound distrust of strangers. But all of her neighbors were highly respectable people, one of them was famous, and the others looked nice. Peter was obviously a sweet boy, and both women were very pleasant, and the two children were adorable. She and Daphne were already fast friends.
“And I have a special job for you two,” she said to Will and Daphne. “Since most of the power is off, we’ll need to eat everything in our big freezer over the next week or so. So how about if you two get a head start and eat as much ice cream as you can? I think we have five or six flavors,” she said, as Will grinned and Daphne let out a squeal of delight. Meredith lifted her onto a stool, and scooped out the ice cream herself into two bowls in the flavors they wanted. And she added a plate of cookies while Debbie got to work on sandwiches with a sour look. Meredith had Jack get Joel a scotch on the rocks, Arthur asked for a brandy, both women had white wine, and Andrew said he couldn’t drink since he was going on duty, and should already be there, but he didn’t want to miss the gathering at Meredith’s house. Peter had white wine, like the two women. Meredith poured herself a small glass of wine too, took a sip, and toasted them all to welcome them to her home. It was the first time she’d had guests in years.
Debbie set out a big platter of sandwiches a little while later. She had just done a big grocery run the day before, so they were heavily stocked with food. Debbie liked to buy in quantity as much as possible, so she didn’t have to go often, except for produce and dairy products, but for now they had plenty of those too.
And Jack was pouring drinks like the bartender on the Titanic. He took a quick shot himself when no one was looking. The guests were all having a good time, and sat around the kitchen table talking. Andrew finally left them then to go to the hospital a few blocks away. After they’d all talked for a while, and eaten the sandwiches Debbie made, Meredith led them to the bedrooms she had offered to let them use. They were afraid to go back to their own houses, so they had accepted gladly.
She put Peter in a spacious room right next to Arthur. She had Debbie bring in a rollaway bed for Will, so he could sleep in the same room with his mother. And Daphne was going to share the canopied bed with her mother, and Martha, since Andrew had to stay at the hospital. Daphne told Meredith that Martha thanked her for the nice room and the pretty bed. Their rooms were on the same floor as Meredith’s, whose suite was at the opposite end of the house. There was a little sitting room off her bedroom where Meredith sat and chatted for a few minutes with Ava and Tyla. She’d given Joel and Ava a handsome guest room, after he and Peter went to shut off the gas at his house, and returned. Meredith loved having them in the house. Suddenly the whole place seemed infused with laughter and chatter, and delightful people. It felt like an old-fashioned house party and the earthquake made them feel like friends immediately.
She finally went to her own room at midnight, after making sure that everyone had what they needed. The two children were fast asleep by then, with Daphne clutching her doll, and Ava looking even more stunning in a short white T-shirt that left her midriff bare, and tight jeans. She and Joel had changed into clothes as soon as they got there.
A few minutes after Meredith got to her bedroom, Debbie came to see her in the guise of checking if she needed anything. She looked like she had so
mething else to say as she lingered with a disgruntled expression.
“I’m fine. And thank you for the delicious sandwiches.” Meredith smiled at her, to cheer her up. She assumed that Jack had retired for the night, since their night security men were patrolling the house, making sure that no one tried to force their way in, come over the outer wall, or slip in a window. A night where most of the city had no power was an open invitation to intruders. And with the generator, Meredith’s house wasn’t dark. It was the only house with lights in the neighborhood, which made it stand out more than ever.
“You can’t let these people stay another night,” Debbie said boldly, taking Meredith by surprise. She had thought Debbie was upset by the earthquake, not the guests.
“Why not? Of course I can. Their homes may not be safe, and will have to be inspected before they go back in and can stay there. Heavy objects may be ready to fall on their heads, and there could be dangerous structural damage. There’s no electricity in any of their houses. We at least have some light, and all our mechanical devices are up and running. Jack said so.”
“But you don’t know who these people are, Meredith. They could rob you blind during the night, or even hurt you.”
“I can’t imagine a famous blind concert pianist holding me at gunpoint, or any of the others for that matter. His young novelist employee, a doctor and his wife and two children, and an internationally known founder of high-tech startups and his girlfriend.” Joel had made sure that everyone knew who he was. “They don’t seem dangerous to me, and I want them to stay as long as they need to,” she said clearly to Debbie. Meredith was in full control of the situation. She was enjoying their company, and even the sound of their voices in the hall. The house was no longer silent and it felt full of life. For an instant, she wondered if Jack and Debbie were jealous. They had been used to her full attention for so many years now, almost like children. Maybe they didn’t want to share her with strangers. But Meredith was enjoying every minute of it. The earthquake had suddenly put new vibrancy into her home, and was making her feel needed. But she could see that she wasn’t going to be able to convince Jack or Debbie to welcome their guests. They felt threatened by them, which seemed foolish and unfriendly to her. She was loving it. Their being there gave her a purpose, even if only for a few days, or however long they needed her. She was happy to welcome them and help them, whatever Jack and Debbie said.
When she went to bed that night, Meredith thought of Daphne and her doll, the fabulous concert pianist she was thrilled to meet, and all the others. There had been something endearing and vulnerable about Tyla. That drew Meredith to her and made her want to mother her. The two hotties in their bathrobes were intriguing too. Ava seemed like a bright girl, but Meredith could see easily that Joel didn’t appreciate her fully as a person. He just wanted her as a toy to play with. Peter seemed mesmerized by Ava and couldn’t keep his eyes off her. They were an intriguing group.
As she drifted off to sleep, after Debbie left the room, Meredith could hardly wait to see them all at breakfast the next day. She was sure they would want to check on their houses, and she’d ask Jack to help them.
Alone with Jack in the kitchen, Debbie was saying that she would have liked to poison them all and get rid of them. She reported that Meredith was being stubborn about them. They had a last drink from Meredith’s bar, which was better than their own booze, and went to their apartment, convinced that their impromptu houseguests were going to be trouble, and they were determined to get rid of them as fast as they could.
What they didn’t understand was that for the first time in fifteen years, Meredith was having the time of her life, and she wasn’t going to let anyone interfere. Her home was full of life again, with people who needed her. There was a sense of community and caring, which made each of them feel stronger and braver in the face of adversity. Welcoming them into her home had made them feel safe and brought them comfort and had turned a trauma into an opportunity to make new friends. And Meredith intended to hold on to that for as long as she could. And no one was going to spoil that for her.
Chapter 3
Meredith’s houseguests emerged shyly from their rooms the next morning, some of them having slept later than they had intended to. The events of the night before, the shock of the earthquake, and the steady stream of small- to medium-sized aftershocks had worn everyone out, and their rooms at Meredith’s home were so comfortable that when they finally fell asleep, they slept for hours.
The weather the next day was cooler, and the sky was gray. The ongoing sound of helicopters overhead and the sirens of fire trucks in the distance were a constant reminder of the state of emergency and chaos that the city was in. The governor had come to observe some of the damage the night before, and the president had promised to come in the next few days. He was on a state visit to Southeast Asia at the time. The whole city was shut down and all businesses, schools, and offices were closed.
When Meredith came out of her room early that morning, in jeans and a T-shirt, and an old pair of gardening boots from the back of her closet, she found Daphne sitting on a chair politely in the hallway, all alone, holding her doll. She looked as though she was waiting for someone, and was afraid to move. The house was large and daunting, and she seemed happy when she saw Meredith, who smiled at her.
“My mommy and Will are still asleep,” she whispered. “Martha and I woke up.” She had dressed herself and was wearing pink jeans with hearts on them, and a gray sweatshirt inside out, which were the first things Tyla had grabbed out of a drawer when she went back into their house for some clothes for them. And Daphne was wearing the pink light-up sneakers she’d had on the night before. Meredith had admired them when they met.
“Did you and Martha sleep well?” she asked, stopping to talk to her with a warm smile. Daphne’s long dark hair had been haphazardly brushed, and she nodded in answer.
“You have a very big house. Do you have children?” She was curious about her.
“I have a daughter. She’s grown up, and she lives in New York.” Daphne nodded, absorbing the information.
“You live here by yourself?”
“Jack and Debbie live here to help me. You met them in the kitchen last night.”
“My daddy said you’re a witch, before we met you. Like in Hansel and Gretel.” Meredith was a little shocked and then she laughed. God only knew what others said about her, since no one ever saw her, or didn’t recognize her when they did. “I think you’re a good witch,” Daphne added. “Martha thinks so too. She said so last night.”
“Thank you.” Meredith grinned, and held out a hand to her. “Would you and Martha like some breakfast?” Daphne nodded immediately. She’d been sitting in the hallway for an hour, waiting for someone to get up.
“She’s very hungry.”
“Me too,” Meredith said. They held hands as they walked down the grand staircase, and then a smaller one to get to the kitchen in the basement. The generator provided enough electricity to run the basic equipment to prepare a simple meal, and Jack had one of the refrigerators running on it as well. Debbie was in the kitchen when they got there, looking on her phone at the news of the destruction around the city.
“Both bridges are closed,” she announced, as Meredith and Daphne walked in. “It was an 8.2 quake. There’s a lot of damage downtown. People are still stuck in elevators. It looks like a total mess. Half the streets are impassable, and there’s been a lot of looting South of Market. The hospitals are jammed.” Meredith had heard that the death toll was over three hundred the night before, thousands of people had been injured, and many were still trapped and buried under their homes. Emergency services were working overtime. Additional trained personnel had been flown in from other states, and volunteers and civilians were helping to dig out survivors. “The National Guard was called in to control the looters. Jack says we need to keep the gates locked,” Debbie said
with a severe expression. With Meredith’s sudden spirit of generosity toward her neighbors, she and Jack were both afraid she’d try to bring more in, or throw open the gates.
“My daddy didn’t come home from the hospital last night,” Daphne said in a soft voice, her eyes big in her face. “My mommy was afraid our house would fall down. And Will said it would blow up if Daddy didn’t turn off the gas.” The news had reported fires raging all over town, and with water mains broken, the firefighters couldn’t put them out. The fires burning out of control were what had caused most of the damage in the 1906 quake, and could again.
“Your daddy must be very busy at the hospital,” Meredith said.
“He fixes broken arms and legs,” Daphne said proudly, as her mother and brother wandered into the kitchen. They both looked sleepy and tousled, in oddly assembled outfits, but clean clothes. Tyla had been annoyed to realize that the only shirts she’d brought for herself had short sleeves. She usually wore long-sleeved ones, and she had absentmindedly grabbed Will’s soccer uniform, which he was wearing to breakfast.
“Debbie, do you think we can manage pancakes?” Meredith asked.
“Sure,” she said, setting out places for four at the kitchen table as Tyla and Meredith chatted. She noticed an ugly bruise on Tyla’s upper arm in the short-sleeved, plaid shirt she was wearing.
“Ouch, that looks nasty.” It was about the size of a salad plate. “Did that happen last night?” Meredith asked her. It seemed dark purple to be that fresh.
“I…I don’t know…I fell in the garage a few days ago, I slipped on some oil, it might have happened then,” she said vaguely, as Ava walked in, in bright pink exercise clothes, fresh and wide awake. The top looked more like a sports bra and her midriff was bare. She was in perfect shape and her muscles taut.
Neighbors Page 5