An Unexpected Gift

by Brandon Carlisle

  Isaac reached out to shake his hand. “I’ll second that. It’s fun to watch the two kids battle it out in Monopoly.”

  Leland motioned for Ryan to join him. “Isaac, I can’t argue with that. We three adults can have an intelligent conversation while the kids play games.” He waved to Abby and whispered in my ear, “Make sure she gets upstairs, okay?”

  “Of course, Leland.”

  Once our guests left, Abby offered to help us clean up, but Andy escorted her upstairs while Isaac and I picked up the living room. We took the rest of the dishes from the dining room into the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. It was full, and we still had things on the counter so we piled them in the sink and started the cycle before we went to see if Andy was ready for bed.

  We found him sitting at the desk in his bedroom. Isaac walked up to him, looking over his shoulder. “Andy, what are you writing?”

  He looked up at us and smiled. “My grateful list.”

  Our confusion must have been obvious because he continued. “Abby said I should sit down every day and write about something I am grateful for.” He broke out in a grin from ear to ear. “Well today there was a shit load of things to write about.”

  I could feel my eyes getting wet and blinked. “Yeah. I can believe that. It was a wonderful day.”

  Isaac cleared his throat and seemed nervous. “Would it be too personal to ask what you are writing?”

  “Some, but not most. About you guys and having a home. My presents today. The time we all spent with your friends. Having Abby here today.” He looked down at the paper for a moment and when he looked up, his expression had changed. It was serious, yet I could not define it. “The fact you guys love me.”

  I knew what he was speaking of. It was easy to understand because I felt it. What I wasn't used to was voicing those feelings, but I was getting better. Now that it was out in the open, it was easier.

  “We do, Andy. Isaac and I love you. You are a part of this family and that will never change. There is something you also need to understand. Leland, Ryan, Paul and Diego. They are not just our friends; they are also your friends.”

  “Yes, Andy. We love you, never doubt that. And he’s right about our friends. They are your friends too, and they care about you. I’ve never seen Ryan like he was with you. That was very special.” Isaac’s voice was filled with emotion.

  Getting up from the chair he threw his arms around us. “I love you guys. This is more of a home and family than I ever had in Arkansas.”

  *****

  We had the day after Christmas off, and bright and early our doorbell was ringing. When Isaac peered through the curtain, he turned around. “It’s Abby.”

  “Well, open the door. It must be important to be this early.”

  Opening the door, she sashayed in all grins, holding a large flat package which I could have sworn was a painting. She looked around and then yelled. “Andy! Get your ass out here!”

  “Abby, what are you doing here so early in the morning.” Isaac stood there with a look of confusion. “Isaac, close the door. It’s freezing.” Andy came out of his room, sleepy eyed, tying his robe round him.

  Abby went into the living room and set the package against the sofa, turning around with a flourish. “Yesterday was just too busy to give you your Christmas present, so I decided to give it to you today. I never had the chance earlier. Andy had no idea it was ready, so it is also a surprise for him.”

  “You mean it’s done!” He screeched behind us making us jump.

  “Yes, young man. It’s done.” She stepped aside and pointed to the painting. “Why don’t you do the honors?”

  Andy stepped across the room as Isaac and I looked at each other. We realized this must be the painting she had spoken of doing so many months ago. As he unwrapped it, the corner revealed a stone wall with a reddish hue and what appeared to be the edge of an arch. The red of Andy’s hair appeared with a wreath adorned with tiny golden flowers, and then his curls and his beautiful green eyes. He was wearing a white garment draped over his left shoulder that went down to mid-thigh. A gold rope was cinched at his waist. Perched on his right hip was a basket of red apples. His feet wore sandals with leather straps woven over his calves. What was most striking was how his full lips broke into the slightest hint of a smile. The young man was beautiful.

  “Abby… Andy… I don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful. No, that’s not right. It’s more than that. It’s…, sublime.” It was like a painting by Caravaggio, only more so. He could capture beauty, but there was so much more depth to this painting. Maybe it was because I knew the subject. But… I don’t know. There was just so much more.

  Isaac was clearing his throat. “I know I don’t know a lot about art, you guys. But Abby, Andy, this is something else. I can’t believe it.” When I looked at Isaac, he was wiping his eyes.

  I slipped my arm around him. “Thank you for this. This is way more than we could have ever hoped for.”

  Andy threw his arms around us and Abby rubbed his back. “You boys and Andy have become my family. Since my Albert passed there has been no one close. My family disowned me, and his family passed away. I have another exhibit coming up in North Beach, and I would love to display this piece at the opening. If you don't mind.”

  I looked over to Isaac, and he nodded. “How could we say no.” Pulling her into my arms there weren’t words enough to thank her for such a gift.

  The painting was framed in an ornate gold leaf. “Isaac, when the painting comes back, I would like to hang it in place of my silk tapestry that Paul admired.”

  He looked at me and then Andy and Abby. “That would be perfect.”

  “Abby, can I ask you something?”

  I had no idea what Isaac had in mind.

  “How did you come to move into the building? Your husband was a successful financial planner and you were a teacher and an artist?”

  “Oh, that’s an amusing story. Well, at least now it is.” She laughed softly and sat in one of the arm chairs. I laid the picture against the wall and we sat on the sofa.

  “One day Albert came home from work and I was sitting in the living room. It was late and he had a long day again. I was frustrated. We had a lovely house with a large yard, but we never enjoyed it. I taught school and came home to an empty house. Albert loved his work and I didn't mind. I had to take care of the house, so I never had the time to paint. It wasn’t fair. That night I told him how much I loved him but the house was too much for me by myself. I knew he couldn’t cut back on his work and he knew I wanted to paint, so he said we should sell the house. I looked at him in surprise.”

  I couldn’t believe it was that simple. “You mean he said to sell the house. Just like that?”

  “He told me that if it would make me happy, we could get an apartment and fix it so I could spend my time painting when I wasn’t teaching instead of taking care of a house. That was how we ended up here.”

  “Wow. He really loved you.”

  “He did. When he became ill, I took a leave of absence to take care of him. I wanted to move to a place where we could live on the first floor but he refused. He said it would only be for a few months and not worth the trouble. The cancer moved very quickly. He provided well for me so I retired early and never went back to teaching. I’m so glad I met you boys. Now, I must go upstairs. I’m meeting friends for lunch.”

  “So are we, Abby.” I really loved this woman. We got up and I gave her a hug as we stood in the foyer.

  As Isaac held the door for her he leaned close to her and said something. She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs.

  "What did you say to her?"

  Isaac wrapped his arms around my waist and smiled. "I told her she was a very special lady and I was glad she was in our lives. I also told her I would have been lucky to have her for a mother."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A Turning Point

  Isaac

  The lack of response o
n the building permit was taking its toll on Sebastian. It had been two months since Leland had contacted his friend at City Hall. Sebastian’s mood was sullen, and I was starting to worry. All I could do was sit by the sidelines and be supportive. When he got home from work Monday, I told him Andy was upstairs with Abby, and would probably have dinner with her tonight. Sitting him on the sofa I poured him a glass of wine while I went to fix our supper. When the phone rang, I was tempted to let the machine get it but answered. It was Leland. “I hope you have good news.”

  “Well, you could say that. Let me talk to him.”

  I told Sebastian to pick up the extension and hung up once he was on the line. A minute later I heard him screaming and dropped a stirring spoon on the floor, running into the living room.

  “The fucking bastard! I hope your friend can get his ass fired for that.” He nodded his head and then let loose with a scream. “Are you sure? We have it? Leland! I can’t thank you enough. All right. I promise I won’t tell anyone. So, Arthur should hear in a day? All right, Leland. I owe you big time for this. Give my love to Ryan.”

  Hanging up the phone he turned with his eyes wide and his face aglow. “It’s done! We got it!”

  He threw his arms around me, covering me with kisses. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me to the sofa to explain what happened. It turned out that someone in the permits department wanted no additional visibility of the unsavory elements in the Tenderloin getting any more publicity. Leland’s friend had done some digging and found out that an employee in permits overheard her supervisor telling an associate that he had filed the request for the clinic in his drawer. After overhearing the conversation, she told a co-worker. Eventually word got back to Leland’s friend who had the ear of the mayor. The mayor in turn made a phone call to the head of the department. He told the department head to have the supervisor dealt with and have the permit issued in the next twenty-four hours or there would be an anonymous call to the Chronicle about how the request had been handled.

  It was amazing how quickly things moved with a simple call to the right person. Arthur called Sebastian at work on Wednesday with the news that they approved the permit and he would pick it up that day. He had also called a friend of his who was a commercial real estate agent who would scout the area for a viable property on his lunch tomorrow.

  For the first time in ages Sebastian was his old self. He was eating and sleeping again. I felt like I could breathe, and could focus more on work, but still it wasn’t the same satisfaction I used to have. There was something lacking. Though we helped people, the rules and regulations were the same and it frustrated me that nothing changed. Maybe I should go back and become a lawyer. Then maybe I could change things.

  Sebastian made a difference, and I envied him. Now he was working longer hours because he would stay at the museum and make phone calls to Arthur and others regarding the foundation and clinic for two hours once he finished with work. Then, after dinner, he might start again. Several weeks passed, it was a Friday evening, and I knew he would be worn out. Andy was still spending a lot of time upstairs at Abby’s after his studies, and, when Sebastian came through the door, I took one look at him and grabbed his things before leading him to the sofa. Pulling his feet into my lap, I rubbed his feet after removing his shoes and socks.

  “You look like you could use a little pampering tonight. Tell me what you want?”

  “I want to curl up in a little ball and make the world go away at least until tomorrow afternoon.”

  I don’t think I’d ever seen him this exhausted. He couldn’t go on like this much longer. “I have a better idea. I will draw you a bath. While I’m doing that, you think about what you want for dinner. Anything you want. While you are enjoying your bath, I’ll go get it. After dinner if you want to watch TV, read a book in bed, listen to music, or go to sleep, you can.”

  “What about Andy?”

  “I’ll talk to Andy about our plans. He won’t mind. He can go to a movie or spend a quiet evening with me or us.”

  “I love you. I want spinach lasagna and gnocchi from our little restaurant down the street. No wine! I’d be asleep before I finish dinner.”

  *****

  Even without the wine he fell asleep right after dinner. He slept through the night and now I felt him stirring in my arms.

  “What happened?”

  Nuzzling his neck, I whispered in his ear. “You finished eating and fell asleep. I carried you to bed and tucked you in.”

  “It’s after eight?”

  “Yes, you needed your rest. Now, it’s Saturday, so you have nowhere to go. Relax and get more sleep.”

  “I’m fine. I want coffee.”

  As he crawled out of bed, I pinched his ass.

  “Bitch! That hurt.”

  “Now you’re awake.”

  I watched that beautiful, smooth and slender body slip into the silk robe he loved so much before he toed on the fluffy slippers he only wore if there was no company. I knew the first thing he would do would be to check on Andy. It was his ritual every morning almost without fail. After that he would grab the morning paper and make coffee.

  I listened to hear if Andy was awake. I could hear a conversation in the kitchen so I knew he was, and I decided to join the living. Putting on my flannel robe and slippers I heard my stomach grumble.

  When I got to the kitchen, I found a pot of coffee already started, and it was hot. I poured myself a cup.

  “Andy was up early and made it. He’s back in bed reading a book on impressionism.”

  “At this hour of the morning?”

  “He’s young. Since we’re not, would you be so kind as to tell me how the rest of the evening went?”

  “Dull. Andy came down a little after I put you to bed, and we watched TV for a while before I finally called it a night. He ended up reading some book. Probably the one he’s reading this morning. A very exciting night I would say.” He smirked and took a drink of his coffee.

  Today was to be a day of rest, nothing urgent. So, it was a day of lying about the house for Sebastian and me. Andy left for Buena Vista Park to draw, and Abby was visiting a gallery with a friend. I had finished reading the paper and went to the kitchen to make lunch. When I returned with some sandwiches and a pitcher of iced tea, Sebastian was struggling with some documents about foundations and what they can and cannot do to be tax exempt. He looked like he would cry.

  Setting the tray on the coffee table we heard the front door buzzer. I waved him off telling him to take a break. I opened it and found Arthur and a strange man at our door.

  “Sorry to disturb you, Isaac, but it is rather important we speak to Sebastian. This is David Price, the real estate agent I told him about. Is he here?”

  It was rather surprising for Arthur to show up unannounced on our doorstep on a Saturday morning. “Arthur, come in. Sebastian! Arthur is here with a guest. Please excuse our appearance. We weren’t expecting company. Have a seat.”

  They made their way into the living room and sat in the wing chairs. “Can I get you some coffee?” Arthur nodded as Sebastian entered the room. We were still in our robes and slippers. At least Sebastian and I had combed our hair and brushed our teeth after breakfast.

  He sat down with them while I took the lunch tray to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway so I could hear.

  “I believe we have some wonderful news, but we have to act quickly.”

  Sebastian sat up straight. “What do you mean?”

  “This is David Price, the real estate agent I told you about. I’ll let him explain.”

  The younger man cleared his throat. “Before I went into commercial real estate, I was a contractor. Three weeks ago, a Chinese restaurant two doors down from Angel House closed. Out of curiosity I contacted the agent representing the property and checked it out. The space is large enough to meet your needs for a clinic and can easily be re-purposed. It has enough power for the electricity requirements. It also has the required restroom facilities. We
can modify the kitchen that already exists to meet health requirements for plumbing and everything else. We can modify the dining area into a waiting area, besides being partitioned off for several exam rooms and a reception area. The kitchen also has additional space that, once it is closed off, can accommodate two offices.”

  I returned, setting the tray down with coffee, creamers and sugar, and then joined Sebastian on the sofa. I hadn’t heard the full conversation but watched as Sebastian let out a breath and looked at me, smiling. “I think we need to take a ride this morning.”

  “They found a place?”

  “I think so.”

  “All right.”

  I smiled at him. “Let’s go change. Gentlemen, enjoy the coffee. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Once we got to the bedroom, Sebastian shut the door and leaned against it. His whole demeanor changed. “You think it could work? You think we can do this?”

  “Sebastian. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, looking down at the floor, embarrassed. “I’m scared. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  Placing my finger under Sebastian's chin, I raised it. “Look at me. Yes. It’s a big step, but it’s the right step. You can do this. We can do this. You have been planning for this. I know you. I will be right here beside you the whole time. Now, let’s go out there and see if this is the place to build your dream.”

  *****

  Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked back into the living room. “Gentlemen. What do we need to do?”

  Arthur leaned forward. “Well, I believe we should inspect the building and see if it meets your satisfaction. David and I have already walked through and believe it should meet your needs, but your decision is what matters. We can discuss any questions you may have as to suitability. If you dislike the building outright, then we can continue looking. But in all honesty, I believe you will be surprised. David already has access to the premises since speaking with the representing agent.”