33. There wasn’t that much to pack. Once the three good-sized cardboard boxes of Nonnie’s personal belongings were safely deposited in the back of his truck, Dean asked Nonnie to follow him into the little office in the front of the garage. It was a narrow room with a desk at the end. The window hadn’t been cleaned in so long that the glass almost appeared frosted. Clicking the screen saver away, he brought up the program he used for the A-1 Automotive records and billing. “Do you know how to use something like this?” he asked. Squinting slightly she remarked, “I never have, but it looks straightforward enough.” “You’re hired,” he told her. “Here’s the appointment book, and there’s the phone. It’s only one line. You push this button to check the messages. I can’t pay you a lot right now, but if I don’t have to do everything I can work more cars through. I’ve had to turn down work twice lately because I needed help. If we can work together, maybe I can afford to pay more later.” “I’ve checked groceries, waited tables, cleaned motel rooms, done yard work, and lived for decades with a person who had severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” she informed him. “I can handle working here with you.” “You can kick in for household expenses,” he went on, “and you’ll have some spending money. But if you save as much as you can, we’ll see what I can come up with in the way of a car so you won’t have to be dependent on me for transportation. We’ll have to get you a driver’s license --” She interrupted, “I’ve got one.” He blinked. “You do?” “Of course. Just because I don’t own a car doesn’t mean I don’t have a driver’s license. I have to have ID, after all. I just kept renewing it.” “Oh. Yeah, I guess so. I just didn’t think that...I guess I just didn’t think.” Nonnie’s eyes twinkled. “You’ll learn,” she said. “So you just need me until the end of the school year?” asked the man at the other end of the line. “Right,” Howard affirmed, nodding his head. “My new kid has dibs on the job. As soon as he graduates from high school, he’ll go full time. He’s a real go-getter, so I may not need anyone else after that.” “Isn’t he going to go to college?” “We’ve got a little community college here, and he can take online courses. I think money is an issue. Or maybe there’s a girl involved. At any rate, he doesn’t seem too interested in getting out of town, and that’s a good thing for me. If you’re willing to come temporarily out of retirement, everything should work out just fine.” “You do realize I’m eighty years old?” “You do realize I was in the foursome playing golf right behind you last week? Don’t play feeble with me.” This was met with a brief silence, followed by, “Then I’ll see you in the morning.” Howard said goodbye, put down the phone, and strolled through the newsroom to the reception desk. “That was a good idea, calling Roger Winthrop out of retirement,” he told Samantha. “I’m glad I thought of it.” “I thought of it,” she reminded him. “Or at least I suggested it. Actually, it was Miss Grimwald’s idea.” “Whatever.” Howard waved her words away as if they were gnats. “Oh, and by the way, from now on you’re the classifieds editor.” “What?” “You heard me. Roger’s just going to be a reporter and photographer. I’ll handle advertising. You get classifieds. You take most of the calls anyway.” “We had a deal,” Samantha reminded her brother-in-law. “Minimum wage for minimum work.” Leaning over the front desk he countered, “Remember how Peter used to get done and leave early to pick up Haley at school? It’s not a big deal. You can handle it.” Her eyes narrowed under her graying bangs. “Gee, thanks,” she muttered as he breezed out the door. The storage shed looked like a storage shed again. Dean had moved the mini fridge to the office. Willie’s clothes, the hot plate, and the mattresses were in the utility trailer to be hauled to a thrift shop. Only the makeshift curtain on its bungee cord remained as evidence that anyone had lived there. Standing pensively in the doorway, Nonnie reflected upon the last three years. It felt strange to be making major life changes that didn’t in some way revolve around her brother. She could still feel his presence. She could, she realized, feel his presence very strongly. “You’re behind me, aren’t you?” she asked cautiously, knowing the answer. “You always did like to sneak up on me. Now, don’t disappear this time. I want to talk to you.” Slowly she turned to face the scruffy figure. He stood as he had in life, slumped and shuffling. He wasn’t quite transparent, but she could see the motion of cars passing on the street through his skinny body. His eyes looked sad and apologetic. “I just want to tell you that it’s all right,” she continued, keeping her voice low. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything. Whatever I did, I did it because that’s what I chose to do. I chose to stay with you and take care of you. Whatever I gave up, I gave up voluntarily. You don’t have any debts here to pay. I know you did the best you could.” She held out her hand. Hesitantly he took it in his own for a moment. She felt no touch, only a slight coldness. “You’re my brother,” she stated simply, “and I love you.” He smiled. “Go in peace,” she added, smiling in return. Dean stood at the corner of the building watching Nonnie talking, seemingly to herself, and as he went back into the garage he couldn’t help wondering if he was making a mistake. Was he moving a mental case into his house? He looked out the office window, freshly cleaned in Nonnie’s first official act as an employee, and watched the cars go by. Then the hairs on his neck stood up as a familiar figure shuffled across his view. He ran outside and stared down the sidewalk just in time to see Willie Lucas disappear into thin air.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 13:58:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015