First Mates (14 page)

The barn door opened and a little girl stepped in, wearing faded jeans and an old sweater. Her curly dark hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her mocha-brown eyes were laced with sadness. “Grandpa, Grandma said it's time to eat.”

“Hey, Pumpkin.” Paul embraced the child in a hug. “Did you meet Mr. Winston? Winston, this is Amber.” Winston squeezed her shoulder as they followed her down the path.

“Hi, Mr. Winston.” Amber skipped ahead as she ran toward the house.

Paul huffed as they climbed the hill. “Me and my wife don't know what to do about her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She's been having trouble at the day care center since her mother left. Mark's been so buried with grief that he hasn't taken the time to spend with his daughter.”

Winston glanced at the tyke as she ran into the house, slamming the screen door. “How old is she?”

“She's three. Sometimes she can be quiet, and a little shy. But since the trouble started with her parents, she's been picking fights at school. Plus me and my wife aren't that young anymore. Taking care of a three-
year-old child is just wearing us out. I wish Mark would get grief counseling or talk to the pastor…something. I guess it is hard to deal with a cheating mate.”

Winston remained silent as they walked into the house. Delicious breakfast scents filled the small kitchen. Constance removed a pan of warm gooey cinnamon rolls from the oven. Bacon fried over the stove and Rainy was scrambling eggs in the skillet. Her jeans hugged her slim frame and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He walked to the stove and smiled. “You don't look a day over twenty.”

She turned the burner off. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“As well as I could with that storm brewing outside.”

Constance removed china plates from the cupboard. “You two need to stop chatting and help me set this table. Winston, the good silverware is in the top drawer.”

Minutes later, they were seated at the table. They joined hands, and Paul said grace before they ate the tasty breakfast.

Rainy buttered a biscuit. “Mark's not coming to eat with us?”

Constance glanced at Amber, who continued munching on a cinnamon roll. “No, honey. He's been practically holed up in his room since…well, you know since when. Why don't you take some food up to him? You can even bring Winston with you.”

Rainy sprinkled salt over her grits. “I don't know what I can say to make him feel better.”

Paul sipped his coffee. “Well, I'm sure you'll think
of something. We've talked to him so much that we've run out of words.”

After the meal was finished and the dishes were washed, Rainy fixed a basket of food and Winston walked with her to Mark's house. Winston placed his arm around her waist as he kicked through the blanket of leaves on the walk to the house.

As they approached Mark's house, she turned and faced Winston. “I'm so glad you could come with me.”

“I don't mind walking over to Mark's house with you.”

She shook her head, causing her dark ponytail to swing in the wind. “I'm not talking about walking to Mark's house. I'm talking about coming home with me. This is a difficult time for me and my family, and…” She paused. His stomach quivered and he fought to keep his mouth from joining hers. “Well, I really needed the support right now.”

“I'm glad I could be there for you. I just wish I could spend more time than just the weekend.” He gazed at the lush green fields. “It sure is pretty out here in the country.”

As he followed her onto the porch, the steps creaked beneath his weight. The boards were faded to a dull shade of mahogany. A rocking chair swung with the cool breeze, making a steady sound against the floorboards.

Rainy rapped against the screen door. “Mark, it's Rainy. Can I come in?” Silence filled the air, so she opened the door and entered.

Winston held his nose as the smell of rotten garbage assailed his nostrils. “My goodness!”

Rainy left the food in the living room, and he followed her into the kitchen. Garbage overflowed onto the dirty kitchen floor and Winston saw a mouse scamper into the corner.

“Ack!” Rainy jumped away from the small creature and Winston took her into his arms.

“Rainy, what happened? It looks like Mark hasn't been here in days!”

“I don't know. My parents were telling me that they talk to Mark every day, but he insisted that he didn't want any visitors. I had no idea it was this bad.”

Puddles of dried grease adorned the stove and a carton of milk stood on the counter. Winston continued to gaze around the messy kitchen. “Maybe it's a good thing that Amber isn't staying in this house.”

Rainy opened a cupboard. “Amber won't be around here much longer anyway.”

“What's that?” Winston knew he had misheard her.

“Amber won't be staying on the farm much longer. Remember, I told you a while ago that my parents had to talk to me about something important?”

Winston nodded. “What did they talk to you about? Was it about Amber?”

Rainy nodded as she pushed her sleeves up and turned the water on. “Amber will be staying with me.”

“With you?” He jerked back so hard that he knocked the carton of milk from the counter. As the white liquid spilled to the ground, he quickly mopped it up with a wad of paper towels.

She poured liquid dish detergent into the sink. “Yes.
This is a family crisis and I have to do the best I can to help. Look at this place! My parents are old and they can barely milk those cows and run this farm. Mark's no help. He's not even taking out the trash!” She wrinkled her nose as he threw the soiled napkins into the garbage. “That milk is as curdled as cottage cheese! Ugh, this place is gross!” She threw dishes into the sink.

A loud voice boomed from the top of the stairs. “I told you guys not to come in here!” Heavy footsteps pounded on the floor and seconds later, a man in a faded bathrobe entered the kitchen. His dark scraggly beard and mustache clung to his ashy skin. Dark circles surrounded his mocha-brown eyes.

His eyes suddenly softened, and glistened with unshed tears. “Rainy?” He gazed around his kitchen and bit his lip. He turned away, but Rainy ran to him and held him in her arms.

“I'm so glad to see you again, Mark.” She kissed his hair. “You're so thin! You've lost a lot of weight.”

“I told Mom and Dad not to come down here. I haven't been feeling right since she left me.” He swallowed and looked around his kitchen again. That's when he noticed Winston.

“I'm Winston.” They shared a firm handshake.

Mark beckoned them into the living room. The TV and coffee table were coated with dust. Rainy opened the dark curtains and when the sun spilled into the room, Winston noticed Mark's wedding picture still sat on an armoire.

Winston walked toward the door. “Did you two want me to leave?”

“No, please stay, Winston.”

Winston plopped into a vacant chair.

Rainy's large brown eyes softened with love as she gazed at her brother. “Mark, you really need to pull yourself together. Do it for Amber's sake. You know how much she loves you.”

“I can't take Amber's constant questions now. You know how many questions a three-year-old asks. Well, since her mom left, she has even more questions. Try telling a kid that you don't know where her mother is and you don't know when or if she'll be back.” His voice broke on a sob and he turned away.

Rainy squeezed his shoulder. “Mark, you'll get through this, I know you will. Have you been going to church? I'm sure Pastor John would be glad to make time to talk about this.”

“Church? Who cares about church, Pastor John or God for that matter!” He cursed and Rainy's eyes widened as she looked at Winston.

Rainy sighed. “Come on, Mark. You used to have such deep faith in God. Going to church might make you feel better.”

“I don't know when I'm setting foot in church again. All I ever did to Cindy was be a good and faithful husband. I made a living on this farm and she runs off and leaves me this letter.” He removed a crumpled paper from his robe and threw it across the room. “And she tells me she's leaving me for another man, and she
doesn't tell me where she's going or how I can contact her! How could she be so cruel to me? How could she abandon her own child like that?” Tears ran down his sunken cheeks and he leaned back into the couch. Everyone was silent and the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.

Rainy bit her lip before she told him about Amber's recent behavior problems. “Mark, by acting like this, you're abandoning your daughter. You haven't seen her since your wife left you. I'm sure she feels abandoned by both parents.”

Mark sighed as he dropped his head in his hands. “You know I love my daughter. I just can't deal with everything right now. I just can't.”

She took her brother's palm, caressing the knuckles on his work-roughened hand. “I've come to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Well, since Mom and Dad are having a rough time running the farm and taking care of Amber, I've come to ask if it's okay for me to take Amber back with me.”

“To Florida?”

She nodded. “Just until you can get yourself together. I love Amber, but I can't raise her. I know she belongs with you since you're her father, but I don't mind keeping her for a while.”

She released his hand as he thought about her request. “But if I take her back with me, you're going to have to promise to get some help. You can't stay in a house in this condition. If you keep living like this, the
pigs are going to come and join you.” A small grin spread over her full lips.

She continued. “And what you might want to do is start milking the cows again. Daddy looks so tired. I'm sure he'd appreciate your help in the barn.”

She touched Mark's arm. “As a matter of fact, you've got to help Dad with the milking. I remember how much you used to love getting up early in the morning to milk the cows. Besides, after you spend all that energy milking and feeding the cows, plus the other farm chores, you'll be too tired to think about your wife.”

He raised his dark eyebrows as he gazed at Winston and Rainy. “Say, what's up with the two of you?” His eyes suddenly gleamed with mischief.

“Huh?” She placed her hands on her hips as she looked at her brother. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, you haven't brought a man home since that Jordan dude, and I was wondering if you two are serious.” He gazed at Winston and Winston wasn't sure what Rainy wanted to reveal to Mark.

She hesitated, glancing at Winston.

Clearing his throat, Winston answered Mark's question. “Rainy is special to me, and I'm glad she let me come home to meet her family.”

He cocked his head as he looked at Rainy. “Girl, did you come home to announce another engagement?” She rolled her eyes as she gazed at Winston.

“No!”

A rumbling sound filled the room. “Sorry, folks, that was my empty stomach. It's been a while since I've had
some food and I smell one of Mom's country breakfasts right now.” He discovered the basket on the couch. He walked into the kitchen and Winston and Rainy followed. Mark opened the cupboard and removed a plate. He then removed silverware from a drawer. After placing the items on the table, he opened the basket.

“I'm glad that you've perked up. But I didn't come home to introduce Winston to the family. Mom and Dad are worried about you, and, frankly, so am I. Is it okay if I take Amber back with me? And will you promise to do what you need to get back on your feet?”

Mark ceased unpacking the basket as he gazed at his little sister. He sighed as he pulled her into his arms. “Yeah, take Amber with you. But this is only temporary. I'll be sure to get her back from you soon. I love my daughter and I don't want her living so far away.” As Winston gazed at the moving scene, he felt glad that he'd taken the time to accompany Rainy.

R
ainy stared at the busy Miami sidewalk while sipping on her third cup of coffee of the day. She frowned, thinking about how her life had changed since Amber had come into her care.

It was difficult finding time to spend with Winston since she constantly had Amber with her. During Amber's first week in Miami, Winston had generously taken them to the new Disney movie and then to a popular kid-friendly restaurant for dinner. She was glad that Amber seemed to enjoy Winston's company, and she hoped that she made a lot of friends in her new day care center in the newspaper office.

She sighed, continuing to think about her hectic life over the past two weeks. She never thought a three-year-old child could be so much trouble!

She finished her coffee and groaned as she scrutinized the papers littering her desk. She sat in her black
leather chair, still staring at the files. “Oh, I guess I need to figure out those spreadsheets.” She had been through this three times already. She yawned and stretched. Her phone rang, breaking her concentration.

“This is Rainy.”

“Rainy, you need to come down here and get your child,” said Beverly, the day care worker.

“Beverly, it's not even five o'clock yet, and the day care is open until six.” She pushed her hair away from her face as she rolled her shoulders, trying to ease her tension.

“You don't have to tell me what time it is! I know!” Beverly's thick Jamaican accent carried over the wire. “But you need to get over here and get Amber. She's been misbehaving all day. She even bit a few of the kids! Time out won't work for this one today, so you need to come and talk to her!” She continued to speak, but Rainy didn't have the energy to listen. She sighed as she rang off with Beverly and made the trek to the day care center.

As she opened the door, a multitude of noises flooded her ears. Several children laughed and screamed as they ran around the room. Beverly met her with a reluctant Amber in tow. “You know, both of my day care helpers were sick today, so I'm short-staffed. I don't know what's up with Little Miss, here.” She paused, glaring at Amber. “But you need to talk with her. I can't have children biting kids and acting crazy!” She placed her hands on her ample hips. “Amber, you behave yourself tomorrow. We can't have you causing so much ruckus in the day care!”

Amber stared at the floor.

“I'll talk to her, Beverly. Where's your bag?” Amber pointed to her cubbyhole and Rainy retrieved her multicolored backpack.

Rainy used the phone at the day care to call her boss, explaining she had a family emergency. Minutes later, she clutched Amber's hand as they walked into the blaring hot sun. Her heels clattered against the asphalt parking lot. After she had strapped Amber into her car seat, she got into the car and leaned against the steering wheel. Would she even have enough energy to drive home? She swallowed and gazed at Amber, who silently stared out the window. “Amber, you can't act like that in the day care. You know, they had to call me out of work to come and pick you up.”

Amber shrugged. “Are you going to send me back to Daddy now?” She glared at Rainy.

“Is that what this is all about?” She exited the car and opened the door to the back seat and sat. She hugged Amber. Deep pain shot through her leg when Amber kicked her with her hard-toed shoes.

Gritting her teeth while enduring the pain, she glared at her niece. “Don't you ever do that to me again, young lady!” She exited the car, slamming the door behind her. She then opened the front door and plopped into the driver's seat, resting her head once on the steering wheel before leaving.

When they arrived home, Amber complained about fatigue, so Rainy sent her to bed. She didn't bother
changing her clothes. She sat on her couch and placed her head in her hands. “Lord, help me through this.”

After hearing someone knocking at her door, she found the energy to walk to the door and open it. She groaned with relief. “Winston.” He still wore his business suit and carried three bags of McDonald's food.

 

“What happened? You look awful.” He entered the house, and after placing the food on the coffee table, he sat beside her on the couch. He ran his finger against the large bruise on her shin. Her panty hose were torn and in spite of the soreness, her skin sizzled from his gentle touch.

“Believe it or not, Amber did it to me.”

“Amber? That sweet little girl?”

“You only see her good side! I think she's trying to get away with as much as she can since she's not on the farm. I also think she's still hurting from her mother's abandonment.” She leaned her elbows on her knees and tunneled her fingers through her hair. “This has been a rough two weeks. I never knew a child could be so much trouble. I hope she sleeps through the night today, because I need my rest.”

He rubbed her shoulder. “Well, I really like Amber, but I did come over here tonight hoping to speak with you alone for a few minutes. I brought McDonald's for all of us.” He lifted a bag of food. “I know how much she likes McDonald's.”

“Well, she's not getting McDonald's tonight. Not after the way she acted today. She can eat a sandwich or some leftover chicken.” She leaned back onto the couch.

“Did you call Mark and your parents about it?”

“No, not yet. I love my niece, but I think I'm ready to send her home and get my life back.” She glanced at the food still gracing the table. “I am hungry, though. Why don't we go into the kitchen and eat. I'm thinking you came over here to talk about something.”

Minutes later they entered her kitchen. She cringed when she saw the mess left behind. She had not washed dishes in a few days, and they littered the sink. An open carton of milk sat on the table. The scent of sour milk filled the kitchen. “Oh, I forgot to put this away this morning after Amber ate her cereal.” She poured the liquid down the sink and threw the carton away. “Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind since Amber came to live with me. I wanted to help my brother out but if this keeps up,
I'm
going to need some help.”

He chuckled as he opened a sandwich. After they prayed they enjoyed the simple meal. “Don't be so hard on yourself.” He sipped his cola. “I think you two just need to get used to living together.” He glanced at her bruised leg. “I hope she doesn't try kicking you like that again.”

She sighed, leaning back into her chair. “If she does, I'm sending her back to the dairy farm. I'm so tired that I don't know what to do.”

He cleared this throat. “Well, I didn't come over here tonight to talk about Amber. I came to talk about us.”

She shrugged. “What about us? I thought we'd agreed to give our relationship a chance before we went to the farm.”

“I know. But since you've had Amber, I haven't had any time alone with you. Do you think we could get a baby-sitter so we can go out on a date?”

She smiled as she finished her burger. “I think I could ask Sarah or Rachel to baby-sit on Friday night. I'll let you know what they say.”

 

The next day, Rainy opened the glass door of the restaurant, eagerly scanning the lunch crowd. She hoped Rachel or Sarah were free on Friday night.
I can't wait to spend some time alone with Winston!
The server guided her through the crowded restaurant, and she was surprised to see Rachel had already arrived. She clutched her napkin as she looked through the menu.

Rainy sat beside her friend. “Any of the specials look good today?” She touched Rachel's arm. “What's wrong?” Her hair was tousled and uncombed and her eyes were red-rimmed and tired. She was wearing faded jeans and an old white T-shirt. Rainy gazed at Rachel's hands and saw the nails were bitten down to the skin. “You've been biting your nails! What's the matter and why aren't you dressed for work?”

“I didn't go to work today, or yesterday, either.” Her eyes darted around the crowded restaurant. “I hope none of my co-workers are here today. I called in over the past few days. I told my boss I wouldn't be able to come to work.”

“Well, if you're sick you shouldn't be here. You don't look so good.”

Sighing, she continued to clutch her napkin, push
ing Rainy's hand away. “I'm not really sick, but I do have a few problems to deal with. I just can't cope with work right now. My car was repossessed.”

Rainy gasped. Before she could respond, Sarah appeared, swinging her small handbag. She placed her purse on the table as she gazed at her friends. “What in the world is wrong with you two? Rainy, you look awful! You've got circles under your eyes, and your hair's pulled back into a hideous-looking ponytail.” She paused and gazed at Rachel. “And you look awful, too. You'll never find a husband walking around in public looking like that.”

“I'm not desperate to find a man, unlike you,” Rachel retorted. She took a deep breath and told Sarah about her recent dilemma.

Sarah's dark eyes softened with concern. “You're kidding? Your car was really repossessed?”

“Yes, and don't ask me how it happened. You get the general idea of how these things work.”

“Well, maybe you needed to be attending those financial seminars that Rainy and Winston were doing at the church,” suggested Sarah.

“That was for kids. I'm too old for them.”

Rainy nodded. “I agree with Sarah. Even though those seminars were for the church youth, they teach young people basic financial skills to use for the rest of their lives. Skills that a lot of African-Americans are never taught. I'll bring over the study plans we used. If you want to talk to either of us about it, feel free to do so.”

The server approached the table, placing a basket of
hot rolls and a china dish of butter in the center. “Are you ladies ready to order?”

After they placed their orders, Sarah and Rainy began eating the rolls. Rachel placed her forehead on her palm. “I don't know what I'm going to do. I think I might ask my mom to help me get my car back.”

Sarah frowned. “You mean you can pay the amount owed for back payments and get your car back?”

Rachel nodded. “I think so. Oh, I don't know, just thinking about it gives me a headache. I don't want to talk about it anymore.”

Sarah nodded as she focused on Rainy. “Okay, we'll drop the subject. So, Rainy, what's been going on with you? You don't look like your life's been easy lately.”

Rainy sighed as she pushed her soup aside. Since Amber started living with her, her appetite had lessened considerably. “Well, I was wondering if either of you could do me a favor this Friday night.” She told of Amber's recent antics, and then she asked if either would be available so she could go out on a date with Winston.

Rachel folded her arms across her chest. “I think Amber is a dear, and I'm sure her behavior problems will get better. Don't be so discouraged. But I'm just not in the right mindset to baby-sit a child right now, even if it is only for one evening. I'm so depressed about my car and my finances that I don't feel like doing much of anything.”

Sarah sipped her water. “I'd watch her for you, but I already have plans for Friday.”

“You do? Did you meet another guy through that dating service?” asked Rainy.

“Nope, I'm still dating Carl, the blind man who answered my ad a while ago.”

Rainy leaned back into her chair, impressed. “Wow, this is a record for you. You've never been out with someone from the dating service so many times. I never figured you'd find someone who is disabled on the dating ads.”

Sarah sighed. “Carl doesn't consider himself disabled. I forget sometimes that he's blind. I'm kind of excited about it. We have so much in common. I don't know what will happen between us, but I can at least see us being good friends. So, Rachel, are you ready to get out of this funk and try to straighten out your life?”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Please, I'm not in the mood for your lectures right now.”

Sarah placed her hands on her slim hips, glaring at Rachel. “You should just heed my advice. You know God would want you to pay back the money you borrowed for your car. It's the right thing to do.”

“I know it is. But I don't have enough money to pay everybody. If I did, I wouldn't be in this mess.”

Sarah smirked. “Hmph, you wouldn't be in this mess if you'd stop your crazy spending habits. You need to stop buying clothes and jewelry that you don't need!”

Rainy glared at both of her friends. “You two, stop bickering about this. Rachel, you know you can come to me or Winston about your money problems. We might have some suggestions to help you out. Also, there are counselors who help with this sort of thing.”

Rainy nibbled on a roll while Sarah continued to preach to Rachel. Closing her eyes, Rainy dreamed about seeing Winston on a real date again. As she chewed, she recalled the last wonderful kiss they had shared.

When she returned home that evening, she put Amber to bed and called Winston. He answered on the first ring.

“Winston, I have bad news. Both Rachel and Sarah can't baby-sit on Friday night.” She explained Rachel's financial state and she told him about Sarah's date.

“She's dating a blind man? I always thought Sarah was kind of superficial.”

“Hmm. She is very superficial when it comes to looks. I'm not sure what this blind man looks like.” After they talked about Sarah, he came up with a solution for their baby-sitting dilemma.

“Well, as far as baby-sitting goes, I think I might have a solution. My aunt and uncle owe me a few favors, so I'll see if they'd be willing to keep Amber on Friday night. I'm almost sure they'd love to have her. Amber will probably have such a good time that she won't be willing to leave when it's time to go.”

She grinned, eagerly anticipating the time alone with Winston. “That's a great idea!”