Wildest Dreams

Four

When Charlie was discharged from the hospital, Lin Su took him with her to the hardware store, but asked him to wait in the car. There was always a list of handymen posted on the bulletin board and she used her cell phone to call one. She explained about the lock on the trailer door being destroyed by paramedics, thus probably saving Charlie’s life. The man she spoke to, being sympathetic, offered to meet her there right away.

Charlie was breathing much more smoothly; there was no rattle and a very infrequent cough. But he was exhausted. An attack like the one he had took its toll, not to mention the strain of so many drugs to get him going again. He was listless. But pumped full of fresh oxygen, his color was good.

The lock operation wasn’t complicated or involved and she wondered if she could have done it herself. When the repairman finished and had been paid a whopping seventy-nine dollars, Lin Su took a badly needed shower. She couldn’t coax Charlie to do the same so they agreed on a washup and change of clothes.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him for the hundredth time.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Stop asking me.”

“We’ll go to Thunder Point, then,” she said. “I’d really appreciate it if you’d have a quiet day. Very quiet.”

“I’m not quiet enough?” he asked irritably.

“You’re annoyingly quiet but you know what I mean, Charlie. Stay in, nap, don’t even do a lot of talking. Rest your lungs and throat. I’m sure we won’t be staying long. I told Grace to call a substitute for me today.”

“I can stay home, you know,” he said. “It’s not like I’ll open the door or go for a walk.”

“I understand completely, but should there be any kind of problem, like a broken pipe, I’d rather be close to the action,” she said. And they both knew she was not in any way concerned about a broken pipe or electrical short, even though that old fifth wheel was a piece of junk. “If we leave early because I’m not needed or if there’s a break while Winnie naps today, I’ll be scouting around town for a rental.”

He said nothing.

“I thought that might get the slightest smile out of you.”

“I’m saving my strength,” he said.

“Then I will also save mine!” she snapped back at him. Of course, then she felt bad about her tone. He was tired and the sedative probably had not worn off. He was depressed. This was typical. Not only had the attack zapped his energy, it also left him feeling hopeless. He’d snap out of it in a day, maybe two.

She left Charlie sitting in the car and went to the door. Rather than walking in as usual, she knocked lightly. She hadn’t seen any vehicle in the drive, but it was possible the substitute nurse had been dropped off. And since Lin Su had asked for a sub, she wouldn’t intrude upon the family by walking in.

Troy opened the door. “Well, I wasn’t expecting you! How’s Charlie?”

“He’s doing very well, thank you. I wanted to come by to make sure you knew we’re back on track and if you need anything...”

“Come in, Lin Su. Where’s Charlie?”

“I asked him to wait in the car until I could be sure we’re not intruding on your nurse and Winnie.”

“Ah, Winnie wouldn’t have another nurse,” he said, running a hand around the back of his neck. “I’m staying home today and Grace will close up the shop a little early, bring dinner home with her and settle Winnie for the night.”

“Who’s there?” Winnie yelled from the bedroom. “Who’s at the door?”

“It’s just me,” Lin Su called back. “Just stay where you are and I’ll...”

Before she could say another word, Winnie came shuffling out of the bedroom on Mikhail’s arm. “Well, it’s about time! I’ve been waiting to hear from you! You know, as much as I hate the look of those walker contraptions, I think I should have one, don’t you? I can’t be calling for someone to walk me every time I want to move! Where is my boy? I want to see him! I thought I’d have to force Troy to take me to your house.”

Lin Su’s eyes got larger than they’d ever been. The very thought! “But I called Grace three times! Charlie is with me. If you’ll just sit down and get comfortable, I’ll get him. For goodness’ sake,” she said, shaking her head at Winnie’s aggressiveness.

Charlie was out of the car before Lin Su could fetch him. And when she got back to the front door with Charlie in tow, Winnie had not taken a seat, nor had she gotten comfortable. She was waiting right there in the foyer, holding Mikhail captive with her arm through his.

“Well, at last,” she said to Charlie. “I don’t think I slept one minute last night!”

“She slept like the dead,” Mikhail said testily. “Snored like a freight train.”

Charlie laughed. It was the first smile Lin Su had seen. “That figures,” he said to Winnie. “You better sit down before you fall down. Go on, then.”

Grumbling something about ingratitude and having no secrets, she turned and hobbled toward the great room where she lowered herself into her favorite chair. Charlie followed. He sat down on the sofa, backpack on the floor.

“Well, you look decent. I guess you’re fine,” Winnie said.

“I’m fine,” he assured her.

“I’m told you were chased by hoodlums,” she said.

“They’re druggies from the neighborhood,” he said.

Lin Su winced. Could their circumstances sound any worse?

“Thing is, they’d rob a nun on Easter Sunday, they’re such lowlifes,” Charlie went on. “I think they rip off houses sometimes—a habit is an expensive hobby and we know they don’t work. But the cops hang around a lot, trying to keep the neighborhood clean. I was looking for a cop—but you can’t ever find ’em when you need ’em.”

“Good Lord,” she said. “Do they live near you?”

“In the area,” Charlie said. “I think they’re from those Section 8 apartments on the other side of the road. I’ve seen them around there. You know—affordable housing for the working poor? It’s a HUD thing.”

“Really,” Winnie said, arching a slim brow.

Lin Su met Troy’s eyes and his eyes laughed. How like Charlie to know all about it and Winnie to not have a clue.

“I’m sure you have some Section 8 housing in Thunder Point,” Charlie said.

“I think I lived in it,” Troy said with a laugh. “I lived in a real crappy apartment complex, old and cheap, right on the edge of town. I added about five dead bolts to my door.” He shrugged. “I’m a schoolteacher. Without a master’s degree.”

“Charlie, did those boys give you a hard time at your old school?” Winnie asked.

Charlie laughed at her. “Winnie, those guys don’t go to school. The guy next door to us, Mr. Chester, used to give me a ride so I wouldn’t have any trouble on the way. School was okay. Once you got there.”

“Have you had breakfast?” Lin Su asked Winnie.

“Yes, of course. Has Charlie?” she asked.

“I ate some sludge they call breakfast at the hospital—it was gross. What have you got?”

“Charlie!” Lin Su admonished.

“Make the boy an egg, Lin Su. I’ll have one, too. Thank God you’re here—everyone is out of sorts without you. We’ll have toast. I’ll have tea and Charlie will have apple juice. Milk will just make him phlegmy, right, Charlie?”

“Right,” he said, pulling his laptop out of his backpack and opening it up. He began clicking away.

“You should try a cup of tea,” Winnie said. “It would be good for you.”

“I’d rather have another asthma attack. Hey, look at this. Average pay for a schoolteacher without a master’s is about forty-two thousand. I don’t think you qualify for Section 8, but if you work at it...”

Troy ruffled Charlie’s hair. “Thanks, bud. Well, now that the first string is on the field, I think I’ll go to the shop and see if Grace needs me. Then set up my classroom for Monday.”

“Is time for walking the town,” Mikhail said. “Thank God!”

Troy headed for the garage to take his Jeep to town while the old Russian went in the direction of the beach to begin his day of wandering. Winnie and Charlie began entertaining themselves with whatever his interest of the day was on his laptop.

With a sigh, Lin Su took to the kitchen.

Ten minutes later she delivered two trays to the living room—each held an egg and toast, on one a cup of Winnie’s favored tea and on Charlie’s tray apple juice. While they ate, Lin Su checked out the bedroom and bathroom. With no nurse or housekeeper to start out the morning, things were a little upside down. She muttered about the lazy men under her breath as she straightened the bedding, folded clothes, cleaned up the bathroom, started a load of wash. Though it only took her ten minutes, she wondered that no one could even attempt order in her absence.

When she got back to the living room the trays with dirty dishes were sitting on the coffee table and Charlie and Winnie were gone. She spotted them on the deck, just as Charlie was helping Winnie to her chair. Aeiiiieee! she thought, holding her tongue, her hand against her heart. She tried to remain calm as she followed them. Talk about the blind leading the blind! A weakened asthmatic boy and a woman with ALS whose balance was horrible at best and her strength flimsy.

“Just what are you doing?” she asked her son. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I told him not to,” Winnie said. “Really, I think I must have one of those atrocious walker things. God, I hate them! But I hate landing on my ass more! Lin Su, I want you to go fix yourself two eggs, toast and maybe some meat—there’s that microwave bacon or turkey sausage in the fridge. Troy eats both like candy. Then I want you to go to the guest room and lie down for an hour. You’re cranky and you have dark circles under your eyes.”

“I’m fine. I...”

“I didn’t ask if you were fine. I told you to eat and rest. I’m not breaking in another nurse and I want life back to normal.”

“I’m not hungry, thank you.”

“Charlie said you haven’t eaten and I know you haven’t slept. Go. Now. We’re going to look up some things.”

“No moving around until I’m back,” she ordered. “Charlie is not trained in assisting patients.”

Lin Su pursed her lips in an angry line, but neither of them bothered to look at her. She went to the kitchen and in exactly four minutes she had scrambled and eaten two eggs and a half slice of toast. Screw the bacon, she thought rebelliously. She went to the guest room, angry at being told what to do. She slipped off her shoes. Her eyes got a little teary as she lay down, flat on her back, hands folded over her waist. I am not tired, she thought furiously.

* * *

Lin Su awoke with a start, heart pounding, the sound of laughter coming from the other room. She jumped up, slipped into her clogs and rushed into the living room. There were Grace, Blake, Scott Grant, Winnie and, on the floor with his laptop balanced on his crossed legs, Charlie. A soiree. While she slept.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Lin Su,” Grace said. “We were being quiet!”

“No, we weren’t,” Scott said. “But we meant to be. I just stopped by to check on Winnie and Charlie, both of whom are well enough.”

“I came over to get the latest on Charlie, but seeing your car...” Blake said.

“And Troy took over at the shop for a couple of hours so I could come home and ask Mother if she needed anything. I’m glad you had a little rest,” Grace said.

“I wasn’t tired,” Lin Su insisted.

They all laughed and she looked at her watch. “Oh, God,” she said, dropping her gaze to the floor. She had slept for three hours! Lunch! She’d missed lunch! “I’m so sorry. You must be starving, Winnie!”

“No, you will be starving. We’ve eaten. Charlie made sandwiches for us. Except for Blake, who eats tree bark, seaweed and unborn animals.”

“It’s not as bad as that,” he said with a laugh.

“What you eat actually sounds worse,” Winnie said. “You had a very good rest, my dear. How you thought you weren’t exhausted is a mystery.”

“I didn’t realize...”

But her son narrowed his eyes at her. He didn’t like that she never expressed a need or weakness.

“You were right, I was a little tired,” she relented.

“I’m accustomed to being right about everything. Ask my daughter. Now fix yourself something to eat and join us. There’s gossip. Grace can tell you all about her former assistant, Ginger, who fell in love with a Basque farmer and ran away to his farm to marry him.”

“I’m going to get back to the clinic,” Scott said. “I know this story—I married a Basque woman. Same family. Charlie, you have my number. You know you can call me anytime. If your meds run out or aren’t doing the trick...”

“Yeah, thanks, Doc. I got it.”

“Lin Su, when you have some time, let’s have a conversation about running a few routine lung function tests on Charlie as a follow-up,” Scott said. “We should do an assessment of his progress or the lack. Just give me a call.”

“Absolutely,” she said. “Thank you.”

Lin Su went to the kitchen to make herself a half sandwich. Because the house had an open floor plan, she had no trouble hearing the story. She knew most of it, anyway, if not the finer details. She’d been on the scene since June. That’s when Grace and Troy got married; Grace had a little bun in the oven already and her assistant, Ginger, helped set up all the flowers for the wedding. The person who hadn’t gotten all the details was Winnie, who was lapping them up.

“When Ginger thought Matt was taking her for granted, not calling her back when he said he would, she just changed her number. That got his attention. After that it was almost smooth sailing until Ginger insisted that Matt confront his own failed marriage and make peace with his ex-wife, who he hated.”

“Your father had an ex-wife he hated,” Winnie said. “We had no conflict with that. I hated her, too.”

“Well, we’re talking about different people and it all worked. Matt made peace. Ginger was so proud of him and so touched. I caught her crying in the workroom. So I told her to pack a bag and go! Matt’s the man she’s been waiting for all her life. She wants nothing more than to make a home for a family, and boy, does he have family. He’s one of eight—Peyton’s younger brother and a partner in the Lacoumette farm with his father and brother. It’s a match made in heaven. I offered to do the flowers.”

“Grace, I had no idea you were such a romantic,” Winnie said.

“I had no idea I was romantic, either, till I met Troy,” she said.

“Gag,” Charlie said.

“You wait, little man,” Grace said. “Some girl is going to come along someday and twist your tail good!”

That made Lin Su smile. Then she saw Blake coming to the kitchen. He stood beside her and looked at her with kind eyes. Bedroom eyes. His thick lashes hooded his striking blue eyes.

“I think you’re feeling better today,” he said softly.

“Considerably,” she said. Then she sighed, looked down and shook her head sadly. “My apologies. Winnie was right. I was out of sorts.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” he returned.

“I had the lock repaired, so you needn’t worry that we’re not safe,” she whispered to him.

She could see a troubled look cross his face. That lock was the least of it and they both knew it. If those creeps could chase a defenseless kid in broad daylight they could assault a small woman as she walked from her car to the door. For that matter, they could grab a crowbar and pop open that door.

“My offer stands,” he said. “You wouldn’t be in the way. In fact, I might not notice you’re there.”

Oh, she would never! “That’s so kind of you,” she said. “I am grateful. We’ll be fine.”

“I’ve offended you,” he said. “I’m sorry. Maybe someday when you know me better... Well, let’s just say I would never criticize your choices. Clearly, you’re a survivor. But I apologize if my offer...”

“No, think nothing of it.” She cut the sandwich in half and transferred it to a plate. “Let’s join the party.” And carrying the plate, she went to the living room.

* * *

Lin Su did consider Blake’s offer of housing in spite of herself. In fact, her pride came so hard. She wanted to be safe, comfortable and warm; she wanted the best for her son. There was some ingrained part of her that fought so hard for the pride that made accepting charity a last resort.

On the weekend, the last weekend before the start of school, there seemed to be a lot of socializing on the beach and around Cooper’s bar. Families were getting ready to be free of the kids, teachers were preparing for the first week of school. A group of cheerleaders were practicing on the beach and Spencer told Lin Su that the nights of fall were filled with fires on the beach, cheers and laughter from the teens, usually following the football games.

On Sunday while she was sitting on the deck with Winnie and Troy, three familiar women came walking down the beach toward the house.

“There they are,” Troy said with a grin. “The belly brigade. I thought they were having lunch with Iris.”

“And dessert with Winnie and Mom,” Charlie said. He was sitting on the chaise, laptop open.

Lin Su just looked down shyly, but Grace had told her that morning. In fact, Lin Su was invited to Iris’s for lunch, but she respectfully declined, saying Winnie might need her. And so Grace had told her to catch up on whatever chores there were so she could join them. It was a beautiful, sunny day and they’d sit out on the deck, so Lin Su went inside to find place mats for the table.

By the time Lin Su was wiping down the table before the place mats were set down, it was obvious that Grace was carrying a pie and Peyton was carrying a grocery bag that probably held ice cream.

“We’re gonna want to get out of here, Charlie,” Troy said.

“They have pie!” Charlie said.

“Winnie will save you some,” Troy said. “Let’s go throw the Frisbee around while they talk about stretch marks, due dates, birthing plans and other boring stuff.”

“Will you save me pie, Winnie?” he implored.

“You know you don’t even have to ask!”

Before they could make a getaway, the women stopped them on the beach. Iris spent a lot of time talking to Charlie while Grace and Peyton were laughing with Troy. And finally they were on the deck.

“Look at this,” Grace said. Lin Su had the table set with dessert plates, napkins, forks and cups. She had brewed two pots of tea and added cream and sugar to the table. “This is so perfect. We’re having a tea party!”

While Lin Su was loath to admit it, the time she spent with these women was wonderful fun. They laughed so hard they had to pee. For the pregnant ones, this was an issue—one at a time they were skittering off to the bathroom. Winnie laughed as hard as the others.

They had due date issues—it seemed they were all due within a few days of one another, all planned to go to Pacific Birthing Center, had the same OB and midwife. They described scenarios in which they were all in labor at the same time, ready to give birth simultaneously. Grace confessed she didn’t know the gender of their baby—she had a bet with Troy. Iris was having a girl—the Sileskis were famous for making boys so the baby girl would be so welcome. Peyton said she and Scott knew but weren’t ready to tell. She wouldn’t even divulge the colors of the nursery.

They talked a bit about Ginger and Matt. Peyton had the inside scoop being both close to Matt and her mother. “She’s living on the farm in an RV. A swanky RV that Matt says is a rental and he’s going to upgrade that to an even nicer model. They’ll be in it for a year while they’re building their house near the orchard.”

“God, what an awesome place to live!” Grace said. “Lin Su, someday we’ll take you and Mother to the Lacoumette farm—in the spring when the orchard is in bloom.”

“Late spring,” Peyton said. “When the planting is in full swing, when they’re shearing and lambing and Mama’s garden is ripening. When the pear trees are in full bloom. Winnie, you will be amazed by the beauty!”

“Is it handicap accessible?” she asked wryly.

“There are so many big men,” Grace said. “You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Mikhail will be so jealous.”

“Lin Su, we’ll bring Charlie—and his EpiPen! There are insects. And we’ll bring Scott—he’s almost as good as an EpiPen. We’ll have a caravan,” Peyton said.

“Ginger came to get the rest of her clothes last week. We had a dinner out to say a proper goodbye to the girls. It was not sad,” Grace said. “I’ve never seen anyone more in love, more ready for the next phase of her life. Hey!” she suddenly exclaimed. “She came to gather up the last of her things! The loft is empty again!”

Everyone just looked at her, not understanding.

“Lin Su, didn’t you want to get closer to town? Well, it’s there if you want it.” Grace bit on her lower lip. “It’s very small, probably much smaller than you’re used to. There’s only one bedroom, but it’s a pretty big bedroom, and the couch is a pullout. Oh, and the kitchen is hardly anything—tiny—but if you and Charlie are having a lot of meals here, maybe that wouldn’t be too inconvenient. I lived in it for over a year. It’s kind of great actually.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose...”

“Impose?” Winnie asked. “If someone doesn’t live in it, it will sit and mold. Troy and Grace put the furniture and TV from his apartment downstairs. That loft is like an adorable little tree house. I’ve seen it exactly once—I was charmed.”

“Well, Mother. You never said that!” Grace said.

“I think we weren’t getting on at the time. But it is darling, Grace. Lin Su, you should consider it. At least look at it. Small but comfortable.”

Lin Su smiled and nodded. They thought she couldn’t live in a small space? That made her happy—they didn’t know how little it took to make her happy. “I have a very tight budget. Single mothers all do,” she said. “But I’d love to see it.”

“Maybe later?” Grace said.

“I would love to, but today I’m leaving right after Winnie is settled for the night. Charlie and I have a few things to pick up for school—just incidentals—and I want to get him home for a good night’s sleep. Maybe tomorrow? When I have a break?”

“Perfect!”

The girls and Winnie enjoyed themselves so much that Winnie’s nap was cut short. While she rested, Grace and Lin Su tried their hand at a meat loaf, mashed potatoes and asparagus dinner. The rolls came from Carrie’s deli; the asparagus was contributed by Mikhail, who purchased it at a farm stand; Troy peeled the potatoes and the meat loaf recipe came right off the internet, thanks to Charlie.

Soon after the table was cleared Grace sent Lin Su on her way. “I know you have a little shopping to finish on your way home. Let me get Winnie settled tonight. You and Charlie go on.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” she said. “We’re both excited for the first day of school. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Lin Su and Charlie drove to the nearest Target. She had already taken care of his clothes and shoes but still needed school supplies and a new jacket. She wasn’t sure if this was a happy coincidence or if Grace was doing a good deed. She was aware that Ginger had moved out and that Grace wouldn’t be living there any longer, but what she didn’t know for sure was whether Grace could use the space for her business and decided to sacrifice it because Lin Su was looking around. Also, although it was said to be very small, Lin Su was aware—Grace and her mother had very high quality possessions and excellent taste—it might be an expensive rental and out of her reach so she didn’t even mention it to Charlie.

But then they pulled up to the fifth wheel and Lin Su’s heart sank.

“Oh, my God!” Charlie cried. “Shit!”

Lin Su didn’t say anything about his language. For a moment she didn’t even know what to fear. The trailer had been broken into—the door stood open. Just six inches, but still. It was dark and ominous.

“Stay in the car,” she said.

“Don’t go in there,” Charlie said. “You never go in a building when you don’t know who’s in there.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1, reporting that the padlocked door had been pried open.

All Lin Su could do was look into what was her home. She didn’t recognize it. It was torn apart, things she didn’t even recognize strewn everywhere. Her mind raced—she didn’t have anything of real value, just the most necessary articles of daily living—linens, clothing, pots and pans, dishes... She’d always felt safe from burglars—there wasn’t much to steal. But there were pictures! She ran to what served as her bedroom, turning on lights along the way. She pulled out the drawer under the bed and it was still there—her album. She wasn’t just frugal with money, she was also frugal with space. She had kept some pictures from her childhood in Boston and there were the pictures of Charlie as a baby and toddler. And they were safe.

Then she spied the small closet, the door literally ripped off—and it was gone, her box of treasures. It was a wood and ivory box, not very big. It didn’t hold much and the street value would be nothing. Less than nothing. It held the hospital bracelets she and Charlie wore after his birth, his first tooth in a small envelope, two faux-gold coins, a chain and pendant given to her by one of her sisters. And the swatch—the lotus embroidery. The only thing she had of her biological mother.

She fell to her knees and started searching the floor of the closet, the backs of the shelves, under the bed. “No no no no no,” she whimpered. Why take that? It was worthless. Even the box itself couldn’t be worth twenty dollars! She crawled around the room, stretching her hands under shelves, into corners, even under the bedding. She reached into drawers that had been rifled through and, without realizing it, she was speaking Vietnamese. Rapidly. Breathlessly. Mournfully.

She cried. Then she began to hum softly as she searched.

* * *

Charlie stood in the bedroom doorway. “Send someone, please,” he said into the phone.

Then he disconnected and found another number, one recently put into her directory. He clicked on the button. The man answered, “Blake Smiley.”

“Yeah, it’s Charlie. Need a little help here, Blake. Our trailer—it got ripped up, torn apart, and things were taken. Things my mom really loves. I don’t know what to do.”

“Did you call the police?” Blake asked.

“Yeah, but... They’ll send someone when they can. They said we should file a report. It could be a long time since there’s no imminent danger—no robbers here. But I think we have a problem. My mom. She’s broken.”