Galin (4 page)

“There are many reasons I could give you, but
none will satisfy you. I should like to talk to you about what has happened
before this. Jacob thinks that you are upset with him because your sister has
passed.” Dusty didn’t answer but He didn’t seem to need her to. “She was ready.
I know that is hard to think of now, but things must go along as they should, and
though you do not understand them, it is important for the pieces to fall into
place to move forward. It is a timeline, you call it, a schedule of events.
Thing fall into place in the order they are needed to be.”

“I call it bullshit.” He looked startled at
her but didn’t say anything as she continued. “Free will. I have it. My sister
had it, and I’m sure everyone has it. She had a free will to do what she did,
and I think someone should have been there to guide her differently. Why didn’t
they? You’re supposed to protect her…where was her protector when she was
selling dope? Taking drugs and leaving her only child to fend for himself? Answer
me that.”

He sat down across from her and she had a
feeling He was going to be angry with her. Instead, He stretched out his feet
and smiled. “When you were seventeen years old you were set on leaving home and
taking up with a man that was twice your age who said he wanted to help you
with your career.”

“He said that I had talent. I suppose he was
right, but I now realize it was just sex he wanted. I had talent all the same,
just not what he was talking about. Are You saying that I should have chosen
the other path, the one that had me going with him?” Boss shook his head. “Then
what? You’re making no sense to me right now.”

“You were to do just as you wished. Had you
gone with him in his adventure you would have ended up in the same place you
are now, but you would have been much less successful and a great deal poorer. Not
just in money, but in trust as well. He would have hardened you for that.” Dusty
didn’t really trust a great many people now and had a hard time believing she
could trust less. “You would have been much like a hermit, I think. Working
from your home and never leaving it to interact with customers. It would have
made you some money, but not enough to support you and young Kipling.”

“You can tell me if he ever comes to love
me.” He nodded. “Does he? Do you think he’ll ever come to love me, just a
little? I love him. It’s hard, really hard sometimes, but I do love him. He’s
all I have left of my sister, all I have left of anything really.”

“He loves you now, Dusty. He just isn’t sure
what to do about it.” She stared at him for several seconds before she looked
out over the yard again. She’d had so many plans for her home. The building
she’d been about to buy downtown had been next on her list of things to do. The
rent she was paying was killing her and she’d never own it. And if the new
owners of her building were going to raise her rent again, she’d have to move
out, find something cheaper, maybe in some part of town she didn’t want to be
in during the day, much less at night. Now that too was put on hold. Stiffening
her spine, she looked over at the man only to discover He was gone. Dusty sat
there for several more minutes before she moved into the house. It was time to
get things done. Sunday was her only day off and she didn’t think she’d get any
sleep anyway.

~~~

Galin watched the boy sleep. It was well past
noon and the aunt had gone out several minutes ago, but had knocked on the door
to tell Kip she was leaving. Galin had wanted to tell her not to wake the boy
but she’d left before he was disturbed.

He looked down at the scar on Kip’s leg and
felt a new kind of fear. When he’d summoned Benny to the house it had been for
him to look at the wound, but Kip had refused to let him near him. Galin had
finally suggested that Kip was exhausted and had him go to bed. Lily had
confirmed what he had already thought. Kip had been marked.

“What will happen to him now?” He knew that
Michael was nearby and didn’t even bother reaching for him when he asked. “I’m
worried for him. I cannot leave him now that Markum has come here. I won’t let anything
else happen to him. It’s bad enough that his aunt ignores him so much.”

“You think that she ignores him, Galin?” He
nodded. “Hmm. I have not known her well, but I think that she loves the boy and
worries for him. The way she talked to Benny about him last evening makes me
think she would kill for the child. He is much loved, my good friend. But the
boy has to let it in before you can see it, I think.”

“She treats him poorly. He is locked in here
all day when he isn’t at school. Did you know that he eats candy bars rather
than a balanced meal? Why isn’t she making him come out to have something good
to eat with her? She certainly eats well.” Galin had no idea if she ate or not,
but he was upset that he’d not been there for Kip when Markum had come for him.
“What sort of person is she? No better than his mother, I think. And that is
sad to me.”

“I think perhaps you are forgetting that
there are two sides to every story. Mayhap you are only hearing the one that
Kip wants you to know. Have you met Dusty as yet? She is a very lonely woman
who is trying her best to make this work. And at great expense to herself. Dusty
has given up so much to give this boy a home, a roof over his head, and food
that he chooses not to eat. She will wear out soon if he does not give in.” Galin
glanced at the bed and wondered why he’d taken such a dislike to someone he’d
never met. “You should encourage him to meet her halfway. The woman is hurting
as well.”

“She does what she will and leaves him to his
own devices all day and night. What can she be doing that would take her from
home so much?” Michael said nothing but Galin didn’t care. “I should think she would
be here with him. Making sure that he knows he isn’t alone. Had I the ability,
I would speak to him all the time, tell him that I love him and am here for
him. What has she done?”

Michael said nothing as he moved about the
room. It was clean now, or at least in better shape than it had been the first
day. And his clothing was now hanging on hangers instead of lying about. When Michael
stopped at the desk and looked at the computer, Galin flushed. He could not
discourage the boy from looking at some of the sites he’d been looking at.

“He is curious about sex, which is
understandable. Perhaps you could guide him in a more…safe part of his education.
All lovemaking does not involve paddles or whips.” Galin said nothing, thinking
that he’d never seen such pictures in his life and didn’t know why his body had
responded like it had when he’d seen them. But he had been telling Kip to go to
other sites, ones that talked of love and romance.

“I have something I wish for you to do.” Galin,
happy for the change of subject, agreed to it. “You may want to hear what it is
first. I don’t know if you will like me much for my request.”

“I shall do whatever it takes to get the boy
the help he needs. Tell me what you need of me and I’ll do it.” Michael nodded
and ran his finger along the scar on Kip’s leg. Instead of the large handprint
that had been there, now it was only a small mark. Galin knew that Michael,
even as strong as he was, couldn’t remove it completely.

“I want you to go and spend some time with
Dusty. Not a great deal, mind you, but you need to know what she is up to as
well if you are to help the boy. Right now you are only hearing all that she
has done to him from the young man. But not what she has done for him that he
is not aware of. It might help you.” Galin had thought that too. But in order
for him to spend time with the aunt, he’d have to leave Kip unattended. Not something
he wanted to do in light of recent events. “I shall watch him for a few hours.
And I believe Riss has asked to help as well.”

“I don’t think it will help matters much. She
has her own protector.” Galin looked at Kip again as he continued. “I fear for
him. I should have been here for him but I was not. Now he will bear this mark
until something is done about Markum.”

Michael sat down on the bed and stared at him.
Galin knew he was telling him to get lost, a phrase that his last charge had
said a great deal. But he was loath to do so. To leave would mean that he
wasn’t able to protect Kip again. But Michael nodded to the door and Galin
stood up. He moved to the door to slip out of the room when he looked back at
Michael.

“You will call me if he needs me?” Michael
said he would. “I don’t want to leave him. I have grown quite fond of him in
the past few days. He has suffered a great deal for someone so young.”

“So has his aunt.” Galin didn’t want to believe
that and wasn’t sure why. His negative feelings for this unknown woman had him feeling
guilty more than he’d ever been. “You will spend the day with her and come back
tonight. I have some free time and if I do not, I will call for Riss or Agon. Each
of them will watch him as you would.”

Galin knew that in his mind but not his
heart. He wanted to stay but knew that arguing would not get him anywhere with
Michael. Galin moved out of the room and into the hall, where he saw her. Dusty
McGee was not what he had expected.

He’d already figured out she was younger than
most aunts he’d encountered lately. But to his thinking she’d still be older
than she looked to be right now. With her sweatpants on and her tee shirt
rolled up at the sleeves, she looked to be about sixteen. He thought if she let
her pony tail down it might add a few years but not much.

She is twenty-seven. Younger than her sister
was by eight years.
He didn’t say anything to Boss when He spoke to him.
This is a good thing that
you are doing. You should know the person who cares so lovingly for your
charge. Dusty is a good woman.

He doesn’t like her much.
Boss said nothing so
Galin continued.
He doesn’t seem to think she gives him all that he needs. And
there are things from his past that she wouldn’t let him keep.

There are many things you are not aware of,
Galin. Nor is the child. Dusty did what she could to get his things for him,
but the courts said that she had to leave them. They are to be sold
at auction so the
people that Rose owed money to may recoup some of their losses
. Boss
appeared to him just as he followed Dusty to the kitchen
. She has paid what
she could, but there simply was too much money owed to a great many people. Then
there are the hospital bills, the funeral arrangements, the cost to bring young
Kipling here, the clothing he now has. Things are mounting up for the young
woman. And she bears this all on her own, not wanting to tarnish his idea of
his mother. Even now she has someone going to the sale to get what she can,
even at great cost to herself.

The woman moved around the kitchen, pulling
out things from the refrigerator and wiping them down. He watched her for
several minutes as she then cleaned the shelves before putting all the items
back inside. She was also writing things down, and he walked over to her list. On
the top of the paper was a list of the candy bars that Kip had eaten, as well
as the cans of soup the boy had taken from the kitchen. She knew, was all he
could think. The woman knew that Kip was living on candy bars to avoid her.

Several times she went to the door to knock.
The first two times she’d not gotten a response, but the third time the music
came blasting from the other side, telling them both that Kip was awake. Galin
watched her lean against the wall and cry for ten minutes, and his heart melted
some for her. When she went to her room for an hour, he nearly followed her but
she came out dressed to go out. Her stopping at Kip’s door had him slipping into
the room.

“I’m going to the grocery. Do you need
anything?” No answer, but Kip did look at the door. “You can even come with me
if you want.”

A few seconds passed and neither of them said
anything else, and Galin went out of the room again. He sat beside her in the
car as she drove, sobbing the entire way to the store.

Galin felt sorry for them both. Two of the
most stubborn people he knew were in the same house and neither of them was giving
an inch. He decided that he needed to do something for them and tried to think
what. Reaching for Kala and Judith, he asked them to meet him later at the
house. Both agreed, and he wasn’t surprised at all to see Judith at the store
when they got there. He nodded to the woman he was watching and learning about.

“Hello.” Judith smiled at Dusty before
pulling out a cart as well. “I’ve seen you around town. Are you the lady who
owns Strategize? The advertising firm?”

“I am.” Galin smiled when Judith winked at
him when Dusty answered her. “You need something? I’m not taking on any big
clients right now but perhaps I can find…I know you own Jellies, Jams, and
Preserves, right? I’d like to work with you, but right now…well, right now I’m
not sure I can handle a client as big as you’re going to be.”

“Thanks. And yes you can. And you will.” Judith
moved her cart alongside of Dusty’s, talking a mile a minute, telling her what
she wanted from Dusty in advertising. It sounded to Galin like Judith had it
all worked out on her own, but talked to Dusty like it was a done deal.

And so a friendship, albeit a working one,
began. Galin watched as Judith did what he was sure hadn’t happened in a great
long time for Dusty. He watched her smile.