Operation Wolfe Cub: A Chilling Historical Thriller (THE TIME TO TELL Book 1) (39 page)

Inside, where the singing party was, a head count of seven women and five tiny boys huddled together. At the center, by the coffee table next to the birthday cake, little Doll was standing. The table height seemed just right for him. He giggled with laughter at the sight of the stubby, non-birthday-like candle burning on top of a sweet, homemade cake of chocolate.

After his birthday song ended, everyone clapped while suggesting to Doll that he think of a wish before blowing out his ceremonious candle. Doll really didn’t know what to think, so Chantain got his attention by popping up with a crazy, blowfish face while pretending to blow the candle out. “Okay, Doll, you see here? You get one chance at this, so make it right. Make a wish and blow out the candle. It’ll come true.”

Things weren’t happening as planned, so Chantain lifted him up and held him across the table as close to the candle as she could. The poor child was so close his face glowed.

The women standing around, gathered closer, speaking together, “Come on, blow!”

“Wish for something, big guy.”

“Come on, big boy. Blow it out!”

“Make a wish come true!”

“Blow like this.”

Doll suddenly understood as he glanced at everyone’s cheeks round as billiard balls. He gave the candle a strong,
blow which looked good enough for the job—except it wasn’t. Strangely enough, the flame refused to leave, so a second try was called for. He reared back and blew again with all of the breath he had. The stubborn flame looked as if it were done for, except it bounced right back onto the wick like it wanted to stick around.

Awkward surprise plastered everyone’s faces. Oddly, no one said a thing about it until Chantain looked at the candle a little more closely. “
Hmmph
, wonder what the candle’s made of?”

Everyone else seemed to be wondering the same thing, so they all inquisitively leaned over to take a closer look, but before they got too close, the tiny flame mysteriously vanished.

Chantain flinched. “
Awh
…oh my. I didn’t see that.
Hmmph
…oh well…you did it, Doll! How about that?”

Almost everyone laughed it off, except for Julie. She was seated behind the rest of them without the benefit of seeing what had just happened. Still, she reacted to their cheers by putting on a strained smile. She stewed there for a while until her little smile went away. Nevertheless, the party quickly moved along, leaving her sour attitude behind.

Up next came the presents. Without delay, the women quickly shuffled in their bags, popping up with Doll’s little surprises wrapped up with their own personal touches.

Julie didn’t quite fit in with the dazzling gift wraps; she was the first to pull out a gift and it was wrapped in a brown paper bag. At least the bag was cut up to resemble wrapping paper. She placed it in Arlis’s chubby little hands so that he could mimic giving it to Doll. He fumbled to do so just as Doll barely got a hold of it.

Julie grinned. “This present here’s from Arlis. Ain’t that right, Arlis?”

Arlis hadn’t anything to say since he was barely aware of what was going on. Some good came of Arlis’s gesture since
the other three mothers thought the idea was great. They quickly caught on, doing the same.

The second mother kneeled down with her son, smiling from ear to ear. “This nice one has a pretty, gold bow. It’s from your friend
Landon
.”

She got back up as the next mother kneeled down. “This one with the cute teddy bear wrapping is from your buddy
D wight
.”

The last mother did the same. “And this one’s from
Glenn
…say happy birthday, Glenn, honey.”

The other two women had no children, so they both kneeled down and simply gave the gifts to Doll while praising him.

After Chantain heard all of their sweet comments, her smile loomed a little to the gloomy side before she expressed her gratitude. “
Ah
, you ladies didn’t have to say that…he is sort of darling. I wish he wasn’t.”

Two of the ladies were surprised. “Not darling? What am I missing?”

“What? You wish he wasn’t?”

“Come on now.”

Chantain looked disinterested. “If he wasn’t so cute it would be easier on me…haven’t heard a thing…Eddie’s still hoping to keep him.”

Julie perked up, “Oh? You still—haven’t? You still haven’t heard anything about keeping him yet?”

Chantain went on, “No. Eddie’s been calling Mr. Holt once a month…no word still.”

All of the ladies joined in, “No, that’s terrible…wow.”

“What? I don’t believe it.”

“That’s torture.”

“When do you think you’ll have an answer, Chantain?”

Chantain appeared artificially sad. “Oh, I don’t know. I think he said he should have an answer pretty soon.”

Julie looked confused. “Pretty soon? When did our constable say that one?”

As Chantain tore into Doll’s gift wrap for him, she didn’t bother looking up. Finally, she got around to answering Julie’s question. “
Huh
? Oh, I don’t remember when Eddie said that. It’s dragging on forever, it feels like.”

Julie moved on. In the midst of everyone’s small talk, she kept looking at Doll’s birthday cake, which was left unattended and untouched. She obliged herself to step forward and be the first one to cut the cake. As she picked up the knife next to it, her tongue became part of her tool selection as well. It moved along her lips, in tandem with her knife-slicing. When she was done, she looked relieved. “
Ahhh
…there now, that’s better.”

She then handed servings to everyone, saving the biggest piece for herself. After stuffing her mouth with a forkful of cake, she said, “If there was a problem, they couldn’t let y’ know anyway. I bet they take Doll away.”

The other ladies paused, exchanging uncertain expressions. Between the gift wrap that had just vanished from Chantain’s hands and Julie looking mighty hungry, they really didn’t have much of an appetite for cake.

Landon’s mother compelled herself to speak, “Well, I think different. The longer you wait, Chantain, the better it is. They just have to see if anyone’s going to come claim him is all.”

Dwight’s mother took a bite of cake, making a point with her fork. “Yeah, that’s right. Doll’s as good as yours. They just have to give it at least a year, so they protect themselves.”

Landon’s mother chuckled, “Well, if Doll was—you know—Vietnamese like my son, Chantain would already have him by now.”

Everyone laughed except Julie. “Landon’s Vietnamese? I thought you folks were Mexican or Filipino or somethin’ like that.”

The women drew silent as Landon’s mother struggled for words.

Dwight’s mother quickly said, “
Uh
, the cake—
um
. It’s really good. Who made it?”

Chantain finished cramming most of the wrapping paper under the coffee table, then brushed her hands of it. “Oh, I did. I just threw it together. The candle is one I use for emergency when the power goes out. It’s been in the kitchen for a while…comes in handy, actually.” She then stepped around the children playing on the floor to refill everyone’s coffee cups.

The infants quickly became a central source of entertainment. Unavoidably, they attracted comparisons. Slowly but surely, everyone’s attention focused on Doll. Laughs were exchanged, and small gestures were made, but they continued to watch more seriously at the way Doll warmed up to his lineup of new toys.

Quickly, they realized that he had begun to plan something for the other four children who, quite frankly, didn’t know what to do with themselves on the floor. Doll stepped up to being the host. He took the toys from their boxes, then he sorted them in a line, as if he were deciding something in an orderly fashion. To make things more interesting, he was caught looking at each of his friends with the toys.

The first gift he picked up was a spinning top with ten little Indians colorfully decorating it. He walked over and gave that one to Arlis. The second toy he juggled was a windup Teddy Roosevelt Bear, which he gave to Landon. The third toy, a metal truck, he was very decisive about; he gave it to Dwight. Last, but not least, he picked up the little ball, before passing it to Glenn.

His actions charmed everyone as one of the ladies spoke up, “I thought they were all the same age. Didn’t somebody say that?”

Chantain nodded. “Oh yes, they
are
the same age. They’re about fourteen to sixteen months, except for Arlis…he’ll be two.”

Julie was in the process of having seconds on the cake. “He’s eighteen months. A long way to go before two, Chantain—gosh.”

Landon’s mother never took her eye off Doll. Without saying much, she slowly put her plate of cake down in the midst of observing. “
Um
, Doll’s walking good. I mean
really
walking good.”

Dwight’s mother nodded. “I’m noticing…he even handed out one toy for everyone, like he knew where they should go. Did anyone see that? Are you sure he’s not a year and a half, Chantain?”

“Sure I’m sure…well, if he is, it’s not by much. Eddie took him to the doctor the first chance he got after he found him, and the doctor said so, back then.”

Glenn’s mother counted up the months in her head, then pulled her portable calendar out of her purse. “I see—back then?
Hmmm
, let me see….
hmmm
, why did you pick August for his birthdate? That would make him,
uh
—”

Chantain quickly placed her plate of cake to the side, tending her lips with a napkin. “I know, I know…that would make him one year and two or three months. I just figured his birthdate didn’t matter—so I picked the month of August.”

Quietly, the rest of the women idled themselves in different postures, waiting for Chantain to explain further, but she wasn’t inclined to do so. Resisting still, she looked away, touching the nape of her neck. To kick a few more seconds through the space of their stares, she watched the children play as if letting it go, would help. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Silence among them closed in, causing her to peek back at everyone watching her for a better explanation.

Glenn’s mother sat up on the edge of her seat. “Well? Are you going to tell us about the month of August?”

Chantain bashfully patted her big, blonde curls. “What? Oh—August…I guess everyone wants to know why I picked August then.”

Everyone replied. “Yes!”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s stupid. Nobody wants to know.”

Julie blurted, “Chantain, come on. Cough it up. I’m your cotton pickin’ neighbor, and I hadn’t heard that one yet.”

Chantain slapped her thigh, huffing, “All right already… you know…don’t tell me nobody knows—Leo? Leo the Lion? If I had one of these kids of my own, I think I’d have to have some important guy, I guess. Like a king.”

Suddenly the women softened up as they spoke, “Oh yes, of course.”

“A leader…a lion,
grrrrrr
,
ha ha ha
…so cute.”

“My son’s Pisces, the smelly ol’ fish. Wish I could’ve chosen his sign.”

“Oh, and the weather’s so nice in August too.”

“Oh my gosh, Landon got Cancer?”

“Cancer? What?”

Landon’s mother chuckled, “No, I mean his sign is Cancer. You know, the crab?”

Julie didn’t soften up at all, nor did she chuckle. She sat there like an iron bulldog. “Wait a minute, hush up everyone. Chantain,
um
Leo? King? So lions are kings, you think?
Ha!
They’re kings of beasts maybe.”

Landon’s mother wittingly smiled. “King of beasts? Oh, Doll isn’t that; look at him, Julie. Give the birthday guy a break. I mean he’s just a cute little boy.”

Julie picked up another serving of cake. “No…my grandpa n’ dad was Leos. They were th’ most arrogant, hotheaded, bad-tempered men I ever saw. No, no, no, Leo’s r’ monsters.”

Someone else asked, “Whatever happened to your dad anyway, Julie?”

Julie looked at everyone, one at a time. “He passed away. Both of ’em—my grandpa too. Don’t get me wrong, may they rest in peace, God bless their souls.” She then quickly pointed.
“You know, Chantain, you shouldn’t go ‘round hexing Doll with signs that way. Somethin’ terrible wrong could happen.”

The rest of the women jumped in, talking, “Oh, lighten up, Julie.”

“Yeah, at least your son has real parents, Julie.”

“The poor kid’s gotta go through life wondering where he came from, Julie.”

“Yes, Chantain can do whatever she wants. Isn’t that right, Chantain?”

Chantain brushed her off. “I’m okay about it, really, everyone.”

Then she glared down at Julie. “It’s just a month, Julie. You’re just jealous ‘cause I picked it and Arlis will probably be a Virgo his whole life. Get over it, sweetie.”

Everyone blushed and covered their mouths, chuckling, “Virgo? You mean the virgin?
Ha ha
.”

“Arlis, a permanent virgin? Oh my,
ha ha
.”

“That’s so funny.
Ha ha
.”

Julie scowled. “
Ah ha haaaa
, I guess that’s funny to you… He won’t be no fruit, sweethearts. I can tell y’ that…okay then Doll’s a year and a couple or so. Get on with it. That would make him June maybe. What’s that sign?
Huh
?”

Landon’s mother quickly answered, “I just love the study of zodiac. June, I like to think of as the amazing Gemini. The twin. The great achiever of change.”

Julie huffed, “Twins? A king of change? Well, last I checked, Doll was by himself. Can’t change that.”

Landon’s mother chuckled, “No, Julie. Gemini has the power to change things. He can even pledge his own allegiance if he sees it fit.”

Julie kept up, “Pledge his own allegiance? Sounds like someone disturbin’ our country or something? Maybe
he’s
the one that’s gonna be the fruitcake instead-a-my son. You know, one-a-those who tries climbing in bed with my son with weird ideas.
Ha haaaa
, the laugh’s on someone else now.”

Chantain quietly got annoyed. To cool herself down, she stood up to gather the empty dishes around the table slowly, but her backlash couldn’t wait. “Those kind of weirdos died off with the Roman Empire, dear. Everyone knows they are—no more. We all know what happened to those idiots, right ladies? It’s the forties now, Julie. Doll’s a
real
man, not a fake.”