Wheels of Steel, Book 2 (44 page)

There was a long silence and Robin knew that Belinda was all ready to tell her how irresponsible they had been. Her voice sounded very tired when she spoke. “Well at least one of us can celebrate that.”

Robin froze. “Belinda? Are you saying…?”

“Yeah…I wasn’t going to say anything but that segue was too perfect. How could I resist?”

“Are you sure--?”

“I took a pregnancy test, so yeah.” She chuckled. “The family legacy continues with me. Another in the growing list of losers.”

Robin grimaced. “What does Peter say?”

“What? As if I would tell him.”

The implications of that statement rang through Robin. “Belinda, you’re not planning to abort, are you?”

“Well…that was the plan. And no one would have needed to know if not for my need to validate my sense of humor.”

“Belinda this is not funny.”

“I know.” She said solemnly. “I just…don’t know how else to deal with this.”

“First of all you’re not going to just jump to the ideal of abortion. Second I’m coming over to take you out to eat and we’re going to talk until you do know how to deal with it!” Belinda didn’t argue. She gave Robin her address and waited for her in relief.

***

Belinda was sitting on her porch when Robin pulled up to the curb. She lived in a small 2 family house that had seen better days. Belinda bounded down the stairs before she could get out and climbed inside her car.

“Hiya. Drive down two blocks. I’m in walking distance of a great Mexican restaurant.” They drove with Belinda chattering and Robin not able to get in one word. Within just a few minutes they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Belinda continued chattering away but Robin’s loud sigh soon put a stop to it.

“This is a really big decision to make without Peter.” Belinda just opened the door and headed for the restaurant without responding. Robin followed her quickly. “And being pregnant doesn’t make you a loser!” Belinda opened the restaurant door and Robin stopped talking long enough for the hostess to seat them.

“And no matter what Peter says or does…I’ll still be here. You can consider me Auntie Robin. I’ll even babysit whenever you want!”

Belinda finally smiled. “You’re a good friend, Robin. Thank you.” She looked down. “I do need a favor. I need a ride after the…abortion. They won’t let me leave without one.”

Robin just stared at her. “So you’ve already made up your mind about it?”

Belinda didn’t answer because the waitress came. She ordered and after giving the menu a quick glance, Robin did as well. Once the waitress was gone Robin continued.

“What do you really want? Tell yourself even if you can’t tell me or say it out loud. In your heart of hearts what is it that you really want?”

Belinda appeared not to have heard, but Robin knew that she was just taking time to answer the question for herself. The waitress had brought their drinks and salsa and chips before Belinda finally spoke.

“I know you probably don’t believe in abortion-” Robin made a dismissive sound that Belinda found odd coming from someone so soft spoken and nice. Maybe her personality was rubbing off on her new friend.

“I don’t believe or disbelieve in it. Me being a Christian doesn’t mean that I don’t know that people have it done for all kinds of reasons. I’m certainly not going to sit here and judge each and every one of the reasons. I’m not judging you either.”

Belinda watched her intently as she spoke. “If I had to tell Peter it would make it harder for me. Because even if we were together the way I wanted to be, I still wouldn’t have this baby.” Robin frowned in surprise. “I have a plan for myself. I want to make something of myself and I’m willing to work hard to do it. One day I do want to see my face on my child…or Peter’s face, or whoever I’m with. But if I have a baby right now, I wouldn’t be able to finish college. And yeah, before you say it, I could come back. But really, Robin, who really comes back after they have a baby? Having a baby will be everything…and it should be. I just don’t want it to be for me. I still need to do stuff for me before I do them for a baby.” Belinda traced an invisible pattern on the table top. “That sounds fucking selfish. I know it does-”

“You’ve thought about this very hard?”

“Probably not hard enough.” She said honestly. “Because I don’t want to think about it. But it doesn’t mean that I have any doubts.”

Robin didn’t respond immediately. She took the time to digest everything before answering. “And adoption?”

“No. My personal experience with living in some other person’s home makes that an impossibility for me.” She emphasized that statement by an adamant shake of her head. “That’s not going to happen. Besides, when I feel it inside of me, I already know that I won’t…you know. I just got to do this as soon as possible, before the idea of it sets in my head, when it’s just a bunch of cells that doesn’t seem like a person yet.”

Robin rubbed her eyes feeling old and tired. “I’ll come with you.” Nobody should do something like that alone. “But…you are going to have to tell Peter. If you don’t I will.”

Belinda’s eyes flashed fire and her face began to darken but just as quickly her expression calmed and she gave Robin a steady look.

“Do what you do and I’ll do what I do.”

Robin thought about that. “What does that mean?”

“These are your rules, not mine. I’m having the…abortion and you’re going to drive me, and anything else is up to you, Robin.” She gave her a knowing look; knowing that she wouldn’t dare tell Peter.

Chapter 26

Jason and Peter were totally out of their element once the faxed contract came through, so it was a good thing that Peter’s parents were attorneys. Peter’s Dad said that it was a pretty good contract but that he thought that he could make it even better. He faxed back a counter and it was immediately accepted.

They celebrated at a nice downtown Cincinnati restaurant. Jason had always gotten along well with Peter’s parents. They gave Jason all of the credit for turning their son’s downward spiral around after his paralyzing accident.

He excused himself in order to call Robin. Mr. Edelson was working on a studio that they would be able to utilize immediately and they should be able to get started within the next few days.

“Hey Babe.” He had wheeled himself to the alcove by the restroom where he would be able to hear her.

“Jason, hi. Where are you?”

“We went out to eat after signing the contract. Where are you?”

“Oh, well Belinda and I went out to eat. I just dropped her off and I’m back at home.”

“Okay. How was the funeral? Was it bad?”

“No, actually it…it helped, if that makes sense.”

“Closure?”

“Yeah. And Miss Lucille’s son gave me some of her jewelry; really nice pieces too. There are diamonds and opals.”

“Seriously? That was very cool. I can’t stay on because I’m still at the restaurant. But I just wanted to tell you that I love you. I miss you-”

“Aww…I needed that, honey-”

“-and I want you to take your medicine and get some rest so just stay home and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll be here for a while longer and then Link and I want to fool around with some beats on the studio. Babe, we will probably be very preoccupied in the evenings so feel free to do other things after school. Plus I don’t want you to be bored if it takes up all of my attention.”

“I understand.” She could never be bored listening to the two of them making music. But she figured that they probably didn’t need her hanging around all of the time. She could find things to do some evenings, but she wasn’t going to give up all of them. “I’ll see you in the morning. I love you too—and don’t forget to do your homework! You got that paper due on Thursday and you haven’t even started it.”

Jason chuckled. “Okay, okay. I will start that paper tonight. See you tomorrow.” After hanging up Jason felt that everything that he could ever want in life was within his grasp.

***

The next few days were very hectic. Peter and Link spent each evening working on music and Robin decided to call her mother so that they could go shopping. Robin wanted to wear something special for the Bahamas and not just her old jeans shorts and t-shirts that was her normal summer wardrobe. She was beginning to really look forward to the trip.

“Christmas in the Bahamas; it will be weird not to have snow.” Robin commented as the two sipped hot chocolate at the food court. Packages were surrounding them and Robin felt good being able to pull out cash without having to do a mental calculation in her head of which bill wouldn’t get paid this month.

Betty grinned. “I know, and we’ll be wearing bathing suits right in the middle of winter! Robin you’re going to love the Bahamas!” Betty had been twice, as well as to Hawaii and Jamaica. “You and I are going to swim and eat and shop until we collapse.” Robin grinned at her mother’s enthusiasm. She spent the next few minutes describing the tropical beauty and all of the excursions that she had booked for their ten day trip.

“Mama!” She laughed. “We are going to have time to just relax and chill, right?”

“Oh yeah! We definitely have to spend some time in a hammock, plopped on a beach.” Betty’s smile broadened and her eyes glistened. “Robin, there is no one…other then maybe your Dad, that I’d rather be taking this trip with. And I know that things haven’t always been good, but I want you to know that I’m trying very hard to make that up. God has given us a second chance and I want to appreciate every second that I have with you.”

Robin felt her eyes sting. “I know that you have been working hard and I appreciate how you’ve accepted Jason and how much better you and I get along. It’s been wonderful, Mom.”

Betty took Robin’s hand and squeezed it quickly. “I thought you might cancel on me once you started dating Jason because you wouldn’t be with him on Christmas.”

Robin shook her head adamantly. “No. I wouldn’t do that. I already told Jason about our trip and I’m sure it’s not going to be a problem. He’ll be on winter break until the second week of January so we won’t have to worry about him getting back and forth to school. Besides, mama, he is really working hard on that project with Akita Tom. I don’t think he’ll be missing me all that much.”

She sighed in relief. “Good because I already sent in the final payment and we’re talking about more than two grand, non-refundable.”

“Wow, Mama, do you want me to pay for some of it-?”

“No. This is my present to myself. So you better not even think about buying me a present this year…and don’t think you are going to get one, either!” She laughed but Robin’s smile was slight and almost secretive.

“I know that I already have all of the gifts that I could want for Christmas.”

Betty watched her, thoughtfully. “Jason’s a good person. Do you see him in your future?”

“I can’t imagine him not in my future.” Her heart swelled as she said those words.

Betty continued to watch her, her expression unreadable. “I’ll probably always be concerned about the obstacles that you and he have to face-”

Robin opened her mouth to interject but Betty held up her hand and halted her.

“-but I know that you and Jason will handle it perfectly and if you have problems it’s from everyone else in society.” Robin relaxed at the accuracy of her words. “And my god, that boy knows his music! Honey, if I hadn’t heard him school me on music from my own generation, I would not have believed it myself!” Infact, it was his knowledge of music which sealed the deal for her. Any 19 year old (white or black kid) that could successfully name the members of the Temptation, or that would hug a Bootsy Collin’s album as if it were a rare jewel, could not be bad in her eyes. There was something about Jason that was immediately evident, whether you thought you liked him or not, and that was his unwavering confidence. He practically dared you to prove that he was different than anyone else.

And her daughter had chosen him. And Betty was learning to have faith in her baby.

The next day Robin sat quietly listening to Jason and Peter create very beautiful music. She kept herself busy by reading another vampire novel and interjecting her opinion when asked. Then she went to bed long before Jason and didn’t even wake when he snuggled up against her in the spoon position late in the night.

On Wednesday the studio space was ready for their use. The five friends met Mr. Edelson at an office complex that didn’t seem as if it would have a musical studio within its walls. It even had a receptionist at the first floor entrance, which gave the entire place the feeling of being a dental office. But then Mr. Edelson led them to the fifth floor and after exiting the elevator and travelling down a short hallway, they came to an office that contained three rooms; one was a sitting area, the other was filled with electronic devices, and the last was a very small glass enclosed room that held a microphone. It is where a singer would record.