Wildflower (9 page)

Abby had rested completely for several days
after she’d returned from Halifax. She’d gone auto shopping with
Billy one day and he took her to a movie matinee on another, but
outside that she had done nothing but rest for over twelve days.
Abby was feeling back at full strength now and somewhat excited
about beginning her new adventure. It had been barely a month since
her world had come apart, but somehow it now all seemed so very far
away, both in distance and in time.

Once the paperwork on the house was
completed, Abby had arranged for the electricity and phone hook ups
to be put in her name and Keith had arranged a heating oil contract
for her with his own supplier. The men were already out painting
the house and all Abby had to do now was move in.

True to her nature, Abby had no trouble at
all in finding her way back to the place. She stopped for a moment
at the top of the hill to gaze down onto her new home. The workmen
were just finishing the painting and cleaning up from the job when
she arrived. Keith introduced them to her as she got out of the
car.

“Hello Abby, are you all set to move in?”

“All set Keith, everything I have is in the
car. I’m here to stay.”

“Excellent, it will be good to have a
neighbor again. I’d like you to meet the boys. This is Alfred and
Henry Barnes. Boys, this is Miss Abigail MacKai.”

“A pleasure gentlemen,” she smiled as she
shook each hand in turn.

“Miss MacKai,” said Henry, who seemed to be
the spokesman for the pair, “if there is anything else we can do
for you just let us know. We can do all sorts of odd jobs.”

“Thank you Henry, I will be sure to call you
from time to time. I assume I can get your number from Keith.”

“Well, we don’t really have a phone,” replied
Henry, “but we can usually be found down at the post office.”

“Excellent, has Keith paid you yet?”

“No ma’am,”

“I was waiting until you had a chance to
inspect the work,” smiled Keith as he put the last of the paint
cans in the back of their truck.

“Well then, let’s have a look.” They followed
silently like two puppies as she walked around the house checking
out the paint job. In truth they had done a very good job and she
was quite pleased with it. “It looks good to me Keith, are you
satisfied?”

“It looks good to me too Abby. I charged the
paint down at the store in Pikes Cove. You can fix up with them
when you go set up your mail box.”

“I’ve already been there and taken care of
both those chores,” she smiled as she finished up her inspection.
“Now how much do I owe these fine gentlemen?”

“Keith promised us two hundred dollars
ma’am,” said Henry shyly.

“Will you take my cheque or would you rather
have cash?”

“Cash is good,” declared Alfred.

Henry nudged him sharply in the ribs.
“Manners,” he hissed softly.

“Cash it is,” smiled Abby as she opened her
purse. The butt of a small but deadly looking pistol popped out of
her purse as she pulled out the money. Abby casually tucked it back
in, then counted out the money and passed it to Henry. The look on
both their faces said that they had clearly seen the gun. She
smiled as she met their eyes again. “Thank you so much gentlemen,
you have done a wonderful job. I will know where to find you when I
have more work for you.” They nodded their thanks and hurried to
pack their truck and depart.

“You let them see that gun on purpose, didn’t
you Abby,” said Keith softly as their old truck sped away.

“I live alone Keith; I could scream my lungs
out over here and no one would ever hear me.”

“Mark said you take no chances.”

“I’m not a raging paranoid Keith, just
careful. Can you help me carry some of this inside?”

“Happy to,” he replied as he pulled a heavy
box from the back of the car. “The missus is in the kitchen
straightening up a bit for you.”

Abby led the way inside and found a middle
aged woman in a kerchief smiling at her. “Hi, I’m Wanda, Keith’s
wife,” she said as she held out her hand to Abby.

Abby smiled warmly and set down the box she
was carrying. “Pleased to meet you Wanda, I’m Abby,” she said as
she accepted the proffered hand. “What hit this place, a white
tornado?”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to
welcome you to the neighborhood so I cleaned up the kitchen for you
and got everything ship shape. The fridge has been cleaned out so
you can load her up right now if you wish.”

“I only brought a small cooler,” grinned Abby
ruefully. “I thought I was looking at several days of cleaning
before I could use the fridge or the cupboards. My god Wanda,
everything sparkles so. You haven’t left me a thing to do.”

“Oh yes I have dear,” laughed Wanda,
obviously pleased with Abby’s praise. “I’ve left you the rest of
the house. Well, I did do the bathroom too.”

“The kitchen and the bathroom too? Woman,
you’re a life saver. If old Keith ever gets nasty, you can come
live with me and I’d be happy to have you.”

“Hey now, there will be no stealing my cook,”
grinned Keith as he brought another of her boxes in and set it on
the kitchen table.

“Oh, so that’s what you keep me for is it?”
Wanda asked tartly as she poked him in the ribs.

“Abigail MacKai, I will get you back for
this,” threatened Keith. Abby’s sweet laughter floated lightly
through the old house, and it almost felt as though the spirits of
the place had been lifted.

“What is it Wanda?” asked Abby as she saw the
faraway look in the woman’s eye.

“Oh nothing Abby, it’s just that it is so
nice to hear laughter in these walls again. I swear Bride was
always laughing about something. I hope you are as happy here as
she was.”

“You were her friend weren’t you?”

“For well over thirty years,” replied Wanda
wistfully as she leaned against the counter. “It broke my heart the
day I had to call the ambulance and they took her away
forever.”

“Wanda, I have to go through everything in
the place, and I will surely get rid of much of what is stored
here. Are there any mementoes that you would like to have to
remember her by?”

“Oh Abby, I couldn’t...”

“No, please Wanda, you must. None of these
things have any meaning for me, but they might mean a great deal to
you. Have whatever you would like, I insist.”

“Well, there is the picture of Bride and
Terry, and the one of Bride and me taken years ago, they’re still
on the mantle I think.”

“Come then,” smiled Abby as she took the
woman by the arm and led her into the living room. The smell of
dampness had been dispelled from the kitchen, but it was still
apparent in the hallway as they passed through it. “These?” asked
Abby as they reached the living room.

“These,” replied Wanda softly, slowly nodding
her head. There was a small tear in her eye now. “You know, I spent
many an enjoyable hour in this house over the years.”

“And I hope you will again, I would like us
to be friends Wanda.”

“I had so hoped for that too Abby,” smiled
Wanda as she took the treasured photos from the mantle. “There’s
not so many folks left out this way and it can get lonely at
times.”

“I sometimes can get a bit scattered Wanda,
so don’t wait around for an invitation. Whenever you want, just pop
in and know I will always be glad to see you.”

“Be careful what you wish for Abby,” laughed
Wanda as she turned toward Abby with her mementoes in her hand, her
bright mood returning. “I might just drive you nuts. Speaking of
nuts, it looks like Keith has the car unloaded for you. We should
be on our way and let you get settled in. Do you need any bed
linen? Most of what’s here is damp still.”

“Thanks Wanda, but I’ve borrowed a sleeping
bag from a friend. I’ll camp out in that gleaming kitchen until I
get the place squared away.”

“Well then, we’ll get out of your hair and
let you get to it,” smiled Keith as he joined them. “If there is
anything you need, just shout.”

“I will Keith, and thank you.”

“Thank you Abby,” smiled Wanda clutching the
treasured old photos in her hand as she stepped through the door.
“This is truly a wonderful gift.”

They left and walked back to their own house,
hand in hand. Smiling wistfully, Abby watched them go then she
pulled the gun from her purse. “Well little buddy, you’ve done your
job well,” she said as she pulled the trigger. A flame leaped from
the muzzle and Abby used it to light a scented candle in the living
room.

Roomies

“New boyfriend Hazel?” asked Sharon, Hazel’s
favorite hairdresser.

“Naw, same old boyfriend Sharon, you know
that,” laughed Hazel as she hung her coat on the rack.

“So how come I never see you out together?”
asked Sharon as she settled Hazel into the chair.

“Because he’s gay and I’m lesbian. We just do
the boyfriend/girlfriend thing when we don’t want to scare the rest
of you natural folks.”

“Oh my god, Hazel,” laughed Sharon as she
held on to the side of the chair, “whatever did you have for
breakfast today? I swear you’re full of beans this morning. So tell
me the truth now, is that your boyfriend?”

“High school sweetheart, we spent the night
together at a hotel because he just broke up with his gay partner
and was lonely.”

“Hazel, stop it for crying out loud. Do you
want to make me slip and have to cut all your hair off?”

“Ok, I’ll be good,” said Hazel grinning at
Sharon in the mirror, “but just remember, I’m really lesbian and
I’m watching your butt in the mirrors.”

“Stop it Hazel,” giggled Sharon. Everyone
else in the shop was having a good laugh with them now. “I swear
I’ll dye you blonde if you don’t behave.” Hazel continued to tease
Sharon good naturedly while she worked, and everyone was laughing
and having fun with it all.

As Hazel was finished and waiting at the
counter to pay Sharon, Tina, one of the other hairdressers, called
her attention to the window. “Hazel, Hazel, look over there,” she
hissed with a look of pure mischief, “there is the woman for you;
isn’t she gorgeous?” Hazel glanced out the window to see an
absolutely exquisite blonde load her car with groceries then climb
behind the wheel and drive away. The look on Hazel’s face was the
giveaway.

“Oh my god Hazel,” gasped Sharon softly as
she reached out to touch Hazel lightly on the arm, “you were
telling the truth, weren’t you?”

“Yes I was,” replied Hazel evenly as she
brought her eyes back to Sharon’s, her defenses rising to the fore.
Dammit, Sharon was the best and Hazel liked her.

Sharon met Hazel’s eyes for a moment then
slowly nodded her head. “It’s Ok by me. Are we still buddies?”

“I’m fine,” replied Hazel relaxing a bit.
“Are we cool?”

“We’re cool,” grinned Sharon, “just keep your
hands off my butt.”

“I’ll try, but you know it will be sheer
torture.” Hazel was completely at ease again.

“Ah, the price of irresistible beauty,”
sighed Sharon as she turned back toward another customer. Hazel
laughed and waved as she stepped through the door. With a light
spring in her step, she headed for home to find Tommy waiting there
for her.

“What is it Tommy?” she asked as she saw his
face. He was sitting glumly on her futon, staring into space as she
came through the door.

“I’ve just talked to Jack. He was all apology
and contrition until I refused to come home with him. I mean, just
think about it, why would I want to go back there where his sister
and brother-in-law are right over my head? They all ganged up on me
once, they would surely do it again. I said I wanted some time to
think, and I suggested that he do the same.”

“So he blew up at you again, right?”

“That was it,” he sighed as he leaned forward
to rest his elbows on his knees. “I never really took a hard look
at that part of our relationship before, but I think Jack saw
himself as the dominant male. He wanted to move off campus, so we
moved off campus. He wanted to come back to Newfoundland, so back
we came. I guess he thought I would always do as he suggested.”

“Well, you always have so far Tommy,” Hazel
said gently as she sat beside him on the couch.

“Have I really been that much of a doormat
Hazel?” he asked softly, gazing into her eyes.

“You’d rather give in than cause a fuss,
Tommy my love,” she smiled softly. “That has always been your way,
and when we were in school I took full advantage of that.”

“Brat.”

“So what happened?”

“Jack blew up at me and said if I didn’t give
him half the money he’d call the police,” sighed Tommy, studying
his hands again. “I said I wanted the rest of my stuff. He said if
I haven’t picked it up by supper time today he would burn it all
then call the police and say I had stolen his money. What am I
going to do Hazel? I don’t have anywhere to put the stuff and no
way to get it there if I did.”

Hazel thought for a moment then smiled warmly
at him. “Want to live together?” she asked mischievously.

“What have you got in mind gorgeous?”

“There’s a two bedroom on the top floor that
is empty. I’ll bet we could arrange to move in today. If we split
all the expenses it will be cheaper for both of us.”

“And it will give us both a chance to see
what sharing space will be like with no extra obligations. Hazel,
you’re the best. Are you sure you’re Ok with this?”

“Absolutely. It will be a real treat to have
my own room again.”

“Alright sweetheart, let’s go see the man and
get us a place to nest,” he grinned as he rose to his feet.

“Right this way my darling,” she smiled as
she took his arm and walked him to the manager’s apartment. There
was no problem, just a bit of paperwork. Hazel’s original security
deposit was applied to the new one and they were ready to move in
within an hour. Tommy rented a truck, and in short order, they had
all his furniture installed in the new apartment. When they’d
arrived, Jack had the furniture piled on the lawn and said he
didn’t want anything to do with any of it; he just wanted his money
back. They returned the truck and then carried all Hazel’s stuff up
to the new place.