Secret Flowers
by: William Starr MoakeDavid Galloway got lost trying to find the restaurant on Kilburn Avenue near Marquette University. It was the first time he had ever been in Milwaukee and the lunchtime traffic was heavy when he left the airport in a rental car. He was surprised how warm it was on this clear April day and he rolled down both front car windows as he waited at a stop light. He hadn't seen the midwest in six long years, since he moved to Los Angeles from his hometown in Michigan, but he didn't recall April being a particularly warm month in that part of the country. In Michigan April was an uncertain month when a frost could still cover the ground on any given morning.
Turning a corner, David finally spotted the restaurant and pulled into the first empty parking spot he came to. He turned off the ignition and glanced at his wristwatch. He was twenty minutes late for a lunch date he had flown 2,000 miles to keep. He was always late for every appointment he had ever made in his life, the hapless character in the old joke who would almost certainly be late for his own funeral some day.
He had expected to have knots in his stomach, but as he walked to the restaurant entrance he felt a strange calm instead, as if he was going to meet an old friend rather than a complete stranger. He had talked to the young woman twice on the phone and she described herself in police blotter detail: five-foot nine, thin build, long red hair, blue eyes, twenty-eight, married with one son. He told her he was medium height with a medium build with ordinary brown hair and she replied: "That could fit half the young guys in Milwaukee. You look for me when you get to the restaurant."
When he entered, he noticed the place was packed with lunch customers. He stood beside the take-out counter and surveyed the large room, letting his eyes drift from table to table. He soon focused on a young woman with red hair, but he dismissed her because a young boy sat at her table playing with paper napkins. His rendezvous was with a woman who specifically said she would be alone. After a few minutes of searching the faces without any luck, he wondered if the woman had left when he failed to show up on time. He strolled over to the table where the red-haired woman was now scolding the boy.
"Are you Rita Hendricks?"
She smiled at him. "Yes, are you David?"
He shook hands with her and sat down next to the boy. "You wouldn't happen to be Bobby, would you?"
The boy looked astonished. "How do you know my name?"
"Your mother told me on the phone."
"The babysitter got sick and I couldn't find anyone else to watch him," Rita said. "I hope you don't mind me bringing him along."
"Of course not."
"Bobby, this is David. He's your half uncle."
David tried to shake hands, but the boy pulled away.
"What's a half uncle?"
"It means your mother is my half-sister. We have the same father, but different mothers."
"Grandpa is your father?"
"Not that grandpa," Rita said. "A different grandpa that you've never met."
Bobby wrapped a strand of his blond hair around one finger, obviously confused.
"I'll explain it to you later," his mother said. "What do you want for lunch?"
Bobby's eyes lit up. "Hamburger!"
"And soup?"
The boy frowned. "No. French fries."
"That's all he ever eats in restaurants," Rita told David.
"How old are you anyway?"
"Seven."
"He's six," Rita corrected. "I don't know why he says that."
"I'll be seven in September."
"You could pass for seven right now," David said.
"How old are you?" the boy asked.
"Twenty-three."
"I don't believe you."
"Why, do I look younger?"
"No, older."
"Behave yourself," Rita told him.
David ordered a beer with his meal, which he barely touched while the boy stuffed his mouth.
"He's got quite an appetite," David observed with a smile.
"You actually look younger than twenty-three," Rita said. "I thought the waitress was going to card you."
"I didn't know you existed until a month ago."
"I didn't know about you either, until you called. My mother got a divorce when I was a baby and she never heard from your father after that."
"You mean our father."
"He's not really my father. I don't even remember what he looks like."
"I see your point. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
She smiled at him. "Just you."
"Me neither. You could write a book and call it 'My Brother Was An Only Child.'"
"How did you find out about me?"
"My mother told me. The old man never mentioned he was married before or had a daughter. Not to me anyway."
"Where do your parents live?"
"Across the lake in a crummy little town in Michigan."
"I wonder why he never told you about me."
"We don't get along at all. I haven't seen him in years."
"What does he do for a living?"
"He's a welder. He works in a factory."
"I guess I've always been a little curious about him."
"It wouldn't have killed him to keep in touch with you."
Rita offered a feeble smile after she took a bite of salad. "I didn't expect him to do that."
"You're too forgiving, Rita. You are his daughter, after all."
"Let's not talk about him anymore. I want to hear all about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"Oh, come on. What's it like living in Los Angeles? I always wanted to see Hollywood."
David laughed. "I don't exactly hang out with movie stars."
"What sort of work do you do?"
"I'm a freelance web designer."
"No kidding. My husband teaches computer science at Marquette."
"Web design isn't nearly as complicated as computer science."
"What does freelance mean?"
"I work as an independent contractor out of my apartment. I don't have to go to an office and put up with a boss standing over my shoulder."
"Well, that sounds pretty good."
"Only when I can find enough work to pay the bills."
"You told me on the phone you were single. Do you have a girlfriend in Los Angeles?"
"I don't have much luck with women."
"You're not gay, are you?"
David gave her an irritated look. "No, I'm not."
Rita touched his arm. "I was only joking. I have a really weird sense of humor. It drives Joel crazy sometimes."
"Who's Joel?"
"My husband. I want you to meet him."
"I'm not sure how long I'll be here."
Rita wiped her mouth hurriedly with a napkin. "Uh-uh. You're eating supper with us tonight. Joel would never forgive me if I let you escape before he met you."
"I'll try to make it."
"I'll find out which hotel you're staying at. Joel and I will come and kidnap you if necessary."
David grinned at her. "Do you always get your own way?"
"Ninety-nine percent of the time. I'm very strong willed, you know."
"You're also very beautiful."
Rita let out an embarrassed laugh. "You shouldn't say something like that to your half sister."
"It's true. I can't believe we have the same father."
"Bobby, that's enough ketchup. Your fries are practically floating." She turned back to David.
"You're not bad looking yourself. I can't believe some attractive California girl hasn't taken you out of circulation yet."
"I enjoy living alone."
"How come?"
"It's more peaceful."
"Don't you ever get lonely?"
"Occasionally, but I can handle it."
"So you're a tough guy, huh?"
"Not really."
"From now on I want you to call me if you get lonely. Reverse the charges or whatever. Promise?"
"I'll think about it."
"You're the stubborn type, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I suppose I am."
"If you don't call once in awhile, I'll phone you and nag for hours."
"My number is unlisted."
"I'll look it up on our phone bill."
"I feel sorry for your husband. He doesn't stand a chance against you."
Rita laughed triumphantly. "Neither do you. Now tell me more about yourself. You were in the Army, right?"
"You don't want to hear about that."
"Sure I do. Where were you stationed?"
"Afghanistan."
"Oh, I see. That doesn't sound like much fun."
"I got my ass shot off. Pardon my language, but that's the best way to describe it."
"You were wounded?"
"In the ass. It was very embarrassing."
"Why did you join the Army?"
"I couldn't find a decent job and I wanted to see the world. I didn't think I'd end up in stinking hell hole like Afghanistan."
Bobby tugged at his mother's blouse sleeve. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Are you finished eating?"
"I have to pee."
"Remember to wash your hands afterward."
Rita pointed him in the direction of the bathroom door and watched him go inside.
"At least you made it home in one piece," she said to David.
"More or less."
"What does that mean?"
"I went a little crazy in Afghanistan. I left the hospital as soon as I could walk and hitch-hiked to the Himalayan mountains."
"You were a deserter?"
"The Army doesn't call it desertion for thirty days. I was absent without leave."
"Why did you want to see the Himalayas?"
"I thought God lived there."
"I'm afraid you lost me."
"It's a long story," David said, finishing his beer. He called the waitress over and ordered another one. "When I was a kid, I read a book about a guy who finds God in the Himalayas. I guess God wasn't home when I showed up, but I did learn something from an old guru I met."
"What?"
"It's difficult to put into words that make sense."
"Give it a shot and I'll fill in the blank spots."
David stared at her. "Reality is a magic act and we're all the unwitting magicians."
"That's it?"
"I didn't think you would understand."
"I understand. It's just that it sounds like hippy graffiti -- reality is a crutch and all that."
He grinned. "Reality is a crutch."
"I know, reality is for people who can't handle dope. I've heard all this before, grasshopper."
"You're a very funny girl."
"And you're too serious for your age."
"Are you sure you never met my mother?"
"Aren't you going to eat anything?"
"I'm not hungry, mom."
"What happened after the Himalayas?"
"The Army gave me a general discharge for medical reasons. It's not as bad as a dishonorable discharge and I wanted out. I had to go see this shrink at the VA hospital in Los Angeles once a week."
"For how long?"
"Almost a year."
"Did he help you?"
David shook his head. "No."
"You seem all right now."
"Do I?"
Rita glanced at the bathroom door. "Excuse me for a second."
She went to the door and knocked on it. "Bobby, come out here, please."
She tapped her foot while she waited. Hearing no response, she returned to the table. "Would you mind getting him?"
David entered the bathroom and found the boy running water in the sink. "Your mother is worried about you, buddy."
"My name is Bobby."
"That's right, I forgot. Listen, Bobby, can you tell me something?" The sink was nearly full of water and David turned off the tap. "Is your mother happy?"
The boy looked annoyed. "Why don't you ask her?"
"She might not tell me the truth."
"She's not a liar."
"I know she's not, but sometimes people aren't sure whether they're really happy or not. I thought a smart boy like you would know the truth."
"I saw her crying once."
"Why was she crying?"
"I don't know."
"I wish you did."
The boy held up his hands. "Are my hands clean?"
"Spotless. Would you do me a favor?"
The boy nodded.
"Next time you see your mother crying, tell her tears are like rain for the soul."
"What does that mean?"
"They make beautiful flowers grow inside you."
"Really?"
"I've watched it happen myself. It's a secret most people don't know."
David led him out of the bathroom to the table.
"What were you doing in there so long?" Rita snapped.
"Nothing."
"He was checking out the plumbing," David said.
"He's a little devil sometimes."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are." She handed him a napkin. "Please wipe your face. You have ketchup on your cheek."
"He must look like your husband," David remarked. "I mean the blond hair."
"Joel has brown hair actually. I don't know where Bobby gets the blond from."
"How did you meet Joel?"
"I took one of his classes in college. I know that makes him sound like a lecher or something, but he was only five years older than me. We started dating in secret because Marquette has a very strict policy against teachers fooling around with students. Joel could have lost his job."
"How did you get around it?"
"Eventually, I dropped out of college and we got married. It raised a few eyebrows in the administration, but there was nothing they could do about it."
"And now you're a housewife."
"Don't say it like that. I have other interests."
"There's nothing wrong with being a mother and a housewife."
"I'm learning telemarketing so I can work from home."
"Please don't call while I'm eating supper. It's so irritating."
Rita's face suddenly broke into a broad smile. "I don't know why I like you, but I do."
David returned the smile. "I'm your secret half-brother, that's why."
"You're an ornery bachelor and I shouldn't give you five minutes of my time."
"But you can't resist my hidden charms, right?"
"I must be crazy."
The waitress brought the check and left without asking if they wanted anything else.
"I think they're trying to get rid of us," David said.
"This place is a zoo at lunch time," Rita said, gathering her purse and a package from the unoccupied chair next to her.
David went to the counter and paid the bill. When he turned, Rita was writing on a piece of paper. She finished and handed it to him.
"This is our street address and phone number. Dinner is at six, but please come early. If you get lost on the way, call me and I'll give you directions."
"I'm very glad I finally met you," David said.
Rita's eyes narrowed. "I swear if you don't show up --"
"I know, you'll hunt me down like a dog."
"You better believe it."
Outside the restaurant they paused awkwardly on the sidewalk, Bobby hanging on his mother's arm.
"My car's over there," Rita said.
"Mine's the other way." David took the boy's loose hand and shook it once. "Nice to meet you, Bobby."
Rita leaned forward and kissed David on the cheek. "See you in a few hours."
He watched her walk away holding Bobby by the hand. She opened the passenger door of a dark blue SUV and waited while her son climbed in. Then she went to the other side of the vehicle and stopped to wave at David before she got behind the wheel.
At the first stop light they came to, Bobby asked: "Who was that man, mommy?"
"I told you, he's your half-uncle."
"He looks like a whole man."
Rita stared at her son. "He is a whole man, Bobby."
"He asked me if you were happy."
"When?"
"In the bathroom." The boy fiddled with his safety belt. "Is he coming to our house?"
"I don't think so."
"Do you think tears make flowers grow inside you?"
"Where in the world did you get that idea?"
"It's a secret."
After they arrived home, Rita put Bobby in bed for his nap and went outside to sit in a patio chair beside a small glass table. After gazing at the cloudless blue sky, she absent-mindedly picked up a book of poems by Emily Dickinson and turned to a page at random. She read:
"A great hope fell
You heard no noise
The ruin was within
Oh cunning wreck that told no tale
And let no witness in"
Before she could read any further, she began sobbing. She was still crying when her husband came home two hours later.
posted by Tim @ 6:35 AM
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