Ugly American Ch. 03

Then the pain of her betrayal, and actions that day and up to now splashed over me like freezing water. The past was the past.

"That ship done sailed Anita."

I got to give Anita credit, she did not give up. "Please Darrin, can't you give me the chance? I know about the dates your brother tried to fix you up with. They were a total disaster weren't they?" She took my silence for a yes. "Look around Darrin. You may think I am slightly damaged goods now, but I am a known quantity. As a single father, do you really think you can find someone who will love you and AJ as much as me? I had my reality check. If you face it, you know for better, or worse, I am the best bet you have."

I motioned toward the kitchen for Zoie to come forward. "Anita, I don't need to bet. I have a sure thing for AJ, and I right here." Zoie stepped up, taking my hand in hers.

Now it was Anita's turn to be stunned. She looked aghast. "You are dating the maid? You would choose that..that.. her over me!"

"No Anita I am not dating the maid. I am engaged to my finance, who is a Doctor that speaks seven languages."

"But Darrin, I was your wife for a dozen years, the mother of your child." Anita stood up from the couch. "My God Darrin, the woman looks like she just got off the boat. She barely speaks English!"

Zoië had that mischievous twinkle in her eye again, as she reached out grasping Anita's hand in a handshake.

Then in almost perfect English, with just a hint of an upper-class British accent, and steel in her voice Zoie said. "Hello Anita. In fact I did just get off the boat. You recall the ship ROYAL VIKING don't you?"

Anita's pupils widen as Zoie continued. "Welcome to our home. AJ is a fine boy, I do so much enjoy spending time with him and Darrin."

Anita was speechless, then her eye caught my favorite picture hanging in a place of prominence over the mantel. It was of Zoie and I, on the ROYAL VIKING. Her, in a stunning evening gown all made up, with me in my tux.

Anita put the pieces together. "You...You." She sputtered at Zoie. "Are the lady from the cruise ship. The one sitting at the Captains table with Darrin that night."

"Guilty as charged." Zoie said with a smile. "Do you wish to stay to visit with AJ, or do you need to be going?"

Speak of the Devil, and he does appear. Just then AJ came running into the house, slamming the door, despite what we had told him countless times.

AJ was holding his skateboard, wearing an oversize "Too UGLY TO DIE" Tee shirt, with an MP3 player hanging around his neck. We could hear him talking loudly, before he even reached the room.

"Hey Dad, whose beat up, crummy suitcases are sitting by the door?" AJ rounded the corner into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks at seeing Anita.

I heard him utter a phrase that was a curse, in either Finnish or Norwegian.

Zoie broke the silence. "AJ your mother traveled three days on a bus to come see you."

AJ answered with a tone only teenagers can manage. "The bus huh? What happened Mom, your broom break down?"

"AJ!!" both Zoie and I said in unison.

AJ looked around the room. "Where's the old guy Mom? You know your other hubby, that Wes dude."

Anita was still a little stunned by everything, and now AJ's attitude. "Son, that man Wesley, and I are no longer together." She said.

AJ digested that for a second. "Is that why you came to Florida Mom? Going to cruise the senior citizen centers trying for another husband? Should be lots of candidates for you up at Century Village Retirement Home"

"AJ stop that right now!" I ordered

However AJ was on a roll. "Mom my friend Raul's great grandfather still lives with them. You'd might go for Pepe Jose, he is just your type. I mean he is really really old –like almost a hundred."

I strode toward AJ, but he would not stop talking.

"Ya know Mom, Pepe Jose is a wheelchair and stuff, but with all the new pills and junk, plus your help, you might still be able to have him get it up. Wanna see if I set you two up?"

Anita fell onto the couch breaking down into tears. I grabbed AJs arm, yanking him out of the room into the kitchen.

"AJ what has gotten into you? You have no right to talk to your Mother that way."

AJ answer was defiant. "Come on Dad we both know Mom is a traitor to this family. She ran away from us faster than a rap singer from a drug test.

"Now AJ that is not true at all."

AJ spouted off a German curse word, before continuing in English. "Dad you can't tell me Mom didn't jump into bed at the first good offer to leave us hanging."

He saw the look on my face. "It's OK Dad, I heard Uncle talking to Auntie about it one night. I don't want anything to do with that turncoat deserter. I ain't giving her another chance to betray us."

I took a breath before speaking. "AJ listen, I am not defending your Moms actions. But let us look at this as an "unusual" occurrence, and gauge your Mom's time with you as a whole. Think back to when you were little, and sick in the hospital. Who was always by your side? Mom. Who took care of you when you came home? Mom. Who taught you when you could not go to school anymore? Mom. Now after all those years of what she has done for you, don't you have even a little room in your heart for her?"

I could see AJ was weakening, but still struggling with his anger. "But Dad how do we know she is not going to bail on us again? I trust Mom about as much as a crack whore around an eightball rock."

"AJ you are old enough now to know that none of us are plastic saints. You might find you get along better with your Mother now that you can see her as a person. Remember what the Chaplin on the ROYAL VIKING you liked so much said? 'Hate the sin. Love the sinner'."

"Dad just because Mom goes to church doesn't make her a good person. If I stand in the garage it doesn't make me a car."

AJ's words said one thing, but his body language displayed that AJ was conflicted.

"Son, just for me, go into that room, talk with your mother. Listen with an open mind to what she has to say. Can you do that? It is all I ask."

AJ shuffled his feet a few times. "OK Dad I will do it. But only because you asked me!"

As AJ spent some time with Anita alone, Zoie cornered me in the kitchen.

"Darrin your old wife is.. how you say, in creek of shit with paddle missing."

I peeked around the corner, Anita was still talking with AJ. I turned back to Zoie. "What did Anita say?"

"Darrin your old wife's whole company imploded during recent housing problem. Everyone lost much money. Anita foolishly let her old husband do divorce because neither one had money for more barristers. According to the divorce laws of your country, both parties share debt, as well as assets when they part ways."

I shrugged. "It will be some short time hassle for Anita, but not that big a deal. She can declare personal bankruptcy, like a lot of people are doing now."

Zoie shook her head. "I do not think so Darrin. Looks like Anita and old husband had personally signed for a lot of strange mortgages, that cannot be discharged by your courts. On top of that, the Tax man says she owes a lot of money to them."

I winced. "If you owe the IRS in America you are in trouble. I know that is the one of the few debts you can't duck."

"Darrin, there is a bigger problem for Anita now. She has no money, nowhere to stay. Anita did not have much of a plan, beyond trying to get back together with you."

I looked around the kitchen. "Well the house is pretty big, we do have some extra rooms.."

Zoie started swearing in some language, while I tried to hold in my laughter. I finally let the smile break across my face, putting my hands up in gesture of surrender. "Zoie relax! I am just kidding. We will find a hotel or someplace to put Anita up, spot her a few bucks."

Zoie was calming down as she pulled out her cell phone. "I know just the place Darrin, a lot of the crew stay there between contracts. It has long term furnished rentals with kitchens, plus it is near the bus stop. The rates are very reasonable. Best of all, it is not here."

+++++

Anita was unable to find any job, let alone one that would support her, especially if the IRS was to be garnishing a large portion of her wages.

Zoie used her contacts to get Anita hired onboard a ship. It was a rust bucket that did two, and three night loops to the Bahamas, basically "Booze Cruises". The job cleaning cabins was hard, had long hours, while not paying very well. However it was a steady job, which included room and board, plus tips. The contract was 10 months on, and 8 weeks off.

While I think Zoie would have been happier if Anita was working on ship in the Antarctic, she did not protest when after Anita's second contract, my brother let her stay in a spare room at his place next door. This arrangement allowed Anita to spend more time with AJ. Over time my son and his mother came to an understanding, although I never saw them have the relationship Zoie and AJ seemed to share. Never less, all parties got along.

After her third contract, Anita had moved up to a low level management position on her ship. Zoie did not object, accepting when Anita volunteered to help out after the birth of our second child. Soon Anita became a fixture around the house in between her ship contracts, although Anita still was bunking at my brothers next door. This was a big advantage when Zoie was studying for her Board exams, which she aced first time around.

My wife is now one of the most respected anesthesiologist at the hospital. AJ is looking into applying to the Naval Academy (having a Congressman to secure an appointment helps.). My two new sons are a rowdy bunch, and talk in several languages. The boys are a spitting image of their mother-Thank God. But then again sometimes there is an advantage in being too ugly....