D-I-D Syndrome

She took on a deer-in-the-headlights look. "I don't see any other option, frankly. There's no demand for adoptions right now. I've asked around at the hospital and attorneys, and my parents, even though he's their grandchild, they say they don't want to take him because they don't want to raise another child at their age, so they insist I have no other choice but to keep him. On top of that, he's a part of me; he came from my body and I can't help but love him. He's innocent and has no one else. I don't know else what to do," she said tearfully.

He looked her directly in the eye, "I understand what you're saying, believe me I do and I don't blame you a bit for the way you feel. At the same time, you may call it a fatal flaw in my character if you like, because I know I'm not perfect by any means but as long as that child is associated with you, I will not be. Tad is the single most despicable piece of shit I have ever known and that kid is his. There is no way I could ever be around that kid and not remember where he came from, how he was conceived, and how his father was our ruin. I could never be a daddy to such a child, no matter how innocent. The thought of even seeing him is anathema to me. I'll completely understand if my imperfection is a deal breaker for you. But I'm wondering....why couldn't you take him to the orphanage? Did you talk to them about it?"

"Oh, I couldn't just dump him at the orphanage. That wouldn't be right especially with both of his parents still alive. Besides, kids from the orphanage are picked on, looked down on, and have a much worse time making it through life. They end up being losers." She postulated.

"Like me? So you agree with your parents that I'm a loser?" He seethed.

"I didn't mean it like that. You're NOT a loser but I just can't see my kid being raised in an orphanage. From everything you've told me, it's a rough life emotionally and physically."

"Oh, so it's good enough for me but not good enough for yours and Tad's boy, huh? I understand all too well. I'm sorry, Gloria, for the horrible ordeal that you've endured. But that doesn't alter the fact that I could never be around a constant reminder of someone I hate so much. Just a few minutes ago, you said that there's nothing you wouldn't do for me. For some reason, you keep telling me one thing yet do something else. You gave me your word that you'd leave me alone if I listened to everything you had to say. I've listened. Now it's your turn to do your part. I want you to leave now. Don't ever grace my presence again as long as you're associated with Tad's son. Is that clear enough?" Gloria became very morose and sadly left his apartment. Wade compartmentalized his emotions as best he could and fully expected to never see her again.

On Sunday, Wade paid a visit to his friend and confidante, Gertrude. He had conflicting emotions and was in a quandary how to deal with his feelings concerning Gloria now that they'd been stirred up all over again. He both hated her and loved her at the same time. He was surprised to see that Gertrude had another visitor already there and was about to excuse himself before she grabbed him by the arm and insisted that he come in for a visit.

"Darlene, this is my good friend, Wade. He's the one I told you about. Wade, this is my niece, Darlene. She's taking six to eight weeks off to stay with me while she works on her college thesis."

"That's right," the sultry vixen cooed with her honey-coated southern accent. I need peace and quiet to write well enough to get a decent grade and it's too noisy back on campus, plus my aunt here is great at giving advice, as I'm sure you're well aware. She's told me so many wonderful things about you."

Wade had way too much respect for Gertrude than to ogle the blonde bombshell but he couldn't help but take in all of her radiant beauty.

"Before you ask her to marry you, she's already engaged, Wade," Gertrude laughed. "Now what is it that you came to see me about?" Darlene excused herself to get back to her studies leaving them to talk in private.

He gave her the full story of everything that Gloria had shared with him at his apartment and the extraordinary lengths she went to in order to convey it. He explained how he both loved and hated her at the same time. He said he regretted not digging deeper at the time to get to the bottom of what was going on and hates himself for not being there to protect her when she needed him the most. He explained how difficult it was to even think about forgiving her but at the same time, realized that much of what she withheld was for his protection. He conceded that, had he known, Tad would likely be dead and he would surely be in prison.

Gertrude pensively considered his every word. She thought long and hard before she spoke. "Basically you're struggling with a dilemma we all come to face at various times in our lives, what to do about regrets and how to deal with forgiveness." She rose and walked over to a bookshelf that was filled with all sizes of books and publications. After making her selection, she browsed through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

"This is a book by Lewis Benedictus Smedes, a renowned Christian author, ethicist, and theologian who died in December 2002. Here he states: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future."

"Wade, if we hold onto regret, we stay in the past. What matters is what we do now," she advised.

Wade hugged his best friend in the whole world. "Thank you Gertrude for always knowing the right things to say to me at just the right time. I look upon you as a wonderful replacement for the mother who was taken from me too soon."

The words of kindness caused her to tear up with joy and they both left each other in better spirits than when they had first met that day. After he visited Gertrude, Wade now had a clearer path in his head concerning Gloria and Tad.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three weeks later on a Saturday morning, Wade heard a faint knocking at the door. He'd long since turned the circuit breaker back on to his doorbell so he was wondering who would knock. When he opened the door he saw a very demure Gloria dressed warmly with a duffel bag on each side of her.

"I thought I told you never to come back here. We had a clear understanding, remember?" He said gruffly.

"Wade, I... I've done as you asked. Little Doyle is at the orphanage and I have signed over all parental rights. My parents, well, they don't agree with my decision and have kicked me out. They said that Tad would have eventually come around to see his son and want to be a part of his life and I just needed to give him time. I told them both that I never wanted to see or talk to either of them ever again for as long as I live. I'm homeless now with no place to go. Debbie, a coworker friend of mine picked me up outside my folks' place and dropped me off here. I wanted to tell you face to face. Everything I own in the world is in these two bags. She's waiting to take me to the Salvation Army for temporary shelter."

If a floating seed from a dandelion had landed on Wade at that moment, it would have toppled him over to the floor. He was shocked beyond belief. Well, Mr. Big-Idea-Man, he thought to himself. You told her what to do and she's done it. Now what? Are you just going to leave this damsel in distress out on the street?

He stepped out onto the porch, picked up her bags, and said, "Come on inside and let's talk."

Gloria gave a wan smile to Debbie and waved her off. Debbie waved back and drove away. They entered the apartment that she had helped him pick out and he put her bags inside by the door.

"As we both know," he began, "actions have consequences and I have to be prepared to deal with the consequences I have caused. You're homeless because of me and this is a two-bedroom apartment as you know, so you can take the spare bedroom. I expect you to find a place to reorganize the things that I've haphazardly dumped in there. I won't charge you rent as long as you keep the entire apartment clean, cook for me, stay out of my way, and help me with any tasks I may ask of you. If I bring another woman here for sex, I expect you to be scarce. Do NOT get friendly or try to offer me sex. If you do, I'll kick you out faster than your parents did. Now, do you understand all of my rules and agree to abide by them?"

She gave him a huge smile, "Yes. I'll be more than happy to accommodate any and all of your wishes. I can't thank you enough for coming to my aid. I swear to you Wade, nothing but good things are going to happen to you from now on because of how you selflessly help others. I'll try my best not to be a bother but can we at least talk as friends? I can read you like a book, I'll know when to shut up."

Wade just nodded consent. "Now that I have a reliable car for transportation, I can drop you off at the mill on my way to work if you still have a job. But you'll have to find your own way back here after work. You get off at 3:30 and I don't get off 'til 5:00," he said businesslike.

"Debbie said she can pick me up or bring me home if needed. She's a good friend who works in the same department as I do," she explained. "I can just give her a little money for gas."

"Good, then she can bring you here after work," he confirmed.

She thanked him and immediately went to work happily reorganizing things in the spare bedroom and unpacking her clothing and toiletries. They would have to share the bathroom but her meager belongings took very little space and she made every effort not to be more of an intrusion than necessary. That weekend, she cleaned the apartment from top to bottom and it now more closely resembled the home Wade had imagined he would have had with her had they married. In her cleaning up, she came across a black cloth zippered bag under his bed. It had a collection of unusual things in it, so she just put it back where it was, left it alone, and said nothing to him about it. She also made a promise to herself not to mention little Doyle unless he brought him up. To be honest, she missed the little tyke but did not regret her choice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On Friday toward the end of their first week of cohabitation, Wade received a mysterious morning call at work from an attorney who wanted to see him right away. Unable to break away during the morning rush, he made an appointment for 12:30, hoping to take a long lunch hour.

"Jason, I just received a strange call from an attorney who is anxious to meet with me and I don't have a clue what it's about. He refused to say over the phone. Would it be okay if I took an extended lunch hour to see what this is all about?" Wade asked.

"Of course, man. You've got this place running like a well-oiled machine. Take all the time you need. Hell, take the rest of the day off if you like. I can handle things here while you're out."

Wade was seated in the attorney's lobby at 12:25 after having grabbed a fast bite to eat. "Wade Phillips?"

"Yes, sir. That's me."

"Grant Mastin here at your service. Please step right on into my office, son, and hopefully, I won't take up too much of your time," he said shaking his hand. "Please have a seat."

"Now then, I'm sure you're wondering why I contacted you today. Let me put your mind at ease. You're in no kind of legal trouble. No, in fact, you're in for quite a windfall by my reckoning." Grant passed three documents across his desk and instructed, "I just need you to sign these three documents where the arrows mark for signature and we can wrap this up rather quickly."

"Wrap what up quickly Mr. Mastin? I'm not signing anything until I know exactly what it is I'm signing," Wade insisted.

"Right you are, Mr. Phillips. Sorry to be in a rush. I would have had more time reserved for you this morning but I had to squeeze you in during my lunch hour. My next appointment will be here at 1:00. The basics of why you're here is this: (He chose his words very carefully) I've been told that your father Bernard Phillips, before his unfortunate demise had invested his life savings in what was then a small startup company, Accurate Deliveries. He was a ninety percent stakeholder in the company and another anonymous investor provided the remaining ten percent. There was some kind of mix-up with the paperwork around the time of your mother Alice's passing but a recording of the transaction has only recently surfaced."

He continued, "Since both of your parents are deceased, and you are their direct descendent, then ownership of the delivery company now falls to you, at least ninety percent. The other ten percent remains anonymous, at least to me. My part is to sort out the proper legal transfer of ninety percent ownership of Accurate Deliveries to your name. The three copies are standard practice, one for you, one for me, and one for the courthouse registry. Once you sign, Dawn, my secretary will notarize your signature and it will be a done deal."

"Mr. Phillips," Dawn injected, "May I see your driver's license or another legal form of ID please?" He pulled it out of his wallet. "Thank you, sir. Now if you'll go ahead and sign the three documents, I'll notarize these for you and you can be on your way," she said brightly.

Numbly, Wade performed a quick scan of the document wording, expecting some kind of scam but everything read exactly as Grant had described. Almost in a dream state of disbelief, he signed the documents and was soon handed his certified copy of the ownership transfer.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Phillips, and congratulations on your new ownership of Accurate Deliveries. These forms will be formally filed later this afternoon at the courthouse, but rest assured, as of this moment the company now belongs to you. All you're required to do is write a check annually for ten percent of the company profits and mail it to the Post Office box indicated in the paperwork I just provided you. The remaining ninety percent of the profits are completely yours unencumbered. I want you to know that it was my privilege to serve your legal needs today, sir, and should you ever require further legal services, I hope you'll consider us to handle your business. Good luck to you, Mr. Phillips, and again, congratulations!"

Wade walked out the door stunned. One minute he was barely getting by and the next minute he was the proud owner of a thriving business concern. He was dying to celebrate his good fortune and the first person that came to mind to share it with instantly popped into his head. He rushed over to the textile mill and asked to see Gloria Jessup.

After a phone call to the floor supervisor, he was told, "I'm sorry sir but she's already had her break for the day. If you can come back at 3:30 at the end of her shift, you can visit with her at that time. He asked the security guard for an envelope and a piece of paper. He scribbled a few sentences on it, stuffed it in the envelope, sealed it, and handed it back to the security guard with a twenty-dollar bill on top. If you'll please take this to her right now, you can keep the twenty. This is an emergency.

Fifteen minutes later a very confused woman exited the building carrying her personal belongings. "Wade! What happened? What's going on? Why did you just instruct me to quit my job on the spot and come out here now? Has someone we know been in an accident or something?"

"They refused to let me see you even for a few short minutes so I decided you didn't need to work here any longer," he explained.

"What? What's so important it couldn't wait? And if I am unemployed, how will I be able to share food and gas expenses and personal items that I might need?" She pleaded.

"I decided that you didn't need this job any longer, especially since you have another one," he cryptically offered.

"What other job? I haven't interviewed for any other job and I'm not qualified to do much more than the mindless work here at the mill," she declared.

"You'll see. Hop in the car. We're going shopping. Then I'll take you home to get cleaned up and dressed for dinner while I wrap up my work day. I'll explain everything to you at dinner, okay? No more questions until then," he asserted.

He took her to a women's clothing store and had her purchase a brand-new complete outfit, from sexy panties to a very nice dress and everything in between, including shoes and a purse. Puzzled and astonished, she acceded to his wishes. Then he dropped her at the apartment with instructions to take her time, and get cleaned up and dressed for dinner out, after he returns home from work. Gloria was in a whirlwind. Wade seemed very excited about something; he had ordered her to quit her job, purchased her a splendid outfit, and was taking her out special to dinner. She was excited beyond measure.

Wade returned to work and reported to his former boss, Jason what transpired at the attorney's office and what it meant. Jason patted Wade on the back.

"I know all about it my good friend. I was approached when things first came to light earlier this week so I knew this was coming but was under strict orders to say nothing to you until it was official. It couldn't happen to a nicer fellow. I'm so very proud of you Wade and I'll be happy to assist you in the transition to your new title as you assume your role as owner. I'll stick around as long as you like or leave right now if you prefer." Jason affirmed.

"Leave? Are you kidding? You're the only reason this company is still afloat right now. I can't force you to stay but I can't imagine running this business without you. Gertrude was right. You're a class act man, a class act all the way. What do you say we run this thing together?" Wade posited.

"Nothing would please me more but I do insist that you take the main office just as soon as you're ready to begin." Jason contended.

Before leaving work, Wade called Gertrude and shared his good news with her also saying he was going to put all of her teachings to good use in his new position and again thanked her profusely. When Wade arrived home after work, the apartment was spotless and Gloria looked like a queen dressed in all her finery. She was wearing his favorite perfume which was intoxicating to him.

"Let's go. I don't want to have to wait too long for a table." He advised.

"Where are we going? You haven't told me much yet. Why did I get all dressed up?"

"Because I'm taking you to Chez Roberts. We're dining in style tonight. I had planned on taking you there on prom night before everything fell apart. I'm hoping maybe we can do a reset and make some new and better memories than the ones which have been darkening our lives for so long. Don't think it will be easy, because it's gonna be a long hard road to try to get back to where we were, but as the old Chinese proverb wisely says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Gloria cried in his arms as Wade held and hugged her for the first time in ages. While they were at the fancy restaurant, he filled her in on the new development and she cried tears of happiness for him saying that she hoped this was only the first of many good things for him.

"Gloria I have an admission to make. When I initially learned of this wonderful blessing that had befallen me earlier today, I desperately wanted to share the good news with someone I cared about. That someone is you. Yours was the first name that popped into my head. It was at that moment that I realized it was time for me to leave the past behind and that what really matters is what I do now. Although I'll never forget what I witnessed that night, I can forgive you for not coming to me right away. I acknowledge that you were in a hard place and your parents were a big part of the problem. In my eyes, what they've done to you is almost as bad as what Tad did. I'm not saying I'm ready to jump into bed with you right away. But I'd like us to date and see if we can rekindle the fire that once burned so brightly for the both of us and change the memory of our past into a hope for our future."