Joan Philips

I had moved to Houston for two reasons, a new job opportunity and to get away from a somewhat poisonous relationship. I took a good fifty percent of the blame for the end of that relationship, inasmuch as I should never have let her move in with me in the first place. We parted on good terms, Sharon went on holiday with her folks, something she tried so desperately hard to avoid. But since the holiday was booked and paid for before we met, she was rather stuck.

A day later, I moved halfway across the country and changed my phone number. Yes, that sounds like a callous and cold hearted tale of woe and deceit. Yet I was the one who lived through the days, weeks and eventually months of watching the seemingly warm and generous partner I had asked to share my life set about turning my friends against me, monitoring my house and cell phone conversations and opening my mail.

All in the name of love I was assured.

On the journey across country, I thought about the who, when and of course the why of yet another failed relationship. Although I had only just turned thirty-two and was once again without anything close to a real relationship, I just knew that when I found her, it would be that one person we were all meant to meet and spend the rest of our lives. My sole wish would be to hang onto her with both hands and live long, prosper and grow old together.

When I first met Sharon, she was a little aloof which I just put it down to her not knowing me too well. Over the coming weeks all that changed and we became really good friends, then bed partners. She started eyeing up a couple of drawers and closet space after a few months. After eight months she moved in and three weeks later, after she felt she had her feet under the table, the evil dragon came out to play.

Now I'm all for my woman keeping me in check. After all, I've been known to fly off the handle a few times in my life. On a couple of occasions my folks were called into school to discuss my attitude.

One visit was in response to a fist fight with another student. I thought it prudent to mention that the guy in question had his hand up the head cheerleader's sister's skirt, laughing while trying to pull her panties down. Sally Shaffer was the total opposite to her cheerleading sister. The word geek was used with a great deal of affection in her presence. After all, she had dragged a good eighty percent of the cheerleading team through exams and most now had their names attached to colleges in the not too distant future. Only her closest friends knew she was still a virgin. It seems it was Ben Chadwick's wish to have a claim on both sisters. I took exception.

Two things happened immediately after I offered my explanation. The principal stood and shouted: "That's a damn lie, nothing like that has been reported!"

Then the office door crashed in. Malcom Shaffer stood glaring at the principal, his crying daughter hiding behind him surrounded by other office staff and irate cheerleaders.

In my eyes I was doing what my family had taught me from a young age, look after family and those who can't look after themselves. Those were two solid principles that I had held dear through life. My parents agreed and I received grateful thanks from Mister Shaffer. Both of his daughters and their friends. Admittedly, being seen as The Equalizer made the remainder of that school year quite interesting.

That one example, was also important in my life. A weeks later both my folks were killed in a car accident. Since I had no other family my life's designation changed, I was no longer a member of a family, I was an orphan. That's when social system got involved. What got me through the funeral of my folks was the feel of my father's hand on my shoulder. When he looked down at me as we all left the principal's office and the look of real pride in his eyes.

The hug I got from mom that day when we got back, the tears in her eyes as she told me how proud she was of me. Those are what got me through the funeral, knowing they were there, even if only in spirit. As a last promise to my folks, I would keep to the principals they had both instilled in me.

For some reason Sharon Bennett had decided that I was being delusional, when I told her of that one instance. And since the sun seemingly revolved around her and only her, then she should have all of my affection, at the expense of not only the memories of my family, but all that my folks had taught me to be as I grew up.

A relationship is called a partnership for a reason. When she decided on her own that there would only be one head of the house and she was it, I knew that it was time to move on.

*******

The new job was fantastic and I also knew that my memory would never store all the names of the people to whom my new boss introduced me, at least not straight away. Since I had nothing but a nice, modest and although furnished, an empty apartment to my name, I put the hours in to learn the people and the business. That eagerness got me past the three months' probation to the handshake from my boss.

Decompression led to a realization. I didn't realize how tense I was about getting through that probation period. It was the following Saturday morning when I took that short walk to the shower and got a really good look at the pot-bellied lard-ass in the mirror that stared right back at me.

That same afternoon got me looking for a gym and an hour later putting in a workout that had me soaked in sweat and fighting for breath. It served me right I suppose, being keen and wanting the job so badly meant that fast-food had turned into my convenient best friend. The fitness instructors watched and some smiled. The smart ones tried to help point me to machines that wouldn't try to kill me. A couple of them either took me under their wing or looked on me as their pet project. I could never decide.

It was all good. For a full year I put in the hours and determination at the gym; two changes of wardrobe later I figured I had best slow down some or face withdrawal.

Physically, I was about where I wanted to be, and work was good as well. I had moved up to assist the head of the department and done so in record time.

It always amazes me that we humans can just sit back and think we have turned a corner. You only realize too late that the cosmos has both patience and a peculiar sense of humor.

*******

My boss came out of his office with a panicked look about him. That worried me. He then pointed to me and waved me over, before returning to his desk. I would have thought using the phone system would have been easier. Perhaps I was just plain stupid, or just over-thinking the moment.

When I entered, his desk was deep in paperwork and the usually unflappable Frank looked uncharacteristically harassed.

"I need a favor." This was when he looked me in the eye. "Please note, it's me asking for a favor, not the company. So, if you decline then so be it and I will have to come up with a plan B."

Thinking it best to sit, I did just that and watched as he went looking for something under half a desk worth of paperwork. With an "ahah" he seemed to have found what he was seeking.

"My baby sister is inbound, her flight lands in just over two hours. I was supposed to be off this afternoon, but the boss needs this report today since he's flying out later this evening to meet the client. So not only do I need to get this file in order, I need to brief him on the history of issues we've had with these people."

The penny dropped and a real cold chill ran up my spine just as fast. This would be the first time I would have to deal with a member of the opposite sex since I had been here. That didn't work alongside me or at the gym, that is.

I stared at my boss and friend for a moment longer, took a breath and said. "How can I be of help?"

"My wife is the only other person I would trust with this, she however picked today to go to her parents and won't be back until later this evening."

I was just summoning the courage to ask why she doesn't just get a cab, when he added that his sister had never been to our town and he wasn't going to put her and her daughter at risk with a stranger.

That's when he slid the front door key across the table. "Martin, you're family to Mandy and I and you know your way around our place." Indeed, I'd been there many times. "Please get them to the house safely and settled and I will get this end done as quickly as I can and take over from you."

I couldn't argue. Frank and Mandy had looked after me in those first three tentative months, and continued to do so. We shared summer cook-outs and football nights. I looked on them as my friends away from work and him as my boss at work, I also watched his own relationship with his wife with envy, Mandy, was eight years younger than Frank and only a year older than me.

When Mandy first explained their relationship, she did that fluttering eyes thing, placed her hands under her chin and said: "He stole me from my pram and married me there and then. I had no choice in the matter."

Frank just rolled his eyes and said: "Just listen to the boss of this house, I'm a cradle snatcher now."

He knew I would do this for him. Between them they kept me sane until I had found my feet. What he asked sounded so easy. Famous last words.

*******

I watched from the observation window of the terminal as the plane come to a stop, then the aerobridge made contact with the side of the plane. The information board changed to announce that flight EN7421 had landed and was in the process of emptying it's contents into the airport.

With name board in hand, I stood at the barrier. The passengers of said plane took some time to emerge pulling roller suitcases or pushing trollies loaded with luggage. What seemed like half the plane were already meeting friends and relatives as I continued to hold onto my board with the hand scribbled name of Joan Peters and daughter in bold letters.

A child about the age of ten came around the partition. The dungarees she wore made her look real cute, if not heading towards adorable. Her jaw dropped as she looked at the board I was holding, then me. Her eyes slowly scanned the other people standing or leaning against the barrier leading to the concourse. Two older women collided into her as she came to a sudden stop. She apologized to the nice ladies and then dashed back behind the partition.

The young girl re-appeared moments later with her hand in an adult version of her and pointed towards me. The woman did that up and down assessment that gets taught to all women by the age of puberty and then pushed her trolley, weighted down with three suitcases over, with her cell phone still in her hand.

"I'm waiting for my brother. Casey says you're the only one with a board that has my name on it." The daggers look was a Sharon specialty. "I don't know you; I've phoned my brother but his phone is still going to voicemail."

I tried to smile, in the hope of putting her at ease. I may as well have poured oil on the fire from the scowl I got from her.

It was also then she added. "Since I don't know you from Adam, you can bet I'm not leaving this airport with you." her voice becoming louder and shrill.

I liked my boss, hell I liked his wife as well, but this shit I could do without. I figured that what I was about to do next meant that favor or not, I'd be without a job in the morning. My hand went into my pocket and I pulled out my boss's keys, and tossed them gently over the barrier. Reflexively, the wicked witch of the west caught them.

"Lady, I was doing this as a favor for Frank, not for you or your daughter. Those are the keys to his house. His wife is visiting her mother and won't be back until early evening. Your brother is in a meeting with his boss and won't be done for a few hours yet. The cab will know the address you give him. I would say have a nice day, but since you've managed to turn mine to shit, I won't bother."

Her mouth did the jaw drop thing her own daughter had a few minutes ago when I turned and walked towards the exit doors, depositing the sign into the first trash can I could find.

The little girl caught up with me as I walked away. She pulled on my jacket. "Mister, mister, please stop, we don't know the address, momma hasn't been here before."

I looked down at the desperate plea from the little girl and my heart took a dunk into the 'you're a bastard' tank. Looking across the concourse, the mother was pushing her trolley with the three suitcases towards us. She might be another Sharon but I couldn't hurt the little girl.

I'm sure I could think of a few reasons why I could have felt justified in continuing walking out of the airport, just as I could find as many reasons why I couldn't, looking into the little girl's eyes being one of them. The mother might have issues and decided to take a few out on me, so with a shrug I decided that it wasn't going to kill me doing what my boss asked me to do.

She reluctantly conceded the trolley to me and I pushed it out to the car. I was feeling like I was treading on eggshells with this woman. Opening the rear passenger door, I placed them inside and then loaded the suitcases into the trunk. The mistrust was still there; I could see it in her eyes every time I checked on them in the mirror.

It was Casey that broke the awkward silence. "Momma's sorry she snapped at you; we were still scared because the airplane almost broke."

Curiously I looked at Joan.

"We had really bad turbulence about thirty minutes from here, the whole plane now smells of fear and sick."

I looked at Casey, she was smiling so I asked if she was scared.

"No, I wasn't scared, Momma was right next to me." Her cheeks gave a slight shade of pink that was clear to see, even in the mirror, before she added. "I did fill the little brown bag momma gave me though."

My driving took a bit of a hit right about then, it took a moment and the car driver behind me leaning on his horn before I could straighten my car out and drive normally.

I could see the warning signs in her eyes, almost pleading with me not to push this.

I swear it was the devil in me that made me do it. "Was your momma okay holding you while you were being sick?"

The daggers look came out and stayed out. Right up until Casey puffed her chest out and said. "No, but it was OK. Momma was busy with her own brown bag." I kept a straight face and that's all they could both see in my mirror. I think I cracked a rib trying so damn hard not to laugh.

We were still a few minutes away from my boss's house. I suggested a fast food drive-through, since they were both running on empty stomachs. I raised an eyebrow when she actually agreed; the fight started when I paid for it and drove on.

I heard, "When we get to Frank's, I'm paying you back."

Our eyes locked on each other via the internal mirror. Diplomacy was never my strong point, but today I felt I needed to at least make the effort.

"Joan, it's been a long day for you both, I should imagine even longer than mine. In the grand scheme of things, it's only a few dollars. Look at it as a welcome to our little town and a cheap meal from a guy who's trying to look after you both since by Casey's own admission, you've had a heck of a journey."

I spotted a slight smile via my mirror just before I once again pulled away from the lights. The smell coming from the food bags sitting on their laps held her in check. She even shrugged, I put that gesture down to her finally thinking I may be right.

"Well, I can't argue with you there."

Feeling like I could try just a little harder I added: "Look Joan, we both got off on the wrong foot for a multitude of reasons. So, let's try this again. Welcome to our little piece of home, both of you. I hope you enjoy your stay and more importantly at the moment. I hope you enjoy your meals."

I got a giggle from both girls behind me. A minute later I pulled onto my boss's drive, I got them both out and settled on stools by the kitchen island. Casey was now in the process of destroying everything in the bag, only pausing long enough to suck on the straw sticking out of the cup.

I looked at Joan. "I suggest you join your daughter. Going by her antics, she's very hungry and you probably are as well. I'll get the bags."

She stared at me. I stared back.

"It's called common sense Joan. Eat, before it gets cold or your daughter decides you don't want it and empties the contents of your bag into her stomach."

This time common sense actually won out and she nodded in agreement. I had just finished placing all three suitcases by the stairs when Frank walked through the still open door. We both looked at each other and then heard a scream from the kitchen island. Casey ran across the room and Frank had no choice but to grab her; the little one wrapped her arms and legs around Frank and promptly burst into tears.

Pain-wracked sobs just poured from this little angel, Frank mouthed a 'thank you'. I nodded and thought it wise to take my leave. Frank or rather Mandy phoned me later that evening she thanked me for my help and then handed me over to Frank. I gave him a quick rundown on what I did and didn't do, I'm sure I was going over ground that Joan would have covered, but it is always wise to give your own perspective on things sometimes.

Even admitting to calling his sister, the wicked witch of the west, at first Frank spluttered then laughed, it seems that Joan had fessed-up to being 'just a little upset.' We rounded our conversation off with him telling me he would see me on Monday and I could still hear him chuckling to himself as he put the phone down, so I didn't think I was in for a grilling, come Monday.

*******

As expected from my conversation with him last night, we didn't see Frank at work the next day, I pulled a couple of the staff aside and we purged Frank's desk of the day's paperwork. We knew we would see him on Monday; we just didn't want him to start a day behind us and have to play catch up.

On Monday when Frank walked in. He looked at me and tilted his head towards his office, before disappearing inside himself. After saving my work I joined him.

"This is from both my wife and I. I know you caught shit from my sister at the airport. She told me after Casey spilled the beans. My wife and I want to thank you, it's not in your job description to run around after me. But when the boss pulled that trip and wanted everything we had on it, he had me over a barrel, you came to my rescue and my wife and I won't forget that, thank you."

His face then took on an almost serious look.

"Okay, get back to work and help earn the company its next million."

We both smiled at his remark, it was as I turned to leave, he stopped me.

"Oh, I almost forgot, and trust me, that would be fatal."

When I turned towards him again, he had an envelope in his hand. I took it and looked at it. My name was on the front, but that was it.

"On pain of death from my sister and Casey, I was to give you that. Now get out, I have a headache and need coffee."

We were both still laughing when I closed his office door.

He passed my desk a couple of times that day, noticing the envelope leaning against my desk lamp. He seemed to look a little sadder each time.

I made sure he watched me place it into my jacket pocket when I was leaving, He smiled but his eyes couldn't hide the sadness all that well. Monday was gym night and the chance to burn off some stress. After a shower and shave I sat in a quiet corner of the gym's lounge and finally read the letter.

I smiled when I noticed the 'Dear Mr Donaldson' had a line through it.

Martin.

I'm sorry. Those two words should fill this page and a good half of another before I would be able to hold my head up high in front of you again.