Marita at Bat

"I thanked both of them for getting us in at such a late time and as I was leaving, I turned and addressed her. "Marita, it's nice seeing you again."

Her eyes popped open and she stared at me for a few seconds until she ran up to me. "Manny, ¿eres tu? I didn't recognize you without the beard." She came up and gave me a huge hug. "Welcome back to Centerton. I hope you get to stay."

"I plan to. I told my bosses I was moving back here and was willing to get another job if they didn't approve. They caved and now I'm back for good."

"That's great. Glad to hear it. Look, call me tomorrow around ten and I'll give you an update. OK?"

"Yeah. Sure. Take care."

I called around ten and was told she was assisting in surgery. She returned my call an hour or so later and told me the pup was doing fine. "He's a sweetheart. Everyone here loves him. We scanned him for a microchip and didn't find one. It sounds like he may have been dumped."

"I can't believe people would do that!"

"Sometimes extreme circumstances lead people to do things that seem to be cruel. Maybe they ran out of money or something."

I suddenly remembered how she had been when I first met her: poor, counting pennies and buying as little food as she could, just to get by. I tempered my words and asked what would become of the dog.

"Well, Manny, you saved him, he's yours," she laughed. "Dr. Townes thinks he'll be ready to go by tomorrow. Drop by around noon and we'll see."

-----

The little guy seemed to recognize me immediately. He wagged his tail and limped slowly up to me. I sat down on the floor and he licked me as he whined little happy, puppy noises. Marita sat down with us and gave me the instructions. He was now fully vaccinated and was to get a pill once a day for a week.

"You'll need a crate, food, dishes, leash, you know, all that stuff. He seems to be potty trained so at least you don't need to worry about that."

"I haven't had a dog since I was a kid. I'm a bit nervous, to tell the truth."

"Here, borrow one of our crates and meet me at the pet store over on Brown Avenue at six tonight. We'll get all the right things for him. OK?"

I agreed and took the dog I decided to call 'Crash' home with me. He was perfectly happy in the crate and I gave him some water from a bowl. Later I cooked up some soup and he lapped it up like a concentration camp survivor.

I left him in the crate and went back into town to meet Marita. She was there with two handsome kids, a boy about nine and a girl a few years younger.

"You must be Juan and I'm guessing you are Izzy," I said to them as I walked up.

"Isabella. Only Juan gets to call me Izzy."

"OK, Isabella. You won't remember me, but I met you before you were even one. And Juan, you were about three and we shopped together a couple of times."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I don't remember."

"Oh, I'm sure you don't. Do you still have Teddy the T. rex?"

"Yeah, I do! Are you the guy who told me about Teddy?"

"Juan, be polite. You ask if he is the 'man' who told you the story."

"Oh, yeah. Are you the man...?"

"I am, yes, I am."

"That's so cool. Mom told me where the name came from. I just thought he was always Teddy the T. rex."

"OK, kids. Mr. Manuel needs to get some supplies for his new dog. Let's help him get those things and then we need to get home. Tomorrow's a school day, you know."

Marita led us around the store and quickly filled my shopping cart with all kinds of needed supplies. There was some sticker shock but I figured Crash was worth it. As she picked up some dog dishes, I noticed an engagement ring on her left hand though I made no mention of it. The parking lot was nearly empty when we left. The kids ran over to a newer SUV while Marita came with me to my car. Once things were all loaded up, she turned to me.

"I think I have to have a talk with you."

"Sure. I'll hit the library for a book on dogs and do some research..."

"No, not about dogs. You know what I'm talking about."

"No. What?"

"Manny, after you left, well, my life got amazingly better and I think it was all your doing."

"Marita, I have no idea what you're talking about," I lied, "But if you want to talk, well, maybe we can have lunch together some day."

"OK. I'll hold you to it. Freddie's Bistro, tomorrow, twelve fifteen. Don't be late." She held my eye for a few seconds, I nodded 'yes' and she turned to go to her car.

Freddie's turned out to be catty-corner to the pet hospital. I was there a few minutes early and grabbed a seat while waiting for Marita. I was nervous because I knew I would probably get a grilling about what I had done when I left town the last time. I decided to play it cool and see what she wanted.

She came in wearing typical scrubs; loose slacks and a short-sleeved top with a V-neck. I noted she filled out the top quite nicely and when she came over to sit down, she bent over offering me a tiny glimpse of cleavage. The waitress took our order and then Marita looked at me with serious eyes and spoke.

"We met at the grocery store after Isabella was born. On that first day I ended up having a couple of extra bags of food given to me and my bill was paid in full. You finally admitted you were responsible and, as I recall, you helped a second time so I invited you over for Thanksgiving to thank you."

"Sí, correcto."

"Then you gave us a Christmas tree and a few presents from Santa. And I got a magazine subscription from you. That was the best Christmas in years. Apparently after that you got transferred and except for a quick note, I never heard from you again."

"No, I didn't try to contact you, you're right again."

"Then imagine, if you will, my surprise when I got some unbelievable news a few weeks later."

Right at that moment our waitress brought us our sandwiches. Marita kept quiet for a few seconds while I started in on my food. I looked at her and saw a soft, yet serious, look in her eyes. She spoke up again.

"You see, I had inquired at Centerton JC about the vet tech program. I like animals and figured if I could get a certificate that I'd have a chance at a steady job."

"Uh-huh. That's why I got you the magazine."

"Well, one day, out of the blue, I get a letter from the dean of the college telling me I had been awarded a scholarship for six grand for each quarter until I could get my degree. Six effing grand! I couldn't believe it. I was sure it was a scam so I called the dean and he assured me it was real but he was unable to tell me where the money came from."

"Wow, that must have really been nice."

"Manny, do you know what that meant? I could, with that kind of money, go to school full time and get the kids into the college's daycare service. But I still needed the child support to make ends meet."

"You must have been pretty happy. It looks like you managed to make it all work out."

"Yeah, I did. My grades were great, I got my AA degree and I was offered extra training in surgical assisting, so another quarter at the JC. I interned where I work now and they liked me so much I was offered a job before I even finished my course work."

"Well, I'm glad for you."

"There was still a bit of a problem, though. My ex decided since I was doing 'so well' he didn't need to pay child support. Imagine my surprise when I received a letter from Wilson and Jones, a law firm here in town, explaining they would help me with any legal issues I had with Roberto and they'd do it pro bono. I had to look that term up. They helped me for free!"

"That's great. Did your ex co-operate after that?"

"I don't know what those lawyers did, but suddenly the money was being deposited directly into my account and has been right on time ever since."

"So, Marita, it seems that things have been going well for you. Why am I here today?"

"You! You, uh...you know why you're here. But I want to know why you did this for me."

"I didn't."

"Manny, I'm a mom. I know a fibber when I see one. Kids and men think they can pull things over on moms, but they can't. So, I'll ask again. Why'd you do this for me?"

"I didn't. I didn't do it for you," I paused, "I did it for Juan and Isabella."

"¿Qué?"

"Look, back then I saw a tiny family on the edge of disaster. If you'd ended up homeless, then their lives would've been screwed, forever. I figured that a little bit of money at the right time to the right person could help prevent that. So, I decided to help you get some training and make sure the money was there in the meantime."

"You said 'a little bit of money', didn't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"That was a fuckin' ton of money, if you ask me."

"For you at the time, well, yes, I'm sure it was. Look. I'm in the high-tech business. I make a ridiculous amount of money. I'm single, I live modestly, have an inexpensive car and I'm putting money in the bank and into retirement all the time. And I donate 'a fuckin' ton of money,' to use your words, every year to worthy causes. When I donate to charity, who knows how much goes to overhead, fundraising costs and salaries? Here I knew you'd be very careful with the money and it would definitely help two little kids, and their mom, too."

She sat back and stared at me before tears started to drip from her eyes. "Dammit, I promised myself I wouldn't cry," she blubbered as she got up, sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around me. "I, I still can't believe it. You were so good to us and you didn't know us at all."

"Hey, hey, I did too. I had a great time with Juan and that Thanksgiving was wonderful. I enjoyed myself. So, I decided to help. And it seems to have worked out OK."

After her sobs eased off, the nearby customers quit staring at us and she went back to her side of the table. We finished our sandwiches as we talked about other topics. I complimented her on her ring and asked about the guy.

"His name is Alejandro and he works at the college. That's where we met. We got engaged last month."

"Good guy?"

There was a tiny pause before she took in a deep breath and answered quietly, "Yes. He's a good man and is great for the kids."

I didn't answer but stared at her, waiting for more information. After ten seconds or so she went on, "They really like him. Juan needs a father figure in his life."

"Uh, you haven't said anything about how he is for you."

"No, he's a good guy, really."

"I see. Uh, does he know about me and about the money?"

"Ahh, no, I haven't mentioned it to him. I guess he thought I had the money when I went to school. Of course, now I'm earning my keep."

"That's a pretty big secret, don't you think?"

"It's none of his business. That was all before he came on the scene."

I paused before I asked the big question, the one we had been dancing around. "¿Lo amas?"

She startled a bit and looked at me with slightly sheepish eyes. "Uh, yeah, of course I love him."

I chuckled to myself. She had told me earlier she could tell when someone was fibbing and here I knew, just absolutely knew, she was lying to me, or at least to herself. There was no warmth to her voice and no smile on her lips. I decided to let it go and made a benign comment about how nice it must be.

That last little bit of conversation seemed to make her more reserved, a bit more remote. We finished our meals and after she paid, per her insistence, we parted ways with her headed back to the hospital and me back home.

The next few weeks were spent setting up my telecommuting plans and, of course, taking care of Crash. He was a great dog. Once his pain seemed to settle down, he was very active and vocal. He understood a lot of commands and best of all, he was able to let me know what he needed. Standing by his food dish told me he was hungry and by the door told me he needed to fertilize the yard. But the most fun was when he'd run up to the car and sit there thumping his tail. That was his way of demanding a walk. We got into the routine of going daily for a short walk and as he got better, the walks lengthened out to over two miles.

After three months I took him back to the animal hospital for a quick check-up. They had a new doctor working there and much of my time was spent telling her what had happened. She confirmed Crash was in great shape. As I went to leave, Marita came through the door, head bowed down slightly as she went to see him.

"Oooh, Crash, remember me? You look great, ol' boy," she remarked. "You must be taking good care of him," she said as she looked up at me.

There was something not quite right about her, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Even though she was taking a few seconds with my dog, there wasn't a lot of warmth in her voice and there was no smile on her lips. It seemed as if she was going through the motions and that was so unlike the Marita I knew.

After a few more seconds of talking to Crash, she stood up and started to turn away from me. "Hey, Marita, you OK?" I asked.

"Sí, bueno," was the only answer I got as she quickly turned and left through the swinging door. I was stunned. Usually she was lively and engaging but that day she barely gave me any attention at all. I knew something must be up and when I paid up front, I quietly asked the receptionist if Marita was doing OK.

"She's had a bit of a rough time in her personal life, from what I understand."

"Kids OK?"

"Yeah, I think so. Something about her fiancé, but, really, I shouldn't be saying anything."

"Oh, I understand. You told me nothing."

I was worried about her but there wasn't anything I could reasonably do. If I intruded into her personal affairs, well, that would be almost creepy. I had anonymously donated a lot of money to help her and her kids get on their feet but that didn't give me license to interfere in their lives.

Two months later I ran into her in Miller's. I smiled at her and she smiled back, so I went up to greet her.

"Seems like we meet here in Miller's a lot, doesn't it?"

"Hey, Manny, yeah, it does. How are you?"

"Doing OK. I've finished a big project and shipped it off to HQ and now I get a week or so off. I'll be hitting the trails for a few nights under the stars."

"Ugh, I don't know how you can do that and enjoy it. My idea of roughing it is a roadside motel!" she laughed. It was so nice to see the laughter.

"Hey, seeing the Milky Way so close you can almost touch it, that's one of the nice things about sleeping under the stars."

"And if it rains?"

"Yeah, well, that's not so nice, I'll admit. So, how about you? Doing OK?"

"Yeah, OK," she replied but with a slight drop in enthusiasm and without adding any further info. She quickly asked about Crash and I enquired about her kids. After a few minutes of talk, we split to do our shopping. It turns out we finished at the same time and pushed our carts to our cars chatting about the new paving down on Main Street.

Right as we got to our cars and without any forethought, I invited her to lunch. "Hey, I think I owe you a lunch. You paid for the last one. Interested?"

There was a long pause as she stared off over my shoulder. "I would love to have lunch with you, but I'm not too sure I should."

"Oh? Alejandro might not like it?"

"Sí, something like that."

"OK. I understand. Just so that you know, I'm not trying to make a move here."

"I get it, Manny. I'm concerned he might not."

"Yeah. Right. Well, take it easy and I look forward to our next Miller's outing," I chuckled. She smiled as we got into our cars.

A month later I got a call from an unidentified caller. I almost didn't pick up, but it was a local number and I figured it probably wasn't a scam call.

"Hello."

"Manny? It's Marita."

"Hey, Marita. What's up?"

"I, uh, I want to go ahead and take you up on your offer. You know; lunch."

"Sure. OK. How about Freddie's? Tomorrow? Noonish?"

"Yeah. Great. Thanks. See you then."

I hung up somewhat puzzled. First she turned down the casual invite and suggested Alejandro wouldn't understand and now she accepted. I figured I'd wait and see how things went the next day.

Freddie's was not terribly busy and we were waited on quickly. The food was great and I enjoyed talking with her. I didn't bring up her personal situation and it wasn't until we were leaving that she invited me over to her office for a few minutes. Once we were there, she escorted me into a tiny room with barely enough room for a desk and two chairs. There was a nice picture of her kids on the desk.

"Tiny office, but it's all mine," she smiled. "I never thought I'd have such an opportunity. I still can't thank you enough."

"Hey, I'm glad it worked out for you and you've thanked me plenty."

"Manny, I've got a little problem and I thought you might give me some suggestions. I can't really ask anyone here 'cause I need an impartial answer."

"What's up?"

"Uh, Alejandro, uh, well, he's really good with the kids. They adore him. But there is something..."

After a few seconds I asked, "Something what?"

"He gets pretty jealous sometimes. I don't know why. I'm faithful and I don't hang out with other guys. Out of nowhere I'll get grilled as to why I'm a few minutes late, particularly coming home from work. He frequently picks up the kids from school and waits with them until I get home. And if I'm ten minutes late, he can get pretty, uh, pretty nasty. And there are evenings when the sick animals don't pay attention to the clock and I can't leave right at five."

"Yeah, like that night with Crash."

"Oooh, he was pissed that night. Fortunately, the kids don't see it; he hides it well. But as soon as we are alone, he can give me the third degree."

"Is he mean to you? Has he hurt you?"

"No, he's never hit me, but his words hurt. They hurt to hear them and they hurt my sense of pride. After an episode, I feel like shit for a few days."

"Like that day I brought Crash in for his check-up?"

"Yeah. I was pretty low that day."

"So, you want me to do...what?"

"Just tell me I'm not a crazy psycho-bitch and that I'm actually a nice woman."

"Consider it done." I looked at her as she blinked tears from her eyes before I came up with an inspiration. "Say, uh, would some time without your kids maybe help the two of you work on things?"

"Quizás. Maybe. What'd you have in mind?"

"Camping, perhaps. Get them outdoors, feed them lousy camp food, show them nature, you know."

"Who would go with you?"

"I don't know. An unknown lawyer friend of mine."

"Maybe the same one who helped me back then?"

"Yeah, him. He and his wife have a couple of kids and they camp a lot. Maybe we could set it up so there'd be us three adults for the four kids. We could throw the four kids in a big tent and I'd sleep outside next to it. I know Fred would love some private time in the RV with Suzanne."

"That sounds wonderful. Maybe some weekend soon?"

"Yeah, let me look into it. Uh, I need your cell number."

Once we swapped numbers, I promised to arrange something and left her office out the back door.

Three weeks later it was all set up. We went in two vehicles with me taking Juan and Isabella and Fred taking his family. All the kids were fairly close in age and they seemed to get along well. Friday we had dinner and hit the sack early. On Saturday we took a hike several miles up to an old abandoned fire lookout tower. The view was spectacular and I taught them about how such towers were manned all summer long in the old days. They splashed in the creek once we got back to camp and around the campfire we told stories from the Old West and ate smores. When I dropped off two very tired but grateful kids, Marita was reserved and didn't smile much. She did ask me to lunch at Freddie's on Monday.

"Alejandro was pissed," she confided to me the next day. "He wanted to know who you were and why you were taking the kids camping."