Mary and Alvin Ch. 28

The Flower Moon

Mary had a few more calls she planned to make, but when she checked the clock, she saw that it was almost time to go meet the girls.

"Kelly," she asked, spinning around in her desk chair, "Do you think you could call and see where we are at with Terri's loan application? I am supposed to ride home with the girls and I need to get going."

"Sure," Kelly replied, "What about the thing with Breanna?"

"That can wait until Monday."

Mary had not expected that she would be able to hire a full time assistant for at least five years after she opened Winslow Business Consulting in the little office above the Post Office. But she had done well enough that after only three years, she had been able to offer a position to Kelly Martin. Kelly had been her first friend in Maine, but more than that, while working together at the bank, Mary had come to admire her sharp mind, her work ethic, and most of all, her people skills. It had not been easy to convince her to leave a good, reliable job to join in a risky new venture, but when the economy took a downturn and the layoffs began, Kelly decided to take a chance. It had turned out to be a great decision for both of them.

Mary put on her sweater and draped her bag over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow," she said as she left the office.

"Looking forward to it," Kelly said with a broad smile.

Mary went down the stairs and fetched her bike from it's hiding place behind the rhododendrons that lined the side of the building. It was a beautiful spring day. She hoped the weather would hold for the weekend. She climbed on the bike and peddled hard on the uphill slope of Main Street, turning into the school driveway just as the dismissal bell rang. Within seconds, children began pouring through the doors. She slowed, hopped down off her bike and walked it over to the rack near the playground. As she watched the children boarding the bus or bustling toward their parent's waiting cars, she thought back to another time when she had watched the children leaving school, after she had lost her first pregnancy. That seemed so long ago.

The stream of children was beginning to taper when Hannah and Bonita came through the doors. They still did nearly everything together, but they were beginning to develop into more distinct individuals, in appearance and personality. Mary wondered when Bonita had gotten several inches taller than Hannah.

The girls spotted Mary and ran to her. She squatted down and gave them each a hug and a kiss.

"How was school today, babies?" she asked.

Bonita just shrugged, but Hannah launched into a long description of the day's lessons. Mary helped them each don their helmets while her daughter explained to her how fractions work.

As they mounted their bikes, Bonita asked "Can we go to Dairy Queen?"

"No, honey, we need to get home. And besides, that place has only been open a month and you've been there, what? Ten times?"

"Because we like it!" Hannah said.

"If we ride our bikes on Monday, maybe. But tonight, you and me and Papa are going out for supper, so no ice cream."

"Can Nita come with us?"

"Not this time, sweetie."

"Good," Nita said, "I want to play with Moosie."

They started to peddle across the parking lot. Mary smiled "You guys like your puppies?"

"I love Buster!" Hannah said.

"But I miss Fang," Bonita pouted.

"Well, honey, Fang was an old dog even when he first came to live with us."

"Mama Jen said Fang and Angus were chasing each other over the Rainbow Bridge, but I don't believe her."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Angus was too fat to chase Fang."

Mary was happy that the girls loved their new basset hound puppies so much, but she had been annoyed that Alvin had gotten them without consulting her, or Jen and Danni, for that matter. Still, if after all this time, her biggest complaint about him was his tendency to surprise people with gifts and favors, she supposed she had it pretty good.

They rode down the hill toward town, then turned on to Grove Street. When they reached the cemetery, both girls began to peddle furiously, eager to get past it as quickly as possible. Mary thought of Bonnie as she passed by the rusting iron gate. I couldn't train him either, honey, she thought with a wry smile.

The pavement ended and the road took a downward curve through a small stand of woods.

"Keep to the side, girls," Mary called. She liked biking with the girls down the back roads. There was seldom much traffic, but she still worried. It's funny, she thought, but until I became a mother I didn't really understand the concept of worrying.

Meadows lined the road, displaying the first blooms of lupine. In a few weeks, they would be awash in pink and magenta. There was a new house going up near the corner of Puddledock Road. The girls waved and smiled at the workmen, who waved back, but Mary felt a flash of resentment. I think I am turning into one of those old time Mainers who hates any change, she thought.

The girls reached the stop sign at Puddledock Corners and waited for Mary to pull even with them. When she gave the go ahead, they turned toward home. A flock of turkeys were milling in the road. They scattered as the bikes approached, but one ran down the center of the road and Bonita nearly collided with it. The turkey flapped its wings and awkwardly flew a dozen yards into the meadow. Hannah and Bonita laughed at the sight of it.

"Until I moved here, I didn't know turkeys could fly," Mary told them.

"Well, they aren't very good at it," Bonita said.

"They don't like to fly because it's embarrassing," Hannah added, starting both girls laughing.

When they reached the old Perkins farm they saw Yusef's wife, Jamilla, hanging clothes on a line in the yard. She waved at them as they approached.

"Girls! Come!" she called.

Bonita and Hannah rode to her and Mary followed.

"Were you good in school today? Did you study well your lessons?"

They assured her that they had been very good. She looked up at Mary, who smiled and nodded.

"Well then, please wait right here." She disappeared into her apartment in the old stable and came back a minute later with three small dark nuggets wrapped in paper.

"Good students get rewards. I just made halwa this morning."

She handed out the treats. "Say thank you, babies," Mary said. She bit into the sweet confection. It tasted of sugar and nutmeg and cardamom.

"Oh. So good, Jamilla, thank you."

"You are welcome. And thank you for inviting us to your celebration tomorrow."

"Well, we are very pleased to have you," Mary replied. She turned to the girls. "Alright, babies, let's get going. Papa is waiting for us."

***

Alvin and Yusef sat on the porch steps, drinking lemonade. They had just finished stacking firewood for the next day's bonfire.

"I have received a letter from my brother in Somalia," Yusef said.

"Well, that's good," Alvin replied, "I know you been worried."

"Yes, but he says conditions have improved. He shrugged. "But they have before and peace did not last."

"Any word on whether or not they can get out?"

"Perhaps someday, not now." He looked around the farm. "Alvin, I look and I see these fields and all the trees. I think there are more trees on this one farm than in all of Somalia."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I hope, my friend, that you know what a lucky man you are, that you know how much treasure you possess."

Alvin considered Yusef's words. "I didn't always think so. My Dad died young and that pretty much dashed my dreams. Then my wife died, and I was brought pretty low. But I had my girls and they kept me going. Then I met Mary, and Hannah come along, and my babies had their own babies..."

"And you understood, you are one of the luckiest men alive."

"Yeah," Alvin chuckled, "but that's what Lou Gehrig said, too."

"And who is this Mister Gehrig?"

"Gotta teach you about baseball, Yusef," Alvin laughed.

"No, no, no," Yusef shook his head, "I can not make sense of it. Football for me." He poked his finger into Alvin's shoulder. "Round football."

"Here comes some of my treasure now." Alvin watched as Hannah came furiously peddling up the driveway. By the time Mary and Bonita turned in, she had already reached the dooryard. She skidded to a stop, kicking up gravel, dropped her bike and ran toward the house. Alvin raised his hands to welcome her, but she bounded up the steps and rushed past him into the house.

Alvin looked at Yusef and shrugged, then stood as Mary got off her bike and leaned it against the porch.

Bonita waved. "Hi Papa! Hi Mr. Yusef!" She made one big circle around the yard then headed down the lane to her house.

Hannah came back out on to the porch, carrying Buster in her arms. His back feet dangled close to the deck. She put him down and sat next to him.

"I've been demoted," Alvin said to Mary, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"The puppies were your idea, big boy," she laughed. She greeted Yusef, then told Hannah to put her bike away. Hannah gave out a theatrical sigh, then went to the bike and walked it into the garage, Buster dancing at her feet.

Mary sat down next to Alvin. "All packed and ready?" she asked.

"Packed and loaded in my car," he replied.

Hannah came back from the barn. "Baby, take Buster down to Nita's house, then come right back," Alvin told her, "He will stay with them while we are gone."

"Why?"

"Because we will be away all night."

Hannah's eyes grew wide. "All night? Where will we sleep?"

"In a hotel."

"Like in movies?"

"Just like that."

"Buster can come. He can sleep with me and he won't cause any trouble."

"No, honey, no dogs are allowed in hotels."

"That's not fair."

"But it is fair," he explained, "The state of Maine does not allow tourists to sleep in dog houses, so it evens out."

Hannah squinted at him as if she was pondering his statement. He stood and gestured to her, "Come on, I'll go with you." He handed his lemonade to Mary and kissed her cheek. "Be right back."

They began down the path to the new house by the pond. Buster ran ahead, exploring the edges of the fields, sniffing at the ground. Hannah ran forward as well, and Alvin watched the two of the them, the happy little girl and her new puppy, scamper down the path. He sauntered behind them and thought about what Yusef had said. He could not imagine living in a poor, war torn land, having to fear every day for the lives of his family. He had known sorrow in his life, but it all seemed so long ago.He had made a joke, but he knew that Yusef was right. He was a lucky man, indeed.

***

Mary and Hannah walked into the lobby of the Bar Harbor Inn while Alvin parked the car.

"This is a fancy place," Hannah said, looking around.

"It is a fancy place," Mary agreed. "Papa and I came here a long time ago."

While Mary checked in, Hannah wandered over to the doorway to the restaurant. She looked inside, then turned to her mother. "Mama, do they sell mac and cheese?"

"I don't know, dear," Mary answered as she signed for the room.

"We certainly do," the desk clerk said, smiling down at Hannah.

"Okay, I want that." Alvin came into the lobby. "Papa, I'm going to eat mac and cheese for supper!" she called across the room.

"Well, alright then," Alvin said. "You can order whatever you want."

They went up to their room to drop off their luggage.

"Wow! This really is a fancy place," Hannah exclaimed, looking around the room. "But where will I sleep?"

"They are going to bring up a rollaway bed," Mary told her. "Now, go wash your face and hands and we will go downstairs and you can get your mac and cheese."

The sun had nearly set when they were shown to their table. Its last light rippled across the water of Frenchman's Bay and gave a soft glow to the trees on the opposite shore.

Hannah picked up the menu and began to read it.

"I thought you knew what you wanted," Alvin said.

"I do. But I like to read."

Mary nodded. "She really does, you know," she told Alvin. "She'll sit and read all day if we let her."

"Is that bad?" Hannah asked with a frown.

"Not even a little bit," Alvin told her. "Charlotte was like that. If I was wondering where the girls were, I'd have to hunt the woods and fields for Jennifer, but Charlotte, nine times out of ten, was in her room reading a book."

"Maybe we will have another writer in the family," Mary said.

"Well, Miss Mary, you and me, we made something special, one way or another." He stared into Mary's eyes. She looked back at him tenderly and reached her hand across the table. Alvin took it and gently squeezed.

"You guys are weird," Hannah sighed.

The waitress brought their food. Hannah got her macaroni and cheese, while Alvin had prime rib and Mary, grilled salmon.

"Why do you think we are weird?" Mary asked Hannah as they began to eat.

Hannah shrugged. "You do that staring at each other thing, and you kiss each other, like all the time."

"We're in love," Alvin told her.

Hannah pondered for a minute, taking a few bites of her food. "How do you know when you are in love?" she asked.

"You just know," Mary said, "You just, at a certain point, realize it."

"At the same time?"

"No, not usually."

"So, who was in love first?"

"I was," Mary told her.

"I don't think so," Alvin said, shaking his head, "I think for me, it was love at first sight."

Mary laughed, "It was something at first sight, but I am not sure it was love."

Alvin laughed, but looked sheepishly at Hannah.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes, "I know what you're talking about."

Mary stroked her daughter's head. "You know, when I was in college, my friends and I made a list. It was supposed to just be for fun. It was a list of how to know when you had met the right person for you. And in the end, we realized that if it's right, you'll just know."

They finished their supper and got up to return to their room. As they entered the lobby, Hannah was walking ahead of her parents. Alvin stopped and called out, "Hey, Hannah. Look."

Hannah turned to face him. He wrapped his arm around Mary's waist, pulled her against him and planted a kiss on her lips.

Hannah rolled her eyes and walked to the elevator, shaking her head.

"Oh, you embarrassed her," Mary said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"I told you you guys were weird," Hannah muttered as they rode the elevator.

The rollaway bed had been delivered to their room, and sat in the corner, still folded up. Alvin kicked off his shoes and flopped on the big double bed, leaning against the headboard.

"Is that my bed?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, I'll set it up in a little while," Alvin said.

"Okay," she climbed on to the bed and sat beside him. He picked up the remote control and turned on the television. He clicked through a few channels, then handed the remote to Hannah.

"Here, see if you can find something good," he told her.

Mary came out of the bathroom in her pajamas and robe. She sat on the bed next to Hannah and draped her arm over her shoulder. Hannah stopped clicking when she came upon a nature show about wild elephants. The three of them watched it for a little while, then Mary said, "Remember when you had to take Mr. Heffalump with you everywhere you went?"


"Yeah," Hannah nodded. "But that was a baby thing." After a moment she added, "I still love him, though."

Alvin laughed and looked at Mary. "You know, that's what she's going to say about us one day."

Hannah sighed and shook her head.

Mary picked up the room phone. She nudged Hannah. "You know what I want? I want a strawberry milkshake."

"Where are you going to get a milkshake?" Hannah asked.

"From room service."

"What's that?"

"Oh, my dear child, you have so much to learn. Alvin, you want one?"

"Chocolate," he replied.

"And for you, baby?"

"Pistachio!"

"I don't know if they have pistachio. Let's see."

She dialed room service and ordered. To her surprise, they did have pistachio. Hannah looked at her, wide eyed, as she hung up the phone.

"Now what?" she asked her mother.

"Now we wait for them to bring it to us."

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Alvin got up and answered it, returning with their milkshakes.

"I like hotels," Hannah said as she sipped her shake. The elephants had been replaced by a talk show, so she changed channels again, until she stopped on a scene of teenagers in a classroom.

"What's this show?" she asked. "How come it's black and white."

"Because it's old," Alvin told her.

Mary watched for a minute. "Oh, I saw this, years ago. It's called Up The Down Staircase. It's about a young woman who teaches at a big city high school."

"Okay, I want to watch it," Hannah said.

After a little while, Alvin fell asleep. Mary fought off drowsiness, but managed to stay awake. Hannah, however, watched the movie with rapt attention. When it ended, she turned off the television and nudged her mother. "Mama, Papa didn't make my bed. Can I sleep with you guys?"

"Sure, baby. Go get into your jammies."

When Hannah returned, Mary shook Alvin awake. "Honey, go get ready for bed."

"Oh, alright." He got up and stumbled to the bathroom. When he returned in his pajamas,Mary and Hannah were already under the covers. Hannah was fast asleep.

"How does she just conk out like that?" Alvin whispered.

Mary shrugged. "And why didn't she do it when she was younger," she grinned.

"Yep, she kept us awake many a night." He reached his arm across his daughter and took Mary's hand. "But wasn't it all worth it?"

"Yes, it was, my love." She nestled Hannah in her arms, and Alvin draped his over her, and together they fell asleep.

***

"Papa, it's still dark out," Hannah whined when Alvin woke her.

"I know, sweetie, but we don't want to be late."

She rolled over and pulled the blanket up over her head. Alvin sat down on the edge of the bed and began to slowly inch the covers down.

"You can't hide from me," he said, poking at her exposed shoulder with his finger. "You can't hide from your Papa."

Hannah giggled and rolled on the back. "But it's too early to get up."

"Come on, get up. I'll get you a cup of coffee."

"I don't drink coffee!"

"Do you eat chocolate chip pancakes?"

"I love them! Will you make me some?"

"No, But I will buy you some. But we have somewhere to go first. To a special place."

"Can we get pancakes first?"

"Nope, the restaurant is not open yet."

Hannah kicked at her covers. "Why not?"

Alvin laughed. "Because it's too early to get up."

Mary came out of the bathroom. "Come on,Hannah, get up and get dressed."

Hannah slid off the bed.

"Dress warm, baby, I packed your red sweater, put that on."

Hannah gathered her clothes and went into the bathroom.

"How do you do that?" Alvin asked. "You tell her to do something, and she just does it."

"I give her this look," she said. She pushed her glasses down her nose and glared at him over the rim. "Works every time."

"I think that would work with me, too."

Mary draped her arms over his shoulders and kissed his forehead. "But I like when you are bad," she whispered.

Alvin ran his hand up the back of her thigh and squeezed her ass. "We can be bad together tonight after the party."

"Oh, love, I am counting on it."

They packed their bags and were ready to go by the time Hannah came out of the bathroom.

"You know it took your sisters until they were almost teenagers to start hogging all the bathroom time," Alvin told her.

There was a continental breakfast set up in the hotel's lobby. Mary got coffees for herself and Alvin and a juice box for Hannah while Alvin brought the car to the front door.

"Mama, they got doughnuts," Hannah said.

"Yes, but didn't Papa promise you pancakes?"

"Uh huh. With chocolate chips."