Mr Computer Cleaner Ch. 06

"Of course, there will be much exaggeration in that story, but that's how mama told the story to me one thousand times, and it never varied and nor did my father attempt to change anything she said. He used to sit there listening, puffing on his pipe, grinning.

"Now, mama will be arriving with an entourage of sixteen people. Papa is unable to come, as he is poorly, as is mama's sister. She will be accompanied by eight of her friends – all couples."

"And the other eight?" Dio asked.

"Oh, servants of the travelers and mama's physician. They are of no consequence and shall not attend the wedding although shall be close-by in their bus in case needed."

"She has her own physician?"

"Of course. Mama gets indisposed at times."

"Oh."

"This is why we need to talk about protocol. Please regard mama as the matriarch, with seniority even over me. Although those eight people are her dear friends, this is her wedding and they are her guests."

"She's paying for them to come?"

"Of course. I said it was her wedding."

"Oh."

"It is important that you do not talk with familiarly to the servants, Dio. They do not expect it and indeed would be embarrassed if you did, particularly within the hearing of mama. She will be introduced to the guests as the wedding first, followed by me and then Cal. Please accept that. That is the way it has to be. During her short stay mama, her guests and servants will stay near the international airport in Hotel Southern Stars. We four shall, of course, be in attendance for their arrival. Mama and the guests will fly down to the wedding by helicopter, the servants will travel by bus which has it own mini kitchen to service them.

"Mama only will come to this house for one brief visit, which is protocol. It will be the day before the wedding and I shall require you to be here Dio. Cal and Carra already know they must be here. For dinner that day at two we will have the exclusive use of Club Malibu Restaurant – that's mama, we three and your wedding attendants. Everyone must attend – please be very clear about that. The lunch and all drinks will be paid for by the host, mama. She will be insulted if anyone fails to attend – I have the printed invitations ready to send out. Partners not in the wedding party are not invited.

"Well, that's all except to announce that 213 people have accepted our invitation to attend the wedding and 14 are unable to come. Carra will be phoning the eight people who have yet to respond to get their decision. Carra and I will do a draft seating arrangement on the Thursday and then print out the final seating plan on Friday morning. We are having this property thoroughly cleaned inside and out by professionals on the Wednesday who will then go and clean the lakeside cottage. All this week Alec has kindly been sprucing up all the paintwork at the cottage and next week will manicure the grounds. Some of our out-of-district guests will be staying there. Thank you for listening. Drinks please Cal."

An hour later Carmen spoke to Dio while Carra and Cal were clearing away. "You know, Dio, I am becoming fond of you. My daughter is benefiting from being associated with you, which truly has surprised me. Being a mother I rather expected the worst. You shall soon be face to face with my mother, and it will not be easy for you. So I shall say this. One, she will be out to find if you will be taking Carra away from me. Whatever your intentions are long-term, you would be ill-advised to give her anything but the declaration that you have no intention of separating mother and daughter. Two, she despises men who display weaknesses, so be on your guard. For God's sake do not confront her but do not grovel either. Just relax and I believe you will be fine."

Dio was getting a little tired of all the speech-making, but tried to remain polite. "Thank you for your advice, Carmen. Incidentally, how old is your mother – seventy or so?"

"Dio! What an improper question!"

Not blinking, Dio stood his ground. He wished he could hood his eyes.

"Well, just between you and me," said Carmen, whispering, "she is sixty-one. She married at sixteen and I was born the following year. To save you wondering, I am forty-three. Why do you have to know this?"

"She knows about me, I have to know about her. Do her eyes hood?"

"How would I know? What on earth are you talking about?

Well, that was a no, but then again, why she was looking at him so closely?

Driving home, mentally exhausted, Dio said to Carra that her mother had actually delivered a quality presentation.

"Yes, when she's good she's very good, and when ... and so on," said Carra wearily.

"Tell me something, is Senora Leighton or is it Senora de las Leighton, the president of Argentina?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Whatever made you think that?"

"All this stuff about protocol and pecking order and coming in and practically taking over. Just makes me wonder."

"Well, she'd not, which reminds me, you'll have to wear a suit at the airport." That was delivered as a presidential decree. Dio was sure of that.

"I hadn't thought of wearing anything else," he lied.

She snuggled in as close as her seatbelt would allow. "Oh darling, I love it when we are so sweet and cooperative."

Dio had a flash vision, and grinned:

The armed guard snapped to attention as grandma came out of first class at the top of the steps leading from the aircraft. The military band began playing. There were two people at the foot of the steps – the Prime Minister who saluted and Dio. He was dressed only in underpants. Grandma looked right past him, eyes hooded, as if he were the Invisible Man. Security took Dio away where he was flogged by a small hooded figure with Grandma's whip.

* * *

On a rainy Saturday morning, the scheduled meeting between Dio and Carra and Philip and Ella was held at the farmhouse. It was time to haggle over furniture and bits and pieces.

"Enjoyable dinner the other night with Rod and Bess – we were really surprised to see you guys come in," Philip said.

"We were amazed to find that Bess is your half-sister, Dio," Ella said. "It truly is a small world. Now, to work; as you know, we've had a furniture dealer in and she's put price stickers on everything – junk through to articles of real value. We accept that you guys are going to take some of the pieces we have our eyes on."

Dio indicated to Carra to respond. "That's very helpful, Ella. It will speed things up; we spent a couple of Sunday afternoons wandering through the house, picking over things, and here's our list."

Ella hitched up her jeans. She had the sleeves of her cotton shirt rolled up and a red and white spotted scarf tying back her hair, looking ready for work. Normally quite elegant even in casual dress, she looked the modern version of a charlady from old English films.

The two men were almost in uniform – sandals, shorts, tee-shirts and caps while Carra wore sneakers and short socks, tight ragged bottom jeans shorts showing shapely legs (that Philip stared at until receiving Ella's elbow jolt) and a tight vertically striped sleeveless top.

Earlier Dio had stared at the bun – he'd never seen Carra with her hair done up like that, though she often had it in a pony tail.

Ella and Philip studied the list at the kitchen table while Carra poured the coffee. Dio wandered off to the sitting room.

"You're taking everything from the sitting room," said Ella in surprise.

"Yes, sorry," responded Carra, with Ella picking up the 'not negotiable' tone.

Carra joined Dio and looking around the sitting room said: "You know we'll end up throwing out or selling a lot of this stuff, even good bits."

"I know, but we have the storage space. When we have built the sitting room looking out to the river, we can complete the recreation and then remove items until we get it looking right for us. It's really only a transition, as our memories of Alice will fade as will the significance of her generosity. All I wish is to retain this tiny sense that she is with us sometimes. I'm with you all the way, darling," Carra said, squeezing his hand.

Ella came into the room looking very serious. "Philip and I realize that you could have taken everything, just leaving us junk. So, your list is fine – with one exception. I had my heart on that chaise-lounge. You can see the price – I'm prepared to pay a thirty percent margin, more if I have to."

"Conference!" Carra smiled, walking Dio to the corner of the room.

She came back still grinning. "It's yours at the marked price. As well, Dio and I want to give you that cute low nursing chair in the spare bedroom – it looks as if it will be needed before too long."

"Oh darling, thank you," said Ella rushing Carra. They kissed and Ella turned and thanked Dio.

"You said it looks as if the nursing chair will be needed before too long. I'm not showing yet."

"Ah yes you are, sweetie – only just. You need bigger jeans, don't you think?"

"Well, putting them on this morning that same thought occurred to me but, I thought that I'd just been eating a bit too much lately. I'm showing, I'm showing. I'm so happy! We'd been trying for four years, you know."

"Gosh, ten minutes is long enough for me."

"Shut up, Dio," Carra giggled.

"You tell him, Carra," laughed Ella.

Philip stood by, looking impatient. At last he had their attention.

"The painting above the cocktail cabinet – have you seen the price that our appraiser put on that? She cautioned it was only a 'guesstimate.' She recommended it be sent to a dealer in London."

"Yes, it's not as high as our appraiser placed on it, and similarly he said that it needs to be offered on the international market," Carra said. "But it's not for sale."

"Do you mind telling me why?" asked Philip curiously. "I'll accept being told to mind my own business."

Dio told them why there were retaining everything in that room.

"Cripes, you only knew the woman for five minutes and now you're going to erect a shrine in memory of her. That staggers me."

That comment seemed to jolt Carra but Dio was no offended.

"Philip, you grew up with well-off and socially accepted parents. I did not. In fact until mum died and left me the house I had been on the bones of my ass all my life and I might add, because of my mother's notorious activity, shunned by some people including our minister."

"I didn't know that," Carra said, aghast.

"Really, in my life until Carra and her family came along, I only had mum, my school friends, some running club members and at high school one teacher who took a paternal interest in me who involved me in his family a little before his wife walked out on him, taking the children."

Carra cut in. "So that's why you have such strong attachment to your old school friends?"

Dio did not reply.

"I met Alice and in those so called five minutes you spoke about Philip, I talked to her quite a bit. I learned that she was dying and she sort of bared her soul to me – that's the only way I can put it. To my surprise, I found she was not afraid of dying but she confessed to being a very lonely person since her father's illness and eventual death. She'd suffered severe sickness in childhood which left her physically weakened, so that became the reason for her being something of a recluse."

"I didn't know that," said Carra, with real concern.

"I'm telling you now, love. So listen."

Carra went to him and lifted his arm over her shoulder and snuggled in.

"Alice said they'd had friends, lots of them, but after her father died they begin to thin, until virtually none who remained in the district visited her any longer. Trades people would take orders over the phone and make deliveries so it became increasingly less necessary to go out. Her legs began giving her trouble, so she stopped driving.

"One winter she was struck by 'flu and only received treatment when her grocer – a woman called Meg – was alerted after not receiving Alice's regular phoned order. Meg phoned Alice but there was no reply. Meg came out here on the run. She climbed in through a window and found Alice in a poor state, and had her taken to hospital."

"Good old Meg, my corner grocer," said Carra quietly, and felt the increased pressure of Dio's hug.

"A tragedy was prevented, but another had occurred during Alice's illness. Her dog in its kennel by the back door had died of starvation, as she had ceased going out to feed it. The electricity meter reader, who'd know her father and had purchased one of his residential building sites, happened to be a dog lover. He found the dog, buried it and went to the hospital and delivered the bad news.

"Alice told me he said her dog Digger had died of old age, but she realized what the cause of death would have been, and that saddened her greatly. She said it had been all downhill since then and she prepared for her death. I said I would visit her again, and did so every Wednesday afternoon until she died. She died alone, but that would not have worried Alice and it did not sadden me unduly, as it was a release for her, as they say. Philip, call it a shrine if you wish – actually that's a rather a nice name. But I will regard it as a home for Alice should she choose to use it."

Philip had turned pale.

"You mean spiritually?"

"Yes."

"Have you felt her presence yet?"

"Yes."

"Jesus!"

"I feel she just wants to be with us enjoying her things."

"You Carra – have you seen or felt anything?" asked Ella, looking very motherly.

"Yes, although I'd met her but once. I distinctly felt her presence."

"I don't know if I'd be keen about her visiting us here," Philip said nervously.

Carra smiled and told him not to worry. "I feel she came to see Dio, not the house. He is a free spirit and is receptive to her."

"How do you know that?" Dio asked, surprised.

"Mama took me to see one of her friends who is a spiritualist. We described you to her at length – she was interested only in your background and attitudes. She asked about your beliefs but we weren't much help there. I then told her that I regarded you as a free spirit in a loose sort of way, and she said she'd already come to that conclusion herself. She emphasized that what she had told us was only her opinion – her belief – and no, she did not have to see you."

"You hadn't told me you'd done that?"

"You don't always tell me everything. Anyway," Carra said with a sly smile, "I'll say what you say: I'm telling you now."

"Well, thanks for sharing that with us, guys," said Philip. "I apologize for my insensitive remarks and regret that it was I who did not befriend Alice and have her bequeath me some of her wealth. I found her to be a very nice old lady – and lonely, definitely."

"Don't worry, love," Ella said. "She would not have bonded with you as she did with Dio."

"Why not?"

"Because you are not a free spirit."

"How can you say that?"

"Because you are so predictable and basically conservative," Ella said very kindly, "and no way do you have an openly receptive mind."

The discussion developed on what is a free spirit.

"One's ability to let their soul soar," was Ella's contribution, as a churchgoer.

Philip had no idea, he wasn't even sure he'd heard the term before.

Dio scratched the back of his neck. "Funny, but until now I'd never really thought about it. I seem to sometimes feel as if I am free; it's almost as if I am outside my body. For example, when I'm barreling down a straight road in the ute, stereo blaring and perhaps trying to sing-along I begin to experience this sense of freedom and my mind just drifts off and I think and imagine all sorts of things."

"I experience that looseness of feeling," said Philip. "But then I jerk back, knowing that I have to concentrate on my driving."

"I bet Dio doesn't have to do that," Ella said. "He will be on autopilot."

They all laughed.

"Carra?" invited Ella.

"Well, none of us are expert enough to answer the question property. But I think Dio's explanation must come close to it. He does have the ability to get past the usual mental barriers that we all have – they are called mindsets, I believe. In being able to go beyond mindsets he is pretty fearless and self-reliant because he has this deep-seat confidence within himself. Because of this, he can be bloody infuriating at times, but it's why I love him so much. Oh, I've done it again – I have not told Dio this. My mother has this ability to 'see' into people a bit, and her mother has it more highly developed. Mama told me after she first met Dio that I would never have to feel afraid of him as there is no malice or real anger within him."

"Well, a most interesting discussion," Philip said, nervously thinking what Carra's mum would see inside him. "We've got the stuff in the two sheds to look at."

"Yeah," said Dio. "What you two should do is to put everything you want in the house in the lounge and main bedroom, and we'll have everything else cleared away on Friday. For junk here and down in the sheds that you would like, you will pay nothing, items of value we would accept the price placed on them by your appraiser, if that's alright with you Carra."

"That's fine."

"But don't you want to haggle?" Ella asked, quite disappointed. "I was really looking forward to going head to head with you two."

"What about Philip?" Carra asked.

"He's expert at giving advice because his mind works that way. But haggling is all about mental toughness and verbal agility and of course bluff. Philip wouldn't even have a clue of what I'm talking about in saying that. He always pays the asking price and in doing so half-expects to be asked to pay more."

"That's all bullshit, expectant mums are great benders of the truth," Philip laughed, rubbing his wife on the belly.

* * *

Between jobs Dio checked phone messages. One caller was Louise Walters.

"Hi," he said softly when she answered. "I have been neglecting you but I blame it on pressure of work."

"I know; it comes through putting down the anchor."

"It had to happen some time."

"Agreed; I was astonished to get an invitation to the wedding."

"We'll always be close friends, Louise."

At that Louise burst into tears. Dio took the phone from his ear and looked at it. What should he do?

Louise solved that problem for him. "I'm sorry. It's just that I miss being with you. You use to make me laugh and feel so good about myself, like no-one else can do, not even my mother and certainly not Frank."

"How is he?"

"Great and he's been really good to me lately. He's gone into partnership with the Williams brothers in their waste collection business. They're really going well."

"That's nice to hear. Frank is a good solid bloke, Louise. He'll make a wonderful father."

"I think so too. By the way we'll have one soon – we have been accepted as being suitable to adopt a baby."

"That's wonderful, congratulations Louise. And you'll be a natural as a mother, there's so much love in you and you've got that yahoo streak in you that your kids will love."

"Thanks Dio. It's so lovely talking to you again. Actually, my reason for calling is to ask what are you two doing next Thursday night?"

"Chasing my fiancée around the bedroom I would hope. Oops, sorry, that is not a sensitive comment."

"That's fine, Dio – she has you now."

"I'm really sorry, Louise. I'm so thick at times."

"I'll vomit if you grovel any more."

"Right – that's what I like to hear. So, what's special about Thursday?" he asked, watching a logging truck rumble past.

"Sarisha and I want to organize an evening for you with some of our old buddies and their partners. Carra is invited, of course."

"That sounds lovely. Thanks. Where do we meet?

"Never you mind; someone will come to pick you up at 8:00. Dress is neat casual."