“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did. You were a sympathetic ear.”
“Not sympathetic, believing.”
Lorna crossed the room and hugged her. “That’s what makes you so special. I’ll be okay, really, you needn’t stay if you have something to do.”
DeeDee glanced at her watch. “I did promise to baby-sit for one of my employees.”
“Then by all means keep your promise.”
5: A Valuable Kid
Walter Byerly parked his car beside Doreen’s, then strolled out the driveway to the mailbox. Doreen always left this task for him, because she knew he liked to ponder their good fortune to live on beautiful Monarch Lane.
Named for the butterfly which nested in nearby trees in the spring, the street was a cul-de-sac off Butterfly Beach with a dozen or so homes, each distinctive in style and color. Their place was only a story and a half, a cottage really. Supposedly painted Federal blue, but somebody got the mix wrong. He called it secessionist teal. They bought it a decade ago, when real estate prices were depressed. Now in a booming market it could go for a million dollars.
“No mail today, not a syllable.”
Byerly looked across the road at his neighbor. Never could remember his name. “The purveyors of junk mail are surely derelict.”
“Don’t you dare tell them.” The neighbor hesitated. “Say, Byerly, isn’t that bougainvillea of yours getting a bit out of hand?”
He turned to look back. The magenta-colored vine covered the whole side of the house facing the street. He had to keep a tunnel cut through her so they could use the kitchen entrance. “I call her Big Bertha. If you don’t see me for a few days, you’ll know she ate me.”
No laughter. His neighbor was a bit on the literal side.
“I’ve always wondered, Byerly, is that the front or the back door to your house?”
“I’ve never figured it out. There’s another door to the right, down the drive, but nobody ever uses it. We always go in and out through the kitchen. Big Bertha wouldn’t have it any other way, she gets lonesome.” He chuckled. “Stop in sometime, I’ll show you around.”
Byerly walked back up the drive, checking out his landscaping. In truth he was amazed. Apparently one could stick anything in the ground in California and have it grow. That poinsettia was a Christmas gift years ago. Now Carmen was a high as his head.
He wasn’t sure how he got started naming plants. Probably a sign of approaching dementia, but they sure thrived on it. The verdant hibiscus with the yellow blossoms was Flossie, the rambling morning glory on the fence was Gladys. Gus, the huge live oak, towered overhead. The grass was Hector. Thirsty all the time and terribly vain about his crewcut. “You look fine, Hector, don’t rush it.” He sometimes thought of hiring a gardener, or someone to help him, but he wouldn’t till he was forced to. Mowing and pruning kept him out of trouble.
Byerly passed through the tunnel in Bertha and at once heard happy squeals and laughter. He found Doreen in the kitchen with two male toddlers. She wore sneaks, jeans, a baggy sweatshirt, and looked frazzled.
“I used to be a good grandmother. I’d sit Billy and Robin for hours, no trouble at all.” She made a gesture of futility. “I’ve had these two less than an hour and I’m worn out, can’t keep up.”
“How old were our grandsons when you worked these wonders?”
“This age. Billy was three and Robin four.”
“And how many years ago was that? The last time I saw those young men they were high school linebackers.”
“Oh God, was it that long ago?”
“Uh-uh, and now you know why the young have children.” Both boys stopped what they were doing and stared at him as though he was an extra from the movie Aliens. One lad had dark hair, the other blond. “Who are your young friends?”
“This is Tommy, Karen’s boy.” She pointed to the dark-haired one. “And this is-”
“Jamie, yes. Hi, men.” He extended a hand to shake two tiny ones. “May I ask how you men happen to be here?”
“I told Karen I’d-rather we’d-babysit so she could go out to dinner and patch up things with her boyfriend.” She sighed. “I can’t keep up with them, and I don’t know what to do. I bought some toys, but they only lasted minutes. You have to help me, Walter.”
He grinned at her. ”Very well, Star Fleet to the rescue.”
“Star Fleet?”
“I don’t think kids are into the Lone Ranger or Jack Armstrong these days.” He turned to them. “What say, men, let’s head for the beach?” At once he earned delighted squeals and the clatter of four little feet heading for the door.
“The beach, why didn’t I think of that?”
“Got to burn off their excess energy, then they’ll play quietly.”
She stared at him. “When did you become such an authority?”
“I remember vividly. I was lying awake one night, when this person, an apparition really, came to me and-”
She pushed him toward the door. “I saw the same guy and he told me never to babysit more than one child at a time.”
He walked along Butterfly Beach holding Doreen’s hand while the boys made a game of trying to avoid the incoming surf, squealing when the chilly water caught their bare feet. Suddenly he stopped, reached skyward with both hands, did a full circle on the sand, letting the wonder of it all soak into him. “God, I wish I could paint.”
“What would you paint?”
He made a sweeping gesture. “All this, you and me, at least two old folks, playing on the beach with two little boys-an orange beach with a tangerine sun sparkling across dusky water.” He raised his arm again. “There would be a turquoise sky and…look, Doreen, look, it’s happening.”
“Yes, the purple mountains majesty.”
“Only happens for a few minutes at dusk. How could I ever capture it?”
“You’d think of something, love. What else would you paint?”
“Oh, the white stucco buildings and the red-tiled roofs, all nestled among the lush green foliage. I’d want to paint the riotous colors of the flowers, oh, just everything, Doreen.”
“It would be a beautiful painting, darling.”
He nodded. “I keep thinking about the essence of this place we’ve chosen. What is it that makes it special?”
“Why do I have a feeling you know the answer?”
“An idea, maybe.” They strolled along. He picked up a handful of sand, let it sift through his fingers, bending a bit in the breeze as it fell. ”By living amid beauty you become beautiful-at least a better person. When all you see in Franchise City are muffler shops, junk food emporiums and a neon forest, something wilts within you. Money becomes everything.”
“All I know is I’ve never been so happy as here. Thank you for insisting we move.”
He turned her toward him, kissed her. “We’d better catch up to the boys.” They resumed their stroll.
“I’d forgotten the worry and effort that goes into being a mother. I only remember the good stuff.”
“You always did make it harder than it was. When I babysat the kids and their pals, I figured my job was to keep them from being hit by a car. Don’t play in the street. I said yes to everything else. We got along fine, no problems.”
“And how often and for how long did you work this indulgence?” They stopped to watch the boys. Doreen picked up a heart-shaped stone. “I went to see Lorna Gould this afternoon. She’s distraught.”
