think.”
“We understand. Just. Here. Take my card. Call me. Call us. Anytime,” said Father Felix as he slipped something into my hand.
“I will.”
Father Felix slipped his arm back around Ruth Ann and started to ease her toward the door. She resisted and looked pleadingly at me. “Please Keziah, make sure you call.”
She’d found me, and didn’t want to risk letting me go. I couldn’t blame her. “He can’t stop me from calling now that I know you exist. Let me give you my home number.”
Once she had a sticky note with my number written on it Ruth Ann seemed reassured. She allowed Father Felix to help her out the door with only one backward glance at me.
The shock of finding out my father’s lies had left me unable to deal with their implications. I was left standing in the lobby, unable to decide what to do next. I mean,
obviously
, I had to go out, and drive my father, Susan, and Porter to Owenton. But, somehow, even that seemed too much to ask of me.
Finally, I looked up, and found Leo Cortland trying not to hover too close to me. I looked at him. “Quite a show you got today.”
Cortland shrugged his huge shoulders. “Did five years in New York City. I’ve seen weirder things eating my cereal on a normal Tuesday morning.”
“Still.”
“What’s the next move?”
“I’ve got to drive a car full of people to Owenton, and I don’t know how to leave this station.”
“Where is home?” he asked.
“Illinois, six hours away.”
“You could just hop in the car and go. I’ll find them a lift to Owenton. It’s not far. I’ll make sure it’s real uncomfortable, too.”
I smiled. “That’s really kind of you, but I gave them my word.”
Cortland gave me the one minute signal and slid back around behind the desk where he dug around for a couple of minutes before coming up with a slightly bent business card of his own which he came back and handed to me. “Take this. He gives you and grief, you call me.”
“And you’ll do what exactly?”
“Don’t know rightly. Just know that I didn’t like how he manhandled you. Bit of a red flag. Man willing to manhandle a woman in public, in a police station even, maybe he’s not as gentle when he gets her alone. It’d relieve my mind to know you got home safe.”
I didn’t comment, just tucked the cards in my back pocket. Then I held out my hand and we shook. “Thanks for all your help.”
“You’re welcome. Drive safe.”
*
They were packed into my car. Porter and my father in the back seat, their knees up around their chins, with Susan in the front seat, her knees firmly pressed against the dashboard. I almost laughed. I had chosen my car just for me: fuel efficient, easy to take care of, small, and, above all, something which would last. Good thing I hadn’t asked Cortland to find them another ride — I’d never have gotten them out of the car until I’d kept my word.
I got in, and started the engine. The silence in the car was stout and grubby as I headed us out of the parking lot and toward Owenton. After about ten minutes Susan cleared her throat and ventured a few words. “We really appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble. I’m headed that way anyway.”
“You shouldn’t believe what they tell you. They are liars,” intoned my father from the back seat.
“So they aren’t my mother’s family?”
“You know what I’m referring to.”
“I really don’t.”
“They must have told you everything. About Josh, about your mother, but they don’t know the whole story. They see things only from their point of view. You should not trust them.”
“I’m not going to discuss them with you.”
He huffed a little. “Your mother hated them,” he said.
I could tell he was about to start on a tear. So I did the only thing I could do, the only thing that years of dealing with him had taught me was effective. I stayed neutral.
“I’m not going to discuss them with you.”
My father lapsed into hard chilly
“We understand. Just. Here. Take my card. Call me. Call us. Anytime,” said Father Felix as he slipped something into my hand.
“I will.”
Father Felix slipped his arm back around Ruth Ann and started to ease her toward the door. She resisted and looked pleadingly at me. “Please Keziah, make sure you call.”
She’d found me, and didn’t want to risk letting me go. I couldn’t blame her. “He can’t stop me from calling now that I know you exist. Let me give you my home number.”
Once she had a sticky note with my number written on it Ruth Ann seemed reassured. She allowed Father Felix to help her out the door with only one backward glance at me.
The shock of finding out my father’s lies had left me unable to deal with their implications. I was left standing in the lobby, unable to decide what to do next. I mean,
obviously
, I had to go out, and drive my father, Susan, and Porter to Owenton. But, somehow, even that seemed too much to ask of me.
Finally, I looked up, and found Leo Cortland trying not to hover too close to me. I looked at him. “Quite a show you got today.”
Cortland shrugged his huge shoulders. “Did five years in New York City. I’ve seen weirder things eating my cereal on a normal Tuesday morning.”
“Still.”
“What’s the next move?”
“I’ve got to drive a car full of people to Owenton, and I don’t know how to leave this station.”
“Where is home?” he asked.
“Illinois, six hours away.”
“You could just hop in the car and go. I’ll find them a lift to Owenton. It’s not far. I’ll make sure it’s real uncomfortable, too.”
I smiled. “That’s really kind of you, but I gave them my word.”
Cortland gave me the one minute signal and slid back around behind the desk where he dug around for a couple of minutes before coming up with a slightly bent business card of his own which he came back and handed to me. “Take this. He gives you and grief, you call me.”
“And you’ll do what exactly?”
“Don’t know rightly. Just know that I didn’t like how he manhandled you. Bit of a red flag. Man willing to manhandle a woman in public, in a police station even, maybe he’s not as gentle when he gets her alone. It’d relieve my mind to know you got home safe.”
I didn’t comment, just tucked the cards in my back pocket. Then I held out my hand and we shook. “Thanks for all your help.”
“You’re welcome. Drive safe.”
*
They were packed into my car. Porter and my father in the back seat, their knees up around their chins, with Susan in the front seat, her knees firmly pressed against the dashboard. I almost laughed. I had chosen my car just for me: fuel efficient, easy to take care of, small, and, above all, something which would last. Good thing I hadn’t asked Cortland to find them another ride — I’d never have gotten them out of the car until I’d kept my word.
I got in, and started the engine. The silence in the car was stout and grubby as I headed us out of the parking lot and toward Owenton. After about ten minutes Susan cleared her throat and ventured a few words. “We really appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble. I’m headed that way anyway.”
“You shouldn’t believe what they tell you. They are liars,” intoned my father from the back seat.
“So they aren’t my mother’s family?”
“You know what I’m referring to.”
“I really don’t.”
“They must have told you everything. About Josh, about your mother, but they don’t know the whole story. They see things only from their point of view. You should not trust them.”
“I’m not going to discuss them with you.”
He huffed a little. “Your mother hated them,” he said.
I could tell he was about to start on a tear. So I did the only thing I could do, the only thing that years of dealing with him had taught me was effective. I stayed neutral.
“I’m not going to discuss them with you.”
My father lapsed into hard chilly
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