Chapter Fourteen
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Hank Talbot sat at the edge of his grandparents’ pool. Aggressively, his feet kicked in the cold blue water. Bored, he became frustrated.
Hank understood the lockdown. Most of the time, Moo-ma and Poo-pa kept him inside. During the scorching summer days, they allowed him an hour in the pool in the mornings. He took a quick swim in the evening before his nightly bath. Although it refreshed him, the exercise lacked enjoyment.
At first, Hank relished the lockdown. Poo-pa called it camping inside. Then, the days began to drag. Pool in the morning, a game of checkers in the afternoon, pool again after dinner. Bath and bed rounded out the day.
The Talbots' attempt to keep their only grandchild entertained failed. Hank missed his Army base friends and the companions he had met during previous visits to Naples, Florida. Twin boys Fred and Ted Willis lived across the street. Three doors down, Darla Townsend resided with her grandmother. Marcy and Kingsley Stead lived in the opposite direction. Since he arrived, Hank had not seen them. He longed for their companionship.
Hank thought about stealthily exiting the Talbot home to meet with his friends. However, because of the epidemic, he lost his nerve. Moo-ma and Poo-pa would become very disappointed if he disobeyed them.
Kicking his feet, Hank stirred up the pool water. He pretended a giant maelstrom stirred up the blue liquid for a moment. He dropped his toy sailboat into the midst of the whirlpool and watched it navigate the spiral. Then, the vessel tipped and sank. Too bad.
Rising, Hank strode toward the sliding glass door. Moo-ma would yell at him for dripping on the tiled kitchen floor. However, the child did not care. Getting yelled at would provide a distraction. He entered and opened the freezer. Extracting an orange-flavored popsicle, he returned to the patio.
Poo-pa followed him outside. Retired Gen. I. Jeff Talbot wore blue swim trunks with a white stripe. Overweight, his large gut hung over the waistband. Approaching the pool, he lowered himself into the water. Hank cannonballed, throwing a sheet of water over the older man.
“Hank,” Moo-ma called, stepping onto the patio. “Take it easy.”
"It's okay," Jeff Talbot hollered back, waving his arm over his head. "Let the boy play."
Chuckling, he sent a spray of water over his grandson's head.
The Talbot grandparents enjoyed Hank's many visits. Although they were disappointed with Liz's attitude toward him, they took advantage of the situation. If they could, they would provide a full-time home for the child. While Oliver completed a mission, his wife played with her girlfriends. They viewed her as irresponsible. Still, they did not wish to interfere in their son's business.
"Whatever you say," Bea responded, grinning to herself. As long as Jeff permitted Hank's rambunctious behavior, she did not mind. "We'll have lunch on the patio. Then, I must make a quick trip to the grocery store."
"Can I go too?" Hank asked, jumping onto the patio. Eagerly, the boy longed to go somewhere, anywhere. Even food shopping sounded like fun.
“You have to wear a mask and social distance,” Moo-ma answered, pleased to have company on her errand. “Maybe we’ll stop at the park on the way home.”
“Yippee!” Hank leaped for joy. Perhaps he would see a few of his friends.
“Social distancing in the park too, young man,” his grandmother instructed.
“Yeah, sure.”
Hank returned to the pool, doing another cannonball over his grandfather’s head. Diving, he retrieved his sunken sailboat. Pretending he sailed to Key West, he bobbed his boat over the water’s surface.
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Smiling to herself, Beatrice Talbot returned to the kitchen. Preparing tuna sandwiches, she added potato chips and pickles to the plates. Then she poured frosted glasses of iced tea.
Her grandson was the love of her life. It saddened her that her son only produced one child. Moreover, Oliver's marriage disappointed her. As a mother, she wished the best for both of her children. Ivan's disappearance bitterly hurt her. She longed to return to his childhood and have a do-over. She would have approached him differently.
Ivan deserved a better life than they had given him. Bea understood more now than she had years ago. Her eldest child had been unique, precious. Other children treated him abominably; his desires had seemed extraordinary. She had loved him yet had not appreciated him. When he vanished, it broke her heart.
In a way, she clung to Hank. Sadly, Bea did not anticipate another grandchild. Oliver and Liz remained cool toward each other. Separated from his family, Ivan led his own life. She did not know if he had found a life partner yet. Perhaps, somewhere, he anticipated his own family.
"All my fault," the elder Talbot thought to herself. Placing her picnic on a tray, she stared down at it and sighed. Wistfully, she filled a bowl with cherry tomatoes.
Beatrice Talbot blamed herself for her sons' problems. She believed she had driven Ivan away and destroyed Oliver's chance at happiness. Interference and manipulation ruined her children's lives. Guilty as charged, she thought, sighing again. Her longing for do-overs remained an impossibility. However, if given a chance, she would have acted differently.
“Where’s that lunch?” Jeff Talbot asked, standing in the opened patio doorway. “There are some starving men out here.”
“Coming right up,” Bea responded, faking a smile. When she lifted the tray, her husband took it from her.
Jeff placed the lunch onto a white wrought table. A jaunty blue and white striped umbrella provided a shady place to eat. Politely, he pulled out a chair for his wife. When she sat, he kissed the top of her head.
Jeff Talbot knew his wife's thoughts and feelings. Upholding her silence, she did not have to tell him. Guilt etched itself across her expression. Bea meant the best for everyone. However, their offspring had the right to decide their own lives.
Ivan chose his path. It hurt him to lose his firstborn. Unfortunately, circumstances went against him. It would have been simpler if he had not been born into a military family. The teasing might have occurred but not as intensely.
Sensing turmoil within his eldest son, it had not surprised him when Ivan disappeared. Escape presented the only way out. Both he and his wife remained guilty of trying to change the unchangeable. They had not understood Ivan as they should have. Nor had they supported Ivan’s lifestyle.
Jeff silently commiserated with his wife.
Although they rarely spoke of Ivan, they both thought of him. He was a part of them as much as Oliver was. They both longed for a whole family.
“When is dad coming home?” Hank piped up, breaking the silence. He sensed the depressed mood settling between his grandparents. He poised his question to distract them.
“Don’t know, son.” Jeff Talbot smiled at his grandchild. “You know we can’t tell just yet.”
"Yeah." The child lapsed into silence. "I wish he'd come home. I miss him."
Both elders exchanged a look over the boy's head. Hank wistfully mentioned his father but not his mother. It seemed significant.
"When I grow up, I'm going to do what dad does," the boy stated matter-of-factly.
Another exchange between grandparents. The military tradition would live on in the Talbot family.
“Mom’s in trouble, isn’t she?” Hank asked, thoughtfully chewing his sandwich. “I wish she wouldn’t go away so much.”
“Your mother will be all right,” Bea responded, patting the boy’s hand. “She’s stuck in Jamaica in quarantine. Your other grandfather is working on getting her home.”
"Will I have to go to Grandmother Amberley's when mom comes home?" the child asked. He would rather stay with his Talbot grandparents.
Grandmother Amberley treated him differently than Moo-ma. She would not allow him to play or to create much noise. He could not splash in her pool and make a maelstrom. His playtime had to include his cousins, who were all girls. They preferred dolls to sports and pretending to be Army Rangers.
“Blah,” Hank thought, sticking out his wide tongue. He would rather stay with Moo-ma and Poo-pa.
“We’ll see, child,” Bea answered. A thin smile appeared on her serious face.
It would have hurt her to let Hank go. If his mother returned, she might want the child with her. However, Bea had her doubts. Liz never truly bonded with her son. She used him as a prop—not as actual flesh and blood. Hank gave her bragging rights as a mother. However, when it came to acting like a natural parent, she was frequently absent without leave.
Liz's frequent departures troubled the Talbot grandparents. Her friends and party lifestyle were not conductive of a military spouse. Their daughter-in-law was not there to support her son when Oliver went away on a mission. She farmed the child out to relatives, friends, and lesser-known acquaintances. Ollie often had to track his son's whereabouts and make alternate arrangements for the child. The distractions interfered with his work situation.
Bea attempted to provide a good grounding for Hank and wished he could remain with them. Then, she chastised herself for plotting interference again.
"For now, you are staying with us," Poo-pa interrupted. "And you're going to stay here. So let's not worry over it for the time being. Let's take it day-by-day."
Moo-ma agreed.
"With all the shutdowns, the planes aren't flying as frequently," the grandfather continued. "The safest place is right here. I doubt your mother will take the risk."
If Liz returned, Jeff Talbot doubted she would want the boy. He believed the child would remain exactly where he was.
"Let's forget about it, for now, Hank," Bea suggested, rising. She lifted the tray and headed inside. "Get ready to go out. We'll go to the grocery store. Then, maybe, we’ll go to the park. You could uses some outside playtime.”
The thought of the park hastened Hank's footsteps. He readied himself in record time and waited by the car before his grandmother emerged.
As they backed the sedan out of the garage, the sun twinkled brightly on the windshield. It excited Hank. They had not been out since the shutdown began. Even a trip to the grocery store seemed like an adventure. He wondered if his friends would spent time at the park too.
The deserted roads stretched blackly toward town. The houses along the way seemed deserted. Drapes enclosed picture windows, and driveways sat devoid of cars. Hank thought of the Apocalyptic movies he frequently watched with his father as they passed. Visions of zombies stumbling along empty streets stuck him as possible. He never believed he would see a real-life scenario. The plague changed everything.
A half dozen cars sat in the supermarket parking lot. A lone shopping cart sat in a vacant space, looking forlornly alone. Moo-ma pulled into a slot close to the entrance. She secured her mask over her nose and mouth. Then, she assisted Hank with his. He could have done it himself, but he relented. Moo-ma had his safety in mind. He did not want to create a fuss.
Together they entered. A team member wiped down a cart and pushed it toward them. Hank thought he recognized her. However, the mask covering the nose and mouth distorted her features. Nevertheless, he waved, and she returned the greeting.
Many shelves remained empty, and his grandmother could not obtain a few items on her list. Nevertheless, she bought bread, milk, cheese, and a bag of Red Delicious apples. Hank placed them on the Express Lane counter and swiped Moo-ma's debit card. It made him feel grown up to pay for the groceries.
When they returned to the parked sedan, Hank jubilantly awaited arriving at the park. Would his friends play there too?
Perhaps, if the excursion were successful, Moo-ma would plan another trip. Hank thought of the hobby shop on the other side of town. He thought of the model tank he had seen on the store’s internet page. A new Harry Potter Lego set would please him too.
When they stopped at the park, Hank’s face lit up in delight. He noticed another child. However, because of the distance, he did not recognize her.
Exiting the car, the child raced toward the playground. Marcy Stead sat on a swing, her feet dragging in the sand. Two red pigtails drooped over her shoulders. When she noticed Hank Talbot, she grinned delightedly. However, when he approached, she halted him.
Hank stopped dead in his tracks. He longed to play with a friend. Although the child did not particularly get along with Marcy, it thrilled him to see her. He rather wished she were her brother instead. Hank and Kingsley Stead had been friends since they were four years old. Marcy, the twin sister, tagged along and whined when they played boys' games. However, Hank had not seen his friends in so long that he would play with anyone.
“You gotta take the third swing,” Marcy called. She jabbed her pointy finger twice along the line of swings. “We gotta social distance.”
“Yeah, okay, gotcha,” Hank yelled back. With a skip, he ran toward the swings and leaped into the third one. “Where’s King?”
“John.” Marcy indicated toward the restrooms in the nearby pavilion.
As she pointed, her brother appeared and sprinted toward them. His masked face obscured his gleeful grin. He knew when Hank arrived but had not seen his friend. Gladly, he raced up and nearly swung his arms around his playmate. Then, his feet skidded on the soft playground surface. He remembered what his mother said about social distancing. He raised his hand and tick-tocked it back and forth.
"Hey!" Hank called through his mask. Distorted by the face covering, his voice sounded funny.
The two boys raced around the swing set and climbed the slide. They tried not to crowd at the top. However, in his rush, Kingsley collided with Hank's back. Neither boy actually noticed.
“Don’t touch each other,” Marcy called from below. She had seen them bang into each other.
"Aw, shut up," King yelled, leaning dangerously over the slide's upper railing.
“You wanna get the plague and die?” his sister hollered. The disease scared her more than it did Kingsley. She did not want to die.
"Blah." King lowered his mask, stuck out his tongue, and wiggled it. Hank copied him.
"Boys are stupid," his sister remarked. Hastily, she climbed the slide and followed her companions back to the ground.
The three children played happily while Bea Talbot and Dorothy Stead chatted. The women sat on either end of the park bench. Social distancing, the empty green rails stretched between them.
After being cooped up at home, the fresh air refreshed them. The warm summer sun beat down on the park. In the distance, birds chirped their happy songs. It could have been an average day. However, no one else had ventured out to enjoy the season.
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