Happiness Key (27 page)

“You have more understanding than I did, Wanda. Then I could only think of getting everyone to see the truth. But my protests made no difference. Even if what I said was true, many people had already seen the site. Darshan had been told about it by someone at his firm and asked how he could marry such a woman. Darshan’s father had been shown the site by another man in his office. How these men were alerted was another question no one could answer. But again, what did it matter? The Tambes could not be linked to me, even if, by some mere chance, there was merit in what I said.”

“And Darshan went along with this?” Tracy asked.

“I had no time alone with him, then or later. He e-mailed me to say how sorry he was that things turned out as they had. But none of my return e-mails were ever answered.”

“Not worth a lot, was he?” Wisely, Wanda handed Janya a napkin.

Janya wiped her eyes, which were sparkling with tears. “Padmini was so offended by my accusations she refused to speak to me again. I was alone, under suspicion by my own family, no longer betrothed, and shamed and deserted by the woman who was supposed to love me like a sister.”

“Where’s a hit man when you need one?” Tracy asked. “I could e-mail CJ in the pen. He has all kinds of new contacts now.”

“I’m sorry.” Janya wiped her eyes. “What must you think of me?”

“Ummm…that you got screwed? That you’re absolutely normal?” Tracy handed her another napkin. “Did I mention you got screwed?”

“So that was it? You never saw this bozo again?” Wanda asked.

Janya shook her head. “Can you imagine my life at home after that? Much of the money my parents had saved had already been spent on a wedding that would never happen. My reputation was in shreds. My parents refused to let me return to school, because they said my presence on the same campus would humiliate Darshan.”

“They worried…about
him?
” Alice appeared trans-fixed, as if she couldn’t imagine any of this being real.

“They do to this day.”

“I just don’t understand.” Alice shook her head.

“Soon afterward, Rishi came to India with his aunt and uncle to find a bride. My parents were contacted by his family in India. We were introduced, and Rishi wanted me, despite the things others said. My parents wanted me gone, so my presence would not taint my brother’s opportunities to find a good match. I wanted to leave my humiliation behind. Our wedding was arranged quickly. We came to Florida, and here I am.” She balled the napkin in her slender hand. “So do I know if Rishi is handsome or charming or someone I want to be married to? How can I possibly? Rishi was a solution.”

“Padmini?” Tracy asked.

“She will marry Darshan in September. My parents will attend and take valuable gifts.”

The women sat in silence, as if too stunned to know what to say. Finally Tracy spoke for all of them.

“Surely you see how much better off you are without this Darshan person? I bet he wasn’t even the one who let you know about his wedding to your cousin.”

“I don’t know.”

“Either he did or he didn’t.”

“In the past weeks I have had—” Janya raised her fingers, as if she was counting on them “—four e-mails from Darshan. I didn’t open any of them.”

Tracy didn’t know what to say, but Wanda had no such problem.

“You listen to your big sister Wanda. Don’t open those e-mails. You let that man stay a piece of your past, Janya. Whatever he has to say, it can’t help. If he tries to tell you he’s sorry, that will be all about him having a clear conscience. I know what I’m talking about here. Just don’t let him back into your life or your heart, or your head.”

Janya sighed. “There’s been no one to tell this to. No one except Yash, my brother, who never believed I was at fault.”

“Somehow, then…your parents raised good children, even if they are not such…good parents,” Alice said.

“It’s good to be here. It’s good not to be judged. To be believed.” Janya managed a smile. “Thank you.”

“It would be so appropriate right now to have a big California group hug,” Tracy said. “But let’s not.”

“Right,” Wanda said. “Let’s eat pie.” She pulled a little cooler to her side and opened it. “Peach pie, graham cracker crust, and not one thing in it one of them heathen Hindu types would turn up her nose at. Right, Janya?”

This time Janya’s smile almost looked real. She definitely looked grateful.

Tracy spent a large part of the weekend worrying that she had applied too much pressure to convince Alice to teach at the center. By Monday morning she was almost certain Alice wouldn’t show up, but Alice arrived with Wanda, just as they’d planned, and although she seemed unsure of herself, she was prepared with simple instructions in neat, legible handwriting.

Tracy made copies and set out supplies she had bought on Sunday. She checked on Alice frequently, but by ten o’clock she was relieved to find it wasn’t necessary. The counselors kept the kids under control, and the bright yarn captivated the girls. The boys were less enthused, but when they saw the Hacky Sack instructions and were told there would be a Hacky Sack tournament at the end of camp, they perked up considerably.

“The boys are hooked now,” she told Gladys, who pointed out that the pun wasn’t worthy of Tracy’s talents.

By Tuesday Alice seemed more at ease. Sometimes she had to search for words, but the kids caught on quickly
and suggested possibilities, the way Olivia did at home. In one-on-one interactions, she was patient and able to get right to the root of a problem.

On Wednesday, Tracy was at the front desk when Lee came striding into the center. She intercepted him before he got as far as Gladys.

“Is Alice here?” he demanded.

“Let’s go for a walk.” She put her hand on his arm. “I need to stretch my legs, anyway.”

“I don’t.” He didn’t shake off her hand, but he made it clear her touch wasn’t welcome.

“I’d like to talk to you about this, and not right here.”

“I’m in no mood to talk. I’ve come to take Alice home.”

“She’s busy. She’s happy. Please, can’t we discuss this?”

He was not in a mood for discussion; that was written all over his face. But he gave a curt nod and started back toward the door. She exchanged looks with Gladys, who shrugged. Gladys knew the basics of Alice’s situation.

A blast of heat greeted them, and Tracy wilted. Her staff shirt, a polo with the same grinning alligator logo as the children’s, plastered itself to her back and breasts. She didn’t think the athletic-female gig was going to go over big this morning, so she started her pitch as the door swung closed.

“First,
I
asked Alice to teach the kids to crochet. It was completely my idea. We needed somebody to do crafts, and this is a skill they can carry into adulthood. And your mother-in-law is a champion.”

“So you knew I wouldn’t approve and went straight to Alice because, what? Because you knew she’s not capable of resistance?”

“That’s not what happened. I went over to your place
on Friday evening to talk to both of you. You weren’t home, so I discussed it with Alice. She was so enthused, Lee. She perked right up. And she taught when your wife was in Girl Scouts. I think the idea brought back a good memory.”

“You think dredging up her past is helpful? You think remembering activities they did together will make her feel better her daughter is dead?”

The depth of his anger seemed out of place. She wondered if the possibility Alice might be getting better worried him. Was Lee so entrenched in being her caretaker, in giving comfort and help as a tribute to his late wife, that he wanted to slow down her recovery and keep her dependent?

He was walking so fast she had to put on a burst of speed. “I think Alice needs to find herself again. She’s been so lucky to have you taking care of her, but she seems ready for a little independence. She’s doing really well with the kids. They already love her, and she’s got a bunch of budding crocheters hanging on every word. How can this be a problem?”

“You went behind my back.”

“We thought we’d just try this and see how it worked, then we were going to tell you. We knew you might be miffed, but I thought you’d be so pleased Alice was doing well, you’d get past that fast.”

“Miffed?” He faced her, stopping just short of the parking lot. “I have to live with this woman, Tracy, and so does my daughter. Do you hear Alice crying at night because she can’t remember something? Do you watch her do things, then have no memory of them an hour later? The last two nights have been hell. She paces. Last night she put the kettle on and walked out of the house. When I told her, she said I was mistaken, that it was too
hot for tea, even though there was a cup with a tea bag waiting for her to pour the water!”

“And you’re saying this is because she’s a success at teaching?”

“She can’t take the stress!” He pushed his hand through his hair, an uncharacteristic gesture, since it disturbed the perfect symmetry.

“But Lee, she doesn’t seem to be under any stress while she’s here. Oh, sure, she was a little nervous that first day. I don’t think she knew if she could still teach or not. But once it was clear she could, she just, well, bloomed. Maybe you can come in and see for yourself? Watch through the door a little to see what I mean. She loves being here. Don’t we both want the best for her?”

“Is that really what you want? Or did you just need somebody to bail you out?”

That was a little too close for comfort, and she didn’t answer.

“I don’t know what’s up with you women on the key. You just can’t leave poor Alice alone. And every time she’s with you, she comes back upset and more disoriented. She must put on quite a show when you’re together, because if she was anything like the Alice living in my cottage—”

“
Your
cottage?” The question slipped out before she could think.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, you know what I mean.”

Quite possibly she did. Maybe Tracy knew too well. Because hadn’t Lee taken over Alice’s house
and
her life?

“The Alice we know has a little trouble forming sentences sometimes, but she always manages to make herself understood. She’s funny and wise, and your daughter adores her. That’s the only Alice we see.”

“You obviously know nothing about dementia. Eventually it reaches a stage when it can’t be hidden. But early on, a victim can cover up what she doesn’t remember. She can pretend she knows things, or understands them, but can you imagine the stress? That’s why she falls apart when she comes home. She’s exhausted. This is why you have to leave her alone.”

Tracy wondered if all that really could be happening. Was it possible that the Alice she and the other women saw disintegrated when she no longer had to put on a show? Was she caught in some downward spiral that would only become apparent to them in the future? In the meantime, by trying to help, were they making life harder for Lee and Olivia?

She just couldn’t buy it. Alice liked being at the center, and Alice liked being with the other women. She had enjoyed Saturday afternoon at the beach as much as anyone. She had enjoyed having them to her house for a complicated dessert.

“Lee, if what you say is true, doesn’t Alice deserve a chance to be happy now? To make as many good memories as she can before everything gets swallowed up?”

“You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said.”

“Of course I have. That doesn’t mean we see things the same way.”

“The way I see this is the way that matters.”

She tried to sound accommodating, but her voice was noticeably cooler. “No, the way
Alice
sees it is the way that matters.”

“Alice no longer sees anything the way it is, and it’s my job to protect her. Now, I’m going in there, and I’m going to tell her she needs to come home with me. I hope, when you think about this a little, you’ll see I’m right. I’m
not trying to upset you or spoil things at the center. I’m not even angry, since I know you were doing what you thought was right. But I have to take care of Alice.”

“Then at least let her finish today’s classes. Don’t drag her out and embarrass her.”

“Her—or you?”

“That’s not fair.” She waited. She didn’t know if most of the other things Lee had said were true, but one was not. He
was
angry. He was covering it better now, but she could still see it in his eyes and the set of his lips.

Finally he shrugged. “Fine. But she won’t be back tomorrow.”

“If you and Alice have a good conversation about this, and she doesn’t want to come back, I’ll understand.”

“Please don’t go behind my back again. It’s getting so I can’t leave her alone.”

“But you do,” she pointed out, more emphatically than she’d intended. “Frequently. And she seems fine.”

“Don’t accuse me of neglect. I’m trying to make a living for my family.”

She glanced away, trying to get control of
her
temper. She was staring into the parking lot, when she realized she had to be looking at Lee’s new car. It was a like a silver swan rising above a pond of squawking ducks. The vanity license plate on the front was the giveaway.
RLEETR
. Realtor, with his name smack in the middle.

“Nice SUV,” she said. “I’ve always liked Infinitis.”

“I needed a bigger car to carry clients and open-house signs.”

“Well, this will impress them.”

“I’m banking on it.”

And he’d been to the bank, too, to get a loan or to clean out his savings. She knew something about cars, and she made a guess that this model started at fifty grand or so.
She thought about Alice, who had been forced to beg for money so she could buy clothing on sale. For the first time Tracy wondered if Janya’s suspicions about Lee had merit.

She tried to push that thought away. If Lee really was going through tough times, it would be unfair to turn against him while he was struggling to help and support his mother-in-law. Still, distrust had completely eclipsed the fleeting attraction she’d once felt for him. Distrust, and quite possibly the thought of another man.

The contrast between Lee and Marsh was enormous, but they did share one thing in common. Her.

Tracy knew if she had half a brain, she would take off running right this very minute and never look back to see if either of them was gaining on her.

After revealing so much about her past to the other women, Janya had expected to feel depressed. She had told bits of the story to school friends in India—the ones who had not been spirited from her presence by families or husbands. But she had never told anyone but her family and Darshan’s her conviction that her own cousin had engineered her downfall. The proof was gone. Padmini had probably destroyed everything long before Janya’s counterfeit page showed up on the Internet. Had anyone searched, there would have been no doctored photos, no text, no signs of any kind.

Now, having shared the story, Janya felt lighter, as if the weight of it had lifted a little. She could breathe easier. In Tracy’s words, Janya had been screwed. And yes, that was exactly what had happened. Certainly she should have been more careful. She should have realized her cousin wanted Darshan for herself and would go to any length to get him. But that was as far as her guilt extended.

There had been signs, of course. Padmini had cautioned her repeatedly about Darshan, how he would certainly marry a woman who was more well-connected than Janya, that his family wouldn’t approve such a marriage, so Janya shouldn’t risk her heart or reputation. Looking back, she remembered times when messages for Darshan hadn’t been delivered. Or others when Padmini insinuated herself between them. Janya had felt sympathy, wondering if Padmini hated to lose her cousin to a man, any man, because once Janya was married, they would never be as close.

When they were heading back to their homes late Saturday afternoon, Alice had said something important. The two women had been trailing the others, who were throwing a beach ball back and forth with Olivia. Alice put her hand on Janya’s arm. At first Janya thought she was having trouble walking in the sand; then the older woman stopped, and when Janya turned to help her, she smiled sadly.

“You made a mistake—” she paused, then she shook her head “—out of love, Janya. They are the hardest to bear, but…” She appeared to search for the right words. Janya didn’t try to help.

“But the angels bless us….” she said at last. “And they understand.”

Now Janya thought that, in her own way, Alice had been saying that she should forgive
herself.
She had trusted a cousin she loved. Trust and love, even misplaced, were virtues. She might have been foolish, but she had not been cruel. That had been Padmini’s role.

As he often did, Rishi worked all day Sunday, and Janya had spent the day lost in thought. By afternoon she’d decided to paint a portrait of her cousin, but not the affectionate portraits of old. This was a portrait to show
the person Padmini had become. Not Padmini as a demon, but as a woman who had planned and executed the undoing of someone she claimed to love, a cunning woman who would not hesitate to harm others to get whatever she wanted.

Janya almost felt sorry for Darshan, who would be chained to Padmini for all the years of their marriage. But that was a waste of sympathy. Darshan had chosen to marry her. Even if his parents had insisted, he was a man. He could say no, just as many months ago he could have insisted that the wedding to Janya would go exactly as planned, and anyone foolish enough to believe she had tried to destroy her own reputation could simply stay at home.

By Wednesday afternoon she was standing at an easel set up in her front yard, putting the final touches on the small portrait. The likeness was good. She had painted her cousin at the corner of her house, peeking around the side as if she were hiding…waiting…but not as a woman waits for a lover. Padmini’s expression was shrewd, even deceitful. She was a woman waiting for the right moment to spring. The portrait was subtle. At first an admirer would see a pretty enough woman in the full bloom of youth, waiting expectantly for something. But a closer examination would bring discomfort. This was a woman with secrets. This was a woman who was planning harm.

Janya stepped back and examined what she had done. She thought she was finished. She no longer wanted to view the portrait. It had served its purpose. Painting Padmini had been as good as chasing away her ghost.

When she looked away, Tracy was striding down her walkway. She had been so absorbed that she hadn’t heard the other woman approach. She thought Tracy’s opinion would be interesting to hear.