The House (22 page)

“It also confused and drove you crazy.” Anna grew frightened. Linda lifted her hand. “We’re adults now. And I’m okay.”

“And you love your father?”

“I love Dad for the father you let him be, not the man who left you alone. But most of all I love you for preserving the chance for me to do that.” Linda smiled and this time reached out for Anna. The two embraced.

“What is Inman like?” Linda’s intuition once again hit the mark. Anna considered what it would be like to have Inman as part of her children’s lives. Slowly, she began to tell about him.?

Chapter 30

Hours after dinner that evening, and feeling certain Edward had fallen asleep, Anna called a meeting out on the patio. The sun, setting into a sky that moments earlier had poured blood-red orange across the landscape of the heavens, edged toward indigo. Anna considered how the transformation of day to night had arrived minutes earlier the previous evening. The days were growing shorter, daylight less plentiful. Change was taking place in the Manning family. Death would soon extinguish the light of Edward in their lives.

David, Theo, Linda, and Brad took their places around the table by the pool. Anna brushed aside thoughts of her time with Inman at his home atop Grizzly Peak, the two of them naked in his bed. She joined her children at the patio table.

“I met with Bryce this afternoon,” she started. “He tells me that your father has given me his company, Manning Ventures.”

“The real estate company?” Theo said.

“Not exactly.”

“The company’s now Manning Ventures,” David interjected. “A collection of three, small companies.”

Anna eyed Linda as she recalled their conversation from earlier that afternoon.
David can be a lot like Dad, bossy and stubborn
. Anna turned her attention to David. “So you knew about this?” Appearing somewhat anxious, he said, “Dad discussed a few things with me. Like his purchases.”

“Well,” Anna returned to her main point, “I’ve decided to keep the company. I’m not going to sell it as I’d first thought.”

Linda smiled. Theo leaned back in his seat appearing, as on many times, as if possessed in thought.

David’s interest was piqued. “Do you think that’s prudent? Running a company takes—”

“
acumen,
” Anna finished his sentence. David looked straight at her. Brad and Linda snickered while exchanging glances with Theo. “Do you even know what you’re doing?” David persisted.

“Not exactly,” Anna said. “But Bryce assures me that the companies are strong and thriving. He also says that this is not a time to sell. With a recession looming, I’d never get what they’re worth.”

“At least you know that,” David retorted. “Still, you can’t do any thing until Dad is—”

“I own the company right now,” Anna again interrupted her elder son. All eyes around the table became alert, as if for the first time grasping the meaning of her words,
Your father’s given me his company
. Theo’s watchful composure clarified into a subtle show of glee. Linda patted Brad’s hand, their subdued smiles showing pleasure. Her thoughts again fresh, as when Henderson informed her of David’s bogus suits, Anna said, “Is this why you sued Henderson and tried to have me declared insane?” All was coming clear.

Linda, Brad, and Theo turned to David in surprise. With his back to the pool, the moonlight shimmering on the surface of the water made David’s figure silhouette-like.

“You actually did that?” Brad asked. “I remember what you said at dinner that first night after we arrived, but—”

“You’re not in this.” David shot Brad a glare of disgust.

“You knew what your father was going to do,” Anna said to David. “He discussed this with you. You knew he was giving me the company.”

“I can’t believe you’d do such a thing.” Linda displayed a contorted frown.

“Did Heather know you issued a suit against Mama and Henderson?” Theo asked.

Linda sighed once more then said, “You interned at Henderson’s office. He invited you to join his practice.” She began massaging her stomach. Anna grew anxious. It was happening again. The energy of Elena’s diseased spirit was roaming among them.

David addressed Linda. “He was also Dad’s friend and former attorney.” He turned to Anna. “But that didn’t seem to matter when you asked for a divorce.”

“I asked Henderson to represent me because aside from your father’s behavior in his private life, Henderson respected his accomplishments,” Anna said.

“Dad’s dying,” David refused to listen. “The last year he’s been fighting a cancer that’s now eating him alive. And all you’ve done is fight him.”

“I had no idea your father had cancer,” Anna said.

“Would it have mattered? For Christ’s sake, you’re not even wearing his ring, never mind where you sleep.”

Anna took in a breath as Theo, Linda, and Brad lowered their heads.

Anna finally said, “I am truly sorry that you father is dying. I would never wish this on him or anyone in a million years. But that does not change the fact that—”

“I was unfaithful to your mother,” Edward spoke as he stepped from the kitchen onto the patio. David dashed to him. Edward lifted his cane and waved him back. He tried to smile on his way to the table. Carefully, he lowered himself onto the chair between David and Brad, sitting opposite to Anna. He propped his cane against the edge of the circular glass table. He placed his hands in his lap.

“I’m dying,” Edward softly said to David, growing solemn and frustrated. “No amount of arguing is going to change that. And as for rings, I’ve worn one for over thirty years. The only meaning they hold is symbolized by our behavior.” The muscles in David’s neck flexed as if he was attempting to swallow a rock covered in spurs. Again, Theo exchanged metered glances with Anna and Brad. David appeared about to cry.

Edward continued. “I don’t need or want you arguing with your mother. Stop it.” David remained silent and still, as if was steeling himself from the brunt of Edward’s command. “Your mother’s earned every bit of what the company’s worth, and more of what ever it might bring her.” Theo, Linda and Brad lowered their heads. “I’ve not been the best husband. It’s a fact to everyone who knows me.” Seething ever more deeply, David breathed in. Edward placed his palm over David’s hand. “I need you to stand by your mother.”

David jumped up and started toward the house.

“Is this because of Heather?” Linda called to him.

“I don’t need you or anyone in this family peering into my business.” David scowled.

“Son, we’re not trying to hurt you,” Edward said.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” David’s voice cracked as he whipped around.

Theo reached over and grasped Anna’s hand. She was feeling disoriented like she had when Grant arrived minutes after Matt, both wanting to see Serine. She rubbed her temples.

David stormed to Edward. “Why couldn’t you have been better to her? Why did you have to go all those places and leave her here?” The wounded seven-year-old boy in David emerged from the thirty-three-year-old man he had become. Like Theo, David had also been sensitive to Anna’s sadness in the wake of Edward’s difficult-to-explain absences. Anna recalled him trying to comfort her as only a child and son could. They’d been sitting on her bed, and David had come in to check on her as Edward had instructed. Each time before he went away, he commanded. “Take care of your mama.”

David had stroked her cheek.
Mommy, don’t you cry. I know you miss Daddy, but I’m here.
A second-grader, and missing two front teeth, his face, the color of maple syrup, had borne the seriousness of a man seven times his age. Anna pulled him close.
I love you,
she whispered and kissed the top of his head. David then said,
When I grow up I’m gonna get married. You can live with me. We’ll take care of you. Me and my wife. We’ll never let you cry.

Anna wondered about Heather, and considered how much of David’s misery was caused by his vow to save Anna, a promise he had made over two and a half decades earlier. How much of David’s commitment to Anna was squeezing Heather out of his life? Or was it a vow to fixing his family of origin, a warped attempt to right what was broken within him that was distorting his vision of Heather, and her response to the recent loss of her father?

Theo said to Edward, “What can we do to help?”

Looking to David, Anna realized that she had accomplished the first task of the gathering.

“It’s your mother I’m concerned about,” Edward said as he eyed her. His words seemed surreal. Yet Anna felt them true and sincere. For the first time since marrying Edward Gordon Manning, Anna sensed the person behind the façade of accomplishment fueled by ambition, coming forth. It was frightening and heart rending.

Anna inspected her hands and considered her newly-imposed task regarding Manning Ventures. “I’ve only run a house and man aged a family. That’s quite another thing from guiding a company.” She lifted her head.

“The two aren’t that much different,” Linda said. Brad nodded in agreement.

“Different tasks, but same set of skills,” Theo chimed. “In fact, I think you bring a fresh sensibility to the company.”

“Well, you would,” David snipped.

“And who are you?” Theo said. “The voice of reason?”

“Perhaps in time, you and Mom’ll recognize that,” David said. “Until then, I’m also the executor of this estate.” He turned to Ed ward. “If that’s what you still want me to do.”

“I do,” Edward nodded.

“What will that include?” Anna said. “You’ve given me the company. And I was going to sell the house.”

“I’ve given the house to the children,” Edward said. Anna grew furious. “You never signed the divorce documents,” Edward continued. “And if I’m correct, Henderson didn’t file the deed. The house is still held in my name.”

Anna’s face and ears burned with indignation. She felt exposed. Edward had turned the clock back to when she first asked for the divorce.

“All I ever wanted from you was to sell this house and receive one-half the sale. That’s all.” She hit the glass surface of the table, and stood.

“You own the company,” Edward said.

“I don’t want your god-damned company. I want to sell this house and be done with all of it.” She raised her hands. “Why do you have to be so doggone belligerent?” She blew out air. “You go off, live your life the way you want. Then when I—”

“I’m sorry,” Edward said. “I love you.” His words hit with sparkling clarity. Try as she might, Anna could not avoid his weakened gaze. With her son-in-law and three elder children looking on, she could not refuse Edward’s words. Yet her anger and hurt welled.

“This will not change what you did,” she said. “It doesn’t take the hurt away.” Anna touched her forefinger upon the table. “You have to live with the consequences of your actions.”

“If living were only that simple,” Edward said. “But you don’t have to live with the consequences of my actions. I don’t want you to.”

“Then why fight me on the house? Why give it to David?” Again she threw up her hands and avoided what she knew to be hurt enveloping David. “You said that I’d earned—”

“The house is not just David’s,” Edward said. “It’s the children’s to do with as they like.”

“I don’t want your fucking company. I should have divorced you when I had the chance!”

“Then do it.” Calmly Edward grasped his cane and pulled him self to his feet. “Henderson still has the papers. Sell the company.” He started back toward the house. Within a few feet from the sliding glass doors, he slumped onto the patio. David, Brad, and Theo rushed to him. Linda followed. Awash with despair at what her life had become, Anna grew more anguished at what she had revealed of herself in front of her children.?

Chapter 31

David left the next morning before dawn. Linda and Anna were eating a mid-morning breakfast on the patio, the very table where last evening sunset had moved to dusk before the darkness enshrouded them. And the blowout had taken place.

“David went in Dad’s room and sat with him a couple of minutes right before leaving,” Linda explained to Anna. “I looked in on them. He leaned down and kissed Dad’s cheek and forehead. David seemed so hurt and lost.” She shook her head. “He’s got a lot of work to do with Heather.”

“That much is clear. And of course there’s the house
.”
Anna lifted her hands as if to the heavens. “
This
house.” She crossed her arms. Linda reached over and patted Anna’s hands, massaging her shoulders. “Let the house go. David needs something to lord over. Overseeing the sale of the house will give him something to do.”

“You’re going to sell it?”

“Why shouldn’t we?” Linda asked. “Besides, I thought that’s what you wanted.” Once again Anna was hit with her ambivalence. “We could all use the money,” Linda said. “Besides, who’s going to live here?”

“But David’s talking about moving back here to Oakland.”

“Then, he can buy it from us.”

“You’d make him do that?” Anna asked.

“I have a child on the way.” Linda rubbed her stomach burgeoning ever so slightly with each passing day. The child Linda carried reflected the one clear hope of Anna’s life, something she could look forward to, hold and love, without feeling guilty as she did when considering Inman.