No Ordinary Romance (15 page)

Chad got into his car, a
few minutes later he was cruising down I80. There wasn't much
traffic: a semi-truck every now and then. It usually took him two,
and a half hours to get to Des
Moines;
he
could shave 30 minutes just by going ten miles over the
limit.

His mind went on
autopilot
as visions of his childhood began
running through his mind. He felt the tears in his eyes, but
remembered his grandfather telling him
repeatedly
that real men can't afford to cry. Only now did he
realize that not being allowed to cry does men more harm than good.
Men are expected to be like a rock and never falter, but it's a
shame.

His grandfather was the best man he'd ever
known. He was the only father figure Chad had. A humble farmer who
toiled over his land like his father and grandfather before him.
Chad remembered the conversation he had when he told his
grandparents he wanted to be an architect. His grandfather was
disappointed that he didn't want to be a farmer, but he
understood.

Chad imagined that his
grandparents have been disappointed a lot
. E
specially since his own father, their son was a drug dealer
who spent most of his life in prison. His mother whom he never met
was a drug addict, who tried to kill her children to be with his
father.

An hour outside of Des Moines, he was pulled
over by the Iowa State Patrol. "Damn it!" He retrieved his
registration out of the glove compartment and was getting his
wallet out of his pocket as the state trooper approached his
car.

"Sir you were driving 20 miles over the speed
limit. Where's the fire? Thousands of people die on I80 every year
especially during the winter months."

Chad already felt
remorseful;
he certainly didn't need a sermon from
the state trooper. "I'm sorry
sir;
I need
to get home
. M
y grandfather is
dying."

"Yeah, I've heard that one before. Let me see
your driver's license and registration."

Chad sat there drumming his
fingers on his steering wheel as the trooper walked back to his
car. Several minutes
later,
the trooper
knocked on his window. "Yes sir."

"You have a clean record, so I'm gonna let
you got with a warning this time. I see that you're from Warren
County, what is your grandfather's name."

"Elwin Roberts."

"I know Elwin and Thelma Roberts. Did you say
your grandpa is dying?"

"Yes sir. My grandmother called me about an
hour ago, telling me that he's taken a turn for the worst."

"I
know your grandparents
and went to school with your dad, Elwin Jr. Your grandparents fed
my family many times when my parents fell short. Son I don't
normally do this, but I'll give you and escort to Des Moines, I
figure we can get you there in twenty, maybe thirty minutes. I'll
take you as far as the I35 Exit 43 and then you're on your
own."

"Thank you sir!" Chad
watched as the trooper ran back to his car and put on his flashing
lights. He quickly ate up the miles with the trooper's escort.
Whatever time he lost getting pulled over he certainly made
up
. W
hen he pulled onto the access road
leading to his grandparents farm, it was exactly an hour and
forty-five minutes after his grandmother called him. He just hoped
that he was in time.

Chad jumped out of his car, raced towards the
house, and the door was opened by his Aunt Dorothy. "I'm I too late
Aunt Dottie!"

"He's still hanging on Chad, go on up, don't
waste any more time talking to me."

When Chad got to his grandparents bedroom,
the local pastor and his grandmother were sitting near his
grandfather's bed. "Grandma." His grandmother left his
grandfather's side and hugged him while motioning for the pastor to
leave the room.

"He's so tired, go talk
to
him;
he's been waiting for
you."

Chad took his grandmother's chair next to the
bed and gazed down at his grandfather. His complexion had a gray
tinge to it as if he were already dead. "Grandpa. Papa I'm here."
His grandfather may have been knocking at death's door, but his
blue eyes were as bright as ever.

"Boy I'm so proud of you.
You gave
your grandmother and me
a second
chance. I'm so tired boy and death is coming for me. I want you to
forgive me for lying to you about your dad. He did try to contact
you, but I wouldn't let you see the letters. I was playing God and
thought I knew what was best."

Chad grabbed his grandfather's hand, and he
had no grip. He could feel the life leaving his grandfather's body.
"There's nothing to forgive Papa, you and Grandma did your best to
raise me."

"I love you boy..."

Just like
that,
his grandfather was gone, his eyes were still
open, but his spirit had left. He sat there holding his
grandfather's hand as the pastor came in to pray. He felt his
grandmother's hands on his
shoulders;
he
didn't feel much like a man. As the tears fell
, he felt like a lost little boy. "I love you too
Papa."

***

Chad wouldn't leave his grandfather's side,
he sat there waited for his body to be retrieved. His grandmother,
Aunt Dottie and the pastor were downstairs drinking coffee. He was
lost in the past when he felt the presence of someone else in the
room. "Grandma."

"Sweetheart can I get you anything."

"No Grandma I'm okay."

"I know there's nothing I can do or say that
can get you to leave this room, so I brought you this." She handed
him a large cigar box sealed with duct tape. "Elwin gave this to me
last month he made me promise to give this to you upon his
death."

"Thanks Grandma." He sat
there staring at the box while his grandmother left the room. His
grandfather was larger than life, it seemed impossible that he was
gone. Eventually, the coroner and his assistants came and retrieved
his grandfather's body. He sat in his
grandparents'
bedroom unaware of the time.

Thelma Roberts peeked into the bedroom she
shared with her husband for nearly fifty years. Chad was still
seated in the chair clutching the cigar box to his chest.
"Chad."

"Yes Grandma."

"Honey, I want you to come downstairs and try
to eat something."

"I'm not hungry Grandma, but you're right
about sitting up here. I have to make a couple of phone calls and
let my boss know that I won't be at work next week."

"You still haven't told Connie that you're
her brother?"

"I meant to do it, she's a wonderful person.
I just don't know if now's the right time to spring this on
her."

"She might be happy to know that she's not
alone in the world." She grabbed him by the arm, pulling him out of
the chair.

Chad hugged his
grandmother;
he'd been so focused on his own lost
he hadn't thought that she lost the love of her life. "I'll tell
her soon Grandma."

"You do that
son;
life is too short to have regrets."

Chad went to his room and
removed the duck tape from the cigar box his grandmother gave him.
The cigar box contained several letters from his father months
before he died in prison. His grandfather didn't open the letters
he just stuck them in the box unread. Chad
read
each letter, they were full of regret and self
admonishment,
and there
was one bit of news
that just might make a difference to Connie. He made up his mind
that, after his grandfather's funeral, he would share the contents
of his father's last letter, and tell Connie that he's her
brother.

***

Connie felt as if she were
floating on a cloud
. S
he was still feeling
the stimulating effects of Thomas's late phone call. She got to her
office early, went through her morning routine and check her phone
for messages. She was expecting a call from Chad, but the message
he left was a surprise. His grandfather died last night, and he
would be out for a week or more.

She immediately place a call to Chad, but her
went straight to voicemail. "Chad this is Connie. I'm sorry to hear
about your loss, please let me know if there's anything I can do. I
would like to have the funeral information as well for those
employees who want to attend the funeral to support you. Don't
worry take as much time as you need."

She pulled up Chad's file from her employee
records. She knew that Chad's family lives in Des Moines, but she
only had his current address. Chad was raised by his grandparents,
he often spoke of his grandfather the farmer and his grandmother
the bake off queen. Chad was more than an employee, she considered
him a friend, and she would find a way to support him in his time
of loss.

She called The Purple
Feather to leave a message with Darren the store manager. "Hello
Darren, this is Connie I just wanted to let you know that Chad's
grandfather passed away so he may be out for a little while." She
stared at the phone wondering why she just called the store
.
Chad is a grown man if he called her, he certainly
called Darren. There was just something about Chad that brought out
her protect instincts.

Her ringing phone snapped her out of her
revere. "Good morning Jenna! How's the baby treating you?"

Jenna smiled into the phone
while rubbing her immense protruding stomach. "Junior is fine, it's
his father that has me fit to be tied
. Mike has
been denying me sex because he think it might hurt the baby.
Can you believe that nonsense? Pregnant women having been having
sex for thousands of years, and it didn't hurt the
baby."

Connie couldn't contain her laughter, Jenna
was due to have the baby in a couple of weeks. "I can't identify
with you, I still feeling the effects of Thomas's lovemaking from
last weekend."

"Well was he worth the wait?"

"Oh so worth it."

"Did you and Thomas talk about the photo from
Sunday's paper? You guys look like you been together for a couple
of years instead of a few days."

"Well we haven't had a lot
of time to talk he canceled dinner on me Monday night. He
had
an
important business trip that cropped
up. Thomas did call me last night to say he was coming back into
town today, and we're going out to dinner."

"Going out to dinner sounds
so lovely. Mike won't let me do anything. I can't drive myself to
work, and he calls me all day to make sure I'm
all
right
. He brings me lunch so I won't have to leave
the building. Then when I get home he makes me put my feet up while
he cooks dinner and does the dishes."

"Wow he sounds like a real bastard."

"Don't get sarcastic with me, or I will call
Thomas, and tell him all of your secret fantasies."

"Promise." Connie could sense the steam
coming out of Jenna's ears. "Listen Jenna, Mike is a first time
dad, he's going to be nervous and afraid. He loves you and he
trying to show it the best way he knows how. Make your doctor call
Mike and tell him that its safe for pregnant women in the last
trimester to have sex. If you really want to make him wild let him
catch you pleasuring yourself. That seemed to work wonders for
Samantha when Allen was holding out on her when she got out of the
hospital."

"Hey Con that's not a bad idea. The other
reason I called was to get the date of the Domestic Violence
Conference, I'd like some of my employees to attend."

It's in a couple of weeks. I got some bad
news this morning, Chad's grandfather died last night, and I'm
waiting for a call for the funeral service information."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Chad is such a nice
kid. Are you going to attend the funeral?"

"I plan to attend, Des Moines isn't too far
away. I'm thinking Beth might want to come with me."

"Hey did you say Des Moines?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Samantha is going to Des Moines on Tuesday
for a training session with one of our clients. She's staying over
Monday night at the Holiday Inn and driving back on Tuesday after
she completes training. Depending on the day of the funeral, you
might be able to travel with Samantha, then I don't have to worry
about either of you traveling alone."

"That sounds like a plan. I'll e-mail you all
the details about the Domestic Violence Conference. Tell me how
things work out with Mike."

"We might be too busy, I'll call you sometime
this weekend. Have a good time tonight with Thomas."

"Thanks Jenna I plan to have a great time,
and I'll have him for dessert." Connie put the phone down just as
Beth walked into her office.

Beth put the mail down on Connie's desk. "I
wasn't trying to ease drop, but did you say that Chad's grandfather
passed away."

"Yes, late last night, Chad was able to see
him before he died. I was thinking that maybe you'd want to attend
the funeral with me."

Beth couldn't control her tears, "I've been
so mad at him lately. He keeps giving me mixed signals; first he
likes me then he flirts with every female in his path. He may not
want me at his grandfather's funeral."

Connie grabbed a couple of tissues and dried
Beth's eyes. "I think that Chad would be really touched that you
care enough for him to attend his grandfather's funeral."

"I can't go to the funeral, it will probably
we during a week day, who will man the office."

"Maybe Carrie Ann would like a full day if
she thinks she can handle the traffic, or we can just close the
office for the day."