The Happy Housewife (Samantha Sherman Book 1) (2 page)

Evelyn grabbed his arm, “You know what? I don’t really think it’s them. Let’s just go out the window, Dwayne, and go home.”

“It’s all right, Evelyn. I’ll just go up halfway. If I can’t hear anything, we’ll go out the window.” Even in the low light Evelyn could tell Dwayne had a pleased look on his face—pleased to be the man, the one in control who was going to protect her.

Great …
she thought,
what I really don’t need is for Dwayne to turn into a warrior right this second.
Dwayne, meanwhile, turned and crept slowly up the stairs.

“Okay, that’s it! Let’s get this thing going,” Evelyn heard one of the people upstairs shout as Dwayne slowly slid back into sight.

“I think they put something in front of the door,” he said.

“How do you know that?”

“The moonlight at the bottom of the door is completely blocked out.”

“Did you hear William’s voice?”

“No and I don’t recognize
any
of the voices. C’mon, we’ll go out the window.”

They moved quickly over to the window. Dwayne was tall enough to barely look out of it. He reached up and gave it a tug sideways. It did not budge. Evelyn felt panic rise up inside her. Something was not right. She said a quick prayer asking God to get her home. Dwayne gave the window another tug and it slid open.

“Give me a step Eve and then I’ll lean back in and pull you up.” She did not argue but knelt on all fours. She felt his foot on her back and braced, just like when they were kids. She actually smiled and then let out air making a
whoosh
noise. He was heavier than he looked! The weight was quickly gone and she sat up and back on her haunches. He disappeared for a minute, then two, and then finally his face reappeared.

“Sorry Eve, I could hear them heading out. They went around the house the other way. Give me your hands.”

She had to jump to reach his hands but when she felt them curl around hers they were surprisingly strong. She sensed him pulling on her arms and she helped by walking her feet up the wall as best she could. He gave one last tug and then she was flying into his arms as she heard the loudest
crack
that she had ever heard.

Everything was in slow motion after the
crack
. She felt pressure on her back and saw light. The light came from behind her and started to wrap around her body towards Dwayne who was still gripping her hands as they drifted together through the air. The pressure intensified and pushed at her from all sides. She was having trouble breathing. The light started to blind her as it enveloped her. She wanted to see Dwayne’s face but sensed she didn’t have time. She tried to move her head up but it was too late. There was sudden intense pain everywhere. Then everything froze and went dark.

S
amantha Sherman slowly pulled the smooth red thread off the tattered sweater lumped listlessly on the table in front of her. The heat was intense. She could feel her body warming and quickly reaching that stage seconds before sweat beads formed on the back of her neck. Her gaze moved around the small but tidy kitchen. It was a 1970’s design but sparkled, so clean it looked new. Various small appliances were out on the counter as usual; a toaster oven, a mixer, and a microwave. Each was perfectly clean, as though unused.

She turned toward the hallway as she faintly heard the rustle of hose-clad legs swishing against one another. Sam wondered if Mrs. Thomas needed help with the album. She liked to have pictures of her daughter and husband by her when she received her Communion host. It was hard enough for Mrs. Thomas to walk after her hip surgery, and Sam feared that carrying an album probably made things worse.

“Do you need a hand, Mrs. Thomas?”

“No, hon. I’ll just be a second. Did you help yourself to a drink? The glasses are over the sink.”

“Thanks, I’m fine.” Sam reached into her purse and felt that first bead of sweat materialize on her neck and begin to drop. She pulled out her weekly ‘to do’ list with her right hand and, as she felt the drop itch as it started to slide, she dropped the notepad onto the table and swiped at the drop. She then tucked a few stray hair tendrils back into her hair band. She wished her husband, Doug, was not so adamant about her keeping her hair long. She would love to get a bob like her sister. It would be so much cooler in the summer, and she would probably have time to style it more.

Mrs. Thomas appeared in the door clutching an oversized album. A couple of photos and some papers protruded from the sides.

Mrs. Thomas looked like an ‘every grandmother.’ She was about five foot four inches tall with a halo of grayish white hair. Her skin, while wrinkled at the corners of her eyes and neck, appeared round and smooth over her cheeks. She most definitely was not obese, but her figure was soft. She wore a calf-length blue skirt (with swishy hose!), a white blouse, and a vest with tiny yellow and blue flowers with green leaves.

“You like my outfit?” Mrs. Thomas said with a smile. Startled, Sam realized she was rudely staring. She blushed, ducked her head, and reflexively said, “It’s a great outfit, perfect for August in Virginia.”

“Thanks, hon. I can’t even remember where I got it. It might have been in Michigan.”

“You certainly have lived all over,” Sam replied. “Weren’t you talking about California last week? How many states have you lived in?”

Mrs. Thomas looked a little anxious, and then burst out with, “Oh, not that many.”

Sam felt like she had said something inappropriate. “I didn’t mean to pry Mrs. Thomas. Doug is always telling me I need to mind my own business. I get way too curious about people.”

Mrs. Thomas moved to the table and set her album down, saying distractedly, “Hon, you care about people and there’s nothing wrong with that. Did I offer you some water?”

“You did Mrs. Thomas, and you know what, I changed my mind. I would like a glass.”

“Is Doug traveling again?”

“He leaves tomorrow for the week.”

Mrs. Thomas moved to the cabinet and pulled out a glass. As she turned her back on Sam to turn on the tap, she said softly, “Since my family died I just can’t seem to sit still for more than a couple of years at a time. The five years I’ve been here have actually been the longest I’ve lived anywhere. However, even when my hip heals, I’m not sure if I’ll move again. I might just not be up to it.” She trailed off as she shut off the tap.

Mrs. Thomas taught at the local public high school and, from what Sam had heard around town, she was well liked by her students. It was nice that teaching was a career Mrs. Thomas could do for a long time, particularly since she never spoke of family other than occasionally mentioning her husband and daughter who had died in an accident years before.

Mrs. Thomas seemed lost in thought as she stood by the sink, so Sam just let the silence sit for a minute. It was nice that she had reached the age and place in her life where she no longer felt the urge to fill every gap in conversation. Mrs. Thomas looked down at the floor and frowned, “
Hmmm
… I really need to do some mopping.”

“Mrs. Thomas, this floor is immaculate, what are you talking about?” Sam replied.

Mrs. Thomas smiled and then jerked as she seemed to remember the water in her hand. She moved slowly over to the table and, handing the water to Sam, began to pull her chair out with her other hand. The album was resting partially on the chair back. As she pulled out the chair, Sam saw the album tumble towards the ground. She tried to grab it with her free hand while not spilling her water, but lightly brushed it instead with the tips of her fingers, too late as it fell. It banged on the floor and pages and pictures slid across the linoleum.

“Oh no, what have I done!” Mrs. Thomas seemed almost hysterical. Sam saw tears forming at the corners of the elderly lady’s eyes.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Thomas. It’s all right, I have it. Don’t try to bend over. No big deal,” Sam spoke in a soothing tone, but Mrs. Thomas seemed inconsolable. Sam set down the glass of water, got on her knees and carefully picked up the pictures. Flashes of Mrs. Thomas’s life went by as Sam tried not to look at what she was putting back into the album. There were a lot of loose items from newspaper clippings to bumper stickers to ticket stubs, and faded photos. She glimpsed a baby picture, must be the daughter, and a “straight on” photo of a young woman all dressed in black with a beret on her head holding up three fingers—a young Mrs. Thomas. She saw the same young woman pushing her daughter on a swing, a peace sign, and a bumper sticker with a closed fist on it. Sam wondered if Mrs. Thomas had perhaps been a sixties activist? Wasn’t she a little old for that time period? It was hard to picture Mrs. Thomas as a hippie!

Sam finished putting away the last of the important artifacts, still trying not to stare at them when she stood back up. She put the album in front of Mrs. Thomas, sat back down and took a long sip of water.

“Well, that was a little excitement for us!” Sam said in her best cheery voice.

To her relief, Mrs. Thomas gave a little smile, “Yes it was.”

“Shall we get started on our service then?” questioned Sam.

“Oh yes and Sam, thank you. This album is precious to me.”

“Anytime, Mrs. Thomas,” said Sam as she pulled out the host case, her script, and her small Bible. They went through the readings and gospel, and then Sam gave Mrs. Thomas Communion. Mrs. Thomas had some questions about parts of the readings which they discussed for awhile. She seemed very absorbed in the service, while Sam felt badly, as her mind had begun to wander. She started to think of what she was going to do back at her house. She wondered if Doug was playing with Lindsey, their daughter, while she was gone. It would be nice if they could spend some time together before he left for the week.

Sam’s husband Doug worked for the government as an accounting investigator for the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was traveling more frequently as the government attempted to assign blame for the housing and banking crisis. This coming week he would be in Seattle.

Oh dear, now she was not listening to Mrs. Thomas. Let’s see, she was talking about one of the readings … the first … no, the second. Sam realized quickly enough to respond at the appropriate point. Mrs. Thomas looked up, “Oh,” she said, “it’s almost noon. I’ve kept you from your family for way too long.” Mrs. Thomas got up swiftly, for her, and Sam pushed back her chair, all the while protesting that it was no big deal and that she did not have plans. When Sam made a move to take her glass to the sink, Mrs. Thomas said, “It’s okay, hon, I’ll get that.”

Sam suppressed a smile. A moment before, Mrs. Thomas was prolonging the service and now she seemed to be pushing Sam out the door!

As they said their good-byes, Sam gathered her things and moved to the kitchen screen door. When she reached for the knob and looked up through the screen, she was staring right into the dark eyes of a man who had hold of the door knob on the other side of the screen. “Oh!” she gasped in surprise. She quickly recovered and said, “Excuse me. You surprised me. Mrs. Thomas, you have a visitor.” She looked back at Mrs. Thomas whose lips were pursed as she started clasping and unclasping her hands.

Sam stepped back from the door to let the man in. He stood six foot four or five and appeared very skinny. He had dark wavy hair lightly peppered with gray and a large rectangular looking face which emphasized his thin frame. He smiled awkwardly and opened the screen. Sam had an odd flash of
The Empire Strikes Back
and the scene with the Imperial Walkers clomping steadily towards the rebel base on Hoth. He seemed way too big for the small kitchen.

Sam stuck out her hand and smiled, “Hi, I’m Samantha.” He maintained the awkward smile and put out his hand. It was huge and looked disproportionate to his frame, kind of Lincoln-like actually. “Dan,” the man said. He offered no further explanation, looked over at Mrs. Thomas and nodded. Mrs. Thomas finally spoke, explaining, “Dan was in my Bible study group when I lived in Chicago. He’s an old friend, so we’re having Bible study since he’s in town for the weekend.“

Argh,
she was almost out the door. Sam plastered a smile on her face, turned, and said, “How fun, the Windy City, right? Are you a teacher too, Dan?”

“Yes, it sure is windy there and yes, I am a teacher, a history teacher. I’ve lived in Chicago all my life.”

“That’s great. Well, have a fun visit. See you next week, Mrs. Thomas!” With that she twisted the slightly loose knob and walked out.

Since Mrs. Thomas did not use her air-conditioning, at least stepping outside did not result in the usual
take-your-breath-away
shock as if running into a wall of heavy Virginia summer heat. Sam had been coming to see Mrs. Thomas for over two months now, all of which were air-conditioning months. She had yet to have it be warm enough for Mrs. Thomas to turn on her air-conditioning though. Sam might have reconsidered Mrs. Thomas’s request to bring her Communion after hip replacement surgery if she had known Mrs. Thomas never used the air-conditioning! Sam walked down the steps, and then looked around and up to the bright sky.

Despite the heat, it really was a gorgeous day with baby blue skies, sunshine, and only a couple of puffy white clouds marking up the sky. On days like this, Sam truly missed flying. To be above it all, whisking through the air, looking at the scenery, and cloud surfing was just exhilarating. Floating over the earth in her helicopter was like nothing else. It was flying carpet type magic.

Sam’s last paying job was as a helicopter pilot in the US Coast Guard. She left the Guard after meeting Doug, getting married, and deciding that she wanted a family. She was very happy with her choice overall. Lindsey was such a blessing and Sam loved being a stay-at-home mom and wife. Living near her family in Fairfax and not having to move around anymore was also great. And, she did
not
miss the search and rescue alarm going off at all hours of the night which signaled the crew “on duty” that they needed to get airborne immediately for an emergency. That had been such a loud noise! Occasionally, though, particularly on days like today, she missed the rush of being in the air and on a mission. She grinned and peered up at the clouds.