The Widow's Choice (17 page)

She hung up the phone and thanked Pearl and Ed and
then went back home and crawled into bed. As she lay there thinking about the day’s events, tears suddenly began rolling down her face. She could not control them, and her shoulders began shaking. She buried her face in the pillows so the children wouldn’t hear her sobs. She did not know why she was weeping. She was not a crying woman. Finally she ceased to weep and rolled over on her back. She wiped her tears away with her palms and then said, “I’m being silly. The boys will have everything they need—even college. It will be a good thing.” Moonlight was shining through the window, laying its silver beams upon the floor, and from far off came the mournful sound of an owl, always the saddest of sounds to her. She saw a feathered shape pass the window. The cry was repeated, and she turned over and buried her face in the pillow again.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“It’s for My Boys”

Jason listened as Oscar gave him the final instructions about taking care of things while he and Alona were gone on their honeymoon. He glanced up at the calendar and noted that it was April 5, 1941, Alona and Oscar’s wedding day—something Jason never thought he would see. He had to pull his attention back to Oscar’s instructions.

“For the time being, you can store all the furniture from Alona’s house in our empty shed. It’s sound and tight. She’ll want to keep some of the furniture, I’m sure, and the pictures and things. Just store everything so she can sort through it later. She’s got all their clothes and personal items in boxes, and she said they’re all in her living room. You and the boys can bring the stuff over here and get it all to the right room.”

“We’ll take care of it, Oscar.”

“I’ve already showed the boys which room they will each get, and Mrs. Darrow has cleaned them and made the beds.”

“I think you’ve covered every detail. Don’t worry about a thing, Oscar. I’m not much good at business, but I can manage those boys.”

“Good. That takes a load off my mind and off of Alona’s, I’m sure.”

“Good-bye then. Have a nice time.”

“There is one more thing. . . . I don’t want to have to say this, but be sure you stay sober, Jason. It’s very important. Alona would be crushed if she knew you were drinking around her boys.”

“You have my word on it.”

Oscar looked up at his brother and said, “I hated to mention it.”

“I understand. Like I said, you’ve got my word.”

For some reason Oscar seemed dissatisfied. “Jason, you haven’t said anything at all about Alona and me getting married.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t congratulate you before. I do wish you well, Oscar. You’re getting a wonderful woman.”

“I have the idea you think it’s the wrong thing.”

“Don’t talk like that, Oscar. I want to see Alona happy and her boys taken care of. You can do that. It’ll be good for all of you.”

Oscar’s face relaxed, and he smiled and slapped Jason on the shoulder. “Well, I had to pull it out of you, but thanks anyway.”

****

“I’m only going to be gone for five days, Tim.”

“I know, but five days sounds like a long time.” Alona and the boys were standing on the front porch waiting for the Moran brothers. Oscar and Alona had decided that there was no reason to wait to get married, so they had allowed just enough time for Alona and the boys to get all of their belongings packed up. It was important to Alona that they be back from their honeymoon in time for the last rehearsal for the cantata the day before Easter. She had put so much time and effort into the concert that she didn’t want to miss it.

The couple had gotten married in the pastor’s study that morning and had spent the rest of the morning making final preparations for their honeymoon trip.

“We’ll miss you, Mom,” Carl said.

“And I’ll miss you too. But Jason will be with you all the time. He’s taking time off from work until we get back. I think he has big plans for things for all of you to do together.”

“Look, there they come!” Zac said, pointing. They all
looked to where the two cars had rounded the corner, the Oldsmobile in front and the Ford that Jason drove in the back. They stopped and the two men got out.

Oscar strode up to the boys and shook hands with Tim. “Tim, I hope you’ll take good care of your brothers while we’re gone.”

“Yes, sir, I will.”

Oscar kept his hand. “When we get back, we’ll have time to talk about things we’re going to do. All right?”

“Yes, sir. That’ll be fine.”

“And you, Zac,” he said, shaking Zac’s hand. “I’ve got an idea you’d like to do a little work at the foundry.”

“I sure would, Mr. Moran!”

“Well, you’re going to have to call me something besides Mr. Moran. All of you boys will.”

“What should I call you?”

“Anything but that. We’ll talk about it later. Maybe we’ll get to be good enough friends we can call each other by our first names.”

He reached down and shook Carl’s hand. “You keep these two brothers of yours straight while I’m gone, all right, son?”

“Sure. I’ll watch out for them. Can we play pool while you’re gone?”

“That’s up to Jason.” He looked at his half brother and laughed. “It’s like I’m leaving four boys. You be careful with these fellows, Jason.”

Jason managed a smile. “I sure will, Oscar.” He turned to Alona and said, “I hope you know that I wish you well.”

Her voice was tight, but she managed a smile. “Thank you, Jason. That’s good of you.”

“Well, let’s go,” Oscar said. “We’ll see you fellows in about five days.”

The four watched as the newlywed couple got into the car and the big Oldsmobile pulled away.

Jason saw that the boys were troubled, despite their appropriate words, and he said enthusiastically, “Well, this is
great! I’ve got the whole week off to be with you fellows, so you know what I’m going to make you do today?”

“Make us do!” Tim said with astonishment. “That sounds bad.”

“It is bad. I’m going to make you fellows decide on something you want to do today. You name it and we’ll do it—as long as it’s not against the law.”

“Can we go to a movie?” Zac asked instantly.

“We can go to three movies if we can find them. Anything else?”

“Will you let me drive the Ford?” Tim asked.

“Sure. We’ll get out into an open field where you can’t run into as many people. Let’s see what’s playing downtown, and then later we’ll give you that driving lesson.”

****

The trip to Atlanta felt strained to Alona, although Oscar was excited. He did most of the talking, and when his side of the conversation seemed to flag, she quickly asked him something about the business, which he was always glad to talk about.

Alona had an empty feeling and tried to ignore it. By the time they reached Atlanta, she was wound up as tightly as she had ever been. She was exhausted just from trying to think about what she was doing.

Oscar signed their names in the hotel’s registration book and then said, “Look at this, Alona.” He had written in big, bold handwriting: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Moran.

“You’ll have to get used to that,” he said. “I imagine that’ll be a bit difficult.”

“Not too hard.” Alona smiled back at him.

After the bellboy left their baggage in the room, Oscar asked, “Are you tired?”

“I guess I am. It’s been a busy day, even though it’s only midafternoon.”

“Why don’t you have a nice relaxing bath and then take a nap. I’m a little tired myself.”

Alona knew this was his not so subtle way of getting her into the large bed that dominated the suite. “All right, Oscar,” she said.

“I’ll go downstairs for a while, then I’ll come up and shower. Can I bring you something to eat?”

“No, I couldn’t eat a thing.”

“All right. I’ll be back in about half an hour.”

After he left the room, Alona opened her suitcase and took out the nightgown she had bought for her wedding night. She closed the heavy drapes on the window and then went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath. After she soaked in the tub for a while, trying to relax, she washed up and got out, slipping into the gown. She turned the lights off except for the one by the bed and then lay down and waited.

Ten minutes later she heard the door open, but she closed her eyes to give Oscar privacy. He came in, gathered up a few items, and then went into the bathroom. She could hear the water running for a short time. After a moment, Oscar returned to the bedroom. She felt rather than heard his footsteps on the floor, and then the light went out and the bed sagged. He reached for her at once and pulled her over toward him. She turned to meet him, not at all sure what to expect.

****

Jason came out of the theater a few days later with the boys, saying, “I think we’ve seen every movie in the county this week. What’s next?”

“Hamburgers!” they all three cried and Jason laughed. “You boys ought to have hamburgers coming out of your ears.”

“Well, I’m hungry!” Zac said. “You can’t starve us to death, Jason.”

“That’s right,” Carl agreed with a grin. “You promised Mom you’d take good care of us.”

“You guys are a bunch of bandits. Okay. Hamburgers it is.”

They went at once to the café, where the boys consumed hamburgers and French fries, washing them down with root beer, which all of them loved. After they were finished eating, Jason took them home, and even though it was ten o’clock, Zac said, “I want to play pool.”

“It’s too late,” Jason groaned. “I’m tired!”

“Oh, come on! We can sleep late in the morning.”

Jason laughed. “Oh boy, are you getting by with murder! You’d better enjoy it. Your parents will be home tomorrow, and then it’s back to the real world.”

“Come on. I can beat you, Jason,” Zac said. He never had beaten Jason at pool, but he wouldn’t give up thinking he could.

Pool was a noisy game with the Jennings boys. There was a great deal of shouting and teasing and carrying on. They were right in the middle of a game when the door opened and Mrs. Darrow stood there, wearing her robe with her hair up in curlers. They all turned to look at her, and she said frostily, “Do you know what time it is?”

Jason pulled out his watch and said, “I believe it is eleven thirty-two, Mrs. Darrow.” He did not like the woman and was always very polite, as if to offset his distaste. “If you need to know the time, I’ll always be available. Good night, Mrs. Darrow.”

The woman glared at him angrily. “Things will be different when Mr. Oscar gets home.” She turned and slammed the door on her way out. “Don’t wait up for us!” Jason called cheerfully. Then he winked at the boys. “Go on and make that shot, Zac.”

“She was really mad,” Tim said.

“I’ll bet she tells Mr. Moran,” Carl said.

“We’re supposed to call him something else. What can we call him?” Tim asked.

“You’ve got plenty of choices—Father, Dad, Pops, Oscar,”
Jason suggested. “But none of them sound really right, do they?”

“I don’t really want to call him Dad,” Tim said. “That was what we called our real dad.”

“If you all put your heads together maybe you can agree on some name that you all like.”

“I can’t think of anything, Jason,” Tim insisted. “Don’t you have any more ideas?”

Jason thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Like I said, nothing sounds right. I think you ought to talk to him, Tim, and tell him the truth. That the word
Dad
is reserved for your real dad, and
Father
sounds too formal. Maybe you could call him Mr. Oscar, like Mrs. Darrow does. I think he might like that.”

“That’s a good idea,” Zac said. “I’m glad I thought of it.” Carl laughed. “You didn’t think of nothin’! Jason thought of it.”

“It’s still a good idea,” Zac said. “You do the talking, Tim. Tell him we all like that idea. Mr. Oscar. That sounds real friendly like.”

“Okay,” Tim said weakly. “I’ll do it, but I sure hope he likes it.”

“Try your best to get along with my brother. He’s a good man in many ways. You’ll find out he’s kind of strict about discipline, but that never hurt anybody. Now, you guys go to bed.”

“Are you going to take us fishing in the morning like you promised?”

“I don’t remember promising that.”

“Well, you almost did.”

“Well then, we’ll almost go fishing,” Jason teased. “Now, get to bed.”

****

As they approached the big house that would be Alona’s home, Oscar was talking excitedly about his plans for the
boys. Alona was forcing herself to pay attention, but she had been so quiet, he had asked more than once if she was all right.

Actually she was not all right. Truman had been a gentle lover, but Oscar was rough and demanding. That first night when he rolled back from her, she felt used, and that had not changed. She had not been expecting as much sweet talk and gentleness from him as she had gotten from Truman, but Oscar evidently had never heard that a woman needed to be spoken to and assured and touched in a gentle way. But she could not talk to him about it, and neither did he say anything.

Alona had tried to put this part of their life out of her mind, but she knew that would be impossible.
It’s for my boys,
she had said to herself many times during the honeymoon. This had given her some comfort.

Oscar pulled up in front of the garage, and the boys came swarming out of the house. Jason stood back, Alona saw, watching them as they greeted and hugged their mother and shook hands with their new stepfather.

“How did things go, Jason?” Oscar asked.

“They went fine for me. I just let ’em do what they wanted to and kept ’em from killing each other or me. They’re all hale and healthy.”

When he greeted Alona, he seemed more reserved than he had been before. “Good to have you back, Alona. The boys have missed you.”

“And I missed them.”

That was all the conversation they exchanged, but Mrs. Darrow had quite a few remarks to make after the group went inside the house. She got Oscar off to one side and told him about everything that had been going on, including the late-night hours and the noise in the pool room. “It’s disgraceful, Mr. Oscar!”