Weekend (5 page)

Her reasons weren't complicated, just confusing. In school, there was no specific subject that fascinated her. She did well in all of her classes, largely because her mother was strict, but biology and history or literature just couldn't compete with real, live people. She loved to study her friends, try to understand their motivations, their hopes and fears. Lunch in the crowded, talkative quad was her favourite period.

This is why she wanted to study the mind. Perhaps she was trying to figure out herself through others.

Maybe she relied too much upon others. Sometimes, it seemed, she had no internal anchor, nothing that couldn't be blown away by the cruelties of the world. She needed those around her, though she saw faults in all of them. Except for, perhaps, Robin, who wouldn't always be there…

Ten bumpy minutes later, they came to Lena's road which was nothing but a dirt path scarcely wide enough for Sol's van. However, it was flat. Making a right on to the road, heading west in the direction of the hidden ocean with the potholes behind her, Shani accelerated sharply.

"Don't lose sight of Sol," Park warned. "Those cans don't put out enough pressure to keep a tyre up for long."

"If he doesn't show up ten minutes after we get there," Shani said, "I can always go back for him. I want some breathing space there so I can talk to Lena, ask her to lay off Kerry."

"You'd have more of a chance of success if you prayed for rain," Park said, noting the trail of dust they were stirring up. He added absently: "If it did rain here, the Carlton Castle would be an island. No one would be able to get in and out with the mud."

They sighted the house twenty minutes later. Mr. Carlton was not one for pinching pennies, and he had spared nothing on his resort home. Shani had forgotten the number of rooms Lena had said it contained, but she remembered having laughed at the size of the number. Largely panelled on the outside with redwood, the mansion itself was a haphazard three storeys of spaciously windowed boxes bolted precariously to one another, as if the architect had been fretting over a drawer full of incomplete Rubik's cubes while designing it - very modern. In this heat, the practicality of twin chimneys at opposite ends was hard to imagine. Tall, prickly cacti guarded the long white driveway, and shady trees that couldn't have done all their growing since the house had been built, cooled the front porch and roof. Off to the left, separated from the house proper by fifty yards, was a carport and garage housing a boat and two foreign cars. However, it was the ocean beyond that was the real visual treat, six-foot green glassy waves sliding on to a white carpet of sand that would be their class mattress for the next couple of nights. Park and his surfboard must be in bliss. The waves were sufficient to rip off any bikini bottom, but Shani was having doubts.

They parked in the carport, Angie's Datsun a sorry sight next to the Ferrari and Porsche. Lena was standing next to a cactus near the front porch, holding clippers. She waved to them as they walked up.

"Did the border authorities arrest Sol?" she asked.

Lena was a bombshell, her hair a frightening red, bushy and wild and always in her face, through which peered brown cat's eyes and a heart-shaped mouth that made the guys think of nothing but sex when it smiled slyly. Kerry swore Lena'd had silicon injections, and if size was any testimony of guilt… But no, that was just sour grapes. However, Lena had fabricated her walk; it hadn't been there last year. Her butt winked with every step. The bikini she now wore flaunted her endowments to indecent advantage. There wasn't a clue of tan lines. That meant she had been sunbathing nude. Despite Angie's presence, Park was drooling. If Lena went swimming in the waves in that tissue paper when everyone arrived, Sol would have his hands full stemming the riot.

Lena was ferocious. When she wanted something, she got it — Lena's First Law. She could be subtle or overwhelming. If sweet suggestion didn't work, she would just as soon shoot a cannon off in your face.

Shani had never heard her apologize or admit a mistake. A legion of female followers paid obeisance to her at school. If they had a problem, she had the solution. She would do anything for a friend, as long as she was loyal — Lena's Second Law. If you crossed Lena, your astrological chart suddenly got a black hole in it. But she was not petty. The opposite of Kerry, she never spoke ill behind your back. If you were a jerk, you weren't worth her attention. But if verbal abuse was necessary, she would blast you in your face in front of everyone. Even Sol was afraid of her.

"They dragged him out of his van and shot him," Park said.

"How many did he take with him?" Lena asked. With her clippers, she was trimming the cactus' stickers.

She couldn't have been more poorly dressed for the task.

"Twenty-six," Park said. "His van's about ten minutes behind us. Hey, that's one fine bathing suit you've got there."

Angie poked him, irritated. Lena curled a corner of her lips. "I just put it on. You should have been here a few minutes ago…" She let the vision hang. Park would start panting next.

"Aren't you going to ask how our trip was?" Angie asked.

"Nope."

"Lena, you know Flynn, don't you?" Shani said. "Flynn, this is Lena, Robin's sister."

"Of course I know him," Lena said. "I've only been going to class with him since the beginning of the semester. He's been to our house a few times in Santa Barbara, haven't you Flynn?"

"Yes," Flynn said.

"Really?" Shani said, putting down a stab of jealousy. Neither Robin nor Lena had told her this before.

But, then, why should they have? Funny how with a couple of compliments she was already thinking of him as hers. She was getting as bad as Kerry.

"You know how I like to break in all the new boys," Lena said. "Don't blush, Shani, you know I'm only joking. Flynn spent all his time talking to Robin."

"How is Robin?" Park asked.

"She's not well. She's just maintaining," Lena said, as straightforward as ever. Many would have considered her cold, but Lena did not baby Robin. Kerry was always quick to say it was because she didn't care. But no one really knew how Lena felt. From the beginning, when Robin had been fighting for her life, Lena had not publicly shown the slightest trace of sorrow. Lena added, "She's inside, resting.

She's been looking forward to seeing you all."

Shani had not seen her in a month, since Robin had moved down here on what seemed to be a permanent basis. Was Robin withdrawing? What was here except the ocean and sand? Yet Lena had said it had been Robin's idea to have the party.

"I'd like you to do a favour for me," Shani began. "Kerry's riding in the van with Sol and—"

"And you want me to be nice to her," Lena interrupted. "Funny you should say that. And I was just collecting these needles to stuff her pillow with."

"Please, you don't want fighting at your own party."

Lena's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I don't know, it might liven things up. Look, I'll make a bargain with you, and you can pass this on to Kerry. If she leaves me alone, I'll leave her alone. Otherwise, she'll wish she had never come."

"Now that sounds like a fair deal to me," Park quipped. Shani felt far from relieved.

They were on the verge of entering the house when Robin's nurse, Ellen Porter, came out of the front door carrying a small suitcase. Miss Porter looked like a nurse even without the white uniform. Well into her sixties, she had helped take care of Robin and Lena when they had been infants, and had been with the Carlton family— off and on — ever since. She was a stern lady who believed firmly in discipline and suffering for the sake of character. Shani had once seen her slap Lena in the face for cussing. The fact that she was still alive indicated that she was as lucky as she was strict. When Robin had been taken ill, Mr. Carlton had sent her through special training for the care of critically ill kidney patients. Much of this knowledge she had passed on to Lena. Her salary was equivalent to that of most M.D.'s. She had never married.

"Hi, girls. Hi, Park," she said, setting down her suitcase on the steps of the porch. "How was the drive down?"

"Dusty," Angie said.

"And bumpy," Shani added. "How are you, Ms. Porter?"

"As well as can be expected in this heat." She turned to Lena. "I thought you were going to get dressed, young lady. Running around like that… what will the boys think?"

Lena was bored. "It's too late to worry about that."

Nurse Porter frowned and checked her watch. "Well, I must be off if I'm to catch my plane. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Lena shook her head. "I've done the dialysis over three dozen times with you here. It will be no different with you away. Trust me."

"We should have done Robin already today, before her friends started to arrive."

"You're right," Lena said. "But she was too busy getting things ready."

It was obvious that Nurse Porter would have been more comfortable staying. "One thing, Lena, don't touch anything inside the kidney machine. I've replaced the cellophane membrane, and the dialyzing solution is fresh. All you have to do is put the needles in her shunts and throw the switch. Call if you have a problem." She hugged Lena. "I hope the two of you have fun."

"I'll take care of her," Lena promised.

"I know you will, dear."

"Can I help you with your bag?" Park asked.

"There's a gentleman for you. Yes, Park, thank you. I'll be taking the Porsche in the garage." She came down the steps, searching for the keys in her purse. Park hopped on to the porch and grabbed her bag, following on her heels. Only as she passed him did Ms. Porter seem to become aware of Flynn. As was his habit, he had been standing back from the rest of them. Her initial reaction was, Shani was sure, one of pure amazement. But it was only a flicker, and then she was peering at him with undisguised curiosity.

"And who do we have here?" she mused.

Shani took a step towards Flynn. "This is a good friend of ours, Ms. Porter — Flynn from England. He only started at Hoover last semester break. Flynn, this is Robin's nurse. You never met her while visiting Robin?"

"I didn't have the pleasure," Flynn bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Porter."

"Nice to meet you. Are you a… friend of Robin's?"

"We've only spoken a few times."

"I see." Ms. Porter seemed to be thinking. "Flynn — that's a nice name. Sounds adventurous. What is your last name?"

"Powers."

"I have family in England," Ms. Porter went on. Shani had thought that she was in a hurry. "Maybe you lived near them. Are you from London, by chance?"

"No."

"Plymouth," Shani said. Flynn cast her a quick look.

"Plymouth," Ms. Porter whispered. The word seemed to go deep inside her, like a piercing needle. Yet again, the unusual reaction lasted only a second. Then she smiled. "Does your family live there?"

"Yes."

"Your mother?"

Flynn paused, and it was his turn to scrutinize Ms. Porter. "Both my parents live there," he said.

Shani was confused. Why hadn't he said the same to her? She also wondered why the nurse was so interested in Flynn. Ms. Porter continued, "I used to travel a lot. I've been to England several times. I love that country, the green you see everywhere. And their passports always make Americans ones look so dull. When you crossed into Tijuana, did they ask for yours?"

"No."

"They'll ask for it on the way back. You did bring it, didn't you?"

"No."

"How are you going to get back into California?"

"I can fake the accent."

Ms. Porter forced a laugh. "American or Mexican?"

"Whatever it takes."

It was a subtle hint to quit prying, and Ms. Porter must have caught it. She rechecked her watch. "Well, I've chatted long enough. But it's been worth it to hear such a marvellous voice. We must talk again in the future."

Flynn smiled. "If you'd like."

Toting the bag, Park accompanied her to the car. She waved as she drove away. In the distance, coming the opposite way, Sol's van could be seen, doing at best ten miles an hour; the tyre must be giving out.

"That was weird," Lena said. "Nursey was really digging into you."

"She seemed a nice lady." He scratched his side thoughtfully, near a bulge in his belt. Then he asked a peculiar question. "When we drove up, Lena, I noticed a couple of big tanks at the side of the house.

They looked like they had just been installed. Are they part of Robin's dialysis machine?"

"No, you would never put any of the kidney machine outside. Those are water filtration tanks. For cosmetic reasons, we're going to have them enclosed. If you don't filter the water you drink down here, you know what hits the fan. One of the tanks is new. Before, we used to only filter the water that led into the kitchen tap. Now you can take a shower without getting amoebas and protozoas all over you."

"How gross," Angie said.

"I was just wondering," Flynn said. Shani was surprised Flynn would ask such a silly question. Who heard of putting parts of a refined medical instrument outdoors?

Flynn offered to unpack the Datsun. Park suggested that Angie give him a hand. Judging from her expression, Angie did not appreciate the suggestion. However, she must have understood that he wanted to see Robin without a new girlfriend by his side, for she accompanied Flynn back to the carport without complaint. Park was nervous. Shani patted his hand. "She'll be glad to see you," she said. Park nodded.

"I know." Lena held her tongue. The entrance hallway was brief, spilling into a sunken living room with a towering open-beam ceiling and giant windows that practically invited the ocean in. The blend of furniture, drapes, wallpaper and paintings was refreshingly old-fashioned, conveying warmth and taste.

White carnations and red roses bloomed in china vases atop four separate corner tables. It seemed a sin to tramp on the divinely soft vanilla-coloured carpet beneath their dusty feet.

Robin was sitting on a burgundy sofa reading a book. As they entered, she smiled and rose to greet them. "My friends," she beamed, spreading her arms.