Family Reunion (64 page)

He’d stood crying wanting to help her, watching as his mother screamed for help while Sandra crouched on the floor covering herself. He saw it all again as George forced them both into that room where the door slammed shut. From behind it he’d heard her screams of terror for help.

He saw himself, a small child, running to that door and watching the hall grow longer and longer as he ran, wanting to help, wanting to let her out. Right before he’d reached the door, someone had come from behind him – scooped him up from the floor and ran back down the hall as he kicked and screamed out, "He’p my mommie!! He’p my mommie!!"

"Ain' no help fo'er now, hush yer'cryin', she in wit’ the devil now."

Rory stood feeling as though his entire soul was on fire, every nerve of his being quaked. Shame washed over him as he turned into the partially opened door. Entering he walked towards them, his eyes on Sandra. She was completing her statement when Joe looked up from behind Manny's desk. The expression on Joe’s face made Sandra turn and look behind her. With her hand over her heart, she stood. The look on Rory's face told her he'd heard. "Rory…" She started.

"You let my mother take the blame…for something you did? How
could you?"

"Rory... you don't understand. I was afraid Rory... George was insane that night-..."

"I know what he was…I was there. I saw him… I saw her…my mother, trying to fight him…trying to help you." His words were almost gasps of disbelief.

"Rory please, you have to listen to me. I love Lena, I would never hurt her, not intentionally. It’s just that…I was so afraid of him-…"

"We were all afraid of him! My mother included!"

"Yes, I know Rory, if I could turn back the hands of time-…"

"It would be the same thing all over again!!" He blasted heatedly, heaving as he stared at her.

"No…Rory… please … you must listen, you must believe me!" Sandra pleaded, feeling humiliation from his obvious disdain. She reached out to him; he snatched his arms away and stepped back. "Don’t touch me!! You let that monster hurt my mother when she was trying to help you!"

"I know he hurt her but I did stop him-…"

"What you did was kill him and let my mother get taken away for it!"

"Rory I didn't want to let her-…"

"But you did!! It doesn’t matter what you wanted to do, it’s what you did that matters! It all comes back to this… lily white with a name – get to sit back-…"

"
Rory!
!" Manny shouted his name after hearing the confrontation from the other room, entering just in time to hear his son’s comment. Rory turned to his father, yelling still, "She did!! Isn’t that what it’s all about!? Send the nigger up for it-…"

"Rory please! I've never felt that way…not ever!" Sandra screamed sobbing, horrified by his words.

"I said – that is
enough!!!
" Manny roared the demand.

"No it’s not!" Rory cried staring at his father. "She let my mother go to that dirty stinkin' hell hole! I hated that place! I was so ashamed of her!!" He turned from Manny to look back at Sandra, "I can't believe it…and I wanted you…to be my mother...
you
!!"

"Rory…I mean it…say no more." Manny warned.

"No Manny, leave him." Sandra whispered, thinking maybe, just maybe, Lena would get back her last child, as well the respect she deserved from him. "Rory, I just wish I could make you understand. You don't know what it's like to fear for your life.”

“
To be so afraid of someone, you're willing to let them manipulate and control everything. Once you get used to it – you'll let the next person in line as well."

Rory stood shaking his head, "I'm sorry Sandra, I am…but I just don't care. I don't care. She was scared, but she fought for you – you should have fought for her!" He turned and rushed from the room.

Sandra stood wiping her eyes, as she stared at Manny. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I love her, and I’d do anything for her."

Manny went to her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. "I know Sandra, I know. Rory is a young man with so much about life to learn. He'll get over this, you'll see."

"I will do all in my power to help you, Mrs. Sinclair. That I promise you." Joe declared, coming up behind her and passing her his handkerchief. She took it, pulling out of Manny's arms to blow her nose. "Thank you, thank you so much. I guess I should go now."

"No don't go. I don't think you should be alone, wait here for the women to return." Manny offered.

"No, I can't."

"Look Sandra, although Lena and I are together, there's no need for you to be alone, ever. You will always have her, and now…me as well. You'll be here tomorrow as well Sunday to help her prepare for our wedding, so you might as well stay."

She gave a sad smile, "I just need to be alone, for a bit…but thank you… I'll be fine…really I will."

"Just so you know, she's expecting you to travel to Makia with us, it need not stop there."

"We'll see…tell her that I will either return tonight, if not – for certain tomorrow."

"Good." Manny returned, seeing her off and went back to Gydale, with his apologies for the distraction, to finish their business, which ended up leading the conversation off into the stress of being a father.

* * *

Lena, Hope and Maria returned later, elated at their accomplishments for that evening, whereas Mike, swore to never again take a woman shopping, especially his mother. There was no way he could make her hurry along as he could have Maria, so he had to endure the torture of it.

That evening, after dinner, Lena found herself a little worried when
Manny informed her that Rory had disappeared and hadn't returned yet, explaining what had taken place in her absence. It bothered her that he’d found out about the entire incident in such a way. Aft of the ship at the stern rail, she stood in Manny's arms, her back to him, her head back against his chest, looking out at the expanse of shimmering water, the stars and moon reflected in it, she wondered where her son could be.

"Manny, maybe you and Mike should go looking for him."

"No, he's all right. He needs to be alone right now, to sort out his new found knowledge of you." He whispered, kissing the top of her forehead. "That whole night was so hard on him. I had hoped he would forget it, never to remember it again."

"He was bound to sooner or later. We have no choice but to let him come to grips with everything on his own." He squeezed her against him. "Tell me, do you like your gown?"

Lena smiled and nodded, snuggling her head back against his chest, turning her forehead to his lips, where he kissed again and again. "You've always had good judgment, good taste."

"Well of course, look who it is I have chosen to give my heart to. That is proof enough of my taste." Lena smiled, stroking his large forearm. "And I for one cannot argue with that." He turned her in his arms declaring huskily, "Emmm, and a wife should not argue with her husband." Lena laughed low in her throat as his lips met hers, "Yes, I will – certainly – try to – remember that."

"Liar…" He replied as his lips pecked once softly, then again. Hating to end the lingering kiss, he reluctantly rose from her lips and whispered. "Shall I walk you to your room?" Lena smiled softly, as she hugged his massive chest, loving the feel of it, the feel of him, his heart beating in her ear. "I would much rather go to yours."

"After tomorrow – you will sleep nowhere else but in my bed."

"Yes…after tomorrow. Come along then."

Following one last goodnight kiss at her door, Lena entered her dark room, humming with a smile on her face. It was as she stopped at her bunk that she realized her lamp was out and so turned to light it. Standing from the table, she reached behind her and unfastened her dress, pulling it off each shoulder and letting it glide to the floor to step from it, leaving her in her chemise and pantaloons. Turning to go to her wardrobe to get her gown she heard the faint sniffle. Standing as she was, she looked over into the dark corner at the end of her bed to see Rory sitting on the floor, hiding in the dark of her room.

His knees were drawn up with one arm dangling over them, one
of Manny's decorative whiskey decanters gripped in his hand. Her heart immediately squeezed with compassion at the look of him. For a moment she didn't move. Unsure of what to do, of what he wanted, so she stood staring down at him. He sniffed again, with his head hung, face downward and his palm holding his forehead with his fingers in his hair. He wasn't saying anything. He just sat there, sniffing.

Occasionally, he'd wipe his nose and place his hand back at his head.

Lena slowly reached for her wrap at the end of her bed and put it on. She wasn't sure of how to approach him. Thinking, she went to the end of her bunk and sat a moment, quietly watching him, waiting for some kind of clue from him. In the silence, except for his sniffling, they sat. In the minutes that ticked by, he made no move to leave the room. Moments later, his face rose and he looked at his mother. His eyes were bloodshot red, swollen, tortured ... so sad, it brought moisture to Lena's eyes. With her heart hammering, she slowly rose, watching him to see if her actions might be against his wishes. He only wiped at his eyes and followed her as she lowered herself beside him on the floor.

With her shoulder to the wall and her legs folded to the side behind her, she faced him. Rory's eyes cut back and forth from her to the floor, until he dropped his head again with his fingers in his hair as he swung the bottle slightly as if to say something, yet the words remained trapped within him.

Lena was moved with compassion, reaching into her wrap pocket she pulled out a handkerchief. She moved cautiously closer to him and slowly brought the cloth to the corner of his eye, dabbing softly without a word as his tears ran freely. He made no move to stop her, growing a little bolder, she moved closer to reach the other eye. He slowly brought his hand away to allow her easy access to him as his head went slowly back against the wall, turning to her…his eyes stared through the gathering pools at his mother.

Lena moved closer still, wiping gently at his face. Rory swallowed the growing lump in his throat afraid to let the sob that was choking him, free. Lena slowly put her arm around the back of his shoulder drawing him ever so slightly to lean on her. Inch by slow inch, he slid, allowing her to pull him closer. When his head finally made contact with her shoulder, and her fingers went to brush the hair from his forehead, his forced control broke. He choked out a sob trying in vain to hold it back, too many rushed up on him, "I-...I'm-...."

"Come here." Lena whispered softly.

Grabbing her son, he fell
completely into her, his arms around her ribcage with his head to her breast as his sobbing began, dropping his father's whiskey decanter as his body shook from deep within, shaking them both. Lena felt her heart swell with so much love as she stroked his hair, holding him tightly to her, "My son…my precious little boy..."

"I'm... I'm sor-...sorry ... I'm sorry mama ... mama - I'm sorry." He croaked out.

"Oh my baby... my sweet beautiful son…
I'm
sorry. I love you… you hear me, your mama loves you Rory...God above as my witness…I love you so…my precious child…it's okay…it's okay…shhh…don't cry." She cooed gently, rocking him, kissing his head, squeezing him close, loving him as he had needed to be loved so badly. She didn't care that he held her too tightly. It didn't matter how her ribs ached in discomfort. Almost half of his body was in her lap, his knees drawn up behind her back towards the wall. She held him, rocked him and cooed with a mother's song to ease him. Remembering the baby he once was, the little boy with pleading eyes. As if he was a child again, she rocked him and knew there was a God…he was now smiling down on her. Lena thanked him for her children as she hummed and held her baby boy, never wanting to let him go.

Part Two

Family Reunion

Full Circle – Makia Island

King Lu’Maden

My Daughter’s Hand