Close To Home IV

Chapter 9





“Come on in, Jasper,” Justin said as he answered the doorbell.

“I hear you have some uncooperative windows.”

“Exactly.  It’s unseasonably warm and we wanted air.  That’s when we discovered we couldn’t get them open.”

“I thought we were done with heat waves for this year,” Jasper replied with a grin.  “But I suppose we should be grateful for whatever we get.  Keeps the fuel bills down.”

“True.”

“So, show me which windows.”

“I think it’s all of them except the patio doors.”

“Okay, I’ll get started.”

“I’m working on a painting in my studio,” Justin explained.  “Call me if you need anything.  Oh, and if I don’t answer come on in, because I might have my headphones on.”

“Okay.”

Justin headed for his studio and Jasper set his toolbox down by the closest window.  For the next hour or two Jasper worked on loosening the paint around the windows, while Justin painted in his studio.  When Jasper had finished most of the windows, he decided he needed to talk to Justin about what he had done and what still needed to be done.

He walked down the hall to where he knew they had set up Justin’s studio.  He pounded on the door.  There was no response.  Jasper assumed that Justin must have his headphones on, even though he couldn’t hear anything from inside the room.  He opened the door and looked inside.  He stood there watching and smiling.

Justin was dancing around in front of his easel, dabbing gobs of paint on a canvas in time with the music that only he could hear.  It was quite a sight.  Jasper wondered what he should do.  Justin was facing away from him.  After a minute he walked closer and gently tapped Justin on the shoulder.

Justin jumped about a foot off the ground before turning around with a grin on his face.  He pulled the earphones off.  “You scared the shit out of me,” he laughed.  “I get so wrapped up in the music and what I’m painting that I don’t notice anything.”

“Sorry to startle you, but I’ve done most of the windows.  I wondered if there were any in here that needed to be done.”

Justin gestured to the two large windows in one wall.  “Neither will open,” he said.

“Do you want me to do them now or should I leave you to your painting?”

“What time is it?” Justin asked.

Jasper looked at his watch.  “It’s a little after eleven.”

Justin looked over at his canvas.  “I’d like to work on it a little longer.  I was on a bit of a roll.”

“No problem, but there’s something else we need to discuss.”

“Oh?”

“When I pried the windows open, the paint shaved off in a lot of places.  They look pretty sad.  I wondered if you wanted me to repaint them, or do you want to paint them yourself?”

“I’m not that kind of painter,” Justin grinned.

Jasper smiled.  “I thought that might be your answer.  I could go to the hardware store and get some paint.  If I paint them this afternoon, you could leave the windows open tonight and let them dry thoroughly.  Then they won’t be sealed shut like they were.  The weather’s supposed to be warm like this for a couple more days, so not being able to shut the windows shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Jasper.  Can you stay and do them today?  You don’t have to work?”

“Nope, this is my day off.”

“And you’re willing to stay here all day?”

“If you’ll feed me some lunch.”

Justin laughed.  “That’s a small price to pay for your expert services.”

“I’ll head over to the paint store and get what I need.  I don’t suppose you boys have any painting supplies … other than this?”  He gestured towards Justin’s easel and tubes of paint.

“Nope.”

Jasper shook his head at the lack of preparedness of the younger generation.  “I should be back in about an hour,” he said.

“Okay.  I’ll be done here by then.  I might even have lunch ready for you.”

Jasper nodded.  “That would be nice.”  He turned and left the room closing the door behind him.  He wasn’t sure he understood artists and some of the things they did, but Justin was a nice young fella regardless.

Jasper picked up his tools and put them in his toolbox.  He moved it over against the wall in the bedroom where he had pried open the last window.  He gathered up a few flakes of the paint that had chipped off and placed them in a tissue he got from the bathroom.  Then he headed outside to his truck.

He was about to climb inside when he heard a noise that caught his attention.  He held his truck door open waiting to see if he would hear the same sound again.  Sure enough he heard it.  It appeared to be someone sobbing, and it was coming from around the hedge that acted as a privacy barrier between Brian and Justin’s house and the house where Dougie lived.

Jasper shut the door of his truck.  Somewhat hesitantly he walked to the end of the hedge.  He wasn’t sure what he would find, but he didn’t like to leave a sobbing person if there was something he could do to help them.  He stepped around the hedge.  The sight that confronted him made him draw in a sharp breath.

Sitting on the porch on a bench was a woman.  She was rocking a baby carriage back and forth.  Her face looked tired and far away.  Every minute or so a shuddering sob would escape her lips.  She continued to push the carriage back and forth like an automaton.  She seemed totally unaware of his presence although he was clearly standing in her line of vision.  Her eyes did not focus on anything.

“Excuse me, ma’am, is everything all right?” Jasper said gently not wanting to frighten her.

Her head snapped up and she swept her hands across her face to brush away the tears.  “I’m fine.  Who are you?  Go away,” she ordered.

“I … I heard you crying and I wondered if … there was anything I could do.”

“How could you possibly do anything.  Leave me alone.  Now!”

“Certainly, ma’am,” Jasper replied.  “I was concerned, that’s all.”  Jasper quickly stepped back around the hedge.  He wondered if there was anything else that he could do.  The woman clearly could use some help.  However, she seemed to be determined not to let anyone help her, especially him.  Jasper walked over to his truck and climbed in.  As he drove past the weeping woman’s house, he noted that the front porch was now empty.


*****


Jasper returned a while later.  He pulled the truck into the driveway.  As he stepped out he could hear the baby screaming from next door.  He debated going over there to try once again to be of help.  However, he decided against it based on the frosty reception he had gotten the first time.

He pulled the two cans of paint out of the back of his truck and headed for the house.  Justin opened the door before he got to it.

“How did you make out?” Justin asked.

“Got everything I need.”  Justin took the paint cans from Jasper.  “I’ve got a few other things in the truck.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Justin offered setting down the paint cans near the front door.  He followed Jasper out to the truck.  They both stopped and listened to the screams of the baby next door.

“That poor woman,” Jasper said shaking his head as he started to load Justin up with bags from the paint store.

“Why do you say that?”

“She was sitting out on the front porch sobbing when I came out before,” Jasper explained.  “She looked absolutely exhausted.”

“We’ve heard the baby crying a lot.”

“I don’t doubt it.  She mustn’t be getting any sleep.”

Justin shook his head and frowned.  He wished there was something he could do.  He carried his share of the bags into the house, followed by Jasper.

“I made some sandwiches for lunch,” Justin said.  “And we have apple pie for dessert.”

“Sounds good.”

Justin merely stood there with a strange look on his face while Jasper unloaded all the stuff he had given Justin to carry.  Justin looked like he was thinking very hard.  “I made the apple pie for Dougie’s mother but she wouldn’t answer the door when I took it over there,” Justin said slowly.

“I think that poor woman may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.”

“You think so?”

“She looked really worn out, at her wit’s end when I saw her earlier.”

“Brian says she’s homophobic because she never came over to meet us,” Justin offered.

“Maybe it’s that she’s incapable of meeting people right now.”

Justin nodded.  “I think I need to try once more.  I’m going to go invite her to lunch.  Would you mind?”

“Not at all,” Jasper said with a smile, “provided you can get her to come.”

“It’s worth a try.”  Justin went out the front door while Jasper started getting his painting equipment out of its protective packaging.

Justin walked down the driveway to the end of the hedge.  He could hear the baby crying loudly.  As he came around the end of the hedge he saw Dougie’s mother pacing the length of the front porch.  She had the baby against her shoulder but it was still crying non-stop.

“Um … hello,” Justin began.

“What do you want?” the woman said sharply as she turned in his direction.

“I’m Justin Taylor.  We just moved in next door.”  Justin indicated their house.  “I was making some lunch and I wondered if you’d like to join us.  I made you an apple pie, but I guess you were too busy to answer the door when I brought it over yesterday.”

“That was you?”

“Yes.”

“I … I’m sorry I didn’t come to the door, but the baby keeps crying.  I can’t get her to stop.”

“Could I hold her and give you a little break?”

The woman looked like she wanted to run back in the house.  Maybe Brian was right and she wouldn’t let a homo touch her child.  Justin was about to turn away when she held the baby out to him.  He walked forward and took the crying child.  He bounced her a little bit and tickled her under her chin telling her what a beautiful girl she was.  The baby looked up into his blue eyes, and Justin smiled at her.  She seemed to calm right down.

“I don’t believe it,” the woman said with a sigh.  “I’ve been trying to get her to stop crying for hours, and it takes you two minutes.”

“Sometimes the baby senses the mother’s distress and that upsets them,” Jasper said as he came around the hedge.  “My wife had trouble with our second child.  He just wouldn’t seem to settle.  The more upset he got, the more upset she was and it only got worse.”

“What … what did you do?”

“I ended up holding the baby for hours on end.  My wife needed some rest, so I had to take charge for a while.”

“Rest?  What’s that?” the woman said bitterly.  “And my husband is never home.  I have to do this all by myself.”

“I’d be happy to help, maybe babysit every now and then … to give you a break,” Justin volunteered.

“Oh I couldn’t do that.”

“You certainly could.  I’d love to babysit … what’s her name?”

“Ellie, short for Ellen.”

“Beautiful old name,” Jasper said as he took his turn tickling the baby’s chin.

“My name’s Marcia, Marcia Hodges.”

“Pleased to meet ya, Marcia.  I’m Jasper Turner.  I’m doing a little work for Justin and Brian.”

“Oh?  Who’s Brian?” Marcia asked.

Here it comes, Justin thought, getting ready to hand the baby back.  “Brian’s my partner.  He’s at work now.”

“Oh yes, Dougie told me that you were…”

“Gay.”

“Yes, gay,” Marcia replied.  “I wasn’t sure what the politically correct term was these days.”

Justin let out a breath.  Marcia didn’t seem to be about to rip the baby out of his arms and spit on him.  “About lunch, would you join us?” he asked hopefully.

“You’re sure it’s not too much trouble?”

“Not at all,” Justin assured her.

“Let me get Ellie’s bag and bottle and I’ll be happy to have lunch with you.  I certainly need a break, and the baby seems to have taken to you.”

“It’s my winning smile,” Justin laughed showing Marcia one of his megawatt ones.

“I’ll be right back.”  Marcia hurried into the house leaving Justin holding the baby.

“That was a nice thing to do,” Jasper said.  “That lady needs some help.”

Justin nodded as Marcia reappeared carrying a baby bag and a bottle of formula.  They made their way over to Justin’s house.

“I made sandwiches,” Justin said.  “I was about to heat the soup.”

“That sounds lovely,” Marcia said as she surveyed what the new occupants had done to the house.  “I like the way you’ve set up the furniture.  It makes the room look more spacious.”

“Brian, my partner, is in a wheelchair, so he needs the room to get around,” Justin explained as he turned on the soup.  “Would you like tea or coffee?”

“Oh, tea would be lovely.”

“Have a seat.  Jasper, maybe you could fill the kettle since I seem to have my hands full,” Justin requested.

“Sure thing,” Jasper answered quickly.  He went to the sink and filled the teakettle before plugging it in.  While he was there he stirred the soup.  “I can dish this up when it’s ready.  Have a seat, Justin.”

“Thanks, Jasper.”

“It’s very nice of you to ask me to lunch,” Marcia said sincerely.

“We’d like to be good neighbors, if you give us the chance,” Justin said.  “Dougie’s quite a little guy.”

“Yes, he is,” Marcia said with a smile.  “He’s been a big help to me since the baby was born.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is your husband?” Justin questioned.

“He’s a salesman and he’s gone for two or three weeks at a time.  I wish he was around to help more,” Marcia sighed.  “Dougie does as much as he can, but sometimes I just get overwhelmed.  Ellie isn’t an easy baby, but she sure seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“She’s asleep,” Justin whispered.  “I’ll put her on the floor while we eat.”  Justin pulled the afghan off the sofa and laid it on the floor.  He gently placed the sleeping baby on her back atop it.  “Let’s eat,” Justin said as Jasper set a bowl of soup in front of Marcia.

They spent the next half hour talking about their lives as they ate their lunch.  They discussed what Justin and Brian had done to the house.  Marcia also explained more about her husband’s job.  He worked for a solar panel company and was out selling the product every day.  The company was still in its infancy so there was a lot of selling to do.  Jasper talked about his wife and grown children.  Justin talked about his art and Brian’s job at the Ryder Advertising Agency.  He carefully avoided mentioning that Brian was thinking of buying the company.

As they ate the last of their soup, Marcia let out a big yawn.  “Sorry,” she said.  “I’m so tired.”

“Why don’t you lie down on the sofa while we clear the dishes,” Justin suggested.  “Have a little rest.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Sure you could, Miss Marcia.  Go ahead,” Jasper encouraged her.

Justin smiled at the older man, glad to have his support.  “The baby’s still asleep.  It would be a shame to pick her up and risk waking her up.  Lie down.”

“Well, maybe for just a minute,” Marcia said.  She walked over to the sofa, checking on Ellie as she went by.  She sat down on the sofa.

Justin and Jasper cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher.  The next time they looked over, Marcia was fast asleep on the sofa.

“She really needs some sleep,” Justin observed.  “She looks exhausted.”

Jasper nodded.  “Maybe if she gets some rest she won’t be so upset.  The baby probably senses how worried her mother is, and that only makes matters worse.”

“We should let her sleep,” Justin said.

“I’ll move the paint into the bedroom and start on the windows there.”

“Good idea.”

“I wonder how long she’ll sleep?”

“Only one way to find out,” Justin grinned.  He checked on Ellie and then headed for his studio.