A Simple Life: Chapter 74 (Patreon)

Following Winona’s gaze I look across the crowded diner to see her father at the door looking bigger and scarier than ever.  Even among this room full of carpenters, fishermen and dock workers Amos stood out for his gargantuan size.  Dressed for work he wore clean blue coveralls with a white and red patch on the chest that read ‘Amos’.  With Chub so helpfully pointing us out Amos scans across the room until he locks on.  If I’d been hoping for a cheerful smile those hopes are dashed as his eyes narrow instead.

“Let me do the talking Sprout.”  Winona mutters.  As if I wanted to take the lead!  Yikes!

With a growing sense of dread I watch Amos makes his way through the seated diners, not an easy task given his sizable belly.  He comes to loom over us.

Winona looks up with a chipper smile.  “Mornin Pops.  Wanna join us?”

“Yeah.”  He says.  We have to shift the table all the way in our direction as he squeezes into the booth.  “Saw your truck outside.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Saw a bike in the back.”

“Yeah.”  She laughs.  “That’s Avery’s.”

“Why?”

“Oh, well…I was giving him a lift.”

“Bike broke down?”

“Nah.  We thought we’d grab breakfast.  Might as well ride together.”

“Where you giving him a lift to at this time of day?”

“Well, Mr Nosy, he’s coming up to help us.”  She nudges me.  “Isn’t that right Sprout?”

“Y-Yes!”  I peep too loudly.  “I-I-I have the d-day off so…I thought I could p-pitch in.”

“Thanks pal.”

“No p-problem.”

“That’s awfully nice of ya.”

“A-Anything f-for a f-friend.”  I say.  Winona and I glance at each other and smile despite ourselves.

“Right.”

“What’ll it be Amos.”  Asks Amy as she sets out our drinks.  Amos gets a coffee without even being asked.  “And nothing off the lunch menu!”

“Course not.  I’ll get my usual.”

“One Jumbo Chub with a double tall stack of flapjacks comin up.”

Amy heads off.  Amos continues to sit across from us, his suspicious eyes lingering on one of us for a few seconds then flitting to the other then going back again.  I suddenly understand how an amoeba felt under the lens of a microscope.

“Why’s his face all red?”

“Because he’s got a big gorilla glaring at him.”

“Mmm.”  His eyes shift back to me.  “So what are ya comin to help us with Avery?”

“He’s…”

“He can talk for himself, can’t he?”

“Of course he can.  Tell him Avery.  Tell him what you’re coming to help us with.”  As Winona looks at me I could see the same panic in her as was in me.  Neither of us had a clue how to answer that.

“Oh, you know.  J-Just anything you g-guys need.”

“Hmm.”

“And!  And!  And, um, and…”  My eyes cast about for something, anything, to grab onto.  All I see is the other customers, the windows, and…the pictures.  “Advertising!”

Both Crows look at me, equally confused.  “Advertising?”

“Y-Yeah.  I t-take pictures.”

“He’s a very good photographer.  Super good.  Like professional level.”

“I th-thought I could scout the p-place out for some sh-shots.  Help c-clean up the yard.  G-Get it looking nice.  M-Maybe you c-could use the p-pictures in the paper or online?”

“Oh yeah?”  His mood shifts a smidgen from suspicious to curious.

“Yeah!  Th-There’s a cool look out just up the slope from there.  I think I could get the garage with the whole peninsula and town in the background.”

“Eyyy!”  Winona hugs me happily.  “Isn’t he amazing?”

“We don’t really have an online presence.”  He says, though I could hear interest piquing.

“Oh I c-can do that too.”  I say.  “Set you up a couple of accounts, easy.”

Amos being Amos he cuts right to the bottom line.  “And how much is this ‘help’ costing us?”

“N-Nothing Sir.”  I smile.  “I-I’m happy to do it.”

“We’ll give him credit on the photos though.”  Winona hurries to say.  “Help him promote his work.  Word of mouth and all that too.”

“My…work?”

She shoots me a wink.  “It’s the least we can do.”

“That’s great.”  Amos leans back and nods.  He takes up his cup of coffee, which looked like a thimble in his huge hands, and takes in a deep sniff.  “That’s really great.”  As he relaxed so did we.  We’d gotten through the storm.  He takes a long sip of his coffee, licks his lips, then says.  “Now how about telling old Pops what’s really going on between you two.”

“What are you talking about Pops?”  Winona plays dumb.

“I’m talking about the bags under your eyes, Kid.  I’m talking about the fact you’re wearing day old clothes.  I’m talking about the goo-goo eyes you keep making at each other.  You think I’m blind?  You think I’m deaf?”

Winona and I look at each other then she looks back at him.  “Okay.  The truth.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“The truth is…Avery and I are in love with each other.”

“Uh boy.”  He sighs and buries his face in his hand.

The moment he does that I feel something tweak in Winona, he’d just hit a button.  “That’s right.  I love him Pops!”

“Winona…”

“A-And I love your d-daughter Sir.”  I say, hoping it would be helpful.

“I’m sure you think you do.”

“He doesn’t THINK, Dad, he knows.  How dare you say that to him.  We love each other.  We’re meant for each other.”  Winona snaps.  “We’re here together because we spent all night having wild, passionate sex.  Okay?  Not that it’s any of your business!”

“It really isn’t.”  He cringes, glancing about at the heads turning our way.  “You coulda left that part out ya know.”

“And why should I?  Huh?  I’m 24 and I’ll spend my nights with who I want.  And I want Avery.”

“Winona.”  He says, trying to keep the volume down.  “Why don’t we talk about this…alone.  Mmm?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.  It’s none of your business.”

“Winona, you JUST met this boy the other day.”

“He’s not a boy.  He’s a man.  He’s my man.”  She says.  “And it’s not true we just met.  We met a long time ago.  Didn’t we Sprout?”

“Yes.  T-Technically we m-met back…”

“Winona.”  He says, paying my words no mind.  He reaches across to take his daughters hand but she pulls it away from him.  He slowly pulls his hand back.  “This is Kayla all over again Kid.  Can’t you see that?  I don’t want to see you hurt.  That’s it.”

“You don’t want to see me happy.”  She seethes.  “I know what this is really about.  He’s white.”

“What?”

“He’s white and he’s not loaded.  That really bugs you, doesn’t it?  You can’t stand that I fell in love with a white man for who he is and not for his money.”

Amos sighs the timeless sigh of the beleaguered father.  “Winona…”

“Are you denying it?  I heard you and Mom talking.  About finding me finding some sugar daddy or getting me hitched up to some college boy ‘with a future’.”

“Winona!”

“Well I love him Dad and there isn’t one thing you or Mom can do about it.  I’d love him even he didn’t have a penny to his name.  I love him because he’s…”  Her voice softens as she looks to me.  “…perfect.”

I sit speechless.  That was so beautiful!  At the same time I feel so incredibly awkward for being the point of contention.

“Your mother and I just want what’s best for you.”  He says in a low, measured tone.  “I don’t care one whiff that he’s white.  I’m sure he’s a fine boy…man, sorry.  I don’t care about any of those things.  I care about you Kid.”

“Well you got a funny way of showing it.  Why can’t you just be happy for me?”  She says.  “Ah, what do you know?  You just don’t understand about true love.”

“Uh boy.”

“There you go again.  That know-it-all tone.  As if you have clue what I’m feeling.”  Then with a sudden wave of her hand Winona puffs.  “Bah!  You are impossible!”

And just like that she gets up and storms off for the ladies room!  I watch her in disbelief until she disappears through the washroom door, then slowly back across the table.  Looking as huge and imposing as the north peak of Ehkolie Amos’ narrowed eyes glower down on me.

Chapter 75