The Healing of Robert Kinston
Part 2
He woke, stretched, and kicked the comforter to the other side of the bed, it was light out and he thought it must be around seven, he never looked at a clock anymore unless he was due to be somewhere; that didn’t happen very often anymore. Padding to the kitchen barefoot in a pair of flannel pajama pants, he started the coffee pot and went to clean his teeth. Milford followed him in the bathroom winding around his legs.
“Hey ‘mornin’ Milford, what’s on your mind?” He walked back to the kitchen and poured out a cup of coffee, Milford ran to the glass door opening to the screened porch, that’s when he noticed her placing something on a table. It was his neighbor, Lisa Holland, wondering what she was doing on his porch early in the day he went to find out.
“Hello,” he said, opening the door.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting to see you,” especially so much of him, no shirt, “I brought you a plant basket, I make them up at the greenhouse.”
“A plant basket huh?” he strolled out on the porch and looked over her shoulder.
“Um yeah, it won’t require much attention, just water and a little food once a month.”
“You mean I have to feed it, what does it eat?” he asked taking a sip of his coffee and looking over his cup.
His eyes were very clear and bright, “Plant food, I have a packet tucked down in here, just mix it with water. I just thought…since you bought a plant you must like plants…so it’s kinda a welcome to the neighborhood plant…yeah.” She smiled, looking up from under a fringe of ginger colored hair.
“Thanks, I’m not a plant person actually, there was that pot that was empty. You may have to, um come back and take care of them for me.”
She noticed the chill bumps across his shoulders and arms, “I should be going, I’m on my way to work…and you look like you’re freezing. Her eyes traced downward to the dark hair below his navel.
“What time do you have to be there, maybe you’ve got time for a cup of coffee?”
“No, I um don’t drink coffee…coke person. I need to go,” she picked up her bag and threw it on her shoulder and turned to leave.
“Lisa, thank you that was a very thoughtful thing to do.” He said softly
She was embarrassed for the thoughts she had, “Um yeah…see you Robbie.” Lisa opened the screen door and ran down the steps to her car.
Robbie turned the basket around and smiled. Milford decided since Robbie was up it was time to eat, and drew him back inside to the kitchen.
“Woo hoo,” Lisa said backing out of his drive. “I coulda warmed him up, oh yes.” His image stayed in her mind across the bridge into Beaufort. She was still trying to figure out a way to make something happen when she pulled into the yard of the nursery.
Robbie had been back to the bookstore and bought two more books on the local area. Somewhere back in his mind wheels were beginning to turn. He’d never written an historical tale before, but something was pulling him in that direction.
He met Jon Cromer for lunch at The Bank in Beaufort.
“I don’t know if you have any plans for Thanksgiving, Robbie but I do a dinner for a few friends, why not come over?”
“Oh I don’t know, I might not be good company for a holiday meal.”
“It ain’t what you think…I don’t do a traditional meal and the folks that come over are all misfits like us.”
“Is that what we are, misfits?”
“Hell yeah and there’s more of us than you’d think.” Jon rattled his empty tea glass and waited until it was refilled. “I got word my daughter, ain’t comin’ down so I thought huh, I can do my own thing.”
“I’ve got a neighbor bringing me plants,” offered Robbie, hoping for a bit of information about Lisa.
“Uh huh, that’d be Lisa Holland; works over to the nursery on highway 17. She’s a local, military brat that stayed on. Cute little thing, she works at Rafters on the weekend, that’s a local hangout I’ll take you to. You got something going there, Robbie?”
“No…just thought she was nice.”
“She mainly date’s military…might want to keep that in mind.”
“Is that a problem?” he wondered.
“Not for me…they’re big boys that’s all…I ain’t about to get between them and…well whatever it is she’s dishin’ out.”
Robbie raised his brows and drank his iced tea. “So what makes us misfits, Jon?”
“General age, no worthwhile profession, present company excepted you know, mostly single for whatever reason, good people, Robbie.”
Robbie smiled, “I’m not sure I have a profession.”
“See there…you’ll fit right in.” Jon pointed his fork.
Not for the first time Robbie noticed Jon’s clothes, white shirt, khaki shorts and boat shoes. “Silly question, but is that a uniform you wear?”
Jon laughed, “Left over from college, Robbie, I must have a dozen or more white shirts and shorts , bought at the same time all just alike, makes dressin’ simple in the mornin’,” he grinned, “its my signature look don’t you know.”
Robbie laughed and considered him for a minute, it was a calculated look for a man who knew exactly what he was about.
Thanksgiving Day began with a drizzle, the clouds were piled up thick over the ocean. Robbie began with a run on the little strip of beach that surrounded the point around to the washed out area and back, he glanced toward the direction Lisa had walked the first time he’d seen her with her dog, the faint outline of a house painted blue could be seen through the trees. He ran back passed his house and went in the other direction, coming up to a long dock that stretched out to the water. It was marshier on this side of the island that faced Lady’s Island.
Showered and carrying his two bottles of wine he left for Jon’s place. His yard was full of cars of every description and Robbie parked on the curb. He was met at the door by a man with a limp, “Bill Sellers,” he said extending his hand.
John came through the house, “Robbie, glad you could make it come on through, most of the guys are on the deck, kitchen is full of women as it should be.”
“I heard that,” came a cry from the kitchen. Robbie was passed through the kitchen and introduced to Patty at the sink, Cheryl in the fridge and Jill coming from the pantry. Robbie spoke to each until he was introduced to Jill. Neither of them spoke when their eyes met. He felt it and wondered if she did too, it was like a motor being turned on a low hum, a slight vibration. He felt a little disturbed and turned back again to look at her as he was led out on the deck. He was introduced around again to three men and a woman smoking a cigarette. He noticed her eyes never left Jon, dark eyes long dark hair that fell over her shoulders and down her back. Her name was Marion.
“This here is going to be a deep fried turkey,” Jon said lifting the lid off a huge pot out in the yard. And over here in this pot is going to be Beaufort Stew.” Robbie had never had a deep fried turkey and had some idea about the stew. “It’s all pot luck…I have no idea what’s comin’ from my kitchen.” He looked up and grinned.
As the afternoon wore on and food was finally set out in the kitchen buffet style, with a stack of paper plates and napkins at one end of the counter and assorted salads and casseroles leading up to the now carved turkey. The Beaufort Stew was served in a huge aluminum bowl out on the deck at a table with a hole in the middle. Jon explained it was the shrimp and crab leg table, a trashcan set underneath the hole to catch the shells.
Jill kept her distance from Robbie for one thing she was shy and the other was the instant attraction. She didn’t want to see his eyes again. She came back to the kitchen and was trying to open one of the bottles of wine he’d brought. Digging through Jon’s kitchen drawers she finally came across a corkscrew.
“Here let me do that,” Robbie said reaching for the corkscrew.
“I can do it,” she said not looking at him.
“Can I watch?” he asked leaning against the counter.
“Why you don’t trust me?”
“No, maybe you want to steal it and run.”
“Funny you should say that…run.” She glanced up quickly the curtain of blond hair hiding most of her face.
“I can’t figure this one out,” she said turning the corkscrew around in her hand
“It’s all about pressure, let me show you…may I?”
Jill backed up and handed him the bottle and corkscrew. She leaned against the fridge and watched his hands on the bottle. She looked up, his hair was falling over his face, and she could smell the clean crisp scent he wore. “No…” she told herself and turned, opening cabinets looking for wine glasses.
When she held out a glass he took it enclosing her hand in his as he filled it with red wine. “I want to see you again,” he heard himself say.
“No…no it’s too soon…she took the glass from him, turned and went into the den finding a seat on the sofa between two others.
Robbie still held the bottle in his hand feeling his heart slow he set it down. “Go” he told himself, “Leave now.”
“Well, Robbie enjoying yourself?” Jon was back in the kitchen.
“Uh yeah Jon, thanks for inviting me, it’s been great but I think I probably need to go.”
“Man the party is just getting started, don’t poop out on me…what’s wrong?” he asked moving closer.
“Oh nothing…”
“Is it Jill? Alright listen, take it slow and easy, I saw her come out of here, she’s getting over a bad connection. Robbie, have a glass of wine.” He poured it out and handed it to him. “She’s a real nice lady, real nice.”
“Yeah,” Robbie took a drink of the wine. “I was going to ask you about Marion, she your girl?”
Jon took a long drink from his beer bottle and set it down, the look he gave Robbie was unreadable. “I don’t have a girl. I know her, known her for a long time she lives out on Fripp.”
“Sorry, I just thought…”
“I know so does everybody else…but it ain’t so…she’s the one broke up my happy home here. She came with Bill Sellers, let’s leave it at that.” He turned to go and then turned back, “I would advise you to watch your back around her, I didn’t invite her today but I ain’t the kinda guy to make a scene you know?”
Robbie didn’t answer, but finished his wine and looked for his jacket; he’d had enough intrigue for one night.
He turned down the dirt road that led to his house and rounding a turn saw taillights in front of him and slowed, they seemed to weave slightly and he waited to see where the vehicle was going. It stopped in the road and the door opened, Lisa walked back to his vehicle, Robbie rolled the window down.
“Hey you going home?” he asked.
“Ye-ah trying to get there, happy thanksgiving.” She said leaning against his door.
“Where have you been?” he asked she was slightly drunk he thought.
“Been to my Dad’s in Port Royal, how about you?”
“Lady’s Island, we can’t sit here in the middle of the road.”
“You’re right, I’ll get along down my little path up here.” She turned to go back to her car.
Robbie stuck his head out of his window, “Lisa…keep going…all the way to the end.”
“Yes sir, I can do that.”
Meanwhile;
Robbie rolled off of her his eyes closed and lips slightly parted, turning to her, “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that.”
She giggled, “I think I probably did,” she drew her knees up, “you’re a good fuck, Robbie.”
Robbie closed his eyes and started to giggle, the giggle building until it erupted over both of them. A release of a different kind.