The Healing of Robert Kinston
Part 4
Robbie walked out on his screened porch early in the morning with his coffee cup to find a potted Norfolk Pine with a red bow stuck in the pot, and a note. He knew who it was from before he opened the envelope, and smiled. Figured you wouldn’t buy a Christmas tree so this is for you, Merry Christmas, Lisa. He hadn’t seen Lisa around since Thanksgiving night, he’d meant to stop by the greenhouse or Rafters, and somehow he hadn’t, and felt a little guilty.
He brought the tree inside and placed it in front of a side window. Christmas…the first on his own since Josie died he had no idea how he would get through the holidays to come. Bringing his coffee cup inside he curled up on the sofa and looked at the tree. Milford was already investigating, front paws on the rim of the pot. He closed his eyes and let the memories of past holidays wash over him, the smells from the kitchen, shopping, dinner parties…it was like a dream to him now…something from another life…perhaps he’d read about such things…postcard scenes. The silence of his house closed in on him and he found his eyes wet with memories.
Later that morning he’d just finished paying some bills online when he heard a car door slam. Walking to the side window he saw Jon Cromer making his way to the steps leading to the screened porch.
“Good morning, Jon what brings you out here?” he said opening the door.
“I been meaning to ask you for your phone number, every time I think about you I got to ride out here,” Jon reached the top step and came inside.
“Sorry…I’ll give it to you…nobody has it, Jon.”
“Well it ain’t like I’ll be bending your ear on a daily basis, Robbie, you got coffee on?” The familiar smell came wafting out onto the porch.
“Yeah come in and have a cup.” Robbie went to the kitchen and Jon followed him, sitting on a stool at the island. “What brings you out here?”
“I come offering an invitation to an oyster roast. Every year we have one at the newspaper office, you like oysters?”
“Sure do, when is it?”
“Friday night, we start about six and continue on until the oysters and beer runs out. Thought you might enjoy it.” He sipped his coffee.
“Yeah I’ll come. What do I need to bring?”
“Just yourself, see you got a Christmas Tree.” He raised a brow.
“Found it on the porch this morning…I wasn’t going to have Christmas.” Robbie looked into his cup.
“Well I can understand that first; one on your own, however you’ll find you can’t avoid it.”
“How about you, is this your first on your own?”
“Second…you know the first year I didn’t do a damn thing but get drunk on Christmas day, but last year I strung lights all over the porch and had a party…no tree or nothin’…just made the best of it.” Jon had not been in Robbie’s house for a while and he looked around, his eyes falling on the dinnerware displayed in Robbie’s china cabinet. He looked from the cabinet back to Robbie.
“I see you been shoppin’,” he grinned, “I reckon she’ll appreciate that.”
Robbie looked toward the cabinet, “Don’t tell her I bought it.”
“Oh I won’t say a word,” he tilted his head back and narrowed his eyes. “She’s a little skittish right now a little afraid of men, except for me, but then I saved her life you know. I don’t mean that we got something goin’, no that won’t happen. I wouldn’t do that to her…take advantage. She had a boyfriend, Robbie, an asshole I never liked; anyway he’d get drunk and beat the shit out of her. Why she didn’t throw the son of a bitch out I don’t know. The last time, I broke it up after he’d drug her out on the front porch of her house, her screaming…my office is across the street from where she lives you see. He got in his truck and tore out of there and I called 911. He was arrested and is doin’ time right now. She was in the hospital for about a week. I just thought you ought to know about her.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Robbie said quietly.
“Actually…I think the two of you would do fine together…just be careful.” Jon finished his coffee, “I need to be goin’, delivering papers today…let me know when you want to write a column…could be about anything.” Jon smiled and patted Robbie on the back.
“See you Friday Jon,” Robbie walked him to the door.
Thinking about Christmas, Robbie sat down and wrote Tessie a letter. The more he wrote the more he wished he could just pop over and talk to her. She of course went all out for Christmas, and held an open house each year inviting the neighbors and her friends at the historical society. Bill’s death didn’t stop her from enjoying the season. He finished up the letter and walked around his living room, thoughts of going back to New Bern entered his mind and then he flushed them out…you can’t go back it wouldn’t be the same and then there would be the empty house next door. He ran his hand over his face and picked up the envelope and his car keys.
Robbie stopped by the bookstore looking for a card to send to Tessie, she’d like that and comment if he didn’t send one. Lila was busy arranging a display.
“Hi Robbie, merry Christmas,” she said and stood up.
“Lila, merry Christmas to you, I’m looking for a card.”
“You want a box of cards?”
“No, just one,” he walked around and noticed she’d added his books to the local author’s section. “Does this mean I’ve arrived?” he asked smiling.
“Well we’re right proud of the author’s we have in our community, you being one now. Have you got any special plans for the holidays?”
“Um no…I may go home and see my father.” He hadn’t planned to say that…where did it come from?
“It’s always good to see family at Christmas. How’s your research coming along?”
“Slowly…interesting though, Beaufort being the second oldest city in South Carolina.”
“Yes it’s an unappreciated jewel I always said, Charleston gets all the attention.” She rang up his card.
“Thanks Lila, and thanks for the display.” Robbie walked down the street thinking about going to see his father. He hadn’t seen him or talked to him since Josie’s funeral. He hurried back to his car; arrangements would have to be made, a flight booked to Ft. Myers and a rental car.
The weather turned cold on Friday and Robbie layered up for the oyster roast. There were three barrels on fire behind the newspaper office and a good-sized fire going for the oysters. A large metal sheet was placed over the coals and oysters dumped out and covered with wet croaker sacks. Coolers full of beer lined the back of the building and a good crowd had gathered. Somebody provided music by way of a boom box. Jon, his hair coming loose from the ponytail and waving around his face was placing the wet sacks over a pile of oysters.
“Hey Robbie glad you could make it, grab a beer.” Jon straightened up pushing the hair behind his ear. “First batch will be up shortly.”
Robbie was introduced around, names flying over his head, a few familiar faces he’d met before. Lila and her husband Roy were there. He was tapped on the shoulder and turned, “Hi, I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” said the tall auburn haired woman, “I’m Margret Singleton.”
“Robbie Kinston, nice to meet you.”
Jon ambled over, “Marge here owns the paper Robbie.
“Okay…somehow I thought you did, Jon.”
“Oh Jon runs it, I don’t have anything to do with it anymore,” she smiled meeting Jon’s eyes.
Robbie saw the look that passed between them and smiled. So this was Jon’s woman.
“Another glass of wine, Marge?” asked Jon taking her glass.
“Jon was the first friend I made here,” Robbie said taking a drink of his beer
“He’s a good man to know,” she said smiling and watching Jon pour wine into her glass.
“Don’t believe everything she tells you,” Jon said and turned going back to his oysters.
“First rack’s up,” Jon called out as he and a man shoveled the hot oysters onto a wooden table.
She had been standing against the building near the oyster fire and until Robbie went for another beer he hadn’t seen her,
“Jill…sorry I didn’t know you were here.” He said straightening up.
She smiled slightly, hugging her body.
“Aren’t you cold?” she only had on a sweater.
“Yes a little, I was waiting for Jon to walk me over to get a coat.” She said quietly.
“Would you let me do that…looks like he’s going to be busy for awhile.” He asked.
“Um…no that’s okay.”
“Well will you take my coat?”
“Oh…no then you’ll be cold too.”
Jon turned around wiping his forehead, “Jill, Robbie can walk you over…go on with him,” he caught Robbie’s eye.
“You wait here,” she said when they reached her porch. Robbie walked to the end and saw the building out to the side, her studio. She was back in a minute zipping her coat.
“This is your studio…where you make your pottery.” He said.
“Yes, would you like to see it?” she led him over and unlocked the door turning on the lights.
Robbie walked around looking at the pieces she had lined up on a shelf.
“I’m getting ready for a show, a craft show in Savannah,” Jill picked up an odd shaped vase, “just trying out some different things.”
“You do very good work, Jill, I like the texture, the feel of your pieces.” He picked up a dish and rubbed his hands over the rim.
“You bought them didn’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“That bowl is part of the set, you can have it if you want.” She said not directly looking at him.
“Thanks, I’ll pay for it.”
“No…it’s a gift. Thank you Robbie, for buying the set.”
“Thank you for making it…its very special to me.” As you are he wanted to say but pocketed the bowl. “Are you ready to go back?”
“Sure,” she said and put the vase down.
Robbie found it hard not to touch her or say any of the things that were running though his mind. He kept quiet and walked beside her near enough that their arms brushed, and just before they reached the corner she took his hand.
“Thank you,” she said quickly looking into his eyes and then away when they reached the party. She pulled her hand away and went to a table where oysters were piled and took a seat.
Robbie took a breath and moved to a different table…it was a start.