Warning: Ugly words. Potential violence.
Red Sox: Believe.
FEEDBACK: is welcome at p.phair@comcast.net
BUILDING A BETTER CRADLE
by Phair
Beth and Lindsey stood in the living room staring at the unassembled sticks of wood littering the floor. They spent most of the morning in the basement retrieving the meticulously wrapped, packed, and stored family heirloom. After an early lunch, they polished each piece until it shined. Now, all they had to do was put the cradle together.
“German?” Lindsey asked again still not believing the answer.
Beth rolled her eyes, “Yes, the directions are in German.”
“I’m sorry, Beth, but that’s kind of dumb. I mean, unless you’re German.”
Beth shot Lindsey a dirty look before she explained. “My father had a friend in Germany who was a carpenter. To surprise my Mom, he ordered a handmade cradle when they were expecting their first child. Eleven of their twelve kids slept in this cradle. Nikki slept in this cradle. And, damn it, Lee is going to sleep in this cradle. We just need to figure out how to put it together, somehow.”
Beth sat on the floor and started to lay the pieces out according to size. Lindsey followed suit. In just a few minutes of handling the wood, Lindsey saw how they interconnected. Instead of sorting by size, she started pairing off. Beth watched what Lindsey was doing and realized that was a more logical method but she couldn’t figure out how Lindsey was doing it. Instead of sorting, Beth started assembling the pieces Lindsey had already matched up.
“Why eleven?”
“Huh?” Beth grunted as secured two pieces of wood with a screw.
“Why not all twelve? Why did only eleven kids get to sleep in the cradle?” Lindsey asked as she found the sticks of wood which fit into the bottom of the cradle to serve as the legs.
Beth assisted her with screwing them in before answering. “I wasn’t adopted until I was almost four. So, I was too big for a cradle or a crib, for that matter. My two adopted sisters were infants when Mom and Dad brought them home.”
“How did you do it?” Lindsey asked.
“Do what?
“How did you get yourself adopted?” Lindsey clarified the question as she reached for the piece that would be the locking mechanism. “I mean, I tried to get myself adopted, at first. Well, when I realized Mom wasn’t coming back for me. I tried to be cute when they had the open houses but nobody ever wanted me. All the foster families couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.”
“Hey,” Beth put the project down to answer, “you can’t look at it like that. You have to count your blessings that the wrong people didn’t get a hold of you. Too many kids, biological and adopted, end up dead at their parents hands. Lindsey, you suffered but you survived.”
Lindsey hadn’t thought of that before. While it didn’t change the empty feeling in her gut, it was a different perspective worth considering.
“Now, will you answer a personal question for me.”
Lindsey nodded.
“Juvenile Detention and getting your ass tapped.”
Lindsey paled. “That’s not a question.”
“Okay, how did you end up in Juvenile Detention and what happened the night you got your ass tapped by a broom handle?” Beth suppressed a slight shudder as she asked the chilling question.
Lindsey blushed. “I was only trying to shock Nikki. It’s not as bad as it sounded. When I was eleven, I ran away from my last foster home. The Dad was ‘Mr. Grabby Hands.’ Well, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Grabby Hands’ had the cops pick me up but they wouldn’t let me stay at their house for the night and nobody could get a hold of my caseworker so…, it was better, really. I had managed to dodge the guy pretty well but him being mad at me and everything…, you never know when your luck will run out…, it was better to go to juvie. Anyway, after they processed me, they sent me to the dorm. There were maybe ten girls there. It only took them a couple of minutes to decide to have some fun with the new kid. As soon as they started, I was out of the bed.”
“What did you do?”
Lindsey laughed. “I pissed myself! Then I started to scratch my arms and face and scream…nobody had ever screamed as loud or long as I did. Now, remember, they hadn’t touched me yet. The guards came running. I kept freaking out. Part of it was an act but some of it was because I was really scared.”
“Honey, that’s so horrible…,” Beth barely choked out.
Lindsey shook her head no. “It worked out better for me…see they took me to the hospital but there were no pedi psych beds left and I calmed down completely…, I even apologized for the trouble…, by this time they found my caseworker…, she was able to put the pieces of my story together with what she figured happened. So, she took me to Ms. Pesco’s group home. Her home is for the failures…, like me…, the ones that can’t get adopted and stay with foster families. You know, trouble makers.”
Beth turned her head slightly to wipe a tear from her eye.
“Hey, Beth, it’s okay,” Lindsey put her hand on Beth’s knee. “It was so much better for me at Ms. Pesco’s. She was great to me. Got me to focus on school. She kept the house safe. I would have gotten into huge trouble if it wasn’t for her keeping an eye on me.”
Beth said, “You are amazing. To go through an awful night like that and still find the positives.”
“Nope, I didn’t start seeing the positives until graduation,” Lindsey confessed. “If I didn’t say it before then let me say, thank you. You changed my life, Beth.”
Beth gave a quick nod not trusting her voice.
“We should get back to work or this crib isn’t going to be ready for Lee until he graduates,” Lindsey laughed.
“Right, back to work, you slave driver. By the way, how are you managing to figure out where these things go together?”
“Oh, somebody numbered the parts that interlock,” Lindsey explained and showed Beth the tiny numbers.”
“Oh for God’s sake, you’d think I’d have noticed that myself. I’ve only had the damn thing my most of my life,” Beth chided herself.
Lindsey shook her head, “If I don’t get to curse then you don’t get to either.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Beth gave a sharp salute.
The four of them stood around the sleeping baby in the cradle in the middle of Nikki’s living room. Beth and Lindsey arrived just as Lee was finishing his lunch. It was perfect timing for the exhausted little boy. He snuggled right into the cradle and fell fast asleep with a few gentle sways.
“We’re kind of nerdy nowadays,” Harvey explained to Lindsey. “You should have met us in our wild youth. We would stand in the living room staring at the carpet.”
“Don’t listen to him. He exaggerates everything. That was only one time, Harvey. We had just had the new carpet installed and…,” Nikki’s explanation was interrupted by Lindsey’s laughter. “No, seriously…,”
Beth burst out in a hearty chuckle. “You shouldn’t have spoken up. We already thought Harvey was exaggerating.”
“Beth, why don’t you and I go make some tea?” Harvey interrupted before Nikki could reply. Her mood swings since the birth were completely unpredictable. “You two, sit, talk, we’ll be back.”
Nikki and Lindsey were hesitant about being alone together but they followed Harvey’s direction. Each went to an opposite end of the couch. Nikki grabbed one of the throw pillows and hugged it close to her belly.
“Still hurts?” Lindsey asked.
Nikki shook her head, “Sore more than painful. Look, I’m not sure how to say this, especially since you delivered Lee,” Nikki dragged in a deep breath after the words rushed out. “I still hate you.” She held up her hand when Lindsey opened her mouth to argue, “Wait, let me explain. I know, I’m being completely unreasonable. The situation is not your fault but you represent everything wrong with my father.”
“He’s my father too. How do you think I feel?” Lindsey hissed.
“That’s the thing. You don’t know him at all. You didn’t grow up with him. You didn’t think the world spun just because he smiled at something you did…,”
“Thanks for reminding me that I got none of the perks and all of the problems,” Lindsey sneered back. “All I know about him for sure is he wanted me aborted. Which would have worked out great for you.”
“You’re right. And, don’t think I didn’t wish it had turned out that way. On some level, I still do,” Nikki confessed. “I’ve lived with that terrible thought every minute of every day since I found out about you. Look, I’m admitting something really vile here for a reason. I don’t want us to keep hating each other but I think we’re going to have to work hard at just being friends. I don’t think we’ll ever be sisters. I’d like to try to be your friend, Lindsey.”
“Right,” Lindsey was very angry. “The only reason you’re even considering this is because of what we went through with the baby. It’s some kind of guilt.”
Nikki agreed. “Absolutely. If it wasn’t for that moment then I would’ve never agreed to see you and I probably would’ve never talked to my mother again. Sad assessment of my character but accurate.”
“Girls, Harvey and I are going out back. He’s going to show me how to use the gas grill,” Beth called from the doorway.
“So, I had to prove myself to you? Like I was worthy?” Lindsey asked.
Nikki nodded in the affirmative.
Lindsey’s temper was peaking, “I don’t like being judged.”
“Nobody does. But, there’s an upshot.”
“Oh, really,” Lindsey could feel her cheeks getting flushed.
“Yep,” Nikki gave a sad grin. “Now, I have to prove myself to you. And, that ain’t gonna be easy ‘cause I’m a bitch.”
The room was quiet for a moment. Nikki finally snorted out a laugh. Lindsey relaxed a bit was still uncomfortable about the whole situation.
“What a fucking mess.” Lindsey stated the obvious.
Nikki chuckled, “There’s the first thing we totally agree about. See, we’re making progress already.”
The front door opened and closed softly.
“Wonder why they came back in that way?” Nikki struggled to get up of the deep seated sofa.
“Hey, baby girl, I came as soon as my bail got posted,” Dylan said as he entered the room. His eyes immediately fixed on Lindsey. “What in the name of God is that little bitch doing here?”
“Daddy, please calm down,” Nikki spoke as she moved between the pair. “The baby’s sleeping. You don’t want to wake him.”
“Get the fuck out of my way, Nikki!”
Dylan shoved his daughter aside and she tumbled to the floor inches from the cradle. Lindsey jumped up off the couch. She wanted to go to Nikki but that would bring Dylan too close the cradle.
“Why don’t you sit down? I was just leaving anyway,” Lindsey said as she backed up toward the kitchen.
“Fuck you! I’m gonna make up for twenty years of fatherly neglect. You won’t be able to walk for a week, punk,” Dylan spat in her face and grabbed her by the shirt front.
“I’m only eighteen, stupid,” Lindsey smirked.
Dylan held her still with his left hand and pulled his right arm back. Lindsey squinted to prepare for the punch. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the shattering of glass off the back of Dylan’s head. He lost his hold on Lindsey as he crashed to his knees. Nikki stood behind him, panting and crying, clutching the broken off vase.
“You little cunt!” Dylan roared.
“What the Hell! Harvey exclaimed as he returned. “Oh, you’ve had it old man.” Harvey seethed as he grabbed Dylan by the shoulders and pushed him to his feet and across the living room. “Beth, call 911. Tell them we need police and an ambulance.”
Dylan struggled to tear himself away from Harvey. “You bastard, let me go. I got a right to see my kid…my wife…”
Harvey slammed Dylan up against the wall, “You got no rights in my house. And, you’ve raised your fist to these women for the last time. Do you hear me? You’re gonna get help or you’re gone from their lives. Now, get out of my house and leave my family alone.”
The three Pretty women stood and watched Harvey evict the cursing Dylan. They were silent until the two men were beyond the front door. Then Beth took the phone and did what Harvey had instructed. Lindsey went over to check on baby. The boy was sputtering short gasps of tears. She scooped him up and held him close.
“It’s okay, Lee. It’ll quiet down. You’ll see. We’re having a bit of a rough start, is all,” Lindsey whispered.
“Is he okay?” Nikki asked. “What was I thinking? Glass? Did he get any on him? Lindsey, is he cut?”
“No, he’s fine. No worries,” Lindsey said as she faced Nikki. “How about you? Any cuts?”
“No, I’m good. God, can you believe him?”
Lindsey didn’t bother to answer Nikki’s question. Instead, she asked one of her own, “He beat you and Beth?”
“It was a long time ago,” Beth interjected as she finished the phone call.
Beth took the broken end of the vase from Nikki’s shaking hands. She set it aside. Cleaning up could wait. Comfort was needed now. She wrapped her arms around Nikki and let her cry until there were no more tears.
Lindsey watched the scene play out all the while thinking, “Maybe I was the lucky one.”
