Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy (8 page)

The old chef left his assistant and came around the table. When he reached Craig, he held out his hand. “Pleasure,” he said.

Craig took the thin chef’s offered hand and shook it with a mumbled, “Nice to meet you.”

Casey squinted his eyes. “Seen you around here. Recognize the face. Used to stay here late nights Robin tended bar.”

It was nearly the longest speech Robin had ever heard Casey utter. And it told her that Casey knew that Craig was a recovering alcoholic. She had no idea what else he might already know.

The men shook hands and Robin spoke, “I told Craig you might be able to put him to work.”

“That right? What can ya do, Craig?” The much shorter and bonier old man asked, his voice skeptical yet open.

Craig ran his finger under the collar of his new shirt. “The truth is I ain’t never worked an honest day in my life. So, I don’t know. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”

“Eh?” Casey’s eyes shifted to Robin.

Knowing her friend’s protective feelings toward her, Robin put her hand on her father’s arm to convey her support of him. “Craig just came out of rehab. He has a court date in five months, after which he’ll very probably go back to prison. In the meantime, he needs some kind of work.”

“I can wash dishes, if you want.” Craig offered, looking at the industrial washing station.

Casey stepped back and looked him up and down. “You’s big. Look strong. You’ll do.” Robin smiled, relieved. Casey continued. “Need to get you into a uniform. For now, fetch one o’ them aprons over there. But listen up. This is my kitchen. Do what I say how I say when I say or you’s out. Don’t care if your little girl is the boss. Nobody messes in my kitchen. Clear?”

Craig nodded. “Much obliged. I understand.”

Robin left the men and moved through the kitchen and down the hall to her office. She opened it and slipped in, shutting it behind her and leaning against it. Her hands shook and she pressed them to her eyes.

She didn’t know why she suddenly felt so overwhelmed. Six months ago, she was exhausted physically, and shut down emotionally. Working six days a week, she bartended at one job and waited tables at another. All that mattered to her then was getting Sarah through college and making sure both of her sisters had the means to support themselves so that they would never have to rely on anyone else for anything.

She didn’t know God, then. She didn’t know Tony, then. She had no idea that she served drinks to her own father every single night when she worked at the bar – a father who now faced sentencing in just a few short months for a fifteen year old manslaughter charge from when, years ago, he stepped out of prison, dug up his pistol, and shot and killed Robin’s mother and her mother’s male companion.

Now her mind reeled on how different things were, how much better. She slid down the door and wrapped her arms around her legs, whispering a tearful prayer of thanks to God for not turning His back on her, even when she didn’t know He existed. While she had His attention, she put in a plea, begging him to help her with this looming fear of not being the right Mrs. Viscolli for Tony.

ONY
sat on the worn plaid couch in the living room of Peter and Caroline O’Farrell. Peter, Tony’s mentor and dear friend, headed up the extensive children and youth department at Boston Central Bible Church. Next to Tony on the couch sat a little girl of Chinese descent with straight black hair and a crooked smile. Angel Dove, as Caroline named her, had no idea how she got there or where she came from.

Caroline had first found her digging through the church’s soup kitchen Dumpster after lunch was served one afternoon two years ago. The doctor guessed her age at the time at about six. Angel Dove, currently the youngest child in the O’Farrell home, was at the time directing Tony which color of crayon to shade the puff of smoke coming off of the cartoon train in the coloring book in his lap.

Derrick and Peter had braved the winter storm to walk to the corner store so they could replenish the spent supply of milk the children would need with dinner. Robin and Caroline busied themselves in the kitchen. That meant that Tony and Angel Dove had a few moments of quiet time.

Looking at her sent Tony back a number of years in his memory. He remembered the first time Peter brought him here to this house, the very night he’d given his life to Christ. Peter’s wife, Caroline, had greeted him warmly, with the first hug he’d had in his life. He remembered nearly being brought to tears by that embrace.

Like Angel Dove, the O’Farrell’s had taken Tony in and fostered him, teaching him about life and God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He had learned, grown, and learned some more. He cherished his relationship with these two amazing people. While Peter and Caroline taught him the love of a family, he used the extensive library at the huge inner city church to feed his hungry soul with the Word of God.

By the end of the year, he had saved every dime he earned as one of the church’s janitorial crew and invested it. With the profit from his initial investment, he made another one, and another one. Now he was what the press labeled “Boston royalty,” an entrepreneur who dabbled in just about anything, all the while pouring money into church ministries and local charities.

Never having children of their own, the O’Farrells fostered dozens over the years. Caroline never turned a child away, even if she had to make a pallet on the floor of a bedroom while she found a better home. Tony shared a room with three other boys the year he lived with them. Today, he financed a network of children’s homes throughout the country.

“I have sandwiches,” Caroline said, bringing Tony back to the present. She set a huge platter of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches next to a two bowls of potato chips. Bright red tendrils of hair escaped the pony tail on the top of her head.

Tony glanced up to find Robin strolling out of the kitchen carrying a pitcher of lemonade. She gave him a warm smile that thrilled him. He so enjoyed seeing how well his bride to be fit so perfectly into his life and felt so comfortable with the people who meant the most to him.

“Yummy!” Angel said as she hopped off the couch and ran to the table.

Caroline smiled and put her hand on the head of her daughter. As they stood to go to the table, Tony slipped an arm around Robin’s waist and said, “We are so honored that you and Peter are going to stand up with us at our wedding. We were hoping that Angel Dove could serve as our flower girl.”

“Oh, I bet she would love it,” Caroline said, walking forward to hug Robin first, then Tony.

In what seemed like incredible timing, the second youngest child and youngest boy in the O’Farrell home appeared from the kitchen carrying a stack plates to the table. Little did he know he was about to become the topic of conversation.

“There’s more,” Robin said. “We would also be honored if Isaac would be our ring bearer. I know he’s a little old, but – “

“What do you say, lad? Do you want to be in Uncle Tony’s wedding?”

The little tawny haired boy with the round glasses scrunched his eight-year-old face up. “Do I have to dress up in a monkey suit?”

Caroline’s laughter rang out through the room. “Aye, you do. And you’ll look sharp in it, too. Like James Bond.” She waved at the table. “Now, eat. Get as much as you want. I can make more.”

The back door opened and Peter and Derrick came in, stomping the snow off their feet. Peter pulled his glasses from his face when they steamed up in the heat and Derrick shed his new ski coat. “It is really coming down out there.” Peter set a gallon of milk on the table. “There’s your milk, my dear.”

“Thank you, love,” Caroline said, taking the milk into the kitchen.

“Temperature is dropping,” Derrick said. He grabbed half a sandwich from the platter and ate it in two bites. Caroline came back into the room carrying a glass of milk which she handed Derrick.

“We should probably go, then,” Tony said. He grabbed Robin’s coat that she’d hung on the back of a chair and held it out for her to slip her arms into it. “I still need to get Robin home.”

“Can I drive?” Derrick asked. He drained the milk in a few long swallows and grabbed another sandwich.

“If the weather wasn’t so nasty, I’d say yes.”

“I have to learn how to drive in the snow sometime,” Derrick said.

“He has a point,” Peter said, pulling the ski cap off of his salt and pepper hair.

Tony nodded. “You’re right. After we drop Robin off, maybe I’ll let you drive. Let me see how bad the roads are.

Derrick let out a loud, “Whoop,” and went rushing outside, yelling good-bye to Caroline as he went.

Caroline laughed and put her hand to her chest. “You make me proud, Tony,” she said. “What you’re doing for that young man is a good thing.”

Tony nodded, looking at the door from which Derrick had gone out. “He seems like a fine boy. Ever since he came to me last Wednesday, he’s just gratefully accepted what I’ve offered. I don’t know if he’s waiting for a catch, casing me, or just plain happy to be out.”

Peter put his glasses back on. “I’m guessing the last,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of lost boys. You can tell when they’re sincere and when they’re just biding their time. He will be a great man one day, if he lets God use him.”

“I agree.” Tony buttoned his coat. “Ready to traverse the roads,
cara
?”

“I guess,” she said. “We probably should leave before it gets worse.” She stepped forward and hugged Caroline. “Thank you. I enjoyed the movie and time with you.”

“I enjoyed it as well, love. I shall see you at church tomorrow.”

Tony stepped outside and the wind immediately drove snow into his face. He held up his arm to block the icy blast and took Robin’s arm in his other hand. “Be careful,” he yelled against the wind. “The walk will be slippery.”

He walked carefully along the sidewalk to the gate. The latch was frozen shut. Derrick kicked it with a booted foot and it shook loose so that Tony could open it. They reached his car, parked on the curb, and piled in, Robin in the front seat next to Tony, Derrick in the back.

Tony started the car and cold air blasted out from the vents. “It will warm up in a sec,” he said when Robin shivered. As he spoke, the air started to feel warmer.

He put the car in drive and realized after just a few yards that he would not be able to see in the driving snow. He stopped at an intersection. “We’re going to have to take the Charlie,” he said. “I can’t drive in this.”

Robin shivered and looked at her feet. She’d worn canvass shoes, not knowing that the weather would turn. “I don’t have a Charlie stop close to me,” she said.

“Well …” He thought about the available options. “You’ll just have to stay at my place. I have a stop right near me.”

Just then, Robin’s phone rang. Tony saw Sarah’s picture on the screen as Robin answered it. “Hey, Sarah,” she said. Tony inched the car forward carefully. “Slow down,” Robin said. “I can’t understand you.”

Tony turned off of the street that housed the pastors of Boston Central Bible and pulled into the church parking lot, driving through the empty lot to the end. He parked in a spot closest to the entrance to the subway system, but did not turn the car off yet.