The Angels of Destiny (14 page)

"Richard, is that you?" enquired Susan, hearing the front door open.

"Yes, sorry I
’
m late but the meeting went on longer than I expected. You know what they
’
re like down at the club."

"Not surprisingly I don
’
t, because you
’
ve never taken me." Susan was stood at the top of the stairs wearing a dressing gown and a pink cream face pack.

"It
’
s all boring stuff anyway. I
’
m going to make a coffee before I come to bed darling."

"Please be quiet when you come up, I
’
m so tired I
’
ll probably be asleep so please don't wake me. Oh, and by the way, Vicki will be here tomorrow evening. I
’
m picking her up at the airport at nine o
’
clock. She
’
s staying until Sunday."

"Oh good, Pops will be pleased to see her." Richard walked into the kitchen and pulled a cold beer from the fridge. He opened the sliding doors onto the veranda and slumped into a lounger. Staring up at the night sky he took a long slug of beer and retraced the evening
’
s events. God would surely not want him to do such a deed as kill his own sister, his pregnant sister. He couldn
’
t volunteer, not like Jack did tonight. Vicki was going to die and he knew he was not able to stop it.

Richard was not capable of original thought, all his life he had looked for guidance from one source or another. His job suited him. It was the same thing every day, out to Alcatraz and back again, and he didn
’
t have to make too many decisions other than when to dock the boat for maintenance or the frequency of trips to coincide with the demand. The route and ticket cost were decided anyway and thankfully not by him, so the power of Adam Domaradzki was intoxicating to him. The Father was his idol and his word was the truth. As a disciple he was commanded to do things and those commands were
‘
Gods
’
will. He couldn
’
t question the supreme command. If he was told to kill his sister then he would have to do it. Often when the Elder Father talked about doubt and the frailty of faith he would remind them of Jacob with the Angels in the darkness and his wavering would soon be restored.

The following evening, Susan had seen the children to bed as usual and then driven down the 101 to the airport, some fifteen miles or so. At eight-twenty she parked up in the short term parking lot and made her way to the arrivals area. Looking at the arrivals display Susan picked out American Airlines flight no 519; it was flashing
‘
Landed.
’

Vicki had flown from the Houston Hobby airport, near the complex, to Dallas and then direct to San Francisco some seventeen-hundred miles in total. Susan knew she would be tired and looking forward to a good nights sleep, but happy to know that her father was recovering well.

Vicki walked out from the customs area and Susan was there to greet her. She noticed how pregnant she now looked and in need of some rest. "Hi Vicki," she said, as she approached.

"Hi Susan, how are you."

"Fine and yourself?"

"Very well thanks, just a little tired, it
’
s been a long day. What
’
s the latest on Pops?"

"Good news. He
’
s doing just great and looking forward to seeing you, as you can imagine."

"After Richard called the other evening I thought it might be the end." Vicki said.

"He
’
s a tough old cookie you know, and I
’
m sure the thought of being a Grandfather has pulled him through."

" Let
’
s hope he keeps going long enough to pay for his University education," said Vicki laughing.

"Ah, so it
’
s a boy is it?"

“
Oh, that
’
s just Rob
’
s wishful thinking. I
’
m sure a girl would be just as acceptable to him so long as she looks like me."

Susan laughed, "I
’
m sure he
’
ll be delighted with whatever it is. I must say it
’
s difficult to hide the fact now isn
’
t it?" she said, looking at the protrusion in front of Vicki.

"Yeah, he can
’
t wait to be a dad, he
’
s so excited."She said, holding her lump with one hand.

"You picked a good one there Vicki."

"I love him, Susan. Even more than I thought possible."

"He loves you too, that
’
s obvious."

"I must call him to let him know I
’
ve arrived safely. He gave me strict instructions before I left." Vicki took a cellphone from her bag and dialed. "Rob, Hi it
’
s me
…
yes I
’
m fine
…
no, no problems
…
sure... I
’
ll call you tomorrow after I
’
ve visited Pops
…
Yeah, Susan's here and she says he
’
s doing just fine
…
Okay
…
Love you too. Vicki switched off the cell-phone. Right now Susan, I
’
m looking forward to bed."

"I
’
m sure you are. I
’
ll have you home in no time don
’
t worry.
”

The next morning, Richard left home early for the boat, saying that he had some work to do on one of the engines, and that he would be home for the evening meal Susan was planning for seven pm. Vicki awoke at eight after a good sleep. Feeling refreshed, after a power shower, she made her way to the kitchen. The aroma of bacon cooking filled her nostrils as she walked down stairs, and as she breathed out, she moaned gently in anticipation.

“
Vicki, is that you?"

“
Yes, Mom."

"Tell Susan I
’
ll be down soon, I
’
m doing my hair."

“
Okay. Hi guys," said Vicki, entering the kitchen where the kids were already devouring a plate full of waffles covered in syrup.

"Good morning, I trust you slept well?" enquired Susan busy cooking more waffles to keep up with the insatiable appetite of two growing boys.

"Wonderfully well thank you. I feel quite refreshed now and just a little hungry having smelt the bacon."

"Would you like two fried eggs as well?"

"Oh yes, please.
”

"Sit at the table then, and help yourself to coffee. As soon as you
’
ve eaten these go and get ready for school you two." Said Susan, loading the large white plate with another four hot waffles.

"Mom said she
’
ll be down soon."

"Doing her hair no doubt," Susan commented. Vicki just nodded in agreement.

"Are you having a baby?" enquired the youngest boy.

"Yes, Paul I am."He giggled in embarrassment before devouring another waffle and running off to his bedroom.

"He
’
s so stupid," came the response from Arron the eldest boy with a mouthful of breakfast.

"He
’
s only six, Arron, don
’
t be so nasty." Replied Susan, with a stern look on her face.

"What are going to call it, Auntie Vicki?"

"Well, if it
’
s a boy we
…
"

"Don
’
t you know yet?" Interrupted Arron sounding surprised whilst licking syrup off his fingers.

"No not yet,"said Vicki smiling in amusement.

"If it
’
s a boy we like the name James. If it
’
s a girl then either Sarah or Emma"

"Very biblical interjected Susan."

"I suppose so. I hadn
’
t really thought about that, but yes you
’
re right."

"I hope it
’
s a boy," said Arron. "So that we can watch the Giants together."

"Okay I
’
ll see what I can do for you," said Vicki, sounding quite serious but still managing to smile. Arron looked quite pleased with the response to his request and his round fresh face carried a broad smile. It would be a few years before puberty took control of his body, turning him into a spotty arrogant teenager.

"There you are," said Susan, placing the delicious breakfast in front of Vicki.

"Not only does it smell good, it looks good too."

"Enjoy."

"Oh I will don
’
t worry.
”

By ten o
’
clock Susan, Vicki
’
s Mother Mary, and Vicki had arrived at the St Francis Memorial Hospital on Hyde Street, only a few minutes by car from home. Vicki had picked up some fresh oranges and grapes from a corner store on the way and they looked delicious. Susan gave the name of John Stark to the awaiting sister on arrival at the observation bay and she gestured with her hand. "The cream door on your right, number 218," she said, quite bluntly.

As they walked to the room Vicki watched the general comings and goings of busy nurses, ward staff pushing trolleys and doctors huddled together in conference. It reminded her that soon she would be in a hospital bed, screaming with pain as the impossible act of pushing a seven or eight pound baby through such as a small exit became reality. At the moment it wasn
’
t something she was looking forward to. The door of room 218 was open when they arrived and John Stark was out of bed, reading the San Francisco Chronicle, on a chair by the window.

"Hi Pops, how are you?"

“
Oh, Vicki, it
’
s great to see you."

"Don
’
t get up Pops," she said, leaning over to kiss him, followed closely by Mary and Susan.

"They
’
ve got you wired up all right haven
’
t they?
”

"It
’
s monitoring my heartbeat. They say my rhythm is almost back to normal and the attack was only mild."

"I brought you some fruit Pops, I
’
ll put it in the basket."

"Thanks honey. You know you didn
’
t have to come all this way just for me, I
’
ve got Mary and Susan to look after me. But, I must say it
’
s great to see you, especially looking so well. How
’
s that man of yours?"

"Oh he
’
s fine."

"Good guy that Rob," said Pops.

"He's okay,
”
she said, winking at Pops. Vicki held his hand knowing he had a lot of respect for Rob, and it pleased her. She thought how surprisingly well he looked and very smart in his blue dressing gown that Mary had promptly bought for him the day before. The next hour was spent talking amongst themselves about the wedding and the birth and Pops reminding them on a regular basis that it was only a mild heart attack and that he would be fully fit within a matter of weeks. Vicki knew he would want to give her away but if that were not possible then Richard would have to do it.

Richard arrived home just after seven, looking tired and in need of a shower. He kissed Vicki and made straight for the bathroom. "I
’
ll be about ten minutes Sue," he said, as he ran up the stairs.

"Okay, suppers nearly ready."

The meal of cold chicken and tossed salad was quickly devoured, followed by a large selection of fruit, cheeses and fresh sourdough. Vicki noticed how edgy Richard was but put it down to tiredness and hard work. "Have you been working hard over the summer, Rich?" she asked.

“
Yeah, I
’
ve had a good season sis, probably the best in a few years."

Susan said, "I think he
’
s in need of a break Vicki."

"Don
’
t start please."

"Okay, I
’
m just thinking of your health that
’
s all."

"What do you think of James or Sarah as names for the baby?" enquired Susan to Richard.
“
Arron thinks they
’
re very Biblical too."