Veil of Silence (35 page)

“Marsha?  Are you okay?  Where are you?” he asked, his questions sounding very much like MaryBeth’s.

“I’m fine, Dad.  I’ve decided to retire,” she told him.  “Heather and I are going to check out Silicon Valley and maybe something out in Colorado.  We were wondering if you’d like to go along?  Maybe live near us or with us?  Get to know your grandkids?  Maybe provide them with a father figure?”  She realized she sounded like her mother with all these questions and she subsided into silence while she waited for her father to answer.

“You want me to go with you?” he clarified, feeling suddenly choked up and wanted.  He knew why Marvin wanted him.  The twit was already shopping for a new boat, the mercenary little bastard.

“Yeah, how about you come along while we drive out there and see what we find.  Maybe I’ll send out a few resumes and see who responds.”

“You won’t have any ties on the base?”

“Naw, I got my discharge papers already.”  She didn’t tell him they had been issued in haste by Washington and were conditional on her silence.  “I retired a lieutenant colonel.  They were probably glad to see me go.”

“Was it for PTSD?” he asked, worriedly.

“Yeah, that, and it was time.  I’ve spent enough time away from Heather and the kids.  We need to find each other and a balance in our family life.  The kids are young so wherever we settle, they can start over without it being too much stress on their school life.  We’d like you to come along.  Are you game?”

Lawrence was thrilled to be asked.  He knew Marsha was just as she seemed and wanted nothing other than his presence.  Getting to know his grandkids sounded great to him and providing a male figure to them was right up his alley.  He agreed wholeheartedly.

* * * * *

“Are we ready?” Marsha asked a few days later.  They had the rack on top of the van with a plastic box that contained suitcases.  The van was filled with things for the children and a cooler that contained juices and other snacks.  The diaper bag was filled to overflowing and there was an extra bag packed in the back just for diapers.  Her father was sitting in the passenger seat and would switch off with Heather or Marsha as they’d take turns driving west to see what jobs were available to a retired army lieutenant colonel who specialized in computer systems.  The future looked bright wherever they landed.  They would be back for their possessions, but for now they were on a big adventure together.

As they sang songs with the children or watched movies on the overhead flat screens, Marsha realized there would always be secrets in their family.  Her silence was paramount to their continued safety as well as their future.  When she went back to pack up the house one final time, she would debate over the burqa and whether she should pack it with the rest of her belongings.  It was the chador that would create the biggest debate in her mind.  As she admired the beautiful material, she decided to keep it, thinking of it as a veil…her veil of silence.

THE END

If you have enjoyed VEIL OF SILENCE, you may enjoy K’Anne’s unforgettable novel SMALL TOWN ANGEL.  A sample is here for your enjoyment:

As the bus pulled into Port Washington she wondered if she should get off at this stop or go further up the coast.  The bus was still pretty crowded, they had taken on a lot of passengers in Milwaukee, but Amy decided to wait it out, see where it went.  She knew the end of the line for this particular section of her journey would be Green Bay but she was searching.  Searching for something.  Anything.  She wasn’t sure what, but her instincts told her to sit down and bear with the fates, to put up with the smelly obese woman who had gotten on the bus back in Milwaukee and overflowed her seat into Amy’s.  This woman apparently hadn’t washed in days and eaten garlic right before she got on the transport.  Amy grinned at herself and was polite to the woman.  She probably had no idea that she smelled or that she even was taking up part of Amy’s seat on the cramped bus.  Amy was willing to put up with it.  Something kept her in her seat and not just the fact that she was packed in like a sardine.

She watched as more passengers got on and off in Port Washington.  The large noisy bus took off once again and headed up the Eastern coast of Wisconsin and up toward The Thumb.  The appendage of land that stuck out into Lake Michigan and got its moniker from what it looked like jutting off out into the water like that.  They headed into Door County and the towns got smaller.  The smaller towns enchanted her as they pulled in and out of them, dropping off and picking up other passengers.  She didn’t mind the constant starts and stops.  It was fascinating to people watch, to see the different sights, the changing of the fall leaves.  Occasionally they pulled into a small town where she actually got a glimpse of the large inland sea known as Lake Michigan.  All her life it had been a feature on a map and now she was actually seeing it. 

Slowly the bus emptied as more people got off rather than on it.  At Sturgeon Bay they crossed a bridge that separated the ‘mainland’ from an island on the appendage.  They continued north on Hwy 57 through places like Whitefish Bay, Bailey’s Harbor, and Moonlight Bay.  Later she would become familiar with Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, and other such intriguing and unique names.  It was at Northpoint that her inner voice said to get off the bus.  Her ticket was paid in full for Green Bay but something told her to get up, get out, and the driver obliged her.  It wasn’t his lookout where his passengers disembarked and he helped her get her large bag out from under the bus.  Northpoint was his ‘turnaround’ point anyway.  The northern most point on The Thumb where he would turn the bus and go south once again on Hwy 42 this time and hit those little towns that relied on this service.  He watched as she hitched her large backpack and managed to pull along behind her the large bag he had just pulled out from the luggage compartment.  Fortunately, it was on wheels and had an extendable handle.  He wondered if she carried a cast iron kitchen sink in the thing it was so heavy.  He shook his head as he began to pack the couple of bags his new passengers handed him and forgot about her.

Amy headed for a sign she had seen from the bus.  The Duck and Swan Inn was charming looking.  She knew since it was a Bed and Breakfast that it would be expensive but she was tired, and she was cranky.  After sleeping several days in various bus seats, she needed a good night’s sleep as well a nice hot bath.  She rubbed her arms at the gate from the coolness of the evening as she looked around wondering if this was it, this was her last destination.  Would this be her new home?

“May I help you?” a pleasant faced woman answered her ringing of the small discreet bell on the counter at the front of the home she had walked into.  She had hesitated to just walk in to the inn but an equally discrete sign had invited her in and she hoped it was okay.

“Hello, I’m Amy Adams and I was hopin’ you had a room?” she asked with a pleasant smile, returning the one the woman was giving her.

“Oh you timed it right, it’s the end of the season and we have a few open now during the week.  Good thing you didn’t come this weekend or there would be nothing in town available, would you like one with a fireplace?” she asked.

“Oh, a fireplace sounds lovely,” Amy enthused.

“And how many nights?” she asked as she pushed a registration card across the small counter.

Amy filled it out quickly and with neat handwriting the woman noted.  “A couple of nights?” Amy asked hopefully.

“That will be fine but we do need the room for the weekend as we are full up,” she replied as she read the details Amy had filled in.  “I’ll need payment up front and a picture I.D?”

Amy was ready for her and handed over both a credit card and a driver’s license which the lady took and processed efficiently.  “I’m Sarah Katzenburger, and me and my husband own this house,” she introduced herself as the credit card went through the little pin pad and printed out a receipt for Amy to sign.

“It’s a lovely house,” Amy commented as she looked around at the homey touches and antique look of the saltbox house.  From the outside it was weathered, probably from the storms that must occur due to the lake.

“Well, breakfast is from six to nine a.m. and I can arrange a lunch or dinner at any of our fine restaurants around town if you are interested,” she said brightly as she reached for an antique key and handed it with a receipt to Amy.  She eyed her guest trying to figure out what a woman alone and with a southern accent would be doing this far north at this time of year.

“That sounds fine,” Amy answered and ignored the inquiring look.  She knew most people wouldn’t ask too many personal questions until they felt more comfortable with a stranger and she hid behind that for now.  Tomorrow might be another day and the woman curious.  “I’ll need to find someplace tonight to eat dinner,” she commented with a broad hint.

“Well, the burgers over at Chuckies’ are fantastic but he also does a full meal of steak and veggies,” she added when Amy first wrinkled her nose at ‘burgers.’

“That sounds good, um where is it?” Amy asked.  Grease didn’t appeal after all that time on the bus and only bus stop food to tide her over but a full meal would sit just right.  She listened as Mrs. Katzenburger gave her a brief layout of the town and where Chuckies’ was in location to the inn.  Thanking her hostess she climbed the stairs to her room that was inscribed on the key and found to her delight not only did it have a fireplace but the wood already laid.  She put down her heavy suitcase and looked with delight at the private bathroom.  She was looking forward to that deep claw footed tub as she quickly washed up, ran a comb through her thick red hair and lightly freshened her makeup.  Looking in the mirror she examined her detested freckles that had mostly faded along with her summer tan.  She had smooth skin otherwise, brilliant green eyes, a fine narrow nose, and luscious ‘kissable’ lips.  Her eyes were her best feature she felt and her eyebrows delicately outlined them along with the double set of eyelashes that made it easy for her not to wear mascara as she didn’t need it.  Most redheads had light brown or red brows and lashes but not her.  Her’s were dark and clearly outlined her features.  She liked how she looked even though she had been teased about her looks her entire life.  One more run through with the comb and her hair was neat once again and she headed out of the delightful room she found herself in, locking it behind her and pocketing the key.

Sarah watched as the new guest headed out for the evening and wondered about her once again.  She seemed pleasant enough but a southerner, which was going to create a bit of gossip in this touristy town.

Amy found Chuckies with Sarah’s excellent directions and was pleased at the selection on the menu which was written above the bar.  She ordered a steak, home fries, and a salad as well as a Corona and asked if she could sit in a booth.  The bartender assured her she could and her entire meal would be brought to her when it was done.  He had frowned when she said she wanted it well done but her pretty smile with the hint of a dimple charmed him.  She took her beer and headed for an out of the way spot where she could watch the restaurant/bar and read the newspaper she had purchased.

Amy started with the want ads and continued on through the ‘for sale’ ones, trying to get a feel for the area.  It covered all up and down the coast and the towns were all unfamiliar to her.  She’d have to purchase a map of Door County tomorrow when she was well rested.

“Who’s that?” a tall dark headed woman asked as she sat on a stool at the bar.  The bartender didn’t ask her what she wanted as he poured a beer from the tap and slid it down to her where she expertly caught it in her hand and took a sip.

“Tourist,” he grunted as he wiped the moisture from the well-polished bar.

She nodded as she glanced curiously at the woman from the reflection of the mirror and then quickly averted her eyes to the other patrons of the bar classifying them by tourist or townie in moments.  Her eyes were drawn back to the redhead though as the light above her booth hit the strands of her hair most becomingly.  She could appreciate a good looking woman but when the woman either felt herself being observed or just looked up from her newspaper the brunette hastily concentrated on her draft.

“Eats?” the bartender asked and at her nod he wrote up a tag for the kitchen and picked up the tray that the redhead had ordered and gave it to one of the waitresses.

“This looks delicious!” Amy enthused as the waitress laid it out for her.  It smelled heavenly and her mouth was watering.  She cut a few slices of the steak and delicately put down her knife and picked up her fork to eat them along with the fries.  She reached across the table and applied ketchup to her plate so she could dip.  She carefully cut up her salad so she could eat convenient mouthfuls of it.  Her left hand repeatedly returned to her lap where she had delicately put her napkin.  She unconsciously showed off her manners and breeding to the establishment and anyone watching her.

Amy really enjoyed the first sit down meal she’d had in days and when the waitress returned twice she ordered a second bottle of beer as she relaxed over the newspaper reading it from front to back.  She glanced up occasionally to look at the other patrons and noticed one or two observing her as well but her eyes glanced over them and kept going.

She felt delightfully full as she handed over her credit card and waited for the waitress to return with the slip to be signed.  She had no problem leaving a twenty percent tip as she filled in the blanks and kept her copy stowing it and the extra copy of the bill in her wallet.  As she got up she carefully folded the newspaper back, tucked it under her arm, and headed out of the bar watched by a few people including the brunette who was eating her dinner at the bar.