Chapter 6
The funeral the next day was quick. Brad could see no sense dragging it out. Amy had been through enough the past few days. Carl Samples had asked his minister to say a few words and he was short but eloquent. He had not ordered a limo so he drove the Jaguar. Only one neighbor showed up for the burial, so there was only the hearse, Brad's car and the neighbor's car. The neighbor left as soon as the burial was over and Brad and Amy drove back to the house.
Amy was quiet all afternoon. She passed on dinner and sat in the living room staring at the television. He knew that she was not really seeing what was playing.
About nine o'clock he went to the sunroom and built a fire in the fireplace. He sat in the Papasan chair and gazed at the fire. He had spent many an hour sitting in that chair cuddling with Vera. The day had been exhausting for both Amy and Brad. Amy had gone upstairs a while ago and got ready for bed.
Brad got up and turned off the lights. The fire caste a faint orange glow over the room. As he sat back down in the chair he heard a noise behind him.
"Could I sit with you for a few minutes?" Amy asked.
Brad turned and saw that she had changed for bed and was wearing a robe over her pajamas. He patted the chair seat next to him and Amy came over and sat next to him. She sat stiffly for a while and then suddenly she put her legs over his lap and cuddled her head to his chest. Brad pulled the throw over the both of them and put his arm around her.
Amy was quiet for a while and then looked up at him, "I told my mother that she could rest now. I told her that I have a good man to watch over me now."
Brad gave her a squeeze and she put her face on his chest again and within a few minutes she was asleep. He watched her for a long while. He knew that she was very fragile. He vowed to himself that he would do everything that he could to make the rest of her life a happy life.
When he woke up in the morning he was alone in the big chair. He smelled coffee and walked into the kitchen. Amy was pouring a coffee and she turned and handed it to him.
"I heard you moving around in there. The coffee just finished perking a few minutes ago."
Brad grunted, not fully awake yet. He sipped the coffee slowly, waking up a little with each sip. Amy was bustling around the kitchen and he marveled at how she could be wide-awake and perky so early in the morning. She sat an omelet in front of him and stepped back with a smile on her face. He knew that he had to eat the omelet or hurt her feelings. Usually he did not eat breakfast, preferring to wait until later and then have a bagel or pastry. He picked up the fork and took a bite of the omelet. It was good!
"This is great. Where did you learn to cook?"
"I had to learn to cook so that I wouldn't starve. I was pretty much on my own at my house. My mother had to be at Myron's beck and call."
They finished breakfast, Amy all the while continuing her animated conversation. Brad was surprised that she was taking the death of her mother so well. He was hesitant to bring up the subject, but he didn't want Amy to bury the hurt and have to relive it many times over.
"Amy, do you want to talk about your mother? Are you really doing as well with it as you seem to be?"
Amy was silent for a minute, "No, I'm fine. I made my peace with my mother yesterday. With my home life, we were more like two people thrown into a bad situation than mother and daughter. Don't get me wrong, I still loved her, but the closeness that a mother and daughter usually have was not there. I hope that my mother finds peace where she is now and I don't harbor any ill feelings. As for Myron, that is harder to explain. I feel about him as if he was someone I read about in the newspaper. I might feel sorry for him, but when I fold the paper and put the paper down, I forget about him. I have felt alone all of my life. Now it is time to move on with the rest of my life and see if there can be any happiness out there for me. I don't remember ever being happy and I would like to know what it feels like."
Brad felt his heart break inside for this girl. She had obviously suffered more than she had, or would ever tell anyone. He knew that she would require delicate handling and he vowed to himself that he would make sure that she found the happiness she deserved.
"We have to think about getting you back to school. How about we figure on you going back starting next Monday. That will give you a week to get your head screwed on right. You're going to need clothes and other things that a young woman needs. I have no idea how to outfit a teenager these days. Joseph, from the restaurant, has a twenty-year old daughter in college. How about I see if she's home and can help you get what you need? Maybe we can put together a shopping trip today.
Amy got a big grin on her face, "I do need some things. I probably can make do with just a few changes of clothes. I'll hold the cost down. I can pay you back when I graduate and get a job."
Brad spit a mouthful of coffee across the kitchen and started laughing until tears ran down his cheeks. Amy started getting madder and madder as she sat at the table, thinking that he was laughing at her. Brad went to the table and pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Amy, I am your legal guardian. I am obligated to provide for your needs. Besides being obligated, I want to provide for your needs. As for paying me back, I am forty-one years old and retired. I am sure you know that it's impossible to retire without something in the bank. I don't think that I'll ever have to worry about money and I don't expect you to pay me back. Your only concern right now is the get everything that you will need to go back to school."
Amy sat back down and there were tears in her eyes but she refused to cry. She was still a little leery about Brad's motives for helping her. She had received little kindness in her seventeen years. She watched as Brad picked up the phone and dialed a number. The phone rang several times before someone picked it up.
"Joseph, Brad Pittson here. How's it going? Look I have a favor to ask. Is Carol home from college yet? I have some shopping to do for a teenager and I need help. I thought maybe she would be able to advise us on what a teenager needs in this world."
Brad explained what was going on and why he had to shop for a teenager. Joseph was silent for a minute before answering.
"Carol is here right now. I would love to get her out of here. She wants to help in the restaurant but she knows nothing about the business and is under my feet all of the time. I'll get her and see if she wants to go shopping with you."
The phone was silent for a minute before Carol came on the line, "Sure I'll go shopping with you. I love shopping with someone else's money. That's the best kind of shopping. What's this I hear about you having a daughter now?"
Brad explained again about the situation with Amy and after many "Oh's" from Carol they agreed that Amy and Brad would pick her up at the restaurant in an hour.
Carol asked what store he had in mind and when he told her she said, "Oh, I was going to pick up some jeans, but that place is too rich for my blood."
Brad knew that although Joseph and his brother were supporting their families pretty well, they did not have a lot of money to blow. He decided to treat Carol to a little shopping for herself also.
Brad sat down at the table opposite Amy, "Today I want you to go shopping and get everything that you will need to function. Don't scrimp on the clothes just because you are afraid that it might cost too much. It will just cost me more later if you do that. Tomorrow we will go to my bank and open a checking account for you and get you a debit card. That way you won't have to keep asking me for money when you need it. I'll put a thousand dollars in the account to start you off. As long as you manage your account reasonably, I will replenish it when necessary. That will give you a chance to learn to be financially responsible. Do you have a driver's license?"
Amy stared at him in shock, "Why are you doing this for me? You don't owe me anything."
Brad smiled at her, "Are you trying to keep me from the joy of helping someone? Don't you think that it's time that you had a little joy in your life? Now do you have a driver's license?"
Amy shook her head, "I just completed Driver's Ed, and I have my learner's permit. I just took the course to fill in my schedule. I know there is no chance for me to get a car until after school when I can get a job."
"That's something else we'll have to do this week. It's too far for you to walk to school from here. We'll see about getting your license and try to find you a decent used car. Again, I only ask that you act responsibly with it. Now close your mouth before a fly gets in your throat."
Amy suddenly realized that her mouth was wide open and she was staring at Brad in awe. She snapped her mouth shut and tried to speak but nothing would come out. A car? She could never even dream of such a thing. He must be joking. Nobody does stuff like that.
"Well come on young lady. If we're going to get you clothed we better get going. If you don't hurry you'll have to go to school naked. We only have about ten hours before the stores close."
They drove to the restaurant and picked up Carol. Brad introduced the two and they headed for the car. Carol and Amy jumped in the back seat and started talking a mile a minute. Brad drove toward the huge shopping mall and listened to the two girls chattering like old friends. They instantly took a liking to each other and they didn't shut up until they walked into the store.
Brad told Carol what he wanted to do and told her to buy everything that Amy would need He reminded Carol that Amy had nothing to wear except the clothes on her back and that she would also need personal items.
Carol grabbed Amy's arm and dragged her into the store. Amy kept telling her that she didn't need all of the clothes that Carol had selected but she just kept adding to the pile of clothes on the counter. Brad eventually had to have the clerk ring up the clothes that were already on the sales counter and started making trips to the car to stash them in the trunk. When he came back into the store Carol and Amy had their heads together and were chattering excitedly.
Brad smiled and walked over to the sales clerk, "Excuse me, do you have gift certificates?"
The clerk assured him that they did and ask what amount he wanted.
"Give me a gift certificate for one thousand dollars. If that girl over there tries to refuse it tell her that gift certificates are not refundable."
The clerk had to write ten one hundred dollar certificates because that was the largest that the store had. She put the certificates in an envelope and handed them to him.
Brad walked over to the two girls; "Carol here's a little something to thank you for helping me out."
Carol took the envelope and opened it. Her mouth dropped open and she gasped. Amy grabbed the envelope and looked at it and started jumping up and down.
"Good, now I can pick out clothes for you and torture you like you've been torturing me."
"Gosh Mr. Pittson, I can't accept this. This is way too much."
She looked at the sales clerk and the clerk informed her that gift certificates were not refundable. Amy grabbed her and started holding up clothes that she wanted Carol to try on. It got so hectic that Brad lost track of who was getting what.
On the trip home the trunk was full and the girls had bags and boxes on the front seat and on their laps. Brad dropped Carol off at her house and helped her get her bags inside.
After he had all of Carol's bags inside he excused himself and walked out on the porch. Carol stepped out on the porch with him and put her arms around his neck.
"You're a lifesaver. In a few weeks my rear would have been hanging out of my jeans. She pulled back and looked at him, I think you have some trouble ahead of you. You know that girl is falling for you."
"Come on, Carol. I haven't even known her for a week."
"OK, Mister. Don't say I didn't warn you."