Chapter 3
Ethel sat Ann, Brenda and Father Adams at the kitchen table and started to busy herself fixing breakfast for all of them. Just as she sat the food in front of them there was a knock on the door.
Father Adams walked into the living room and answered the door. He returned in a minute followed by another man who introduced himself as Sam Bradbury, Rosie Bradbury's son. Ethel got him a coffee and sat him down at the kitchen table. She insisted that he allow Ann and the baby to get something to eat before he started talking to her about taking care of Rosie.
After Ann finished her breakfast Sam Bradbury looked at Ethel, as if to get her approval to start talking to Ann about the position. Ethel gave him a quick nod of her head.
"Mrs. Adams tells me that you might be interested in being a live-in companion for my mother. Have you had any experience taking care of an elderly person?"
Ethel dropped her fork and glared at Sam, "Sam Bradbury, shame on you. Ann is taking good care of a baby and taking care of Rosie will be a lot easier than taking care of a child."
Sam looked at Ethel sheepishly and changed his line of questioning, "Ethel told me that you seemed to be a real nice person and that you needed a job and a place to stay. I'm looking for someone that will take care of my mother and make sure that she gets to the doctor when she needs to and to make sure she takes her medicine like she should. I'm looking for someone that will stay as long as we need you. I can't be coming back here every 3 weeks to hire someone new. Does that sound like something that would suit you?"
Ann smiled weakly, "Yes, I need a place to stay and I enjoy taking care of people. Back home I ran a day-care out of my home so taking care of one person will be like a vacation."
Sam leaned forward in his chair, "Tell me a little about you. Who are you and where are you from?"
Ann told him about her marriage to Ray and how she had to get away from him because of his gambling and his indebtedness to loan sharks. She left out the part about being raped and threatened by the two men.
When she had told Sam as much as she dared he pushed his chair back a little, "When could you start?"
"I could start immediately, Mr. Bradbury."
Sam Grinned, "Just call me Sam. Ethel told me that you ran out of gas in front of the church. I've got a 5-gallon can of gas in my trunk. How about we get your car started and I'll take you over to meet my mother. I think that you'll like her. She's always been a pleasant person and I'm sure that she'll love having someone to talk to again. I know that she'll love having your child around. Just one thing; she's a bit forgetful so you'll have to keep an eye on the medicines."
Before they left, Sam thanked Father Adams and Ethel for their help and promised to take a couple of days to help Ann get settled into the house before he left for California. After they left the house Sam put the gas into her car and made sure it started. He gave her directions to Rosie's house in case they got separated and then took her to meet Rosie. Ann listened but his directions seemed like Greek to her; she knew nothing about Alexandria, Virginia.
Thankfully, they didn't get separated on the way to Rosie's house. As they pulled in front of the house, Ann saw that it was an older home in an older section of town. The neighborhood was a quiet one, the urban sprawl had by-passed this area.
Sam walked Ann and Brenda around the house outside showing them the yard and the garage where Ann could park her car.
"My mother never learned to drive so the garage hasn't been used for years," Sam said. "I don't think that my mother has put too much stuff in the garage. You might have to clean out a bit of junk to fit your car in here."
When Ann marveled about how large the house was Sam told her that he had the house insulated a few years ago and had energy-efficient windows installed to keep down the heating bills.
When the three of them walked into the house they found Ethyl sitting next to Rosie Bradbury. They were laughing and talking loudly with much gesturing and talking. Rosie's face brightened when she saw Ann and Brenda.
"Oh my, look at this beautiful little girl," Rosie said, putting her hands out to Brenda, "You're going to be a little heart breaker when you grow up young lady.
Rosie put her hands out to Brenda and the child walked over to her and climbed in the woman's lap. Rosie started asking Brenda about her trip and how she liked Virginia. Soon the two were cuddling and talking and totally ignoring the others in the room. Brenda listened intently to everything that Rosie said and spoke the few words she knew to anything Rosie said.
Sam waited a couple of minutes and then interrupted the pair, "Mom, this is Ann and you already know Brenda I think. Ann needs a place for her and Brenda to stay and I thought that maybe you and Ann and Brenda might share this big house. I think that it would work out for all of you. You need some help with this house and they need a place to stay."
Rosie looked over at Ann and snickered, "Sam thinks that I don't know that he has been looking for someone to take care of me. I have a little trouble with the stairs and the laundry and cooking is getting to be a bit much for me. I realize that I need a little help. Sam thinks that I'm so senile that I don't know what's going on."
Sam started shuffling his feet, not knowing what to say next and Rosie waved her hands at him, "Sam why don't you take Ethyl back into town and let me and Ann talk for a while."
Sam started to say something and Ethyl took his arm and started to lead him out of the room
"They need to get to know each other for a little while before we throw the three of them together," Ethyl said after they were outside, "Rosie will know if she and Ann and Brenda can get along."
Sam drove Ethyl back to her house and thanked her and started back to his house. He suddenly thought that he had better get some food in the house that a child would eat. He was sure that Brenda and Rosie had different ideas as to what good food was. He saw a supermarket ahead and pulled in and found a parking spot close to the door.
He pushed the cart up and down the aisles trying to remember what his children liked at that age. He loaded up on finger food and a good supply of cookies and candy besides the foods he knew Rosie liked. When the cart was as full as he could get it, he started for the checkout.
On the way back to his mother's house Sam refilled the 5-gallon gas can so that Ann would have gas for the lawn mower.
When Sam walked back into the living room of his mother's house Rosie and Ann were laughing and talking and Rosie was holding a sleeping Brenda on her lap. They both looked at Sam quickly and then resumed their conversation. Sam shrugged and walked back to the car and started to bring the groceries into the house. Ann came into the kitchen while he was putting away the food and began to help him get everything put away. Rosie came into the kitchen assisted by her metal cane and sat at the kitchen table and told them were everything went.
"Brenda is on the sofa," Rosie said, "She's exhausted."
After everything was put away the three of them went back into the living room and sat down and continued to get to know each other. They talked for hours about anything and everything. Rosie loved to tell stories about how Alexandria was when she was a young girl and how she and her husband has been active in Virginia politics.
At six o'clock Ann got up and insisted on cooking dinner, in her own way she wanted to show Sam that she could cook and that Rosie wouldn't go hungry. She busied herself making a pot roast and fresh rolls. Rosie watched Brenda while the child slept and when Brenda woke up Rosie pulled her onto her lap and began to read the comics to her.
The dinner turned out fine and Sam raved about her cooking. Rosie commented on how she really hadn't been eating right since she had been living alone and that this meal was fantastic.
"Well Sam, it looks like you can go back to California now. I sure won't starve to death," Rosie said with a big grin.
Sam nodded his approval, "What do you think Ann? Would you want to stay here and watch out for my mother?"
Ann nodded her head yes and grinned from ear to ear. Rosie reached over and took her hand and assured her that she would try to not be much trouble for Ann and Brenda.
They sat at the dinner table and talked for a while. When the conversation started to slow, Ann got up and began to clear the table and take the dishes and silverware into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. Sam got up and began to help her. After the dishwasher was started Sam turned to Ann and started to talk about the arraignments and the financial aspects of the job.
"Ann, as I told you earlier, I'll pay you $100 per week and room and board for you and Brenda. Wait a minute; maybe I'd better make that $150 a week. $100 doesn't go very far these days. I will cover all of the expenses for running the house, the utility bills and the food bills. I'll have an account set up here with the bank that my mother always uses and I'll check on it every day on the Internet and replace any money that you've used. I don't want any of the money for my mother's care or running the house coming out of your money. Room and board is part of your salary. If any repairs have to be done on the property or you need extra money for anything, e-mail me and I'll transfer the funds to your account. Does that sound fair?
Ann smiled, "It sounds more than fair. I need help and this is like a gift from God. I promise that I'll take excellent care of Rosie. Brenda seems to like her a lot and Rosie seems delighted to have a child in the house."
Sam breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad that you feel that way. I have to get back to California but I couldn't leave until I got my mother taken care of. If you're comfortable with the arraignments I'd like to leave tomorrow. I'll pay you one month in advance so that you have some money of your own. What do you think?"
Ann assured him that everything would be fine with her and Rosie. Sam told her that he had a good feeling about her and was sure that Ann and Rosie would get along fine.
Sam walked back into the living room and told Rosie that Ann had agreed to stay with Rosie, "I've got a good feeling about Ann. How do you feel?"
Rosie smiled, "Just get yourself back to California and leave us women alone. We'll get along fine."
The next afternoon Sam had Ann take him to the airport for his trip
back to California.