Untitled Novel - Chapter 5

Navette and Marcus made it to the airport on time. The airport was packed with many New Yorkers going places for the Easter holiday. “Hey, are you the guy that I saw on the news that killed D.Man D.?” asked a girl sporting a tattoo of a snake on her neck just below her left ear. She looked at Marcus with a weird look and Marcus refrained from any response. Navette took him by the arm and tugged him along. They could hear her say something as she turned and walked away, but couldn’t make it out. Marcus had heard the name D. Man D. before, but did not know he had a following. Neither did he think someone he would meet at the airport would recognize him as the man who had shot this guy. It was upsetting and brought up some fears of gang revenge.

There were others who recognized him from the news also, but some you could tell didn’t quite know why and others who you could hear whispering the story of saving a girl from the attacker. They balanced the scale from the first girl and soon their thoughts were back to the trip and meeting Navette’s parents.

Marcus and Navette were now in their seats on the plane and Marcus was beginning to stir up curiosity about Navette’s parents and felt this would be a good time to bring up the subject. “You must tell me something about your parents. I’ll tell you what I know and you tell me what I don’t know.”

“I’m afraid that I cannot do that in the time it takes to get to LA and I really would like for you to meet them and not form any opinions prematurely.”

This made Marcus even more curious. “Ok, let’s start with some basic questions. What does your father do, I mean to earn all his money?”

“You say that with a sense of apprehension, like he cheats little old women or something. My father is a good man and I know you will agree when you meet him.”

Marcus would have to admit he has had some suspicions but he never thought he cheated little old women. “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything dishonest but I know that your family must be wealthy, you know, living in LA, having a sailboat, sending their daughter to __________________ . All this stuff takes money.”

“My father has done well financially, but he has made it all honestly.”

“Well, what does he do?”

“Diamonds. My father buys and sells diamonds”

“Wow, He sells diamonds?”

“Yes, He used to travel all around the country buying these stones, but now most of those selling come to him. My grandfather was a stone cutter and dad has been around this business all his life. He knows his business pretty well.”

“This sounds interesting. Why did you not, you know, follow in the family footsteps?”

“My brother chose that route. My brother and I do not get along very well. I had rather just not deal with it. Anyway, I love what I do and it started with Mom’s business.”

“How is that?”

“Well, my mother is in advertising. She was working for a an advertising firm that promoted diamonds all over the world. That’s how Mom and Dad met.”

“Does your mom still work in advertising?”

“Yes, she does. She now owns a magazine that is dedicated entirely to the jewelry industry.”

“Wow, so your father buys and sells diamonds and your mother owns a magazine. Why don’t you work for your mother?”

“I will someday. But, I wanted to go to school at ______________ and I fell in love with New York. The city has so much to offer in advertising and I just want to learn as much as I can before making the move.”

“You have a brother? You haven’t mentioned that. Why is it that you two don’t get along?”

“We just see things differently. I can’t change him and he could care less if I change. He is very ambitious and fails to see the good things in life. He is my mother in my father’s world.”

“Your mother is ambitious?”

“Very. But she does know when to pull back and she does smell the roses occasionally. But Donald just doesn’t know when to slow down. He doesn’t know how to focus on anything except business.”

“Do you resemble you father or your mother?”

“That one is easy to answer. My mother and I are very much alike. We even can wear each other’s clothes. She looks very young for her age and I think we look a lot alike. I am getting excited more than ever for you to meet them. I think Mom will like you and I know that Dad will.”

“You know that huh. Why do you know your dad will like me?”

“Just trust me, some things I just know.”

“You sound like Joe.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, Joe is always telling me that hotdog vendors always know.”

“Oh.”

“So, there is a possibility that your mom won’t like me. I suppose I might not have enough ambition or high society enough for her magazine groupies.”

“This is exactly why I did not want to tell you about my parents. You are already profiling them and you have so little information. Why don’t we find something else to talk about?”

Marcus kept forgetting to direct his thoughts in a positive direction. Marcus remembered how much better he felt when he looked at his job more positively. He then decided to just believe that it would be as Navette said: her mother would like me and her father definitely would.

“I am sure I will like them and they have just got to like me, because I am very much in love with there daughter.”

Marcus once again smooths things over and the conversation moved to the subject of Sammy and Margaret. “I wonder where Sammy spent the night. He wasn’t in when I left and it looks like his bed wasn’t slept in.”

“Don’t you remember? He went skiing. I bet Margaret and her son went also.”

“Margaret has a son?”

“Yes, I discovered that as we were waiting for you at your birthday party. He is 6 years old and in the first grade. He would like to be a fireman for New York City. I think his father was a firefighter and was killed when the twin towers collapsed. So he has never seen his father. That’s about all I know.”

Sammy and Marcus didn’t talk much about Margaret. Marcus didn’t really know much about her. As to why Sammy didn’t talk much about Margaret, Marcus figured it was because they had feared her and her superior type authority at work. Sammy felt Marcus would not understand and that he may think he was a trader or something. Marcus didn’t feel that way. In fact, the more contact he has with Margaret, the more he liked her.

“Sammy doesn’t confide in me much anymore. I don’t hear this stuff.”

“I think they are getting pretty serious, I know they are spending a lot of time together. I hope it is just not out of sympathy for the boy.”

“Yea, I would hate to see Sammy get hurt.”

It would be about two more hours before they landed in LA. The flight attendants had already been through offering their snacks and drinks. Navette was finishing her fruit flavored water when Marcus ordered another coffee. The coffee seemed to go well with the donut he also ordered.

“I am going to teach you to eat healthy. That stuff you eat will kill you before you reach fifty.”

“We must live for today and not depend on fifty.”

“Yes but what if you live to be 100, but your body is in lousy shape and you have to ride around in one of those powered chairs all because you did not take care of yourself now.”

So much for the talking, Marcus picked up a magazine from the seatback and began to flip through it. All of a sudden, Navette snatched it from his hands and closed it.

Navette saw something in the magazine that she did not want Marcus to see, but she now had to explain herself, so she made up this: “We have all this quality time and you are not going to spend it looking at a magazine.”

“You have been asking about my parents, now let’s talk about yours. I know you came from the Chicago area. And that’s all I know. What do your parents do? How many brothers and sisters do you have? Why are you in New York? Why do you…

“Wait a minute.” Marcus stopped her mid sentence. “Let’s pick one and I will answer it.”

“Ok.”

“Well, pick one. I’ll answer only one.”

“Oh, you want me to pick the one question. Ok, tell me about your parents.”

“I was hoping you would not ask that one. My mother is a fine woman. She has supported me in every way. She has not been a career mom but she has worked at places in the neighborhood. You know like she helped Mr. Crichlow prepare peoples taxes during tax time. She would help at the polls during the election.” A smile came upon Marcus as he was talking about his mother. “She made and sold, of all things, brooms at various craft fairs nearby and the church keeps her busy baking pies and visiting the sick. It is making me a little homesick talking about her.”

“She sounds like a wonderful mom. Now, how about your dad?”

“This will be a different story. My dad is a looser. He doesn’t know how to keep a job. He would get these great jobs. Like, one time I remember him getting a job keeping the grounds for this local millionaire. It wasn’t a huge place, but the garden and landscaping was immaculate. Dad was able to take his time. The whole town would talk about how beautiful it was. But, one day, dad just decided he didn’t want to do that anymore and quit. No job to go to, just quit, for literally, no reason. It was months before he decided to go back to work. He said he couldn’t find a job in his field but, when he did get a job, guess what? It was different from anything he had ever done, but always a neat job.”

“What is he doing now?”

“He is spending time in the castle.”

“The castle.”

“Yeah, on his last job he would drive a rental car to pick up people and bring them back to the rental car company and he would deliver them back to their home or business after they returned it. One day he decided that the cash drawer that the boss had left unguarded would be a nice bonus, so he took it. That’s not all. He actually got away with that and then decided to take the car that was left by a client. That’s when they caught him. Now he is spending time at the Illinois state penitentiary. It is nicknamed ‘The Castle’.”

“How sad. How long does he have to stay?”

“He was sentenced to two years, but he is eligible for parole in a couple of months.”

“How is your mother doing?”

“She is living with my sister. Not much has changed; she is now working fulltime at the local bakery. She is still making brooms for the local craft fair. I get a letter every week from her with all the local gossip.”

“So you have a sister. Any more brothers or sisters?”

“I agreed to only one question and I think I have answered that.”

The pilot made the announcement that we would be arriving at LA in about twenty minutes. This was a heads up for the flight attendants to gather up all the empty containers and trash. Time had passed by quickly and the flight was rewarding in the fact that Marcus and Navette became more aware of each others family life. Their family life was different, but it seems both had flew the nest to find their own destiny. This gave them the common bond they both needed.

Marcus swallowed deeply as he exited the plane, knowing that soon he would be face to face with Navette’s father. Then Navette’s phone rang.

“Hello. Mom, we are just getting off the plane.” Navette listened intently while walking to the pick up area, but stopped just before exiting the building. Marcus was wondering just what had kept Navette’s attention for so long. It sure must be something ________________for her not to say a word in reply. Navette hung up the phone with silence.

“This doesn’t sound good. Is there something wrong?”

“I don’t know, it seems dad took the sailboat out yesterday and has not come back. Mom went down to the harbor and the boat was no where to be found, so she has contacted the Coast Guard and they have put out an alert, but nothing yet. They have not received a distress or anything. Dad is a good and cautious sailor. He has never had a problem.”

Marcus didn’t know what to say. “Where do we go from here?”

“Mom said to go home and she would call if she found out anything. She is with some boating friends and they are standing by the radio.”

“Had you rather go home or go there?”

“Mom is always right. She feels we should go home and stand by the phone just in case dad calls.”

Marcus and Navette then stepped outside the airport and caught a taxi. The ride was different from a New York taxi ride. The drive took them along the beachfront and into the hills. It was a beautiful day: no cloud in the sky and it was nearly 80 degrees. California was much different than New York Marcus thought.

The taxi pulled into a narrow drive and around a bend and then there it was, one of the most beautiful houses that Marcus had ever seen in person. It looked like something out of the movies. It was all white and the landscaping, well it was as beautiful as the landscaping that his dad took care of in Illinois.

“Wow. What a beautiful place. It must have cost a fortune.”

The taxi stopped directly in front of the house in the circle drive. Navette got out and paid the driver while Marcus gawked at the place.

“You better get your bag Marcus.” Navette said as the taxi driver pulled away.

“Oh wait. I forgot to pay the taxi.”

“The taxis are free in California. Didn’t I tell you?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I am. Let’s see if this key still works.”

Navette put the key in the lock and opened the door. Marcus walked in still gawking. “I have never seen this much glass in a house before. Are you not afraid the pigeons will mess it up?”

“We don’t have pigeons, but the gulls do mess it up occasionally.”

“I think I will check the phone for any messages.”

“You have one new message,” the voice from the phone said as Navette pushed the button.

“Navette this is mom. They have found the boat, but no sign of your dad. It wasn’t capsized; in fact nothing seemed to be wrong. The coast guard is still looking. Honey, I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

“Oh my gosh!” Navette picked up the phone and called her mom. “Mom, where did they find the boat?”

Navette listened as her mother asked Bill their boating friend where it was they had found the boat. She told Navette where the boat was and Navette then exhaled with relief. “I think I know where to find him. Just stay there and tell bill to get his boat ready for sailing.”

Navette grabbed some keys from a hook in near the garage door and said to Marcus. “Come on we have got to go and rescue dad.”

Marcus was curious as to what she meant, but followed Navette to the garage and they jumped into an open Jeep and as the garage door opened. They were on there way. The drive was fast and furious through the hills and then down to the marina. The drive couldn’t have been more than five or six miles. They pulled up next to this beautiful sailboat; it must have been 40 foot long. There was a stocky looking fellow wearing a captain’s hat untying the lines. Marcus figured they were going to be on that boat just any moment.

Navette jumped out of the boat and greeted bill. “Hey Bill! I would like for you to meet Marcus.”

“Hi Marcus.” Bill said with a gracious but omnipotent voice. “ So you think you know where your dad is huh?”

“I think so. Just head south southwest when you get out of the harbor.”

Navette helped with the sales when it came time and Marcus just watched and tried to stay out of the way. It looked all natural for Navette to be doing this. And Bill seemed to enjoy her helping, as if some of Navette’s sureness as to her father’s location was rubbing off on him. They had been sailing now a little short of one hour when Navette yelled to Bill. “See that island starboard about two o’clock.”

Bill gave a sign of affirmation and proceeded in that direction. Marcus and Navette were sitting on the bow. Even though they were on a rescue mission, they couldn’t help but enjoy the ambiance of being on a sailboat with nice weather and a staunchly captain at the wheel.

“Let her run in on the leeward side. I’ll get the sails.”

Navette seemed to frantically get the sails down but did so in a way that Marcus felt he need not help. He resolved that this is just the way it was to be done. There was a sand bar on this island but Bill dropped anchor while Navette swung the dinghy around to lower it into the water. Bill looked over to the island and saw a deflated boat along the beach and hollowed at Navette and pointed. She felt that belong to her dad but was not sure what had happened so she still was very much worried.

Marcus wasn’t sure but discovered that they all three could fit into the small inflatable boat when Navette insisted he get in now.

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the beach and Navette jumped out and headed in a direction that she knew. “Dad! Dad! Where are you Dad?”

“I’m here Honey. I could have guessed that you would be the one to find me.” They hugged then sat down on a rock and smiled as to say isn’t life wonderful. “Well, how is Marcus.” About that time Bill and Marcus made there way through the brush and Marcus came to a screeching halt.

“Joe! What are you doing here?”