| Time for a Story |
This story first appeared in our writing group’s third anthology, A Little Off the Page
Bennett and Kingsleigh
..sometimes the younger you are, the more you know about love.
Installment 6
Trouble was exactly what came calling when his mom came by to pick him up.
“Bennett, go out to the car.”
“Mom?”
“Do what I said, Bennett.”
“Can I get my stuff first and make sure the report is ready for Mrs. Sumner?” Bennett stood in the doorway. “Kingsleigh has it upstairs. You should see the drawings we did. The movie was pretty good. Okay if I—.” His words slowed. “Mom?”
His mother seemed to stiffen more at every word he said. When she spoke, every word seemed like it had to fight its way out of her mouth. Uh-oh.
“Okay. Fine, Bennett. Go on up. I need to talk Mrs. Barnes anyway.” She turned to face Michelle who stood at the stove stirring some stewing tomatoes. “What were you thinking?”
“What?” Michelle hastened to turn off the stove burner and set the sauce-coated spoon aside. “What was I thinking about what?” She crossed over to the refrigerator, passing DeeDee’s tapping foot.
“I asked you to drop Bennett off at practice. Doug was expecting him. He got worried when he didn’t show up. He called me at the doctor’s. The doctor’s! To ask where his son was. And I couldn’t tell him.”
“I texted you. You knew he was here.” Michelle added chopped celery and onion from the fridge to the tomatoes and stirred them in, turning her back on DeeDee momentarily.
“Exactly; I couldn’t tell Doug that.”
“Why not?” asked Michelle, fearful that she could guess.
“He’d be furious! Just like I am—”
Michelle spun round, spoon upraised.
“Mom? What’s wrong? Why are you yelling at Mrs. Barnes?” Bennett stood in the door from the living room, his papers dangling from one hand.
“Go to the car, Bennett. I just stopped to pick you up so you can go to the store with me. Your dad’s going to be home soon. He was wondering where you were. Don’t tell him you were here. You say that you didn’t feel well after school so Mrs. Barnes dropped you off at the house so you could rest and get your homework done. Don’t tell him anything different.”
“Mom?”
The poor kid looked puzzled. Michelle’s stomach dropped. It must be worse than I thought. “DeeDee, take it easy. He doesn’t understand; heck, I don’t understand why you’re this angry.” Or why you’re asking your son to lie about it. “I expected Doug would be mad, but not you—”
“Shut up, Michelle.” DeeDee’s voice came hard and raspy, then she spoke in slow careful words. “Bennett, please go get in the car. Please don’t say anything to Dad about this. I’ll be right out.” She twisted around to fix him with a glare.
“Okay, okay. I won’t. Please don’t be mad.”
DeeDee bent her head low. “Bennett, I’m not mad. Please, just do as I say, okay?”
“Yes, Mom.”
Michelle watched him slump as he dragged his feet through the door. Once he was outside, she confronted her neighbor. “DeeDee, what is going on with you? With Doug? Why can’t you just let the kids be?”
“Let the kids be, she says. Let the kids be?!” DeeDee stared at the woman who’d been her friend and parental role model. “Doug has plans for Bennett. He’s trying to raise him right and he’s doing the best he can!” She glared at Michelle. “And just like you, he—we would prefer not to have any interference from you! If I ask you to do something, or if I let Bennett come over to do something with Kingsleigh, I expect you to honor the plans we have. Not decide on your own that your way is better than ours and just go off and do what you think is best! We might not agree with you about that. Today we certainly didn’t.”
She drew a shaky breath. “I don’t want to mess with their friendship. Kingsleigh is a nice kid.” Her tone suggested an unspoken even if her mom is a pain. “But Doug has plans for Bennett and you need to respect our decisions just like you want us to respect yours. Is that okay with you?” Her shoulders were upraised and shaking, her eyes unfocused with stress.
“I—I—,” Michelle faltered. What could she say to those charges? They certainly weren’t wrong, just . . . misplaced. DeeDee didn’t understand—but suddenly Michelle did. In their eyes, she was just as wrong as they were in hers. She bit her lip; she’d have to apologize. Not that she would change her own way of thinking, but she’d crossed a line. She swallowed.
“I get it. I apologize for going against your wishes. I won’t do that again. But—look, I want the kids to stay friends too. Is it okay if I bring Kingsleigh over to watch Bennett at practice? She’s dying to come. We won’t be a bother, I promise.”
DeeDee’s face softened. It wasn’t her nature to confront, to judge. Only the threat to her comfort zone of being loyal to her family had pushed her so far, because of course Michelle had been right to make sure Bennett had got his homework done. She’d seen the solution DeeDee had missed.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I think she’ll enjoy it. Doug won’t care just so long as Bennett’s at practice.” DeeDee turned to leave.
Michelle walked DeeDee to the door. “We’ll be there.”
Next morning, Michelle wasn’t so sure. Why was she bringing Kingsleigh into such a hostile situation? Why were DeeDee and Doug so upset? Kingsleigh wasn’t a bad influence; the idea’s ridiculous! It had to be something more than that. Bennett was a good kid and smart to boot. He also was respectful of his parents and did everything they asked of him. Was it because Doug thought she didn’t approve of him?
Well, it was true. She didn’t. The man waved every red flag of being abusive to both DeeDee and Bennett—at his worst. At best he was overbearing, patriarchal, and chauvinistic. There was no reason for him to be concerned about Bennett. Certainly no reason for him to push the boy into football. Although, to be fair, Bennett seemed comfortable enough with being on the team. But what exactly was this afternoon going to bring?
She continued to stew throughout the day, nearly deciding to take Kingsleigh shopping instead of showing up at practice. But that idea was DOA upon picking Kingsleigh up at school.
“Hi, Mom. Are we going to football practice right away? Maybe we should go home and get snacks. Do you think Bennett would like some cookies?”
“Whoa there, girl. I think snacks are handled by the team moms. We’ll see another time.”
“Okay.” Kingsleigh stopped bouncing in her seat. “Maybe I could bring those shaker things next time, too, like a real cheerleader. I guess I can cheer anyway; good thing I’m wearing my shorts.”
Michelle laughed. “You always wear those shorts! But I think it’s a good idea, too. I believe we can leave the cheerleading to the other girls. Let’s just see how things go today, sweetie.”
When they arrived at the practice field, Michelle parked the car and scanned the fields for Bennett’s team. “I think that’s his—”
“I see him! Come on!” Kingsleigh struggled out of her seat and grabbed the door handle.
“Hang on,” said Michelle, hastening her own exit. “Wait for me. We’ll walk down to the bleachers together. We won’t be able to speak to Bennett until they’re done.”
“There’s Mrs. Kussler. Hi!” Kingsleigh waved, but DeeDee turned away. “Huh. Mom?”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s probably concentrating on the practice. We’ll sit over here.” Michelle indicated a tree just out of the line of bleachers.
“I can’t see anything from there! They’re down at the other end!”
“Be patient. They’ll be in front of us before long,” Michelle said, heading for the spot under the tree. “We’ll see if you can get closer. You can’t be a distraction, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” said Michelle, hiding a smile and curling into a comfortable position on the grass, “that the boys have to concentrate on their practice and what their coaches say. They’re here to play football.”
Kingsleigh stuck out her lower lip for a second then grinned. “I get it. I just want to see better. I can talk to Bennett after practice.” She plunked herself down on the ground, sat cross-legged leaning her elbows on her knees, and focused her vision on the field. Several boys were running up and down the field in a ragged line, some huffing and puffing. Others pumped their arms in time to their running legs, trying to look like the athletes they aimed to be. Bennett was in the midst of the scattered pack. She thought he looked cool in the red stretchy pants they all wore. Bennett had told her they wore red because their team was called the Redhawks. His were new and clean compared to the others. Maybe because he hadn’t gone to the other practice.
She felt a little pang of guilt. Was it her fault? She only wanted to hang out with him a little while for the afternoon movie. She liked hanging out with him, and it was their homework after all. Homework was important; she wanted him to get good grades, same as herself. She never meant for him to get in trouble.
Yesterday, when he and his mother left, Kingsleigh had heard what Mrs. Kussler said to her mom. Now Mrs. Kussler didn’t want to see them today. Kingsleigh didn’t understand why Mr. Kussler acted as if he didn’t like her. She’d only ever been rude to him that one time in the store. Adults didn’t get mad at kids over that, not like he did. Grown-ups usually just scolded or gave out a chore and then things were okay again. Mr. Kussler seemed like he really didn’t like her now. So, both of Bennett’s parents are mad. Mommy isn’t. She shook her head.
Kingsleigh watched the boys run up the field again, still thinking furiously. Mommy seemed quiet today, and that usually meant something was bothering her. She was always so serious since Daddy died. It was like she carried around an extra basket of chores all day, every day. As if she couldn’t ever think about anything else or have fun. Being a grown-up must not be so terrific, was Kingsleigh’s final thought on the subject.
A bunch of the boys were sitting on the ground doing exercises; leg stretches mostly. Kingsleigh recognized them from her own dance class warm-ups. A few got drinks of water from a cooler on the sidelines.
“Mom? Can I go closer?”
Michelle studied the field. Doug was gathering up some of the boys for throwing practice.
“Not yet. They’re busy. I don’t think Doug would like the interruption.”
Kingsleigh made a long face. “Well, can I wave or something then?”
“Just a small wave. Wait ‘til he looks this way.”
Kingsleigh groaned at her response but put on a smile to make Bennett glad she was there. When he looked across from the field, she couldn’t help herself. She jumped up and waved with both arms in a mad silent dance.
Bennett saw her and laughed.
She calmed down to give a proper wave, and he gave a small one back before returning to his Dad’s instruction. His dad looked up and gave Kingsleigh a look so hard she sat back down again. Mr. Kussler said something in a sharp voice, and Bennett and a couple other boys had to run a lap around the field while Mr. Kussler spoke to the tall, heavyset boy with blond hair that never seemed to leave his side. The boy looked up and down the sideline once while Mr. Kussler was talking, then joined the boys who were running. He cuffed Bennett on the shoulder. Kingsleigh couldn’t tell if it was a friendly cuff or not.
Kingsleigh sighed. “This is getting boring.”
“Do you want to go home?” Her mom’s voice was almost eager.
“No. I still want to see Bennett. It’s just not much to see right now.” She turned her head from side to side. “I don’t see any cheerleaders, do you?”
“No. No, I don’t. Maybe this team doesn’t have any yet. Or maybe they don’t come to every practice.”
“Mrs. Kussler is looking at us.”
Michelle turned. DeeDee was actually leaving the bleachers and heading their way. Kingsleigh heard her take in a breath as she drew near.
“Michelle.”
“DeeDee.”
“Look, I’m sorry I got so mad last night, but Doug is upset over all this stuff with Bennett and Kingsleigh—"
“What stuff?”
“Well, them always hanging out together and all.” DeeDee spread her hands out, as if that explained everything.
“They’re friends. They’re kids. Why is this a problem?” Michelle pushed.
“Yes, they’re kids. But Bennett is older and he’s a boy and—”
“Bennett isn’t even three weeks older than Kingsleigh. They’re in the same grade, the same class, and they’re friends. Don’t tell me it’s a problem because they’re different genders!”
DeeDee winced at the term ‘gender.’ “It’s not a problem exactly, but I told you how Doug wants us to raise Bennett. He needs to be playing with boys more now.”
“DeeDee, the kids are eight years old. They’re friends, DeeDee. Friends who are good for each other.”
“Mrs. Kussler?”
“Yes, Kingsleigh.” Mrs. Kussler still stared at Kingsleigh’s mother as if she couldn’t believe Michelle spoke to her that way, as if she wanted to pounce on the next thing Michelle said.
“Mrs. Kussler, I think it’s cool that Bennett wants to play football. Just like I think it’s cool Kevin plays piano. I just—I think—well, it’s important to me, about Bennett.” Kingsleigh felt her face begin to burn.
DeeDee turned her focus to her son’s friend. “Important? How?”
Kingsleigh struggled to speak now. “It’s just, I want him to be happy, see? And I want to know about him and to be able to hang out with him. He’s fun to talk to. And—I just—he’s more than like a friend. It’s like he’s—” she stole a glance at Michelle. “He’s like family.”
“Oh! Oh, well.” DeeDee was the one having trouble talking now. Finally, in a much warmer, calmer voice, she said, “That’s very sweet of you, Kingsleigh. You understand that Bennett—and you, too—need other friends that share your interests? You might find friends even more like family than Bennett is.”
Kingsleigh’s shoulders sagged. She’d almost thought Mrs. Kussler was getting it. But grown-ups didn’t. They didn’t understand how strongly Kingsleigh felt. Maybe she didn’t either. Ever since her dad died, she’d kept her family and certain friends closer, Bennett prime among them. It was important to make every minute with them count—because you never knew how many minutes you had. That was why she spent so much time with Grampa Joe. He was old. He always said he’d live a real long time, but she couldn’t trust that. Now she was learning that you couldn’t trust other people to let you just feel the way you felt. Too many people wanted to get in the way.
Michelle cleared her throat. “I think we should just let the kids be, DeeDee. We’re not trying to interfere with how you’re raising Bennett. Although, to be honest . . . .”
DeeDee said sharply, “What. To be honest . . . what?”
Michelle shook her head, “Nothing.”
DeeDee tossed her blond curls back. “I just wanted you to understand if Doug doesn’t act friendly now. You might want to keep Kingsleigh out of his line of fire for the time being.”
Kingsleigh stared. Her mother did too.
“Line of fire? Really?” Michelle got to her feet. “Doug may be the one to have to watch out. That sounds like it’s a threat.”
With that, DeeDee rolled her eyes. “I give up. Fine. But I tried to tell you. Just stay away. Please!” She stomped off.
“Mom?”
“Honey, come here.” Michelle draped an arm around her daughter and answered the unspoken questions. “You keep being friends with Bennett. Like we say, you do you. I don’t know what the Kusslers’ problems with us are, but we don’t want to upset them further. You can still see Bennett whenever they let him, and keep being his friend. This may all blow over.”
Kingsleigh pulled back. “Blow over?”
“Mhmm. Blow over. Go away like it never happened.” Michelle gave her a hug.
“Blow over. Like a trash can in the wind. I like it.”
Michelle laughed with her, then sobered. “I do think, though, that we shouldn’t go all the way down to the field today. Let’s give them some space.”
“Okay.” Kingsleigh agreed readily, but still, she watched with an intensity that betrayed the longing she felt.