| 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 3
Kingsleigh knelt on the couch in the living room, peering over its back out the window to the front yard. The street was quiet; no one was outside today, even though the sun was shining. She didn’t know where Bennett was, but he wasn’t at home. That was for sure. She traced a face on the window. It was so clean her finger left a faint hint of a line from the soap Kingsleigh always forgot to rinse properly from her hands during her rush to get out of the bathroom. She moved her head to the left, and the line disappeared. Back to the right she could see it again. She rubbed the smile she’d looped under the eyes away and then traced a frown. She sighed and looked to see if the Kussler’s car had come back.
The driveway still looked empty. She never saw Mrs. Kussler anymore, not even in the school pick-up line. Mommy was driving her every day now, and she hadn’t seen Bennett outside class for nearly a week.
He hadn’t even come over to her house for her birthday. It was just a family celebration with cake and ice cream, but that was the actual point. He was supposed to be family!
“What’cha doin’ baby girl?” her mother singsonged from the door the way she used to when Kingsleigh was very small. She stirred and smiled. Just a little.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothin’.” Kingsleigh sighed.
Her mother sighed too. “No Bennett today?”
As if she didn’t know. Kingsleigh scowled. “No. I miss him. I miss him so much. He won’t even play with me at recess! He’s hanging out with some older boys now, and he—he acts like he doesn’t have any time for me!”
“Must be the boys his dad was going to introduce him to. They’ll be on the football team with him, I suppose.”
“Football. Yuck.” She fiddled with the curtains, then scrambled herself around and flopped on the couch, tugging her shorts back into place. Suddenly her face brightened. “Hey, Sophie told me some football teams have cheerleaders. Can I do that and cheer at Bennett’s games? At least I’d see him.”
“Do you want to do that?” Michelle cocked an eyebrow at her daughter.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Do you think he’d like it if I did?” Kingsleigh started a new worry. Maybe he wouldn’t want her at his games. Maybe he wouldn’t want to see her anymore. Ever.
“I think,” Michelle crossed the carpet and sat on the couch beside Kingsleigh. “I think that Bennett would probably like his family–and friends–cheering for him at his games. We can find out when and where they are, and if you want to go, we’ll go. How would that be?”
“You mean it?” Kingsleigh bounced on her knees, her smile the widest Michelle had seen her wear since the incident at the hardware store.
“Yes, I mean it.”
“Would I have to join the cheerleaders?” That prospect was not nearly as inviting as the one of simply being there to support Bennett.
“Only if you want to. Always do something because it’s really what you want to do, Kingsleigh.”
Kingsleigh gave a sigh of relief. “Phew. Okay.”
Michelle laughed.
“Hey, Mom.” Kevin walked into the room and dropped his books on the coffee table. “Thanks for the ride home, Mrs. Kussler. Come on in.” He leaned over the table, bringing his face close to Michelle’s. “Give her a chance, Mom.” He pulled back, raising his voice. “Mrs. Kussler picked me up at Mrs. Masters, said she was headed this way anyway.” He waved a hand at them all and headed for the stairs. “Hey, Half-pint. Come with me and I’ll let you watch me play Subnautica.”
“You mean watch you run out of oxygen? In a minute. Mrs. Kussler, is Bennett with you?”
“No, Kingsleigh. He’s at practice with his dad. He asked me to say hi though.”
“Oh, okay. Tell him I said hi too. Please?”
“Of course, sweetie.” DeeDee ventured a bright smile.
Kingsleigh headed for the stairs at a dawdling pace. “Mrs. Kussler, do you think Bennett could come over tomorrow? He could ride home with us. Mrs. Sumner assigned us to watch tomorrow’s after-school movie. It’s a story about the Fourth of July—”
“Independence Day, honey.”
Kingsleigh nodded. “Right. Fourth of July. It’s all about the Revolutionary War, and it tells about the Congress and George Washington and everything. We’re supposed to write a report on it together.”
DeeDee frowned. “Bennett did mention something about a report he had to write. I didn’t think he was serious though. You kids are awfully young for that sort of thing. Besides, his dad won’t want him to miss practice.”
“For heaven’s sake, DeeDee, the kids have to do their homework.” Michelle frowned up at her from the couch. “They call it a report, but that’s just to expose them to the idea. They want to see what they get out of watching the program.”
“We’ll see what we can do, Kingsleigh.” DeeDee turned back to Kingsleigh briefly. “But maybe you should go play that game with your brother. I have to talk with your mom about tomorrow anyway, okay?”
“Okay.” Kingsleigh bounded for the stairs. “Kevin! Show me the big whale things again!”
DeeDee watched her disappear, then turned back to Michelle. “Can I sit down?”
“Certainly.” She waved towards an armchair. “Thanks for giving Kevin a ride. It makes my day easier.”
DeeDee blushed, sliding her shapely body back into the comfy chair. “Sorry I haven’t been available for carpool. Doug has my schedule all messed up, what with the Pee Wee practices and everything. That’s why I stopped over. Can I lean on you for a ride for Bennett tomorrow? I’ve got a doctor’s appointment at three, and I can’t do pickup.”
“Sure, I can do that. If you’re sure Doug will be okay with it.”
DeeDee grimaced. “I don’t know how he’ll feel about it, but I’ve run out of options. Annnnnd—I have to ask if you’ll drop Bennett off at practice. Doug expects him there, assignment or no assignment; I don’t know what I’m going to tell Mrs. Sumner.” She looked at Michelle. “You don’t have to wait around for him.”
“I’ll have to have Kingsleigh with me, you know. It’s not like I can leave her home.”
“I know, but Doug doesn’t have to see her. You can drop Bennett off at the parking lot near the practice field. He’ll find Doug okay.
“Look, I know we haven’t been around much lately, but help me out? Please? I don’t know how else I can make this appointment. It’s kind of important.” DeeDee gave a half smile.
Michelle narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look sick.”
DeeDee dropped her head and replied cryptically. “Oh, I don’t need medication; I need confirmation.”
“Oh. Oh! You think . . . ?”
“I’m pretty sure, but I want to hear what my OB-GYN says before I tell Doug.”
“Okay, well, congratulations. I take it this is good news?”
DeeDee nodded, then pressed: “What do you think, can you give Bennett a ride?”
Michelle pursed her lips. “That kind of depends. What did you mean exactly by ‘Doug doesn’t have to see her’?”
“Well, you know. Doug’s not feeling very—kindly towards Kingsleigh right now.”
“Or me either, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, you either. If he doesn’t see her, he won’t be tempted to say something that might hurt her feelings. I—I don’t want her feelings to be hurt.” DeeDee seemed to shrink into the chair as she spoke.
“I hear you saying it’s about Kingsleigh’s feelings, but it seems to me it’s more about not upsetting Doug. You’re talking to the wrong person. It shouldn’t be up to me to keep Kingsleigh away from Doug; it should be up to him to treat a child kindly, reasonably. His wife too!”
“Doug loves me! He’s just not so great at handling his own feelings.”
Michelle punched a pillow and stood. “You can tell yourself that all you want. But I know better and so do you. Doug’s got major issues and someday they’re going to catch up with him—and your family.”
“Michelle, you need to mind your own business! It’s my marriage, not yours!” DeeDee gathered her purse and rose as well.
Michelle leveled a look at her friend. “Yes, it’s your marriage. And you can choose to put up with his condescension, his chauvinism, and his callousness if you want to, but Bennett doesn’t have that choice, does he? Doug’s his dad, but look how he treats the poor kid! What kind of an example is he setting for Bennett? Have you thought about that?”
“I—I handle that. I explain things to Bennett. He understands that his dad wants the best for him. Even if it doesn’t always seem like it. Doug’s not a bad man at heart, Michelle— he— he—” she floundered.
“Don’t bother, DeeDee. I don’t buy it even if you do. I’ll pick up Bennett tomorrow, I’ll drop him off at practice, and I’ll keep Kingsleigh in the car with me. For the kids’ sake, not anything else. Someday Doug’s going to learn how wrong he is about things.”