Thirteen

 

When his daughter got home, Henry had the red and white Chinese takeout menu lying out on the dinner table. He didn't feel like trying to cook anything. It was six forty-five and as it got later and later he knew that Chandra probably wouldn't want to cook either. Just as he picked up the phone to order, Chandra came home.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell down in the parking lot at work and smashed my phone."

"Did you hurt yourself?" Henry asked.

"No. I'm fine. I just broke my phone and ruined my pants." Chandra turned around to reveal a black streak across the back of her white pants.

"You don't think that will come out?"

"I doubt it."

"Too bad."

"I stopped at the mall on the way home and bought this." She reached into her purse and pulled out her new phone.

"They couldn't repair your old one?"

"No, it was smashed to bits." Chandra laughed.

Henry nodded towards the Chinese menu on the table. "I thought we could just have Chinese food."

"Okay." She was still examining her new phone.

"So tell me what you want and I'll order it." Henry was starving. "Do you know what you want?"

"I don't know, just some pork fried rice and wonton soup."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Henry picked up the phone to make the order.

"Thanks, Dad," Chandra called as she headed to her room to change.

Henry knew what he wanted. He always ordered the same thing, General Tsao's Chicken. It's best to stick with what you know, that's what he believed when it came to food. When he ordered, the woman on the other end said the food would be ready in fifteen minutes. She always said that, no matter what he ordered.

Chandra came out of her room when he hung up the phone. She wasn't dressed in the sweats that she usually put on after work. Instead, she was wearing a black linen skirt and pale green blouse. She had pulled her hair up into a loose bun. A couple of loose curls hung out at her temples and the nape of her neck. Her mother used to wear her hair like that all the time. "You look nice," he said. He wondered where she was going.

"Thanks. I'm meeting some friends downtown after dinner."

"Sounds like fun." Henry was pleased that she was going out more, even though he missed having her around the house at night.

Chandra sat down on the sofa. "So, what did you do today?"

"I watched a movie with Rosa."

"Really, you two have been spending a lot of time together?" A sly smile spread across Chandra's face. "What about John?"

Henry gave her a stern look. The last thing he wanted to talk about was John. He hoped that if he just didn't answer the question she'd get the message. "We watched Fist Full of Dollars. Rosa bought it on DVD."

"Oh." Chandra nodded knowingly. "Was the movie good?"

"It was okay. It wasn't as good as I remembered."

"So, do you have any future plans for more movie watching at Rosa's house?"

"Maybe I should pick up the food." Henry looked at his watch as if he were running late. He knew the food wouldn't be ready. The restaurant was around the corner, and it would only take him five minutes to get there.

"It won't be ready yet," Chandra said.

"Sometimes it's ready early and I don't want it to get cold." Henry hurried to the door.

It was still light out. The days lasted so much longer in the summer. He liked that. Henry stood at the head of his driveway and surveyed the neighborhood. He had lived there long enough to call it his neighborhood. The houses all had the same basic design. They differed only in color and facing. Henry's house was beige with brick facing. Rosa's was a muddy green with a gray stone facing. The house across the street was brown with multicolored stone facing. Inside each house the layout was the same. When they'd first considered moving into this neighborhood he'd hated the idea of living like this. Ava had wanted to live here because all of the homes were new and modern with master suites and two car garages.

Henry got into his car and started the engine. He put the car into reverse and before he could start to back up there was a thud on the back of his car. He twisted around to look behind him.

"You trying to run over me?" Rosa walked around to the driver's side window. She was laughing.

Henry rolled down the window. "I didn't see you there." He knew he had checked. "Where did you come from?"

"My house." She looked towards her house nervously then looked back at Henry. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the way I behaved earlier."

Henry didn't really want to deal with this now. "Rosa ..."

"I mean, what would John say?" She looked up at the house nervously again.

"Rosa."

She stopped talking and looked back at him.

"Come with me."

"Where you going?"

"Just get in."

She walked around to the other side of the car and got in.

"Did you eat dinner?" he asked her.

"Not yet."

"I hope you like Chinese food."

"It's not my favorite, but it's okay."

"Well it'll have to be good enough today." Henry put the car back into reverse and eased out of the driveway.

She watched her house intently as they drove away. The light in the living room was on. The blinds were open.

"Are you all right?" Henry asked.

"Yeah." She quickly turned to face him. "Yeah."

 

The cashier at the Chinese take-out place was pregnant. Henry was shocked when he noticed this a couple months ago. She looked so young. Henry thought that she was about fourteen. Now she looked much older than fourteen. It was as if the baby growing inside her had sucked the youth out of her. Her cheeks were sunken and dark circles marked the spaces beneath her eyes. She wore a pale pink T-shirt that strained across her swollen belly. As Henry and Rosa walked in the door, she belted something out to the men cooking behind her in Chinese. Their paces quickened.

"Hello," Henry said to her.

"Your order's not ready yet," the woman said.

"That's okay. I wanted to add something else to it." He looked at Rosa who was looking at the photos of food on the wall above the register.

"I'll have the broccoli and garlic sauce," Rosa said to Henry.

"One order of broccoli and garlic sauce," Henry repeated to the woman.

"In a combination?" she asked.

They both waited for Rosa to respond. When she didn't, Henry repeated the question to her. "Do you want a combination?"

"What's that?"

Henry couldn't believe she didn't know what a combination was. He only ordered combinations and didn't know why the restaurant even bothered having a regular menu. "It's where you get fried rice and an egg roll instead of just white rice."

"Nah. I'm on a diet." She turned and walked to the line of chairs on the wall and sat down.

"No combination," the cashier said. She pressed some buttons on the cash register. She yelled another order at the cooks before telling Henry the total. After he'd paid, he sat down next to Rosa.

He leaned back in his chair. His head rested against the mint green wallpaper. Customers filed in and out picking up orders. He liked to watch them walk by him. He noticed the way they walked, the color of their clothes. He placed his hands on his legs in a relaxed manner and focused on his breathing. What would he do about Rosa? He still didn't know.

"I'm really sorry about earlier," Rosa said. She squeezed Henry's hand.

He pulled his hand away. "Don't worry about it."

She folded her hands in her lap. "I'm trying to be good."

"Hmm."

They sat there in silence until the woman came to the counter holding up a brown paper bag. "Your order," she said, looking at them.

 

When they got back to the house, Chandra was standing in the kitchen eating an apple. "Soup's on," Henry said when he saw her. He put the bag down on the table.

"What took you so long? I thought I'd have to leave before you got back." She threw the apple core in the trash.

"I invited Rosa to eat with us."

"Rosa?" Chandra walked into the dining area. "I didn't even see you come in."

"I slipped right by you. I'm good at that." Rosa pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

"It's nice to have company over. Too bad I'm in such a hurry." Chandra went back into the kitchen to grab plates and utensils. "Do I need a bowl?"

"I don't think so. I got a small soup. You're the only one eating it."

"Good." Chandra padded into the dining area in bare feet.

"You must look like your mother. As hard as I try, I don't see one bit of Henry in you," Rosa commented.

"Everyone used to tell me that." Chandra placed the plates on the table then stood next to her chair for a moment, staring dreamily out into space.

"Are you okay, Baby?" Henry asked as he took the Chinese food containers out of the bag.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about Mom." She sat down and opened the plastic container of soup.

"I haven't had Chinese takeout in years," Rosa said.

"You're kidding." Chandra blew on a spoonful of soup.

"John says there is nothing better than a home cooked meal, and I agree."

"John says that, huh?" Chandra raised an eyebrow at Henry.

Henry tried to avoid eye contact, instead choosing to concentrate on his food.

"There's always time for home cooking. All you need is the right planning and preparation. Put some food in a crock pot in the morning and you always have a meal ready when you come home from work. Crock pots are a kitchen miracle. John gobbles up my crock pot meals."

"I'm sure he does," Chandra said. "Where's John tonight?"

"Cards with the boys. I've tried to go, but no women allowed. You know how men can be sometimes. It doesn't bother me. I don't mind if he has a boy's night out. I've told your father that he should go sometime. John would love it." Rosa and Chandra both smiled in Henry's direction.

"Yeah, Dad. You should go along sometime. You're good at cards, aren't you?"

Henry shoveled some food into his mouth and chewed slowly. They were both looking at him so he knew he had to say something. "Where'd you get that idea from? I can't play cards."

"You could always learn," Chandra said.

Henry didn't know why his daughter was trying to get him to play cards with a dead man. "I don't really like games, you know that."

"I'm just trying to expand your horizons, Dad."

"They're expanded enough."

"I'm sure your father's told you about our trips to the flea market," Rosa said.

"Yes, I have. We go regularly now." Henry was relieved for the change in subject.

"Yeah." Chandra finished the last of her soup. "I saw his boots."

"Oh those boots! I told him to just buy them. They're a great conversation starter, don't you think?"

"They certainly are," Chandra laughed.

Henry sunk into his chair. He was almost finished his General Chicken when he noticed Rosa picking at her food. "You don't like it?" he asked.

"I guess it's all right. I just don't usually eat takeout," Rosa said. She speared a piece of broccoli with her fork.

Chandra looked at the clock. "I'm sorry I have to go. I'm meeting people." She got up from the table. "It was nice seeing you. Maybe we could do this again sometime," she said to Rosa. She gave her father a quick wink before rushing to her room. Seconds later she emerged again in a pair of high heel shoes. She looked so wobbly as she ran out the door that Henry was afraid she might twist her ankle.

"She's such a pretty girl," Rosa said.

"She is, isn't she?" Henry remembered the day Chandra was born. Ava had called him at his office to say that she was on her way to the hospital. "Don't worry. I can get a cab. It's not that bad," she'd said.

And he believed her. He wasn't the panicked first time father that you see on television. He wasn't worried at all. He finished up in the office. He'd figured he had plenty of time. How long does labor usually last?

When he finally arrived at the hospital his sister-in-law was standing outside the main entrance, smoking. When she saw him walking up to the door, she scowled. "So you decided to show up after all." She released a puff of gray smoke.

"I had some things to finish up." Henry felt ashamed. Her disapproving eyes drove that shame into him. He'd meant to get there before the baby was born, but it was no use trying to explain.

"It's a girl, in case you care." She grounded the end of the cigarette against the side of the building to extinguish its orange glow. Then she put the butt in the trash.

Rosa lifted her fork to closely examine the piece of broccoli on the end of it, like she was checking to make sure it was indeed a piece of broccoli and not a weed. She stuck it into her mouth, chewed slowly and swallowed hard. "Tomorrow I'll cook you a real dinner. Both of you."

"We don't usually eat out." Henry felt the need to defend his eating habits. "We cook. Chandra does most of the cooking. I'm challenged in the kitchen."

"She works all day and then comes home and cooks for you! She's too good. How'd you get such a good daughter?"

"I don't know. She takes after her mother." Henry remembered the first time he held her in the hospital. Her small downy head fit perfectly into his hand. Her eyes were dark blue like the deepest ocean. That day he'd vowed to work even harder, so he could give her everything she would want.

"Tomorrow, I'll come over and teach you how to cook good food. We'll make something special for Chandra. Surprise her!"

Henry didn't like being on the receiving or giving end of surprises, but he agreed to this one. He knew Chandra would like it.