Chapter 9

 

“In a few minutes, Henie was back. She handed Karen a jelly jar.

“What is this for?” Karen asked.

“A jar for you and one for me. We're going to catch lightning bugs. Get out in the yard and see how many you can snatch out of the air,” ordered Henie.

So for the next hour, the two of them laughed and encouraged each other as they grabbed at the air. When they succeeded in catching a lightening bug, they held closed fists over the jelly jars to release the bugs and slipped on the lid.

Finally, Karen held her jar up so it caught the living room window light. “Think we have enough, Henie. My jar looks almost full.”

“So is mine. Now let's take them in the house and put them on our bedroom dressers. It's always fun to watch them light in the dark after we go to bed,” Henie said. She paused. “You do want to take the jars in, don't you?”

“Sure I do,” Karen said, taking Henie's jar so Henie could hold the railing to step up to the porch.

Karen rushed to her room and set her jar on her lamp table. She went across the hall and set Henie's jar on her dresser.

In the mirror, Karen watched Henie wiggle into her white, cotton night gown by the bed. Karen looked at her image in the mirror and then at Henie. The robot was taking the pins out of her hair and running her fingers through it. The bun spilled wavy hair down to her shoulders.

“Henie, do you think I'm anything like my mother?” Karen asked.

Henie picked up her white night cap on the foot of the bed, stuck it on her head and pushed the ruffle out of her eyes. She came to the dresser, laid her handful of hair pins in a pile and met Karen's eyes in the mirror.

Henie smiled at her. “I was afraid you were headed that way at one time, but lately you've loosened up enough that you're plumb likable.”

Karen turned and gave Henie a hug. “If I have loosened up as you put it, it's all your fault you know.”

“In that case, I'll gladly take the blame for something that's turning out right in your world,” Henie said, patting Karen's back.

The next afternoon, Karen stopped typing, thinking she needed to take a coffee break and rest her fingers. A car rumbled into the driveway, stopped. A door slammed. “Who could that be?”

She was almost across the living room when the front door burst open. “Mom!”

“Hello, Karen,” her mother said cheerfully. Slung over her right arm was the handle of a tote box full of bottles and rags. Over her left arm hung a large black purse full of pockets.

Karen pointed at the box. “What have you got there?”

“My cleaning supplies. I thought as long as I was coming I might as well bring them along just in case,” Helen said offhandedly. “I know I was taking a chance not bringing a broom with me, but I thought surely you have one of those.”

“I told you the house is in good shape. You shouldn't have bothered to come all the way out here,” Karen defended.

“I know you did. How about fixing me a cup of coffee for go power while I look around just to make sure.” Her mother wasn't used to taking no for an answer. She made a swipe across the lamp table with her finger. “Well, I'll be. That's not dusty.”

“I told you,” Karen said quietly. She glanced upstairs and didn't see Henie. If she was lucky, the robot would stay in her bedroom until her mother left. She headed for the kitchen. “Let's go make that coffee. As long as you're here, you might as well have a cup with me. I'm ready for a coffee break.”

“Why are you talking so low? Do you have a sore throat?” Helen said as she felt Karen's forehead.

“No, Mom. I'm fine. Stop that,” Karen replied as she grabbed her mother by the elbow and headed her to the kitchen. Helen set her cleaning supplies on the counter along side the purse and slid into a chair at the table. She folded her hands together and watched her daughter start the coffee maker.

Karen sit down by her. “It doesn't take long. We'll have coffee in no time.”

“Good. That's just enough time to tell me what's going on out here. Spill the beans. I can see you're nervous about something,” Helen ordered.

“Now what makes you say something like that. I'm fine and enjoying every minute of country living,” Karen defended.

“Uh huh, but you didn't sound like everything was all right when I talked to you on the phone. You asked questions I never thought I'd hear from you. Something or someone put you up to it. A mother knows such things.” Helen looked down her nose at Karen.

Henie appeared on the back step and opened the screen door just as Karen opened her mouth to protest. “The kittens are really growing. They are so much fun to play with now.” She stopped talking as she eyed Helen. “Gracious sakes, why didn't you let me know we have company. How about serving your guest a cup of coffee?” She shuffled over to the coffee maker. “Oh, I see you started it already, dear. All right, I'll get the cups and serve.”

Helen was wide eyed, watching Henie's every movement. She whispered, “Who is she?”

“Henie, this is my mother, Helen Warwick. Henie works for me, Mom. She cooks and cleans,” Karen introduced and added, “That's why the living room was well dusted.”

Helen's eyes narrowed as Henie carried two steaming cups of coffee to the table. “Didn't I tell you, dear, you would have company one of these days so I needed to keep the parlor clean?”

“You did tell me that,” Karen said, smiling at Henie. She glanced at her mother for a reaction. The woman's face paled as she studied Henie's blue cotton dress with the pink wild roses on it.

Helen asked, “Do you carry a flowered hanky in that pink apron's pocket by any chance?”

“Of course, I do. I wouldn't go anywhere without one of my hankies,” Henie said, clasping her hands together in front of her apron. “Will you be staying for supper, Mrs. Warwick?”

“No, my husband is expecting me home by then,” Helen answered.

“Sid wouldn't want his supper to be late if I'm any guess. I bet he eats at six o'clock every night. Right?” Henie asked.

“Th – that's right,” stuttered Helen. She narrowed her eyes at Karen.

“If there isn't anything else I can do for you I think I'll go to my room,” Henie said to Karen.

“That will be fine. I can check with you later on if you aren't downstairs before then,” Karen told her.

After Henie left, Helen took a sip of her hot coffee as she pondered.

“Mom, everything okay?”

“You know it's not. How did that woman know when we eat dinner?”

“It probably came up some time or other when we were talking about what time she should fix my evening meal,” Karen said.

“Where did that woman come from? You didn't tell me you had a woman staying here with you.” Helen's hands trembled on the coffee cup.

“Sorry about that. I guess it slipped my mind. She hasn't been here very long. Actually, my friend, Amy Brown, loaned Henie to me. She thought it might be a good help for someone to cook and clean while I wrote my book,” Karen explained. “Why? You look upset.”

“Something doesn't feel right about that woman. I think you should get out of the house with me right away and call Amy. Tell her to come get that woman out of here,” Helen said urgently.

“Calm down, Mom. Give me a reason why I should. Henie is doing a good job, and I like her,” Karen defended.

“You will think I'm crazy if I tell you what went through my head when I saw that woman,” Helen hissed.

“Maybe not. Just tell me,” Karen insisted.

“All right. Does this Henie have anything to do with why you were asking questions about my grandparents?”

Karen shrugged. “Sort of. Henie made a remark that everyone should find out about their family tree before it's too late. That made me curious about mine.”

Helen got up and went for her purse. “I hunted up some old family pictures to bring you. I thought you might appreciate seeing what my parents and grandparents looked like.” Helen rifled through a stack of black and white photos. “You better take a look at this picture of your great grandmother and great grandfather, Henrietta and Clell Crane.”

Helen laid the picture in front of Karen. She set her cup down and picked the picture up for a closer look.

“What do you see?” Helen demanded.

“I don't know for sure. I never met my great grandparents as you know,” Karen said. She laid the picture back on the table.

“Let me introduce you. This is Henrietta. Most of the time she was known as Henie. I was a child when the picture was taken on their sixty second wedding anniversary. Grandpa died shortly after that. Grandma Henie wore a blue dress with pink wild roses on it. Just before the picture was taken she took off her pink apron. Does that dress look familiar?” Helen tapped the dress with her finger.

“Is that all? Mom, that is the dress Henie has on, and I can see the resemblance in this picture to the picture of the young couple I found in the attic.

Mom, I can explain about the dress. Henie didn't come here with enough clothes. We went through the trunks in the attic and found that dress and several others she liked so I gave them to her. They must have belonged to your grandmother.” Karen hoped that was close enough to the truth to seem believable. “Is that all?”

“No, not quite. Explain to me how that woman looks so much like my dead grandma in this picture.” Helen tapped the picture with her finger again.

“Coincidence?” Karen guessed.

Helen raised an eyebrow. She wasn't buying it. “What is her last name?”

Karen's eyes shifted one way then the other before she confessed, “I don't know.”

“You're letting a stranger stay here with you, and you don't know her last name. I thought I taught you better about stranger danger,” Helen complained.

“Mom, that was back in grade school when I was a child. I'm grown up. I think I'm a good judge of character, and I happen to like Henie. Besides, she helps out a lot around here, and she's good company. What I meant to say was I couldn't remember her last name right off,” Karen declared.

“So has your memory improved suddenly?” Helen pushed.

“Yes, I remember now. Henie's last name is Robot,” Karen said quickly.

“Robot. I don't remember any families in this area by that name, but we've had newcomers moving here all the time. How much do you pay this woman?”

“Nothing,” Karen said feebly.

“And the woman is all right with that?” Shot back Helen suspiciously.

“You saw her. She's elderly, and she needs a home. She works for her room and board,” Karen excused.

“I still think you would be safer living all the way out here if you'd get rid of that woman,” Helen stated adamantly.

“Fine, I've heard your opinion. I just don't happen to agree with you. I'm staying right here and so is Henie. Isn't it about time you headed home to fix Dad's supper?”

“Yes, but I will call you in a few days to see if you're all right. You just better be able to answer the phone is all I can say,” Helen warned.

“I will be, Mom. I promise,” Karen answered, trying not to laugh.