A week passed, and Mr. Kimall sang along with the country music singer on the radio as the truck zoomed down the gravel entrance. His weekly stop at the Gardenia House was the best part of his job. He parked next to the delivery door and walked to the back, picking out two wood crates.
Entering the kitchen, he found Sophie Mae seated at the counter. She bounced to attention like a child caught stealing a cookie before dinner.
“Well then, how’s the little miss today?”
Sophie Mae stuttered. “Everything is…fine and normal. Completely normal.”
“Good, good.” he chuckled, walking back to the vehicle for a bag of oranges.
At the delivery door, Sophie Mae looked at him with large, teary eyes. “I have something I have to tell you, Mr. Kimall. I’m not proud of what I’ve done.”
“Which part?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the part about having family or the part about watching the house while the owner’s away?”
Sophie Mae hung her head and twisted her hair.
“How about this? Since you don’t remember a few things, I’ll tell you what I think is going on, and you tell me how close I am.”
Sophie Mae held her breath.
“You’re an orphan because of the droughts in the heartland. Your accent gives you away. I would bet Oklahoma, somewhere close to the Texas border.”
Sophie Mae nodded.
“Also, you are staying here because you are the heir to the estate.” He removed his hat and placed it over his heart. “I do so miss Catherine.”
“How do you know this?” Sophie Mae asked. “You can’t tell I’m the heir by my clothes or how I speak.”
“I might not look it, but I am somewhat intelligent. Eh, let’s just say a tall, stuffy man told me.”
Sophie Mae fell to the counter stool. “Mr. Langston?”
Mr. Kimall waved to Dink propped on the kitchen counter. “Good morning, Miss Dink. Sorry I didn’t say hi sooner. I thought it best to explain first.”
The invisible girl smiled. “It’s okay. I’m learning to be more patient. How’s the truck holding up?”
“Oh, you know. It always needs minor work. Are you free to practice driving tomorrow?”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sophie Mae said, raising her hand. “How do you know about Dink and Mr. Langston?
“Oh, that. Well, Catherine and I were close—”
Dink turned visible and strutted close to Mr. Kimall. “Come on, you were more than that.”
“Well, yes. That’s for another day. Anyway, I had a bad back, from lifting crates and all. She gave me a potion that cured the pain. Blew me away! I felt like I was twenty again.”
He replaced his hat. “After that, I was introduced to the people living here and even invited to dinner most nights of the week. All Catherine could talk about was the new heir and her poor living situation. That’s how I knew to give you money at the station.”
“But, you’re not invisible?” Sophie Mae said. “Did you fade the potion?”
“It’s the darndest thing. My body healed, and I didn’t need a bit of food, but I stayed visible; but I imagine being invisible would’ve been a hoot.”
Sophie Mae looked to Dink for confirmation, but she only shrugged.
“Thank you for looking out for me,” Sophie Mae said.
“Not a problem, little miss. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get going. A busy route today.”
Sophie Mae approached Mr. Kimall with confusion on her face. “If no one here eats, then why do you bring deliveries?”
Mr. Kimall rubbed his head. “Well, I don’t stop here to drop off food. I pick it up. I deliver the fruits and nuts growing on the estate to the Hooverville. Catherine wanted to feed as many as possible instead of letting the estate food go to waste. After you arrived, I made it look like I was dropping off food to make sure you were okay. I hope you aren’t sore about it.”
Sophie Mae shook her head.
“Well, I gotta get moving. Work ain’t going to do itself. Bye Dink. Say hello to your momma for me.”
“I will.”
The truck roared, and Sophie Mae ran to his window. “Will you stop by for dinner tonight? I bet everyone would like to see you. Plus, I have a surprise.”
“Sure thing.”
A hearty laugh filled the cab, as he waved to Sophie Mae. He slapped his knee. There’s never a dull moment at the Gardenia Estate.