Porterville

CHAPTER FIVE

Arriving in town, Britt decided to make another stop by the Cooper residence. He pulled in the drive and hurried up the steps. Britt rang the doorbell for the second time that afternoon and waited to be greeted by Margaret Cooper. When the woman opened the door, he was surprised by her greeting.

Margaret said, "Daniel Williams, what a wonderful surprise! Come inside this house. I want you to know that just today someone tried to tell me you had died. I knew better. How have you been?"

Britt was speechless. He didn't know what to say as he walked inside the house. He sat on the sofa once more and watched the old woman take a seat beside him.

"I knew you hadn't died. In fact, I told this person I had seen you not too many days ago. I can't remember who I was talking to, but I do recall they didn't believe me."

"Mrs. Cooper, I am Britt Williams. Daniel was my father, and yes, he died a few years back."

Margaret smiled. "Daniel, you always were such a jokester. Even as a youngster, you liked to tease and play pranks on people. I remember when you opened up Lloyd Jennings' chicken coop and let all of his chickens out to stroll across his pasture. Boy was he ever mad, and your father made you catch everyone of those chicks and return them to Lloyd's pen." A far away look appeared in her eyes as she remembered the past.

The door suddenly opened, and Alice walked inside the cottage. "Well, hello," she greeted. "You and mother must have had quite a visit. Have you been entertaining our guest, Mother?"

"Oh, yes, Daniel and I have been having the nicest chat. We've been remembering old times."

There was a puzzled look on Alice's face. "Daniel?" she asked.

"Your mother seems to think I'm my father," Britt said quietly. "This is my second visit. The first one earlier this afternoon went very well. When she let me in the house just now, she thought I was my father."

"Mother, this is Britt, Daniel Williams' son."

"Now, Alice, I had someone earlier today try and tell me Daniel was gone. I knew better. I saw him just the other day, and now he's sitting in our living room. Do you not see him?" She pointed at Britt as she spoke.

"I'll leave, Alice. I'm sorry if I've caused her confusion. I wouldn't have dropped by the second time had I known this would happen."

"Don't worry, it wasn't anything you did. Come by the office tomorrow and I'll talk with you, okay? And please, don't worry, you did nothing wrong. Mother just gets things a little mixed up now and then."

At the door, Britt turned. "Goodbye, Mrs. Cooper. Thank you for the wonderful visit."

"Goodbye, Daniel. Please, come back when you can stay longer. It seems like ages since we've visited."

Britt gave her a smile and said, "I'll do that." He closed the door and walked to his car. He thought about his return trip to the Cooper home. He was thankful his first visit had turned out the way it had. He couldn't believe the difference in the two times.

It was after five by the time Britt left Alice and her mother. He decided to call it a day and head home. His cell phone rang as he pulled in Catherine's drive. Devon greeted him.

"How did your visit with Margaret Cooper go?" he asked.

"Actually, I saw her twice. The first visit went well. I returned a couple of hours later and wasn't quite as fortunate. She thought I was my father, which was odd, because on the first visit she seemed to know exactly who I was."

"I've heard she gets confused these days," Devon remarked.

Britt changed the subject. "How did your afternoon go? Any more repercussion from the home front?"

"My mother dropped by the office. She was her usual cheery self, if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly how she can be," Britt assured him. "She seems to think it's her job to try and keep me out of the grave yard. Which reminds me, Devon, I have a question for you?"

"Shoot."

"I was walking around and I came to your family plot. I discovered a small marker at the back. It reads `DDM'. You have any idea whose grave it might be?"

"That's a cousin that died years ago. I think it was the child of one of my mother's cousins, actually. I believe he died at birth. They asked my grandfather, and he agreed to let the child be placed in the family plot."

"That's all you know about it?"

"Yep, that's about the size of it. My parents have not talked about it much. I guess every family has some sort of `black sheep' in it, and this must be ours. The one time I brought it up my mother told me it was a bad situation and was best left in the past. She said my grandfather was really hurt over the matter."

"I see." Britt paused before asking, "When do you move into your new place?"

"It will be ready Friday. I've already contacted a company to move my things."

"Your mother told me today to get out of your life and move on. She said she wanted her son back, and for that to happen I need to remove myself from your life."

"She said that?"

"Yep, when she just `happened' upon me at the cemetery. That, along with a few other things."

"Such as?"

"Such as it doesn't matter. When can I see your new place?"

"I'll have a key tomorrow evening. Why don't I stop by and pick you up? I'll give you the complete tour."

"Sounds good. I'm home now. Can I call you later this evening?"

"You'd better!"

"Later."

"Later."

Britt walked into the house. "Anyone home," he called.

"In here", his mother answered from the kitchen. "Something told me you'd be home early. I've planned a meal of sorts. Is that all right with you?"

"It certainly is," he assured her. "I am looking forward to an evening with you."

"How did your day go?" she asked as she shut the oven door. She had just placed a casserole inside to cook for their evening meal.

"It went well. How about yours?"

"It was busy," she told him. "We worked like crazy today. This new quilt we're putting in, well, it has been difficult, to say the least. I am certainly thankful to have tomorrow off."

"I'm glad," Britt told his mother. "You work much too hard, I think."

"Nonsense!" she declared. "I enjoy doing and besides, it keeps me busy."

"Just don't over do, Mom."

"No chance of that."

"Found some news out today. Devon has leased an apartment in town. He's moving in on Friday."

Catherine Williams seemed surprised. "I wonder what Elaine McKenzie thinks about that?"

"Oh, I don't think she's exactly thrilled."

"I wouldn't think she would be."

"Speaking of which, Devon is taking me to see it tomorrow evening."

"He is? Britt, why don't you give him a call and invite him to have dinner with us? If he's coming by for you, he might as well join us ."

"Mom, that would be too much trouble," Britt argued.

"I'll thank you to let me be the judge of that," she said indignantly.

"I rest my case." He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "I'll give him a call before I take my shower. I have some things to discuss with you this evening."

"What sort of things?" she asked.

"In due time, Mom, in due time. First things first," he said and left the room.

Britt walked into his room, and fell on the bed. Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he punched out Devon's number. When he had him on the line, he gave his mother's invitation for dinner the following evening.

"She doesn't need to do that," Devon objected. "Too much trouble," he added.

"That's what I told her, and she informed me she would be the judge of that. So, shall we humor her?"

"I would like that very much. What time?"

"What time were you planning on dropping by your apartment?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to pick up the key after work."

"How about dinner at six?" Britt suggested. "That should give us plenty of time. By the way, do you need any help on Friday moving?"

"I'm taking off at noon so I can be there when my things arrive. I can always use some help unpacking, he added."

"You got it then. I'll meet up with you at the new place."

"I would appreciate the help."

"I might as well offer to help, since I'm sure to be blamed for this new adventure in your life."

"Oh, I have no doubt you will be in the middle of everything," Devon agreed.

They talked a few moments before Britt ended their conversation. He jumped into the shower and then joined his mother in the living room. He found her enjoying a glass of wine.

"You have another glass of that stuff?" he asked.

She nodded. "I've already poured it for you. It's on the counter next to the sink."

"Thanks." Britt left the room. He returned shortly and took a seat across from his mother.

"So you had a good day, did you?" Catherine asked. She took a sip from her glass.

"I think I did, Mom. I made a couple of visits to Margaret Cooper's home. The first went very well. The second, not so good. She kept thinking I was Dad."

"Alice told me her mother gets confused at times."

"Like I said, the first visit went quite well. She knew who I was, but when I told her that Dad had died a few years back, she kept insisting she had seen him recently. Other than that, it went well. When I returned a couple hours later, she met me at the door and called me `Daniel'. I tried to explain who I was, but she thought I was playing a joke on her. She said I was such a jokester. She told me someone had been by earlier that day and had tried to tell her Daniel was gone. She said she didn't believe them. She didn't remember that I was the one who had told her Dad was gone"

"Bless her heart," Catherine Williams said sadly. "It's terrible to grow old."

"How old is she, Mom?"

"Margaret is probably a good ten years older than me. She's pushing eighty, I would imagine."

"Mom, I discovered something this afternoon. I went back to the cemetery again, at Mrs. Cooper's suggestion."

"Why?" his mother asked.

"She seems to think there is something out there that needs to be discovered. And for some reason she believes it concerns the McKenzie family."

A few seconds of silence passed before his mother spoke. "I can't for the life of me think what she could be talking about."

"You have no idea?"

"None what so ever, Britt."

"Let me ask you something. Today, my second visit out there, I came onto the Porter family plot. Wow, there were a lot of graves there. They were a large family at one time."

"Yes, they were."

"What I discovered at the back of the plot was a small flat stone hidden in the grass. When I got down to read it, all I could make out were the letters `DDM'. Do you have any idea who might be buried there?"

"I have no idea," she assured him.

"Elaine McKenzie `dropped' by once more while I was there. I asked her, and she told me it was some cousin of hers from way back."

"Well, I guess she should know," his mother pointed out.

"You're right, she should, and I'm sure she does. I'm just not certain she told me the truth."

"Why would she lie to you?"

"Maybe that's what I need to find out. I asked Devon on the phone earlier, and he told me he thought the grave belonged to a cousin of his mother's. Evidentially she had a baby that died the same day it was born and needed a place to be buried. His grandfather gave permission for the baby to be placed in the family plot."

"Then that must be the truth. Devon wouldn't lie to you."

"I know Devon wouldn't. I'm not so sure about his mother. Oh, by the way, he accepted your invitation for dinner tomorrow evening. I told him to be here around six. He'll show me his apartment afterward."

"Good, I'm looking forward to having him in our home."

"I think the feeling's mutual."

Britt spent a quiet and leisurely evening with his mother. It was nice for a change to talk with her about things in the past as well as in the present. They enjoyed their meal, and afterward, he helped her clean things up. The evening went by pleasantly for the two of them, and at eleven o'clock, Catherine headed for bed.

She gave her son a kiss on the cheek, told him goodnight, and reminded him not to stay up too late. "You need your rest," she smiled as she disappeared down the hallway.

"Night Mom," he smiled. "I'm just going to sit here for a bit and relax. I won't be up much longer."

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Devon McKenzie's evening had not been as good to him as Britt's had been. He had brought boxes home and was busy packing his things when his mother "came up". She barged in as if the entire place belonged to her; which of course, it did.

She greeted him coldly and said, "So, you are going through with this charade, I see."

Devon looked up from his packing. "It's not a charade, Mom. Its just time I have a life to call my own. Look, I love you and Dad. You are my family. It's just time for me to discover a little of life for myself. I need some space."

"You don't call this space?" she asked, waving her arms around. "There is more `space', as you put it, here than in any other place you could choose to live in or around Porterville."

"Maybe there is," he agreed, "but I want my own space. There is nothing wrong with that."

"It's Britt Williams," she said bitterly. "You have been a different person ever since the man has returned home."

"Sorry you feel that way, Mother. I am your son, and I still love you as much as I always have. You are right, however, part of my reason for moving out on my own is because of Britt. Not because he has convinced me to do so, but because he has made me see that I want my own life, not a life chosen for me."

"You just don't see it, do you?" Elaine McKenzie spit the words out. "Britt Williams is going to keep on until he ruins everything in your life. And the lives of everyone else in Porterville as well," she added.

"What the hell are you talking about, Mom? What can Britt possibly find out that would hurt anyone?" He looked at her closely. "What about you? Do you have something hidden that he might discover? Some sort of secret that could ruin your life?"

"Absolutely not!" she said. "I have nothing at all except pride for myself, my family, and the town. A town, I might add, that has been very good to you and your family."

"Yeah, well, whatever. I need to work on packing. I'm sorry you feel the way you do and that you can't be happy that I want a little freedom of my own."

"Is it freedom you want? Perhaps then you might want to leave the Company. Would you like to work elsewhere?"

"Is that a threat, Mom? Are you firing me from Porter Textile?"

"Your father needs you," was the only answer she gave him.

"He still has me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just getting my own place. Surely you can understand that. Just the same as you and Dad wanted your own home when you got married and started out in life."

"That's the key word," she declared. "We got married and made a home for each other. If you were getting married I would certainly want you to have your own place."

"So, if I were getting married, it would be all right for me to move out? You just can't stand it, can you, Mom?"

"Stand what?"

"That I'm gay."

Even though Devon had spoken the words softly, the look on her face was one of shock; the kind of look one would expect to see if a loud explosion had just went off close by.

"You're what?" she sputtered.

"You heard me," Devon answered. "Be honest. I know you've thought it for a long time."

The color drained from his mother's face. Not saying another word, she walked silently out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

Left alone, Devon felt a feeling of relief come over him. At least it was out in the open now. It no longer mattered what she thought "might be" because now she knew the truth. She was a strong woman, and he knew it. The longer he thought about it, he was certain that she would be all okay. What scared her the most about his being gay, was not the life itself, but the fact it was something she had absolutely no control over. That was what bothered her more than anything, and they both knew it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Britt was up early the next morning. He dressed, had coffee with his mother, and then headed for the Beacon. He had been thinking about Margaret Cooper a lot since his visit with her the day before, and he was anxious to talk with her daughter and see if her mother was okay.

When he arrived at the newspaper office, he discovered Alice's desk empty. He heard Sam in the press room, and stuck his head inside the door.

"Morning, Sam", he greeted. "Alice running late this morning?"

Sam smiled and sent him a nod. "Morning, Britt," he answered. "Yeah, Alice called and said she would be in later. Guess Margaret isn't doing too well this morning, and she wanted to get her settled down first."

"I see. You know, Sam, I went to see the woman yesterday. Twice. The first visit went well, but when I returned the second time she couldn't be convinced other wise that I wasn't my father. She said someone' had told her earlier that he was dead, and she hadn't believed them. That someone' had been me."

"Terrible to get old," Sam declared,

"That's what my mother said."

"It's the truth. "Just wait, you'll be there sooner than you think," he warned.

A door opened and shut behind them, and Britt turned around. He saw Alice Cooper hurrying to her desk. "Good morning," she greeted. "Sam, I'm here," she called. "Thanks."

"No problem, Alice," Sam said, coming up behind Britt. "You need to take care of your mother. She's a great lady," he added.

Britt walked over and stood in front of Alice's desk. He sat down in the chair and leaned back against the wall. He said, "Alice, I am sorry about yesterday. I would never have gone back the second time had I known it would affect her the way it did."

"You're not to blame, Britt," she assured him. "Mother just has days like that now and then. Truth of the matter, she told me earlier in the week that she had seen your father driving down the street. Her mind played a trick on her, and she thought you were your father."

"I would never cause her any pain."

"Can I ask you something, Britt?" Alice asked, leaning back in her desk chair.

"Anything, Alice."

"I understand why you went to see my mother the first time. What was the reason for your second visit?"

"Well, she told me to go to the cemetery and check things out. She felt certain there was something out there that would lead me to some deep secret, something or someone. I'm not sure which. Well, I went out there and walked all around. I did discover something that puzzled me, so I went back to ask if she knew anything about it."

"What did you discover?"

"I came upon the Porter family plot and discovered a small grave marker with nothing on it except the letters `DDM'. Elaine McKenzie was out there, and she told me it was the grave of a child belonging to a cousin of hers. Evidently the child had died shortly after being born and had been buried in the Porter family plot."

"And you think my mother would know something about that?"

Britt nodded. "Possibly," he answered. "When she told me to return to the cemetery, she said I might find out something about the Porter family. In fact, she seemed certain that I would."

Alice was silent a moment, thinking things over in her mind. Finally she said, "I'm not sure if she would know anything or not. About the Porters, I mean. It's true, she has lived here her entire life, but she has had absolutely nothing at all to do with the Porter or McKenzie families."

"I don't know," Britt admitted. "That was the reason for my return visit yesterday. I thought she might be able to tell me something."

"Do me a favor, Britt. For the time being, you might not want to disturb her. When she settles down, and I feel sure she will, then you might give her another visit. I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Alice. You have my word; I will not bother her again until you say it's all right."

She gave him a smile. "I really appreciate that."

Britt headed for the back room, a room he was beginning to think of as "his place" since he spent so much time each day working there. It was becoming almost as familiar to him as his own office at home where he did his writing.

He had gone through several files and had finally reached the end of the 1950's when he discovered Sam standing in the doorway. He had the oddest expression on his face, and suddenly Britt knew something was wrong. His first thought was his Mother. God, had something happened to her, he wondered?

"What is it, Sam?" he asked, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Alice went home to check on her mother and found her dead." Sam's voice shook as he spoke the words.

Britt could not believe he was hearing correctly. Only yesterday Margaret Cooper seemed in the best of health. Other than her mind being a little mixed up, he remembered. "What happened, Sam?"