Mina purred.
“Such a good girl.”
Mina jumped onto the back of the couch and curled up. Rory put his keys on the hook below the mail-filled slot next to the door.
Rory lived in a two-bedroom apartment alone. He had decorated it to his exact standards. He kept his apartment spotless. Family photos covered the plain white walls. A cross hung over his couch. Paintings handed down to him by his grandmother adorned the other walls. His favorite was a little girl in a field of yellow wildflowers.
His couch cover was a sea blue, matching the rug under his coffee table. A recliner sat next to the couch, the leather pristine. His coffee table held a basket for his remote control and a stack of coasters. In the corner of the room was a TV with a bookcase filled with novels next to it. The dining table had a pure white cover. His bedroom was bare except for his bed and a nightstand for his alarm clock and Bible.
Rory had converted his spare bedroom into a workroom. A computer sat on a desk in the corner with an old chair. In the middle of the room was a table with blueprints, wires, metal pieces, and a toolbox. Everything had a place.
The red light flashed on the answering machine as he walked into the kitchen.
He pushed play. “Hey, Rory, it’s João Silva. I’m having a barbecue next Saturday and thought you’d like to come. Haven’t seen you in a few years. Hope you’re doing well.”
João always thinks of me. I think it’ll be nice to finally take him up on his offer.
Rory picked up the phone and called.
“Hello?” Mr. Silva asked.
“Hello, Mr. Silva. It’s Rory.”
“Rory, you’re an adult now. You can call me João.”
Rory found Portuguese pronunciations difficult but tried his best. João was a kind man, with a heavy Portuguese accent. He’d moved to the States from the Azores in the fifties.
“Okay, João.”
“How are you?”
“I’m doing good. I just got your message, and I’d love to come for a barbecue. What time?”
“Oh, great to hear. We’ll be starting at about twelve. If you want to come by early to help, that would be fine too.”
“Great. Do you need me to bring anything?” Rory asked.
“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could you bring some of your pies?”
“Sure, can I use your kitchen?”
“Of course.” There was a pause. “Are you going to bring someone? A girlfriend, or anyone?”
Rory furrowed his brow. He’d never had a girlfriend. He’d been single his entire life. Thirty-five and he had no one.
“No, it’s just going to be me.”
“All right, I’ll put that down for a head count.”
They said their goodbyes, and Rory hung up. He was a little nervous. Mr. Silva had invited him to a barbecue a few times over the past six years, but with work, church activities, and grad school, he didn’t have time to socialize. It’d be nice to get out of the apartment and relax a little.
Rory made dinner. He steamed vegetables and rice, and baked chicken. He poured a glass of Merlot and took his meal into the living room. Mina was still asleep. He turned on the TV.
“Oh,Not Without My Daughteris coming on at six. We made it in time to see it, Mina.” He settled in and watched as Betty, played by Sally Field, realized her husband had no intention of going back to the States from Iran. He cheered Betty on as she planned her escape.
Betty made it over the border and was on her way to freedom.
“Oh, that movie gets me every time.”
