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“I haven’t seen you smiling much lately. How is it going between you and Isaac? If I may ask?”
“It’s not going,” I admit. “I try, but if I get too close, he seems to lash out at me.” I shrug. “I’m not sure if he even likes me or thinks of me as a human being or just some servant?”
“Oh, I believe he does,” Neil says. “Maybe he won’t admit it. But I think he does. When he comes back from riding, he’s briefly his old self. Then he starts drinking and goes into the new Isaac, the one that I’ve become accustomed to hating lately,” he crosses his arms and leans back on the machine. Luckily, I never started one of them. I was too busy thinking about Isaac and maybe allowing him to take advantage of my kind nature.
“Neil, I’ve tried. I have tried, but I don’t know if I want to bother with him anymore. I’ve been more than fair to him. But I give, and he just takes,” I need to tell him the truth. That enough is enough. I know that Neil’s my boss, but I have to draw the line somewhere.
“Olivia, there’s something that I haven’t told you,” he sighs and takes my hand, and now he’s scaring me.
“What?”
My heart is racing out of control like the old dryer, the one that Neil refuses to replace because he said that his wife loved that dryer. It was her first one, and it makes so much noise at times I think that the whole ranch is going to collapse. That’s how I feel right now, as if the room’s making so much noise, but the only sound is my heart beat racing out of control.
I beg him, “Please. Tell me.”
Oh God! No!
I move away from him; I can’t breathe. The room feels so hot, and it’s as if I’m suffocating so I need to get out. I can’t lose someone else I love. I can’t take it.
“It might look like I’m in good health, but I’m not.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have long to live!” He says the words fast as though if he speaks generally, he won’t be able to tell me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask feeling a wave of panic swell up from the pit of my stomach.
He holds up his hands. “Olivia, I hate telling you this. You lost your parents not long ago, and I took you in. But I didn’t want to burden you with my family issues.” He starts to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.”
I shake my head, “No Neil. I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe they’ll find a cure; maybe it’s not too late. You’re a rich man. They’re always bending over to help the rich.”
“You don’t have to worry you’ll be taken care of.”
“Neil, you think that’s bothering me? My family didn’t even bother helping me. They thought that we had money, and then they were interested, but when they learned that dad had drank it all away. They slowly took me in one-by-one. Please don’t tell me that this is the end. Neil, you mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t given me a job on
the ranch. I owe you. And I pay my debts. Please tell me what it is I can do?”
“Help Isaac! I need to see him happy again before I go. I can’t let go knowing he’s lost his way. I need to see him in a better place. And only someone as kind and good-natured as you can help him. Olivia, do this for me.”
I feel like crying as I hug Neil, he gently strokes my hair and says, “Save your tears. It’s not over yet. As you said, there might be some hope. I just need you to help Isaac. I think that he likes you. He’s just not good at showing his feelings.”
I break away from Neil wishing that he’ll ask me to do anything else. If I spend any more time with him, then I may turn to drink myself, and I’ve never touched a drop. Not ever since I found out that it killed my parents. My watery eyes meet Neil soft pleading eyes I relent. “Of course, Neil. You know I would move heaven and earth for you. You . . . You’ve been like a father to me for the past two years.”
Neil’s face lights up with a smile. “That’s what I want to hear. Just give him a second chance, that’s all I ask.”
He kisses me on the forehead and then leaves the laundry room with his head bowed down. He’s feeling down, and I know that there’s only one way to put a smile on his face and that’s to help Isaac. I decide to go to his room; I’ll do the laundry later.
I head up the stairs with a mission on my mind, that’s to help Isaac. I’ll find out who’s buying drinks for him and put it to an end. I’ll search his room with the help of Gloria and get rid of the existing bottles. I’ll make Neil see that there’s nothing I won’t do for him and it starts and end with making Isaac turn his nose from liquor.
I knock lightly on Isaac’s bedroom door. “Isaac?” I call out.
No answer.
“Isaac? Do you want to go for a swim with me? Come on. It’s hot, and a swim will be refreshing.”
I’m trying to sound pleasant and as if I mean it. I’m not a good actress, but I need this to work. If it doesn’t then I don’t want Neil to feel bad. He doesn’t deserve it. I’m standing and waiting for him to answer the door. I grow impatient and just open the door. He’s not in bed. I open the door and step into his room. His bags are gone!
Damn!
He’s left I realize as I face an empty closet with none of his clothes in there. This is the first time that he’s left the room clean. Which means that either Gloria or Harriet has come to clean it.
What’s up with this guy?
