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Chapter Six
Jennie waited. Her thoughts were in turmoil after Kane’s appearance. Wanting to think of anything but him, she picked up a magazine and tried to read the main story. It was about two young lesbians being vilified for wanting to come out of the closet and be who they were. Their parents had stuck by them, but the school wouldn’t.
Intrigued, she thought back to when she was a girl, and it had come to her knowledge about one of the boys in a similar situation. The kids had teased him about being a homosexual and she’d asked a friend what it meant.
“Jesus, Jennie. You’re unbelievable. Don’t you live in the real world? It means he’s gay, that he likes boys and not girls.”
She’d been totally unprepared for that answer and didn’t know what to think. Upset, she’d brought the problem home to her baba and got the one answer that to this day made her smile.
“Baba, what do you think of gays?”
The happy woman had looked at her, not an ounce of guile in her sweet expression, and her words rang with truth. “Is good, Jennie. Be gay. Be happy. Is very good.”
She’d known her baba hadn’t understood the meaning of the word, and yet hadn’t she answered in the only way for those who found themselves living that truth?
Smiling, she got up to put on the coffee and resumed her vigilance. Two more hours passed before Lisa finally appeared. Her expression held dismay when she saw her there. “Mom, what’re you doing up so late? Don’t you have to work in the morning?”
Jennie smiled cajolingly. “Waiting for my favorite daughter.”
“You mean you’re only daughter.”
“Why’d you come in through the garage door?”
“I cut across from the back.”
“Where’s your car?”
“At the bar. I had a couple of drinks and didn’t want to drive.”
“Why didn’t you call? I could have picked you up.”
“I know. And I almost did but it’s just a few blocks, and I needed the fresh air.”
“I don’t like you wandering the streets alone at night, honey, you know that. Don’t tell Baba.”
“I already know.” A voice called out from the other room. “Now I go to sleep.”
Lisa’s face dropped, and she called out, “I’m sorry, Baba. You don’t need to wait up for me.”
“Be good gel, lock doors. Night.”
“I will. Love you, Baba. Good night.” Lisa did as she was told and then moved closer and plopped down on the couch beside Jennie. Reaching over, she pulled at the fluffy throw blanket so it covered her legs too. Reading her mother’s expression correctly, she spoke slowly, “He contacted you, didn’t he?”
Jennie didn’t have to ask who Lisa was talking about. They both knew the subject uppermost in their minds. “Yeah. In fact, he visited earlier. Had some requests he figured to pass on in person.”
Lisa refused to meet Jennie’s gaze and instead plucked at the blue blanket, winding it around her fingers. “You know I contacted him.”
“He said as much. How did you find Kane?”
“You listed him on my birth certificate.”
“Didn’t answer my question.” Jennie waited for a few seconds before continuing. “Okay – I never kept your father’s name a secret from you. But I also explained that he’d disappeared right around the time you were conceived, and he never returned. Hell, sweetheart, a man like that doesn’t deserve to know he fathered a baby.”
“I know. But I also know you… and I have no doubt you tried to find him, didn’t you?”
Jennie lowered her head and admitted, “Sure. I was frantic when I found out I was pregnant. But I was also heartbroken when he didn’t return my calls or show up at my door. I’d never have believed he could just take off like he did. I asked everyone we knew and even went to his address to find they’d up and left in the middle of the night. Just took off, according to the landlord who was furious.”
“And you never dug any deeper than that?”
