Ashley & Milo

  Chapter Two

  I was excited. I had a job and I was pretty much working for myself. Sure I never would get rich, but if you are doing something you enjoy, it doesn't matter. And the address I had. Wow! In this section of town addresses meant something. Wait until my ex-wife had to mail me something, she would roll over with envy. Now if I could only have my daughters living here with me, my life would be just about perfect.

  When I reached my new home early the next morning, I walked entirely around it. It set back from the street a goodly distance. The driveway circled the building with the entrances for vehicles on the side away from the street. The drive itself was of finely crushed stone although weeds had grown into it.

  That street side was very plain with few windows and must have been considered an eyesore by the neighbors. I went inside and up the stairs. I measured this and that and contemplated what I wanted the apartment to look like when I finished.

  It was time for one of my friends to be up so I called and asked if he would swap vehicles with me today as I needed his truck. "You working?"

  "Yeah, I've gone into the renovating business. I have to get some paint and paper and stuff at Home Depot."

  "Good, I knew you would find something to do." I had always helped my friends and now I was calling in the favors.

  I was the first customer at the building supply store and I was there for over two hours. Returning to my new home, I made room for everything I had purchased in one of the bays by piling some furniture together. I then swapped back my borrowed truck for my car. When I went upstairs, the electricity, the gas and the water had been turned on. I started by washing the ceilings and I was finished with that by one o'clock.

  Hungry, I went down the street until I found a deli. The prices were high because of the neighborhood I was in, but I bought a submarine sandwich, some milk and a pack of twinkies. Back again, I hunted around in the second bay and found an oak kitchen chair. I sat out in the sun and ate my sandwich and then leaned it back against the wall and took an hour's nap.

  Back to work, I ran some masking tape over the crown molding in the kitchen. There was no need to cover the floor, for it was going to be retiled. I rolled the whitener on the ceiling and waited for it to dry to see if it needed another coat. It didn't. Next I headed for the bathroom. I took paint cloths and covered the fixtures and whitened the ceiling. I used a washable soft rose paint on the walls.

  I had some border of embossed gold and a darker rose for trim to be applied tomorrow. I had inspected the shower walls again and had passed them as okay for the time being. The grout needed cleaning and there were a couple of places that the tiles were loose. I missed this when I looked the first time, so I would have to hit a hardware store. I installed linoleum on the floor. Someday I would tile the floor if I stayed here very long.

  At nine in the evening I decided I didn't want to start any new project. I stopped at a KFC's and ate on the way home to my basement bed at Pat and Linda's. Tomorrow I would dig a bed out from the stuff packed away in one of the bays. That is if I had the ceiling and the walls finished in the smallest bedroom that I had picked for my own. When I reached the house, I just waved at Linda but stopped to ask Patrick if he could stop by my new apartment and help me move a bed and bureau up the stairs. "Bring Linda so she can pass on what I am doing."

  Five a.m. I put up the screen on the ceiling to hold plaster and at five-thirty I was opening a bucket of mud. What I was trying to do, I had only done once before. It had turned out pretty good, but I knew I could do better.

  The biggest problem was balancing the amount of compound plastered to the screen and to get the design in before it was too stiff to work. I should have hired a helper, but I wanted this to be my project and mine alone. Why was that? I wanted to impress Ashley. I had bragged about my home and what I had done there and I wanted to show her I could do the same with this home she had given me access to.

  The ceiling was finished at noon. I left for the deli. I was really hungry today because I hadn't eaten breakfast. It took two subs to fill me up. I was aware that I was pushing myself, but I only had ten days to have everything ready for my two little girls. I'd do anything for them.

  Tomorrow I was going to get a cell phone so I could talk to them. My nap ran over and I didn't get back to the bedroom until two o'clock. Putting paper on walls was something my father had showed me and I worked with him several times. I knew I was supposed to strip the previous paper off, but it was still bonded tightly. The only reason for changing it was because it was outdated. Besides I wanted it to complement my newly designed ceiling.

  Patrick showed up at six p.m. with Linda and their two young ones. "I'm not ready for you yet. I've got to roll up the old rug and put down the new one."

  "How long is that going to take?"

  "Twenty minutes or more."

  Linda was walking around and then started playing tag with the kids while she waited. "I'll help with the rug. Hey buddy, this is a pretty exclusive neighborhood you've arrived in."

  "I know. I can't believe it myself. If it wasn't for Lindsey and Marie, I wouldn't be here."

  "What do your two girls have to do with your being here?"

  "When I met Ashley I was worried about the kids coming for a month as I had no place to live with them. I couldn't ask you and it wouldn't have been right anyway."

  "Why didn't you say something? Linda and I would have put you up in a motel or something."

  "Come on Patrick, I've imposed on you long enough. Things are just coming together for me for a change. It won't be long before I have a little money and then I'm going to do something nice for you and Linda."

  "Yeah, like you really have to. I can think of at least a half dozen times when I needed you to help me. We aren't even yet and most likely never will be. Let's get that rug up and get the new one down. Where is the furniture we have to move?"

  "Behind that door in the second bay. It will take a few minutes to dig it out." I pushed the door open and Patrick looked in.

  "Hey Linda, you want to see some antiques? Would you take a look at these that Milo has to furnish his apartment with? There is even one of those hall trees you have been searching ages for." He turned to me. "You better watch out, Linda may be stealing it."

  "Will not. It is beautiful though. Lucky you."

  Patrick and I got the old rug rolled and down. It was nothing special and I had left it until I was finished so I didn't have to lay down drop cloths. I used Ashley's money to purchase the Turkish rug to replace it with, but intended to pay for it myself. It wasn't real, of course because it was machine made right here in the United States. I loved the colors and it brought out the accent of the paper I had used on the walls.

  The rug actually had the brightest colors in the room. If you were lying in bed, you wanted to see restful. When you put your feet on the floor, you wanted to be woken up, therefore the color splash. I would know in a few minutes what the effect would be. This was why I had asked Patrick to bring Linda.

  The bedstead was a walnut four-poster and had hand carvings on both the headboard and footboard. I wanted it when I first saw it, but I worried if modern mattresses would fit, so I had measured it carefully. It was fine so this was the one I would use. There was a matching dresser and armoire. The closet in this bedroom was so small that it was almost ineffectual, so the armoire went in front of it. I picked out a straight chair. Sometime I might want to have it recovered, for the gold brocade was worn in several places.

  I placed everything carefully and called Linda to come up and look. It was a good thing that the two kids did not come up with her. She was known to swear on occasion. "Fast fucking food. You did that for how many years and you can do things like this? You are a decorator of the first class. Oh Milo, this room is beautiful. The four-foot rose detailed into the ceiling plaster and the paper with the little embossed tea roses just
go together so well. Have you done any more?"

  I showed her the bathroom, which to me was nothing special and then I told her of the plans I had for the living room and the other bedroom. As Patrick and Linda were leaving, she asked about the rug with the bright colors and I gave her my thoughts. "I knew it worked but I didn't know why. I think you've got it. I love it!"

  The other room I finished the next day. I did this one in light blue. Bluebells on the ceiling and accented bluebells for a figure in the wallpaper. The floor covering, I went conservative and ordered an off-white wall-to-wall. There was a pair of twin brass beds in the storage and a matching pair of painted dressers. The effect was just right for a little girl's room. I know Lindsey and Marie will love it. This room had a fair-sized closet which didn't need any attention at all. (Thank God!)

  The next day my hands and fingers were sore and as I had been working over my head, I had a stiff neck. I didn't want Ashley to think I was goofing off, so I gave this day to her front yard. She had some lovely shrubs, but all needed pruning and shaping. Completing this, I edged her walk, digging the grass away to more clearly define it. I did this both on the sidewalk and the walk up to the front door. I discovered that one of the posts that held the railing up the steps was very loose, so I straightened and strengthened that.

  Her blacktopped driveway seriously needed painting and waterproofing so after I had done the edging, I painted it. I found a sawhorse in the garage and placed it at the street end. I left a sign on this not to use the driveway until six p.m. As I was picking up my tools, an elderly lady came along the sidewalk. "Young man, come here, I want to speak to you."

  I walked over to see what she wanted. "I've watched you all day. You work harder than anyone I have ever seen. What company do you work for?"

  "No company. I'm on my own. I'm kind of a handyman. I met Mrs. Winslip a few days ago and have been doing some things for her."

  "What can you do besides yard work?"

  "Just about anything. I have been doing painting and plastering in her other building behind this one."

  "You charge a lot?"

  "Mrs. Winslip agreed to pay me carpenter's wages. I think I'm worth it."

  "How much are you going to charge for what you've done right here?"

  I glanced at my watch. I had been here about eight hours. "I'm going to bill her for two hundred dollars, plus the cost of the paint for the driveway. She gets that for what it costs."

  "I'll give you an extra five dollars an hour if you will come and do some work for me."

  "I'm sorry I've signed up long term with Mrs. Winslip. She has just lost her husband, you know."

  "No, I didn't. She hasn't been married very long. I met her husband once and liked him. What happened?"

  "He was killed in Iraq. He was a friend of mine."

  "She never said anything. Oh, I must tell her how sorry I am. To think this had to happen and you are such a nice person to be here for her."

  "I don't think feeling sorry for her is what she needs. What she needs is a friend she can talk to. I come from a different type of community. I have friends up and down the street for a couple of blocks where I used to live. We support each other when something bad happens and have a party when something good happens. If a family is having personal problems, we don't take sides, but other than that we are there for them."

  "Do you have a family?"

  "I did. Now I only have two daughters. They will be visiting with me in a couple of weeks. You may have a chance to meet them because they will be here while I am working."

  "I would like to meet them. I'll watch and if I see them, I'll stop over."

  "I'm sure they will enjoy meeting you as much as I have."

  "Aren't you a sweet young man."

  I knew Ashley would be home soon and I wanted to leave before she arrived. Why? Who knows, but sometimes I felt awkward around her and maybe because I felt so much gratitude for her giving me a way to get back on my feet. I didn't get away in time. I was pushing my wheelbarrow back across the lot when Ashley came rushing up beside me.

  "Hi stranger, how's the job going?"

  "Fine, really fine. I've been working on the apartment for three days now, mostly on the ceilings and had a crick in my neck. I thought I would goof off for a day."

  "Goofing off, bullshit! You've done a week's work on the front of my house today. I'm impressed."

  I chuckled. "You aren't the only one. The lady across the street watched me and offered me more money to come work for her."

  "You didn't accept did you?"

  "Nope. I said you were a friend of the family and I had a long-term contract with you. She does want to meet my kids though, when they come to stay with me."

  "Which lady are you talking about?"

  "I don't know her name, but she is about 85 I would guess. She is real friendly." I gave Ashley more of a detailed description.

  "That must be Mrs. Hamlin. I wouldn't call her friendly. She has lived across the street from me for several years and we haven't spoken ten times."

  "Ashley, have you gone over and spoken to her? Calvin did. I had to tell her he was dead. Tears came to her eyes."

  "But things like that aren't done here. People keep to themselves."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know. They just do."

  "Why don't you change them? Think back when you learned that Calvin had been killed and it tore your world apart. If you had gone and shared your grief with Mrs. Hamlin, you wouldn't have taken Calvin's gun and tried to kill yourself, would you?"

  "Probably not."

  "Okay, you've escaped, but what about someone down the street. What if another young mother learns her husband has been killed and there are neighbors all around her, but no one comes to console her? She may not have a Milo Burns right there at the right time. What then?"

  "Damn you Milo, you make me think too much. What about you?"

  "Hey, when Jean told me she was leaving me and taking the kids, I felt like you did when you lost Calvin. I went over and cried on Patrick and Linda's shoulders and it wasn't long before all my neighbors knew. Several stopped by just to say hi. It helped a lot and that saved me so I was there to save you when it was necessary."

  I had enough of this. "Hey, the deli down the street has great sub sandwiches. Let's go get a couple? You might meet the neighbor whose life you're going to save someday."

  "I go by there every day, but I've never bought anything. Okay, let's go for it. Besides I want to see what you've done to my house."

  "I wasn't going to show you until I had the living room done, but I guess I can stand it if you can. If you had waited one more day you would have really seen some progress."

  When we entered the deli, three of the clerks shouted, "One Italian sub coming up, hold the pickles, load the black olives, mayo on the side and milk and twinkies to go. Who is the lady with you?"

  "This is the lady I'm working for. Tonight she is inspecting my work. If she likes it, I'll be in tomorrow for the usual. If she doesn't, I'll be in asking for a job. Ashley, meet Karen, Pete and Bill. What are you going to have?"

  Ashley's face was red. I embarrassed her, not from what I said, but because in her world, attention was never drawn to a person. She struggled out with, "I'll have the same."

  When we were paying, the cashier reached across and clasped Ashley's hand. "Dear, I feel for you. My son is over there, and I worry all the time he won't be coming home. He wanted to go, so it was his decision. I'll just die if anything happens to him. Pray for me, just like I pray that your pain will pass." Tears of sorrow started in both Ashley's and the cashier's eyes.

  "I will pray that he comes home, and thank you for caring."

  "Milo, you brought me here on purpose didn't you? Why did she have to know I lost Calvin?"

  "She didn't and I didn't tell her directly. I learned her boy was over there and I said I had just lost
a good friend that I had for years. I said I worked for his widow. She saw a chance to reach out to you, so she did. By the way, you said just the right thing to her. You both feel better now, and if grief comes to her, she will know she isn't alone. Let's go eat. I worked hard today and need sustenance."

  As we were going up the stairs I said, "You know we are going to be eating in the bedroom. It is the only place I have to set things down, including ourselves."

  "If it was anyone but you, I'd be concerned."

  "That's right, not to worry, sweet one." I changed the subject. "Go in the bathroom first. I am mostly done in there. Then look into the bigger bedroom. That is all done except for the off-white carpet which I have ordered, and I want to tint the design on the ceiling with a little color. That is where my girls will be sleeping. The smaller room I picked for myself is all done except for tinting the rose on the ceiling."

  I watched Ashley open the bathroom door and glance in. Then she did as directed and went into the girls' room. I expected (wanted) some reaction. The door closed and stayed that way for maybe five minutes. Then she came out and went into the other room. Same thing, door closed, wait five minutes, door open. She faced me. "Milo, I really don't know what to say. I have no words for it. I could go in there or into either one and stay. They are beautiful. Where did you learn to do that?"

  "I have done only one other, but I'm getting better all the time. I watched a real artist do this and asked questions until I got inside his mind and could see the principle behind it all. He is dead now, more's the pity. He was a genius. It gets easier. I'm really concerned about this ceiling in the living room. I don't know if I can work fast enough to keep the mud working. I need someone to be here and hand me stuff or hold a tool."

  "Could someone like me be of help?"

  "Certainly. Would you like to help me? I'm going to do it tomorrow."

  "What time?"

  "I need to get started by six, if that isn't too early."

  "I'll be here. I'm due for a day off."

  "Ashley, would you do me one favor? I need to call my ex and tell her I have a place to live that is suitable for the girls. I want to verify for sure that she is going to let them stay with me. If there is any question about the address you can speak with her. Please?"

  "Sure, go ahead and call. Do you want to eat our sandwiches first?"

  "No, I want to get this over with."

  I called. Jean's new husband answered. "Attorney James Burgess speaking."

  "Hello, may I speak to Mrs. Burgess, please? This is her ex-husband calling about our children."

  "I'll see if she is available. Hang on."

  I could hear Burgess talking to Jean in the background. He came back on. "If this is about the kids staying with you a month this summer, she doesn't want to talk to you."

  "Now look, Mr. Burgess, I gave up the right to see my children every other weekend because Jean said it was too disruptive. She agreed that I could have them for the month of July. Is she saying that I can't now?"

  "That is correct."

  Ashley saw how things were going, so she took the phone from my hand. "Attorney Burgess, this is Prosecutor Ashley Nelson. I have a question for you. Do you practice family law? If you are advising your wife to withhold visitation rights from Milo Burns, I think you are giving her the wrong advice. I will state this is only my own opinion, but it won't take me long to find out if she is within her rights. Do you understand me?"

  Ashley winked at me. "Fine Attorney Burgess, give the phone to your wife and let Mr. Burns speak to her. The children are the primary concern here and I want to see that they are treated the way the courts say they should be. For your information, I find Mr. Burns fully qualified to care for his children for this short period. He has a fine home to bring them into and has worked hard to provide it for them." She handed the phone back to me.

  I could hear Burgess and Jean talking heatedly. From what I could gather, Burgess was urging Jean now to comply in all things which wasn't the case before. "Hi Milo, it has been quite a while since we have spoken."

  "Yes it has and you have seemed to want it that way. I admit I haven't tried very hard, for my prospects weren't very good. However, those prospects have improved, and I think shortly we should return to court and have our agreements reviewed."

  "If you say so. Can't we keep this between ourselves? The girls are happy with you out of their life. They never mention you anymore."

  "We will see after they are with me for the month. Do you want to bring them here or shall I come and get them?"

  "I'll bring them to you. That is a week from today, isn't it?"

  "Yes Jean, you know it is. Now if you have paper and pencil, I'll give you the address." Ashley was scribbling madly on a pad she had picked up. I looked at it.

  She had written, "Use my address."

  "Jean, the address is, 'The Winslip residence, 400 Bellevue Avenue.' Ashley gave your husband her professional name of Nelson, if he can't figure it out. You might not have heard, but Calvin died in Iraq about a month ago. Ashley is his widow."

  "Milo, I didn't know he was dead. I'm sorry for you. I know how long you had been friends. Would you express my condolences to his widow?" I could hear the sorrow in Jean's voice, so I knew she was sincere. "I'll bring the girls over on Thursday morning early, if that is all right." That is the way we left it.

  I turned to Ashley. "If you hadn't been right here and applied some pressure I wouldn't be having my kids in a week's time. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. By the way, Jean wanted me to express her condolences. She knew Calvin, although they never got along that well. I think she suspected he could see right through her, but I'm sure she means what she said and is sorry he has been taken from us."

  "That is nice of her. If I see her I will thank her. Now take me to your bedroom and feed me."

  Sitting in the bedroom eating a sandwich was fun. Ashley's eyes traveled to the ceiling every few minutes. "What have you planned for the living room? Something spectacular, I'll wager."

  "Yes, I'm hoping so. You gave me the idea that night on the mountain when you stayed out to watch the moon come up and see the stars pop out. It is only fitting that you be here to help me implement it. This room is big enough to make it work, but then again the whole idea may crash. We will see."

  "What are you going to do about that wire hanging down in the middle? Won't that take away from your design?"

  "Maybe, but I need electricity in that place. Tomorrow is just the beginning of what I have planned. The reason I haven't finished the other ceilings is because the plaster has to be perfectly dry before it is coated. I want to do the bedrooms before the girls come, but I may wait until after they leave to finish this. I'll be about two days short, time-wise."

  "You all could stay at the big house with me."

  "The kids maybe, but not me."

  "Why not?"

  "I just don't think it would be right, that's all."

  "Okay, if you say so. Hey, I have to do hard labor tomorrow. I'm going home to bed. When are you going to start sleeping here?"

  "Tomorrow night if I have time to get new bedclothes and linen."

  "Well we will try to find time so you can."

  Again those awkward moments came when it was time for me to leave. "Do you want me to walk you across the lot and home?"

  "Don't be ridiculous, it is barely dark. I'll see you in the morning."