Patricia Rockwell - Essie Cobb 02 - Papoosed (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

“What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.”

–Dr. Benjamin Spock

            Like clockwork, baby Antonio was soon stirring and Essie transferred him to his walker basket and rolled back to the living room where she ensconced herself and the infant in her lounger to enjoy their time together.  Antonio quickly finished off the bottle he had started earlier and Essie and the infant were soon locked together in a delightful “conversation” while she waited for an appropriate number of burps and the eventual filling of the pants.  She held the tot over her shoulder and gently rocked him back and forth.  Antonio cooed and his tiny head wobbled around as he seemed to be taking in the sights and sounds nearby.  Essie inhaled the relaxing odor of the holiday incense still wafting around her living room.  She wondered if Antonio found its smell as calming as she did.  The little fellow did seem remarkably relaxed and happy.  Maybe those wise men were on to something, mused Essie.  Frankincense and myrrh may just be the ideal aromas for calming babies.  Antonio’s head turned to Essie’s end table and his gaze was suddenly fixated on the golden necklace from Hubert Darby that Essie had left sitting on top of its gift box and wrapping paper.  She looked at the baby’s eyes as the sparkle from the necklace reflected in his pupils.  Gold, frankincense, and myrrh!  Ah, yes!  The three traditional Christmas gifts for a Christmas baby.  And this baby seemed to be enjoying them all.

           
Enough reverie
, Essie thought.  As she rocked and hummed to the baby, she thought about the next few hours and how she would handle them.  She really didn’t want to go out anywhere tonight, but her children were insistent and her son Kurt didn’t get to come down to see her all that often, so she felt obligated to spend time with him when he was in town.  Of course, she would see him on Christmas–she would see all of her children and grandchildren–but she really wanted to spend some extra time with her only son away from all the hustle and bustle of a huge family get-together that would occur on Christmas day at Claudia’s. 

            A soft knock on the door alerted her.  Santos stuck his head in.  When she saw his masked face, she motioned him inside and gestured for him to close the door behind him.

            “Miss Essie,” he whispered, pulling down his face mask, “Baby awake!  Santos come quick, quick!  Help Miss Essie.”

            “Santos, here take this!” said Essie, reaching over to her end table and picking up the golden necklace.  As she lifted it over the baby’s head, little Antonio followed the jewelry with his entire face.  “Santos, can you please take this necklace up to Miss Opal in B227?  She’s expecting it.”

            “Very nice gift,” said Santos, carefully taking the necklace from Essie.  “You want to put in box, Miss Essie?”

            “Oh, no!” replied Essie, “it’s not a gift.  It’s a problem … oh … it’s too complicated to explain … but I want Opal to examine … to look at it.  She’s more knowledgeable about these things than I am.”

            “Yes, Miss Essie,” said Santos, cautiously holding the delicate chain and pendant with both hands. “I take to Miss Opal.  B227?”

            “Yes, B227,” she said.  “Thank you, Santos.”

            “I go, Miss Essie.  I be back for baby at 4:30.”

            Santos quickly slipped out of Essie’s apartment, leaving Essie alone.  She saw that Antonio was starting to get sleepy so she put him back in his basket and rolled him back to her bedroom and wrapped him tightly in his blankets and set him on her bed.  She sat next to him and hummed to him gently.  Soon the infant was fast asleep.  Essie returned to her living room and had barely sat back down in her chair when her telephone rang.

            “Essie,” said Opal, when Essie answered the phone, “this necklace is quite lovely.  It certainly looks like real gold to me.”

            “So it’s not just costume jewelry?” asked Essie.

            “No,” she said.  “Either Hubert Darby is wealthy and knows he’s giving you an expensive piece of jewelry or he’s in possession of this necklace and has no idea what it’s worth.”

            “What do you think it’s worth?” probed Essie.

            “If it’s twenty-four carat gold, which it looks like to me,” suggested Opal, “I’d say it’s worth several thousands of dollars.  Maybe ten thousand.  Maybe even twenty thousand!”

            “Popping pandas!” exclaimed Essie. “What’s the matter with that man?  Why would he do this?  And he led me to believe it was a box of peanut brittle!”

            “He probably thought you wouldn’t accept it if you knew it was expensive jewelry!” said Opal.

            “And he would have been right!” answered Essie.  “I wonder if he gives things like this to all of the women he’s courted.”

            “Essie,” said Opal, “I thought you knew.  Everyone says that Hubert is a bachelor.  He’s never been married.  Some residents think he’s never even had a girlfriend … or woman friend.  You’re his first!”

            “Lucky me!” whined Essie.  “I don’t want or need a boyfriend!”

            “Not even a rich one?” asked Opal.

            “No!” retorted Essie.  “I’m perfectly happy the way things are.  I’m happy to be Hubert’s friend.  I’m happy to be friends with many people, but I’m not looking for anything else.  What a mess!”

            “I’m sorry, Essie,” replied Opal.  “Shall I have Santos bring the necklace back to you?”

            “Is he still there?” asked Essie, incredulous that Opal would force the young man to wait while the two of them chatted about such a personal matter.

            “No, Essie,” said Opal, “but I can call him and have him come back up to my room.”

            “Let me think,” said Essie.  “If I talk to Santos and he has time, I may have him go up and get the necklace and bring it back to me.  But, there’s no reason to rush to do that now.  It’s not as if I can give it back to Hubert today.  Not with the quarantine.  I’m certainly not going to have Santos deliver it to Hubert.  I need to speak to Hubert myself–face to face.” 

            “I’d like to be there to see that,” said Opal, slyly.

            “Well, I’m not going to do it in public,” said Essie.  “I don’t want to mortify the poor man.”

            “Of course,” replied Opal, “I mean, the loss of your affection will be a terrible blow to him.”

            “Stop it, Opal!” chided Essie.  “I don’t know how … serious he is … about me.  Eeee chickens!  It sounds like we’re high schoolers!”

            “Not many high school boys can afford jewelry from Kreigsted’s,” noted Opal.

            “Why is this happening now?” cried Essie.  “My family will be here shortly to take me to dinner.”

            “Oh my!” exclaimed Opal. “What are you going to do about Antonio?”

            “Santos is going to pick him up and keep him in the storage closet until I return,” said Essie.

            “Why not have Santos bring him up to me?” suggested Opal.  “I’d be happy to watch him until you return.”

            “I’ll see, Opal,” replied Essie.  “It’s really what Santos can do conveniently with the baby without anyone finding out that he has Antonio.  I’m not sure it’s safe for him to cart the baby up to the second floor.  It’s not like he has an enclosed basket in a walker that he uses to get places.”

            “Okay,” said Opal, “but the offer stands.  Just let him know that I’m here … and I’m sure Marjorie or Fay would watch him in their rooms too.”

            “Yes,” said Essie, “I’m sure.  We’ll see what works.  The fewer people who know about the baby and the fewer people who see him, the better. Thank you, Opal, for examining the necklace.  It helps to know exactly what I’m dealing with … even if it’s not what I wanted to hear.”

            “You’re welcome, Essie,” said Opal.  The friends ended their call and Essie looked at her watch only to realize that it was almost time for her children to arrive to take her out to dinner.  Santos would be here to pick up the baby shortly before they came.  Essie headed into her small bathroom for a few last minute ablutions and a brief potty stop.  She examined her face in the mirror and judged herself sufficiently clean to be seen in public.  That was actually the only criteria–cleanliness–that really mattered much these days to Essie. 

            She rolled back into her living room just as her telephone rang.

            “Curdling gerbils,” she exclaimed, “that telephone has rung more since they instituted that quarantine than it ever did before.  It’s a good thing I’m not sick with that horrible virus or I’d never have enough peace and quiet to get well.”  She plopped down in her chair and grabbed the receiver.

            “Mom!” said Claudia into the phone.  “We’re so sorry!  We can’t make it!”

            “What?” exclaimed Essie.  “Why?”

            “Do you have your television on?” asked Claudia.  “Have you looked out your window?”

            “No,” said Essie to her youngest daughter, “what’s wrong?”

            “Just the snowstorm of the century!” replied Claudia with excitement.  “No one is going out in this mess.  Most places of business have closed.  We just checked.  Antonio’s closed hours ago.  There’s virtually no restaurant anywhere in Reardon open now.  It’s even doubtful that we could get to Happy Haven.”

            “Jumpin’ pumpkins!” exclaimed Essie, “I had no idea!”

            “It’s true,” continued Claudia, “they have snowplows out, but even they’re having trouble getting around.  Most government offices are closed.   Only police emergency workers are out.  How are you doing, Mom?  I know you’re under quarantine.  Is there enough staff there to get meals to everyone?  I worry about you stuck in your room.”

            “I … I … don’t know,” she answered.  “I haven’t heard anything.  They’ve been making announcements and giving updates about the quarantine, but this is the first I’ve heard about a snowstorm.”

            “Well, if you don’t believe me,” said Claudia, “just take a look outside your window.  It’s a mess!”

            Essie glanced over to her window.  The blinds were drawn so she could just see a glimmer of light peeking around the edges of the window. 

            “Yes, dear,” said Essie to her daughter, “I’ll check on it.  But, don’t worry about me.  I’m safe and sound … and warm!  They bring our meals.  Yes, it’s boring being here all alone,” she lied.  She was anything but bored, but at the moment it was better if Claudia believed that she was fine and out of mischief,  “but I have my puzzles to keep me busy.”

            “That’s good!” replied Claudia.  “What would you do without your puzzles?  Maybe we can do an outing in a day or two when this front clears through.  Kurt won’t be leaving until after Christmas.”

            “Yes, dear,” said Essie, “that would be lovely.  Say hello to Kurt for me.”