Rula Sinara - After the Silence

Whew. She came from a family of docs. And money, or so it sounded, if they were working with athletes. And she was here, of all places, to help out with his kids? He’d been told that she was stressed, but stable, and needed a break...but, shoot, a break to him would be the Bahamas.

“So you must have a lot of little nieces or nephews,” he said. “Younger siblings?” Some sort of experience with watching kids?

“No. I’m the youngest. It’s just my older brother, Simba—Jack’s friend—and me. I can’t wait to meet your children, though.”

This time Ben laughed.

Forget a few months. Hope wasn’t going to last a day in his house.

CHAPTER THREE

Dear Diary,

Sometimes I close my eyes so that everyone will leave me alone. But I’m not really asleep. I hear everything. They fight because of me.

HOPE HAD WORKED with enough patients to know how to read body language, an important skill, given that many “cushioned” or omitted facts in their medical history or medication compliance out of sheer embarrassment. The hesitations. The flinches. Nervous laughter. Jack and Simba had assured her that she’d be doing Ben a favor and that he’d jumped at their idea of having her stay at his place and help with his kids for three months. But he sounded much more skeptical than enthusiastic. She wasn’t so sure the man wanted her in his house any more than she wanted to be in anyone’s way.

Oh, but this? She leaned her head back against the seat and looked out the window. Simba was so right. She needed this break. The good parts and the not so good, like over twenty-four hours of planes and layovers. She could have done without that. But she’d never in her life felt so free. This was spectacular. Ever since they’d exited the freeway, she’d been entranced by the dazzling lights that trimmed shops and street lamps. It was like a fairy tale. A scene out of a movie. Sure, a few places in Nairobi would set out some decorations at Christmas, but these were lights on steroids by comparison. She’d never seen anything like it.

“We’re here,” Ben said, startling her. He turned left onto a street lined with houses separated only by a few meters. Even in the dark, the glow from windows and entry lights revealed a well-manicured neighborhood.

“Oh. My. Gosh,” she said, gaping at the house he approached. Forget fairy tale. After reading about it in stories, she now knew what “Santa’s workshop” really meant. And she was going to get to live in it. Her pulse picked up. Chuki wasn’t going to believe this.

The house looked as if all the colors of a Masai village had been brought to life and showered with Serengeti stars. A sleigh with St. Nicholas—or Santa Claus dressed the American way. Giant wrapped gifts held by elves in green hats. Trees made of nothing but white lights. Even the roofline and windows sparkled.

“Christmas is celebrated quite early here,” she said. “Your children are so lucky.”

“Not celebrated yet, just decorated. The commercial side of things. Thanksgiving comes first in the US,” he said, turning left into the driveway across from Santa’s workshop. He shoved the gear into Park and turned off the ignition. “ This is my house.” He sank back in the driver’s seat. Hope looked through the windshield.

No lights. Nothing. Save for a lit doorway. Hope quickly stamped out the hint of disappointment she had no right to feel. She smiled.

“It’s beautiful.” She unbuckled her seat belt and put her hand on the door.

“Wait a sec,” Ben said, squinting from the reflection of lights in the car mirror. “I don’t know if Jack told you, but my daughter... Maddie... She doesn’t—”

“I know,” Hope said, placing her hand on his arm. It was a reflex. Reassurance. Sympathy. Her bedside manner. But her fingers warmed, and she pulled back when he stared at her hand. “Don’t worry. I’m aware and understand,” she said, hoping the words explained her touch.

“Okay.” He got out and went around back. Hope cringed when the rush of cold came through his open door. She took a deep breath, then exited, hurrying up the flagstone path. Her teeth chattered as she rubbed her arms and waited for him, but she didn’t mind too much. She had a great view of the display across the street from here.

The front door swung open before he made it. A woman in beige pants and a blue tunic-length sweater scanned her from head to toe.

“You must be freezing,” she said, ushering her in. “I’m Ben’s mother-in-law. You can call me Nina.”

“Nice to meet you, Nina,” Hope said, shaking her hand. “I’m Hope.”

“Yes, I think either Jack or Ben mentioned it. It’s a lovely name. Is it short for anything?”

Hope raised her forehead and shrugged with a smile.

“No, just Hope.” She knew what Nina meant by the question. She was expecting a more ethnic name. Her mother was of Luo descent and had decided to combine their common practice of giving their children both a Western name and a Luo name, based on the events of the day of birth. She’d been named only Hope , because it was what her parents were clinging to when she was diagnosed with a hole in her heart as a baby.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look just like that beautiful actress... What’s her name? She won an award... Lupita something,” she said, waving her finger, trying to make the connection.

“I know who you mean. I’ve been told we look like sisters, and I’m thinking of cutting my hair very short like hers. It seems so much easier.”

“You’d be twins for sure. Come on into the living room,” Nina said just as Ben pushed through the door, maneuvering one suitcase inside and setting it against the wall. He took a stack of what looked like mail out from under his arm and set it on a wooden console, then quickly retrieved the second suitcase from where he’d left it on the front landing and kicked the door shut with his heel.

“I take it you’ve met,” he said, looking up as he took his keys out of the pocket of his jeans and set them next to the mail.

“Of course we met,” Nina said, brushing her hand through the air. “Unfortunately, I need to run or Eric is going to get grouchy. I spoiled that man, and now he can’t even fix his own dinner. Listen, Ben. I made sure Maddie’s homework got done, so you’re set for tomorrow morning. No sign of a fever or anything, but I sent her to take a shower. Chad was on the potty for quite a while before he went. I made a pot of vegetable minestrone for dinner, and everyone has eaten—”

“I’d ordered pizza before leaving and told them to have it here at five-thirty. Wasn’t it delivered?” Ben asked. Nina cocked her head and tucked her graying chin-length hair behind her ear. Hope felt like a third wheel all of a sudden, not sure if she should sit on the sofa or keep standing. She desperately needed to use the restroom, but the insistent line of Nina’s mouth and twitch at Ben’s temple kept her from interrupting.

“I put the pizza boxes in the fridge. I really didn’t mind cooking,” Nina said, grabbing her purse. “Oh, Chad said that you promised he could help with inflating that bed, so we went ahead and took care of it. He’s playing on it right now, and Ryan is sleeping. He drank his entire bottle beforehand.”

“Great,” Ben said, cranking his neck to the side and back. “You took care of everything perfectly. I better walk you to your car before Eric wonders what happened to you.”

“Well, maybe I should take a few minutes and go over some kid things with Hope and—”

“Nina. I’ll take it from here,” he said, putting his hand on Nina’s back to guide her out. “I’ll be right back, Hope. Make yourself at...comfortable.”