Chapter 3
Jo wanted Alex to leave, but at the same time, didn’t want that black car to follow them. She looked around quickly for other friends, other cars, anyone to help. There were a few other seniors getting into cars, preparing to leave, but none close enough to block the black sedan. She saw Alex was pausing too, and searching the lot, as if thinking the same thoughts. Suddenly from the far side of the parking lot, totally opposite where the black car had parked, a small sporty car with a couple in it sped up behind Alex. At the same time and just as quickly, an older model large luxury car pulled too quickly and too sharply into the parking entrance from the main road and lost control. Barely missing Alex’s car, the long vehicle smashed into the sports car’s rear bumper at a forty-five degree angle, totally blocking the entrance to the parking lot. The exit lane, containing the sports car, was now blocked as well, since the occupants exited their vehicle to have it out with the “gramps” driving the luxury car. That gentleman got out of his vehicle, too, and the girls saw that everyone involved was fine. At a nod from Jo, Alex made hasty their escape. Jo laughed, relieved, as they hit the open road towards Alex’s house, and Alex smiled.
“What a perfect time for them to have an accident,” Alex was the first to acknowledge their escape.
“I’m sorry that had to happen,” Jo nodded in agreement, “But since it did, I’m glad it was right then.”
Charlie, completely oblivious to the presence of the black car, sat in the back seat staring dumbfounded at her two friends. “What horrible things to say! I am ashamed of you two!” Jo and Alex burst out laughing. Charlie folded her arms and pouted the rest of the trip.
Totally exhausted, the three girls arrived at Alex’s home and climbed into their respective beds, couches, and sleeping bags, and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, after a long rest, the girls awoke to hot breakfast that Alex’s mom had prepared for them -- pancakes, warm maple syrup, bacon, and scrambled eggs. The girls ate ravenously. “Partying all evening makes you hungry,” Charlie noted. Once breakfast was finished, the girls quickly helped to put the kitchen back in order, and then they headed to Charlie’s house to help her pack for New York.
“I really wish you didn’t have to go so soon, Charlie,” Jo sighed. “I wish you could just wait a few days.”
“Silly Jo! I won’t be gone the whole summer! Just three weeks. I will be back before you even miss me, I promise!” Charlie still hadn’t remembered her birthday, Jo realized, and she refused to bring it up. It would seem as if she was being petty, or as if she just wanted Charlie around to give her a gift or something. It would be the first time since grade school that the three of them didn’t celebrate one of their birthdays together. Jo noticed Alex smiling sadly at her. Alex did remember, and Alex, too, had decided it best not to remind Charlie what she would be missing when she left. Jo sighed. This is what growing up means, she concluded.
It was early afternoon when the packing was finished. One of the servants in the Allen’s home knocked on the door of Charlie’s bedroom and announced lunch was being served on the terrace, so they headed downstairs to another meal together. Delicate sandwiches with the crusts removed from the bread, small bowls of watercress salad, a dish of fresh sliced fruits, and ice cold, freshly brewed tea were gratefully consumed. The girls laughed and joked about moving from one house to the next for food.
“I guess dinner is at your house, Jo!” Charlie giggled.
Jo laughed, too, “Yep, I think mom is making soup tonight, you should all come over.”
Honestly, Jo had no idea what her mom was making for dinner, but soup was a common occurrence at their house. It was fast and cheap, and both mother and daughter enjoyed it. For that reason, more often than not, soup was for dinner.
“I love your mom’s chicken soup, Jo,” Alex responded.
“Let me call her and see when she is getting off work, then we can plan the rest of our last day with Charlie.”
Jo pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mom. The cashiers at the market were discouraged from accepting personal calls during working hours, but Jo knew her mom would return her call on her next break, and planned to leave her a message. She was surprised when her mom answered the phone.
“Hi, honey. How was the party last night?”
“Oh, mom! Hi! I didn’t expect to actually get you,” she laughed. “I was planning on leaving you a message to call me on your next break, but this is better! Oh, and the party was a blast! I will tell you about it later.”
“Oh, good! I’m glad you had a good time. What were you going to leave me a message about?”
“Alex, Charlie and I are crashing the house for dinner. Is that okay? And Alex wanted to know if you are by any chance fixing chicken soup.” Jo grinned as Alex tried to wave her a warning not to ask that. Jo’s mom loved that Alex and Charlie liked coming over even though the house was old and ugly. She always told her daughter that people who judged other people by their possessions weren’t worth knowing. It was nice to know her mom liked her friends, and vice versa.
“Yes, I’m sure that can be arranged. Are the girls sleeping over too?” her mom asked.
Jo quickly pulled the phone away from her ear for a moment to ask the girls, “Mom wants to know if you are sleeping over, or just pigging out.”
Jo’s mom could be heard over the phone yelling, “I didn’t say that!” Alex and Charlie laughed.
“No, I can’t. We are leaving early tomorrow for the airport. I’m sure my parents want me at home.” Charlie sighed. “But I want to when we get back.”
“I can’t either. Dad said I had today off since we were out so late, but he wants me to take a shift at the travel agency tomorrow, and I have to open, so it’s going to be early, but Charlie and I definitely will crash at your place after she gets back, and I might while she’s gone.”
Jo put the phone back to her ear, “No, mom, not sleeping, just pigging out.” She smiled at her friends’ glares of exasperation.
“Ok, I will be off early anyway, and it’s fine that the girls can’t sleep over. I took the next two days off to be with my girl. I need to talk to you tomorrow about some things.”
Jo raised her eyebrows in question, “Should I be worried?”
“No, honey, its just some things I need to tell you, now that you are turning eighteen. I’ve been putting it off, and I can’t put it off any longer.”
Jo smiled, and chuckled, “Mom, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I already know about the ‘birds and the bees.’ We had that conversation years ago.”
“No, Jo, not about that.” She could hear the smile in her mom’s voice, and was relieved to know that whatever it was, it was not a bad thing.
“My break is almost over, Jo, so I need to get back to work. Bring the girls over whenever; I will put the soup on as soon as I get home.”
“Love you, mom!” Jo listened to her mother echo the words, and then she hung up. “It’s chicken soup tonight, and I’m ordered to bring you piggies along!”
Alex and Charlie pretended to get angry with Jo for that comment and they chased each other around the terrace like small children, laughing and shouting, and trying to avoid falling in the swimming pool. Finally Jo stopped running, breathless, and let the other two catch her and pummel her gently. Then they all collapsed on the carefully manicured lawn and did some cloud gazing. Jo pointed out a bunny with a huge cottontail. Charlie found a puppy that was long and skinny. Alex saw a science beaker filled with a mysterious fluid. Jo and Charlie laughed at that; Alex was always way too serious.
The next few hours the three best friends hung out in town. They did some clothes shopping with Charlie, Alex dragged them through a technology store, and Jo wanted to check out the bookstore. Shopped out, they headed to Jo’s house. As they neared the mobile home park, Jo glanced at the spot across the street where the black car had been yesterday to see if it was there still. No, it was gone. She’d been trying hard not to think about that black car, and had succeeded most of the day. She wished she could just forget about it.
The house smelled like chicken soup when they entered. Jo had noticed her mom’s car parked outside the trailer, and mentioned it after she put down her backpack and other things that she had been hanging on to since the party the night before.
“Mom, you got the car fixed?” she asked as she entered the kitchen and gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek.
“Well, it’s the funniest thing. Today, the car started just fine. Mrs. Harper gave me a ride in to work today, and when I was ready to come home, I decided to just try it, and it started right up. I have no idea what is wrong with it now, but I just drove home and thanked God.”
Jo gave her mom a hug. “I’m glad it’s working, too, mom.”
Jo led Alex and Charlie into her room, and she put away the dress and things from the graduation the previous evening. Then she took off her beautiful earrings and necklace that she had been wearing all day, and put them back in the box they came in. She put the box into a small metal chest where she kept all her treasures. It was a funny, old rusty box, really, but it was large enough to hold many of the pretty little keepsakes Jo had collected over the years. “I want to keep these for special occasions.”
The three girls went back into the kitchen to discuss the party with Jo’s mom. More than the other two girls’ moms, they all three knew that Linda Becker loved to hear every detail about any event they had attended, so they laughed and grinned and told story after story of the evening. Soon, she was placing hot bowls of soup in front of each of them, and one for herself. Charlie was relaying the water fight with Danny and Rob, and paused as Jo’s mom sat down and said a sweet, short prayer, blessing the food. As soon as she heard the “Amen,” Charlie picked up the story.
This kind of day was a favorite for Jo and her mom. Jo loved it that her friends loved her mom, and that her mom loved her friends. It was a perfect ending to a great day.
About nine o’clock, Charlie looked at Alex and suggested she should get home, since she had to leave early for the airport. Alex glanced at her clock, startled. She joked that time flew at the Becker house, and Jo’s mom smiled. Yes, it was a great day.
Jo walked Alex and Charlie out to Alex’s car.
“See you in three weeks, Charlie,” Jo hugged her tight. “Be safe in the big city. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
Jo gave Alex a hug too. “Don’t work too hard tomorrow. Oh, and book me a trip to Hawaii.” Alex laughed. It was a longstanding joke between them.
Jo watched them drive away and went back into her house. Her mom was finishing up the few dishes. Jo picked up a towel to dry.
“Mom, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? About turning eighteen?”
Her mom looked at her, “Oh, honey, we shouldn’t get into it tonight. It will take hours and hours. I have a lot of information to give you.”
Jo began to be concerned. Hours and hours? Was something wrong? Her mother saw the worried frown on Jo’s face and rushed to reassure her.
“Now, Jo, it’s nothing bad. It’s just going to be a lot to process. I want us to have plenty of time to talk. I took all day off tomorrow, so we can discuss everything thoroughly. I want to be able to answer any question you can come up with, but I’m sure you will think of something I hadn’t prepared for. However, I have some papers and things, and a lot of ‘stuff’ as you kids say, and I need to tell you about it.”
“What does it have to do with turning eighteen?”
“Well, I’m not sure anything will happen at all, but if something comes from your turning eighteen, I want you to be prepared.”
“Wait; is this something every girl talks with her mom about at age eighteen? Like a rite of passage?”
Her mom laughed. “No, dear, nothing like that.” She finished washing the last bowl and handed it to Jo, who dried it and put it away. “Let’s just leave it that I need to talk to you before you turn eighteen about turning eighteen, and that it’s important. Tomorrow, you will know everything, but don’t worry about it. It’s nothing bad. There’s just a lot of information you need to be in possession of on your birthday.” She gently pushed Jo towards her room.
“Now, off to bed. Dream good dreams. Don’t let anything burden you tonight. I love you, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
Jo accepted her mom’s hug and a kiss on the forehead, and then headed to bed. She was perplexed about the “discussion” her mom wanted to have with her the next day. Since it was important enough to take a whole day off of work for, it must be big. Her mom rarely missed work. Even when her mom was really sick, she still trudged off to work. Jo knew it was because they needed the money. She sighed. She knew that the day after her birthday she would need to start looking for a job. She had given herself these few days to relax after graduation, but would begin filling out job applications immediately after her birthday. Being eighteen instead of seventeen would help her become eligible for some of the jobs she wished to apply for.
As Jo drifted off, she wondered if the black car was parked across the street once more, but she was too tired to ponder it further. And Joanna Arianna Becker slept. She had no way of knowing that the driver of the black sedan was at that moment standing just outside her window.