The Typewriter

Chapter 4 or Day 4 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,691 words)

Chapter 4: Mary Ann Walton-Gray goes home

Mary Ann Walton-Gray sat at her desk staring at the file in front of her. The new parolee, Kevin Chester Wainwright, was supposed to arrive from the National Prison today. She did not expect him to contact her until morning because few of the parolees ever reported to Gray Landscaping until the next day. In fact, she knew of only two who reported the for work on the day they arrived Morgan Holloway and Morris Johnson. Before he died, Arnold had told her they were the best landscapers he had ever encounter, which was one of the reason they received permanent job after Arnold's death.

She stared fixedly at the file laying on her desk. For some reason should could not focus on work. Two hours until closing time, she thought looking at her watch. Maybe I should go home early, Morris can handle things here for the rest of the day. The truth was that Morris Johnson could handle the office by himself. If he needed her opinion on a parolee and anything else he would ask.

Getting up, she went to the filing cabinet, removed her purse, placed it over her shoulder, and picked up the file off her desk. She locked the office door behind her, then went to the receptionist desk, and laid the file on the counter in front of Morris.

"I let Marge go home early," he smiled, "it turns out you were right about her being pregnant. I thought she should tell Jake before he heard it over the ivy vine."

"Here is the file on the new parolee," she opened it and handed him the photo.

"Kevin Chester Wainwright," he frowned. "I saw him get off the bus this morning. He started to report to Mr. Dragonslayer, but when Ms. Applewhite's carriage arrived he head east toward the cemetery. I almost thought he didn't want to encounter Her Ladyship."

"Morris, check the file to see if he is any relation to Chester Wainwright."

"Who's Chester Wainwright?"

"The former partner of Luther Applewhite. I remember Arnold said that Applewhite Reality used to be Applewhite and Wainwright Reality. That was before Ms. Lydia's husband and child were killed in an accident. Arnold told me that Luther Applewhite blamed Wainwright for there deaths and then a few days later Chester Wainwright disappeared."

"I'll check, if they are related then I'll assign Kevin Wainwright to the Baldwin account."

"What's Lars Baldwin's problem now," she laughed, "besides despising ex-cons."

"That is his only problem, I've seen the work the guys are doing and he has nothing else to complain about."

"Then let the old bastard complain," Mary Ann sighed, "he's not an Applewhite or related to an Applewhite, so I'm not going out of my way to hire a special landscaper for him. If a landscaper or yardman comes in within the next several months who isn't an ex-con then hire him, at the same rate we pay everyone else, and assign him to the Baldwin Account."

"Otherwise, Morgan and I should be a polite as possible to Old Man Baldwin."

"See you in the morning, Morris," she went out the backdoor to the parking lot. Thirty minutes later, Mary Ann drove the car into her garage, got out, and went into her house.

"Home early, Mrs. Gray," said Maze Holloway who was sweeping the floor of the entrance hall.

"Who's visiting," the only time Maze call Mary Anne Mrs. Gray was when they had visitors.

"Arnold Junior's teacher," Maze smiled at the expression on her employers face. "Ms. Logan and young Arnold are in the drawing room having sweet tea and cookies."

"Thank you, Maze," she went into the drawing room.

"Mrs. Gray, it's nice to see you," said the blond teacher. "I wanted to talk to you about some of Arnold's school work, but..."

"You didn't want to have a parent-teacher conference at school." Mary had heard the new principle was hard to get along with and difficult.

"Arnold," she sit down on the couch next to the teacher, "why don't you go and see if Maze needs any help in the garden."

"Yes," Arnold's eyes lit up, there was nothing he enjoyed more then working in the garden and getting his hands dirty.

"Arnold really enjoys gardening, doesn't he Mrs. Gray?"

"He takes after his father. Is there a problem, Ms. Logan?"

"Yes and no," Ms. Logan smiled. "The problem is with Mr. Allen, the new principle, and not with Arnold."

"What do you mean?"

"The new principle thinks he's an expert on everything, including gardening. Whenever Arnold makes a suggestion or gives information about a plant in the school garden, the principle tells him to remain silent and not interfere in something he knows nothing about. I'm afraid that..."

"You're afraid it will stifle Arnold's enthusiasm," Mary Anne thought for a moment. "I'll take Arnold to school in the morning and introduce myself to the new principle."

"Thank you, Mrs. Gray, that would be wonderful."

"Do you have a way home, Ms. Logan?"

"I ride a bicycle, it saves on fuel and eliminates having to find a parking place at the school."

"Then I will see you in the morning, Ms. Logan, and I won't say anything to Principle Allen about this talk."

"Thank you, Mrs. Gray." Mary Anne escorted the teacher to the door and watched her ride off toward the east.

Walking into the kitchen, Mary Anne went to the backdoor and watched her son work in the garden. Maze was showing him how to pick fruit from a cactus without getting wounded by the needles. After a few moments, the pair looked up and when Arnold saw his mother, he picked up the basket and carried it into the house.

"Arnold," she took her son's hand and led him to the kitchen table and sit down. "We need to have a little talk."

"I guess Ms. Logan told you about the new principle," Arnold sit down next to his mother.

"She informed me he suggested that you didn't know what you were talking about when it came to plants."

"Well, he is the principle..."

"He had no right to talk to you that way, Arnold," she kissed him on the forehead. "You know more about plants then many adults do. You know more about plants then I do."

"Mom," he frowned, "how could that be, you're the head of Gray Landscaping."

"Arnold, the business was started by your father. Arnold SR. could grow plant in any type of soil. I can kill plants, but I'm not that good at growing them."

"Maze says that I can grow a plant anywhere."

"Yes," Mary Anne hugged her son, "you take after your father. Do you have homework?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you wash your hands, go into the setting room and do it. When you're finished either Maze or myself will look it over."

"All right," he got up and went into the setting room.

"You're going to have a talk with that principle, aren't you," Maze set a plate of fried tomatoes and a cup of coffee in front of Mary Anne.

"Yes, Maze," she cut up the tomatoes, "I'm taking Arnold to school tomorrow. I'll have a talk with the Mr. Allen then and if that doesn't do any good, then you can have a talk with him."

"It'd be better if Morgan talked to him," Maze got a plate of tomatoes for herself and sit down at the table. "Morgan can control his temper better then I can."

"From what I've heard about this new principle," she took a sip of coffee, "losing your temper with him may not be a bad idea, but if I have to send Morgan in I will."

"Maze," Mary Anne finished the last tomato and sip of coffee, "I'm going to take long hot bubble bath. When Arnold finish his homework let me know."

"You look tired," Maze picked up the dishes, "take a bath and go to bed. Morgan will be home soon, so he can help me go over Arnold's homework." She placed the dishes in the sink, "And, Mary, don't wear slacks tomorrow, wear the blue business suite with the skirt."

"OK, Maze," she smiled.

After her bath, Mary Anne took the business suite out of her closet and laid it across a chair. Then she sit down at the dresser and looked into the mirror. She started to pick up her hairbrush, but instead opened her jewelry box and took out a gold locket. Opening the locket, she kissed the picture of her husband it contained, closed the jewelry box and placed the locket on top. Getting up from the dresser she went to bed, without brushing her hair.

"Mary Ann," her husbands voice echoed through her dream, "don't worry about our son. Nothing Principle Allen says will harm him." She raised up, looked around the bedroom, and then turned over.

Reaching under the pillow next to her, she removed one of her husband's work shirts and laid it under her head. "Arnold," she whisper, "I wish you were here to deal with this matter, I have a feeling that this Allen guy is going to be one difficult bastard."

She fell asleep, only to wander into another dream. In this dream, she found herself setting in Lydia Applewhite's setting room with Miles Dragonslayer. Lydia came into the room and handed them a thick manuscript on the front of which was typed K. C. Wainwright Lost in the Night.

Mary Anne sit up in bed and then got up. She picked up her rose color robe, put it on, and went into her son's room. Arnold lay asleep with a picture of his father on the pillow next to him. Leaning down, she kissed her son on the forehead, then picked up the picture and sit it on the nightstand next to his bed. Leaving the door slightly ajar, she returned to her own room, but instead of going back to bed she set down at the dresser and began brushing her hair.