Chapter 4
A
Revealing Flat Tyre
“Honey, I’ll have to
ride with you this morning,” Mrs. Marshall called out to her husband from the
kitchen. One could almost get the
impression that when she was at home all her time was spent in the
kitchen. Actually, she loved the kitchen
and she loved feeding her family. “My car is at the service station where I
left it yesterday afternoon. I took a
ride home with Cynthia. She offered to
come and pick me up this morning but I told her I would come in with you.”
“Not a problem, my
dear. I wish I had that opportunity more
often. Could we go driving and just skip
work today?” He asked her with a very enticing tone in his voice.
“Don’t tempt me sailor
boy!” she replied. “I would call your
bluff.” She knew that he was not
serious. He was a workaholic. Almost nothing could keep him away from his
work. He was a building contractor for a
prestigious firm. Prior to this he was a
tutor at the district polytechnic. After
twelve years service there he felt he needed to move on up the financial ladder
and so he applied for a job at this firm and easily got it. He has been working with them for thirteen
years having risen to the post of senior contractor. Such an income afforded his wife some ease in
making the sacrificial commitment to the charitable organization for which she
worked.
Working at such a job
meant regular trips to worksites to carry out checks on how the work was
progressing. It also meant that the
vehicle was subject to a certain kind of treatment. Sometimes he drove the company’s vehicle but
fairly often he would drive his own vehicle.
He was without the company’s vehicle for some while since they were
awaiting a new SUV four-wheel drive.
This would facilitate the moving of men to worksites as well as light
materials when there was some urgency.
Also there were some worksites where he really could not take the car so
he needed to use a more sturdy and dependable vehicle.
Mr. Marshall just
absolutely loved his job. Many of the
buildings across the island were testimony of his skill in drawing building
plans as well as managing workers in the building process. He got along well with all of his workmates
at whatever levels they operated. Higher
management competed to have him in their group while the workers at the site
prayed and hoped that he would be the one in charge of them.
Just like he operated
at work, he also operated at home. He
was loved by all of his family. Maybe a main
reason for this was because he allowed them all a certain level of autonomy to
make decisions and to work through their problems on their own. He only got involved if they send out an
SOS. This had benefitted the children
immensely for it had made them strong and stable individuals who for the most
part remained true to their upbringing.
Mother Marshall was
quite the opposite. She liked to know
about all that was going on in her children’s life and if she had the slightest
inkling that something was troubling one of her babies, she was quick to either
get in their to rescue them or should that proved to be a difficult prospect
she got down on her husband to act decisively and effectively. She was not against suggesting to him very
strongly how he should go about the matter.
Even in the case of the
youngest sibling there were not many occurrences of either Mummy or Daddy
having to come to their rescue. Often
when either of the parents found out that there was some challenge the children
had already resolved the issue. I must
add, however, not always in the manner that their mum would have preferred.
“So what have you guys
planned for the first day of your summer holidays? I hope you have some plans and some good ones
too. With all this time on your hands,
there is ample opportunity for something stupid to happen, particularly if you
do not have a plan.”
Carson was the first to
respond. “Well Mummy, as we did last
year and the year before, we are going on an expedition to Idyllic
Gardens.” By we, he meant Dirk, Ralph
and himself. “We will be back in time to
prepare for school.”
“I hope you have told
June,” she encouraged.
“No comment, Mummy,”
Carson responded.
“What about you,
Carolyn? Have you made any plans?”
“Not really. Cynthia and the rest of us have decided to
take it one day at a time for the first week and then we might take in the
summer camp at the church.”
Before Carlisle could
respond, his mother said, “Summer camp at the church I suppose?”
“You got it
Mummy!” He knew that there was not much
more than summer camp for him. Even
though he had a little more freedom than most twelve year olds, he knew that
summer camp was an imperative. Of
course, he would also be undergoing coaching sessions in cricket some
afternoons. He was already trying out
for the under-fifteen cricket team at his school and he had a very good chance
of making the eleven as a batsman. While
only twelve years he was fairly tall for his age.
“And your plans for
today, Sir?” This was Mrs. Marshall to
Mr. Marshall.
“I have already told
you what I would rather do today but you would not take me seriously. Consequently I will be at a number of stuffy
worksites that can never compare with a drive through the country, especially
with the second most beautiful woman in the world by my side.”
“Second most beautiful
woman in the world? Who is the first may
I ask?”
“Why, Carol, of
course. Ever since she came into to this
world everybody has had to take a lower position on the beauty charts. So first became second, second became third,
third became fourth, fourth became fifth…”
“Okay, I get the
point! You don’t have to spell it
out. After all, she got her good looks
from me, as well as her brains, as well as her shape, as well as her charm…”
“And you accuse me of
spelling it out? What are you doing
now?”
“Oh, coming to think of
it, there is something that she got from you?”
“And what might that
be?”
“She got her stubborn
ways from you. She can hold out for an
eternity”
“Oh you mean we are
good at keeping secrets and not telling people who feel they must know
everything. Which reminds me, has Carson
given you an update on his love life yet?”
“He is just like you
and your daughter. Concerning June and
him, he wouldn’t give me the time of day,” Mrs. Marshall said showing her
disappointment.
“Come on Sweetie Pie,
when he is ready he will give a proper update on all that concerns him.”
By this time, the
children had left the table. Mrs.
Marshall used this opportunity to unload the next comment. “By the way, Honey, there seems to be
something bothering Carson.”
“I would advise you to
relax and leave that matter alone,” Mr. Marshall counseled.
“No, I don’t mean that,
I mean, something else. A mother picks
up these things. I just feel it in my
gut,” this she said passing her hand over her stomach area. I am feeling it right here.”
“What makes you feel
that this matter is more than a lovers’ dispute?”
“I don’t know. I got to thinking concerning yesterday
morning when he left here so early for school.
It occurred to me that he could not have been leaving home that early to
meet June at the school. If he wanted to
sort out a matter with June, he would go to her house.”
“Ah-hah, you have a
point there! But how do you know that he
went to the school?”
“I really do not know
but…”
“But what? Until more information comes through, I think
we need to leave it alone. To you, I
would say again, just relax.”
“Sometimes I wish I
could just brush off things like you but I don’t seem to be able to do that.”
“I understand how you
feel, Sweetie, but worry and anxiety will only complicate the matter and make
it appear much bigger than it is likely to be.
By the way if I lose my job you all will end up having to beg and so
will I. We have to be going.”
“Losing your job is not
a likely thing, you workaholic! However,
since I do not want to beg…but what am I saying? My job is begging. I am already begging day in and day out. Look what I have come to!” They both laughed and retreated to their
bedroom to grab the items they usually take with them. “Don’t forget to take up your lunch. I find that recently you have been forgetting
your lunch. If I did not know better I
would think that you are eating somewhere else and I don’t mean a restaurant.”
“That’s true,
Honey! Everyday, as God sends, I eat my
lunch somewhere else.”
“Goodness
gracious! Why can’t I ever get around
you?”
“Because I am always in
your way!”
“You see? That is what I mean!” He threw his arms around her, gave her a kiss
on her cheek and they were both off to the car with a “Bye everyone!” They were so good at doing this every morning
that it had become like second nature.
They would always leave together even when they were going in different
vehicles.
Sunset Terrace was so
called because of the beautiful view the residents had of the setting sun. It was just magical to see the sun go down
behind the buildings that partially blocked the sea line. Just about five years or so before, much of
the sea line was clearly visible to them.
However, with the coming of a number of high-rise buildings there were
now just small windows to the sea.
Through those windows they were given a kaleidoscope of the beauty that
used to be fully theirs before the event of the buildings.
The area was fairly
populated and more and more people were opting to either build their homes
there or purchase houses that were still available for sale. The Marshalls were among the latter
residents. They had purchased one of the
homes that had been built there. The
disadvantage to them was that Mr. Marshall, though a contractor, would have had
no input into the building of the home.
He had made it clear to his family, though, that this was only a
temporary measure and to be prepared to pull up stakes in the not to distant
future. As a matter of fact, he had
purchased a piece of land in the country but had not yet started to develop
it. The truth of the matter was that he was
so caught up with his job that he was not even too sure when he would get
around to building his dream home.
After he had dropped
his wife off at her work place, Mr. Marshall drove to his first worksite for
the morning. He arrived there about
9:25. All seemed to be going well. After a brief surveillance of all that was
going on, he headed off to the next stop.
There too he was satisfied that there was nothing that needed his input
at that moment so he made his way to the third stop remarking to himself that
this is exactly how he likes things to go.
Oh this is going to be one of my lighter days,” he mused to himself.
Arriving at the fourth
spot, he was greeted by the foreman on the job with, “So glad to see you,
Boss. I was hoping that you would come
through today. We have a problem on our hands.”
“And what might the
problem be?” Mr. Marshall asked.
“Well we wanted to
start laying the foundation bricks this morning as you had instructed but the
fellows who were digging said that they have dug down about twelve feet and so
far there is not even the semblance of rock.
If we continue to dig, by the time we reach rock, the cost would be
astronomical. As a matter of fact, I
wonder if it makes sense to build a stone building at this site.”
Mr. Briggs was a man of
immense building experience. He did not have
the papers but he had had years in the building business. He had even designed and built his own
home. It formed the model upon which Mr.
Marshall had designed the family home.
Of course he had planned that when he did build he would make some minor
changes but it would be very similar to the Briggs family home.
Not only was Mr. Briggs
a good house builder but he was also a good homemaker. He was one of sixteen siblings, he being the
oldest. Fortunately his father lived to
the ripe old age of ninety-seven and was the main support of the family for
many years. His mother would still
outscore his father, going on to one hundred and three. Their farming business had flourished and was
one of the chief suppliers of potatoes, yams, peas and several kinds of herbs
to the supermarkets and shops in the area.
Mr. Marshall had the
highest respect for Mr. Briggs in life generally but more specifically as a
builder. He had saved the company a
considerable amount of money particularly on occasions when the highly
qualified architects had advised that a specific action be taken and he had
respectfully disagree. After showing
them why he had disagreed they would agree to try it his way. There was not one single occasion where his
action was not vindicated. Mr. Marshall,
who join the company several years after him, often wonder why Mr. Briggs was
never given a more senior position.
Whenever he begged him to let him raise the matter with the directors,
Mr. Briggs would say, “I am happy and contented with how life has turned out
for me. Why do you want to go and change
all that?” And with that Mr. Marshall
would let it go.
“Whatever you deem best
to do about this situation, Mr. Briggs, go ahead and do. You have my unswerving support.” He had never disagreed with him on any
building matter and he did not intend to start now. He acknowledged that what Mr. Briggs had
forgotten about building, he had not even learnt yet.
Mr. Briggs accompanied
Mr. Marshall back to his car. They
chatted a little about life in general and after explaining a few pleasantries
regarding one another’s households, Mr. Marshall got into the car and headed
off to the next worksite. Meanwhile Mr. Briggs returned to the business at the
worksite.
Mr. Marshall drove
along and while humming a tune from the sixties, he mused on the good fortune
that had been his for most of his forty-seven years. He had a good family, a reasonably good
paying job and friends like Mr. Briggs.
And most of all today was going just as the doctor ordered. He began to conceptualise a plan in his mind
to surprise everyone at home when all of a sudden the back of the car felt
unstable on the road. The signs were
very obvious to him. Either he had a
flat tyre or it was not far from that reality.
He pulled off to the
side of the road and decided he would tend to the matter. Pulling the trunk lever, he alighted from the
car and removed the tools from the trunk.
It did not take long to change the tyre.
Before closing the trunk lid he returned to the car to get some
sanitizer for his hands. He did not want
to close the trunk lid with his soiled hands.
Having achieved that function he returned to close the trunk lid. As he lower the lid into position and pressed
on it anticipating the click that would confirm its closure, he observed
something that for him caused time to freeze.
He wondered about the
words he saw scrawled across the trunk.
He was accustomed to someone, even his children, particularly Carlisle
writing on the car, “Clean me please.”
But he did that with his finger in the dust that collected on the car
from the worksites he visited. He did
not think, however that Carlise would use some sharp instrument to scratch the
car far less writing such a note. He
mentally decided, “No, this is not Carlisle or any child carrying out a
childish prank. This is not even the
demented mind of someone just out to spoil the paint job on a car. This is much more than any misdemeanour.
As he stood with his
hand still pressing on the trunk and staring at the scrawled note he was not
aware how much time had passed. He had
been pondering the matter for almost twenty minutes when it suddenly occurred to
him that the words strongly suggested some type of warning. What was more, no other warning was given
before this one. After much thought, he
came to the conclusion that the warning was not for him. If it were he would have been aware of a
previous warning but there was no such occasion in his memory banks. He began to think of his family. “Could this be a warning for one of them?” he
thought, “And if so which one?”
