Jake strained in his half-sleep to remember, tossing fitfully on the sheets. “It was… in Dallas, wasn’t it?”
“No, no, Uncle Jake, that was the year before last. Remember, we went up to spend some time with my brother Marty?”
“Oh yeah, at Marty’s college, that’s right.”
“Maybe we should try to meet there, Uncle Jake. Just to be on the safe side.”
“Whatever you think’s best, Mandy. It’s up to you.”
“Let me work on mom and dad and see what I can work out at this end, then. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Okay, Mandy. You just let me know what you want to do.”
“I will, Uncle Jake. Good night.”
“Good night, Mandy.” He relaxed and rolled over in the bed. A thousand miles away Amanda Rae drifted into her own sleep, more afraid for her Uncle than he was for himself.
“Mom?”
Wendy Ramirez was a cheerful, slightly plump woman in her mid-thirties; still blonde, still attractive, but not nearly as beautiful as her daughter. Wendy Ramirez could only lament the fact that wheelchair-bound contestants weren’t eligible for the local beauty contests. Amanda could outshine any of the other local girls even while sitting down.
“What is it, darling?”
Amanda wheeled herself into the kitchen. It was a nice, large country kitchen and her favorite room in the house. It gave her plenty of space in which to maneuver her chair, and she could help her mother prepare meals at the butcher block and table, both of which had been modified to accommodate the wheelchair.
“Mom, why don’t we take a vacation?”
“A vacation?” Wendy frowned. “Amanda, it’s going to be fall soon.”
“I know, mom, but couldn’t we go up and visit Marty in College Station? Just for a few days. I miss him so much.”
“I know you do, darling.” Wendy put a serving dish in the wire rack to dry. “Your father and I miss him, too. But in a few months he’ll be home for the holidays and he’s only just gone back to school. Our showing up would upset his routine at the beginning of the semester.”
“That’s just it, mom,” Amanda pointed out. “The holidays are so far away. Couldn’t we, just for a couple of days? Just for a weekend. Maybe this weekend! It’d be a wonderful surprise for him.”
“I’m sure it would, but it’s hardly the best time,” Wendy pointed out. “We’ve already had one hurricane, and your dad’s got a lot of work to do on the boat.”
“They’re not shrimping now, mom.”
“I know that, Mandy. You know why, too. Now’s the time for them to fix the boat up and have it ready for when they do go out. Also, your father told me only yesterday that he and the Sanchez boys and Jim Grissom are thinking of going out after some halibut. Jim thinks he knows a place and with the drag net they could make some real extra money.”
“Oh mom, that’s not really fishing. They’re just guessing. They’re really going out to drink beer and have fun.”
“To a certain extent.” Wendy smiled as she conceded the point. “But if Jim’s not all mouth this time they could really bring in some nice change. It makes them feel like they’re doing something in the off-season, and all the expenses are deductible, even if they do spend most of their time shooting the bull and drinking Lone Star.”
“I’m just asking for a weekend, mom,” said Amanda, trying pouting where enthusiasm had failed.
“Tell you what. I’ll see what your father says tonight. Is that fair enough?”
“Oh mom, will you?” She wheeled close and reached up with both hands. Wendy leaned over and embraced her daughter, then watched as she spun the wheelchair neatly and rolled out of the kitchen. It was so hard for her to refuse Amanda anything. She was such a damn good girl, hardly ever complaining about not being able to lead a normal adolescence. She had her friends who came over and visited, of course, and she could roll to visit anyone who lived within a couple of blocks. And she’d been so exceptional in her studies. The junior class counselor, Mrs. Moreno, had practically promised her and Arri that if Amanda maintained her grades during her senior year at the same level as the previous three, she’d not only be class valedictorian, her scholarship would practically be guaranteed.
It was unfortunate that by the time she would be ready for college Martin would already have graduated. But maybe he’d go to graduate school at A & M. Then they could spend at least a year at the university together and he could show her around. That would be good for her. She really did miss her brother.
“What do you think, Arri?” she asked as they lay in bed that night.
“I don’t know, querida.” Arriaga Ramirez rolled over and used the remote to mute the sound on the TV. “I wonder why she wants to go all of a sudden now? She just saw Martin. Vacation’s only been over less than a month.”
“You know how Amanda is.” Wendy enjoyed the cool air fanning across her body. The humidity had broken and the first hint of fall swept in from the Gulf. “Impulsive, sometimes.”
“No, not usually,” Arriaga argued. “Most of the time she thinks things through carefully, much more so than you or I. That’s why I’m surprised. She knows I have to work on the boat.”
“But it would be nice to see Martin.”
“Sure it would,” he agreed. “Phone calls and letters don’t make a substitute son.”
“And we could have lunch on campus one day, and maybe stop in Austin to go shopping on the way back.”
“I don’t know,” he said thoughtfully. “I told you about Grissom’s spot.”
“The halibut? If it’s that important to them the Sanchez boys and Jim can catch halibut without you.”
“Sure, and they can sell it without me, too, and cash the checks without me.”
“Now Arri,” she said, “there are times when monetary considerations should be put aside.”
“I wish the bank had the same attitude. Unfortunately, they want their house payments on time. What did you tell Amanda?”
“Just that I’d discuss it with you. She’ll be bugging you before you get out the door tomorrow, you know.”
