Carefully winding his way back around the horse droppings, Granger found his way to the cement floor of the barn. Using his finger tips he closed the stall door behind Sophia. “Wonder where the girls are? Do you think they are walking home in the dark?” Granger snickered at her.
“Granger, why don’t you go ahead inside? I’ll look for the girls? You know Mom might be worried and you calm her better than anyone.” Granger walked to the barn door. Wiping his hands on his pants, he disappeared into the dark.
“Girls,” She called to the cavernous barn, “are you here?” Sybil sat up to jump to the floor below. “Did Granger see us?”
“I’m not sure, but I am sure that Grandmother Margaret has tea and cookies ready for us at the big table.” Sophia caught Donna as she leapt from the bale of alfalfa. “Mom, I ‘m not sitting at that table. People get yelled at and put down at that table. Can we go into the guest room and play with the toys and junk in there?”
“Mom, Donna’s right. If we sit at the table with you guys Grandma Margaret will be mean to us about eating or not eating, drinking tea or not drinking tea. We can’t ever do anything right at her table. She will be nasty to you because Dad isn’t here!” Sybil lifted her hand over her head to walk like a posh prima donna. “We didn’t bring our white linen gloves did we, sister?”
Donna copied her sister only with her hand on her swaying hip, she mocked, “No, we don’t have our party dresses. We’re not dressed for royalty.”
Sophia chased them around the barn, “Donna and Sybil, once we get inside why don’t you grab some cookies and race into the back room and play with the toys?” Sophia lead the way out of the barn only to reach back and turn off the light.
Margaret sat at one side of the table with Sophia opposite her. She nodded to her son, “Now it is time for Granger to sit at the head of the table since he is the male head of the family. Granger, please tell Sophia what you told me. Sophia, I need you to be quiet and listen. There is no need to pass judgment on anyone, just listen.”
Granger lifted his little finger to take a sip of his tea, “Sophia, I have decided to divorce Emily. She’s in California and will be back tomorrow evening. I have filed for divorce. We have irreconcilable differences. Both of us have agreed to a friendly divorce. She will receive her car and half of my savings.” Shaking his head in disgust, he added, “Even though she has never worked a day in her life. She is amenable to this.” He gulped the rest of his tea.
Sophia stared at Granger. Divorce appeared to be the word of the week in this family. “She works for you at your clinic, but what brought on this divorce, oh, brother of mine?”
Granger spit tea on the tablecloth, “Sophia, you have no need to be smug! Divorce is painful! The fact is Emily and I don’t have anything in common anymore. There is no point continuing on in our relationship when all we do is argue and disagree.”
Lifting her napkin from her lap, Sophia wiped her lips, “Isn’t your daughter Shirley a commonality between the two of you?”
Margaret inhaled loudly through her nose, “Granger, it’s the time for truth. Stop pussyfooting around. Be a man and tell the truth. She will find out—time has a way of revealing all. What you’re doing is trying to dodge the bullet and it’s already left the gun. Tell the truth and save everyone grief.”
Turning to Sophia, she said sternly, “Please, Sophia, no judgment. Let your brother say his piece and try to be polite. Goodness knows, I have tried to raise you to be polite and proper, but somehow you’re like your father who was a beast of a person. Please attempt to be polite!”
Sophia turned to stare at her brother. Granger delicately poured himself more tea, “Well, several months ago, while Emily was busy with music classes and our daughter was in day care, I was left alone most of the time. Emily’s best friend from California came out to visit. Emily and Katina hadn’t seen each other for years. Katina stayed at the house while Emily was in class and little Shirley was in school.”
Granger sipped his tea with his little finger fully erect. “Katina is a very nice person. We hit it off really well and while Emily was busy and Shirley was gone, we seriously became close.”
Margaret leaned back in her captain’s chair, “Oh, for Pete’s sake, Granger, just tell her!”
Margaret grabbed his tea cup and set it in the saucer in front of Granger. “Tell her!”
Granger sighed, “Katina is five months pregnant with my child. I have to divorce Emily and marry Katina. There is no other honorable way to survive this. Also, I love Katina. Emily and I haven’t had much to do with one another for the last six years. Well, since Shirley was born. Emily is very much into her body what with dance, diet, and even pushing me away.”
Margaret interrupted him, “That’s enough! You don’t have to go into every single detail. Sophia, this was going on while your father was dying. Granger needs money for this divorce and it was opportune for your father to pass away when he did.”
Picking up a sterling silver spoon, Margaret stirred her tea, “Now, Emily and Shirley will be cared for while Granger can start his new family with Katina.” Margaret patted Granger’s hand.”Katina is a lovely woman filled with life and she understands your brother. This is the most important aspect of life, don’t you agree, Sophia?”
Sophia sat there studying her mother and then her brother.”You do know, Mother, as a professor of ethnology I find the two of you would make quite a study?”
Margaret smiled as she pressed her hand into Granger’s. “Thank you, Sophia. I do believe we try to elevate the human condition, right Granger? I’m so glad you can appreciate your brother’s situation. We were afraid you would belittle him somehow.”
He nodded with a worried frown. “Where are you going with this, Sophia? You never compliment us. You work hard at finding ways to condemn us or to persuade others that we are your enemy. Sophia, no matter how hard you try to prove we are against you. We only look out for your best interest. Don’t we, Mother?” Margaret nodded in agreement.
Granger leaned forward, “I know you are going to find a way to make it appear we are against you. Lies are all you have to throw at us, you can’t prove a thing. Why can’t you appreciate how much time and energy Mom and I put into you getting your life straight? You don’t see the reality of your choices and the lack of opportunity you have by not being honest with yourself. “
“Well, thank you, my dear brother.” Sophia pointed at him, “Do either one of you find what Granger has done to be redundant?”
Margaret grinned at her son, “You’re right. She’s going to say something negative about us.”
“No, not negative, Mom, just something perceptive that’s all.” Sophia pushed the teacup to the center of the table, “Granger is sitting at the head of the table telling us of his impregnation of Katina while married to Emily. Mom, you are the widow of a man who has impregnated many while he was married to you. Do happen to find a similar thread here?”
Margaret gasped, “You’re a heartless cow! This isn’t anything like what your father did to me! Your father was indiscreet and undeserving of my affection and my money. He was an animal jumping in and out of bed with his female patients. He had the gall to send their husbands’ his medical bill. You cannot consider Granger to be anything at all like your father!”
Sophia heard the girls laughing and playing in the back bedroom and wished she could be with them. She calmly continued, “You may be right, Mom. Your relationship with Papa was unique and we don’t know what went