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Part II Chapter 52

They returned home around three o’clock and made preparations for dinner, a pork roast, with seasoned rice and peas, glazed carrots, salad, and baked bread. Win offered to help but AJ insisted he work alone and Latecia would be his designated helper. Win however stayed in the kitchen to help in case Latecia got out of hand, and just so she could talk and be near AJ.
“So how was it that you met Edith again?” Win asked as AJ was setting the temperature on the oven. He’d put Latecia at the counter with the jobs of shelling peas, snapping carrots and tearing lettuce.
“I met Edith before I went into, well you know, like my mom said, she’s the daughter of a friend of hers. The Montoyas, really nice people they live not too far down the road from my mom.”
“Oh okay.” Win nodded.
“I bought the house not long after I got out, probably four or five months later. Then my mom told me that Edith needed a job, she’d just had Latecia here, about two months before.”
“Does she know who the father is?” Win asked quietly.
“Yeah, his name is Robert Baily, he used to be another friend of the family too, but once he heard about Edith, he booked. Did not want anything to do with her. He and Edith had gone out for oh, about three years I think. He had just finished getting a business started, then his backer dropped him, and he was not about to take care of a baby and Edith. Besides, he didn’t think she was his anyways.”
“That’s horrible, just up and leaving her like that.” Win said disgusted.
“Yeah, I know. My mom was helping her out then, cause Edith’s mother couldn’t afford to keep Edith and her baby. Edith was working part time, but she couldn’t cover her expenses.”
“So when did she start working here?” Win asked.
“I bought the house in April, that was right around Latecia’s birthday of that year. I needed someone to run the house, I mean because, hell, I can afford it, and it’s big house. After about two months, of not finding anyone, my mom suggested Edith. She needed a job, and a place to live.”
“Poor Edith, I can’t imagine having a baby to have to take care of as well.”
“Yeah, I wanted her to have her own house, so she could feel secure, but it took so long to have built that I just had her move in here for a while. The only thing was, we really didn’t understand each other too much. She only spoke Spanish, and I didn’t know any Spanish at all.”
“How did you manage?” Win asked.
“It was hard at first, especially with her needing help with Latecia, and she had to learn English, so I ended up spending a lot of time with her. It took my mind off rehab and all my problems. A baby and a housekeeper that doesn’t speak English, tends to do that.”
“But I thought you two were friends before?” Win asked.
“No, actually we weren’t. She was just another of my mom’s friends, and especially since she didn’t speak English we didn’t talk. I’m mean, it’s not like we didn’t get along, it’s just that we couldn’t, we didn’t understand each other.”
“It seems like you two are really close now though.” Win asked.
“Yup. While she did her work I kept an eye on baby here, so much so that when Edith didn’t need my help anymore, little Latecia would fallow me around the house anyways. But it’s been worth it, I must say.” AJ said looking at Latecia with admiration.
“Her father was white, I’m assuming? Since Leti here is so much lighter than her mother.” Win asked.
“Yeah, he worked with a lot of Spanish people in a packing plant for a while. He could speak fluent Spanish. That’s why he and Edith were together, if he didn’t understand her, he wouldn’t have wasted the time.”
“What happened to him then?” Win asked.
“Like I said, his business prospects dropped out and he was broke. When Edith told him, he bolted. Denied it was his kid and split. That was the last anyone heard from him.”
AJ cooked like he was a gourmet chef for another two hours. Win set the table with help from Latecia. Denise and Edith arrived home half an hour later, just as AJ was putting the food on the table.
“What smells good?” Edith asked as Latecia ran out to her mother.
“Mommy! AJ cooked lots of good food and I helped!” Latecia said as Edith scooped her up in her arms.
“He did he? Well, we better go eat it then!” Dinner was a success. The food was great and the company even better. Edith refused to allow AJ or anyone else do the dishes as Win and AJ had watched Latecia all day, so Denise helped clear the table. Win listened to them speaking in rapid Spanish as the water ran in the sink for dishes. AJ was on the floor playing with Latecia and his dogs, and Win couldn’t help but smile. But there was something of a doubt in the back of her mind as well. There was something going on, that she just could not put her finger on.