Affinity House Read online

  The good news is that I survived . Mom did not. Too much worry and abuse of many kinds wore her right down and she was gone. Gone, as in dead. Not gone, as in a dad who donated his sperm and disappeared from view without knowing there had been results.

  I was one of the lucky ones. My life finally took a turn for the better. Along the way in foster homes, I learned how lucky I was to be found by people who care. Women who opened their hearts and home to a crazy teen and showed her how to be a human being with hopes and dreams.

  I found, in this home, an aunt I knew nothing of, and who did not know about me either. We are working out our relationship. She filled in some of the background story for me.

  I finally found friends my own age at school. Friends whose lives had been the exact opposite of mine. At first, I felt like an alien visiting friends in a peaceful home with two parents, a brother, a regular routine and regular meals. Thanks to Jo, I learned how to behave in that setting although it was very hard at first.

  Yes, it’s hard with no father, but as it turns out, I really managed quite well without you. I guess I learned a few good survival skills along the way.

  I also found the guy who took your place at the beginning and he has folded me into his family.

  I now have everything I need.

  I made it.

  Don’t worry I won’t be looking for you. Like other deadbeat dads in the world, you are anonymous and safe.

  I kinda hope you wonder, once in a while, about the unhappy young girl you knocked up long ago.

  Or else, since you had no conscience then, or now, I’ll just continue to forget you completely.

  After all, you don’t deserve to be remembered.

  Goodbye forever.

  Over and out from J.J.

  * * *

  She watched the entry over once and sent it quickly before she could change her mind. Then she went outside and walked along the covered porch thinking and wondering.

  She hoped that, somewhere in the great unknown of the afterlife, her Mom was aware of how well things had worked out for her daughter.

  She saw a gleam of light stretching across the snow and figured out it must come from the lantern Andy had placed in the tiny tower-top room. It was like a beacon of hope in the darkness.

  The light shone toward Louise and Dennis Ridley’s home. Faith took it as a sign, a message for her.

  If the Ridleys were able to adopt a child, as Mavis believed they would, Faith Jeffries promised to help that child in any way she could. It was a kind of payback; a pay-it-forward for all the luck she had received in her life.

  With a deep feeling of peace in her heart, she returned to Harmony House and soon fell fast asleep.

  Chapter 8

  The month of February seemed to race along at top speed to the residents of Harmony House.

  After the deep freeze of January weather, even a slight improvement in the temperature brought more vitality to everyone.

  Honor and Mavis continued their yoga sessions and Hilary joined them once. After only a few minutes she declared her long body was never meant to bend and twist in that fashion and she would content herself with walking up and down stairs instead of using the elevator. Now that her routine of visiting and driving pensioners had resumed, she was often out of the house for hours at a time.

  “That is quite enough exercise for me, ladies. I admire your ambition, and your flexibility.”

  Mavis noted the word ‘flexibility’ and thought it was going to be a quality the entire household would need in the coming weeks. Vilma and Andy were heading off to Jamaica very soon and there they would meet with the couple from Manitoba for the first time. If the cousins proved to be compatible, Vilma intended to invite them to join the Harmony House family permanently, taking up her space as soon as the new house was finished at Andy’s farm location.

  Although Mavis had great faith in Vilma’s good judgement, she was apprehensive about the choice of a couple to replace one person. The financial implications of that decision had not yet been fully determined. Hilary insisted there was enough going on, at the present time, without borrowing trouble from the future; a future that might not develop as everyone was expecting.

  “Think about it Mavis. If the new couple proves to be unsatisfactory in some way, the entire idea is moot. Vilma may decide to retain her options with us for some years yet, until Andy’s business is operating with a profit. We just don’t know, so why worry?”

  It seemed eminently sensible at the time of their conversation, but Mavis could sense change rumbling in the house and not all of it was about the weather.

  Eve had recently made a good friend of one of the women in her Byron Art club. Cheryl had a condo in the states and she invited Eve to join her for a week or two to visit the museum in Santa Fe dedicated to the amazing flower studies and other art of Georgia O’Keefe. Mavis was encouraging Eve to do this and to take her painting supplies with her. It would be a break from winter in Ontario and could give her ideas for future work.

  Jannice had been working away quietly since her visit to Quebec City at Christmas but she was still in touch with Mitchell Delaney and planning a visit from him in the spring. With the television series, Alias Grace, giving renewed attention to the plight of poor Irish immigrants in nineteenth–century Upper Canada, Mitchell wanted to research the locations in Toronto and area where some of the actual incidents of the Grace Marks story took place. Jannice had agreed to accompany him.

  That makes three rooms vacant temporarily, for one reason or another.

  Her mind now drifted toward Faith and her aunt.

  Honor was not likely to be going anywhere soon. She was dedicated to her business concerns and conscious of making enough money to justify her niece’s occupation of a space in Harmony House.

  Faith, however, was another matter altogether. Honor had shared with Mavis and Hilary her delight at the attention sixteen-year-old Faith had garnered on YouTube.

  “I know she’s still very young but she is getting offers of scholarships already. She’s in line for community awards that come with monetary prizes and if she can maintain her present academic success she may be able to apply to a community college or university anywhere in Canada, even before she has completed high school.”

  Honor gave due praise to both Hilary and Mavis for their help and support of Faith.

  “I will never be able to thank you two ladies enough for taking her in and teaching both of us how to become family to each other.”

  Honor mentioned nothing specific, but it was in the back of Mavis’s mind that Faith’s extended family now included the Kingston Jeffries. There was really nothing to prevent Honor from following her niece to Kingston, if that was her decision.

  Five possibly-vacant rooms at Harmony House! Good grief!

  Vilma’s idea of permitting short-term exchanges in their rooms was becoming more of a viable notion. It would not add to the financial benefits of the current residents, but it was something of a charitable move as in the case of the cousins whose mother and aunt was going to be in hospital in London.

  She thought about what it would be like to have different people coming and going in their space and, to her surprise, she found it was interesting to realize how many other lives they could touch in this way. It was like a network of friends and acquaintances stretching out beyond their own borders and adding options to their future. She thought of herself and Hilary as the doorkeepers welcoming new people into their environment for short periods, but it was always possible that the two of them could also take advantage of the opportunity to experience new places. She had always had a secret dream of visiting Vancouver and seeing the snow-topped mountains towering over the city by the sea.

  After all, it would be an inexpensive way to travel.

  If it ever came to pass?

  If the inevitable difficulties could be overcome?

  If.

  It was nice to dream, especially in mid-winter, but the compatibilit
y factor was the unknown.

  One incident of disruption or damage caused by the strangers in their midst would sour the entire enterprise.

  She concluded it was just as well that Vilma and Andy were spending a whole week with the cousins.

  If that couple were not suitable candidates to occupy space in Harmony House, Vilma Smith would know and her plan would change.

  As had been said before……..time would tell. It was not worth worrying over much about it all right now.

  Vilma found herself totally giddy over the prospect of a week in Jamaica with Andy.

  Their time together had been limited in the last two months owing to the work on the barn extension. To save money, Andy was doing as much of the labour as the weather and his skills allowed. On the nights when he chose to come to Harmony House, he often arrived late, ate quickly, and fell asleep before Vilma emerged from the washroom. She loved seeing him enjoying the warmth and comfort she supplied. It was a hard road he had chosen to follow, but his pride remained intact as long as he was working toward his goal of providing for them.

  There had been conversations about the wisdom of taking time away for a holiday. She knew he was worried about the deadline for opening the dog training business. Advertising had already been circulated to make dog owners aware of the new facility. Andy wanted to be sure to be ready for the proposed opening date. A website was up and working, thanks to the expertise of one of Andy’s former team members. Brady agreed to supervise that while they were away.

  Vilma filled in the time by working with Faith on dog routines, revising and simplifying her new home plans and keeping communication going with Amanda and Braden. This was done mostly by email as the cousins were working on some project that took them out of their co-housing unit for several hours a day.

  Amanda was the best writer of the pair and Vilma enjoyed her folksy style although there was not much about the more personal stuff related to age and preferences. Vilma assumed all of that would become clear once they met in person. She had discussed the travel arrangements to co-ordinate from two different departure airports. She and Andy would have one night on their own before the cousins arrived. Every time she thought about the paradise location in their separate villa with the stars burning overhead, a shiver of delight ran through her.

  It was the beginning of a new part of their lives together. They would finally have the chance to concentrate fully on each other.

  She could hardly wait.

  Chapter 9

  The plane journey from Canada to Jamaica was exactly the transition Vilma needed.

  She was exhilarated as each hour passed and brought her nearer to the island. Andy was sleeping by her side, which was not a surprise. She knew how many hours he had put in on the barn extension during the week prior to their departure from London. She had not visited the site lately as he assured her it was a mess of mud and stones, better left alone until more work had been finished. He did have one piece of good news, shown to her in a photograph. The name ‘Patterson’ was now painted in bold letters across the side of the barn facing the laneway. It would draw attention as far away as the access road from town.

  Andy said there were already a number of enquiries online about dog training programs. It looked as if customers needed help with puppy training rather than the show work he had hoped for, but it would be necessary to start small and work up to the major stuff.

  Vilma listened and agreed with everything he said. She planned to abolish all work discussions in Jamaica.

  This week was to be a complete change from everything they left behind them in Canada.

  * * *

  They collected their cases at the airport and walked out into tropical warmth. Vilma watched as Andy’s shoulders relaxed followed by his intaken breath and his eyes traversing the waving palm trees and vivid plants. She knew the magic would work on him as it always did for her.

  The mini-bus ride to their destination passed swiftly while Vilma answered Andy’s questions about everything he saw on the way. When they drew into the parking spot on the roadside, he asked where the buildings were.

  Vilma signalled to him to follow her as she wound down the narrow pathway through the foliage until they reached the beach.

  At this point all thoughts of buildings vanished as Andy was instantly enraptured by the pristine sandy beach bordered by crystal waves lapping on the shoreline in the crescent-shaped cove. He immediately bent down to remove his shoes then grabbed Vilma’s hand and walked along the water’s edge just taking it all in.

  There were no more questions. He could see everything necessary for himself.

  When they reached the palm- fringed hut on the far side of the crescent, Leon emerged to greet Vilma and handed the couple tall drinks liberally festooned with straws and slices of fruit.

  “Welcome back, Vilma Smith! You brought beautiful sunshine with you as always. Your luggage is being delivered as we speak and the villa is ready for you. I’ll send lunch in a few minutes but for now enjoy the view please.”

  Vilma introduced Andy as her special guest and she and Leon exchanged information about her previous year’s guests while Andy sipped and stared around him. He could now detect the villas partly hidden among the thick bank of greenery on the slope. There were only a few of these residences to be seen. He realized this was a very exclusive resort for a few, very rich travellers. It was typical of Vilma to underplay the cost factor but, for once, he decided to let all the financial stuff go in favour of accepting this generous gift in the spirit in which it was intended.

  He could already sense some of the tension his body and mind had been carrying for so long, floating away from him in the soft breeze from the aquamarine sea. This was truly paradise. He decided it would be churlish to do anything other than absorb it and enjoy it with all his heart.

  He removed his shirt and felt the sun on his skin.

  Vilma watched and smiled. The island magic was at work on him. All would be well.

  * * *

  Their first night together in the cottage was all that Vilma had hoped for. Andy could hardly believe how beautiful the sunset was. He sat on the deck and watched the stars appear overhead and it seemed as if the setting loosened his tongue. He spoke of holidays he had taken with his wife and stated nothing they had ever seen would compare to the privacy and splendour of this place.

  As Andy had never mentioned his ex-wife before this moment, Vilma was at first shocked, then pleased to know there would be no further secrets between them. He knew about her two marriages. The way ahead was now clear.

  They shared a bottle of rich red wine and fell into the luxurious bed together, with the shutters open to the cool breeze and only the sound of waves to lull them to sleep.

  Everything changed in mid-afternoon of the following day.

  Vilma stayed in the cottage after inspecting the smaller, walkway-linked villa that was to accommodate the cousins from Manitoba. She wanted to be on hand to welcome them as soon as they arrived at the resort.

  She sent Andy for a walk along the beach to meet some of the residents whose padded deck chairs were already arranged on the sand under large sun umbrellas. She made Andy apply protective sun lotion and gave him a wide-brimmed sun hat from her case. He looked the part with his broad shoulders and strong legs and she knew he would fit in perfectly.

  As soon as she heard the sound of excited voices she went to the end of the pathway to meet her guests. She first saw two sets of legs approaching but it was not until the rest of the bodies appeared that she realized Amanda and Braden were not as she had expected.

  Only one of the couple was a female. The other was quite definitely male. Both cousins had skin the colour of chestnuts and luxurious jet black hair. Amanda was the talkative one. She swept back her hair in one hand and stretched out the other with a big smile that revealed the most perfect white teeth imaginable.

  “You must be Vilma Smith. Thank you so much for arranging this. The place is absolute
ly gorgeous, such a contrast to snowy, freezing Manitoba. I said to Braden we are so lucky to be chosen to come here and meet you. I never thought we would be so fortunate when I sent out the first email to you. We’ve been so worried about Mama going to London all by herself but we could not see a way to afford the accommodation even with all the hospital did to make it work. This holiday is just what we need before the hard stuff of helping her through the treatment. We mean to be the best guests ever, Vilma, in hopes you will choose us to live in your Harmony House for a time. Right Braden?”

  Braden had shaken Vilma’s hand but he had not yet spoken one word. With a voluble cousin like Amanda, Vilma guessed there was not much need for him to speak.

  In an attempt to give herself a few moments to disguise her shock, Vilma led them up the short path to the villas and pointed out their own private accommodation with the twin beds, kitchen area and deck.

  “I’ll leave you two to get settled. Your luggage will arrive shortly. Come over to the other villa when you are ready and we’ll have a good chat.”

  She smiled, what she hoped was a genuine smile, and scuttled off to her bedroom. She needed time to reset her expectations.

  Would Mavis and Hilary accept a male resident? Of course, they both loved Andy but his introduction had been slow to develop over years now. What would they say to a strange man suddenly arriving in their midst?

  Perhaps it all depended on Amanda. She composed her face. The next few minutes would be crucial. She was glad Andy was otherwise occupied on the beach.

  Braden was the first to arrive and she heard his voice at last. It had the same pleasant lilting tone as Amanda’s.

  “Sorry! Mandy is unpacking and fussing around. She sent me ahead. I imagine you have questions?”