My Brother's Keeper

Thursday morning brought some concerns to my mind. I had no idea what state that I would find Cade in. He had taken the death of our father better than I thought he would, but I know he has pain buried deep in his mind and heart just like me.

Percy was kind enough to agree to go with us to see Cade. She reassured me that momma and her could have some 'girl time' while Cade and I visited one on one.

When Percy came down the stairs, the first thing I thought was that I could see her legs. Her attire was everything that Momma and Miss Rose would approve of - a fine country girl in a skirt and a twin set.

We went back into the sun room to bid Miss Rose goodbye. Sonja told her how wonderful the room was and that it made her feel like a princess. For the first time I saw my friend give someone a genuine, heartfelt hug.

As I drove, I pointed out different sites that had significance to me. I went out of my way to show here the LaSalle oil facility. Wow Chris, you really are really "big time' now Percy said in jest.

Momma's house was about a mile outside of town. My parents had bought it when my father dug his first well. The land had several ponds on it and a lot of game. There was an island in the middle of the adjoining creek where Cade and I spent a lot of time as kids.

Momma was out the door as soon as she heard the car. Percy's feet had hardly hit the driveway before Momma had her in a full hug. "I have heard so much about you Miss Sonja." I thought Percy handled the 'love on' well.

It was good to eat Momma's cooking again. Percy continued to surprise me by accepting a bite of this and a bite of that just to please this momma bear.

Percy went for the backseat as soon as we came out the door. That of course allowed us to talk. Well, momma who talked endlessly about everybody in town.

Cade was waiting for us as soon as we came through the door of the facility. This is one thing that the LaSalle money was good for – his treatment. Our father never seemed to have the time to spend with us while he was building his company. I overheard him one day allude to Cade as the 'broken son'. I could only hope that he never said anything like that to Cade.

Cade was surprised to see Percy with us. His eyes lit up when I said her name. He told her that he had wanted to meet her for a long time. She looked surprised. Well, I guess she should have. Of course she had no idea how many conversations and even arguments that Cade and I had had over her.

Momma started right in talking about the business and how good I was doing managing it. Then she started to repeat much of what she had said in the car on the trip up talking about nearly everybody in town. Suddenly Momma just quit talking and stood up. Come on Miss Sonja, let's leave the men to their man talk and look around.

Suddenly I got scared. I had seen that look in my momma's eyes before. Years before I found a baby sparrow that had fallen out of the tree. I put it in my pocket and ran home to find a box. I found an old flannel shirt that momma had cut into rags and lined the box. It wasn't an hour before momma heard the bird squawking. "What you got there boy? What do you intend to do with it? Well if you're going to try to save it, I'll need to show you how to feed it." She disappeared and reappeared just as suddenly. I nursed that bird for two days before it died. Momma let me cry and then suggested that I bury it down by the creek.

Yes, I had seen that look before. Percy has a broken wing too. She was hard to figure out. She was wounded even past the Marian thing where her friend died. Well, I thought maybe momma can help her. Then why was I scared? Because I knew momma would fall in love with Percy too. Oh God, I just thought that didn't I?

Chis and Cade

I asked Cade how he was doing. He responded he really didn't know. They were trying him on a new drug. He had up and down days. I didn't tell him that the doctor had called Momma and gave quite a negative report. Finally the conversation shifted to Percy's presence. I told him that she and King had been so supportive. We got an unexpected leave so I asked her if she wanted to come to the farm and ride horses.

"So tell me little brother where do they sell stupid pills in New Orleans." Cade asked. "What do you mean stupid pills?" I responded. "Only you could continue to deny that you care deeply for that woman" "Cade don't go there again." "Go where, Chris? Why did you bring her with you? Why did you bring her to see me your broken brother? We have had this conversation too many times Chris. You have that same look in your eye the first time we talked about Savannah down by the creek. I see how you look at her. She seems to bring out a side of you I haven't seen in a long, long time."

At that I just go completely quiet. I have argued with Cade and myself about being involved with a coworker. Here I am again confronting this issue. "Look Cade. You might be right but that doesn't change my concern about being involved with her and her safety." "And I told you before that life is too short." Cade goes on. "If you can find another woman with your hard headed self who loves you, you need to grab onto her."

"Look Cade. I need to get momma so she can visit with you." I told him that it was good seeing him again and hugged his neck.

Momma and Percy

"So tell me Sonja, how long have you been in love with my son?" Well nothing bashful about this momma bear I thought. "We're work partners ma'am and good friends." "Look missy your face tells me a different story. I see how you look at him and I see the softness in his face and his voice when he speaks to you and about you. I have listened to him for over a year now talk about sassy Percy. And just who is this Tammy woman?" "Well, talking about Tammy would take more time than we have today ma'am."

"Since I'm the momma and the old lady, I can ask these questions. What happened to you? He came home for a two week visit and I saw the light in his eyes dimming again. I knew something was bothering him but he kept it to himself. Then he came back another time very angry. I hadn't seen that side of him for a while. I would see him and Cade hunkered down in a corner talking and sometimes arguing. I would hear a word or two and could gather it was about a woman but I couldn't quite understand why Cade was so angry too.

You were the woman weren't you? Tell me what happened."

I saw the look in her eyes and I knew I wasn't going to get away without telling her the whole story. Of course I couldn't tell it without crying. As we sat down, she took out a handkerchief and gave it to me. She held my hand as I kept talking and there came a time where we both were crying.

"Look child, I know he loves you. I don't know why he pulled back, but I know for sure that he loves you. Maybe being here in this safe environment will allow him to search his heart and remember some of the things that he dreamed of. When he was a teen, he had a girl. He loved that girl but I always felt he could do better. Christopher is a pack animal. People like Chris need to be surrounded by a group of like-minded individuals. People he can run with and catch prey. He always wanted to be a cop. I secretly encouraged him to follow his dream so when he decided to go somewhere else, I gave him some seed money.

I got worried about him though before the storm. He started going into a dark place and then the hurricane pulled him even deeper in an abyss. When he called on the phone I realized that I didn't know the man on the other side of the phone. He got a new job with the feds and his attitude seemed to change. He talked about his boss all the time. I was comforted by the fact that it seem that a man was willing to show my boy how to catch his dreams."

We both look up as we hear Chris call out to us. "You're up momma" he says.

Momma and Cade

Hi Baby. How are you doing? Are they treating your right? I have my good days and my bad days. I appreciate your letters. I wish that I could talk to you more often though. They are afraid that family members will cause triggers. That's why they only allow face to face visits and then only one a month.

I was surprised to see Percy with you guys. I guess my brother finally came to his senses." "Well son, I just finally put the pieces together" Momma says. For over a year now I have seen you and Chris in some intense private conversations. From the few words that I could hear, I knew it was about a woman but I never realized who until I saw Sonja this morning. He seems to be head over heels again but they're not together." "My brother is trying to do the right thing. He says it would not be good for them to be together because they work together. I told him that he was wrong about that. If he thinks they could have something that he should explore the possibility. Then he told me how he had ended it before it actually started. The one night you saw me get so mad was when he told me that he had finally talked to her and they came to some agreement. Right after that I guess he saved her from getting pushed off a building. I lit into him again. Life's too short for this type of shit."

"Well, I just had an intense conversation with her. She loves him alright. We'll just have to hope that being on the farm will allow them some one on one time. She's coming to spend a morning with me. I'll talk some more to her and get Chris alone and help him see what she has to offer him. I see how she looks at him. I see how he reacts to her touch when he doesn't realize that I am watching. I have known since he was a boy that he was destined to be part of a pack. He has five other co-workers and from what he has told me that they feel they are a family. But think about it, she's the only one who he has ever brought home.

Well son, we need to get back on the road. I love you son."

LaSalle and Percy

"So did momma talk your ear off?" "No Christopher, just the opposite." Percy starts to cry as she describes how caring momma is. "She reminds me so much of my mother and grandmother. She listened to everything that I had to say. I can see how much she cares for her children. She wanted so much for all of you. She is so proud of you Chris. I am hoping that means much to you. She wants you to be happy and she wants grandchildren. I think I could stay here for a month and never grow tired of it. I hope you take some time to yourself while we are here. The land is just beautiful."

"I have a lot of places that I want to show you." I tell Percy.

"Percy. Sonja. Thank you for coming here with me. Cade and I talked a long time. He asked me where they sold stupid pills at in New Orleans." At that Percy looks at me at sort of strange. I continued to tell her that he told me that only being stupid would blind me from realizing how I feel about her.

"I have no idea why I pushed you away."

With those words spoken Christopher LaSalle pulls Sonja Percy into an embrace and they finally take their first kiss.