Nikola wrapped his old hands around the warm mug. They trembled with arthritis; the knuckles sore, bruised and purple knots of pain in the frail fleshy twigs that were his seventy-eight year old fingers.
He removed a hand from his mug of tea to light a cigarette, his palsied hand nearly setting his greying mustache ablaze.
Luka had been watching the man intently up to this point, but as Nikola dropped yet another lit match and let it smolder into the green table cloth, Luka gingerly took the book of matches and lit the cigarette for the old man.
"Hvala vam, Luka.." Muttered Nikola, grateful and embarrassed.
"No problem, Nikola.." Replied his former son-in-law, as he sipped his warm green tea and watched Abby nibble on a biscuit.
"Why are you here, Luka?" Nikola said suddenly, his hand twitching and overturning his cup, he ignored the tea seeping into the singed tablecloth and took a long drag on his cigarette.
"Well his uncle's house-" Abby said as she started to explain before the two men stared at her funny and she sighed, staring at the stale cookie in her fingers. "I'll let Luka tell you.." She mumbled.
"Yes.. Perhaps that's wise.." Nikola snorted curtly.
"Drzislav died of liver failure.." Luka sighed.
"Yes.. That was in the newspaper.. You are here to sell his farm? Why not your brother?" Nikola pursed his lips in pain as the cigarette burnt down to the filter and burnt his fingers. He cursed and dropped it into his ashtray and looked at the doctor imploringly.
"We have not been able to reach him.. He left Croatia years ago." Luka sighed. "Rudi was never much for responsibilities like that.. He is an artist, tempermental and far too sensitive and we.. had a fight. I have not spoken to him in years, Nikola.. I do not think I could find him even if I wanted to."
The old man sighed. "I was just asking.. That is all.. I am an old man, with nobody left, I was sure you hadn't come back to Croatia to see me.. I should have known about your brother. I am sorry."
*******
Luka sighed staring at the tea leaves in his cup. "I have to go Nikola.. My friends have probably burned down the estate by now, and there will be nothing left to sell.." He murmured, kiddingly.
Nikola nodded. "Okay.. Promise to come by before you go back? Say good bye?" The old man's rheumy eyes pleaded.
Luka bit his lip grasping the old man's hand in his. "Of course, Nik.. Of course I will."
Abby helped Luka with the cardboard boxes full of cans of paint and brushes and nails, and nearly the whole store. He popped the back of the truck and they placed the boxes in the flatbed and closed it.
Luka started up the truck and glanced in the rearview mirror, watching the old man standing lonely on the steps of his little hardware store. His hands gripped the wheel tightly to keep them from shaking, and Luka stepped heavily on the gas and sped away.
****
Nikola watched Drzislav's truck shrink into the distance till it vanished as a shimmering black dot behind a hill. To have met the man who had married his daughter, seventeen years after they had run away together, and only six years since their apartment building had been bombed. To meet the man who had held his dying daughter in his arms and let her die to be near his wife.. To discover that he had been wrong all these years and even the residual hatred he had still felt for the carpenter's son seemed to fade as he watched the winding road where the pick-up had departed.
"Nik.. Kako ste?" The clerk from the Grocer's asked concernedly, crossing the street to the old man who was shaking terribly.
"Nikola?? Are you all right? Kako ste?" Miko Kresimir placed a calm hand on the older man's frail bony shoulder and made Nikola flinch.
"I am fine... Leave me alone Miko.." Nikola muttered angrily, pulling out of the man's well-meaning grasp.
"Was that one of the Kovac boys?" Miko said in disbelief, watching the spot in the distance that Nikola had been focusing on.
"Da... That it was. Luka.. Drzislav died, he's here to sell his farm." Nikola said softly.
"Who was the cute little brown-haired girl?" Miko smiled. "She bought out half my store.. Strange things too.. Anchovies, ice-cream and SPAM.."
Nikola nodded, his expression darkening.. "Probably got her pregnant.. I suppose that is okay.. It has been many years.. He has a right to move on.."
"Pregnant? Nik.. Who was that girl?" Miko whined.
"His new girlfriend.. American.. Amy or Annie or something." Nikola mumbled.
"Abby.. She said her name was Abby.. Very sweet thing.. Luka is lucky to have found another girl like Danijela.." Miko smiled, happily.
Nikola glared at the old man and shoved him roughly as he slammed through the door of his shop. "She is nothing like Dani.. She's rough and uncouth.. Stupid girl.. Put foot in mouth, many times.. Stupid American.." He spat on the sidewalk and slammed his door shut, locking it and flipping the OPEN sign, to closed.
****
"Okay... What in the hell is smetana?!!???" Abby wailed, halfway through the recipe.
"Beats the hell out of me.." Muttered Carter, still nursing a nasty headache. He grabbed a bottle of brown powder from the cupboard and dumped it into the boiling pot.
"AUGH!!!!!!!!! What was *THAT*!!!????" Abby yelped, glowering at him and smacking his hand with the wooden spoon.
"I dunno.. It looked like something you'd put in soup.." Carter sighed, throwing up his hands.
"Something you'd put in soup?!" Abby stuck her finger in the pot to get a remnant of powder on her finger. She stared at it for a moment before sticking the finger in her mouth. "Ewwwww... Carter!!!!!!!! You're disgusting!! The soup is ruined!!!!!!"
"WHAT!" Carter looked at the boiling pot and watched the powder be enveloped by the bubbling lamb stew.
"God... I'd sure never EVER want to be a patient of yours Carter!" Mark grumbled pulling the bottle out of the cupboard and staring at it. "What is it? I don't read Croatian..."
"I.. I wanted to m-make him s-something special!" Abby sniffled tearfully..
"Why don't we take him out for supper.. I saw a tavern when we drove through town.. Why not go out for some Croatian pub food?? That way Dave gets his damn beer-" Doug paused and looked at Dave who was grinning from ear to ear. "-and we don't have to eat anything that has-" He grabbed the bottle from Mark and tossed it to Carol..
"I.. I think that's powdered mucilage.. Glue.." Carol shuddered and threw the bottle in the garbage.
"Right.. That settles it, load up, we're going out for supper..." Benton barked, waving them towards the door. "Come on people!"
"But Kerry ordered us to take a shower, I don't think she'd appreciate us joining you for dinner, smelling like a barn. Maybe we should do as she asks.." Doug said while grinding his teeth.
"I am NOT going like this Peter, so you can damn well wait!" Growled Carol irritably, stripping to her underpants in the kitchen and hurrying up the stairs, giving the men a slight peep show.
"Okay guys.. That's enough.." Doug threatened mildly at the men with the lingering stares. He chased his wife up the stairs and goosed her slightly, giving the group some definitely ear-candy of her surprised squeals and giggles.
Carol ran into the bathroom and had the door almost shut when Doug's hand slipped in the door jamb and caught it.. "Uh uh... Trying to escape Dr.Love.. Bad bad girl.. You're going to be punished for that.." He grinned evilly and backed her into the showerstall.
His hands explored her body, her full breasts and hips and the slight pudge that she still retained from the birth of her twins. Doug walked behind her in the small shower and wrapped his arms around her kissing her neck as the water started to fall, Carol sighed happily. "Doug.. We have to actually get ready to go out for supper.."
"Screw that... Kovac will be out for hours.. Pregnant.." Doug chuckled and nibbled playfully at the nape of her neck, running his tongue along her jawline and kissed her ears.
Carol laughed. "Doug...." She gasped suddenly as she realized that her husband's hands had taken a drastic southern vacation. "D-douuuug!!" She moaned happily.
Soon all the group was groomed and showered and clothed (Taking turns showering.. There was no Mass ER shower orgy.. You filthy minded person!) and they piled into Drzislav's station wagon.
"Where are we going again?!" Dave whined.
"Dundo Maroje.. Malucci.. A bar.." Luka muttered irritably. He knew
he should be happy Abby wasn't pregnant, but a little Luka.. It would have
been nice to have children again.