Manny could not believe what he had just heard. Mrs. Rogers, Molly's teacher had called and wanted to know how much longer Molly would be out of school.
Manny was shocked that she had not been to school for three whole weeks! Manny was furious! Why would she do such a thing? Why would she not tell him?
He went to Mr. Thompson and told him that he had a family emergency and had to leave.
Manny tried not to speed as he pulled up to the house. The car was gone and he knew that they weren't there. Where could they be?
He decided to go by Corrina's house and was relieved to see the car parked there.
He banged on the door calling Corrina's name. She opened the door surprised.
"What's wrong?"
"Where is Molly?" he demanded
"She's in the back room. What's the matter?"
"How dare you keep her out of school and not tell me!" Manny spat walking to the back of the house.
"There's an explanation!" Corrina said following him.
"There is no explanation!" he snapped "Molly!" he called opening the door.
The children were playing dress up and Molly was surprised to see her father.
He quickly scooped her up and headed for the front door.
"She wasn't ready to go back!" Corrina said following him.
"How dare you lie to me, Corrina" he yelled "You are not her mother!"
His words slapped Corrina in the face and she stopped in her tracks stunned.
He turned from the doorway. "You stay away. You're fired Corrina" he said and walked out the door.
He placed a screaming Molly in the car and pulled off.
He tried talking to Molly but she keep blowing air through her mouth as they sat at the stop light and refused to talk to him.
He bought her in the house and sat her on the bed.
"Molly you have to talk to me. Tell me what happened."
Molly folded her arms.
"It was my fault. Corrina tried to make me go to school, but I wouldn't go."
"Go on" Manny said.
He was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.
He answered it and it was his mother on the other end. He would have to talk to her later. He had to get to the bottom of this situation.
"Ma this isn't a good time right now, let me call you back later."
"Manny, it's your father. We are at the hospital. I had to call an ambulance. He's had a major heart attack."
"What?" Manny said shocked "Oh no."
"Yes, Manny they don't think that he's going to make it much longer. Can you get here soon."
"Yes ma." he said "I'll call Jenny and ask if she can watch Molly for me."
Manny called Jenny and took Molly over to her house. He rushed to the hospital and found his mother sitting alone.
"Manny I am so glad you're here." she said tears in her eyes.
The doctor shook his head when he approached them. "You may go in to see him, but he's not responding. I don't think he will last much longer."
Manny put his arm around his mother and walked into the room. His father looked so frail and weak.
It was three days before his father passed away. Manny could not think straight. He was overcome with grief. Jenny had taken over, even forcing Molly to go to school. He was just numb and let her have her way. He was trying to be strong for his mother and it took all his strength just to hold himself together.
On the day of the funeral he kept Molly out of school. She was barely talking to him. He had tried to explain to her that Grandpa Harry had died and she insisted that he must be in heaven with her mother.
She then grew angry when he told her that there was no heaven and promptly stopped talking to him altogether. He didn't know what he was going to do. A letter arrived from the school stating that Molly refused to participate in any of her classroom activities. Mrs. Rogers stated that she just stared out in space and did not respond in any way to her and refused to do any class work.
Mrs. Rogers had sent her to the principal's office who suggested in the letter that Manny take Molly for counseling.
Manny hired Al to take Corrina's place. He had already interviewed him from his earlier search and just called and offered him the job. Jenny was now bossing him around on his first day working for him and Manny felt a little sorry for him.
He watched Jenny as she talked to all of his family and friends almost as if she were the lady of the house. She told Al to make more coffee and to dump all the ashtrays. He raised an eyebrow as she gave her son Howard a piece of cake and asked him to take it over to his mother calling her 'Grandma'.
Manny got up and went into the kitchen looking for Molly. He found her sitting outside with her hoola hoops playing with Lois. He looked at the refrigerator and found a drawing she made of him, Corrina and herself holding hands and smiling. Molly considered them to be a family. He had to admit that he missed Corrina and wished that she was the one trying to comfort him instead of Jenny.
He walked out the back door and sat down watching her play with Lois.
"Molly, I need you to talk to me. Tell me what is wrong." he said.
"I miss Corrina" she said simply.
Manny sighed. He missed her too, especially watching Jenny's heavy handed ways of doing things.
Molly got up and hugged him. "Daddy, don't be mad at Corrina. It was all my fault."
"It wasn't your fault, Molly." he said "Corrina is a grown up. I was just upset that she didn't tell me that you were not going to school. I am your father. I should have been told."
"Don't you love her, Daddy?" she asked "I saw you kissing her and you never kiss Jenny. Don't you want her to come back?"
Manny pulled her close and breathed in her hair. "Yes, I do."
He looked at Molly. "I do miss her, Molly. I will go and talk to her, but she may not want to talk to me."
Molly grinned. "I know what to do. I will talk to God cuz Corrina always talks to God and God will tell her to listen to you."
Manny didn't argue her point and went back into the house. People were beginning to leave and he walked them out of the house. Jenny lingered by his side.
Jenny volunteered to stay and make dinner and put Molly to bed, but he wanted her to leave. He appreciated all she had done to help him, but he did not want to lead her on. He was in love with Corrina. He saw her holding the vase that Corrina had broken on her interview.
"What are you doing with that?" he said looking at the vase.
"Oh, I was going to get it restored. I bet I can get all these cracks removed." she said
Manny didn't want her to do that. When he looked at the vase, it reminded him of his first meeting with Corrina. The cracks were a result of her gluing the vase back together again.
"I like the cracks" Manny said reaching for it.
"No you don't" Jenny responded pulling it back.
"I do...I like them a lot" he said
"Manny you-"
Why should he have to explain anything to her? It was his damn vase!
Why was she so goddamned pushy?
He took the vase and smashed it on the ground.
Recovering from her shock, Jenny said "You're just upset."
She held back a bitter retort. "Perhaps you need a little time"
She gathered her sons and left. Manny felt a little guilty and thanked her for her help. He was sorry if he hurt her feelings, but he just wanted her to leave.
He returned to the house and sat down beside his mother.
"Ma," he said taking her hands in his. "I know you like Jenny-"
"I know you don't love her Manfred" his mother said interrupting him. "Seeing her today, I think I now know why. She will not make you happy. In fact I think you would be miserable with her."
"Ma, I'm going to try to win Corrina back. I need you to stay here will Molly. Will you be alright?"
"Of course, Manny. You go." she said patting his hand "Follow your heart."
Manny kissed her on the cheek and walked out.
He pulled up to Corrina's house and was apprehensive. He saw her nieces and nephew playing outside and they ran into house when they spotted him. He couldn't blame them recalling how angry he'd been the last time he was here.
Corrina met him at the door.
"Hi," Manny said "I should have called. My father died...and it gets you thinking about the people that you love...things you done wish you hadn't done..."
"Corrina, your supper's getting cold" Jevina said interrupting him.
Corrina's expression did not change her face impassive.
Manny's heart dropped.
"I'm really sorry about your father." she said her voice even "I liked him a lot." She then began closing the door.
"Corrina" he said hoping that she would not just shut him out of her life
"I'm sorry. I don't want our last words I said to you to be-"
"That's alright." she said interrupting him and then shutting the door in his face.
Manny was consumed with an overwhelming sense of loss. She was not going to come back to him. She was not going to forgive him. He thought about what Molly had said...that she would be talking to God and asking God to talk to Corrina for him. He felt the tears come. He could not go home and tell Molly he had failed.
He walked off the porch and looked up to the sky. Where was this God if he was real? Would he listen to his desperate plea?
"I'm not very good at this" he said the tears threatening to fall. "Can you please help me out here? Just this once?" He wiped his eyes trying to hold it all together.
"Manny"
It was Corrina! She surprised him making him jump.
"Who are you talking to?" she asked looking at him.
Manny laughed unable to believe how quickly God had acted on his behalf.
"Uh, what's his name" he said looking up.
"Oh, your new friend." Corrina replied smiling.
"I made this for Molly." she said handing him the notebook she had given Molly hoping that it would entice her to return to school.
Manny looked at the notebook with Molly's name on it, her teachers name and grade. He remembered what Molly had said about Corrina trying to convince her to return to school.
"Would you like to give it to her yourself?" he asked.
"I might." she replied. "But I want to make one thing clear."
"OK"
"Really clear so that there's no mistake"
"OK"
"I quit!" Corrina said smiling."OK?"
"OK" Manny said laughing.
He knew then that she meant that she would only come back into his life as his woman and he could no longer see her under the pretense of being his employee. He was happy to oblige.
"You'll be happy to know that I've hired someone else. I think you'd like him." Manny said.
"Did you check his references?" Corrina asked.
"Yeah." Manny said laughing, happy at the turn of events.
"Good, because you're no picnic." Corrina replied.
Manny looked at her for a moment searching her face and was happy to see the love he once found there. He took her in his arms holding her as if he'd never let her go. Corrina tried to pull away, but he wasn't ready to release her. he began showering her with kisses.
"Manny" she protested "I live in this neighborhood."
He kissed her again. She grabbed his hand. "Come inside. Come on"
She led him into the house and he saw her family sitting at the table eating their dinner. They all stopped eating and turned looking at the two of them.
"This is Manny." Corrina said smiling.
They stared at her stunned that she was holding Manny's hand and they both were smiling at them.
Manny broke the silence by reaching out to Corrina's brother-in-law.
" Hello everybody....Manny Singer" he said offering him his hand.
Jevnina stared at the two of them a moment and then looked at Percy.
"Percy get your jaw off the table and pull up a chair." she said. She then shook her head at Corrina. She wondered how their relationship would work out.
Manny sat in the chair that Percy gave him. Corrina sat down at the table.
Jevina got up and fixed Manny a plate.
"Thank you." he said smiling.
They made small talk, asking Manny about his job and about Molly. Corrina told them about the passing of his father and Jevina gave his condolences. She then quickly excused the children from the table and sent them back outside.
"So" she said sitting back down.
"Are you hiring Corrina back?"
"No" Manny said. "She quit. She let me know that before we came in."
"I see." Jevina said looking at Frank.
"So what are you offering my sister?" Jevina said sharply "A hidden affair with the two of you sneaking around?"
"You know me better than that Jevina." Corrina said.
"I love her." Manny said simply reaching over for Corrina's hand. "I want to marry her if she'd have me."
"Oh good Lord!" Jevina said. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"I know there are some ignorant people-"
"You don't know the half! You could lose everything! You'll have to move. No self respecting white man will want you in that neighborhood of yours. Your daughter will be teased-"
"Jevina! That's enough!" Frank said "I am sure that Manny has thought about all of that."
"Jevina, we're not going to rush into marriage. We'll take it slow." Corrina said.
Manny looked surprised. "I don't want to wait too long." he said smiling.
Jevina looked at the two of them and shook her head.
"Well I'm happy for you. Manny I'm glad that you love my sister enough to do this, but you should go into this marriage with your eyes wide open."
Manny looked at Jevina "Nothing could be worse than the life I had before Corrina became a part of it." he said sincerely.
Jevina had no response to his declaration and held her peace.
*************************************************
Manny led Corrina to the car. "Let's take your car." he said "We'll come back later for mine."
"My car?" Corrina asked surprised.
"Yes, Mrs. Singer this will be your car." he said opening the door for her.
"I like the sound of that." she said smiling.
"Corrina" he said pulling off "I don't want a long engagement. We have to face this together. If we have to move, so be it. I just know that you are the woman for me."
He pulled up in front of the house and saw Molly and his mother in the front stoop. Molly ran to the car.
"Corrina! I missed you." she said jumping in.
"I missed you too." Corrina said.
They got out of the car and Corrina walked up to Mrs. Singer with Manny close behind.
"Welcome home, daughter." she said to her.
Corrina was surprised. "Mrs. Singer-"
Mrs. Singer waved her hand "Just make my Manfred happy." she said.
Then she leaned over and whispered something in Corrina's ear.
"Yes ma'am" she replied smiling.
"What was that all about?" Manny asked obviously curious.
"Oh just a little girl talk" Corrina said walking into the house.
Manny shook his head and grinned. The first hurdle in their relationship had been overcome.