Page 51 of Share with Me

He heard the toilet flush.

Oh no. Not again.

Grandma had been forgetful lately. Had she forgotten that the commode was broken? He stopped in the hallway, expecting toilet water to spill over the bowl, across the floor, and out to the hallway.

No such thing.

Grandma came out of the bathroom.

Is she humming?

“He fixed it all right, that whipper-snapper.” Grandma made her way to the kitchen.

“What whipper-snapper?” Ivan followed her.

“Alonzo Vega. He’s a master plumber, you know.”

Ivan stopped at the door. “You called the plumber?”

“I didn’t. Brinley did, but I agreed to it.” Grandma pressed a palm to her chest and nodded once. “Do not make a fuss, dear.”

A fuss?“How much did it cost?”

“I don’t know. Brinley told me not to worry about it.”

Ivan raised an eyebrow. “Brinley Brooks paid for it?”

“She said we’re practically family since her sister is now my granddaughter-in-law.” Grandma was still smiling. “Besides, there was nothing on the bill except Alonzo’s phone number.”

Alonzo? First-name basis now?“What about his phone number?”

“Don’t worry, dear. I’m not going to call him. Say, did you know that Alonzo served in the US Army too? Just like my Otto, but on different continents and about ten years apart.” Grandma’s eyes were far away. “I enjoyed meeting Alonzo.”

Ivan saw the sparkle in her eyes. A moment of happiness? He wished he were able to provide more for Grandma Yun. Fix the leaky roof, for example. Or those creaky floorboards on the porch. Or that back door that was always stuck.

But his paycheck from the Sea Islands Symphony Orchestra was only supplemental to his music studio income. The more performances they had, the more he’d be paid. But SISO was a small private orchestra, unlike big city ones such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where salaries were higher.

Yeah, he’d been thinking he needed more students. Or go work for a bigger music studio that could pay him a second salary.

Perhaps someday he could play in the ASO. But for now Ivan felt at peace staying on this small St. Simon’s Island, taking care of Grandma Yun. God would provide for them as He had always provided. They hadn’t had to go hungry yet, and that in itself was a lot to be thankful for.

“Grandma?” Ivan walked up to her. “What’s Brinley’s number? I’ll call her and arrange a reimbursement.”

“You have her number. I asked her to text you last night, remember?”

Oh yeah.

“Why don’t we eat first while the spaghetti is hot and then you can call her?” Grandma stirred her meat sauce on the stove.

Ivan watched that spindly hand grasp the wooden ladle and wondered how long Grandma would keep her strength. The money he had been secretly squirreling away from extra SISO gigs to buy her an electric mobility scooter must now be portioned off to pay for the commode.

He had no idea how much the plumbing had cost. He hoped it wouldn’t be more than a few more hundred dollars. He read the bill from Plumb Good company again, but couldn’t guess the cost of any of the parts or labor. Give him a music manuscript in German and he could read it. But these plumbing jargons looked like Greek to him.

* * *

Dinner filledIvan after the third helping of pasta. He scraped the bottom of the pan to get all the sauce out onto his plate. After telling Grandma that he’d take care of the dishes after he called Brinley, Ivan went to his music studio to find his disposable phone.

He tabbed through the text messages until the one from last night’s party came into view.

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