I said, “What’s up with Naveen?”
“He’s in Boston and wants to meet to negotiate the divorce before he goes back to India tonight.” He wants it done today. His other “wife” wants to get married.” Priya did the double quote thing with her index and middle fingers of both hands on the word “wife”. It turns out that she’s pregnant. She grinned as she said the word ‘pregnant’.
“He sounds anxious.”
“He does, doesn’t he?” She grinned and continued, “I called my lawyer and emailed the divorce papers Naveen sent to me. He is meeting me at Naveen’s hotel. If truth be told, I’m anxious to get it over with too, but I’m not going to let him know that. I have my crying towel with me.” She grinned and so did I.
She watched several boats cruise slowly by and then said, “Can you do me a favor? Divi has a few friends coming over. They’re probably on their way now. I have to get on the road. Can you watch out for them for me? A bunch of eighteen year old girls will be a handful. Call me if you have to.” She slid a piece of paper with her cell phone number onto the table between us.
I said, “No problem. Divi already mentioned it to me. I told her maybe we could go for a boat ride or something. Tubing behind a pontoon boat is no big thrill but I’m sure I can find something to do to entertain them.”
Priya smiled and countered, “I bet you can.”
She stood up and started to go but stopped and turned back toward me with a grin and said, “Thanks Jack. I really owe you one.”
I said, “You go and take care of business and I’ll think about how to collect your debt. Drive safe okay? Screw him tight to the wall.” She grinned and headed for the stairs again. “Priya?” She stopped and turned again. “Does Divi know what’s happening?”
She looked down at the deck and then shook her head. She walked back toward me and looked at me. Her dark eyes had filled with tears. “I don’t know how to tell her.” She looked like she was bearing the weight of the world.
I said, “Divi is a smart girl. She can help you get through this. She’s strong.” Priya wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands and just nodded before she returned to the stairs. She hurried down and disappeared around the corner of her house. Ten minutes later, I heard her car drive by the front of my house heading for the main road. Two minutes after that I heard a car coming from the main road. Priya’s house was the last one on our dead-end road so it must have been Divi’s friends arriving.
I sat there on the deck for a few minutes and I thought I heard a beep in the house. I went inside to see what it was. The power was on and all the normal sounds of the house came to life. The refrigerator was humming. The water pump came on. The furnace thudded and groaned. The digital clocks on the stove and microwave flashed on and off insisting that they be reprogrammed. Later.
I took a shower and dressed in going-to-town clothes consisting of cargo shorts, a cotton golf shirt and sandals. I even shaved. In the living room I noticed that the cable box had finished rebooting and it displayed the correct time of 9:24 AM.