The Boss Lady (3 page)

My
crew thought I was going to punch Miss Nevels in the face but I would never hit a woman, not even a rude one. I think they thought that only because of my recent trauma. It was good talking to people. It was nice to be back at work.

The month I was off was the longest month of my life. Working made me feel better.
I wasn’t feeling so empty and suicidal. Work filled a large number of the hours of my day. Being at home was depressing and I couldn’t sleep. Even with the over the counter sleeping pills I only would sleep and hour or two at a time. I woke up extremely overheated, sweaty and sometimes violently. I preferred to just stay awake. I had too many problems to fix instantly. I was a mess in more ways than one but I was determined to stay afloat.  I was also determined to not let anyone see what a hollow shell of a man I had become. My pain was the kind I couldn’t share for fear it would devour me.

Every
one of my guys was out on a job. I was alone in my personal office cutting the paychecks. My receptionist Sara was probably painting her nails at the front desk. My cell phone rang and I answered. I didn’t recognize the number on the caller I.D.

“Hello.”
I said.

“Hi is this Lukas Hamilton?”
The unknown caller asked.

“Yes I’m Lukas. Who is this?”

“It’s Kelly.”

I searched my brain for an old girlfriend named Kell
y and I couldn’t remember one, definitely one that sounds so young. “Kelly who?”

“Remember a week ago
you moved some furniture into my house where this black lady was yelling at you. I’m her daughter the little girl, Kelly Nevels.”

“
Yes I remember you,” And your rude obnoxious mother. “Kelly, what can I do for you?”

“I just moved ou
t here. You told me you have a daughter. I don’t know any kids out here. Can I meet her? You told me that me and your daughter like the same stuff. We could have a playdate.”

I don’t know what I expected her to say but somehow I just didn’t suspect that.
“Does your mother know you’re calling me?”

She hesitated.
“Ah-no.”

“How did you get my number?”

“It was on the business card that was on the refrigerator.”

“Oh yeah I put one there.”
I remembered.

“Your moving company is not that far from my house.”

“Yeah I’m just a few minutes from your house.” She must have checked the address along with the number. Smart girl.

“So
Mr. Lukas Hamilton can your daughter come over and play with me?”

“I’m sorry
Kelly. She can’t.”

“Why not? Is it because my mom
was mean to you?”

“No it’s not that.”

“You don’t like black people?”

“No I like black people.” I held in a snicker. This little girl was adorably precocious. Why was her mother such a raging bitch? “
See Kelly my daughter, she died. I didn’t get a chance to tell you that the last time I was at your house.”

“She died?”

“Yes.” I exhaled. It was so strange saying it out loud.

“Mr. Lukas, a
re you serious?”

“Yes I’m serious.”

“That’s terrible. What happened to her? Was she sick?”

“No, she was in a car accident.”

“Did she have on a seatbelt?” This girl was too smart for her own good. I see a future in law for her.

“Yeah she was wearing a seatbelt
but it was a really bad accident and she just wasn’t strong enough to survive.”

“That’s
so sad.” Kelly was quiet and I wondered what I should say next. “It’s really sad when kids die.” She gently added.

“Yes it is.”

“Are you going to be okay?” She was guiding this conversation.

I smiled into the phone. Was this kid really ten years old? She was so
intelligent. “I feel sad sometimes but I think I will be okay.”

“I think you will be okay
too.”

“Where’s your mother?”

“At work.”

“I don’t think she would like for you to be on the phone talking to me.”

“I don’t know. My mom is a really nice person. She has just been really stressed out lately.”

“I’m sure she is very nice.” I was lying to the kid.
There was no way that lady was a nice person.

“Hey Mr. Lukas, m
y mom just got home from work. I will call you tomorrow.”

T
he line went dead. Kelly Nevels had hung up the phone on me. That was one of the strangest calls I had ever received in my life. I just shared more with this kid than with my own family. I hadn’t uttered a word to my folks since the funeral and I felt oddly comfortable talking to a ten year old girl. That basically means I’m one of the neediest adult men on the planet. If a ten year girl is my intellectual equal I’m in bad shape. Or maybe I just miss Hailey so much that it feels good to hear the voice of a kid that is happy, alive and breathing. God I miss my daughter.

***

My cell phone rang the next day at around three-thirty. This time I recognized the number, it was little Kelly Nevels. I hesitated a moment feeling strange about this entire situation. I am a thirty-three year old man and conversations with ten year old girls may not be a good idea. Maybe I shouldn’t answer the call but I couldn’t blow off a kid.

“Hello.”
I answered.

“Mr. Lukas.”

“Yes Kelly it’s me.”

“How ya doing
today?” Her voice was bubbly and happy.

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Okay I guess. I’m bored. I finished my homework.”

“Why not watch
same TV?”

“My mom put a block on the music videos
and the cable channels.”

I laughed to myself. “Oh well,
parents do things like that sometimes. I’m not sure your mother would approve of you calling me.”

“Are you
a dangerous criminal?”

“No.”

“You’re not a kid perv are you?”

Is a kid perv the same as a child molester?
“No.”

“You ever killed anybody?”

Jesus? “No.”

“
So what do you do?”

“I own the
moving company that moved your furniture in your new house.”

“I know that already.” She giggled into the phone.

I knew I shouldn’t have asked but I was curious. “What does your mother do at her job?”

“She’s a
Senior Hedge Fund Manager. I don’t know what that means but it sounds important. That’s why she’s always stressed out.”

I’m sure that’s not the only reason. “Yeah sounds pretty important.”

“Are you a nice person?” She innocently and candidly asked.

“
Yes I think I am. I’m just a regular guy that goes to work.”

“Hey
Mr. Lukas.”

“Yeah.

“When did your daughter die?”

“Five weeks and four
days ago.”

“
That wasn’t that long ago. I think you’re going to be sad for a long time.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, people really love their kids.”

“Yeah I really loved my daughter.”
More than life. More than living. I want to die just as much as I want to live.

“What was her name?”

“Hailey… Hey where’s your dad?” I knew I shouldn’t have asked but I was curious.

“He’s around sometimes but not enough to talk about.”

“Oh, how do you like your new school?”

“It’s okay but we have to wear uniforms and everybody is smart. So I have to actually pay attention
in class.”

“Where are you
right now?”

“At home.”

“Where’s your mother?” I couldn’t believe Kelly could call me so freely.

“At work.”

“You’re home alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Are the doors locked?”

“Yeah.”

“You need to make sure.”

“Okay. I’m only at home by myself for an hour or two.
I know not to open the door for strangers.”

“Everyone is a stranger because you just moved out here
and you don’t know anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah yeah Mr. Lukas.”
She blew off my warning just like Hailey would have. Kids are too trusting of adults. They think you will protect them but sometimes we fall short. I wasn’t there to protect my Hailey and now…

“Yeah, yeah yeah.
” I mocked her nonchalance. “Did you ever get your TV mounted on the wall?”

“No, could you do it for me? I got twenty dollars.”

“For you I would do it for free but I have to have your mother’s permission.” I was sure I would never get the thumbs up to step back into Miss Nevels the devil’s opulent house.

“How about my grandmother’s permission?”
She bargained. This kid was a riot.

“I don’t know
maybe.”

“My mom is going out of the country
this weekend. My grandmother’s coming over on Friday to stay with me. Can you do it on Friday? I can have my grandmother call you. She’s going to pick me up from my new school and she’ll be here with me on Friday.”

“
If it’s okay with a grown-up then I can do it. If she calls me and says it’s okay then I can do it.”

“Great
, I’ll hook it up. I mean make an appointment. Mr. Lukas she’s going to call you. Don’t worry, my grandmother’s really nice. She’s not going to yell at you. She goes to church.”

“Okay.”
I chuckled.

“I can pay you.”

“You don’t have to. I will do it for free.”

“Mr. Lukas,
I know that things cost money.”

“Yeah they do but I still can do it for free. I can use your old wall mount. It’s no
t a problem.”

“Okay. I’m going to find something to eat. I will have my grandmother call you on Thursday and then I will see you on Friday.
Do we have a deal?”

“Okay
it’s a deal.”

“Bye Mr. Lukas.”

“Bye Kelly.”

She hung up and I sat there wondering if this was really going to happen. Why
was I taking odd jobs? Why was I taking an odd job from a little girl? I knew why? I didn’t have anything else to do. Kelly reminded me of my precious daughter and I wasn’t ready to forget my Hailey just yet. I didn’t have anyone to grieve with me. I didn’t have anyone to blame. Well I actually did have someone to blame but what good would that do? It wouldn’t bring my Hailey back to me.

I felt like I was sleepwalking in a nightmare and one day I would wake up. One day
I would have my daughter back and we would go to the zoo or the park. We would go out to get her favorite strawberry ice-cream and then to Dunkin Donuts.

When I arrived home
from work I showered and went into Hailey’s bedroom. Just like Kelly she had three of those collectors Barbie’s that never leave the boxes. Hailey had one black Barbie doll. I was with her when she picked it. I couldn’t seem to talk her out of buying the black one. There was this discussion about how all her Barbie’s were white and she really wanted a black one. She had talked me into buying it and now I’m glad I let her have that one. That was the last Barbie doll I bought for her. It sat in between the other glamorously dressed white Barbie dolls. It hurt to look at the dolls and made me happy and proud all at the same time. When will this hurt go away?

CHAPTER THREE

The phone calls had become routine. Kelly would call me and tell me about her day. She would share a little with me and I would do the same. I asked a lot of questions about her family. I’m not sure why I asked but she seemed to come from good people. I couldn’t actually say the same of myself. My family was not anything that I ever talked about. I was the success story and I wasn’t much of a success.

I learned more information then I needed about Kelly’s mother. Kelly didn’t have any problems telling me about her mother. Kelly loved that
mean lady. I could see why. Bossy Nicole Nevels gave her daughter whatever she wanted and treated her like a princess. Kelly was a good kid. I had to remind myself that she was the one that diffused the violate situation between me and her mother on moving day.

Kelly was clever.
She was smart and I could see why her mother took her on lavish vacations and spent so much money on her. It was clear that Kelly would be a doctor, lawyer or in some other reputable professional.

This kid could easily be a therapist. She had listened to me and I felt better for it.