Spring Won't Come

Eighteen: Kayla

Kayla pushed the door open with her shoulder, surprised to see that lights were off, not as surprised to see that the sink was already full of dishes. She closed the door behind her and listened, waiting to hear the buzz of the TV or some sign that her parents were having another "disagreement." It was silent.

"Works for me," Kayla muttered. She flipped on the kitchen light and placed her bag and purse on the table. There was a note, writing in her mother's childish hand. They were having dinner at Manny's place.

"Haven't done that in a while," Kayal said to the empty kitchen. She looked at the pile of dishes in the sink and groaned. It was better to do them now than to allow them to further accumulate.

Based on the mixing bowls, potato skins, and heaps of mayonnaise in the sink, Kayla thought it was safe to bet that her mother had made some potato salad to bring over to the Lewis's. It was one of the only things her mom was good at cooking.

Kayla moved all the dishes to one side and began to rinse them out. She lathered a sponge with some soap and then began to scrub. The sink overflowed with water and sloshed out onto the linoleum. Kayla cursed under her breath and shut the sink off.

She plunged her hand into the murky water and felt around for the sink strainer. It was clogged by potato peels and sliced veggie bits that had sunk to the bottom of the sink. Kayla grimaced and scooped out the gunk, cupping it in her hands and tossing it into the garbage.

Kayla's fingers were pruney by the time she got through half of the dishes. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought that her mom had used a hairdryer on the dishes to make them harder to clean. She would let the rest soak in the sink.

Kayla looked at the note her parents had left. She had a decision to make. They probably wanted her to stop by for dinner so as to keep up appearances. She didn't mind doing that. What she feared was what would happen if Manny showed up.

She weighed her options and decided that it would be best to face Manny than to hide; maybe she could even talk to him and get some sense through that thick skull of his. If what she feared was true, Manny would need her more than ever.

Kayla went to her room and grabbed a purple windbreaker from the closet. She checked in her hair and makeup in the mirror, made sure her clothes were wrinkle-free, and then left the house.

The outside door to Manny's apartment was broken, so there was no need to buzz in. Ray Lewis answered the door, a can of Keystone Light in his hand. He raised an eyebrow and finished chewing whatever was in his mouth.

"Hi, Mr.Lewis," Kayla said.

"Kayla," Ray said, a bubbly belch wheezing through his teeth. He was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, the outfit complimented by a pair of ratty socks. "Your folks said you were staying with that cousin of yours."

"I was," Kayla said. "She was helping me with a project."

"You always were a smart kid," Ray said. His red-laced eyes blinked slowly and he took another chug of Keystone. The scent of stale beer wafted from his body "Come in, we just started eating."

Kayla followed Manny's dad into the apartment. Her parents were seated at the table with Manny's mom, and Kayla couldn't help but notice the lack of dishes in the sink. There was a plate of freshly cooked steaks, a basket of bread rolls, a plate of sweet corn, and the bowl of Mrs. Romee's potato salad.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kayla's dad asked the moment she sat down.

"I've been staying with April," Kayla said. Her dad scared her, especially when he drank, even more when he was angry with her. It didn't matter where he was or who was around, Sal Romee did not like to be crossed.