“Yes, I expect him any minute.”
“Payton, you can bring those in here.” China indicated the bags he still held. He followed her through the living room into the kitchen. It was much smaller than his but efficient-looking. He placed the groceries on the counter.
“Why don’t you go out and talk to Mom while I get supper together?” China reached for a bag and started to unpack it.
Leaning his hip against the counter, he said, “You don’t want my help?”
“No, I’ll get it.”
What was going on? Chin
a hated to go grocery shopping and wasn’t that big a fan of cooking. He reluctantly left her and returned to the living room.
“Payton, come in and make yourself at home. China can handle dinner. Have a seat.” Mrs. Davis indicated a chair across the room from the one she was taking.
Payton sank into the overstuffed chair. Further across the room sat a well-used recliner. It had to belong to China’s father. On a table near by Payton saw a grouping of pictures of a boy at various stages in his life. The arrangement reminded him of a shrine. The pictures had to be of China’s brother. His disappearance hung like a shroud over the family. Payton scanned the room and only found one picture of China and another of a girl that could only be her sister.
“So, Payton, are you from around here?” Mrs. Davis asked.
“No, I’m from Chicago.”
She gave him a look of interest. “Chicago? Well, you’re a long way from home.”
“I am.”
“Are you here on vacation?”
Before Payton could answer the question, what had to be the door from the carport area below opened and an average-sized man with thinning hair entered. He wasn’t the big burly man Payton had pictured from China’s description of him.
“Hi, Father,” China chirped, in an overly happy voice.
“Hi. What’s for supper?”
“Pork chops, of course. They’re your favorite, aren’t they?” She stepped out of the kitchen and kissed him on the cheek. “Father, I’d like you to meet Payton Jenkins. He works with me.”
The man turned his piercing look to Payton as if interrogating him. For a second Payton almost squirmed under Mr. Davis’s scrutiny but caught himself. He returned a level gaze. Hadn’t China said her father was a rigid man? Payton was too old, had been through too much to let someone intimidate him. He rose and offered his outstretched hand to Mr. Davis, who took it in a sound handshake that made Payton believe he might have gained some respect.
“Father, supper should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“Good, I’m hungry.”
“Hi, hon,” Mr. Davis said, stepping over to kiss Mrs. Davis on the forehead.
“I think I’ll see if I can help China.” Payton stood and headed for the kitchen. Was he imagining that the atmosphere had turned cooler and the women tensed when the head of the house had come in? The click-click of the recliner footrest cranking up told Payton that Mr. Davis had taken his chair.
Some time later, Payton helped China place the platters of food on the table.
“Supper,” she called.
Payton saw Mrs. Davis rise from her chair. “Please, come join us, Jim,” she said, low enough that Payton had the impression that she didn’t want him to hear her pleading.
“No, I’ll just eat here. I’ve had a long day.”
Payton’s mom might not have been the one to cook the meal but she’d seen to it that their family had always shared the evening meal together. That was one point his mom had never wavered on. Payton’s father would have never gotten away with China’s father’s attitude.
“Mama, I’ll fix him a plate. Come on and join us.” China picked up one of the plates off the table.
Payton watched, amazed, as she hurriedly spooned food in large portions onto it. China also worked all day and now she was playing server girl to her father? What had happened to the person who had stood up to him so many times?
China had just finished putting food on her own plate when her father called from the other room, “This pork chop is a little too done.”
“I’m sorry, Father. You can have mine.” China jumped up and headed to the living area with her plate in her hand.
Payton shook his head in disbelief. It took all his self-control not to take the plate from her and drag her out of the house. China had turned into a super-pleaser. Couldn’t she see that her father was manipulating her? Had she been doing this for years?
When his look caught her mom’s she smiled. Didn’t she see what was going on? She acted as if China’s actions were natural. They certainly appeared to be the norm in this house. He saw them as very dysfunctional and unhealthy.
China brought back her father’s half of a pork chop on her plate. Going into the kitchen, she returned with no meat on her plate. She took her seat but didn’t meet his gaze. He cut what was left of his meat and placed it on her plate. She glanced at him in surprise, as if everyone, including her, expected her to go without part of her meal.
“So, Payton, you were telling me what brought you to Golden Shores,” Mrs. Davis said in an almost apologetic tone.
They carried on a conversation with no further interaction with China’s father. After dinner, Payton helped China do the dishes. When they left she kissed her father on the forehead. He acknowledged her with a grunt and continued to watch his TV show. Payton wanted to shake the man. Didn’t he realize what a wonderful person China was? She deserved to be treated better by her family. Payton said good evening to the man, whose only response was to raise a hand briefly.
At his car, Payton opened the door for China then got in himself. He turned to her. “Exactly what happen in there?”
She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“The way you acted.”
“How’s that?”
“Like a servant. As if you couldn’t speak up for yourself.”
“They’re my parents. I didn’t do anything that I haven’t always done. They need me.”
What if he got sick again? Would she treat him the same way she had her father? Care for him more out of guilt than love? He wanted to be loved for who he was, not because someone needed to be needed. He couldn’t, wouldn’t put himself or China through that. They both deserved more. Janice may have hurt him but at least she’d been honest about what she could take. Could China bring herself to do that if he became ill again? Could he afford to take the chance of finding out?
“China, you actually gave your father your meal.” He didn’t try to keep his disbelief out of his voice. “Even more astounding is that he took it without argument.”
“He’s my father,” she said in an ashamed voice.
“But that doesn’t mean you should let him walk all over you. As strong a person as I’ve seen you be, not only with me but in medical situations, and you become a completely different person when you’re around your parents. Why?”
“I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“They’re all I have.”
“No, they’re not. You’ve got a sister.”
“She doesn’t have anything to do with us.”
“After what I just saw, I’m not surprised.”
“You’re going too far now.”
“I don’t think so. I care about you and I know how you act around your parents isn’t healthy. What’re you afraid of? That if you’re not the perfect child that your father will give you the same ultimatum he gave your brother and your mom will let it happen? You’re an adult now. You don’t have to have their blessing anymore. Don’t you think it’s time for you to have a life not controlled by them? When was the last time you told them you wouldn’t be cooking supper when you came over? Do they even know that you hate the grocery store?”
“That’s enough, Payton.”
“China, you can’t make up for the fact that they don’t know where your brother is or ease their guilt. They have to learn to live with the past just like you do. You have to find security without living in fear of their rejection. What I saw tonight was you trying to keep the peace at all costs. That’s not good for you or them.”
“They’ve already lost two children. If I don’t come around—”
“Then maybe they’ll have to deal with each other and the way things are. They can handle life without you holding their hands.”
/> She turned to him, her jaw clenched and lips drawn into a tight, thin line. “Well, it must be nice to sit on the outside and look in. To know what everyone else should do Mr. I-ran-away-from-home-because-I-couldn’t-take-the-pressure.”
“I didn’t run away from home. I decided to live elsewhere. Take my life in a different direction.”
“Some of us don’t have that luxury. Like my brother... When life got too hard in one place, you just picked up and left. Sometimes you have to stay and deal with what is happening. I learned to deal the best way I know how. You haven’t even made an effort to really talk to your parents, have you? Explain how you really feel? I don’t see that we’re all that different. What I know is that you can point out others’ issues but you can’t see your own.”
That stung. More than he wanted to admit. “My parents have expectations, demands.”
“And you don’t think mine do?” she threw back at him.
“I know yours do but you don’t need to let them make you feel like you’re twelve again when all you want to do is please them so you can feel loved.”
“I’m sorry I’m not who you think I should be.” She opened the door. “I’ll get Mom to drive me home. Thanks for a wonderful evening,” she spat, and slammed the door.
Payton watched in disbelief as China stalked off. Had he just been hit by a Gulf storm? What had just happened? How could she not see what her parents were doing to her?
Surely when she calmed down China would come around. In the scheme of things, what they were fighting over was nothing. He knew life and death and this wasn’t it. He’d give her some room to cool down and then they’d work it out. What they had together was too good to let go of just like that.
He slowly backed out of the drive. With one last glance back at the house he drove down the road, leaving an even bigger gap between them.
* * *
China couldn’t remember a more uncomfortable discussion with her mom than trying to explain why she’d stomped back into the house and asked for a ride home. She’d didn’t want to talk about Payton. He was wrong. She didn’t do what he accused her of doing.