Chapter 5

The medium size figure stood in the room, barely peeping out her head from beyond the curtains while waving her hands to gesture a hello to Eleanor and Marx. She was quite very beautiful, had a very great smile, and jet balk skin that looked firm, healthy and shiny.

Eleanor didn't have to ask too much of a question after seeing her, because she immediately suspected that this was someone Walt Whitman was very much interested in being with, or else, he wouldn't have allowed her to be there in his hospital room with him knowing that Marx and her would be popping up there any moment soon. Eleanor began wondering how long since he had been seeing her, and if she was the reason, he had so nicely rejected her when she tried pursuing him time and time again.

With shiny bright eyes, the stranger in their midst of them said not a word, as if, her tongue had been removed from the position where her creator had placed it. She could speak alright, but she wouldn't open her mouth and say a single word until Walt Whitman had formally introduced her to his son and also Ms. Eleanor.

But Walt Whitman was only waiting for his son to calm down, and for Ms. Eleanor to finish telling him about her dilemma with the car tire being punctured, and her being mod and being rescued by angels in disguised apparels.

"Eleanor, I want you to meet Annie-fay! She is from South Africa and she has been a very good friend of mine!"

Came Walt Whitman's introduction.

"Annie-fay, Eleanor is my neighbor and someone who I consider to be a very dear friend. She is the person who has been taking care of son and giving an eye on my house while I'm here in the hospital."

Walt Whitman went on to explain.

Eleanor was now on her feet and shaking hands with the dark-skin beauty while wondering if they would ever be friends.

"I'm a data processor, and I work from home most of the times which I really like doing!"

Eleanor revealed.

Eleanor had only divulged that information to her because she wanted to get some insight on what profession Annie-fay was into. Or, if she had any professional skills at all. Or, she was just grabbing onto her neighbor while digging for gold and claiming that she was madly in love with him as most women usually do.

But before Annie-fay could reciprocate any information about her professional status, Walt Whitman jumped in a defended her; since he realize what Eleanor was actually doing or trying to accomplish.

"Annie-fay is a nurse and also a writer, she works at this hospital over in the pediatric unit. And she writes a column in the Sunday papers about children and their health."

"Oh, so you are a nurse and a journalist! How noble and creative!"

Eleanor exclaimed while teasingly winking one eye at her friend lying on the hospital bed.

Walt Whitman was now smiling because he thought Eleanor had approved her, but right now, he only wanted to get on with the introduction and let Annie-fay know about his one and only son.

"Annie-fay, this is Marx Whitman! He is five-years-old and he is my boy, the best kid in the whole world... he gives no trouble at all! Right Eleanor?"

Walt Whitman said smilingly while seeking Eleanor confirmation.

This time around, it was Annie-fay who was stepping forward to make contact. She knelt down in front of Marx and hug him as she introduced herself to him. And while she placed her arms around his shoulders to hug him, Marx softly spoke.

"It's nice meeting you, Ms. Annie-fay!"

"It's nice meeting you too, Marx!"

Annie-fay replied as she placed her cheeks gently against his like a loving mother onto her darling son, and then gently rubbed at his cheeks with the back of her fingers.

Watching from his hospital bed, Walt Whitman was very happy that Annie-fay has taken a liking to his son and now he was slowly envisioning them being a family in the not too distance future. And right there, in his hospital room, in front of his neighbor and his son, Walt Whitman said it.

"Annie-fay, just might be your Mom someday; how would you like for that to happen, Marx?"

Not quite sure of what to say, Marx shrugged his shoulders, looked up at Eleanor before moving towards her, and began leaning on her thighs throughout the rest of the visit.

He had been spending a lot of time with her, plus, she was the one who had rescued him from the pressure cooker cover in his father's hands when he had injured his head and was unable to recognize that Marx was his biological son.

Day by day, they were forming a loving bond together, and secretly, Marx hope for Ms. Eleanor to be his mother, or more appropriately, his step-mother when his father was ready to make that decision. But, he was smart enough to know that such would be his father's choice and not his.

Just like Marx, Eleanor was actually thinking and persistently hoping for the same thing, but deep in her heart she knew that their relationship wouldn't work out since she was the only one pushing the fire and expecting for it to blaze. She loved him, admired him, respected him, and there were no doubts that he felt the same way about her. But not in the same capacity like she had. She just wasn't the companion material he wanted in a woman... just not who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, cuddle up with at nights or have his children with. She just wasn't that to him!

As much as he was white, like a sheet of typing paper, he loved his woman to be dark, smart and witty, and once more he had found that in another woman named Annie-fay from South Africa. And Walt was anxiously anticipating for the day to come when she would carry children from his loins that would look like a mixture of black and white, just like his little boy Marx. Children's whose characteristics and features always made his heart very happy; because in his opinion, they were the most beautiful and smartest children on the planet.

However, Walt had invited Annie-fay to come and sit on the bed beside him and they both indulged in the snacks that Eleanor had brought to the hospital for him; causing Eleanor to have twisted thoughts. Such romantic actions were creeping under Eleanor skin and made her wanted to run out of the hospital room and scream. Her jealous mood was kicking in and she wanted to grab her bag and leave the room immediately.

Getting up from her chair, Eleanor went inside the restroom and pour some cold water on the plant she had bought for her neighbor Walt Whitman, and upon her return from the restroom with it, she announced to everyone in the room that she was ready to leave now and head on back for home.

But Annie-fay encouraged to her to stay a while longer and leave after the heavy traffic on the streets had subsided.

"I don't think so, I think I should be going right this very minute!"

Eleanor responded harshly.

After placing the plant on the night stand, Eleanor went around the opposite side of the bed where Annie-fay and Walt Whitman were snuggling up together. Since Annie-fay was cuddled up beside him and in her way, she couldn't get to Walt and hugged him the way she would like to without leaning on the top of her or making skin contact with her. And there, Eleanor gave Walt a smooch on the cheeks and a slight and gentle hug as she told him good-bye and ready herself to leave the room. Soon Marx was doing the same with his old-man, and after he was done with hugging on his father, and expressing their love for each other, Eleanor and Marx waved good-bye to Annie-fay and hastily left the hospital room.

Seeing right in front her eyes, Walt and Annie-fay together, in such a romantic and lovey-dovey mood, mad Eleanor felt quite uneasy. And since he had openly announced that this was the woman who could possibly be in his life for the rest of his life, Eleanor's nerve was jolted to start go fishing for her own man. Because there were no more chances for her and her neighbor to hit it off and be in a monogamous or meaningful relationship anymore.

But was his decision engraved in stone?

Was his decision to settle-down with Annie-fay a done deal?

Feeling sad but not deterred, Eleanor and Marx returned home to Hillcrest Drive and settled down for the evening after fixing dinner and flipping through the television channels. She wanted Marx to finish watching his television show first before she went ahead and locked herself in Walt Whitman's bedroom and dialed the number to Nelson Zuckerberg's phone.

It was still a bit early; just after 9:00 p.m., and after the third ring, he picked up the phone and said.

"Hello, my dear! I've been waiting for you to give me this ring for a very longtime!"

"A very long time?"

Eleanor blurted out while the corners of her lips curved bringing forth a soft pleasant smile.

"Yes, my darling, it has been a long time, and for me, more of an eternity!"

Nelson smilingly expressed.

"Am I your darling or dear?"

Eleanor asked playfully trying to get a hint about how he felt about her.

"You're my dear, darling and dearest beloved all nicely package in one beautiful basket with a big red bow on top! And I am your big red bow on top!"

Nelson stated playfully.

The execution of his statement and the sound of his voice made Eleanor chuckled with laughter, and she asked herself, if he was the one for her; because he certainly had her grinning. Something she hadn't done in a long, long while.

Eleanor went on to tell Nelson about her day and how much she wanted to call him when her car tire had gotten punctured in the Church-corner neighborhood, but felt it was too soon to be asking him for favors, and they barely knew each other. But Eleanor would now learn how generous of a man he really is when he frustratingly stated to her that she should have call him to assist her in her time of trouble.

"How are you ever going to know what kind of a man you are dating, if you don't tell me your problems and bring your challenges to me and then see my reactions towards them?"

Nelson asked abruptly.

"But we haven't started dating as yet!"

Eleanor replied.

"So what, if we have started dating or not... didn't I give you my number telling you to call me? Well since we haven't started dating as yet, as you say, wouldn't it be the perfect opportunity for you to find out what kind of a man you are going to be dating? You would have learnt if I would have dropped whatever I was doing and come to your assistance, or, if I would have send someone or pay for a tow-truck to come wherever you are and help you out. These testing times are important in a relationship and we must use them to learn more about each other's preferences, likes and dislikes!"

Nelson lectured.

Eleanor was now lost for word.

She instantly began doing a mental comparison between Nelson Zuckerberg and Walt Whitman. Asking herself if Walt Whitman would have dropped whatever he was doing and assist her, if he wasn't in the hospital suffering from his gun-shot wound. And in her heart, she knew that he would have definitely done so for her.

"Was Nelson Zuckerberg her own Walt Whitman?"

Eleanor pondered to herself.

"Was he the perfect gentleman who stood up and stick up for his woman, no matter what?"

Were the thoughts, rushing through Eleanor's mind.

"And in the future, if you have any situation that you don't think you can handle by yourself, please don't hesitate to call me, okay Babes?"

Nelson continued on.

"Okay Nelson, I'll remember to take you up on that offer!"

Eleanor replied.

"You can always count on me, please remember that!"

Nelson assured her.

"So when can I take you out for dinner?"

Nelson Zuckerberg, politely asked.

Pausing for a moment, thinking about when a proposal like this could be fulfilled, Eleanor simply answered.

"I'm not quite sure yet!"

Because she knew she couldn't leave Marx unsupervised, and there was no one else that she knew of, right-off-hand, who his father would approve of watching him while she was out on her date with him.

"Why aren't you sure... you just have to make the time, tell me when you are free and I'll come and pick you up!"

Nelson suggested rationally.

"It's not that simple Nelson! Remember that little boy you had seen me with at the beach?"

"Yes I remember him quite well!"

Nelson interjected.

"Well, is father is in the hospital and he is left in my care at the moment, and I really don't know of anyone else, who is father would approve of me leaving him with while I go out on my date with you! So that is the situation I'm dealing with right here!"

Eleanor conveyed.

"So do I have to wait until his father is out of the hospital, before I can go out on a date with you?"

Nelson asked frustratingly.

"Maybe so."

Eleanor responded.

"But, I'll certainly let you know if there are any changes in my situation here on this side."

Eleanor continued on.

Since he wasn't going to get to know her better over a plate of food, a bottle of wine and candlelight surroundings, nelson thought that he could try getting to know her better over the telephone. And so he started asking her numerous questions about herself, her likes and dislikes – what she love eating, where was her favorite place in the world, what type of music she love listening to, if she like wearing jewelry; and so on and so forth.

The long four hours they had spent on the phone talking, Nelson Zuckerberg had gotten most of his questions about her answered, and Eleanor Ford, was quite compelled to believe that this was the perfect man for her.

"Who else – which other man was going to spend the time to find out every single details of her likes and dislikes before taking her out?"

Eleanor thought to herself.

This man wasn't about playing games or beating around the bush... filling her head with lies and pretentious affairs.

He was very clear and honest about what he wanted and what he was expecting from her. And that was now up to her to be honest and up-front with him in all their potential endeavors in the future. And that included telling him if she was falling out of love with him and why.

In Eleanor's eyes, Nelson Zuckerberg was inadvertently making Walt Whitman look like a peanut shell to her eyes. She felt he had inferior standards because she didn't feel like he had taken the time to know about his women like Nelson was now doing with her. But on second thought, he wasn't interested in her in that way; so why would he ever care about what she wanted, liked or disliked?

And before hanging up the phone and bidding her a pleasant night and wonderful sweet dreams, Nelson Zuckerberg made it quite clear to Eleanor that he was very serious about having a meaningful relationship her. And that he was also hoping for her to meet his relatives and friends soon, if she was ready and up to it.

But Eleanor wasn't quite interested in knowing about his friends and relatives just right now, even though, she appreciated him for mentioning it to her. Her main focus now was all about getting to know him as a person, and how would he be treating her after they had started dating or during the course of their relationship.

She wanted to know if he was going to make her feel secure in their relationship and not pawning her off to his friends and relatives whenever there was a problem between them like the person in her previous relationship had done to her. She wanted to know that his integrity was on solid grounds and he wasn't just showing her, the nice guy persona, in this early stage of their courtship, so he could manipulate her feelings and win her over. She wanted to make sure that he didn't have hitting hands and sticky fingers, and would be able to hold her up financially and otherwise when such times arises.

She just wanted to know that she could trust him with her life and didn't have to worry about which other chick he was hauling in the sack whenever she wasn't around.

However, only time would give her those answers!

Relaxing on Walt Whitman's massive bed before falling asleep, Eleanor thought about talking with Walt Whitman about having Annie-fay come by the house and stay with Marx for a couple hours. And in doing so, he could get to know his step-mother even better, and she and Nelson could get some time to proceed with their date. She thought it was a very good idea, and she would follow through with it, the first thing in the morning, as soon as she had gotten up from her rest.

"After all, he has found his dark and lovely love interest, so why shouldn't I?"

Eleanor thought, with a dose of jealousy still lingering in her heart.

Tuesday morning, just after feeding Marx and herself, Eleanor called the hospital room where Walt Whitman was admitted and brought up the subject matter of Annie-fay coming by his house and sitting with Marx for a few hours on the upcoming weekend. Immediately as she spoke, Walt knew that something was off beat. Sternly he asked her, if she had some where special going or if she needed to go in her office and speak with her supervisor?

But he was her friend, and she didn't want to tell him a lie about her new found love interest. So Eleanor told him the truth that she had a date with someone who she felt might be very good for her. And she wanted to test the waters a little to see how dating him would turn out for the both of them. And without hesitation, Walt Whitman told her that he was going to call Annie-fay and find out from her, if she would be available this weekend for a few hours and watch his son while she went out on her date.

Unfortunately, Annie-fay was working that upcoming weekend, and told her fiancée that she was unable to grant him such a favor. However, she could asked one of her colleagues to come by his house and sit with Marx for a while so Eleanor could go ahead and take care of her affairs.

And after making several inquiries, the favor was eventually granted by one of Annie-fay's collogues on her job who decided that they would lend a helping hand for a fee. Making themselves be available to go by Walt Whitman's house Friday evening and stay with his son for a few hours while Eleanor went chasing after her dream man.

Annie-fay was quite happy that she could help out in this situation. Furthermore, she wanted Eleanor to find a mate who she could cling to, instead of her husband to be. Although, he hadn't officially place an engagement ring on her finger as yet. But shortly after reconsidering the entire situation of one of her co-workers walking through the doors and in the house of her fiancée before she had made such a move, Annie-fay quickly rearranged the plan.

Now she was asking around for one of the other pediatric nurses to fill in for her all day Friday, so she could be at Walt Whitman's house Friday evening, or if possible, right through the entire day. And like her other co-workers, she didn't mind going there and sitting with Marx for free.

But most importantly for her, she wanted to be the first to behold where she would be living and sleeping after she and Walt Whitman had tied the knot; and not some other stranger from her job.

After asking several persons on the job to fill in for her, all Annie-fay had gotten were pure nos. No one at all were available to fill in for her; causing her to start outsourcing help and try contacting those who were on staff as part-time workers. It was at her wits end before one of the part-time workers decided to attend duty and cover for her. While she went ahead and took care of that important business transaction she told them she had to take care of, and needed the day off from work to do so.

Being so very grateful and thankful, she began making promises of extending the same curtesy to the person who have sympathize with her, and decided to grant her this huge favor of working on the weekend which most staff members hated doing.

Annie-fay was soon on the telephone conveying to Walt Whitman that she had gotten someone to work for her Friday, therefore, she could be at his house Friday to supervise his son, Marx Whitman until Eleanor returns from her date.

Walt Whitman was very happy to hear the good news, and very soon after hanging up the phone from Annie-fay, he was on the phone dialing the number to his house. Gladly telling Eleanor that she should go ahead and make the arrangements for her date, because Annie-fay was coming to stay with his son until she had returned home from her night's engagement.

Overfilled with joy, Eleanor called Nelson Zuckerberg right away and surprised him with the good news, and now their date for dinner was set for nine o'clock Friday night.

Eleanor began preparing herself for her date, especially, since she hadn't been on a date in a very long time.

She began thinking about what she was going to be wearing, what she was going to be saying to keep their conversation interesting, and for the most part, she wanted to learn and also gathered as much information about him as much as she could; from the lips of the man who had claimed that he wanted her to be in his life for an eternity and how much he was very serious about her being in his life.

It was a magical moment for her right now and she desperately wanted for this relationship to work out; because she had waited for a very long time before having this kind of connection with another human being, and from the opposite sex. And the little that she had gathered from Nelson Zuckerberg so far, gave her thoughts and feelings that were of hopefulness.

Mid-day Friday, Annie-fay showed up at Hillcrest Drive as it was directed by Walt Whitman on how to get there. She was there, long before Eleanor Ford could ever be ready for her date with Nelson Zuckerberg. And after pulling up at the address, she walked up the pathway leading up to the front door and gave three sharp tapping on the front door of the Whitman's house.

"Who is it?"

Marx asked, even though, he and Eleanor was expecting her to be there sometime in the evening.

"It's me, Annie-fay!"

She replied.

Hearing the female voice, Eleanor who was inside the kitchen fixing a snack hurried to the front door and opened it and ask.

"What are you doing here this early? We weren't expecting you to be here this early in the day!"

"I know you weren't expecting me to be here this soon, but I came this early so I could get myself familiar with the environs of this house!"

Annie-fay replied smiling.

"Well, since you are already here, I might as well show you around a little. This is the main living room, there is a spear bedroom down the hall-way; if you feel like resting you can go there and rest. There is also a bathroom next to that spear bedroom at your disposal. And this is the kitchen; if you ever feel hungry, feel free to dig in, because there is plenty of food around here to feed a king and his kingdom!"

Eleanor stated in a nutshell.

Eleanor returned to the kitchen while Marx walked Annie-fay towards the spear bedroom, so she could put down the belongings she had carried with her in there.

Upon returning to the living room, Annie-fay took a seat in one of the smaller sofa chairs while her eyes danced around the entire living room, scrutinizing every inch of the living room from top to bottom, as though, waves were rippling through her brain, telling her that this was going to be her house someday soon, so she should start planning how she wanted it to be decorated from now on.

But, would Annie-fay ever get the chance to settle down with Walt and Marx Whitman on Hillcrest Drive?

The strangeness of Annie-fay showing up at the Whitman's residence that early in the morning had given Eleanor the urge to call Walt Whitman and ask him why he had told her to show up at his house that early in the morning, after they had discuss for her to be there in the evening.

But upon picking up the phone and listening to her question, Walt Whitman denied doing such a thing, and in his explanation, express to Eleanor that he had only ask her to come and stay with Marx for a view hours while you take some time to head out for your date. And he had honestly presumed that she would have definitely understood that your date would have been in the evening hours and not in the morning.

Upon hearing this unfavorable news, Walt Whitman apologized to his friend Eleanor, for the unexpected and impolite actions of his fiancée, Annie-fay.

Eleanor accepted and thanked him for apologizing for his girlfriend inconsiderate behavior; but still, Eleanor just wouldn't let it go. And long after Walt Whitman had apologized to her for Annie-fay's abrupt action of showing up at the Whitman's house unannounced that hour of the morning she continued on defaming her neighbor's fiancée.

Especially since she was secretly carrying an acrimonious snatch of herbs in her heart for Annie-fay being with Walt Whitman. So she went on expressing to Walt that his girlfriend had no manners and didn't even had the curtesy to call the house and let her know that she was on her way, before showing up there with her bags as if she was already carrying the title of, Madam Whitman.

Walt Whitman knew exactly what was eating at Eleanor, and he found it quite strange, that even though, she was about to be out on a date with someone else, she was sowing bitter seeds to destroy his relationship with Annie-fay.

But, without getting himself angry or stopping her in her tracks when she went on venting about the poor mannerisms of his woman, Walt Whitman nonchalantly stated that he was certain Annie-fay had her reasons for being there at the house that early in the morning and for not calling the house before showing up there. And before Eleanor could open her mouth and spit out another word, he happily said to her; "I hope you have stupendous time on your date tonight, Eleanor, and I'm so looking forward to meeting the lucky fella!" before giving her a hasty good-bye and pressing the receiver button on the telephone.

Blazing heat like a pizza oven, she locked the doors to Walt Whitman's bedroom, strip herself down to the nude, and then went to soak herself in Walt's jetted tub while contemplating on what colors she should paint her nails in for her date later that tonight.

While Annie-fay began walking from room to room, checking out the décor in every room and anticipating on how she would have them decorated as soon as Walt Whitman made their togetherness official and gave her a key to this massive architecture of a thing he called home. She honestly loved the house and envisioned herself being happy there after Walt Whitman placed a wedding ring on her finger.

Eleanor finger and toe nails were now already dry and she grabbed her handbag and shouted for Marx, to ask him if he wanted to come with her over by her house or if he wanted to stay in his own house with Annie-fay. Without any hesitation, Marx opted to go with her instead of staying in the house with his father's new girlfriend. After all, he has been going everywhere with her for the past two months, except, for the restroom.

But before Eleanor could make her way through the front door with Marx toggling along behind her, Annie-fay noticed the bedroom in which she had just exited from with its massive pieces of furniture, expensive wall-covering and appliances which was looking quite luxuriant and very flashy. So she wanted to find out who was the occupant of that room.

Eyes rolling, Eleanor wasn't ready to answer any her question and gave her a look – a reaction that told her just so. But Marx was quick to volunteer that information to her and gladly burst out saying; "It's my Papa's room!" while pulling on Ms. Eleanor's hand so they could hurry up and go through the front door.

"So why wasn't I introduced to your Papa's room and not the guest bedroom, instead?"

Annie-fay inquired viciously with hands on her hips as if she was a warden scolding her subjects.

"You weren't introduced to it, because I'm using it; and will be using it until Walt comes out of the hospital!"

Eleanor replied harshly.

Eleanor's choice of words and the tone in which she had spoken to Annie-fay had set off a raging volcano inside of her. And now, she began raising her voice at Eleanor and ordering her not to address her fiancé by his first name; and fiercely stating to her, that Walt Whitman was not her companion and he would never be that to her either.

"He is my fiancée and not yours, and he his Mr. Whitman for you, and not Walt! And don't let me hear you ever calling him, Walt, again!"

Annie-fay lashed out viciously.

The entire mood in Walt Whitman's house was now change to that of a brawling market place, with rifts and rude languages being dashed and thrown at each other left right and center.

Eleanor was utterly infuriated when Annie-fay vented to her about Walt Whitman will never have her as his companion and she should stop addressing him by his first name because he was not her companion; after her being by his side for so long and through tick and thing.

Angrily, Eleanor gabbed the rock used for keeping the door from slamming when the breeze blew heavily and threw it at Annie-fay. While viciously cursing at her to go back to South Africa and chase down rhinos, goats and alligators; and stop pretending, as if, she was some damn custodian of the Whitman's property.

"I don't have to chase rhinos, goats or anything else... that's why I became I nurse, so I don't have to go galloping after your father and mother in Africa or wherever they might be!"

Annie-fay fired back.

Eleanor didn't understood at first what she had meant, but few minutes had ran off, and then it came clear to her... realizing that Annie-fay was calling her parent rhinos, goats and alligators. She was just about ready to go inside the kitchen, snatch the pressure cooker cover and beat Annie-fay over the head with it. But Marx, suddenly stopped her in her tracks, reminding her of her date, and one of them possible ending up on a hospital bed.

Picking her handbag up from the living room floor, Eleanor angrily marched through the front door, slamming it shut so very hard that it sounded like a bomb had just exploded in the quiet neighborhood while little Marx kept on chasing behind her with his hands over his ears trying to muffle out the sound still echoing in the air.

Eleanor had every intention of going back to Walt Whitman's house and staying there until her dated had arrived to pick her up. But she knew if she had done so before he came there and got her, there would definitely be another onslaught – another assault between her and Annie-fay. So it wasn't until Nelson Zuckerberg had come by to pick her up for their date that she walked Marx to the front door of his house and told him, she would see him later that night, or first thing in the morning.

She looking like a princess and he like a prince, Eleanor Ford stepped into Nelson Zuckerberg car, after he had left from his seat, smooch her on the cheeks and open the car door for her to enter and be properly seated.