Definitely Against Policy, page 20
“No. I think those will do,” Grandma said softly. “One of my favorite verses might help you. Mark 8:36.”
“For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Eli quoted.
“Ach, that’s it. You know what you have to do, Eli.”
Grandma yawned as if bored with his confession, which he found oddly comforting. At seventy-five, she probably believed there was nothing new under heaven when it came to people. Only repeating patterns of sin, punishment, and redemption through the generations.
“It’s time to rest,” said Grandma.
Chapter Nineteen
Toil was better solace than casual dating. Now late afternoon, Mary hunched stiff-shouldered over her desk, marking exams and editing a trade manual, work she’d picked up through Kerry Workplace Solutions. At least her proposal had been rubberstamped by the committee. She’d completed her course work, and now she was officially “Mary Rose, PhD candidate”. Ta-da! She’d celebrated this milestone with Dominic, Penny Wong, and a couple other philosophy students, even received Facebook congratulations from her mother and Candace Kaine, but the person with whom she wished she could share her joy for a job well done was Eli.
They hadn’t spoken for three weeks.
Mary stretched and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Four-thirty, according to the digital clock on the microwave panel. A change was as good as a rest. She decided to go downstairs for the mail.
There were flyers, a men’s clothing catalogue for Dominic, and a letter in a plain, business-size envelope for her. From Mrs. Abraham Klassen. Mary’s heart skipped a beat. She tucked the other mail under her arm and ripped open the envelope.
Dear Mary,
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m staying with Eli because I have surgery at the Holley Eye Institute in about two weeks. It’s what they call “elective surgery,” which means I’m allowed to chicken out. (That’s a joke, mind.) The Lord will see me through it.
I tried to use Eli’s phone to call you, or at least find your number, but I couldn’t make sense of the thing. Fortunately, I kept your letter with your return address. Thank you for letting me know about Eli’s headaches. He was some surprised when his brother and I showed up in Toronto, but the salve and tea I brought him have done him a world of good physically.
I worry about his soul though, Mary. He misses you very much and he knows he did wrong. However, he’s as stubborn as a mule and he’s painted himself into a corner.
I’d be ever so grateful if you’d meet me. There’s a coffee shop called ‘Breaktime’ on the corner and the prices are reasonable. Yesterday I bought a muffin there for $2.25! Eli doesn’t come home till after five. Could we meet at Breaktime this Friday at two o’clock? My treat? By the time you get this letter, it will be too late for you to reply, so I’ll pray and leave the rest in God’s capable hands. Yuka told me what you look like, so I’ll recognize you!
Yours truly,
Eva Klassen
Mary jumped and squealed, “He’s suffering, too.” A tradesman passing through the lobby gave her a long, suspicious look. Mary said, “My ex-boyfriend.” The man shook his head and walked off. She didn’t care.
The logjam was shifting. Eli’s grandmother didn’t have to pray because Mary would be at Breaktime—early.
****
Eli entered the office of Hill Realty. Everything was the same on the surface. As always, abstract art adorned the bare brick wall, the smell of air freshener and burnt coffee wafted through the reception area, and Feng Shui for Winning Realtors sat on Jonquil’s desk. It was he who had changed. The latest receptionist, a polite, efficient girl named Olivia, notified Claudia from the desktop phone that he’d arrived and he was called into the corner office immediately.
Claudia gestured to the sofa, but Eli took the chair at her desk, and she shrugged and returned to her chair opposite him. Same old Claudia, not a hair out of place, makeup photo-shoot perfect, military posture projecting success.
Eli met her eye, took a deep breath, and said, “I’ve decided to resign.”
Claudia’s mouth dropped open, then she shook her head and gasped, “Resign? Don’t be absurd, Eli.”
“I’ve given my decision a lot of thought and—”
“If it’s money, we can renegotiate your split.”
“It’s not the money. You’ve been very fair and I’ll always be grateful for that. I’m just tired. Exhausted with the hustle, the endless schmoozing, and I need to carve out some space for myself, away from real estate.”
“Tired? Then what you really need is a vacation, Eli.”
Claudia stood and walked around the desk. He felt like a diver in a flimsy cage being circled by a shark. She slid her hands over his shoulders and kneaded his muscles.
“You’re tense,” she crooned. “After the spring rush, you should take a break and Hill Realty will pay for it. A Caribbean resort? Perhaps a cruise? I know: Europe! France is beautiful in early summer.”
“I need more than a rest, Claudia.” Eli shrugged and leaned away. “I’ve been doing some soul-searching, and I’ve decided to move on. I’m not going to another brokerage. You can reassign my clients after I’ve informed them. I thought I should tell you first.”
Claudia stilled her hands. “How courteous of you.” She stalked back to her chair and stared across the desk. “I don’t buy your excuse. Tired. You’re only twenty-eight.”
“Twenty-nine.”
“You’re healthy. I know you have stamina. Sure, you’ve had a few health challenges, but you’re not even thirty. You have years of high earning potential ahead of you and you’re good at the game. I don’t want to lose my top agent.” Her lip quivered. “My friend.”
“Claudia, we are friends and I hope that won’t change.”
“Is it because of Mary’s dismissal?”
“No.”
“No? Okay, then level with me. I’ve known you since you were a gawky, runaway teenager and I’ve mentored you and treated you well. Now you’re dropping a bomb on my business…a business I built from scratch. I deserve to know why you’re doing this without your vague excuses.”
Eli shifted in his chair and considered how to lay out his cards without revealing the crucial one. He cleared his throat. “Back home, in Eden Springs, I did some things I shouldn’t have. My bad habits followed me here and now my past is catching up with me.”
Claudia’s face froze in horror.
“Nothing sexually deviant,” Eli rushed to add. “I only righted wrongs in a way that the law doesn’t appreciate. You could call it ‘hillbilly justice.’ If I wind up in the news, I don’t want my name to damage Hill Realty.”
“What did you do?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You have to. I’ll need to prepare a statement in case I have to protect the Hill name.” Pleading, Claudia reached across the desk with an open hand. “Please. Tell me. What did you do that was so bad?”
Reluctantly, Eli took her hand. Claudia wasn’t the type to make a scene, but she was under tremendous stress—dealing with a reckless husband and an irresponsible niece—and he’d thrown a bale of straw on the camel’s back. He had to end their meeting before she tried to guilt him into changing his mind.
He spoke slowly and clearly to avoid misunderstanding. “I can’t tell you what I did yet. I’m planning to confess to the police. The things I will tell them have nothing to do with Hill Realty, but it’s better for you and the team if I’m no longer associated with the brokerage when I do it.”
With a bewildered expression, Claudia shook her head. “When will this happen?”
“In a week? Maybe two? I’ll wrap things up with my clients first.”
She withdrew her hand, sat back, and stared across the desk. In a blink, she changed gears to cool, hard-as-nails business mode. “Could you stick around until the model suite is installed and the hydro and plumbing are working? Jonquil and Siobhan will decorate it.”
“Yes, of course.”
“And send me a draft of your letter to your clients before you communicate with them. I want to vet everything that comes out of Hill Realty in your name.”
“You can trust me, Claudia.”
“Can I? Eli, we’ve both bent the rules and we’ve worked closely. You’re about to dump your dirty laundry into the public square. Some of mine could be mixed in with yours. You want to hoist yourself onto a stake and let the world set a fire under your feet? Go ahead. But don’t you dare drag me into your martyrdom.”
“I won’t. It’ll be a clean break. First I’ll deal with the model suite, then I’ll draft the letter. I won’t discuss any of this with anyone unless you want me to.”
“Just keep your mouth shut. I’ll handle it.”
“Thank you, Claudia. For everything.” He stood and said quietly, “You’ve been like a mother to me.”
“A mother? Fuck you, Eli.”
Perfect. Her rage would see her through the worst of the next few weeks.
Chapter Twenty
Dressing to meet with a septuagenarian Klassen was more difficult than dressing for a Tinder date. Mary hadn’t taken this much time with her appearance since her second day at work with Eli, way back in February. Today, the weather was warm, and she decided on a print dress, her denim jacket, and slip-on sneakers. Hair fastened into a braid, she hoped she looked sensible yet feminine, wholesome rather than flaky.
Although Mrs. Klassen said, ‘her treat’, Mary bought two teas and seated herself at a corner table with chipped Formica and a view of the street. At 1:59, a short, plump, slightly stooped woman wearing a navy bonnet, a plain ankle-length dress, and Velcro running shoes appeared in the doorway and looked about.
Mary stood and stepped forward. “Mrs. Klassen?”
“Yes. Mary!” She walked over, round face beaming. Her dark eyes, an older female version of Eli’s, twinkled in greeting. She seized Mary’s hand and shook it in both of hers. “You may call me ‘Eva’ or ‘Grandma’. That’s what Yuka and Takeshi call me, ‘Grandma’, and I rather like it. Makes Toronto feel more like home.”
“All right. Grandma,” Mary smiled in return. “I took the liberty of buying you tea and there’s milk and sugar on the table.”
“Ach. This was supposed to be my treat. They bake nice muffins here, though they could be from a mix, mind. Which do you like best, raisin bran, morning glory, or blueberry?”
“Morning glory, but—”
“Me too!” Grandma was at the counter before Mary could tell her she wasn’t hungry.
Seated at last, Grandma accepted Mary’s thanks for the softball-sized muffin she’d placed before her and said, “You’re just as I expected, Mary, based on what Yuka and Eli told me. I feel as if I know you already.”
“Oh? But I don’t know you.”
“Well then, let’s see…I’m seventy-five years old, that’s three-quarters of a century, and I have twenty-seven grandchildren. I’ve lost track of the great-grandchildren because Eli’s generation is busy,” she prattled. “I have to keep all the children’s names on a calendar so I don’t miss a birthday.”
“Eli told me you live on his father’s farm.”
“That’s right. Eli’s father is Isaac, my oldest. It was his oldest who brought me here and that’s Jacob. The Klassen men are good men, but they tend to get their blood up when they think they’re right and someone’s crossed them, and unfortunately, they don’t bat a thousand where judgement’s concerned. Takes a special woman to make a happy marriage with a Klassen man. She has to be smart to match his wits, strong to match his spirit, and even-tempered to steer him, because a meek, wishy-washy woman is like a green light for his worst impulses. Listen to me! I’m talking too much. Let me say a quick word of thanks to the Lord for the muffins and tea and then you tell me all about yourself.” Grandma bent forward with clasped hands and mouthed a blessing, then looked up and nodded. “Well?”
“Eli might have told you I’m a student of philosophy, born and raised in Toronto.”
“Yes, and he said you’re an only child of divorced parents, but I shouldn’t feel sorry for you because things are different here. He said friends replace kin with all the coming and going in Toronto.” She waved over the table. “We should eat!”
Mary popped a piece of muffin into her mouth and washed it down with tea. Grandma broke off the top of her muffin, took a big bite, and closed her eyes as she chewed the gummy mass. “Hmm,” she mumbled. “They’re so moist. They must use a lot of oil…”
“I’m surprised Eli spoke of me,” said Mary. “We were close friends—”
“Dating,” said Grandma. “I found your toothbrush and deodorant in his bathroom and your clothes in his bedroom.”
“Yes, we were dating, but we broke up.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
The nosy question was delivered so skilfully that Mary answered without thinking about her answer. “Sad. Heartbroken. I really liked Eli.”
“Liked him?” Grandma said through another mouthful of muffin. “I see…”
“Perhaps he didn’t tell you what happened…why we broke up.”
“Oh, he told me about Mr. Silverstein.”
Mary smiled inwardly at the ‘mister’ and pictured Eli confessing under his grandmother’s interrogation.
“Eli hopes to win you back,” Grandma continued. “On the other hand, he wants to preserve his reputation, and that’s an error of pride. We can’t control what others think of us; we can only do what is right. ‘But if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye.’ That’s from the Book of Peter.”
“A wise Greek slave named Epictetus said much the same thing.”
Grandma’s brows rose in a look of delight. “Wisdom is like that, isn’t it? From the Bible, or the mouth of an innocent child, or the sayings of the learned, truth is eternal. If Eli repented, corrected his behavior, and atoned, would you take him back?”
“Yes, if that’s what he wants too. I don’t care about his reputation.”
Grandma sipped her tea, then chuckled. “You did the right thing, cutting him off like that. He needed a stern lesson. He’s like a horse with the bit in his teeth. The best thing to do is to corral him—the horse, I mean—and firmly correct him. Now people are more complicated than horses, that’s certain, but Eli deserved a swift kick, and you delivered it. Mind, a man likes to think he’s a king, but a woman has her ways. Mary, that muffin won’t eat itself, and you’re awfully thin. Very pretty, but thin. Please eat.”
The flattery was untrue and embarrassing. Blushing, Mary nibbled her muffin while Grandma continued.
“I believe he’s turned a corner. He’s less aggressive on the phone, taking time for breakfast instead of rushing into the fray, but that’s not enough. Stopping doing wrong is only a start. He has to take the next step.”
“I set clear conditions. Eli knows what they are.”
“Yes, he told me about that. I think he needs some encouragement. A nudge. He’s like a child standing at the end of a dock, toes curled over the boards, hesitating, afraid to jump. If you saw him in person and told him you’ll wait for him in the water, that everything will be all right…” Grandma took another giant bite and, chewing, peered at Mary.
Mary gazed through the window. A bag lady pushed a shopping cart laden with her tattered belongings against a bump in the sidewalk. Other pedestrians gave her a wide berth, though Eli wouldn’t have if he were there. He’d have pulled the front wheels of the cart onto the next slab of concrete. He was a living contradiction of the Hobbesian hypothesis that humans are inherently despicable and require governance. Eli was fundamentally decent, and Mary loved him for it.
However, she wondered if Grandma wasn’t pushing her into a fool’s errand. “Why did Eli leave Eden Springs?” she asked, meeting the old woman’s earnest, chestnut eyes.
“Lots of reasons, I suppose.” Grandma brushed crumbs onto her serviette and dumped them onto her plate. “He was a bright boy, but impulsive. He had a penchant for finding trouble…fighting unwinnable battles…and going with the wrong girls. The Brethren cure for immaturity is scripture, prayer, and a simple life of marriage, children, and hard work. He did his share workwise, no question, but he pushed against our ways. I do believe he found more use for the Bible as a paperweight than in its Holy words. His elders couldn’t contain him, so he had to leave Eden Springs. That was his wish, anyway.”
“A lot of boys chase girls and rebel. What did Eli do that was so wrong?”
“First, he got expelled from school for questioning the Word of God without relent. I helped him with his schooling as I could, but mostly he went to the library and taught himself. Next thing you know, he’s finding evidence for evolution in basic plant and animal breeding.” Grandma frowned and shook her head at the memory. “By the time he was sixteen, he was out of Isaac’s control. Eli took his father’s best hunting rifle and forced a neighbor to return a stolen item. A few weeks later, he beat up a man who was under the thrall of satanic perversions and had bothered three young girls. One of those girls was Eli’s sister.”
“You mean the man sexually assaulted them?”
“Yes, I’m afraid I do. The fellow left town in a hurry and I don’t blame Eli for acting outside of the law because the girls felt safer after that. Then one day, Isaac slapped Eli’s mother in front of the younger children, and Eli demanded his father apologize. When he refused, Eli punched him. Everything could’ve been forgiven if Eli had prayed and repented, but undermining his father’s authority as head of the family and not acknowledging the error of his ways could not be. Eli went willingly.”
Mary sipped her tea as she grappled with Grandma’s revelations. “Is he allowed to return to Eden Springs?”
“Ach, yes. Isaac eventually forgave his son. Eli can return for visits…weddings and funerals and Christmas and such. His nieces and nephews are thrilled when he comes home. When he finally decides to walk with the Lord, he can return to live with us permanently. He’s a Klassen, but he’s making a choice to stay away, Mary. He’s stubborn.”
