Blackjack

42

Valentine came for dinner at seven. He was wearing fancy clothes that impressed Allie, complete with his cutlass clipped onto his belt. His topcoat was burgundy velvet and his shirt was made of fine polished cotton and was open around his neck, exposing partial tattoos on his chest. He showed up with a box of gifts that included wine, an after dinner liqueur, a bouquet of flowers for Allie, and a box of cigars for Virgil.

Before supper we sat on the back porch watching the orange and red blazed sunset that prompted Valentine to wade into a Navy story about chasing a pirate ship down the coast of Mexico. It was an elaborate tale about Mexican pirates and American seamen that provoked Virgil to ask him which boat he was on. He told the story with great fervor, describing the environment — the weather, the ocean, the sailors, the captains, and the deckhands. The yarn had Allie captivated. He went on and on until the adventure led him to a final battle that was explained in dramatic detail, right up to the burning of the pirate ship at a place Allie thought sounded funny.

“Teacup?” she said crinkling her nose.

“No,” Valentine said with a laugh. “Teacap-an. Boca Teacapan. The outlet of the Estero de Teacapán of the lagoons of Agua Grande in Sinaloa and Agua Brava in Nayarit to the Pacific.”

“Well, that just wore me out,” Allie said, fanning herself with a Chinese fan, another of the gifts from Valentine.

“How about some food, Allie?” Virgil said. “I’m sure Val is hungry, aren’t you?”

“I am at your mercy,” he said to Allie. “My cup already runneth over with good fortune.”

“There is no need to get into the details about all that,” Virgil said. “How long before we eat, Allie?”

She smiled sweetly.

“Just a bit, it’s all ready,” she said. “Let me go and get to work on finishing the preparations... won’t be but a few minutes.”

“You need some help, Allie?” I said.

“Oh, no, Everett,” she said. “You boys just stay out here and enjoy yourselves.”

She put her hand on Valentine’s knee.

“I’m sure you and Virgil have a lot to catch up on,” she said. “And we are so glad you are here.”

“Thank you, Allie,” he said.

With a final pat of Valentine’s knee Allie was up and through the back door. Valentine watched after her as she moved off down the hall, then looked to Virgil.

“She’s lovely, Virgil...” he said. “Simply.”

Virgil was quiet for a bit. Then...

“She is,” he said.

Valentine smiled and did not say anything else. He looked off, watching the sunset, and after a moment of extended silence he got out of his chair and walked down the few steps. He walked away from the porch a little. He looked down at the sandy soil with the occasional cluster of short grass. He walked in a circle as he looked down. He kicked at the dirt a bit, thinking, then looked back toward the falling sun with his back to us.

“I am sorry, Virgil,” he said.

He looked over to Virgil. Virgil was looking at him. Valentine looked away, back toward the sunset.

“I regret the day I left you and Mother.”

I looked over at Virgil. He didn’t look at me or say anything. He was looking at Valentine, who was looking away.

“I know I made things hard for her by leaving you two,” Valentine said. “And then getting myself in trouble all the time, doing the things I did, I know... made her... ashamed of me, and that has never settled well with me, Virgil... never.”

He looked back to Virgil. Virgil was looking down now, and he did not look up and meet Valentine’s eyes.

“Not everything I did was ignoble and dishonorable,” Valentine said. “I know it seemed that way.”

Valentine turned and walked back to the porch. He stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at Virgil.

“I missed her... and you, but I knew if I stayed there he would have killed me. I think he saw so much of himself in me that it made him angry. I thought in some way if I was not there, things might be easier for her, and you... most likely I was wrong about that.”

Valentine put a boot on the bottom step.

“I suppose I could have stayed, should have stayed to be there for her, and you. But I would have shot and killed him... And in hindsight that might have been the thing to do, the noble and honorable thing to do.”

Allie lifted up the kitchen window and poked her head out.

“Hey, out there,” she said. “It’s suppertime.”