Chapter Two
Rory
Friday, April 10
RORY WORKED IN the graduate student workroom with his four colleagues. The team had developed a new method to gather solar energy. They designed it to work with multiple timers in a greenhouse. They discovered a way to increase the capacity of the solar generator, which allowed it to work for weeks without sunlight. This design was the apex of their device. They’d accomplished something no other graduate students had.
The small room held their spare parts, schematics, tools, books, and notes. Rory insisted they kept the space neat and clean. He organized it so everyone could find what they needed.
The adjoining room had a small greenhouse as their test area. They grew a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes and carrots. The team attached a small shed which housed the generator. Solar panels lay between the glass plates to absorb the sunlight.
At thirty-five, Rory was the oldest graduate student in the program. The team invited him out for drinks every Friday, but he didn’t go. He didn’t fit in. They all got along well, and Rory would mess up their dynamic. He needed to keep his work and social life separate.
“I can’t believe we’re almost done with school,” Sophia said. She adjusted the ribbon at the base of her long, black hair.
Sophia was the youngest in the group and the only woman. She’d entered college at sixteen, and at twenty-two, was finishing her graduate program.
“Sophia, if you hadn’t discovered that cross-wiring, we might not have finished in time,” Jeff said.
Jeff was average in every way. He wasn’t tall or short, fat or thin, and could blend into a crowd. He was, however, the most optimistic in the group.
“I’m sure I would have found it eventually,” Nicolas said.
Nicolas was tall and wiry. He groomed his blond hair to perfection and kept his face clean-shaven. Nicolas became frustrated with himself when he didn’t catch an error. He pushed himself harder than anyone else on the team.
“I’m sure you would have.” Jeff smiled and patted Nicolas on the shoulder.
“I agree,” Rory said.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” Davi said. “What we’ve done here.”
Davi was short and stocky with a strong Brazilian accent. His thick body threatened to tear his T-shirt. He kept his shoulder-length brown hair pulled back with a bandana. He was handsome, and Rory wanted nothing more than to emulate him. Davi was confident, attractive, kind, and had his life together. At thirty, he was the closest to Rory’s age.
“How far are you with the slides for our presentation?” Sophia asked Jeff.
“They’re almost ready. I’ll have them done in plenty of time for us to review.”
Jeff spent hours on the slides for the presentation. He’d taken courses in computer programming, which allowed him to make elaborate slides and images for their final project.
“I’ll start creating notecards and get everyone’s part ready after we finalize the slides,” Nicolas said.
As the son of a politician, Nicolas learned to please a crowd. The group elected him to lead the presentation for their final project. Everything they’d worked for was riding on it.
“I’ve checked the battery power, and it’s holding the energy we’ve stored longer than we could’ve imagined. It’s been there for twenty days,” Sophia said.
“That’s perfect,” Davi said. “It means Rory fixed the calibration we struggled with.”
“Great job, Rory,” Jeff said.
“Thank you.” Rory’s cheeks warmed at the compliment. “I couldn’t have done it without Davi’s wiring skills. I’ve never been good with the wiring portion of this project.”
“Give yourself more credit,” Jeff said. “You’ve been a valuable member of the team.”
“Thank you.”
“He’s right,” Sophia said. “You’ve pulled your weight on this project and we’re lucky to have you.”
Rory’s heart soared. Warmth enveloped him as his team complimented his achievements. He was contributing to a major project, and they noticed.
“Well, I say we call it a day. We’ve done so much,” Jeff said.
“Why don’t we go for drinks?” Sophia suggested.
“That sounds great,” Nicolas said.
“A nice Friday night at the club, sipping drinks and dancing. I’m in,” Davi said.
“Thanks, but I’m going to grade some papers and head home,” Rory said.
“That’s right. The department has you teaching two lower-division courses. How is it?” Sophia asked.
“It’s really not bad. It helps me pay for college and live on my own. I’ve started looking for work. Nothing yet, but I’m hopeful,” Rory said.
“I wish you the best,” Jeff said.
“I’d like to move out of my apartment and find a house. It’d be nice to have a yard and a garage to tinker in. I’d like a big kitchen too, so I can bake large cakes.”
They all gaped at him. Rory shifted his feet.
“Why are you staring?” He averted his eyes.
“I think that’s the most you’ve shared since we started the program,” Jeff said.
“I’m sorry I’m not too open. I just…”
“We understand,” Sophia said. “You grade those papers, and we’ll take a rain check. You’ll have to come out with us to celebrate when we finish.”
“It’s a deal.” Rory smiled.
*
RORY STAYED ON the San Jose State College campus until five, then headed back to Gilroy. The half-hour drive was pleasant. He listened to the radio and relaxed.
Rory walked into his apartment.
“Home sweet home.”
A small tabby cat trotted out of the bedroom, stretched, and leaped onto his shoulder from the couch.
“Hi, Mina.” He scratched her chin. “Did you have a good nap?”
Mina purred.
“Such a good girl.”
Mina jumped onto the back of the couch and curled up. Rory put his keys on the hook below the mail-filled slot next to the door.
Rory lived in a two-bedroom apartment alone. He had decorated it to his exact standards. He kept his apartment spotless. Family photos covered the plain white walls. A cross hung over his couch. Paintings handed down to him by his grandmother adorned the other walls. His favorite was a little girl in a field of yellow wildflowers.
His couch cover was a sea blue, matching the rug under his coffee table. A recliner sat next to the couch, the leather pristine. His coffee table held a basket for his remote control and a stack of coasters. In the corner of the room was a TV with a bookcase filled with novels next to it. The dining table had a pure white cover. His bedroom was bare except for his bed and a nightstand for his alarm clock and Bible.
Rory had converted his spare bedroom into a workroom. A computer sat on a desk in the corner with an old chair. In the middle of the room was a table with blueprints, wires, metal pieces, and a toolbox. Everything had a place.
The red light flashed on the answering machine as he walked into the kitchen.
He pushed play. “Hey, Rory, it’s Jo?o Silva. I’m having a barbecue next Saturday and thought you’d like to come. Haven’t seen you in a few years. Hope you’re doing well.”
Jo?o always thinks of me. I think it’ll be nice to finally take him up on his offer.
Rory picked up the phone and called.
“Hello?” Mr. Silva asked.
“Hello, Mr. Silva. It’s Rory.”
“Rory, you’re an adult now. You can call me Jo?o.”
Rory found Portuguese pronunciations difficult but tried his best. Jo?o was a kind man, with a heavy Portuguese accent. He’d moved to the States from the Azores in the fifties.
“Okay, Jo?o.”
“How are you?”
“I’m doing good. I just got your message, and I’d love to come for a barbecue. What time?”
“Oh, great to hear. We’ll be starting at about twelve. If you want to come by early to help, that would be fine too.”
“Great. Do you need me to bring anything?” Rory asked.
“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could you bring some of your pies?”
“Sure, can I use your kitchen?”
“Of course.” There was a pause. “Are you going to bring someone? A girlfriend, or anyone?”
Rory furrowed his brow. He’d never had a girlfriend. He’d been single his entire life. Thirty-five and he had no one.
“No, it’s just going to be me.”
“All right, I’ll put that down for a head count.”
They said their goodbyes, and Rory hung up. He was a little nervous. Mr. Silva had invited him to a barbecue a few times over the past six years, but with work, church activities, and grad school, he didn’t have time to socialize. It’d be nice to get out of the apartment and relax a little.
Rory made dinner. He steamed vegetables and rice, and baked chicken. He poured a glass of Merlot and took his meal into the living room. Mina was still asleep. He turned on the TV.
“Oh, Not Without My Daughter is coming on at six. We made it in time to see it, Mina.” He settled in and watched as Betty, played by Sally Field, realized her husband had no intention of going back to the States from Iran. He cheered Betty on as she planned her escape.
Betty made it over the border and was on her way to freedom.
“Oh, that movie gets me every time.”
Rory carried his dishes to the kitchen. He cleaned them along with the rest of the kitchen. It sparkled by the time he’d finished.
Settling on the couch, he pulled out his knitting set. He’d just got into a nice pace when the phone rang.
He sighed and put the knitting to the side to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Rory.” His mother’s voice came through.
“Hello, Mother,” he said.
“How are you doing, dear?”
“I’m doing okay. How is everything at home?”
“Oh, everything is fine. I just wanted to check on you.”
“Thank you.”
“So, how’s the new diet? Have you lost weight?”
Rory groaned. They attended two services a week together, and he ate lunch with her and his father every Sunday. She still brought up his weight every week. He’d been the same size since he was twenty-five. Six feet and three hundred pounds. He wished she’d leave his weight alone. He loved himself at this size. No one would make him ashamed of his body, which included his mother. He wanted to tell her to stop but decided against it.
“No, I haven’t lost any weight since last month.”
“Hmm,” she said. “Well, I’m sure you’re trying.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“So, how’s school going? Are you done yet?”
Another thing his mother brought up. She believed he should have finished his degree within eight years of starting. It took Rory twelve years to complete his bachelor’s and master’s. His parents gave him enough for full-time tuition, but he wanted to live alone. He used the rest to rent his apartment.
“I finish in May,” he said.
“Oh, finally. Now you can get a proper job,” she said. “Well, I’m glad we could catch up. I’ll see you at the service tomorrow night.”
He had a proper job. He taught two classes at the college. It wasn’t extravagant money, but it paid the bills. It was work he enjoyed.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good night.” She hung up before he could say he loved her.
Rory sat on his couch, knitting a sweater for his niece. She loved lavender, and she’d love anything her Uncle Roro made for her.
He left the TV on the American Movie Classics channel while he worked. The background noise helped him focus.
An hour had passed when Rory warmed up one of his brownies. He put a scoop of ice cream on top and took it into the living room.
His mother’s voice interrupted him. Is this really the way to lose weight? You’ll never find a nice girl looking like this.
He turned on Jeopardy and ate his brownie.
Is my mother right? Am I going to be alone if I don’t lose weight?
He cleaned up his dish and headed to the bedroom, Mina trailing behind.
Rory dressed in his pajamas and lay in bed. Mina found her way to the open area between his legs and curled up. Rory grabbed his Bible and read passages for thirty minutes. Same as every night.
Once he finished, he held the Bible to his heart and said his evening prayer.
I don’t know where my life is going. How do I become the son my mother wants? How do I make her proud?