18. The Decision
Darla sipped her coffee perched on the chair in the dining room of the suite. She watched as they scarfed all of their own breakfasts and finished off hers.
Kinley and Jenkins were nestled on the bed surrounded by plates, some empty and some still with a little food left on it. Kinley was wearing an oversized shirt that Darla gave her and a pair of shorts cinched tightly on her waist.
Her black hair fell in waves after a night of sleeping on it wet. The previous night, Kinley had stood in the hot water for forty-five minutes before collapsing on the vacant couch.
Jenkins was wrapped in one of the hotel bathrobes. Only his face and hands were visible among the plush white cotton. Unlike his sister, he was freshly showered. After scarfing down the sandwiches that were delivered after they checked in, he had promptly fallen asleep on one of the couches.
“And then, shortly after we moved in with our uncle, we realized he enjoyed drinking and fighting. He liked to practice his fighting on us when we did anything wrong. So, we tried to stay out of his way.” Kinley recounted their life story with her mouth full of pancakes and syrup.
Darla made a mental note to teach her proper etiquette.
“By the time I was ten, I had dropped out of school and was working part time on a neighbor’s farm and taking care of my uncle’s farm. I had a lot of chores.” Darla watched as the food rolled around in Kinley’s mouth as she spoke. Her stomach churned.
“I did that for two years, and then I got the full-time job at the diner. It was an adjustment since I can’t read or write well.
But I learned a lot from the other waitresses, and sometimes my usuals would bring me easy books that I could use to learn to read.
” Kinley shoved the last bit of pancake into her mouth.
Kinley paused, thinking, chewing.
I can’t imagine the last time they must have had a decent meal, Darla thought as she sipped on her coffee again.
“And now, here we are with you in this fancy hotel in your fancy clothes,” Kinley finished, and Jenkins nodded his head once in agreement with his sister. Then, he flashed a bright smile at Darla. She relaxed her shoulders, glad that Kinley was done talking about their sad backstory.
It is time for us to all look forward to the future. Not back at what happened, but at what can be changed. The future is what we want to make, Darla thought as she looked between the two kids sitting on her king-sized bed.
Their dirty clothes were crumpled up on the floor. Darla decided they would be left behind for the trash pile. New clothes would need to be acquired before resuming their trip.
Once she felt that it was time to do so, Darla rose to her feet to go get herself dressed. There were many miles to cover until their next hotel destination, and she didn’t want to be driving at night again.
“I am going to take you shopping for clothes today. You can’t put that uniform back on, Kinley. Where you go from here, needs to better represent who you are as a person. In the performing arts, even your life is a stage, and everyone but you are in the audience.”
Darla waved her hand with a flourish. “So, you need to always look and feel your best. And Jenkins, I will find something that we can make work until we get you new clothes as well. We might need to wait until we get to Los Angeles.”
“I don’t have any money. I can’t buy anything.
” Kinley crossed her arms. Darla felt her body tense as she fought the urge to be annoyed by the teenage attitude.
It was vital that Kinley continued on this journey with her willingly.
The VanHugh debacle had just about pushed Darla over the edge in her previous switch.
“I know. That is why I am going to be the one to buy. But that also means you have to listen to input that I might give. I know what’s stylish.
I know what will help you stand out and also blend in.
I am going to start coaching you once we hit the road, and by the time we get to Los Angeles, I hope you will be ready to start going out on auditions. ”
Kinley wrinkled her nose as she considered the offer. Darla watched as a progression of emotions played out until a final nod of satisfaction was given. Kinley moved from a seated position to her knees and gathered the plates into a pile.
“Come on, Jenkins. Grab those plates over there and put them here with mine.” Jenkins moved in response to her command.
“Where do I need to take them to get these washed? Should I clean them in the bathroom sink?” Kinley worked to grab anything within reach as she asked the question.
Darla laughed, and she laughed hard. These sweet innocent children were experiencing the life of luxury for the first time, and it made her appreciate her success all that much more.
“What’s so funny?” Kinley kept stacking, urging her brother to do the same.
“Come on, just leave them there. We don’t pick up our dishes in a hotel room.
Someone will come by after we leave and clean all of this up.
” Darla glanced at the clock on the wall and moved toward her suitcase.
“We need to get back on the road, but we need to get you a few outfits first until we can get back to Hollywood and do some real shopping.”
Darla walked over to the telephone on the nightstand and carefully dialed the number for the front desk.
“Good morning. We are ready to check out. Would you please send someone to bring our suitcases down? Thank you so much.”
Jenkins hopped off the bed, and the bathrobe bunched up around his feet. After one step, he fell, landing hard on his hands. Kinley rushed over and helped him upright.
“Is there anything Jenkins can change into before we leave?”
Darla dug around in her neatly-packed suitcase until she found a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top.
The stretchy material looked small, but when worn, it hugged him like a second skin.
In the desk, she found scissors. Darla took a deep breath before cutting the bottom of the pants so that they hit just above his ankles.
“It’s not ideal, but this should work until we can get you some new clothes. Now, let's get going.”
Once in the lobby, Darla dropped off the room key and retrieved the valet ticket from her purse. By the time her car was brought around, the suitcases had arrived.
After a short drive, they found themselves in the bustling downtown area, complete with boutiques with a variety of clothing shops and restaurants. People seemed to be out enjoying the tepid weather. The sky above was overcast and threatening to downpour at any moment.
The trio ducked quickly into a small children’s boutique that boasted in the windows that all the most fashionable children shopped here. It didn’t take Darla much time to put together some stylish outfits for Kinley.
Jenkins clung to his sister’s arm as they weaved through the clothing racks. Despite Kinley being the main focus, Darla managed to find a decent outfit for Jenkins, at least enough to get them to L.A.
Kinley walked out in one of her new outfits, a pair of navy wide leg slacks and a striped white and navy striped button-up shirt with a large collar. Her new shoes clicked against the ground, causing her to walk with her head held high.
She didn’t look fourteen anymore. Suddenly, she looked like she was eighteen.
I’m not sure how I feel about that. But I can deal with that later, Darla mused as Kinley’s shopping bags swung happily, and they made their way back to the car.
Jenkins emerged from the store behind his sister sporting a multicolored horizontal striped shirt tucked into tan bell bottom pants and new sneakers.
His eyes shone brighter in the sun as he followed behind his sister.
Darla marveled at the difference in how the kids acted in the short time she had spent with them.
Sometimes it takes just a small amount of attention and care to make a big impact.
Darla continued to think about how she had to get where she is on her own, well almost on her own. She shook her head, attempting to shake the thoughts away.
I can’t think about those who had to sacrifice their own lives so that I could step into it. They made their decisions, and I had to make the best decision for me.
“We can go over to the deli to grab a few sandwiches to eat on the road. We have a long way to go until our next hotel, and I want to limit the amount of stops we make.” Darla popped open the trunk and moved the suitcases to the back to make room for the shopping bags.
Darla’s heart quickened as she darted inside the bustling deli.
Kinley and Jenkins squeezed in as the door closed behind them.
Their attention was drawn to the glass display of a variety of pastries and desserts.
Her mind bounced between thoughts as she battled with herself to continue with her plan.
This is all part of the plan, Darla, she told herself as she waited in line to order. Whatever the plan looks like, I need them to trust me.
“Three turkey sandwiches, please,” She ordered and paid for their food and looked around for a place to sit. Finally, she found a small wooden table in the corner of the noisy deli, where it was quiet enough for her to think. She took a seat and considered the girl before her.
They locked eyes, and Kinley smiled at her, and then Kinley turned her attention to her brother. He found a stray crayon hidden behind a bottle of ketchup and started drawing on a napkin.
A sweet smile and youth is only going to get her so far, Darla thought.
Beyond getting Kinley the basic necessities, she’d need to coach her and train her so that she’d make her own name in the business.
Jenkins would require some additional thought as he wasn’t supposed to be a part of this plan, but it would be nice to have him around after she made the switch so that she would have someone she could rely on.