The Government Contractor Who Came to Tea
Or, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, (Plural) Marriage
I never regretted that one afternoon of passion with Mimi Clark. Not even when I found that notebook, years later, decoded it, and discovered her true reason for keeping me away from the barn. So, she wasn't passionate about me, she was passionate about her mission. A lone wolf like me can understand that kind of thing. And I wouldn't be the only one Mimi would go to great lengths to keep out of the Richmonds' barn. Most people instinctively figured out that it was in their own best interest to stay away, but there will always be those who snoop where they shouldn't be snooping.
Trish Merrick was a fresh faced kid when she came to Jericho. She had a job title, a cause, and a bunch of dreams about helping to fix the mess her country had become a few short months earlier. Eager to serve the greater good, she attacked each of the tasks assigned her with gusto, even when they were such thankless jobs as filing tax forms for reluctant landowners or processing medical clinic orders. It was with this same due diligence that Trish set out for the Richmond farm, armed with old records and new policies, all on J&R issued letterhead.
The facts of the case were simple, or so she had been briefed. A family farmer owing thousands to the government in back taxes, freedom from prosecution to be promised in exchange for compliance with a few inconsequential conditions, a friendly overture from a new kind of national leader. Trish knew nothing of any deeper implications behind John Goetz's instructions, nor did she recognize the knowing look he would get as she repeated the information back to him, confirming it herself. She truly thought, when she stepped out of her car, that she was about to perform a service for the Richmond family.
She had been grinning when Mimi Clark first met her halfway between the barn and the house, but at Mimi's curt greeting, Trish felt a slightly less giddy surge of apprehension, for reasons unknown to her. She explained quite brightly the purposes of her visit. Mimi kept her arms folded throughout, nodding at opportune moments, fixing Trish with a penetrating stare that would have stopped less perky relief workers dead in their tracks. As it was, Trish felt slightly less confident as she finished explaining that she would need to inspect the property and take inventory of its contents. As she glanced pointedly at the barn, she thought she saw a dark look steal over the taller woman's face, but the next thing she knew, Mimi was smiling at her.
"Trish. Does J&R really need to waste their time bothering with farms in the middle of nowhere?" Her tone of voice and expression reminded Trish of an indulgent adult asking a child to explain a finger painting.
"J&R values a thorough approach," said Trish confidently, though she was losing confidence in her new position every day. "All claims must be investigated."
"Investigated?" asked Mimi with a light chuckle. "Now why would you want to take time investigating a decent, hard-working farmer like my Stanley when there are a bunch of polygamists flaunting their lifestyle, just on the other side of town, at this very moment?"
"Polygamists?" asked Trish. The information was new to her.
"Sister wives, one husband to share amongst them. They've got a commune and everything. I'm sure they cheat on their taxes, and they've got the mayor in their pocket, somehow." Mimi gave a strange laugh, uncrossing her arms. "And you want to investigate a law abiding farmer, when there are illegal plural marriages corrupting our new country right under your nose."
Trish assured her that she did not indeed want to aid in the spread of a corrupting influence like plural marriage. She promised to look into it, and hastily retreated to her car.
She made a quick investigation in town before she went out to the Green commune herself. Having never encountered polygamy before, she wanted to be certain of what she was getting herself into. She was surprised to learn that the polygamists in question were not only tolerated in Jericho, but it seemed they were well liked. Many people raved about the alcohol available for purchase there, or the superior medical treatment you just couldn't get from a drunken plastic surgeon operating out of a former internet cafe. Many were protective of the Greens, though most laughed when they heard that Trish planned on going out there to confront Eric Green.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Eric," they had chortled. "It's the wives you've got to watch out for."
Trish gathered a similar response from so many people, she was indeed slightly nervous when she first pulled up to the Green commune and stepped out of the car. Steeling herself as she looked around, she felt temporarily relieved that no wives seemed to be around. She could see a man walking around the property, pushing a baby stroller, his beard glinting red in the sunlight. Eric Green, she decided. He matched all the descriptions she'd been given. Reminding herself of her dedication to the cause, Trish took a deep breath and approached him.
"Eric Green?" she asked when she was a few feet away and he looked over at her. He nodded and looked at her questioningly.
"Trish Merrick," she replied automatically reaching out a hand, which he reluctantly shook. "And who's that?" she asked, pointing at the baby in the stroller, sleeping despite the sunlight streaming over her tiny features.
"Ruby," he beamed.
"She's beautiful," said Trish.
"She's got her mother's hair," he said with a grin.
"You're very lucky," said Trish.
"We just found out we have another on the way," said Eric. "They think it'll be a girl too. They guessed Ruby right. Mom thought she'd be a boy. She's deferring to their judgment this time."
Trish giggled and continued to converse with Eric. The more she talked with him, the more she realized that he was not an awful, brainwashed dictator, nor a manipulative self-proclaiming prophet. He was an ordinary guy, raising a family and trying to make things go together. He had such a nice smile, she couldn't help but think, and her heart positively melted as he leaned over his baby, tickling her toes. She tried to remember, for a moment, why she had been so nervous to come out here.
It's the wives you've got to watch out for.
Trish looked up at the house, and as if on cue, she noticed two pairs of eyes watching out the window. She glanced back at Eric, who made no notice, as he was telling a funny story.
"So I told the girls to stay inside and I'd go scare away the ghost, or the escaped criminal or whatever, but Mary came too, said she'd back me up, and we went outside. Turns out it was just a cat that got stuck under the old wash tub out here. Mary laughed so hard when she told April and the baby later, apparently I had a look on my face. I guess she tells it better than I do. Mary's a really good story teller."
"Uh huh," said Trish distractedly, for the faces had disappeared from the window. She wondered where they were.
"She'd say, it's a good thing April was busy with the baby, or she might have tried to go out and adopt that cat too. April always wants to save every stray, even the animals," he chuckled. "I think if she wasn't busy saving all the people who come out here, she'd have a whole menagerie of rescued animals. I guess maybe that'll be her next expansion to the business."
"Yeah," said Trish faintly, for the front door had opened, and the wives were standing in the doorway, both staring directly at her.
Ruby interrupted her father's story, letting out a cry. "I guess we'd better get back to our walk," said Eric. "If you need anything, you can go on up to the house. My wives'll take care of you."
Trish tried to smile at that, but his words left her feeling unnerved. As she assured him that it had been nice to meet him, grinned at the baby once more, and watched them go, she forced herself to turn back to the house. She felt a jolt.
The redhead and the brunette had linked arms and were walking towards her, their strides matched. Trish took a deep breath. She had traveled through dangerous zones, left behind comfort and safety to work where she was really needed, and she had done it all knowing she would have to be brave. And what were two small town women compared with the soldiers, survivalists, and mercenaries she'd run across? Especially small town women who were, by most accounts, good health care providers and funny storytellers? None-the-less, as she watched them approach, Trish found herself quaking in her J&R issued tennis shoes.
When they reached her, Trish barely trusted herself to speak. "Mrs. Green?" she squeaked out, not certain which of them she was addressing.
"I'm Mary," said the brunette, reaching out her hand. Trish very reluctantly shook it.
"And it's Dr. Green, but you can call me April," said the redhead, also offering a hand.
They both smiled at her, but Trish was once again filled with apprehension. "I - well, I came out here to speak with your husband, well, with all of you, about -"
"We did see you speaking with him," said April calmly.
"Well, naturally, when I first heard about -" Trish faltered.
"Would you like to come inside?" asked Mary. She motioned to the house.
Trish did not want to follow them inside, but they were both being so friendly, so polite, she felt she couldn't refuse. She joined them as they walked back over to the house, and followed them through the door, looking around the entire time, suddenly insatiably curious as to how a polygamist's home would differ from others. It didn't seem out of the ordinary, once they stepped inside the living room. In fact, it was especially homey.
Mary breezed past them and into the kitchen as April offered Trish a seat on the couch. "I - uh- like what you've done with the place," she said, sinking into the surprisingly comfortable couch. April smiled and gave a nod of thanks.
"She's a decorating genius," said Mary as she came back into the room with a tray. "She picked out all the colours."
Trish made a show of looking around and admiring them. April and Mary both seated themselves in the chairs opposite the couch. "Tea?" Mary asked, placing a cup in front of their guest. "We can offer you some of our home brew too if you'd like. We just can't have any. I'm pregnant."
Trish accepted the cup of tea and nodded. "Right, your husband told me. Your first?"
Mary and April both smiled. "My first, but our second," Mary answered. "I think you met Ruby?"
Trish nodded as she sipped her tea. "Yes. She's beautiful."
April and Mary both smiled again. "We think this one's a girl too," said April.
"Medical instinct?" asked Trish.
April laughed. "I guess. There's no real way to know, of course, but doesn't she just look like she's carrying a girl?"
Trish didn't really think so, considering Mary was barely showing, but she thought it best to agree under the circumstances.
"Eric's dad, you know," continued April. "He wished for granddaughters. We think he might be getting his wish, two times."
Both women now had solemn looks on their faces. Trish remembered now, what she had been briefed about when she first arrived in town. She hadn't connected the polygamists to the Mayor Green who had been killed, but now she understood. "I'm so sorry," she said, leaning forward and trying to impress upon her hosts the earnestness of her words. "About your...father-in-law."
April and Mary nodded, reaching for their own teacups. "Thank you," said April.
"It's been hard," acknowledged Mary. "Hardest on him really." They were both silent for a second, and Trish contemplated the man she'd met outside with the nice smile.
April cleared her throat finally, and leaned forward. "So Trish. Tell us about yourself."
Trish was slightly taken aback, but as they continued to sip tea, offer her cookies, and smile kindly, she found herself surprisingly at ease. She launched into her story: her childhood as an army brat, her father's death when she was twelve, her brief stint at a performing arts high school, her decision to major in social science, and her later decision to major in political science. Her internship in Bangladesh, the live-in boyfriend who broke her heart at age twenty-four, the interview for the dream job that she'd bombed, and then her subsequent employment at J&R. How it had changed from something to do while she figured out her next move to her reason for being after the bombs. April and Mary listened carefully and sympathetically, laughing at the funny parts, sighing over the setbacks, tearing up at the tragedies, and interjecting questions about Trish's family history, spiritual beliefs, child-rearing philosophies, and politics. Once she had finished, and they had gone through a pot of herbal tea, they cut to the chase.
"We asked you to come in because we saw you with Eric," said April. "And we think he likes you."
Trish wasn't sure what to say. Before she could muster an answer, Mary asked her pointedly, "Do you like him?"
Trish blinked. How did one answer that question when asked by a man's two wives? "You can tell us if you do. We've both been there," said April with a chuckle. For the first time since the conversation had gotten so awkward, Trish let herself laugh a little too.
"The point is, Trish, we like you," said Mary. April nodded in agreement. "So would you like to know what we're proposing?"
Trish slowly nodded, and leaned forward in her seat.
When Eric came inside a half an hour later, holding Ruby against his shoulder, he was surprised to see April, Mary, and Trish seated around the coffee table, pouring over a big piece of paper, talking and laughing amongst themselves like old friends.
"Oh, Eric! Come on in!" called Mary when she saw him. They all looked over at him, knowing grins on their faces, as he made his way across the living room. He wondered if he should be feeling nervous.
"Have a seat! We have something we'd like to discuss with you," said April, taking Ruby from him and smiling.
Eric took a seat. They were all smiling at him, and he looked from one to another, wondering who would speak first. Finally, he said, "So what's the news? You're not having twins, are you?" he directed at Mary. The last time they'd sat him down, it was to tell him he'd be a father again.
"No, she's not," laughed April. "But how would you like to have a third wife?"
He looked from her to Mary to Trish, who smiled shyly. "Third wife?" he repeated slowly.
"We've been discussing it, and we think she'd make a great addition," said Mary.
"We could do with someone to help out around here, since we've got so much to do, what with my patients and Mary's customers, and you're busy these days looking after Ruby, and with the baby on the way, you don't have as much time to go gathering herbs in the woods anymore, so we'll need some help. Plus it would be nice, to have her around. She's great!" April smiled kindly at Trish.
"She is. And Eric, we're pretty sure you'll feel the same way," said Mary with a grin.
Eric smiled too, looking around at them. He really was lucky, the thought to himself, and he had a feeling he wouldn't have much say in the matter anyway, so he may as well just accept everything life was offering him. "I think so too," he said, offering Trish a grin.
Trish adjusted well to her new life, and before long, became as part of the commune, and of Jericho, as any native townsperson. By the time Jake Green came to visit the commune clinic, on the six month anniversary of his mother's marriage, it was as though she'd always been there.
"Reason for your visit?" she asked, barely looking up from her desk in the waiting room. "Medical or retail?" She was rocking Violet's cradle with her foot, and trying to keep an eye on Ruby, who was toddling around under her desk.
"Personal," said Jake.
Trish looked up at her brother-in-law. "Oh, hi Jake. How are you?"
"Fine. Look, I came to see -"
"I'm sorry, Jake, she doesn't want to see you." Trish stopped what she was doing, and looked up at him sympathetically.
Jake said nothing, and set his face in a stony expression.
"Would you like to stay for lunch? Eric's out gathering winterberries, but April and Mary'll be taking a break soon."
He shook his head. "Nah, I should get back to work. Tell her I stopped in again, okay?"
Trish nodded, looking down quickly. "Ruby, where did you get that?" She grabbed the broken cellphone from the toddler's hands. "Kids are so weird," she chuckled.
"Yeah," said Jake, who had been walking away, but stopped to watch his nieces. "How are they? The babies?"
"They're great. Almost ready to go home," said Trish carefully.
Jake nodded. "Well, say hi for me. To everyone."
With that, he trudged out of the clinic, muttering to himself about getting back to work and life turning out all wrong.
"Gentle with the baby, Ruby," cautioned Trish, looking back to watch her brother-in-law go, feeling guilty that she couldn't commiserate with his world view. Her life had turned out strangely, but it wasn't all wrong at all.
Our title comes from the old counting game used by young girls to evalute potential future boyfriends. It was also used as a book title by Alice Munro (Though hers did not include the 'plural' addition).