CHAPTER 1
Seated at the breakfast table, hidden from his wife Janis behind a rustling newspaper, Claude Jones said grumpily, "What time did the little bitch get home this morning? She's becoming later and later."
A car door slammed and drunken voices shouted, "Goodbye Nikita." A screech of burning rubber indicated a nutter drove the vehicle.
"Here she is now Janis said brightly as the hall clock struck 8:00.
Claude groaned "Holy fuck!" and the backdoor slammed shut and their bright-faced blonde daughter entered with a cross crookedly painted in purple lipstick on her forehead. She smiled and cooed, "Hi guys... are you still up?"
"What day is it?" Claude roared.
Nikita's forehead wrinkled. "Fuck dad, start me off with an easier question like who am I?"
Another roar from Claude followed, this time insisting his wayward daughter not use such disgusting language in front of her mother.
"What's wrong with the word 'question'?" Nikita giggled between hiccups.
Janis said, "Shut up Claude, can't you see attempted conversation is useless?" She took Nikita to the shower and pushed her in and told her daughter to remove her clothing after all traces of food, smoke and sex had been removed.
When Nikita undressed her mom said, sounding bewildered, "God, how many times did you have sex? You body is covered in scratches and welts."
The twenty-four year old said, "I lost count mom, but does it matter? I don't love any of the guys or girlfriends."
"Girlfriends, you have sex with females? Oh god Nikita, you are doomed."
After putting the delinquent younger child to bed Janis marched out and snatched the newspaper away from her husband. "Claude, we must talk."
Nikita came down at 6.45 that evening, smiling and beautifully groomed, acting the role of dutiful daughter. She kissed her apparently happy parents and made them drinks and then set the table for dinner and told her mom to sit, that she would check the meat and if ready remove it from the roasting vegetables to rest. She continued on and served dinner and had opened her father's favorite red wine.
Conversation was light and non-combative. No mention was made of Nikita's arrival home that morning until dinner finished. As Nikita rose to clear away her mom said sternly, "Sit down Nikita."
Nikita thought oh god, they want her to watch TV with them.
"You father and I have been talking," Janis began ominously.
"Oh-oh. Pour me more wine dad."
"No," said Janis but was ignored. She attempted to grab the glass from Claude but he reacted too quickly and poured more wine for his daughter. Enraged, Janis jettisoned the preliminary talk and dove straight into it.
"Your father and I want you to leave home, leave town and leave this county. Since you graduated you have left five jobs and have been without work for five months and fallen into the company of undesirable people."
"I don't call your friends undesirable mother; I just keep my mind neutral."
"Shut up. Do you hear? Shut up."
That venomous retort jolted father and daughter, being so un-Janis like. Nikita shifted her chair closer to her father. They waited in silence for Janis to continue.
"I went through hell giving birth to you compared with Jack although he was a pound heavier. I nursed you through your childhood troubles and in the main accepted as being treated like shit during your early teens and then being virtually ignored during your late teens and your interest in me resumed when you began building your wardrobe to go to college and wanted extra financial support. Well I won't standby and watch you spiral into the den of iniquity."
"Into what?"
"Shut up I said! Nikita Jones, you are fast becoming a loser. You father and I have discussed this. We want you out of here and away from us. We have decided to place $50,000 in your bank account but with the warning it will be a waste of breath asking for any more money. Now please plan your departure."
"Daddy?"
"I'm sorry dear. Our agreement was I'd let Janis do the talking. Do you have anything to say?"
"Well yes. I suppose I should have seen this coming. But mother, I congratulate you on a stunning performance. I'd mistakenly considered you lacked courage. I am sorry to have been so wrong and I apologize. You acted beyond belief but what a time for me to bring out the bitch in you."
Janis burst into tears and began running from the room but halted at the door when Nikita shouted, "Mother stop! I have a question."
"Yes?" Janis said, wiping her eyes on a sleeve.
"What's the bottom line?"
"You may return in three years from today as a loser and I'll spend the rest of my life looking after you. But please, oh please Nikita, return sooner if you find your are making a success of your life."
"Thank you mother. Understood."
Claude returned with another bottle of wine. "This is not a great time for the three of us; it's going to be very traumatic for your mother. I'll suffer for weeks if not months."
"Poor you. Now don't continue being a lazy asshole around the house as mom has become used to me helping out. I want a commitment from you dad."
"Oh all right and if I'm not doing things good enough for her or not doing enough I'll hire part-time help."
"That's my boy. Why $50,000 and not $5000 or $10,000?"
"I had suggested ten grand but your mother said no, fifty. I asked why and she said it would be enough to buy a stake in a business if your mind turned in that direction and you saw the opportunity. I had to agree with that."
"Me becoming involved in business ownership? Are you kidding?"
"You have a master's in business administration."
"Yes I took that direction because Macy and Susanne did and because I failed to get into music."
"Whatever, the time has come for you to make a career decision my darling; it's your choice: the choice between becoming a bum or pushing into a career. Get some good experience under your belt and you can return home and work for me."
"I could do that now."
"Sorry darling, but I wouldn't consider engaging anyone with your lack of experience and pitiful attitudes and lax behavior. Cheers, this is good wine."
"You're a fucking tough ass dad. I have to concede that will be one reason why you are so successful in business. Finish your glass and go to mum. She'll need comforting."
"Some things you are very good at," grinned her father, finishing his glass and kissing her. "Just remember, whatever happens you will remain our daughter and will always be welcomed back here. Just don't rush to come back."
Janis padded out to the kitchen next morning for her glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon. Her scream brought Claude rushing out, his spent dick only just used, swinging.
"She's gone," Janis sobbed. She didn't kiss us goodbye.
Claude remembered the kiss last night; it had been a mite longer than usual and yes, Nikita had also hugged him. Christ, she'd been saying goodbye. He read the note Janis had thrust at him, her hand shaking.
'Goodbye mom. Thanks for everything. I leave you my high school graduation ring you gave me. It's the first time I've had it off my finger since that afternoon you cried as you gave it to me. Keep it safe. I'll be back for it when I believe I deserve to wear it again. Your loving daughter Nikita. Kisses to you both. I'm picking this trauma will make you guys a closer couple. Bye dad you lovely man.'
"This ring was my grandmother's. I believe it was Nikita's prized possession."
Claude almost whispered, "Well she doesn't possess it now and right now she's homeless."
"Oh god, what have we done?"
"The right thing. Now stop your crying and get my breakfast."
Janis sniffed. "Well you get that bared thing out of my kitchen."
Claude walked off grinning and called he'd make the bed. His wife heard that in disbelief.
* * *
At 6:00 am Nikita boarded a bus in Indianapolis and later that day, after bus changes, crossed the second state line and considered she was sufficiently distanced from her parents to settle. She left the bus at a city of 54,000 people and checked in her three travel bags, being told the office closed at 8:00 pm. After eating Nikita purchased the morning newspaper and went into a bar to settle in and look for a job. She'd circled four prospects and was folding the newspaper when a freckled faced guy wearing glasses said, "Find what you were looking for?"
"Who knows? I guess I'll find out after making some calls."
"Agencies?"
"Yes."
"You must be aiming high. I'm Alec."
"Hi, Nikita."
He grinned and said that sounded like the name of a Russia princess.
"So I've been told before. Mom late in pregnancy was reading a novel and the heroine called Nikita and the name stuck and I ended up with it."
"You could have shortened it to Mary."
"Yeah but who wants to be called Mary apart from women called Mary?"
Alec laughed and asked, "Are you new in Owensboro City?"
"Not all that new. I arrived almost two hours ago."
He laughed. "Where are you staying?"
"Undecided."
"Come home with me."
"No thank you."
"Mom runs a rooming house. When I left this morning one of the girls was moving out."
"All right. Give her a call."
Alec's mom Mrs Olsen greeted Nikita warmly and the inspection revealed a fairly large and well-lit room with French doors opening to the lawn. The thing that caught Nikita's attention was Agnes Olsen was clean and tidy as were the room and other parts of the house she'd seen. The rental seemed fair so Nikita took the room for the minimum term of one month.
"I serve dinner at 6:00. There are four other young women and we eat with my husband Hank and son Alec."
The other females ranged in age from early twenties to early thirties and were quick to establish with the newcomer what little commonality there was between them. They were from rural areas and went home at the weekend, the closest being forty miles away. None had ever been more than 500 miles away from home and were astonished to find Nikita had been to New York, Chicago and Miami, Rome, Paris and Berlin with her parents.
"I might be able to get you a desk in our word processing pool."
"Oh thank you Carole but I'm thinking a position in middle management would be more appropriate. I have a master's in business administration."
Everyone gaped.
"None of us went to college," Cynthia volunteered.
"What does your education entitle you to do?" Hank asked.
