Marita at Bat

-----

A note of caution. If you are looking for a lot of sexual activity, this rather long story is not the one for you. I recommend you search out one of the many other good stories on this site. Those engaging in sexual activity in this story are well over the age of eighteen. Thank you.

-----

The wails of an infant and the screeching of a toddler pierced my eardrums in early November as I tried to finish my weekly shopping at Miller's Grocery. I heard the frustrated reassurances and pleas from a woman over in the next aisle trying to calm them down, apparently with no success. At the end of my aisle, I turned to go down the next one when I saw them. A pretty Latina was trying to pat a baby's head and control a meltdown from a nice-looking kid in the cart. As I went down the aisle to pick up some cereal, she looked up at me with a combination of embarrassment and exasperation. Knowing she was in the middle of a mini-crisis, I slowed down as I approached, smiled and offered assistance.

"Afternoon. You've got your hands full there.

¿Puedo ayudarle?"

"Oh, no, Sir, I don't need any help. It'll be OK once I get them in the car."

"Are you done shopping or do you have some more...?"

"I still need a few things but Isabella is hungry and Juan is overtired."

"Maybe I can help with him while you take care of her?"

"Oh, nice of you to offer, but, uh, she's still on the breast and I just need to get to the car."

I turned to the boy. "I'm Manny. What's your name?"

"Juan," he sniffled after he quit yelling.

"Is that your dinosaur in the basket there behind you?"

He looked at me with interest before nodding 'yes.'

"How cool is that! He's a T. rex. You know about them?"

A shake of the head was all the answer I got.

"Tell you what, Juan. How about we let your mommy take care of Isabella..."

"Izzy. She's Izzy!"

"OK, how about we let her take care of Izzy and I'll tell you all about the dinosaur?"

A small smile cracked his lips and I turned to the woman. "I'm Manuel Gomez. Nice to meet you. I could sit with Juan while you feed the little one."

"

Yo soy Marita.

Marita Salazar. I really need to get to the car, though."

"How about you sit in the pharmacy waiting area and nurse her there. I'll entertain him until you're done."

"I guess I could do that. I still have a bit more shopping."

We made our way back to the pharmacy, she took a seat in the corner, turned away from me and started to work open her top. I looked away and engaged Juan with a made-up story about Teddy the T. rex and how he was so hungry that he even ate his vegetables when his mommy asked him to. In no time I had him giggling and laughing as I embellished the story with all kinds of ridiculous details.

As I was about out of ideas for the story to continue, I heard a big belch from behind me. I turned around just in time to see the woman switching the baby from one breast to the other. I caught a very quick glimpse of one breast before I glanced away.

Then I heard it; a soft giggle from her. When I looked back at her, she was grinning at me while patting her daughter's head.

"Embarrassed?"

"Uh, no, just didn't want you to think I was perving on you."

"Good grief. Perve away. A worn out and frazzled

madre

like me might like knowing someone enjoys the view."

"What about your, uh,..."

"He's gone, thank God."

"Oh." I paused a few seconds and then offered to help her with the shopping. "I could run around and grab a few things for you, if you'd like."

"Mommy, Mommy, can I go wif him?"

"Honey, I, uh, I'm not so sure..."

I pulled out my wallet and handed it to her. "I'm perfectly safe. There you've got my address, drivers license, credit cards, money, everything. I can take him and get what you need."

"OK, thank you. Uh, Juan, we need some eggs. Take

Señor

Manuel and get six eggs." She turned to me and said just above a whisper, "Just six little ones,

por favor."

I nodded and took Juan's hand and he led me to the dairy aisle. We found the requested half-dozen eggs but on the way back to her I wondered why she didn't get a dozen. They'd be cheaper by about twenty percent each. When we got back to them, Isabella was still latched on.

"Mommy, here are the eggs." He proudly held them up so I took them and placed them in the cart.

"The dozen eggs were a bit cheaper overall," I commented.

"I know, but the budget is kinda tight right now."

"Oh, yeah, got it." And then I suddenly saw the big picture. Juan's clothes were clean but clearly worn and her dress was a bit frayed around the collar and faded. A glance in the cart confirmed all the packages were smaller and either store brand or generic.

"Mommy, what should we get now?"

"You still need some milk." Then to me she added, "Whole milk, one quart, please."

"Sure, coming right up. Captain Juan, lead me to the milk."

Giggling, he pulled in my hand and we went back to the dairy section and pulled out a quart. I was astounded how expensive a quart was and desperately wanted to get at least a half-gallon, but I knew I had to follow orders. Right as we got back, I noted she was looking through her change purse and counting out a few bills. I realized she was worried about the cost of things and was counting pennies.

As she sheepishly put her money away, I came up with a sudden idea: I would help her, somehow. Izzy's feeding was apparently over and she thanked me for helping with her son. I glanced into her cart, memorized a few items and took my wallet back before I headed out shopping myself. I flew around the store grabbing nearly a dozen items which I had seen in her cart as well as two whole chickens and two packages of hamburger meat with some buns. I managed to get into the line two spots ahead of her. When the cashier took my groceries, I bagged the special items separately and quietly leaned over to her.

"Ma'am, the lady behind me, the one with the two kids, I want you to give her these two bags of groceries and put her charge on my credit card."

"I can't hold the charge, Sir."

"Then keep my card and when she checks out, tell her it has been paid for, hand her these two bags and run my card again. I'll come back in ten minutes or so to pick up the card. Please."

"I can do that. It's very kind of you to help her out. Do you know her?"

"I just met her. Nice boy. Clearly she's struggling and I wanted to help her out," I whispered.

As I made my way out the front of the store I glanced back and was met by a wave from Juan. His mother was nervously watching the register and I could tell she was worried about the total. Once in my car I slunk down and watched them as they exited the store. The lady had a stunned look on her face but a spring in her step. She smiled to Juan and loaded the kids in the car before driving away.

I went back into the store and approached the cashier.

"Oh, Sir, you have no idea how happy you made her. She almost refused the groceries and demanded to know who had paid for the food. I pretended I didn't know and said it was an anonymous shopper."

"Thanks. That made my day. I figured she was strapped and a few bucks was not that big of a deal for me."

I was employed in the small high-tech community in Centerton and earned a lot of money from my job. While the city was fairly small, there were lots of outdoor opportunities nearby, including skiing and white-water rafting and, as a result, a slow stream of techies had made their way to the city. Telecommuting made things all the more possible. I enjoyed living there, but unfortunately my job did require more in-person work and I knew I'd probably get my transfer orders fairly soon.

I had forgotten about Marita until a week or so later when I ran across her again at the super market. Juan was quietly sitting in the cart while Izzy was asleep in a backpack kiddy carrier.

"

Tú!"

she said as she pointed to me in the produce section. "I think you owe me an explanation."

"Oh, Hi, Marita. How are you? Hey, Juan, you doing OK, Big Guy?"

He recognized me and smiled and we talked about Teddy the T. rex for a few seconds. Marita was impatiently standing next to me when she exhaled a bit of an exasperated sigh.

"Juan, I think Mommy wants to ask me a question, so hold on a sec. So, Marita," I said as I turned to her, "How can I help?"

"Uh, after we last met I went to pay my bill and I was handed two bags with tons of food and was told 'someone' had already paid my bill. So, was that you?"

"Hey, that's really neat, I'm glad someone was able to help you."

"You're ignoring my question. Did you do it?" She stared at me with determined eyes until I caved.

"Yeah, I may have had something to do with it. Yeah."

She launched herself at me and gave me a huge hug. "You, you big, oh, I don't know. You don't know how much that meant to me. I was completely down to my last few dollars and you, you..." she said as she began to sob into my chest.

"Hey, I was just paying it forward, that's all."

"Roberto, that's my ex, was late with his child support again and I was strapped. You saved me!"

"Glad it worked out. Has he paid up now?"

"Yeah, but every month it seems to get a little later and later. I have to watch every penny."

"Have you talked with someone to try and get him to pay sooner?"

"How can I? I haven't a dime to spare and how could I pay an attorney?"

"Legal Aide, maybe?"

"They are so overwhelmed and since I still get some money, even if it's late, they consider me to be low priority." She paused a few seconds before Juan interrupted.

"Mr. Manuel, will you help us shop today?"

I looked at Marita who nodded 'yes' and I told him I'd be happy to shop with them. We went around the store together and when she'd go to buy a small quantity of something at a higher price, I'd pretend I needed the same thing and got a larger or jumbo size package and promised to split it with her. After we finished shopping, I led the way to the check-out counter and simply added her items to my stack.

"Manny, I need to pay for my portion. Really, I need to."

"Marita, we'll sort it out at the cars, OK?"

Once we pushed our carts out of the store, she led us to a fairly old but clean Subaru with kiddie seats in the rear. I helped load the supplies into the back and once I was done, she turned to me. "Now, let's figure out how much I owe you."

I pretended to look puzzled before I answered, "Uh, I forgot whose was whose, so, let's consider it my week to buy groceries and maybe next week you can pay."

"You rat. Now, seriously, Manny, I owe you for my groceries."

"I know you do, but it is too much of a hassle to figure it out. Let me help. Please."

Tears puddled at the corners of her eyes as she sniffled. "Thank you, Manny. Really."

"

De nada.

"

"Uh, maybe we could invite you over for a home-cooked meal. Would you be interested in sharing Thanksgiving with us?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice. Sure."

Before she gave me her address, she pulled me a bit away from the kids. "I, uh, I know it's holiday season, but I can't offer you anything but some basic food. I don't do turkey and things like that."

"Hey, any food's fine by me. Don't do anything special on my account."

I could tell it was bothering her so I reassured her yet again before she gave me her address. We agreed I'd show up on Thanksgiving around five p.m.

That evening Juan was extraordinarily good and he even bowed his head when Marita offered a brief blessing. Dinner was divine. She was an accomplished cook and made the best Enchiladas Suizas I had ever eaten. I had brought over a bottle of white wine and we had a glass during dinner. Once we were finished, she spent some time putting the kids down for the night while I rinsed the dishes in her tiny kitchen. The apartment was a small two-bedroom unit in a slightly run-down area. She had obviously taken pride in it by decorating it with simple posters and photos. The furniture was worn, but clean, and the couch was covered with a nice throw.

When she returned I offered her a second glass of wine.

"I can't remember when I had such nice wine, and then a second glass!

Gracias.

"

We sat there and shared our life stories. I told her of my work responsibilities and my enjoyment of the outdoors. When asked, I confessed I had no one special in my life.

Her story was grimmer. She had fallen in love in her senior year of high school, gotten pregnant and graduated with a 'baby bump.' Right after that they got married and within two years she was the mother of a second child. Then he took off. It had taken her several months to locate him, arrange for a divorce and to get the court to make sure he helped pay for child support.

"He's pretty good, but it seems he's later and later every month."

"Is he here in Centerton?"

"No, he moved over to Iron Springs and is living with a new woman."

"What about you? Are you working? School?"

"Uh, I am working, but not officially. I need to be there for my kids. I run a tiny, private babysitting service. Don't tell anyone, please. It's strictly illegal. I'm not certified or registered."

"How many kids do you take care of?"

"On a busy day, maybe five, plus my two. Usually, it is three or so."

"So, do you have any dreams, any big plans?"

"I was planning on going to a vet tech program until I got pregnant and married. They've got one at Centerton JC, but I can't afford the cost or the time to go."

"Like animals, huh?"

"

Los amo!

Really. I do! If I could just manage somehow to go to the JC, then I could get a real job. Maybe when the kids are bigger..."

She let that thought hang in the air until I made movement to leave. "Your cooking is great, absolutely great. Thanks for the invite."

"No! Thank you for helping me out at the store. It made a huge difference. When you're living from day to day, well, one bad day and you could find yourself living in a car," she sniffled.

"Hey, hey, I think you got this. I know you're gonna do well, it just might take a little time. Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"No, nothing big. The budget is pretty tight. I'll go to Toys for Tots to get Juan something, but otherwise it will be pretty bleak."

"If I can help any way..."

"No. Manny, you've done more than enough. I can't tell you how thankful I am at what you've done."

"Hey, no biggie. Look, I've gotta go. I've got a big meeting early in the morning. The bosses in New York have scheduled a Zoom meeting for nine their time, not realizing or caring it's six our time. Take it easy, Marita. And thanks again for the invite."

As I stood to go she came up to me and gave me a big hug. She spoke quietly into my chest thanking me again for my help. I broke away once I realized I very much liked feeling her close to me but I knew I couldn't get involved. My job was certainly going to take me away from Centerton pretty soon, that much I was sure of.

I kept thinking about her lack of Christmas decorations and I worried about the kids not having any festivities. One afternoon I swung by the Lions tree lot, purchased a three-foot table top fir with a stand and grabbed some ornaments. I went to a toy store and picked up a box of assorted plastic dinosaurs and a cute little Santa T-shirt. Once I wrapped them up and signed the cards 'from Santa,' I purchased for her a subscription to

Vet-Tech Today

and slipped a note about it inside a Christmas card. Ringing her doorbell was tough holding everything though when she opened the door cautiously and gasped, it was worth it.

"Manny, oh my god! What's this? Are these for us?

Muchas gracias.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Hey, this way the little ones get something for Christmas. And don't forget to contact Toys for Tots. I'm sure you could get an extra thing or two for them there."

After she gave me a big hug, I helped her set up the tree and she promised to hide the gifts until Christmas morning. I wished her a Merry Christmas and went on my way.

I didn't see her again before I got the dreaded call from headquarters. I was being moved to Austin for a three-year stint and after that, who knew? I liked my company and wasn't ready to jump ship, so I agreed to go. Before I left, I contemplated seeing Marita again but decided instead to send her a quick note telling her I was transferred and that I wished her the best.

I kept thinking about her, however, and I decided I wanted to help her somehow. I visited my hiking buddy Fred, who was a lawyer in a small firm in town. When I told him of my plans, he promised to work things out. I made him swear he'd charge me for his professional time and we agreed on a plan. I moved down to Texas a few weeks later.

-----

After three years in Austin, I was moved out to the Bay Area for another three years. I finally had had enough and I told my boss I was tired of moving and that I wanted to go back to Centerton and telecommute for the rest of my career. I knew it would limit my potential income, but I was making way more money than I needed. I was single, had modest tastes and preferred simple housing. My vacations were backpacking trips and other than an occasional fancy bottle of wine, I had no expensive tastes. My retirement fund was growing rapidly, as was my savings account.

I had been back in Centerton for two weeks when, on one December day, I nearly hit a dog on the side of the highway leading out to my new place. I realized as I came upon him, he looked to be hurt. I pulled over and went back to check him out. He was some sort of a mix with what appeared to be a fair amount of Golden Retriever in him. He was limping and shivering but didn't seem hostile so I reached out and gently petted his head. He whined and came up close to me when I realized he had a collar on but there was no name tag or phone number.

I didn't know what to do. He clearly was someone's pet, but I doubted he belonged to anyone in the area. He was so skinny, I wondered if he had been dumped. As I scratched him behind the ears, I knew I'd probably end up taking care of him. I gently picked him up and when I did, he growled softly but let me put him down on the passenger seat. We turned around and went back into town.

The Centerton Animal Hospital was just about to close for the night when I drove up. I was holding the pup in my arms as I approached the door and the gal who was turning the 'open' sign over to 'closed' took one look at us and ushered us in.

"What happened?"

"I was driving home and this little fellow was limping along side of the highway. Seems nice. Hurt when I picked him up."

"Let me get some info from you and I'll get someone in back to look at him."

I filled out the usual paperwork, gave my VISA card info and waited with him in my lap. The door to the exam rooms opened and Marita came out!

"Sir, may I help you?" she asked pleasantly. Apparently she didn't recognize me.

"Yeah, I found the little guy limping along side of the highway outside of town. He growled when I picked him up. I think he's been hit, maybe."

"OK, let me make sure Dr. Townes hasn't left for the night. Can you bring him back in, please?"

We went back to a large exam room and I laid the dog on the table. She did a preliminary exam and told me I could be right, the dog seemed most tender in the pelvic area. Dr. Townes came in and took over with Marita assisting.

"Your dog?" he asked gruffly.

"No, not yet anyway. Found him on the highway."

After a few seconds of looking at the dog, he ordered an x-ray and Marita asked me to step out while she took it. Once I was invited back in, Townes told me the pelvis was cracked but fortunately the legs were good. "Should do OK. We'll keep him tonight, give him some pain meds and fluids. Call tomorrow for an update."