It was the weekend and Mangino had earned a break from the hustle and bustle of work.
She and Wesley were driving along Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach. Wesley was eating a double double from In N Out Burger. He had an eye patch on still and had some double vision but not pain. He didn’t need his meds.
“This is really good,” he said.
“I told you California has some great restaurants. This was my favorite place to eat when I was growing up. Look, over here.” Mangino pointed to a small, single story white home that had a small sitting area in front of it.
Wesley was focused on his burger and an occasional tan, attractive teenage girl when he spoke, “I don’t understand. We just moved here. Why are we renting a house just 30 minutes from our house? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Wesley, it’s the only way to relax at the beach for a couple of days. We can come and go as we please. There are plenty of great restaurants around here. We’ll have fun. I promise you. Besides, this is the house me and my family used to stay at each summer when I was growing up. I have a lot of…..,” Mangino gulped. “I have a lot of memories here, so please try to indulge me.”
After she backed into a tight parking space, they got out. “Here, you take the keys and go inside, and I’ll get the bags.”
After getting the bags, Mangino walked in. “The layout is exactly like I remember it.”
There was a small eating area to the immediate left, with the kitchen about 10 or 11 o’clock. The cozy living area was just to the right.
“It’s really small.”
“Wesley, it’s the beach. We are going to spend very little time in here. We’ll go to the beach and walk around to the stores, and eat at the restaurants. Your room is the first room on the right. Take your bags in there.
Mangino followed him. After he turned right into the bedroom, she stopped and looked straight ahead. It was the bathroom. She slowly walked toward it. She stopped just shy of the door. She gasped for air and held back a tear.
“Kate dammit! What have you done! You’re irresponsible! You’re a killer!”
“Daddy, no I’m not! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”
Wesley walked out of his room. “Are we going to get me….a bathing suit?”
Kate blinked a few times and then turned around. “Sure, let’s go. The stores are only three blocks away.” Kate and Wesley spent about 30 minutes finding him a bathing suit. After they got back to the house, she took him to the backyard where the surfboard and boogie board were.
“This is cool. Can I take it to the beach now?”
“Wesley, why don’t you start with the body board. You’ll get some valuable experience.”
“Alright. Tomorrow, I’ll go surfing.”
“I’m going to go in and rest while you go to the beach.”
Kate walked into the house as Wesley was excitedly going to the beach. After she took 2 tylenols, and washed them down, she laid on her bed. She was lying there rubbing her temple.
As her eyes closed, she heard her father speak. “Kate!” he yelled.
Her eyes opened widely. She kept her head straight, looking up directly at the ceiling while her eyes shifted left waiting for the door to open. It didn’t. She realized she must had been dreaming. As she regained her calmness, she slid back into a dreamy state.
“Kate! Kate! What have you done?”
“I didn’t do anything?”
“Your brother is dead in the bathtub!”
A 13 year old Kate watched as the paramedics were carrying her brother out in a body bag.
“I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!”
“You were supposed to watch him while he took a bath! I explicitly told you so!”
“I told him you wanted him to take a bath. He said no.”
“So what happened?”
“I don’t know. We were watching television and I got tired. I went to bed.”
“You were supposed to take care of him!”
“I did. He said he didn’t want a bath.”
“I’m so ashamed of you right now.”
“Daddy!”
Kate’s mom just stood in the background. She never interrupted. She never defended Kate. She just stood there with tears in her eyes.
“Daddy I’m sorry! Daddy, I’m sorry! Daddy!! I’m sorry!”
Kate’s eyes opened. They were full of tears. The pain from that day was just as strong as it was back then. As she got out of bed, she heard the door open into the living room.
“Mom!” Wesley yelled.
She wiped the tears away, got up, and yelled back, “Coming!”
After she looked at herself in the mirror and made sure she was presentable, she walked out of the bedroom.
Wesley spoke, “I had a blast! I can’t wait to go surfing tomorrow.” Kate listened for a few minutes.
“Wesley, you’re filthy. I want you to go to the bath now.”
“Yeah, I could use a shower,” Wesley said as he walked toward the bathroom. Kate followed.
“No, I want you to take a bath.”
“I’m too old to take a bath,” Wesley said, acting like his mom’s request was ridiculous.
“Wesley, do what I say. The landlord told me there was a leak from the shower. You have to take a bath!”
Wesley rolled his eyes, “There’s a leak?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to take a bath. I’ll just wait until we get home.”
“You can’t. You’re filthy. Now go in there now.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
Wesley gathered some clothes from the suitcase in his room. As Kate heard him turn on the bathwater, she curled up in her bed. “I’m not bad, Daddy. I’m a good mother. I’m a good mother.” She laid there wide awake, adrenaline rushing through her veins.
She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom door. “Wesley, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” he said, annoyed.
“I’m going to crack the door,” as she said this, she opened it a little.
“Mom, get out.”
“I just want to leave it open a little, Wesley.”
“Fine, but get out.”
Kate left and went back to her room and curled up on the bed again. “I’m not a bad person. I’m a good person.” After 10 minutes, she heard Wesley leave the bathroom. The sounds from the water gurgling down the drain were music to her ears. “See daddy, I’m responsible. I’m a good girl. I’m a good mother.”
In the middle of the night, Wesley heard his mother burst into his room.
“Wesley, let's go.”
“Mom, it’s 4 in the morning.”
“I know. I don’t want to be here. This was a bad idea. Now pack your things and let’s go.” By 4:10 they were in Kate’s car, heading back to their home. Wesley fell back asleep, and Kate just stared out into the darkness, the headlights from a few passing cars the only lights.