Luckiest Man In The World - 8. Bringing Home Lola

The situation with Lola was eye-opening for me. She and Aunt Pearl were almost the same age. I was feeling encouraged that Lola was going to have to agree to come to live with Rain and me. Lola would not be alone now and she and Pearl hopefully would get along. Rain spent as much time with Lola as he could. I did, too, but he was her grandchild! There were concerns about overtaxing her. I spoke with her doctor to make plans for her transport to Charleston. There were planes that could be used to do that, but the doctor was concerned about the cabin pressure and travel so long to get her there. We also needed to arrange for the doctors at the Medical University in Charleston to be aware and ready for her arrival.

I had called Kyle as we flew to the airport on John’s Island what had happened and why I was going. I called Tom to let him know why I would be gone for a while. Tom was a damned good manager and I had really nowhere near the experience or time with hotels. I was the owner, but he was the boss. I knew that. I even made a point to myself that he would get a raise. I had raised his salary when I bought the place from Aaron Winehause to prove to Tom I had every confidence in his ability to run the hotel and do a wonderful job. His tough no-nonsense approach to the staff was a little hard to take for some, but he got efficient and positive results. The hotel was beginning to show its potential to make a profit…for me. Of course, it was. I bought the hotel outright. I had no illusions about who knew who was more qualified to do the job. That was Tom, not me. The large sums of money I had invested in the hotel, the house…and let’s be honest. What money was given? I bought the hotel outright. It wasn’t financed and I paid for the renovations. Same with the house. I didn’t even buy Bonnie Glenn! It was just…well, it was still in Pearl O’Grady’s name, but my name had been added to the deed and I was named in the will of Pearl that I would get it. The biggest investment was the hotel. I bailed out Mark and invested in his family’s company. I could make mistakes. I did with Susan! Having won the money didn’t win me more wisdom. I needed to be careful.

During the time that Rain was visiting with Lola, I had a lot of time to think. I knew not to give in to the hype surrounding me. Was I the luckiest man in the world? I reviewed the past year and a half. I won money, I met Rain in club in Las Vegas by chance. We, the Powerball and I, hadn’t planned to go there. I decided that…I meet a man that…I admit, I hadn’t expected to, who would become more important to me than anyone…even Kyle. Things were going very, very damned well for me. I kept telling myself to keep my head and not rest in the thought that I deserved it. I didn’t.

I was in a private waiting area in the hospital. There were two additional men here now in charge of my security. I felt sorry that they had to wait for us. One sat with me, while the other was with Rain waiting outside Lola’s hospital room. I couldn’t just go get a cup of coffee or wander around. People recognized Rain and me now. Our lives had really changed.

It was evening and I was bored with the stupid magazines always left in hospital waiting areas. I had a tablet with both Internet, TV, games and access to a library of books to read, but I didn’t have the interest right now. I heard the door open as one of the two guards let Rain in the room.

“How is she?” I asked Rain who sat down letting a slow breath out wearily next to me, throwing his arm around me.

Rain grimaced putting his head against mine. “She’s tired.” He said sadly. “In many ways, it’s almost like she’s giving up.” He shook his head. “She’s not the Lola I grew up with.”

“She isn’t.” I agreed. “But she’s still Lola. The woman that raised you. For her to survive, she will have to come with us. It will be an adjustment for her.” I put my hand on his knee. “She’ll get the best care.”

Rain nodded and smiled at me. “I know she will.” He leaned in kissing me gently. “Thanks.”

“She’s family, Rain,” I said simply. “People like Kyle, Aunt Pearl, you…you’re all family. If something needs to be done. We’ll do it. No thanks are needed. It just will.”

“Yeah.” Rain stretched and rubbed his stomach. “I’m hungry.”

“We can go to the cafeteria.”

Rain shook his head. “It’s after visiting hours and Lola’s asleep.” He stood up and reached for my hand. “We can go to a restaurant or just go to the hotel and order room service.”

“Sure.”

They got Lola stabilized and once we got word from her doctor it was safe to transport her, I made the arrangements with Medjet. They had planes that were ambulances that flew you where you needed to go. They would be equipped with a doctor and two nurses. Rain was flying with her. The security men and I flew back in another plane. The advantage here was, it would be direct flights. No stopping in any other city.

Getting her ready to go, she was reacting to all the people that were hovering about her, moving her to a stretcher to take to a helipad to get her to the plane.

“My goodness,” Lola said as the IV was hung and she was wrapped in a blanket and strapped in. “All this for me?”

Rain rolled his eyes. “Yes, Lola.” He sighed leaning closer. “For you, because you’re important.”

Lola shook her head about to deny what was happening. “I am…”

“To me you are!” Rain said firmly. “So, just…” he waved at her, “deal with it, damn it.”

Lola simply huffed and folded her arms over her chest as she resolved to the situation.

The interaction between Rain and his grandmother was actually very humorous. I had to squelch the laugh that was building in me.

We flew back to Charleston where I met both Lola and Rain at the hospital. They landed and were taken again by helicopter directly to the hospital. When I arrived, I met Rain speaking with some of the medical personnel that would be caring for Lola.

“…she will take time to rest.” She smiled at Rain. “She had a heart attack, but for a woman her age…” she saw Rain’s face grow in concern and she hurried to explain, “she is in her eighties. Her cholesterol and plaque levels are to blame. However, in spite of that, her overall health is pretty good otherwise. The heart attack can be dealt with and other issues…blood sugar and blood pressure are high. She needs to lose a few pounds and there is the blockage we will deal with. She still has about forty percent damage to the heart, which is why we’re going to do the permanent bypass. There are two arteries damaged and we will do the double bypass. The surgery will be when she has been stabilized more.” The female doctor in her fifties was explaining. Again, eyes widened seeing me. (It was just going to happen now. We had been followed around the world. People knew us.) She had enough professionalism to not react more.

“But she’ll get better?” Rain said carefully for reassurance.

The doctor smiled. “I won’t lie. Her age is a factor. If there was no chance…we wouldn’t have agreed. She is really at the age where we decide what’s best to do. Do the surgery or just make her comfortable. Her doctor in Eureka told us she was a strong woman. The chart he sent on her history shows promise.”

Rain nodded. “Yes, she’s very strong…always has been.”

“This could add a few years more.” The doctor said. “If she follows directions, she could make it into her nineties.”

“She needs rest for now. Go home and rest.” She looked at the clipboard she had in her hand. “We’ll call if there’s any change.”

I took Rain’s hand. “We’ll be nearby,” I told her as I pointed to her clipboard. “My name is on there?”

Rain nodded. “Of course!” He answered for the doctor. “We’ll be married in a few months. You are a contact. My next of kin.” He jutted his head toward Lola’s room. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you're hers, so I added your name.”

The doctor touched Rain’s arm. “Your grandmother is in good care.”

We did go home, to the hotel. It would be closer if there was a problem. We traveled around the world, but this past week all this sort of travel was more tiring. The difference, being that this hadn’t been a pleasure trip. We hadn’t rested at all.

As we got ready for bed, I watched Rain move a little slower. I knew it was not because of fatigue, but what was playing in his mind. Platitudes and saying things like…it will be alright…served no purpose. As he sat on the side of our bed as I put my hand on his back gently. He turned at the touch. I brought him out of those thoughts a moment.

“There are times…having money does no good, Rain.” I said quietly. “Lola will get the best care,” I assured. “I was given money for a purpose. Not just for me. I’ll use all of it to keep Lola in this life a year more…or a decade. We’ll do that. No price is too great…for you without question…as I would for Kyle and Aunt Pearl.”

Rain smiled sadly as he moved back, pulling me down with him. “You know what’s really great?”

I shook my head.

“You really, sincerely mean that.”

“I do,” I said.

We still had passion, but this time…our lovemaking was an assurance to both of us that we would always be together. We weren’t alone.

The next few days were the trips to and from the hospital. The fact that I had chosen those numbers was not forgotten. I was asked many times for interviews by the media, be it a magazine or television…my required the posting of how things were going with me was done. I did post occasionally and was followed when I did. It was now more out of habit. After a year of telling everything…almost…I was glad it was now at my own time. Now, the focus on my life was Rain. His focus was now Lola. I began thinking more about what I would do with the money. Buying the hotel was my biggest purchase so far. There was still a lot I had to think about what I’d do. Like I said, it shouldn’t be just for me.

We visited Lola every day. Her surgery and recovery would take more than a month or two and she would have to be monitored. Rain and I did pretty much move to the hotel. Even Lucky was moved to the hotel. He was our dog, so of course, he did.

The morning that Kyle came to the hotel with Lucky and Aunt Pearl, we greeted them in the lobby. Lucky saw Rain and me…those feet started scrambling on the slick marble floor, but he had no traction. His tail was nearly invisible he was so excited! Kyle released his hold on the leash as he hurried to us. Scooping him up, he couldn’t decide who he wanted to lick more.

Aunt Pearl smiled as she got closer. “How are you two?”

Rain nodded as Lucky wasn’t done with him at the licking. “We’re fine.”

“And your grandmother?” Kyle asked.

“Lola is a stubborn, opinionated, old flower child.” Rain shrugged. “She’s always complaining about all the attention on her.”

“And she didn’t give any of that to you!?” I chuckled.

Rain bowed his head with a smile scratching his ear. “Well, it could be heredity.”

“We’ll talk to her doctors, but we will probably have to add some things to the house,” I said looking at Rain. “If they can, get her recovered enough, she’ll recover better at home.”

Now that all the required world city visits were done, things had calmed down Rain and myself, I was thinking about what I should do with the money. As paranoid as I was about overspending. My buying the hotel, renovating of the hotel and Bonnie Glenn, the house in Australia, I had slightly over half of it left! There were now deposits going in from the hotel plus interest. There were always charities, but which one? There were good ones with great causes, but I wanted it to be good ones where the money went to cause, not those that ran the cause.

The hotel was booked! Most all of it was now finished and we were at nearly one hundred percent occupancy for the year! Tom was the manager, but his demands on the employees for doing that job just got more. He wasn’t fair, but...as I told him; pay them accordingly. If they did the job and fulfilled the requirements, pay them, for superior service...they got superior pay! That was fair. We were to meet and exceed any hotel standard…cleanliness, friendliness, courtesy, bedding…guest service received by the staff was the only way we would get and keep the five stars we wanted to get. Tom would love to have a seven star, but that was only a few hotels in the world for now. Really, I didn’t think we could do that, but it was good to aim for it. There were the slang slogans for the hotel all having to do with getting Lucky. Not our dog, if you don’t get that.

Rain pretty well had to drop the courses he was taking because of demands on his time. He didn’t want to be committed and not be there if Lola needed anything.

There was also the wedding that needed planning, but neither Rain or I really wanted to go anywhere.

I didn’t want to become one of those...houses everywhere kind of person that used it a couple of weeks a year. I did call Richard Fry in Australia and the house I bought that would need staffing. Having two homes. Richard was pleased I was coming back and staying a while. He assured me he could and made me promise to have dinner when we got there.

"Richard! We're friends. You have a standing okay to come by anytime. We could have dinner at our home." I chuckled. "Of course, if you want us to go places you like there we'd love it."

Richard laughed. "I didn't want to assume..."

"Assume already We're friends, aren't we?'

"Yes, we are." He laughed.

"Oh, and make sure one of those staff is a driver. I'll learn, but the wrong side of the road, the wrong side of the car..."

Richard laughed again.

That was enough for me. I swore to be back for more than a couple of weeks a year.

As I said left me more than half of the winnings to go. The past year was basically one big party. It was fun, but now reality was sinking in. I was given this…gift…for a reason. I wasn’t particularly religious believing in one doctrine, I didn’t believe no one philosophy was absolutely right. I felt we were more than just self-aware. I didn’t have answers. God or fate…something allowed me to have this win. Now, what to do?

Lola was taken into surgery after a week. That was the longest day I had been through. Rain would pace and worry constantly. He was very quiet and there were no words I could come up with to ease this worry. He was just going to have to go through it, but I was just there at his side quietly supporting him. How could I do less? They began the surgery when the sun was barely a sliver of orange-gold on the horizon and finished after it had set in the West. Aunt Pearl and Kyle came to check on us, but really…it was just Rain and me. We had reports given periodically, but when those doors opened…a very, very tired surgeon came out in a fresh set of scrubs. Both Rain and I rose, but the doctor’s face was not glum…nor was it happy.

“Well, she weathered the surgery pretty well.” The doctor said as he nodded reluctantly. “Her age is a concern. The next few hours will tell the tale. If she manages to hang on a day, that will improve her chances. She’s in recovery. You can see her but keep it to a few minutes.”

Having all that money was now, not as glorious as it had been. All the money I had couldn’t change some things. We could still lose Lola. I could lose Aunt Pearl or Kyle. I shuddered when I realized I could lose Rain! Lola made it the day and then the week! She was an amazing woman. Stubborn! Just like Rain…or rather, Rain was just like Lola.

It was as I went over some plans to improve things at Bonnie Glenn I got my…idea. It was really given to me. I was having an elevator installed in the house to keep her from having to climb stairs and overdoing it. I had a room set up for her to recover in at Bonnie Glenn. Two of the men installing the elevator were talking and didn’t know I overheard them.

“Will you look at this place!” One of the laborers said to the other.

“It belongs to the Luckiest Man in the World!” His friend said chuckling. “Of course, it has to be spectacular.”

“I know this is a new structure but this plantation was built from the labors of people enslaved for a century or more.” The first man commented sadly. “Too bad they didn’t see this sort of reward.”

It was like…I don’t know…a lightning bolt…a message from God Himself or Herself said what I should do. I asked Aunt Pearl if there were records of people that were kept here as slaves.

She nodded. “There are records, limited, but…” she shrugged. “There is the family Bible which I still have. It is more of a history of Bonnie Glenn of births and deaths…and slaves. It’s very old but has the names of some of the slaves, their children and their children. A record to keep an accounting of events.”

“Can we research and find their descendants?” I asked.

Kyle thought and shrugged a reluctant, grudging nod. “I suppose, but why?”

“Kyle.” I looked at him wondering why he didn’t see it. “These were people. People that worked to make this a prosperous plantation. What happened was horrible and I can’t undo it. There is no compensation that will make any form of restitution, but I can at least give their descendants something. Payment for what their grandparents did…even though they had no choice!”

Kyle held his hand up to stop me. “Wait…you want to what?!” He stood up shaking his head as he thought. “I know what you want to do, but…how do we narrow it down!? There must be hundreds of people…thousands now…how can we work out who gets how much?”

I threw my hands up, understanding the frustration. “I don’t know, but you have a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. Justice. You know slavery was wrong, but there were slaves! There has to be something…even if it isn’t much we can do…we should do something to say, I’m sorry!”

Aunt Pearl frowned. “Then I should be the one to say it.” She said quietly. “It was my family that did it. We profited from it.”

I nodded. “So, be a part of this, but I was given the money. Why?” I waved at the surrounding house. “I have this wonderful home! I have a hotel that is making money! I didn’t finance any of it, I’m still in the black. I've bought that wonderful house in Australia. I’m good! I just feel I need to do something with this money that has a purpose. More than just feeding hungry, that will always be a need, but maybe my doing this is just that. Doing something good with it.”

Kyle gave a slight nod. “Well, Germany did apologize to the Jews for the Holocaust.” He sighed. “There are been a few attempts at apologies to African-Americans for slavery.”

I nodded. “And this will just be one more.” I got up walking over to him. “Is it possible to say I’m sorry enough?”

Kyle shook his head. “I suppose not.” He sighed. “I’ll start working on it.” He looked at Aunt Pearl. “Can I get the Bible you have…or get a scan of what’s there?”

“Certainly.” She nodded getting up and paused. “Do I bring it to you or…”

Kyle waved her to head off first. “After you. I’ll follow.” He pulled his phone out. “I’ll take a picture.”

Rain came out Lola’s hospital room blowing a breath of exasperated air. He looked up seeing me and smiled.

“She’s getting better.” Rain said chuckling. “She’s becoming more of herself.”

I grinned. “That’s a good sign, right?”

He nodded coming to sit by me, kissing me as he stretched out in the chair. “Yep. She’s too feisty to die.” He threw his head back and sighed.

“You need rest, baby.” I put my hand on his leg. “I know you want to be here, but I don’t want you to suffer.” I smiled at him. “Please?”

Rain nodded. “Sure.” He waved at Lola’s room. “She’s asleep anyway.” He pulled me toward him kissing me gently. “You’ve been great.”

I frowned. “She’s family, Rain. How can we do less?”

He shook his head. “No, you could.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “But that’s not who you are.” He rose from the chair. “Let’s go home.”