Jenny climbed out of Lavon's PT Cruiser, wondering how he'd talked her into "letting" him give a ride home. He'd made it very clear he was taking her home.
She wondered if he would have put her in the trunk if she'd kept protesting! Now, Jenny didn't mind a ride home if the weather was bad, and she was on the way, but she knew Lavon lived across town. He had to get back home before his youngest came home from preschool. His wife worked nights, and she needed her sleep.
Jenny sighed as she opened the gate. Charlie's car still sat in the driveway, like he paid the mortgage. Well, in a sense, he did, and who could beat 2.5 acres at $680 a month? She glanced next door at the junkyard. Looked like a quiet day. She'd planted climbing vines on the solid metal fence, and it had seemed to work. They looked far more cheerful, covered by morning glories, ivy, and jasmine.
On the other side, right by the fence line, she had Mr Johnson and his dying pine tree. She prayed and prayed, everytime it rained. Please don't fall on my house. She'd asked him to cut it, but he had a lot of money troubles. Now he was in the hospital, again, after yet another dialysis related infection.
She glanced back at the house. The sagging porch glared at her accusingly. "I know, I know" she murmured at her poor tired house. The light blue paint was beginning to peel off the eaves. "Hang on a little longer."
Jenny was no fool. Her house was a wreck. She snorted. So was her life!
She opened the front door, glancing back. Lavon waved.
"Don't worry," he'd told her. "I won't leave unless you come out and wave. If you don't wave, in 5 minutes, I'm going in." She'd protested. "Look, I don't trust that man. You won't say what he did but it's clear he hurt you. I won't let him do it again."
Lavon was quite the big brother, she mused. All God's family. She stepped inside.
She was greeted by the smell of chicken broth from the crock pot, two cats, and the sound of snoring. She stepped back out and waved. Lavon drove off.
She'd had a lot of traffic, Jenny mused. First Charlie, then Jeff, now Lavon. She had to get out there and mow the yard! She glanced at the goats browsing out back, fenced away from her gardens. "Too bad I can't use you up here" she mused. She'd love to try, but they'd probably eat her passionflower.
Passion. She snorted. That had been a while. She sighed. Had Charlie come for some kind of booty call? She scratched her head. It's possible, she guessed. After all it had been 5 years. For all she knew he was into really wierd stuff now... or maybe he'd decided she wasn't worth the bother.
Jenny held her head in her hands, convinced she was getting a migraine now. AGH. She looked around the living room. Everything seemed fine, a navy blue loveseat and floral recliner recliner placed at right angles, facing the small television.
She snickered as she remembered the robbery - they'd broken in and left her television behind. Not even a crackhead wanted it! She wondered, again, why they'd chosen her house. Out of the houses available, hers was the smallest and poorest. She shrugged and checked on the laundry. The spin cycle had failed again, so she patiently reset the knob and coaxed it into performance. She wasn't above praying over it, either.
The dryer was almost done. She could run it for half an hour when she woke up. For now, though, she was beat.
Jenny wrote a note: C. I got home from work at 11 AM, please don't make any noise until after 8 PM. My other job starts at 9:30 and I need my sleep. Thanks! When was he leaving? Please lock the door on your way out. - J.
Thank God for the breakfast tacos. She'd already taken her pills, so she could go right to sleep. She checked her reusable water bottle - still full. Good.
She fell asleep quickly, a purring, one-eyed kitten on her chest.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Chapter 10
Jenny laughed around a mouthful of breakfast taco. "No way!" She grinned at her coworker, showing baby pictures "He's walking already?"
Jenny sighed inside as she felt the familiar pang. Thanks to Carl Smith, she'd never have kids. She'd had massive trauma and a chronic infection. To top it all off, she'd caught another infection when they'd gone in to clear out some of the scar tissue. Dr Liber had almost cried as he told her she'd never have children.
She'd cried, she thought. She'd cried so much - so long. Charlie had tried to understand, but it was clear he couldn't. Equally clear was his disappointment they'd never have children. Then, the cult, and that jerk telling her he'd cure her... if she slept with him. Ugh.
Sometimes, Jenny thought, it was a miracle she was ever happy at all. She took a savage bite of her taco. The refrigerator hummed in the corner as someone took a meal out of the microwave.
Lavon carefully studied his coworker as he put his cell phone away. Miss Jenny was stressed, and hurting. It didn't look like her depressions, either. He ran a worried hand over his shaved black head.
"So, how was your day?"
A few minutes later, Jenny laughed uproariously as she told the story again, in Spanish. "Esposo... migrana...vomito... bebe chica.... gatita...." Lavon shook his head in shock.
"He came crawling back,, and puked on you?" Jenny nodded.
Some things could only happen in her life, she concluded.
Jenny sighed inside as she felt the familiar pang. Thanks to Carl Smith, she'd never have kids. She'd had massive trauma and a chronic infection. To top it all off, she'd caught another infection when they'd gone in to clear out some of the scar tissue. Dr Liber had almost cried as he told her she'd never have children.
She'd cried, she thought. She'd cried so much - so long. Charlie had tried to understand, but it was clear he couldn't. Equally clear was his disappointment they'd never have children. Then, the cult, and that jerk telling her he'd cure her... if she slept with him. Ugh.
Sometimes, Jenny thought, it was a miracle she was ever happy at all. She took a savage bite of her taco. The refrigerator hummed in the corner as someone took a meal out of the microwave.
Lavon carefully studied his coworker as he put his cell phone away. Miss Jenny was stressed, and hurting. It didn't look like her depressions, either. He ran a worried hand over his shaved black head.
"So, how was your day?"
A few minutes later, Jenny laughed uproariously as she told the story again, in Spanish. "Esposo... migrana...vomito... bebe chica.... gatita...." Lavon shook his head in shock.
"He came crawling back,, and puked on you?" Jenny nodded.
Some things could only happen in her life, she concluded.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Chapter 9
While Jenny stocked the frozen foods section at work, Charlie carefully explored her house. Two bedrooms, he noted. As he stuck his head into the other room, he noted the pull-out couch.
Great. He'd kicked Jenny out of her own bed. A simple bookcase and a computer desk completed the room. He sighed as he noticed the Bible, lying on the bed. At least he hadn't driven her away from God, completely.
He knew, from reading her blog, that Jenny didn't attend a church. She had some very strong opinions on the subject. Charlie winced. God would have to work with her, on that. He sure wasn't up to it know.
Why? he wondered. Why had God allowed him to get a migraine? He'd had a plan, dinner out, an apology... Charlie sighed again and leaned against the wall in the hallway, his head pounding so hard he could barely think.
Maybe I needed to beg and crawl he thought. I couldn't have been more pathetic. He firmed his lips in a small smile and checked out the bathroom.
He expected the purple towels and orange bathrobe. Jenny loved bright color in the bathroom. "It wakes me up, Charlie." she'd drawled, leaning against him in bed. The loud colors seemed to throb in his eyes. He turned off the bathroom light and went off the hallway light.
The sink looked fine, with old-fashioned knobs. White porcelain, it was pretty unremarkable except for a small chip near the rim. The counter was some kind of cheap laminate, covered in hair care products and personal items.
Charlie gasped as he opened the shower curtain. The bathtub enclosure looked terrible. White ceramic tiles had fallen off the walls. Some, at the edge of the tub, had been carefully propped up with bottles of shampoo and shower gel. The tub itself looked alright, a fiberglass garden tub, but the faucet dripped into a 5-gallon bucket. Orange, again, he noted.
Charlie gritted his teeth at the thought of his wife bathing in there, every day. Horrendous.
A crushing wave erupted in his temple, warning Charlie he had to take his medication again. He sighed and headed for the kitchen.
Great. He'd kicked Jenny out of her own bed. A simple bookcase and a computer desk completed the room. He sighed as he noticed the Bible, lying on the bed. At least he hadn't driven her away from God, completely.
He knew, from reading her blog, that Jenny didn't attend a church. She had some very strong opinions on the subject. Charlie winced. God would have to work with her, on that. He sure wasn't up to it know.
Why? he wondered. Why had God allowed him to get a migraine? He'd had a plan, dinner out, an apology... Charlie sighed again and leaned against the wall in the hallway, his head pounding so hard he could barely think.
Maybe I needed to beg and crawl he thought. I couldn't have been more pathetic. He firmed his lips in a small smile and checked out the bathroom.
He expected the purple towels and orange bathrobe. Jenny loved bright color in the bathroom. "It wakes me up, Charlie." she'd drawled, leaning against him in bed. The loud colors seemed to throb in his eyes. He turned off the bathroom light and went off the hallway light.
The sink looked fine, with old-fashioned knobs. White porcelain, it was pretty unremarkable except for a small chip near the rim. The counter was some kind of cheap laminate, covered in hair care products and personal items.
Charlie gasped as he opened the shower curtain. The bathtub enclosure looked terrible. White ceramic tiles had fallen off the walls. Some, at the edge of the tub, had been carefully propped up with bottles of shampoo and shower gel. The tub itself looked alright, a fiberglass garden tub, but the faucet dripped into a 5-gallon bucket. Orange, again, he noted.
Charlie gritted his teeth at the thought of his wife bathing in there, every day. Horrendous.
A crushing wave erupted in his temple, warning Charlie he had to take his medication again. He sighed and headed for the kitchen.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Chapter 8
Charlie awoke slowly, his head still throbbing. He sighed deeply and rolled over, encountering a strange cat in his bed.
He sat up quickly, flinching as the knives stabbed his left temple. Jenny. Oh, God. He'd gone to her house, and....
Charlie groaned as he realized he'd thrown up on her. It would be easier if she wouldn't forgive him for that, but she probably would. Jenny was an amazingly kind woman.
He remembered the whispers in daycare when they'd met. Abused they'd said. Sexual. Permanent damage.
All he'd seen was a bright and sweet little girl with beautiful green eyes. They'd had so much fun, playing tag, fingerpainting, and whispering during naptime.
They'd sent a wedding notice to the daycare manager at church, and ... the strange cat was back, purring and rubbing her head against his shoulder.
"Hi Kitty" he murmured, looking for Baby Girl. He thought he remembered Baby Girl licking his ear. He found her, sleeping in her "usual" spot by his left shoulder. Jenny had brought him his Baby Girl.
The big cat walked over to Baby Girl and began grooming her. Baby Girl mewed happily and tried to nurse. Charlie chuckled. The two black cats did look related.
Wait, he could see?
Dim light filtered in from the hallway, and Charlie looked around. He was in a small bedroom, dominated by a queen bed. The cat takes up a lot of room he recalled from her blog.
The bed faced a window, light-blocking curtains drawn over plain venetian blinds. He peeked out, seeing the dim outline of trees and some kind of garden in the moonlight. Something grew under the window, and up the side of the house.
Charlie slowly turned, his head throbbing. He now faced a dresser placed inside a closet with the doors removed. Shirts hung in a row above the dresser, a few slacks and dressers off to the side.
Jenny had lost weight he thought. She probably needed a whole new wardrobe. And he hadn't been there to help. Charlie cursed himself again. What else did Jenny need? How could he help her?
He sat up quickly, flinching as the knives stabbed his left temple. Jenny. Oh, God. He'd gone to her house, and....
Charlie groaned as he realized he'd thrown up on her. It would be easier if she wouldn't forgive him for that, but she probably would. Jenny was an amazingly kind woman.
He remembered the whispers in daycare when they'd met. Abused they'd said. Sexual. Permanent damage.
All he'd seen was a bright and sweet little girl with beautiful green eyes. They'd had so much fun, playing tag, fingerpainting, and whispering during naptime.
They'd sent a wedding notice to the daycare manager at church, and ... the strange cat was back, purring and rubbing her head against his shoulder.
"Hi Kitty" he murmured, looking for Baby Girl. He thought he remembered Baby Girl licking his ear. He found her, sleeping in her "usual" spot by his left shoulder. Jenny had brought him his Baby Girl.
The big cat walked over to Baby Girl and began grooming her. Baby Girl mewed happily and tried to nurse. Charlie chuckled. The two black cats did look related.
Wait, he could see?
Dim light filtered in from the hallway, and Charlie looked around. He was in a small bedroom, dominated by a queen bed. The cat takes up a lot of room he recalled from her blog.
The bed faced a window, light-blocking curtains drawn over plain venetian blinds. He peeked out, seeing the dim outline of trees and some kind of garden in the moonlight. Something grew under the window, and up the side of the house.
Charlie slowly turned, his head throbbing. He now faced a dresser placed inside a closet with the doors removed. Shirts hung in a row above the dresser, a few slacks and dressers off to the side.
Jenny had lost weight he thought. She probably needed a whole new wardrobe. And he hadn't been there to help. Charlie cursed himself again. What else did Jenny need? How could he help her?
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