A few weeks later, Jenny developed a sore throat, which quickly developed into a nasty cold. Her boss sent her home early, insisting she take the rest of the week off.
Thankfully Jenny had sick leave; she wouldn't lose any money. She called Charlie (they had plans for coffee, whatever Charlie had planned he was taking it very slow) and left a message on his voicemail.
Charlie was horrified when he got the voicemail. Jenny sounded so awful. He thought about it, prayed about it, and called his pastor. Then he went to her house.
"I want to help you" he told her, as she stood there in her orange bathrobe, sneezing into a battered tissue. "What can I do?"
Jenny sat on the couch for a few minutes and thought about it. "Glead the litter bogeses." Charlie nodded. He cleaned Baby Girl's box every day. He got to work and finished the job in no time.
"I want to get you some medicine" he told Jenny, as she lay back on the couch, coughing. She sat up. "The syrup will kill me". Charlie gaped.
"My antidepressant will interact with decongestants. You have to get me the 12 hour mucus pill, and an antihistamine, seperate." Charlie nodded and made a note on his smartphone. "Cough drops. Sugar free. A couple different flavors, please." She blew her nose again. "And more tissues." She rubbed her forehead.
"What do you take for headaches?" Charlie asked, his blue eyes dark with concern. "I can tell you have a headache." Jenny sighed.
"I have about half a bottle. I'm OK, but if you want to get more it's in the medicine cabinet." Charlie looked. Generic brand. Of course.
Jenny looked at Charlie, wondering how much he'd changed. She was tired. Her eyes itched. Her throat hurt, her sinuses throbbed, and she just wanted to crawl into bed... but she had a problem. "My refills came in today" Charlie tensed. "I need to pick them up." Charlie took a breath and waited for her to finish - a big change from the old Charlie.
"Would you like me to take you?" he asked "I could take you in for the refills, take you home, then get your other supplies."
Jenny sent up a quick prayer and thought for a moment. "You can get them." She headed into the bedroom and dug around in a pants pocket, pulling out a wad of money. "Here's the money". Charlie gave her a speaking look as she offered it, then raised his eyebrows.
"How much is it?" he asked. She told him, and he laughed. "I spent more than that filling up my gas tank!" Jenny, left holding the money, looked at it for a moment before sticking it back in her pocket. She could always put it in the emergency fund.
Charlie left the house and got into his new-to-him crossover SUV. It had plenty of room for merchandise and held his Mag-liner folding cart without any problems. He liked the sporty lines and the navy paint. Jenny liked it, too.
He drove to Mega-mart and went to the pharmacy, pushing a shopping cart. He talked to his dad, a pharmacist, as he waited in line and verified the medications Jenny could take without having an interaction. Charlie shuddered at the thought - here, honey, have some cough syrup...
The technician gave him a searching look as she handed over the medication, and Charlie explained Jenny's cold. "She didn't want to get you sick" She smiled and passed on well-wishes.
Charlie hunted up the cough drops, medication, and tissues. He opted for the name brand lotion variety "Soothes sore noses". Jenny's nose had looked pretty sore!
Even though she hadn't asked, he also picked up some cat treats and litter. Jenny had been running low and he'd noted the names.
Every time he went to Jenny's house, she had cottage cheese and plain greek yogurt in her fridge. He'd peeked - she was out. He added them to the basket, along with juice, honey, soup, and lemonade. Mom had always sworn by a hot lemonade when he got sick. He threw some fresh lemons into the cart and went to checkout.
As he waited in line, he noted the low price on the candy bars and mused about food costs. Mega-Mart had cheaper prices, but his machines offered convenience, and people were willing to pay for that.
Charlie headed out into the dark and humid parking lot, loaded his groceries, and took them to Jenny. She smiled beautifully when he gave her the refills.
Maybe he could regain her trust. Charlie knew she still cared, but her walls were up. He wanted to batter them down but he knew more than anyone how she'd react to that approach.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Chapter 29
Jenny saw Javin coming down the road and waved cheerfully. He picked up his pace and headed towards her yard, dumping his backpack by the door. He opened the front porch and walked in, gaping at the stacks of Bibles.
Jenny couldn't believe it. Every Bible she'd ever wanted, right here in her living room. She'd continue to pray and see when God wanted the next handout.
She grinned at Javin's slack jaw as he surveyed the room. He ran a hand along a case of open, children's Bibles, and she smiled.
He'd loved the Children's Bible she'd given him a few years ago. She planned to give him a NKJV Study Bible for his birthday in a few weeks. Pops had given his permission along with a searching look.
"My husband came back." Javin knew a little of her situation, she'd had to leave a "bad marriage". He'd wanted to know if Charlie hit her and she'd said no.
Javin gaped at her now. She absently noted his molars were almost in. He began pelting her with questions and she explained the events of the last few days.
"He came by to talk, I think. He was really sick, and I took care of him for a few days. Last night I got fired from the gas station. He took me to Mega-mart, and gave me the Bibles. He says he wants to take care of me; and he doesn't want a divorce. I don't know what he wants."
She paused. "He has a really cute black kitten, with one eye." Javin alerted. He'd found a sweet brown tabby kitten in the bushes a few months ago. Jenny and Pops had worked to get her fixed, and she was the queen of the household. She loved to lie in Pop's lap when he had his dialysis treatment. "Jasmine would love her, I bet."
Jenny headed for the kitchen. "Since Charlie was buying, I got the good stuff. Would you like a snack?" She pulled a carton of unsweetened soymilk out of the fridge, and began digging around for sliced meat.
Jenny couldn't believe it. Every Bible she'd ever wanted, right here in her living room. She'd continue to pray and see when God wanted the next handout.
She grinned at Javin's slack jaw as he surveyed the room. He ran a hand along a case of open, children's Bibles, and she smiled.
He'd loved the Children's Bible she'd given him a few years ago. She planned to give him a NKJV Study Bible for his birthday in a few weeks. Pops had given his permission along with a searching look.
"My husband came back." Javin knew a little of her situation, she'd had to leave a "bad marriage". He'd wanted to know if Charlie hit her and she'd said no.
Javin gaped at her now. She absently noted his molars were almost in. He began pelting her with questions and she explained the events of the last few days.
"He came by to talk, I think. He was really sick, and I took care of him for a few days. Last night I got fired from the gas station. He took me to Mega-mart, and gave me the Bibles. He says he wants to take care of me; and he doesn't want a divorce. I don't know what he wants."
She paused. "He has a really cute black kitten, with one eye." Javin alerted. He'd found a sweet brown tabby kitten in the bushes a few months ago. Jenny and Pops had worked to get her fixed, and she was the queen of the household. She loved to lie in Pop's lap when he had his dialysis treatment. "Jasmine would love her, I bet."
Jenny headed for the kitchen. "Since Charlie was buying, I got the good stuff. Would you like a snack?" She pulled a carton of unsweetened soymilk out of the fridge, and began digging around for sliced meat.
Chapter 28
Javin headed home, carrying his backpack over one shoulder, kicking an empty soda can. School wasn't too bad, he supposed, but it hurt to hear the other kids talk about their parents.
He hated, more than anything, watching the fathers at the games. His father was in prison, for murder; a drug deal gone bad, he'd explained in a letter. The other boys had fathers, he had letters.
At least Jenny understood; her own father had gone to prison for a while, attacking the man who'd hurt her. "It was a small town, Dad knew where they'd arraign him. From what I heard there wasn't much left."
Jenny'd lost her Dad; so had he. She had her father back, but Javin would never see his father free again. He'd gotten life. His mother had overdosed a few months later and he'd gone to live with Pop.
Javin had found her body. He'd never forget the sight of her stiff limbs and dead, glazed, eyes. He shuddered. He'd never take drugs; they'd killed his mother and might as well have killed his father.
Javin was a medium skinned young black man, twelve years old, developing a nice set of muscles, he thought. Jenny wouldn't let him use the weights yet but they did callistenics.
"People are going to think I'm a pervert" she'd said bluntly, blowing her hair out of her face. "Your Pops is OK with this?" She'd waved a hand at herself and her house as they stood out back. "I'm not so good with the social rules and all but I wonder what people might think."
Pops had come over in his wheelchair and asked her questions, mainly about Jesus, Javin mused. He must have been happy with the answers because he told them both Javin could come over. "As long as it's OK with you" Pops had clarified. "Don't be a pest."
Pops wasn't afraid of the belt, no matter what people said, and Javin respected his rules. Jenny had told him she had bad times; but he was still welcome. He'd just have to understand she wasn't the same Jenny.
He'd wanted to hug her, but didn't. Miss Jenny was everything he'd wanted in a parent. She said she was different, but Javin figured she was in all the right ways. She didn't judge him by his skin, even after that other black guy had robbed her at the bus stop. His fists clenched.
When she found out he had bipolar disorder too, she'd cried, then begged him to take his medications as directed. Javin had shared his fears of addiction and she'd showed him her medication.
"Do you think I'm a junkie?" she'd asked teasingly.
Heck, no.
He hated, more than anything, watching the fathers at the games. His father was in prison, for murder; a drug deal gone bad, he'd explained in a letter. The other boys had fathers, he had letters.
At least Jenny understood; her own father had gone to prison for a while, attacking the man who'd hurt her. "It was a small town, Dad knew where they'd arraign him. From what I heard there wasn't much left."
Jenny'd lost her Dad; so had he. She had her father back, but Javin would never see his father free again. He'd gotten life. His mother had overdosed a few months later and he'd gone to live with Pop.
Javin had found her body. He'd never forget the sight of her stiff limbs and dead, glazed, eyes. He shuddered. He'd never take drugs; they'd killed his mother and might as well have killed his father.
Javin was a medium skinned young black man, twelve years old, developing a nice set of muscles, he thought. Jenny wouldn't let him use the weights yet but they did callistenics.
"People are going to think I'm a pervert" she'd said bluntly, blowing her hair out of her face. "Your Pops is OK with this?" She'd waved a hand at herself and her house as they stood out back. "I'm not so good with the social rules and all but I wonder what people might think."
Pops had come over in his wheelchair and asked her questions, mainly about Jesus, Javin mused. He must have been happy with the answers because he told them both Javin could come over. "As long as it's OK with you" Pops had clarified. "Don't be a pest."
Pops wasn't afraid of the belt, no matter what people said, and Javin respected his rules. Jenny had told him she had bad times; but he was still welcome. He'd just have to understand she wasn't the same Jenny.
He'd wanted to hug her, but didn't. Miss Jenny was everything he'd wanted in a parent. She said she was different, but Javin figured she was in all the right ways. She didn't judge him by his skin, even after that other black guy had robbed her at the bus stop. His fists clenched.
When she found out he had bipolar disorder too, she'd cried, then begged him to take his medications as directed. Javin had shared his fears of addiction and she'd showed him her medication.
"Do you think I'm a junkie?" she'd asked teasingly.
Heck, no.
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