tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87256295709458837702024-03-13T11:51:47.691-05:00Patti's Prose, Poetry and PhilosophiesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-80053526580780890122011-10-30T18:11:00.000-05:002011-10-30T18:15:58.834-05:00Frankie Walker -Chapter Five<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012632" style="clear: both;">
<div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Chapter 5</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="line-height: 14px;"></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
waited until he could get a few thoughts together before he moved around too
much. His eyes told him he was not at home, he had peed in his pants, and that
overall things weren’t good at all. His eyes told him the jail was not a real
good home away from home and that he needed to think of something quick. They
needed to get out of there, all of them.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="line-height: 14px;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
guessed it was early morning, but who could tell when locked up like an animal.
He certainly didn’t deserve to be treated like this. No way.</span></span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="yiv755775342Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012631" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Think
back, think.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Bill
had something to do with this. He hung up on him, Frankie remembered that, but
why was he over at the house running around outside? Frankie couldn’t remember
that part. He had been mowing, had a few drinks, even mowed the other people’s
yards in good faith. Sure he had nicked that old car, but it was nothing worth
getting upset about. You’d think the woman would be happy somebody was trying
to help her out, what with all those kids she had and that husband who was
always away at work. Oh and then the cops came. He remembered that now that he
thought about it. Frankie guessed Bill must have told the woman to call them on
him and then he must have still been mowing outside. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 200%;">Bastard.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
started hearing other noises. There were lights being switched on, could smell
coffee a brewing, and heard voices. He heard them talking about a bad wreck
just outside of town, towards Fort Worth, where some guy had caused a whole
cattle truck to run off the road. The cows had to be shot right there on the
spot because they were in such bad shape. The driver survived, but those poor
damn cows didn’t stand a chance. They probably couldn’t even use them for meat
given the circumstances.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> He
remembered his Daddy’s cows. He took better care of them than he did his boys.
At least those cows ate every day. That certainly couldn’t be said for his
daddy’s family. They starved themselves almost to death, waiting for a break,
waiting for some money, waiting for a meal that didn’t ooze itself out of a can
with ‘beans’ printed on the label. He wanted meat, gravy, bread. He wanted
something to fill him up.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> His
momma worked at the motel during the day, washing people’s sheets and cleaning
their rooms, so when she got home, she was tired. His daddy messed with the
cows, repaired fences, put out salt blocks but didn’t really take an interest
in the kids or their needs. He grew his hay, bailed it with the help of some
workers living close by, people worse off than them, and then let the money
slide. He let it go. He put every last penny he could jingle out of the grocery
bill, the insurance company, the welfare, whoever, he used it all to feed the
cows. It was always about the heifers, the bull, the fence, the damn feed
pellets and how much per bag they cost and how many he needed to keep the herd
alive. And his daddy certainly didn’t over spend. Those poor cows under his
care looked about as bad off as he did. Frankie’s pants were never too tight,
that was for sure, and the cow’s bellies were never too full. He had everyone
on the verge of starvation, lest they forget where they came from.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> One
day, when Frankie’s tummy was growling more than usual, he watched his daddy
dump a big bag of feed blocks out onto the lot with cows chasing him from
behind like he was the most fantastic human specimen around, and he was,
because they hadn’t seen any other people with feed. Frankie really, really
watched him, and saw his daddy’s joy. His Daddy loved those dumb ass cows,
loved to watch them hustle and bustle around. He watched his comfort with them
eating up every bit of spare cash his family had and it made Frankie so mad.
How could his daddy not get it? Here they were heating up cans of pork-n-beans
on the pot burner at home when these cows were eating feed cubes like treats
and loving it? Frankie wondered how good those pellets were. If his teeth were
any stronger, he’d gnaw on one and see just what the cows were enjoying. They
were bound to better than a can of ranch style beans. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie’s
stomach growled. Damn he was hungry and these jailers probably didn’t have
nothing to eat except for day old biscuits and such, probably just as hard as
those pellets his daddy fed the cows in the winter.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> And
man, those winters were cold growing up. The house they lived in didn’t have
any central heat or air so in the winter they froze to death and in the summer
they sweated to death. It was never comfortable. They were either standing by
the wood burning stove or airing out on the porch. His momma did what she could
to make them comfortable like laying their clothes out by the heater during the
winter so that when they got out of bed, they could crawl into warm clothes
before their walk to school. In the summer she would sometimes hook a sprinkler
to the hose and let them run through it with their boxer shorts on. Then she’d
get out a frozen treat from the freezer. She’d kiss Frankie and his brother and
tell them she loved them and that she was sorry.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> They
would ask what she was sorry for.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> And
she would tell them she was just sorry for everything.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> She
would walk back into the house, rubbing her hands on her apron. Her eyes looked
far away when she got like that, like she wasn’t there at all.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie’s
daddy would come home every evening and start drinking his beer. He would sit
at the kitchen table telling them all to keep it down so he could think. He
would get out his little notebook where he kept his notes.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> His
cows were closely watched. By each of their names he would write where he found
them that day, if they were pregnant, when he thought they would give birth.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> So
he had “Sofa”, “Chair”, and “Christmas” all named after what he planned to buy
for the family when he sold them. Each cow was marked for something bigger than
them, not that he ever had any intention of following through with his ideas.
He mainly just did it to get Frankie’s momma off his back. She never let him
just live. She was always there telling him why they needed to sell the
livestock, move into a house with central heat and air, and get a kitchen that
had more than a pot burner.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Always
nagging at him. It never stopped.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> And
she smoked almost every day of her life. She worked at the motel for as long as
she could because she wanted her boys to have something more than empty
promises from cows. She wanted them to be able to eat 3 meals a day and have a
pair of shoes that fit, so she tried to keep things afloat. Frankie’s older
brother Bruce started working for the feed store as soon as he turned 16 but
that money mostly went back into feed for the cows. Frankie’s momma didn’t want
to think it, but she suspected not all of the bags were actually “purchased”
from the feed store but never said anything about it. With the government
grabbing what it wanted out of her paycheck, she almost felt like if Bruce and
his daddy could pull it off without getting caught, she could certainly look
the other way while they did it. What comes around goes around and that’s how the
world worked. Government stole from her, they could steal from the feed store. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">Frankie
never really took much of an interest in the cows, or work for that matter. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">When he
finally graduated from high school, Bruce helped him get on with the Deck Boat
plant in town. Thus his fiberglass career began, not a long career of course,
but he did work for a few years. His momma died that same year. He guessed she
felt like she could pass on now that her kids were on their own two feet.
Frankie’s daddy had a small service for her. He changed the name of the
Christmas cow to Funeral cow and sold her to pay for the burial. He was
officially on his own, and happy about it. No kids to feed, no wife to have to
listen to, just cows. He ran about 25 head up until the day he had an
unfortunate accident with the tractor. He had driven over that creek a million
times but on this particular day the rocks underneath moved, his tractor
shifted, he lost control and it fell on top of him. He drowned underneath a
load of steel, tires and rubber hoses.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> By
the time Bruce found his daddy, the body had become pretty bloated and some of
his clothes had washed on down the creek. He went back to the house, called the
sheriff then waited on the porch for the authorities. He didn’t want to sit by
his dead daddy all by himself.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> After
the second funeral in 6 months, Frankie and Bruce decided to sell all the cows,
the 4 room farm house they grew up in as well as the 50 acres it sat on. Bruce
wanted to take his momma’s car which was in pretty good shape since she just
went to the motel, the grocery store and home. That was fine with Frankie. He
wanted his daddy’s old blue truck and knew a lot about working on it. After
taxes, they each had a little money to put in the bank. Nothing to get excited
about but it was more than either one of them had ever had before. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
bought a trailer intending on staying in Maypearle but Bruce decided to leave
Texas. He drove off in his momma’s car and went straight to Las Vegas. He
played the slots until he decided the Craps table was really where the money
was made. And he did win for a while. He doubled, tripled his money. He sent
Frankie a couple of postcards he had made of himself in the casino. In both of
them, he had a good looking girl wrapped around him and piles of chips stacked
up at his place at the table. He had different girls of course in each picture,
but the same smile was on his face. He wrote “Frankie, I’m in paradise! Come
out here if you can. I can set you up in the hotel. Hell, I might even be able
to set you up with a girl too. They’re not that picky here! Later man, Bruce.” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;">“Frankie,
this is a hell of a lot better than running cows or throwing around feed sacks.
These girls are hot and I am on fire! Cheers man!”</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
thought about it too. Here Bruce was wheeling and a dealing in Vegas while
Frankie was on the fiberglass line building boats, not rolling in the dough.
But if he left the plant, that would be it. They wouldn’t hire him back and he
had pissed off several of the other establishments in town with his hell
raising. Nope. He just better find his entertainment down at the Happy Trails
Honky Tonk he frequented every Friday and Saturday night. He usually managed to
score a dance and every now and then, sometimes a little more than that. And he
had a paycheck. There’s a lot to be said for steadiness and 3 meals a day.
Vegas just didn’t seem like the place for him.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> A
few months later, Bruce sent a letter instead of a postcard.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> “Hey,
Frankie. I just wanted you to know things kind of took a turn for the worse.
Lady Luck decided to take a big shit on me so I’m going to give Reno a try. I
got a few people looking for me so I don’t have a phone number right now. I’ll
let you know where I’m staying when I think it’s safe. Stay in Maypearle. This may have not
been such a great idea but I’m going to give it one more try. If I can get a
couple of wins, I’ll be set and will quit while I’m ahead. If I don’t, I’m
screwed man, and I don’t mean by just a little bit either. But I can’t come back
with nothing. I just can’t. I’ll write you later with the good news. And I
don’t mean to be weird, but I love you brother. If something happens to me, I
want you to know you were always my favorite person out of our whole screwed up
family. Keep it clean brother, Bruce.”</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Well,
that worried Frankie. So far he’d lost his momma, his daddy, not that that was
a huge loss, and now his brother was on the run. He knew those gambling bosses
could get pretty serious when they were collecting their money and he’d heard
in Vegas, one minute you’re up then the next you’re down and that’s just how it
goes there. And no one cares about the losers except the ones wanting them to
pay up. He couldn’t imagine being the only one out of his family still alive.
He didn’t see that coming at all.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> He
went to work every day, thought about Bruce, what he must be going through. He
was probably driving at night, sleeping during the day, probably feeling
lonely. And Frankie really hated that. They had survived their childhood. Life
should be better for them now. Frankie came home every evening, went straight
to the mailbox, ate his frozen dinner and drank his beer wishing he had heard
something by now. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Two
and a half months since the first letter, the second arrived. Frankie pulled it
out of the box hopeful because that meant Bruce was still alive enough to put
words on paper. Frankie waited until he got inside and got his beer before he
ripped it open.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> “Frankie,
it’s me. This is probably the last letter you’re going to get from me for a
while, a long while. I’ve got to go down to Mexico for a bit, let things cool
off here in Reno. I was winning again but then it happened. I lost, big time,
so I borrowed a little knowing I could pay it back just as soon as the tables
turned, but they didn’t and now I’ve pissed this guy off so bad he wants to
kill me and has even taken steps to ensure that happens and quick. I’m leaving
tonight in momma’s old car. Yeah, it’s still running as good as ever. I’m
taking my girlfriend Maria with me and I’m going to spend some time on the
beach drinking beer and margaritas. She’s got family there so I think we’ll be
fine. If we can make it across the border, we’ll be home free. I will call you
when I can. Don’t worry about us. Oh, and congratulations, you’re about to be
an uncle. Maria is 2 months along. I think it’s going to be a girl and she does
too. Things are going to work out, I just know it. Adios amigo, Bruce.”</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie
grabbed the envelope. It was post marked El Paso, Texas 3 days ago. Man, he
hoped they made it across. And he had gotten a girl pregnant. Frankie shook his
head. Bruce was living large, that was for sure.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> As
Frankie slowly sat up on his jailhouse cot, he still wondered if Bruce made it
across and if the baby really was a girl and if he’d had any more kids with
Maria. He hoped to hell they hadn’t killed him. Bruce deserved a break since
he’d never gotten one growing up.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div class="yiv755775342MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_13200111663012633" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-33951147719571964152011-09-11T21:16:00.003-05:002011-09-11T21:20:46.488-05:00Frankie Walker -Chapter Four<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689232" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="yiv686316635Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689230" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689235" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689232" style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><span class="yiv686316635Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689230" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689234" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Chapter 4</span></span></span></div><span id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689232" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="yiv686316635Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689230" style="font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Nolan walked with Dorothy so she could tell Mrs. Bernard and Mrs. Lowery how sorry she was for the damage. Mrs. Lowery told her she was sorry she was married to him and that hopefully the law could keep him locked up for awhile to give them all a break. Mrs. Bernard told her she was pressing charges but since it was mostly just the bumper of her car the policeman who filed the report said jail time wasn’t really a possibility but that her husband would kill him if he ever stepped foot over onto their property again.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy and Nolan walked back to her trailer. Cristy had said she would leave in 30 minutes, had to finish up a report first, but then would be there before the kids got off the bus. And that was fine with Nolan. He wanted to talk to Dorothy a while in private. They sat at her kitchen table.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Where are my manners, Nolan can I get you something to drink?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, I’m fine Dorothy. I do want to talk to you a little more though about what’s been going on lately. Do you feel like you’re in danger? Because if you do, I can find some reason to keep him locked up for a few days while he cools his heels.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, I’m not going to lie to you. He wants his 3 meals a day, his liquor cabinet always full despite the fact he drinks it faster than I can replace the bottles, and sometimes, well, there are times when he’s a little rougher than he probably should be, but he doesn’t hit me. And usually he’s so drunk I can run back over here before he even knows I’m gone. And he doesn’t have a key. I’ve told him as long as we’re married, I’ve got to be able to have my quiet time and if that’s not okay then I won’t go over to his place at all anymore and he’ll be on his own.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “So, he’s mostly bark and not too much bite is that what you’re saying?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Yeah, oh gosh, Frankie gets mad but then in just a few minutes he doesn’t even remember what he’s supposed to be mad about.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “What about this Bill thing? I knew he didn’t like him, but riding around on a lawn mower with a whip? That doesn’t sound real stable Dorothy.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I reckon you’re right about that but I think it was just because he’d been drinking since breakfast after being drunk the day before. I think it just caught up with him this time.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I want you to keep my cell phone number in your purse and call me if you think he’s going to hurt someone. Don’t call 911, call me and I will be here in a flash. Then I’ll bring in the troops as needed, okay? You know, I just live about a mile down the road in The Oaks so even if I’m not on duty, I can be here in two minutes.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Thank you Nolan, thank you.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He handed her two of his cards. Her hands were shaking so much she couldn’t take them from him.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Here Dorothy, I’ll put them on the table, but you get them later on and keep them close.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> They were quiet for a while. Nolan liked her little trailer. It was clean with lots of pictures of her grandchildren. He had 3 grand kids himself and thought they were about the same ages as hers. He shouldn’t be thinking the things he was, his wife would cry if she knew, but he still thought Dorothy was a beautiful woman. He liked looking at her diploma on the wall. She was a good nurse, always easy to work with, always easy on the eyes, and still was. He felt those feelings stir, started to reach out to steady her shaking hands when Cristy walked in the door.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh momma, I’m so sorry about Daddy.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She walked over to Dorothy and put her arms around her without even noticing Nolan.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Honey, it’s going to be okay. Nolan here is going to look out for him.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy turned to see him for the first time.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh Nolan, I’m sorry, I didn’t even see you. I was so set on hugging Momma, I didn’t look around.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s alright Cristy. I just thought it would be best to sit with Dorothy until you got here. I’ll head down to the station now to make sure he’s being well cared for. I’ll bet he’s sleeping like a baby but just in case things get out of hand, I want to be there. Cristy, you be sure and tell Bill what all’s happened. I want him to be aware. Your daddy, for whatever reason, is pissed off and Bill’s number one on his list.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Thank you again Nolan.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No problem ladies. Bye now.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> As Nolan walked to his car, he gave himself the speech.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <i>She is not your wife, she is a citizen, and you are to protect her. You are not to hold her hands, you are not to kiss her lips, or sleep beside her in her bed while her husband is in jail. You are a public servant who enforces the law, you do not break them.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He sighed after he sat down in the seat. He thought it a shame such a beauty was standing by such a loser of a man. But then he guessed his wife could say the same thing about him. If Dorothy had ever given him the slightest bit of a chance, he’d be right there, making sweet love to that woman, all night long.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy sat down where Nolan had been.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Your Daddy pretty much did it this time. He mowed down a whole flower bed, hit a car, almost hit a kid and had a whip out yelling something about Bill.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “A whip? He was driving the mower around with a whip?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “In broad daylight for all of the world to see, yes baby, he was. Then he hit the tree, was arrested, spit at a cop then passed out in the backseat. I’ve never seen him that bad before, and I’ve seen him pretty much out of his tree.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “And the Bernard woman, she’s out for blood but since he was just driving a mower, there’s not much she can do. Her husband will be fit to be tied, so it’s probably a good thing Frankie’s behind bars tonight or else he’d probably get his ass kicked. Luther Bernard doesn’t put up with a lot and will not be happy about his wife’s car.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy went to the fridge and got them both a bottle of water. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “What do you think we should say to Jay and Katie? Their Poppa Frankie’s in jail for riding a mower around yelling about their dad?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Do we have to say anything? I don’t want them to feel bad.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Momma, if we don’t, the kids at school tomorrow will. They’re going to hear it and then the story won’t be from us. I’ve been there done that growing up and it sure ain’t easy.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I know, you’re right, baby. We’ll tell them the truth. Lay it out on the table that way if anybody says something at school they can just say, ‘I know all about it’ and move on. I just hate they have to deal with his stuff. Frankie has got to get control! When he gets out of jail, I’m really going to talk to him.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I think he called Bill this morning because when I talked to him he sounded upset and pretty much the only time he gets cross is when Daddy has been messing with him.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Does he know about this?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I haven’t told him yet. I mean, how can I?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I know honey, but he’s got to know. I don’t think Frankie would ever harm him physically, but he still needs to know, to watch his back just in case your Daddy loses it again.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You’re right momma, I just hate hurting Bill, you know?” Dorothy nodded. He was the salt of the earth. “You mind if I call him right now, get it over with before the bus gets here?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Course not. Go ahead. I think I’m going to lie down in my bed for a few minutes, recharge my battery, because it’s pretty shot right now.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy walked back to her room, laid on top of her covers. She closed her eyes listening to Cristy’s voice coming from the living room. Such a sweet girl, always worrying about other people’s well being. How Frankie was her father was a mystery. Not a medical mystery of course, she was there when that happened, but how Frankie was able to have his DNA alive and breathing in such a beautiful angel was nothing short of a miracle. And Dorothy thanked God every day Cristy was her best friend, her daughter, and was so sorry she had to carry the burden of Frankie. She was sorry they all did.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy was actually able to fall asleep for awhile. She woke up to hear Bill talking to Katie and Jay. He explained to them Poppa Frankie had a little too much to drink, had a couple of accidents and said things he didn’t mean. They asked questions like, how much damage did he do, was anybody hurt, did he say cuss words real loud again, will he be in the jail long, do you think he would ever hurt us. Valid questions and Bill answered every one of them just as a gentleman would. No, not much damage was done, nobody was hurt except Frankie’s head, he wasn’t sure what his exact words were, no he won’t be in jail for more than a night, and he would never hurt us.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She could hear Cristy telling them if any of the kids at school mentioned it to just tell them they already knew the details and that their Poppa feels real bad about everything.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> That was a sweet lie.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy sat up and fluffed her hair a little bit, straightened out her blouse, then walked into the living room.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Grandmommy! Are you okay?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Katie ran over to hug her. She was so much like her mother.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Jay wanted some love too, so he was right behind her. “Grandmommy we’re sorry about Poppa Frankie. He got a little crazy today, I guess.” Jay and his freckles, he had angel kisses all over his face.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, babies, he sure did, but you know, this could be a good lesson for him. A night on a cot at the police station may make him realize how good he’s got it here with all of us. Sometimes adults make mistakes and then they have to be punished and I think he’ll learn from this, I really do.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Dorothy, I just told the kids and Cristy I’m going to take everybody out to dinner tonight. Does the Fish & More sound good to you?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Bill, you’re so sweet to offer, but this day has just kind of worn me out. I think I’m going to stay home tonight even though I’d like being with all of you. I’ve got some leftovers in the fridge I can heat up. I’ll be fine”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Are you sure Grandmommy? Fish and chips would be pretty good tonight …”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m sure they would be but y’all go on and have a good time.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill and Cristy searched her eyes closely when they left to make sure she was really okay. Her eyes said that yes, she really wanted to just be quiet, and think for the night. It seemed like it had been forever since she had just felt peaceful.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> After they left, Dorothy opened a bottle of wine she had been keeping under the sink just in case Frankie got in and started looking for liquor. When he ran out, he had no problem knocking on her door asking for more. Plus this one was special. The last time Cristy and Bill went to California on vacation, they brought it back for her. It was from a fancy vineyard called Artesa and she had been saving it for a special occasion. Frankie making an ass of himself and landing it in jail was not what she had in mind, but she would drink to it anyway.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She opened the bottle, poured the red wine into the crystal glass she didn’t use very often, then to no one at all she said, “Cheers Frankie. You’ve managed to really embarrass us this time. Here’s to you, guy.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She took a long sip letting the warmth help.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy sat down on the couch. She didn’t want to watch TV, she didn’t really want to read, which was unusual. She just wanted to be. She wanted to figure out how it got to this point. Her phone had been ringing since about an hour after the arrest was made but she didn’t want to talk. She knew her girl friends were worried about her, but she wanted to be alone with her thoughts before she started fielding questions. Nolan had been pretty inquisitive and she hoped she hadn’t given too much away. Frankie had bruised her more, pushed her more, cussed at her more, but she didn’t want him to wind up in prison. Jail for one night was bad enough, but real time would be awful for him.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> When they were dating, he wasn’t this bad. He drank, he smoked, but he was also cute and for the most part, polite. He was a little shy but could still make her laugh. He would say silly stuff to Cristy to make her giggle when she was swinging on the swing set they still had to this day between their two trailers. He would run underneath her then act like she’d pushed him down. She would laugh so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. One time they were playing hide and go seek and he pretended he thought he was hidden behind the very tree he hit today. When Cristy walked over to him, he would ease around the trunk and act like he thought she still couldn’t see him. It ended up with her running and him running right after her all around it, much different than today’s events. Today it was just him, his Jack Daniels, a whip and the police. Not so cute.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy slid down onto the floor and rummaged through the photo albums she kept in the coffee table cabinet. There was Cristy when she broke her arm on the playground at school. God Bless her, she just couldn’t hang on to the monkey bars. There were pictures of her at dance recitals, pee wee cheerleading, and sitting in Santa Clause’s lap. Dorothy grabbed an older album. There she was sitting with her Dad in bed. That was when he was pretty much out of it. That was after the accident. Things had started changing at that point.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie was working on the line at deck boat. He knew he was one of the best fiberglass guys they had and didn’t hesitate to let the world know it too. If it weren’t for him, the plant would pretty much shut down. They were lucky to have him. The guys on the front matter to the company’s bottom line that was for damn sure. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie was at his post when Hunt’s secretary came down to get him. She told him he needed to go up to the office. Mr. Hunt needed to speak to him.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <i>Well it’s about damn time</i>, he thought. <i>I’ve been deserving a promotion and a little recognition ever since I got here.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He walked up the stairs behind the secretary, noticed her nice ass in the skirt she was wearing, thought about grabbing it since he was about to move up in the world but decided to make her wait awhile longer for his piece of action. He would visit her again when he wore a suit. It would be worth the wait for her. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She knocked on Hunt’s door, opened it and told Frankie he could take a seat.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> As she closed the door, Hunt turned his chair around to face Frankie.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Before you say anything I just want you to know I understand how important a job well done is to this company and I’m honored to be one of your, how can I say this, one of your more valued employees. It is MY honor you called me in here today Mr. Hunt.” </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Frankie looked the man straight in the face with conviction.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Hunt then looked back down at the file in front of him. What it held inside was a pink slip. The plant had been making fewer boats and Todd, Frankie’s partner was far better in production than Frankie would ever hope to be. The company couldn’t afford to keep both of them, one had to go, and Frankie was it.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Actually Mr. Walker,”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You can call me Frankie, unless you prefer Frank. I’m fine with either, I’m just glad to be here, um, Sir.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie fidgeted with the armrest and wondered why they had such cheap office furniture where the big wigs did business. He would change that as soon as he had the authority. The place needed a little more class, a little more decoration.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Okay, Frank, I know you do a good job on the fiberglass line, but the truth is, we’re starting to scale back a bit. The speed boats are selling more than the deck boats are and bottom line is the company has to let some people go. I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’re one of the casualties of the market we are experiencing today.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Mr. Hunt opened the file to the pink slip.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He picked it up, handed it to Frankie along with his final check.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Attached you will find your paycheck for the past two weeks as well as vacation time compensation you have accumulated throughout your time with Deck Boat. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “What the hell?” Frankie looked bewildered. “You’re fucking firing my ass? I can’t believe this!”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie grabbed at the official papers.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Mr. Walker, I know this isn’t easy for you to hear, it isn’t easy for me to say, but we are in the process of scaling back, repositioning ourselves in order to adjust to the market.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Then who the hell is going to do the fiberglass? That joke of an idiot Todd? I have seniority over him. If anybody goes, it’s him by golly!”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m sorry, but his output is greater than yours and honestly, his quality is better too.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You’ve got to be shitting me here! Todd wouldn’t know a quality job if it crawled up his ass and bit him!”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “This meeting is over Mr. Walker. Take your check, get your things, and go. You are no longer employed at Deck Boat, Inc. Thank you for your service, sir.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Hunt stood up with his finger poised and ready to go on top of the ‘security’ button.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie grabbed his check, flung open the door, muttering something about ‘sons of bitches in suits’ then stormed out of the plant. He left his lunch box and jacket behind.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He got in his truck and started driving. It was 2:30. He usually picked Cristy up from the hospital day care at 4:45, 15 minutes after he usually left the plant, so he had a little over 2 hours to figure out what the hell he was going to do for a job now that Hunt had just shit on him. He drove to the beer barn, got him a 12 pack, a fifth of whiskey, a coke and went down to the lake. He sat on a picnic table and watched the water, watched the boaters, and knew he was screwed. He didn’t really have a skill other than fiberglass. He had barely graduated from high school, pissed off pretty much every other employer in town, which comprised of about 5 of them, and was not going to work at the damn grocery store.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He stood up and threw his beer can toward the water.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “FUCK! NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? HUH?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The universe was quiet. He did not get an answer.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He sat out on the table by the water until his watch said 4:20 then started back toward his truck. He crawled up onto the seat, took a deep breath, and finally started the engine up. He would have to tell Dorothy. He couldn’t hide it from her. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> As he drove, he tried to find the words. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Hey, honey, I got canned today.</span></i></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Babe, Hunt fired me but what’s for dinner?</span></i></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Sweetie, did you know I learned that people don’t buy as many deck boats as they used to? Yes, and that’s why they fired me today!</span></i></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie was deep in thought while he drove to the hospital, so much so, he didn’t see the beer truck of the very same brand he had just bought and consumed, headed right through the red light it should have been stopping at. Frankie’s signal was green, yes, so he proceeded through the intersection when the truck slammed into the passenger side of his truck. It nailed him good. Even though alcohol was detected on Frankie’s breath, it was not cited as the cause of the accident. Apparently the beer truck driver had consumed quite a bit more of his own inventory and was in a little more trouble than Frankie.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy was working ER when they brought the accident victim in. She entered the room prepared to help the wounded then began sobbing.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “OH FRANKIE! MY GOD THIS IS FRANKIE!”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The other nurses rushed in to help her, to hold her up. He wasn’t good. He had multiple fractures, one lung had collapsed. He was not responsive. </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dr. Bates told Dorothy she was off duty for the day, to go get Cristy from the day care, and wait outside. He would let her know when he could how Frankie was doing and to not worry.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The recovery was hell. His right arm was broken, his right leg was so broken it needed pins, his right eye had to be placed back inside its socket, and he was not to even think about walking for the next 6 months.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And Dorothy was his only caregiver. And she had to work and take care of Cristy too.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie hired a lawyer to negotiate with the Beer Company. He settled for $500,000 and signed every document they had saying they were done with him. He would take his money and run. It gave them enough to put into savings, live off the interest and have Dorothy quit working so she could nurse him back to health. Dorothy never really planned on leaving the hospital but she was between a rock and a hard place and didn’t see she had any other option.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie took his pain pills, as many as he could talk her into giving him, and slept a lot. Cristy would crawl all over him and most days he thought it was funny, but every now and then he would get a little irritable with them. Dorothy told herself it was just the pain talking and not to give it much thought. Just keep him comfortable, help him get better then maybe he could start thinking about another job. Get him out of the house some.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> But he wasn’t really looking forward to the grind again. Frankie liked Dorothy waiting on him, cooking for him, taking care of the baby, always just a holler away. He just didn’t like the nagging she would pull every now and then.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Frankie, you really need to do your exercises. Your leg’s not going to get better if you don’t start doing what your physical therapist told you to do. Here, I can help if you want me to.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Damn it Dorothy, I know what my body needs and it needs rest right now. I’ll start on that stuff when it’s time and it ain’t time yet and I know it. They say listen to the pain, and that’s what I’m doing, I’m listening to it, medicating it, and will stay ahead of it with the pain pills until it gets the hell out of my body. Now are we square with that?”</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy knew her hands were tied. If she argued he would get himself all worked up and fall down like he did the other day when he got mad at her for not bringing his beer to him while he was watching the Price’s Right. He didn’t want to swallow the pill with water, he wanted a damn beer. Even though the beer truck caused all this commotion in the first place, he still got thirsty for one every now and then, and where was she anyway?</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She had been changing Cristy’s diaper and had told him just a minute, but apparently he didn’t have a minute to spare, so he got his crutches, started hobbling towards the fridge when his good foot stepped on one of Cristy’s rattles and down he went. Oh, he was so mad. He had yelled everything he could think of at her. She came running then, by God, and got him back in his chair. Bob Barker didn’t know what all had just happened so he kept spinning the wheel and giving the cars and money away. And all Frankie had wanted was one damn beer so he could swallow his pain pill.</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy held the picture a long time: Baby Cristy, sitting on top of Frankie’s chest, his arm in a cast, his wavy brown hair a mess with her clapping. His eye was still a little crooked and probably always would be. Now he was in the jail for the night and Dorothy didn’t want to be but she worried about him. He was always with her, that is, until she went back to her trailer after she had had just about enough. What was he thinking? And Bill was just about the sweetest, sincere, most honest person she had ever met. She didn’t understand what Frankie was thinking carrying on the way he was. It took time to get a business started and he was doing it, well. He had the best reputation in town, Cristy adored him, he was good to his kids. What else could a man do to be any better?</span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy finished her glass of wine, poured a second, then turned on the CD player. She stretched out on the sofa, looked at her pictures and hoped Frankie was okay while he was locked up. She also hoped he wasn’t causing too much trouble in there, she knew how he could be at times, and this was certainly a time.</span></div><div class="yiv686316635MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_1_1315793213689229" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div></span></span>aaaandreaaaahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08547895408885239983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-48789470400428297222011-07-31T12:56:00.000-05:002011-07-31T12:56:13.376-05:00Gallery of Pets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HRfVSL-0P2c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">My brother Joe and his wife Glenda own this pet shop in Austin ... he is holding the dog and Glenda has the bird Bailey on her shoulder ... beautiful store!!! If you live in the area, go check the place out!</span></span></b></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">This is what I am inspired by right <a href="http://www.galleryofpets.com/">now.</a> It has been a rough week, but keep the faith. </span></span></b></h6>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-16629397921099167932011-07-25T13:41:00.000-05:002011-07-25T13:41:31.370-05:00Frankie Walker- Chapter Three<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It hadn’t been easy for Frankie growing up. His mother and dad were always fighting, always drinking, and always, always yelling at each other. And here he was the youngest of 6, trying to make it on his own, even at age 7. He slept in boxes, listened to rats chewing through, beat them off after they did, and warmed up stew in the can over the pot burner he randomly made ready as he needed it in the backyard when the lights had been turned off. If they weren’t going to cook, by God he would. He had to eat. His body needed it and it tasted good. He worked at odd jobs and that was the way he lived for a long, long time. So when he got his Deck Boat job, he felt powerful. He felt like he was finally good at something, and the rest of the world should bow down and praise the Frankie, King of Fiberglass.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Reality was, on the assembly line, Frankie was suitable, but not outstanding. He was fast, yes, but a bit sloppy, and from the viewing area above, he could always be seen glancing over at the painter girl’s breasts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He was groping them with his eyes at least 80% of the time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> That didn’t go over well with management.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> But he was good at what he did, so Mr. Hunt decided to keep him on the line, until, or if, he really screwed up. Then that would be it for Frankie. Plus Hunt knew about Cristy and didn’t want to cause Dorothy any worry or harm. She was always so nice to talk to you, even about boots.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy kept driving on the road headed east to nowhere. She had been, she guessed, 45 minutes just thinking about nothing, headed out through the world, the space outside of Frankie. He always kept such a strong hold on her, this was a rare and blessed event to look at the prairie instead of his angry, drunken eyes. She turned up the radio to hear Robert Earl Keen Jr. singing about the road that never ends then Lucinda Williams sang about a drunken angel then John Prine said it all when he told the story of Sam Stone. Some people had it worse than her that was for sure. Not many, but at least there were a few. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">She turned the volume up to hear the road, to listen to the tires, the groove, the voices heaven brings to those down here driving around the country, looking for directions to relief.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy got to work on time, as usual, and was pleased with herself for losing 2 and a half pounds the past week. Her Weight Watchers meeting had become a source of inspiration for her. She had lost a total of 18 pounds and had only been going for 6 weeks. It felt good to talk about the shame her weight brought her, the load she carried mentally as well as physically, then to hear other people’s struggles. Not all had as much weight to lose as she did but everyone in that room struggled with overeating. Whether you had 15 pounds to lose or 50, your pants still didn’t fit right and that hurt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Before she started going to the meetings, she would look at women complaining their size 6s were tight and hate them because she couldn’t even squeeze into a 16. But after hearing them talk about their disgust for themselves she realized everyone had a demon talking to them. Her demon was bigger, yes, but there’s not a demon around that doesn’t make a person feel bad. And working Mom’s just didn’t need anything else heaped up onto their already burdened shoulders. But Cristy couldn’t wait to call Bill and tell him he had less of her to love. He was so good to her. He told her if she didn’t lose one pound, he didn’t care. In fact, if she gained a pound he would love it just as much as the others. He said he didn’t want to be discriminatory to any little piece of her. Then he kissed her long and told her how beautiful she was.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And Cristy felt it inside. She knew he wasn’t just saying it to make her feel good. She had somehow married the most fantastic man on the earth and didn’t let one day go by without telling him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She also enjoyed the recipes she got from the meetings. Each week the instructor would have one written up on the blackboard. She always carried a spiral notebook in with her so she could write it down. Sometimes her mother would call her at work later in the day and ask her what she needed from the store and then go get it for her so she could make it that night. After awhile, her notebook would be full of delicious healthy weight reducing recipes she could share with the whole family, not that the kids or Bill needed to lose weight. They were all of normal size, but were excited to eat what she made, and were glad to see her smile so much lately.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> If only her dad could see how happy Bill made her. All he saw was the lie he chose to believe. Here Bill was working from dusk until dawn, most Saturdays and then as soon as he got home he played with the kids outside, helped Cristy with the dishes after dinner and asked her about her day before they went to bed. He told her he loved her every time they talked on the phone and right before he went to sleep. He didn’t drink too much, smoke at all, and was nice to just about everybody in town. He was the complete opposite of Frankie Walker.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And she loved her dad – that was the hard part. Yes he was an ass and she knew it, but she loved him anyway. The fights she remembered her parents having were awful, sometimes even the police got to play out a part in the drama Frankie carried with him, and she felt so sorry for Dorothy her mother. She had hung in there that was for sure, and was still sticking around. Why she did, Cristy never knew. They didn’t talk about it a lot. Dorothy was a loyal woman that was for sure. And Cristy just tried to be a happy spot in her life like Bill was for her. God had given her the best husband in the world so she would do anything to bring her mom a little bit of joy since she had ended up with one of the worst. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Why does it all happen the way it does? Cristy shook her head. It was ironic as hell.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill was having a busy morning what with all the 7:00 a.m. drop offs and pick-ups, the emergency’s. Bobbie Scott, the mayor, his Suburban’s electrical system was going hay wire and then Dr. Bates, the town’s brightest doctor, was having trouble with his Jeep. It was a good thing Bill had a few rentals on the lot and had the expertise to deal with all makes and models. Some of the foreign ones like Volvo and Mercedes, they were still not completely well versed in, but they could certainly wing it. And plus, there weren’t too many of those running around town yet thank goodness. But they would be soon, and he would be ready for them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill sat in his office drinking a little coffee after all the chaos had died down. It was about ten o’clock and he wanted to call Cristy and see how the weigh in went but if it was bad, he didn’t want to upset or embarrass her. She would call when she wanted to talk. And either way he was happy. He knew she was trying, liked the meetings, and would be positive no matter what the scale said. Still, she was a woman, and sometimes, things could be confusing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The parts order was done for the day, the work orders were entered into the system and Margaret was back there putting the printed tickets into the pickup tray. All the guys were at their posts, including his best mechanic Richard. He was back there whistling away to Willie Nelson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain</i>, leaning over a white 2001 Mazda MPV van the people told him was called Sparky. He cracked up over that. Sure, he was a car man, he understood naming them, but Sparky? The more he looked at the little thing though, the more he was sure the name fit. It carried the family around no matter what with vim and vigor. Sparky just had a little ‘cold’ Bill and his guys would be able to fix by the time school let out. He liked the mom. She was pretty cool. She always told him the name of the van as if she was dropping off “Rover the Dog” and looked back as she walked to the parking lot to make sure he was okay. She took care of her own and Sparky would take care of her for another 100,000 miles. He just needed a spa day every now and then. Bill didn’t do this for everybody, but for this one, he always made sure they vacuumed Sparky out before they sent him back to her. And she always said thank you. That went a long way in the car business.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill had an interview at 10:30 for another mechanic. He had 3 including Richard, but needed at least 2 more. Cristy had worried about putting in so many lifts when he built the garage but Bill knew they would need them some day, as word spread. And then there was the sixth, unfinished side garage he kept closed. He would eventually make that the State Inspection area. And if business kept up the way it had, that little dream would become a reality and Cristy could finally quit her job at the tax office. He would have her at home with her kids and her mom would be over all the time, and she would smile. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Not that she didn’t now, but life would be a hell of lot easier for her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The phone rang so Bill grabbed it knowing Margret was back there in the back with the new morning tickets. And he regretted it as soon as he heard the voice on the other end.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Bill’s garage, Bill speaking.” He always said it that way to let the person on the other end know it was him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Godamnit Bill, why don’t you hire yourself a secretary? You should be under a car or something back there in the garage earning money. Shouldn’t you be working instead of answering the phone like a little girl?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hello Frankie.” Bill’s throat tightened.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Yes, greetings to you too, idiot. Look, I’m worried about Cristy. She’s working down in the basement of that tax office everyday and your kids are over here every afternoon after school eating all our food and making a hell of a lot of noise, and I just don’t think it is right Bill! Why can’t you make something of yourself? Huh?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I have Frank. I have a good business here!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “And why do you have her thinking she’s fat? That precious angel is probably just over eating because she has to steal money from honest working people everyday down there in that damn basement! I can just see her at lunch time eating in the dark kitchenette while the line gets longer and longer in front of her register! I didn’t raise my daughter to be stuck down in a basement making people pay their taxes to her all day long while getting fatter and fatter!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “She’s not fat Frank and I think you’ve said enough.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “If she’s not fat, then why do you have her signed up for Weight Watchers, Bill?”<br />
“I don’t have her there – she joined on her own. I love her no matter what and she knows that and you would too if you already weren’t too drunk to remember!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Well, you son of a bitch, I ought to drive down there right now and let you really have it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Too bad you can’t Frank. How long you been without your license now?” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Well, that’s no thanks to you and your big mouth. I was fine that night but no, you’ve got to make a little call and then I’m surrounded by uniforms with guns and badges. And speaking of retarded men, how are your employees? Still hiring the mentally challenged down there?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie chuckled a little over that one.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “My mechanics are very good Frank. They are highly trained professionals that can work on most every make and model. And I’m hanging up now because I’m about to interview yet another highly trained professional to add to my team so BYE!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill slammed the phone down, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead, just in time for the new hire walking into the building with Margaret. His hand was still gripping the handset when Eric appeared in the doorway. He was skinny, dark haired, dirty finger nails, just what you’d expect. He told Bill he used to work down at the Chevrolet House but that he wanted to branch out and start doing a little bit of everything. Bill had seen the boy’s resume, talked to him enough to know he was able to do the job, but wanted to let him know what was expected before he told him, yes, you’re hired. But first he would have to unhinge his hand from the phone he still gripped with a sneer on his face.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Eric sat down in Bill’s office scared to death. This man looked like a mad dog gone wild. Eric waited until Bill spoke. He was nothing like Eric remembered the first time he met him. Before he was happy, showed him around the place, told him to come back for the second interview which just involved some paper work and then he would have the job. Eric started second guessing his resignation from the Chevy house.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill looked down at the desk, unclasped the phone, then shuffled some papers around, got upset because he didn’t see Eric’s paperwork, picked up a different phone to call Margaret, then set it back down after she said it was sitting on the desk to the right, pretty much in front of him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill took a deep breath in while Eric thought back to his days at the dealership. Mr. McCain owned it, ran it, ruled over it and he had hoped Bill would be different. He was creative with engines, with cars in general and had always taken pride in his work. He could look at pretty much any moving mechanical part, talk to it, think about it, be with it for a while, and then have it figured out. He wasn’t afraid of foreign machines, old machines, or screwed up machines, he was up for the challenge. His grades had never been that good in school, but he had never really cared too much about that because Eric had just always wanted the hell out of there. He wanted to be in a garage with engines and he wanted to fix them. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He used to take everything apart his family gave him. Be it a remote controlled car, a go kart when he really scored, his hair dryer, his sister’s hair dryer which didn’t go over well. He just loved to know and understand the way everything worked. And he was quick. He was smart. He was a natural. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And Bill saw that the first time he talked to him and had big plans for Eric. He would hopefully be the main mechanic under Richard’s supervision while Bill ran the State Inspections in the future, so that Cristy could stay at home. And so that asshole Frank would stop calling him at work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Eric looked around the office and saw that it looked legit, hell it looked better than the Chevy house, but Bill was sweating like somebody who’d just been visited by the IRS.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hey, Bill, if this isn’t a good time, I can come back later.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, no, I’m sorry Eric, this is a great time. And all I really need to do is show you the paper work and then you’re hired. That damn phone, it will be the death of me. I shouldn’t have answered it but I did and now I’m pissed off. Damn father-in-law, asshole, nothing that’s your fault.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill heard himself be unprofessional and stopped.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “God, Eric, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Here, just fill these forms out and then Margaret will process the details. But he’s just such an ass, you know?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Eric looked down at the forms while Bill turned away to take a look at the mechanics in the garage. Richard was working on a transmission, Gary was doing a break job and Joe was looking at a van up on the lift. They were all into their own projects which Eric liked to see. It seemed as if Bill was real hands off, not bugging them like his old boss did, but Bill being in the frenzy the way he was, could be a red flag. Eric had heard things about Bill’s father-in-law, Freaky Frankie, and could understand why a call from him could be disruptive to a business and a person.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> While he filled out the forms asking for his Social Security number, Driver’s license number, home address, phones numbers and such, he looked up at Bill and asked, “Why did you answer the phone if you knew it was him?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill had gone back to moving things around on the desk. He had the stapler to the right, the three hole punch to the left and all the parts invoices in the middle. The tickets for the day were settled to the side by the computer and the next day’s work was in the plastic holder nailed up next to the window that opened up from the office window to the garage. Bill looked a little more settled because at least the papers were in the right spot.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I don’t have the damn caller ID, but believe me, after today I’m getting it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill scooted a few more invoices around and put them to the left of the desk into a neat pile to deal with later, after he had calmed down.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hey, I’ve heard all about Frank and I feel for you Bill. If you want, I can get all the phones in here on caller ID and then you won’t have to mess with him anymore. You can pick up or not. It’s really pretty easy.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill stopped shuffling papers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Can you get it on my home phone too?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Eric said that yes, he could, easy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Sure.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “You know you’re hired.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “And I’m good to go with other projects too. Just let me know. We can work out an hourly charge or a project charge whatever, but I can do more than cars, man. I’m good with electrical and technology.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill shook his head over and over and over, “Yes, just let me know. I can use you. And I want it to be fair. So whether it is cars or phones or door alarms, you tell me your cost and we’ll make it so, okay?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Eric said no problem, walked around the garage again, then said he would unload his tool chest into the stall that would now be known as ‘Eric’s’ space. The other guys greeted him, said good luck, and welcomed him aboard. Eric shook their hands, let them get back to work, then felt good in his spot. His tools looked nice backed up against the wall and Bill already had a job for him. Hell, he was so busy he had 5 jobs lined up for anybody who wanted them. They ranged from Ford Envoys to Chevy Tahoe’s but the main thing was that there was a stream of business unlike Eric had ever seen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">As he opened up the first hood, he felt like he had died and gone to heaven. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And if his new God needed a little help with the electronics, then he could make good money doing that too. No problem.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill couldn’t believe what an asshole Frank could be. He had called him, yet again, at his place of business, just to harass him about absolutely nothing at all! Absolutely nothing! He was just being a jackass! Bill was back in his office when the phone rang. That damn Margaret was now on smoke break so he had to answer it. If it was Frank he was going to come completely unglued by God, come unfucking glued.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Bill’s garage. Bill speaking.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Don’t let it be him, don’t let it be him, please don’t let it be.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Bill, Hi! It’s me. I thought you would want to know the number this week and I’ve just now gotten a break to call you.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> His love. Her voice washed over him, clearing away some of the bad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Cristy, oh Cristy, Love, I’m so glad you called. I know you did good this morning just by hearing your voice.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I lost 2 and a half pounds. Yes!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She was jumping up and down at her desk. God Bless.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s great my angel! And I’m so happy you feel good!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, I do Bill, I feel so good, and these meetings are great for me. I feel like I belong somewhere with people who have the same struggles that I do, and listen to this, today I got a recipe for the Weight Watcher’s Cheese Soup – this thing, Bill, this thing is incredible! It tastes like a real cheese soup but I can still eat it, so the whole family can enjoy! It has cabbage in it so we can never tell the kids but the taste will keep them coming back for more, I’m telling you! Oh, I can’t wait to make it!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s great honey.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill shuffled Eric’s new hire papers around on the office desk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Are you okay Bill?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy seemed worried.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh yeah, I’m fine darling, we’re just busy. I’m hiring another guy and I’ve got some maintenance to do up here and a bunch of jobs on the list, that’s all. How is it where you are?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, I’m good. I’ve got a line waiting, but I don’t care right now, because I’ve lost a hell a lot of weight and I’m on the way to losing more and I’ve got a kick ass husband. Life is good!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Cristy had to wipe a tear away as she looked around the corner at the people gathered in front of her desk. Yes they needed help and looked a bit annoyed but she would get to them just as soon as she could stop crying her tears of joy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie was furious. Who in the holy hell did he think he was? Bill just hung up on him! And was that right? Hell no, that wasn’t right! No God loving American would think that was okay for a retired Father-in-law to be treated that way. Bill was way, way out of line. And where had Dorothy gone off to? It was lunch time and he had nothing but left over gravy from breakfast. Sure, he could heat up some frozen dinner, but she said she would be back, so he didn’t want to do that just yet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She was probably out with those gossipy old biddies she sometimes had lunch with, or maybe even taking lunch over to Bill’s garage which he hated the thought of. Let the damn sons of bitches starve to death, that’s what he always said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Or maybe she was with Cristy. She sometimes brought Cristy lunch and they ate together in the break room. When she was down there in that basement her phone wouldn’t work. Of course not, under all that concrete and structure. Frankie hated the fact both of their phones wouldn’t work real good under there in that hole in the earth Cristy had to go to everyday because Bill couldn’t support her with his big time Garage salary. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Way to go big shot.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Way to go.</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie got himself another beer since he couldn’t talk to nobody on the phone. The soldiers lined up neatly in the fridge gladly gave way to the next one going down, and Frankie thanked them for being so ready, so strong, so much better than his own damn son in law named Bill.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> If Bill had been in charge of the refrigerator, Frankie was sure the outcome would have been much different in there. There would be oil, grease, mayhem, people who didn’t even show up, and a boss who didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. The beer soldiers would say, “Kiss my Ass.” The bologna troupe would say, “Bill you’re, a freakin’ freak!” And the casserole group would push themselves out and over into the disposal just to get away from him. Frankie was sure that if Bill was in charge of his fridge, the cool air would shut down immediately. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie took a big drink of beer all the while thinking Bill was just an embarrassment to the whole family. And with all his stuff, they just didn’t need any more shit hanging over their heads. People in town talked enough as it was. “Frankie Walker ain’t no count.” “Frankie Walker’s just a crazy drunk!” “Frankie Walker don’t take care of his wife.” People don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. They think they know sure, but they don’t. Those blabber mouths don’t know how hard he’s worked and how much he puts up with from Dorothy, all her nagging and such. Nothing’s ever good enough for her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie turned on the TV then turned it back off again. Nothing but game shows and people talking about their personal business to a studio full of folks they didn’t even know. It was a crying shame, people airing their dirty laundry out in public like that. And Frankie was sure most of it was made up anyway. People couldn’t possibly be that screwed up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Damn, he was hungry. Where was Dorothy again? The beers he had were sneaking up on him so he would need to be careful lest he do something to piss her off again. Then she would nag him, and then he would tell her the what for, then the po-po would come again and then his ass would be in jail for the evening.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Got to watch his back because there sure as hell wasn’t anybody else around here doing it.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He’d learned that lesson the hard way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie decided to go out to the shed he kept full of his lawn equipment, fertilizer, old stuff he’d saved. He opened the door to see the only form of transportation that hadn’t been taken away from him, his riding lawn mower. It sure was nice. He had splurged when he bought it. He really didn’t need one that big but he figured since he was doing 2 yards every week, he deserved it. He could get on that thing and just cut the grass. Nobody could sass him, bother him, and it was relaxing to go back and forth, back and forth, seeing the cut grass behind him looking so good. He took pride in his yard work, by God, there wasn’t another trailer in the whole neighborhood had a yard like him and Dorothy. It was September so the grass had stopped growing as fast as it did during the summer months but really, it could use a cutting before it got real cold, so Frankie decided to get his mower out and get it done. Plus if he was busy he wouldn’t think about how hungry he was and maybe by the time he was finished, Dorothy would be back to get him a sandwich or something. Maybe even warm up that left over greasy fried chicken she tried to kill him with the night before.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The mower fired right up but Frankie didn’t want to mow alone so he ran inside the house to get a glass of Jack Daniels and ice. That sounded like just the ticket. Since it was noon, he was getting kind of tired of the beer he’d had since breakfast. It was time to step it up a notch and get a new taste sensation going on, plus he was feeling a little bloated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie sat down on the seat of the mower and put his plastic cup between his legs. He roared out of the shed ready to make the world a prettier place. He did Dorothy’s first just so maybe if she came home pretty soon she wouldn’t bug him about the red plastic cup. Then he did his own yard, refilled his cup, and decided to spread the love even further. He did the entrance to the trailer park but that didn’t take very long, so then he decided he had enough gas to keep going. Plus it felt good to be driving again. Jack thought they needed a refill so he obliged then ventured out onto the easement between the road and the fence. Jack told him he was doing a good thing by mowing the common areas like he was. The city ought to commend him for taking care of business the way he was doing. Jack thought the city probably paid at least $10 an hour for the workers to mow it and here Frankie was doing it for free. Hell, it was costing him money, using his own gas and all, not to mention the wear and tear on his mower, and he would never be repaid but that’s what aide workers did for the community. It was a noble act.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">That Bill, he would never do anything like this, give to the community. Hell no, he would probably charge double and not even do the damn work! Probably just turn in his invoice and go back to that damn garage of his.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The honking truck that barely missed hitting Frankie halted his thoughts for a minute. Jack told him apparently they had ventured out on to the road a bit too much and just about got flattened like a pancake by that truck. Frankie agreed that yeah, they almost met their maker just then. So, they decided to take it back closer to home. If he hadn’t been so upset with Bill the near miss never would have happened. Frankie stopped by the shed but left the mower running. He needed some kind of weapon in case Bill decided to drag his lazy ass over for some kind of confrontation. A man could never be too careful when it came to the likes of his daughter’s husband. Jack suggested Frankie grab the old whip his daddy had passed down to him. His Daddy ran a few cows and didn’t mind showing them the what for every now and then. And Frankie would be glad to show Bill the what for as well. He refreshed Jack, got back on the mower and set the whip down crossways at his feet. Now, what else could he mow?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The lady that lived down the way with all those kids could probably use a good mowing. He would just head down there and take care of her yard. Her husband would probably want to come down later after he got off from work to thank Frankie for helping them out. Frankie knocked that one out quick but then, when he was headed to his next destination, he nicked the old car parked in the driveway just a little.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> He saw the lady look out her window and she didn’t look all that happy with Frankie’s work. Hell, he’d just nicked the damn thing, it wasn’t like he’d hit it head on. People just weren’t appreciative of help anymore. Plus it was older than dirt. Her husband should have her driving something nicer anyway. With all those kids they had, she needed something more dependable. And so did Cristy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Bill had her driving the old mini-van and why? If he was such a big shot mechanic why didn’t he have her in something nicer like a Cadillac or a Mercedes Benz? His angel deserved an upgrade and Jack agreed with him whole heartedly. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy was driving back to her house with a bag of Sonic Burgers and 2 cokes when she got the call from Nolan. She had met Nolan years ago when she worked at the hospital. He was starting out as a policeman and sometimes had to escort people in, make arrests and such, and they hit it off early on but Dorothy was newly married to Frankie and newly pregnant with Cristy so she never let it go very far although Nolan would have let it go as far as he could. He adored Dorothy and to this day, even though he had a family of his own, and loved them, he wanted to look out for her. She was just one of those people he couldn’t get out of his heart no matter how many others resided there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> And plus, he knew all about Frankie and his shenanigans and wanted to protect her. That was his job as a public servant, to protect. And he kept her cell number in his book, just in case.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hello?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Dorothy, hey, this Nolan, and I just wanted to give you a heads up. Frankie’s in trouble.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh my God, what’s happened?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy pulled into the parking lot of the HEB grocery and braced herself for the worst. He was in such a mood lately and it was just getting worse and worse. She put the gear shift in park not caring she was taking up two spaces.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m in route to his trailer and I didn’t want you to be blindsided with this. I’m guessing you’re not there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, I’m not! I’m at the HEB. What has happened?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Well, it seems Frankie has managed to become completely intoxicated and it’s only 1:00 p.m. I don’t know all the details yet, but he’s been doing a little mowing and hit a parked car belonging to one of your neighbors. She’s pissed and wants to press charges against him. One of her kids barely missed being taken down and then another lady called in saying he took out half of her flower bed.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh Lord.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “That’s not all. He’s also got a whip he’s popping around yelling something about Bill. He’s riding his mower chasing an imaginary Bill telling him what a worthless piece of shit he is. He even went out onto the road, nearly got hit by a big truck, gave him the finger before he went back into the neighborhood. We’ve gotten quite a few calls but the latest one said right now he’s back in his yard going in circles around the tree, yelling something about his best friend Jack. I’m sorry Dorothy but I knew you’d want to know.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m so sorry Nolan.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Don’t be sorry to me, Honey, it’s not your fault. But we’re going to have to take him in for this one. We’ve got too many witnesses, several wanting to press charges, and I can’t make this one go away. Plus, I’m starting to worry about him at this point, and of course you.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m on my way Nolan. I need to be there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m pulling in right now, and yep there he is. I think I’ll let him keep going for a bit. I don’t even think he sees us. He’s pretty looped. Surely he’ll run out of gas pretty soon. A mower can only go so far.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, Nolan, thank you for calling. I’ll see you there. Nolan?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Yeah, Dorothy?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Please, please don’t shoot him.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Don’t worry. We’ll let him live this time.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The officers behind Nolan lined up their cars by the yard so that Frankie was contained and even the flashing lights didn’t distract him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Come back here Bill, take your medicine pardner! Get on over here and take it like a man instead of the sissy boy you are! Jack, Jack, we’re gaining on him I know it! Yeah, run away you little punk but we’ll catch you sure enough as shootin’!” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie looked down to take another swig with Jack so he just didn’t see the tree in time. The one he’d been circling around for about half an hour had somehow jumped out in front of him. He hit it head on making a nasty bruise on his forehead when it hit the steering wheel. For a while there things got real dark then all these guys were on him saying stuff like, “you’re under arrest sir for public intoxication, reckless endangerment, and property damage.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> They cuffed him right there in the yard by the tree. Dorothy pulled up just as he was being put into the police car. She looked around the houses to see the trail he’d left behind. He had mowed their yards but the rest of the grass looked like the mower had just gone off by itself. And the flower bed 3 doors down was just cut down to the dirt. Dorothy could see the smashed in corner of the Bernard’s Ford Taurus. Mrs. Bernard was already giving her statement to another policeman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Nolan walked over to her. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’m sorry Dorothy. I hate this.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> She looked around not believing what she was seeing. She had just taken a drive to clear her head and look what happened while she was gone. He had completely gone nuts. She shook her head, put her hands up to her face, trying to stop the tears, but they were coming anyway.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Nolan put his arm around her shoulders.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hey, the good news is he did all this with a mower and not a truck and really, it’s just a flower bed and the bumper of that old Taurus. I think she’s just trying to get some insurance money with this police report so she can buy food for those dirty kids she’s got in there so don’t beat yourself up about that. We’ll take him in today, I’ll talk to the judge. Frankie will spend the night sobering up then we’ll see what the day brings tomorrow, okay?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Okay, okay Nolan, but what about Cristy? What do I tell her and Bill?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I’d tell them the truth. Bill needs to know so he can be aware how much Frankie really hates him and Cristy needs to know her Daddy is someone she needs to be on guard around. I know he’s just drunk right now, but he was nothing short of enraged when we got here. And I’m worried about you too.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh, don’t worry about me, I can handle him.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy watched him throw his tantrum in the back seat of the locked car. He flailed around then started hitting his head on the window of the cruiser. The officer close by told him to stop it before he hurt himself even more so Frankie stuck his tongue out at him then spit on the glass. The cop looked over at Nolan who shook his head no, just leave him be. He’ll wear himself out after a while. No point in trying to reason with him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “He seems to be getting worse Dorothy. His drinking and this thing he’s got with Bill is out of control. I’m afraid he’s going to cross the line one day and actually hurt someone.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “No, Frankie wouldn’t go after Bill. He just, I don’t know. He’s just got so much going on in his head. And when I try to get him to stop drinking, that just makes it worse so I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut, but today, look at us. He’s been arrested. Oh, my God!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The tears fell down her face in sheets, solid sheets of pain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I need to call Cristy.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I think that’s a good idea. Maybe she can take off early and come over. The kids get off the bus here, right?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dorothy shook her head yes. And then cried some more because that was just two hours away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Hey, I’m going to send everybody back to the station and I’ll wait with you until Cristy can get here, okay? I don’t want you being here by yourself.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “And could you walk with me to the neighbors and let me tell them I’m so sorry for the damage he caused them?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “I can do that Dorothy. While you call Cristy, I’ll tell them to take him on over.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie had calmed down by the time the cruiser pulled out onto the main road and by the time they parked at the station, he was passed out. It took 3 men to haul him in. He briefly woke up when they finger printed him and took his picture but then as soon as he got to the cell, it was lights out again. They didn’t bother changing his clothes just yet. He had messed the ones up he had on and none of them really wanted to change him out of them. When he was sober, they’d have him do it himself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Frankie dreamed the rest of the afternoon and evening away. He was in his truck, driving fast down the two lane road outside of town headed to the lake. He was pulling his old deck boat and planned on doing some fishing. He had the cooler in the cab beside him full of ice and beers, the sun was shining and life was good. He had a picture of Cristy on his dashboard but when he reached out to touch it with his finger, some asshole reached in and took it right off the dash! When Frankie looked over to see who was in the cab with him, he saw Bill just sitting there on the passenger side of the truck grinning at him. Bill looked at the picture then stuck it inside his shirt pocket. He smiled as he said, “She’s mine Frankie. All mine.” And he laughed. He laughed his ass off right there in Frankie’s truck. He was drinking one of Frankie’s beers too. Laughing and drinking, rubbing his hand over the shirt pocket that held Cristy’s precious picture. “She’s a sweet one, Frankie.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> That’s when Frankie woke himself up screaming. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This time Frankie’s eyes were really shocked to see they weren’t in bed at home. The bedside table was not there. There was no place for the cigarettes or the empty glass. And his eyes saw he had on the same clothes, but they were really dirty, then his eyes hurt a bit. The bump just above them throbbed. No, this wasn’t what his eyes wanted to see at all, so he closed them up quick.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> “Oh man, what’s Bill done to us now?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> Dorothy drove down the road with shaking hands. Her doctor’s appointment wasn’t until next week, so she would probably have to tell another lie for that one, but that was okay. She would have one ready to go, anything to get out of there. He was mad at Bill, mad at her, and already drinking again despite the fact he drank himself silly the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dorothy decided to drive down by the park she used to take Cristy to when she was little. She was so cute with her little piggy tails and Mary Jane’s. She would clap the whole way there and then talk to every child she could find. If there was a stray dog on the playground, Cristy would pet it, name it, and love it. If there was a child no one else would play with, Cristy made friends. If someone fell, Cristy helped them find their mommy. She had always been, and still was, a jewel. She had the biggest heart a human body could hold and she freely shared the love she felt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy had always been so proud of her. Her conception had not been under the best of circumstances so it amazed her that Cristy had turned out so well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy had been working at the western wear store in Maypearle then going to nursing school up in Fort Worth at night. She drove a lot, stood a lot, and studied a lot. She mainly stayed in the Ladies department but every now and then if it got real busy she’d be moved over to the boot section. On this particularly fateful day, she was working the boots when young Frankie walked in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He strutted in wearing tight Wrangler blue jeans and a pearl snap button blue western shirt. The old boots he had on looked worn out and he looked like he was in a hurry. He had dark curly hair that hung past his collar, a mustache and beard, and an old felt hat. He paced around, looking uncomfortable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Can I help you sir?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yeah, yeah, hey, I’m needing a pair of cowboy boots for my company’s annual picnic and I just hate to shop. I think I want brown ropers but, hell, I don’t know.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy laughed at the way he was so stressed out about a pair of Justin ropers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I can help you. What size do you wear?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I think a ten but I’m not sure in the Justin brand.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy measured his foot, found out he needed a 10 and a ½ then brought out a box of brown leather ropers. She told him she thought he would like these quite a bit, he tried them on, walked around, looked in the mirror, then agreed with her that yes, these were mighty fine boots. He would take them. They walked to the cash register, she rang him up, then as she handed him the bag, he asked her if she would be interested in going to his picnic with him. He told her he worked for Deck Boat and would love to have such a fine woman as her accompany him to the party which was the following weekend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It’s Saturday? Well, I’m scheduled to work from 10 to 2 but then I’m off. What time does it start?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He told her the details, it started at 3 so that worked out fine and that he would pick her up at 2:45 since it was just at the park south of down town. He told her not to worry with bringing anything, the company was springing for the food this year, all she had to do was bring that beautiful smile of hers. Dorothy thought that sounded great. She knew several people that worked there so she thought if nothing else, she could talk to them. That night as she drove to her nursing class she envisioned meeting the President of Deck Boat and his wife and hob knobbing with the best of them. She already knew what she was going to wear, grant it the September weather held out, and looked forward to doing something other than working or studying.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The big day rolled around, Frankie arrived at 3:15 instead of 2:45 and had a big cooler of beer sitting in the middle of the front seat taking up all the space between them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You can help yourself to one of those Dorothy. They are nice and cold, I’ll tell ya, I’ve done tested a couple of ‘em.” He looked over the cooler and smiled at her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His old truck ran remarkably well despite the faded blue exterior and torn up seats. The radio played Johnny Cash “I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere …” and she sensed that might be true with Frankie. He sang a little, talked some more and drank another 2 beers on the way over to the picnic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, we’re here honey! I’ll get the cooler, you get the blanket – these cheapskates wouldn’t shell out the money for beer so it’s BYOB, hope that doesn’t bother you – but let me tell you, I’ve got plenty in this here cooler for the day.” He winked at her as he hoisted the cooler full of beer and ice out of the cab of the truck. Dorothy followed him as he lugged the heavy cooler toward the party. He set it down hard on the ground then Dorothy spread out their blanket in front of it so that it would never be too far away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Come on Honey, grab yourself a beer then I’ll show you around.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy did as she was told and they walked around talking to people Frankie knew. She spotted a few people she knew from shopping at the store and then said hi to a few guys she knew because they had married her girl friends. The owner she knew she had seen in the store buying Ostrich skin boots but really didn’t know him. He did remember her and her help though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hello there, Dorothy! How are you?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, hey there, Mr. Hunt! I’m very good! How are those boots holding up?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They’re the best damn boots I’ve ever bought and I owe it all to you. You told me to get a half size bigger and I swear, my feet have never been so happy. So many of those boot guys tell you go to smaller since the leather will stretch, but that never worked for me. The tighter the boot, the more my feet would swell until it was just a miserable mess! Now these here, these are perfect. I’m going to call that store and make sure you’re there before I ever go boot shopping again! Who are you here with today?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie was not happy Mr. Hunt didn’t recognize him. He was the best fiberglass man on the line and should be known by the higher ups.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, I’m here with Frankie, Frankie Walker. I sold him a pair of boots and got invited to this picnic, so how’s that for luck Mr. Hunt?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Lucky for him, I know that. You have a good time now Dorothy. And you too Frank.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mr. Hunt walked away to greet other employees and their families while Frankie stood there disappointed he didn’t get a more personal reception from the owner of the company.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The birds in the oak trees up above them squawked, the squirrels running up and down the branches above them laughed, and Frankie felt like the biggest loser on board.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, that Mr. Hunt, he’s a busy guy. He never has time to talk very much, you know.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, sure, he’s got to make the rounds around here, that’s for sure!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy and Frankie sat on the blanket drinking some more beers while they chatted about their families, favorite music, hobbies. Frankie said he loved tinkering around with his truck, taking care of his yard, drinking beer of course. Dorothy said she looked so forward to becoming a nurse but hated leaving the store. She met so many nice people every day and enjoyed the employee discount she got for clothing. Frankie told her she wouldn’t need that discount after she was working in the medical field. He lit a cigarette and offered her one too. She said since she was almost a nurse, she couldn’t possibly smoke knowing what it does to the body. He said he understood and made smoke rings all around her. She giggled a little while trying to hold her breath.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie took her home at the end of the day. He stood on the porch of her trailer and gave her a long, smoky kiss. She returned it feeling a little happy herself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, bye now. I’ll be calling you later, okay?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes, okay. That would be fine Frankie. You’ve got my number.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy went inside impressed he didn’t try to come in on the first date. Frankie drove away impressed Dorothy had known so many people at Deck Boat that didn’t work on the assembly line. She knew the owner, his secretary, the production manager and the warranty guy, and seemed genuinely interested in their extremely boring stories. At the bottom of the cooler, Frankie had a fifth hidden under the ice. He stuck his hand in way down deep under the ice that was so cold it almost burned his skin, opened it and took a big swig right out of the bottle while he drove down the two lane road. Her trailer was certainly off the beaten path but was twice as nice as his. He would call her tomorrow and see if she could maybe do a lunch or something. Maybe she could make him up something special and he could get to know her even better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy took off her makeup, grabbed a diet coke, and picked up her backpack. In 1 month she would have her nursing diploma. The hospital in town had already told her she had a job and the sooner she could start the better. They were understaffed and needed more help ASAP. She had to fill out the required paperwork, but as long as she wasn’t an ax murderer, she was hired as soon as she was official. No more interviews were necessary. And they even quoted her the starting salary which was three times what she made selling boots and jeans. That’s why she needed to study like crazy this last month. She was right there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After about an hour of reading, there was a knock on her door.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Dorothy?” It was Frankie, slurring out her name.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie? Is that you?” She opened the door.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I think I got lost, hell fire I can’t believe this, but somehow I got back on your road. I don’t know what I did, and it’s dark, and I’ve been driving around this whole time trying to get back into town.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, I’m sorry.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know. I don’t know what I did, but is there any way I can park my ass on your couch tonight? I swear I will be good, I swear, I swear, I won’t bother you.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He put his prayer hands out underneath his chin.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy didn’t want to say what she heard herself say, but there it was anyway.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay Frankie. But I’ve got a lot of studying to do, so I’ll need to keep going.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You won’t even know I’m here, I promise.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy got him some blankets, turned the TV on for him, let him borrow an extra toothbrush then went back to her room. She pushed the door to, but didn’t lock it. She didn’t want to be rude.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next morning came and sure enough, he was still on the couch, still sleeping and she had finished all her studying plus gotten some sleep. Dorothy decided to make this gentleman a big breakfast. Sausage, eggs, gravy and toast woke him up from his deep sleep.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, lady, am I in heaven or what?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, Frankie, you’re in my trailer but I am making breakfast. Grant it it’s not heaven, but hopefully it’s edible.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Honey, if that’s not edible then I’m in hell. It smells like a taste sensation in there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They ate, talked some more, then decided to go see a matinee at the theatre downtown. Frankie made up a “to go” cup while Dorothy picked the show. He held her hand during the movie.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Afterwards they got a burger then headed back to her trailer where his truck was parked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you Frankie. I had fun today.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey, do you mind if I run in and get my cap? I think I left it by the couch.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh sure, no problem.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After Frankie picked up his cap he asked if he could go to the bathroom. After that, he asked if he could maybe have a beer for the road, then when that one was gone, he asked if he could have another one.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m sorry Frankie, but I’ve got to go to bed. It’s been fun, but I’ve got to go to work in the morning and then after that I have class. If I don’t sleep right now, I don’t sleep. But I want to thank you for a great day.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, yeah, it was good. But you had me out all day at the movie and such but when I want a beer, it’s a no. I’ll catch you later Dorothy.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, I didn’t mean anything by that, it’s just that it’s so hard with school and all right now.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or at least I think I know. See you later Dorothy. Call when you have some time for me.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And then he left. He hopped in his old truck, slammed the door shut, squealed his tires on the driveway, pulled out onto the road, put the pedal to the metal, then he was gone with the radio blaring. And she felt bad. But she held her own. She had worked for that degree, for the job, and she wouldn’t let a man she had just met stand between her and success.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So Dorothy finished school, got her job, left the Western Wear World with a big send off and cake, and enjoyed paying the bills every month with extra to spare. She cared for her patients, enjoyed watching them get better, clapped when they left her care, and even started a savings account. She bought furniture, nicer clothes for when she had time to wear them, and became a medical professional. She was a nurse. She had met her goal and loved it. At first she didn’t have any time to think about dating but as the weeks went on, and the messages from Frankie accumulated, she started to feel lonely.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hey Dorothy, I guess the new job is good. Give me a call when you can. BEEP. Dorothy hi, it’s me again. I just wanted to see how the new nurse was doing. Call me if you’re doing house calls, just kidding, but call me. BEEP. Nurse! Nurse! I need some TLC! Give me a call! BEEP. Dorothy, this is Frankie, I was just checking in. I’d like to take you to dinner. Let me know when you’ve got a day off. BEEP. Dorothy, could you call me back, please?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy picked up the phone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie answered. They decided to go eat chicken fried steak at the BYOB joint on the same road she parked her trailer. Frankie was already there when she arrived with a cooler full of beer and wine. Dorothy pulled out her chair and sat down.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So, how’s the nursing profession? I guess you’ve been pretty busy?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes, I have been, and yes, it’s great. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. The patients come in broken and they leave well. It’s beautiful. I had this little girl last week who,”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie couldn’t care less about her latest patient. He only cared about why she hadn’t been crawling over to his place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I guess that’s why you don’t return phone calls? You know, my feelings were really hurt over that. I didn’t know what was going on. Here I had taken you to my company’s party, slept on your couch, spent the next day with you, and you can’t even pick up the phone to say, ‘hi Frankie, I’m alive and not dead!’ See where I’m coming from here? I didn’t know what the hell and then after 2 months you call and want me to take you out to eat? I mean, I’m glad to do it, but hey, you can’t leave me hanging like that in the future, okay? Are we square with that?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m sorry Frankie, I thought you understood how important that time was for me to finish my studies and start my new job, and it was crazy, I, oh my gosh,”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He cut her off again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know. It was crazy for me too. With wondering and worrying and hoping you were okay. But now that’s over. When I call you, you need to call me right back or else I’ll worry some crazy mental case has kidnapped you or worse yet, some crazy ass doctor has got you in his care. You are on your own right now Dorothy! You need somebody to check in with so that the world knows you’re still alive.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie reached out and touched her hand. Dorothy let him, and while he touched her, she felt loved.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So you were worried about me?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I could hardly sleep at night. My productivity fell at work. Mr. Hunt even came down to ask me about it. I told him I was worried about you and he said he was too. He said he might even fake a sickness to see you up at the hospital. We laughed about you, but I could tell, he missed seeing you too.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I sold him one pair of boots. Why would he miss me?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t know. I asked myself that same question. Are you being honest with me about him? Because if you’re not I would definitely need to know that right now, like if you’re screwing around with my boss and everything, especially with the status I hold there.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh my gosh. NO Frankie! Are you crazy? You know, I think I should just go because I’m not even believing what you are suggesting to me! I’m taking care of sick people and you’re accusing me of sleeping with your boss?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay, okay, I may have misjudged you on that one, but you have been a little aloof since you became a nurse. I’m feeling like you don’t respect me for what I do every day at the plant. If I wasn’t there, that shit wouldn’t happen. No fiberglass, no boat. Period. No people floating around in luxury on the water, fishing, water skiing, enjoying life. And I’m going to tell Mr. Hunt that at my next evaluation. He can put his money where his mouth is that’s for sure.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy saw his eyes. They were hurt, they were searching for some love, and they didn’t know what to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m sorry. I think this conversation went all wrong. I should have called you back and I didn’t. Forgive me?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie forgave her later that night while they made love in her room. Being a nurse, Dorothy knew the risks, but being the dreamer she was, she prayed for forgiveness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She found out she was pregnant two months later. She was still hoping it was stress that had changed her body. Frankie was delighted, offered to marry her, and decided to move in, just to help with things. But he didn’t want to sell his trailer so he moved it in front of hers in the trailer park just outside of town. They decided to take up residence in his and keep hers around for a guest house or sell it since it was so nice. It was good to have options.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy kept working, they got married at the Justice of the Peace’s house, then went out for Sonic Chili Cheese Dogs later, because that’s what the little momma wanted, and they were pretty happy. Frankie told everyone at work his new good fortune and Dorothy held on to her little baby. She held her patients, held her baby, held Frankie, and smiled. Life, she thought, God had always kept her close and this too would be good.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy often got called into surgeries because some of the other nurses were just unqualified goofs that had somehow stumbled across the proper paperwork to get them certified, but Dorothy was studious, respectful, quick, conscientious, and steady. When the going got rough, the surgeons would call for Dorothy. Her fame at the hospital quickly spread as well as the number of hours she put in. When she was on call, she was there, when she was scheduled she stayed longer, when she was off, she answered the phone. And the baby grew. And Frankie was good with cashing the checks. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, I want to get the baby a few things this weekend. She’ll be here in less than 6 weeks and we don’t have the nursery set up.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What do you think it needs?” Frankie was watching the Dallas game and they were kicking ass.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“A crib, for one thing, diapers, a changing table, clothes, toys, a swing, stroller, car seat so we can bring her home,”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Stop, stop it right there. We’ll get the baby what it needs, but not during this game, okay? Come on STALBALK! COME ON! RUN IT HOME BABY!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy felt the baby swishing, floating, then bumping around inside her and she loved her. She was so happy to have a little love close by. Her patients all wanted to feel the baby move, the other nurses covered for her when she just needed to sit down for a minute, and the doctors still believed in her ability to care for people.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then Cristy was born. Dorothy was in the ER when her water broke. She just strolled over to the elevator, punched the button for Labor and Delivery and asked another nurse to please call Frankie. She dripped as she rode up the one level, marched to the nurse’s station and said, this is it, it’s time, then walked toward the first available room. They accommodated her selection, got Frankie there, and celebrated the birth of Miss Cristy Lynn Walker. It happened very fast, very easy and with minimal complications.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I have a daughter.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes we do.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“But, she’s here, and she’s ours and I can’t believe it. Are you okay? Did it go well?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes, I’m fine, I have tearing, but it went okay.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Frankie held Cristy, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, and he cried and he cried and he cried.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He already loved his baby girl more than life itself and he couldn’t stand the thought of being away from her for even one minute. When the nurses asked if Dorothy would like the baby in her room or if she would rather her go to the nursery, Dorothy told them the nursery while Frankie said the room, with us. He walked over to the corner, held her, cuddled her and told her she was the most beautiful thing in the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy didn’t sleep a lot that night with the baby crying, but Frankie did. He never woke up from his recliner there in the room. Dorothy pushed the nurse’s call button so they could hand Cristy over for feedings while Frankie snored nearby. After the nurses left the room they rolled their eyes at what an asshole he was with poor Dorothy in there nursing at 2 o’clock in the morning all because he demanded it. There was a special place in hell for sure for guys like him, and it didn’t have recliners anywhere around.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy and Frankie became parents and were both totally in love with Cristy. She was a good baby and her laughter was a welcome sound. When she was 6 weeks old it was time for Dorothy to go back to work but Frankie wanted no part of it. He wouldn’t stand for someone other than Dorothy to take care of her but then again, Dorothy had the paycheck. Sure he was a badass fiberglass guy, but that didn’t pay like nursing did.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, they had their first business meeting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“If you go back to work, we will have $1750 left over for savings each month. But, Cristy will be held by a daycare person who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her. If I quit my job and stay home, we’ll still have $250 left over, and she’ll be with her Daddy and you’ll be doing what you love. What do you think?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t know. This seems so sudden.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Honey, we need to know what we’re doing.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so Dorothy left her angel baby with Ms. Helen who worked at the in-house day care at the hospital. That was a variable Frankie hadn’t factored in. Cristy was still close to mommy, and could be fed every few hours, and Frankie could still work. Problem solved. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie was feeling small even though he now had this beautiful angel as his child. Dorothy had quickly stepped up to the plate and he was, once again, just a big pile of shit sitting close by, stinking up the whole place, while mother and daughter smiled and cooed, still trying to breathe in clean air.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-91219132763500027102011-07-09T13:20:00.000-05:002011-07-09T13:20:30.182-05:00Frankie Walker- Chapter One<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> <o:PixelsPerInch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:TargetScreenSize>1024x768</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie’s eyes opened the same way they did every morning: slowly and without recognition of the last thing he did or said the night before. His yellowed eyes were always surprised to see what he was wearing. Sometimes it was his undershirt and boxer shorts, sometimes the same pair of jeans he had worn the past two days, but it was most shocking when they awoke to discover he had nothing on at all. This particular morning Frankie woke up to greet the day in his pants, shirt and even the cap he had on when he had finally passed out the night before. After he knew he was awake, he stayed still in bed for a while so he could get his thoughts together. He remembered Dorothy telling him he needed to slow it down a bit at which time he thinks he filled his whiskey glass all the way up to the brim just because she was nagging him about his alcohol consumption, again. He was a grown man for God’s sake and he didn’t need his old lady putting restrictions on him. That nagging she did, it would be the death of him that was for sure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He turned his head to see the bedside table. His cigarettes were on right by a tall empty glass with greasy fingerprints all over the sides. It’s a wonder it hadn’t slipped right through his fingers. That chicken Dorothy fried up last night could have caused somebody to have a heart attack just trying to pick it up. He remembered asking her if she was trying to kill him with this very one meal. Loaded with grease by God! It slid all over his plate and even leaked over on toward his mashed potatoes. Real ones, not those fake flakes. Frankie insisted Dorothy always make them from scratch. Sure it was probably a little more work for her, but there was just something about eating dried flakes mixed with milk and water that turned his stomach upside down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that white gravy she made with the drippings from the chicken was almost like desert poured over the potatoes. Frankie drug his roll all around and up through them then lapped it all up like a starving dog. At least she could make good white cream gravy. He’d give her that. After 37 years of marriage, the nagging old hag could cook up the best damn gravy he’d ever had.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The thought of the gravy made his stomach growl and he hoped maybe there was a little left over for his eggs this morning. Oh, and biscuits sure would be good too. After he got up, he’d tell Dorothy he wanted his breakfast and quick, as in now. She could pop some of those canned biscuits in the oven. Since he was so hungry he wouldn’t make her do them from scratch this time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie touched his face. Apparently he’d missed a couple of days of shaving because it felt pretty rough. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d shaved. He decided after that good big breakfast, he’d do a little trimming on himself. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie finally raised himself up, slid over to the side, then put his feet into the house shoes he kept by the bed. He shuffled on into the bathroom and looked out the window at the other mobile homes while he went pee. Dorothy’s house was right behind his and odds were that’s where she was this morning. Given the fact Frankie still had all his clothes on, he had probably gotten a little messed up last night and when he did that, Dorothy always slept in her fancy house. And hell, that was fine with him. At least when she was over there she wasn’t saying things like “Frankie this” and “Frankie that” and “Frankie no!” Grown men didn’t need it, didn’t want, they would rather live without it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His stomach growled again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hell, I’ll just walk over there and get her,” he mumbled as he shuffled back out of the bathroom not bothering to flush. Dorothy could take care of the toilet later. After he got outside the dew that made the grass wet also made his slippers and toes wet after only a few feet into the 30 foot trek over to Dorothy’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Damn dew!” Frankie started trying to avoid the really wet parts as he tippy toed over.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After he finally got there, he pulled at the door. Locked and no he didn’t have a damn key.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He banged on the door.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Dorothy? Hey Dorothy, I’m hungry and need some breakfast, you in there?” He kept banging.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then he heard the phone ringing back at his trailer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, hellfire, that damn phone!” Frankie spryly made it back over to his place, ran in and grabbed the handset. He looked down at his wet shoes and the mess they had made on the floor getting over there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There better be some kind of damn emergency on the other end of this phone, HELLO!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, what’s the matter? You sound winded!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Dorothy, where in the hell are you calling me from? I am needing me some damn breakfast and I was over at your trailer banging on the door when I heard the phone ring over here so I had to run back. I got my shoes all wet from that dew on the grass and you’re not even there!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, it’s Wednesday and I always help Cristy with the kids on Wednesday mornings so she can get her Weight Watchers meeting in before work. I just dropped them off at school and I’m headed back home right now. Did I hear you say something about an emergency when you picked up?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, now that you asked, the emergency is that I’m hungry Dorothy! A man’s got to have a breakfast in the morning and as it stands, I’ve got nothing but wet shoes and a dirty floor!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I can pick something up for you at the McDonalds on my way back.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t want that fast food crap Dorothy, I want biscuits and gravy and eggs! That’s what men eat first thing in the morning – not that processed rubbery food shit they sell there at overpriced prices!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie stretched the phone cord over to the refrigerator, grabbed a beer then shut the door with his foot. He twisted the top off hoping to hell she wouldn’t hear it and start in on him again. He was a retired man damn it, he could drink what he wanted to drink thank you very much.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m pulling in right now. I’m going to stop by my place real quick then I’ll be over to make you something.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t want <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something </i>Dorothy, I want,”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know Frankie, eggs, biscuits and gravy, but the biscuits are in my refrigerator. You could make things go faster by starting the oven for me.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t know nothin’ about starting the damn oven, Dorothy, and I’m not going to learn about it now! I just know that’s woman’s work and I’m not no woman. I’m just a hungry man whose starting to get a little pissed off at the situation we’ve got here!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay, Frankie, don’t start the day like this. Please. In 30 minutes you’ll have food.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You sound like that Dominos Pizza ad – 30 minutes or less – and I prefer the less, thank you very much! I’m starving to death!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie hung up on her, swallowed half his beer while he looked out the window. He would slam the other half when he saw her walking over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So every Wednesday as long as Cristy was meeting with the fat club, he would have to endure starvation. If that worthless son-in-law of his would pull his weight, he could take the kids to school instead of Dorothy. But no, he had to be at that joke of a garage he said he owned first thing in the morning. Well, Frankie thought, I’ve got to eat first thing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dorothy parked in front of her place, as she had been doing more and more lately. She stayed over there more than with Frankie. Everything was nicely decorated too with little lacey curtains and glass breakables everywhere. She kept her nursing diploma right there in the living room for everybody to see. He guessed she wanted people to think she was smarter than him but that wasn’t the case at all. He knew who the real brains belonged to in the family and they resided in the man whose stomach was about to eat itself up if it didn’t get some breakfast.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy opened the door and started walking over. Frankie drank the other half of the beer then hid the bottle back in the refrigerator behind the other little brown soldiers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Hide him boys.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They agreed to protect their own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy opened the door to see Frankie propped up against the counter. The first thing she did was turn the oven onto 425 then got the baking pan out she liked to cook her biscuits in. She banged the can on the counter, sprayed the pan, then started lining them up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“This is real easy Frankie. You could do this yourself on Wednesdays if you don’t want to wait for me to get back.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She glanced at Frankie then back to her work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Really, now? So, since Bill can’t help with his own kids, I’m supposed to learn how to cook? I don’t think so Dorothy.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, you know Bill’s got to open the garage every morning before 7:00 so people can drop their cars off for repair. That’s how he supports his family and puts food on the table. And he really is doing good. He’s about to hire on another mechanic and everybody in town knows that his place is THE place to go if they have car trouble. Plus, I like taking the kids to school. I get to see their friends and talk to some of their mom’s. This morning, it was so cute, Katie ran down and then she said,”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie grabbed Dorothy’s arm hard and pulled her over toward him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Don’t sass me woman. If I want to say Bill’s a freaking freak, well then I can! Hell, I can run outside yelling it to God and everybody! You don’t tell me he can’t help with his kids one morning a week! He could have that lazy friend of his unlock the damn garage! You’re too busy to be doing his stuff! Your job is to be here cooking up my breakfast in the morning time! It’s almost 9:00 and I’m still standing here being corrected by you Dorothy, and that ain’t right in no body’s book!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Spit flew from his mouth onto Dorothy’s face. She closed her eyes then slowly opened them again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She knew the song and dance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’re right Frankie.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He released some of the pressure on her arm. She felt the bruises already coloring the loose skin on her arm. The ones from last month had just finally faded away enough so she could wear sleeveless shirts again but now she’d have to cover up for awhile longer, lest people talk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“That’s right. I am right, always remember that Dorothy. And because of your sass, I’m going to have me a beer while I wait for my late breakfast and I don’t want to hear any lip from you about it. If you hadn’t gotten me all worked up like this I wouldn’t be so thirsty. But now, I am very, very thirsty Dorothy, so freaking thirsty I can’t believe it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie reached in, grabbed one of the soldiers on the front line, downed half of it right in front of her, then turned around and went out to the front porch where he had a folding chair propped up against the side of the trailer. He sat his beer down, unfolded the aluminum, green and white striped rotting throne, picked his bottle back up then sat down. His porch faced the road in front of the neighborhood where the cars drove by entirely too fast. Frankie thought the damn cops ought to be out there doing something about it but they were too busy harassing innocent people for drinking and discussing their personal marital business in their own homes. Frankie didn’t know which trailer had taken it upon themselves to keep calling the cops out to his place but he was just about sick of it. A man and woman ought to be able to hash things out without the po-po showing up threatening to arrest people, specifically him. It had been a couple of months since the last incident and Frankie hoped it would be a few years more before they decided to pay him another visit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There went another car. The speed limit was 45 but that red Ford Mustang was going at least 60 mph. Going to kill somebody, that’s exactly what was going to happen, all because the cops couldn’t fit it into their busy schedule to protect law abiding citizens. Probably off eating donuts and drinking coffee or whatever it was they did during the day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The wind was blowing the big tree in the yard enough to muffle the sniffles he could hear from inside. She was crying again. He hadn’t really meant to grab her so hard but the woman was going to have to learn to keep her mouth shut. Hell, she was old enough to know better by now! How much teaching she was going to need, he did not know. Somebody with a framed diploma right on their living room wall ought to finally be able to get it. Don’t sass. Period. End of story.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy walked up to the screen door. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, it’s ready.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good. I was about to waste away out here.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie walked in, grabbed another beer, then sat down at the table. There was only one plate set out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Ain’t you going to eat too?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie had already filled his mouth with scrambled eggs and a few pieces fell back down onto the plate. He would scoop those up later with his biscuit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t think I’m very hungry.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You don’t think you’re hungry? You either know you’re hungry or you know you’re not, so which is it?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I know I’m not. Just put your plate in the sink and I’ll get to it later.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t want no dirty dishes sitting in the sink until you feel like wandering over here to clean up. Sit down Dorothy, keep me company while I eat, then you can wash the dishes before you leave again.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy sighed as she pulled out one of the kitchen chairs. The metal scraped along the vinyl floor while Frankie kept chewing. He had just stuck an entire biscuit dripping with gravy inside his mouth and a little bit dripped down his chin. Dorothy wanted to wipe it off but knew to try to ignore it. Frankie wouldn’t want her wiping on his face. She watched him chew even though she didn’t want to. It must have been a week since he’d last shaved and the whiskers were growing into a beard. The white hair on his face was dirty because it had probably been a week since he’d showered too. He smelt like old sweat and alcohol. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie felt her staring at him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“What are you looking at?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy snapped out of her stare as well as her sneer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nothing,” pause, “honey.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well, nothing my ass, you were looking at me! And you kind of had an ugly look on your face while you were doing it. Am I not looking good enough for you this morning dear lady?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You look fine. I was just thinking about something else. I’m sorry, Frankie, I didn’t mean to have an ugly look on my face.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Well you did, and it was uglier than usual. Now, how was my baby Cristy this morning?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t know why she thinks she needs to lose weight. I think she looks fine just like she is! I bet that retarded husband of hers is making her starve herself. You know? And that ain’t right! Cristy has always been a big girl and he knew that when they married. Now he’s a wanting to go off and change her. I don’t see where he’s getting off telling her to lose weight when he’s a loser and always will be. And I don’t think they have ‘loser meetings’ for him to go to even if he had the desire to straighten up. And bless her heart working in the basement of the court house. The basement Dorothy! My baby walks down those steps everyday to a windowless tax office because Bill can’t make enough money to support the family. That’s probably why she’s gotten even fatter – it’s because she’s depressed! She’s sad she married a loser who sends her to the dungeon everyday! Hell, I can understand that. Her and those other girls having to steal other people’s hard earned money on behalf of the government just to make ends meet at their own taxable households, hell that would make any body fat. I bet that sweet little thing just sits in the dark break room and eats and eats feeling so bad about how she earns her paycheck. And she probably thinks about Jay and Katie and how she wishes she could be home when they get out of school. God knows I wish she was at home so they could get off the bus at her house instead of here. Those kids are so damn loud!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“They’re just excited to be out of school.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Excited? They act like wild animals. Their father should be more of a disciplinarian. That’s what needs to happen with that. I bet he don’t even know the problem much less the solution! He’s too busy talking to the grease monkeys he’s got working for him to be a father or decent husband.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Bill’s business really is growing.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It won’t last, I swear it! He may have a few extra jobs going right now, but as soon as people figure out he don’t know a carburetor from a gas tank, word will get around town and then there goes his reputation. It’ll happen, I’m telling you that right now. And I’m just going to sit back and watch the show Dorothy. Of course I’ll help poor Cristy out, catch her when she falls, but I won’t do a damn thing for Bill other than kick him when he’s down.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie sopped up the last bit of gravy with his 6<sup>th</sup> biscuit, swallowed the last of his beer, leaned back rubbing his stomach, and burped. He looked very satisfied despite the demise he had just envisioned for his one and only child.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Frankie, I really do enjoy taking the kids on Wednesdays to school. If I have you something made that you can just put in the microwave, could I keep doing it?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie looked down at his plate again, picked up his fork and moved it around on the empty plate. He looked at it wishing it would tell him what to say. But nothing came. The damn plate said nothing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay Dorothy. We can do this for a while, but if it gets to be too much of a hassle, I’m going to put a stop to it, you hear me?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy smiled for the first time since she’d been home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank you Frankie. I’ll make sure you’ve got something good to eat. Katie and Jay are growing up so fast I want to see them all I can and meet their friends and teachers. I think it’s good for all of us.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy hopped up, washed Frankie’s plate off with dish soap then put it on the draining rack. She wiped her hands on the dish towel buttoned to the cabinet drawer handle and turned around to find Frankie standing right behind her. He leaned in close to her. She was afraid her clothes were going to smell like him now. She would have to change as soon as she got back to her trailer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frankie put his arms around her, and let them roam down toward her bottom. He rubbed around and around and around. Dorothy stood there hoping it would be over soon so she could get out into the clean air. He had started drinking early today and was already in a bad mood. She didn’t want to hang around much.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How about me and you go back to my room? It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten down and dirty. What do you say Dorothy?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He looked at her face, forgave her for being bad earlier, as he leaned down for a big kiss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy felt sick when he put his mouth on hers. His dry, chapped lips scratched her and his face made red marks on her cheek when he rubbed it against her. His breath smelt like weeks of rotting food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I, um Frankie, I can’t right now.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She could feel him getting excited against her leg.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You can’t, why?” He kissed her ear.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ve got a doctor’s appointment for my cholesterol. Dr. Bates will charge me whether I go or not and I really need to get my prescription changed. I’m sorry.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy put her hands on his chest and patted him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’m supposed to be there in 10 minutes.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Okay, okay, but when you get back maybe we could take a nap or something, you know like we used to? I’m feeling all happy from that breakfast you finally made me.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’ll see Frankie, but right now, I’ve got to run.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’ll be waitin’ right here for ya darlin’! I ain’t going nowhere but here!”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dorothy walked out of the house, into the fresh air, and thanked God for planting the lie that saved her this time in her head. Miracles happen in mysterious ways. And that’s the God’s honest truth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8725629570945883770.post-54363170747361363492011-07-05T17:16:00.000-05:002011-07-05T17:16:07.474-05:00Happy Fourth of July<div id="yiv1811583483"><span id="yui_3_2_0_3_13098987806562062" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since it is is holiday, this poem was shouting at me (wrote it for my dad right before he died): </span></span><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><div id="yui_3_2_0_3_13098987806562059"> <div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Inspired by “Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">to a little fishing village where there are no phones”</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t think he is fishing.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Instead behind those foggy old hazel eyes</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I think he’s running his cows.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s afoot, herding them through </span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" id="yui_3_2_0_3_13098987806562056" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The brush and cedar breaks,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Calling them out by names,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Sophie, hah, Chair (whistle),</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Come on girls! Stay together now!”</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And when he’s not baling hay or picking beans</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s got his hunting dogs out</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Watching them catch the scent</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of that coon he’s been trying to catch.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yeah,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Every now and then his face manages</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A crooked little smile and I see the freedom</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">His mind finally has now.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s not bothered by money or a time clock,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Weather or war.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">No,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s actually in another place,</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A farm his dementia has created</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since he can’t be on his own anymore.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is no rain.</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Only sunny days with a cool breeze</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blowing in across the porch</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And fields of springtime bluebonnets for as far</span></div><div class="yiv1811583483MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As his foggy old hazel eyes can see.</span></div><br />
</div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1