“Well being in here, anything you want,” I tell her. Even if she got a full bedroom set with dresser and nightstand along with the bed, it wouldn’t amount to much more than a hundred bucks. Disappointed in their bed selection Hadley goes over to the dressers and starts running her hand across the tops of the furniture. Not liking what she saw she started to walk out right away and I hurried to catch her.
“So nothing here?” I ask.
“Nah, all junk. How many more places we got?”
“About three.”
“Alright, next,” she says jumping into the front seat. I climb in after her and pull out to head to the next thrift store. This time instead of going to the nearest one we head across to the edge of town where a major non-profit put up a new thrift store with three pole barns worth of stuff inside, a third of which was furniture.
We pull into the gravel lot and park the truck. Hadley is already inside the store by time I get out and close my door. Walking in, I know where to find her but it is still a walk to get to that section. I spot her by the dressers, and she’s eyeing up a man’s armoire with a built in clothes pole, display cabinet and several drawers. I walk up to her and inspect the tag. One hundred twenty bucks, they knew what their stuff was worth here for sure.
“I like it,” Hadley states. I inspect the piece further and find dove-tail grooves in the drawers and it is made of solid cherry.
“I like it too. It’s nice,” I tell her continuing my inspection.
“Sold!” she states and walks off to the beds. I grab the pick-up tag from the armoire and follow her. “Now I’m looking for a solid sleigh, either a twin or a full. Something a little older but not falling apart or fragile.” I help her search through their selection of a couple dozen frames and spot a solid dark cherry sleigh with some ornate inlay around top op the head board.
“Come over here. How about this one?” I beckon to her while holding onto my find. She comes over and takes a quick glance at the frame.
“Pull it out, and let’s take a better look,” says Hadley. I didn’t blame her because it was buried behind two other frames which took a minute to pull out and set aside before the frame I found could be exposed for us to view properly. There was a gouge in the bottom of the head board but that didn’t seem to phase Hadley. Besides, it would be covered once the mattress is put on it.
“That’ll work,” she states and takes the tag off herself. We walk together to the cashier to check out. I hand her the tag for the armoire and Hadley hands over the tag for the bed.
“Did you find everything alright today?” asks the cashier.
“Sure did,” Hadley responds with a smile to her. She gives me the total, one hundred fifty five dollars. I pay the woman and she tells us that we can pick up our purchase around the back by the loading dock.
We walk out and head to the truck. I pull it around and back up to the loading dock as instructed. Two men meet us outside and ask for our receipt. They tell us it’ll be a few minutes and to wait there.
“So do you like them?” I ask Hadley.
“Very much. Can we set them up today?”
“Yeah but we still have your appointment first.”
“Oh, yeah. After that then?”
“After that,” I state. The men are back now and have brought out the armoire first. It takes the both of them to load it into the back of the truck.
“You’re going to have to help me with that when we get back,” I tell Hadley.
“I know. It’s not an issue; I’m strong,” she states showing off her biceps. I laugh.
“I’m sure you are.”
We watch the men as they next bring out the bed, the first man brings out the headboard and footboard, the second carries the side frames. Once loaded, I strap down the load, and we jump in the truck together.
Not being time yet for her appointment we had a little time to kill, and I knew just where to go. We backtrack our way into town to the “new” furniture store and pull in.
“What are we doing here? We already got what we need,” asks Hadley.
“Not quite,” I tell her.
We go inside, and I guide her to the clearance section where they had all last year’s models of mattresses. I outstretch my arms as to display them to her and gesture for her to take her pick. She goes over to the nearest one and sits, unsatisfied. Making her way around and laying on every other one she comes to the pillow tops and flops down, sinking in. The first one she sank in almost six inches and she said it was just too soft.
A salesman approaches and asks her if he can help. She tells him she’s looking for a soft pillow top but not one that sinks. He guides her over to two models, both queens on display and invites her to try them. She lays on them both but decides she like the first one of the two he showed better.
“Do you have that in stock for a full?” I ask keeping her new frame in mind.
“Let me go back and check,” and the salesman disappears. Hadley will not get up from the bed and asks me if I have a pillow. She acts more disappointed than she was, knowing I didn’t have one when I tell her no. Soon the salesman returns with a clap of his hands.
“We have one left, and for a full it’s another twenty percent off this clearance price so it’ll come to three eighty with tax,” the salesman stops and Hadley looks at me.
“Let’s do it,” I tell him. Hadley gets up and gives me a hug for the first time then quickly backs off and says thank you. “You’re welcome,” I respond calmly.
Again we have to go to the back of the store to have the employees load up the purchase. I take the straps off the bed frame and armoire as we wait so that the mattress slides right in. The guys load up the mattress on its side and the truck bed is now full. Again I strap down the load and then hop into the truck where Hadley was waiting for me.
“Now onto the doctors. I’ve been seeing her for a long time now, since you and your brother left, and I really like her,” I tell Hadley as we head to the office.
“She’s not old and cooky is she?”
“No, she’s younger, and you’ll probably have more in common with her than me,” I state.
“Good.” We pull into the office lot, and I park the truck. Hadley waits for me and I lead her inside. Talking to the receptionist for the first time in months, I check Hadley in. Turning around she has taken my seat in the corner so I go and fill a cup of coffee before sitting next to her but leaving one empty space in between as not to encroach.
Hadley is flipping through the home magazines they had. I tried to imagine how nervous she must be to talk with someone new. I get nervous as hell every time I’m here, and I know Dr. Schuder very well. Looking at Hadley, she seems okay, like this was a normal for her that she just had to do.
Soon, Dr. Schuder comes out and calls Hadley back. She let Hadley walk in front of her so she could turn around and give me a thumbs up before scooting off after her.
This was the first time I was left in the waiting room here without having to talk to anybody. Starting to get nervous as the time passed I got up and began to pace, refilling my coffee as needed. I tried to sit again, but my legs immediately started to shake. I couldn’t tell if it was from the coffee or what Hadley was telling Dr. Schuder.
I started to get nervous as all hell that Hadley was saying that I’m abusive and she needs to go back, creating stories like her mother always had. There was still twenty minutes to wait, and I couldn’t take the air in the waiting room anymore so I went outside to have a smoke and calm my nerves.
Chain smoking now I can’t get myself to re-enter the building. I check my watch and it’s ten past the hour. Hadley was running late. Was Dr. Schuder keeping her and not letting her return home with me? Pacing around the truck I get the urge to take off in the truck but calm myself and then go on to tell myself to keep my cool and wait. Still pacing, the door opens and out comes some woman probably there to complain about whatever annoying things her husband does at home.
Looking at my wat
ch again it’s thirty minutes past, and my nerves are on edge. Building up the courage I walk back into the office to see what’s going on.
Hadley and Dr. Schuder are talking in the hallway next to the waiting area. They spot me and shake hands. Then Hadley walks over to me but stops at the reception desk instead and makes her next appointment.
“All set, sorry it took so long,” she says walking out the door. Continuing talking outside, “She had to go over my whole history as I’m a new patient, and it just took forever.” I’m still not able to talk yet because of my nerves but manage to get into the truck after her and start it up.
“So everything went okay?” I manage.
“Yeah, everything went fine. Next week she’s going to see me right after your appointment.”
“Oh good,” I respond. Feeling a little less tense now, I ask her if she wants to pick up anything to eat on the way home. Hadley tells me leftovers from last night are fine and would rather just get home so she can set up her room.
We head home, and Hadley warms up two plates of meatloaf.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
We quickly eat our meal then turn to the grueling work of moving furniture. Before going out to the truck, we head upstairs and strain to get the heavy sleeper sofa out of the room and down the stairs. Rubbing the wall pretty much the whole way we get it out to the front lawn. Exhausted from the ordeal, we both sit on the couch for a few minutes to catch our breath.
Hadley stays on the couch and watches as I undo the fasteners holding down the furniture in the truck. Once released, Hadley gets up and joins me for the armoire. We take out all the drawers to lighten the load and then heave. It was worse than the sleeper sofa. We had to stop every five to ten feet to set it down and take a break before moving on. Eventually we got the armoire upstairs and then, without waiting, went right back outside to get the mattress. I think we both liked the idea of just getting the big and heavy stuff done first.
The mattress slid in easily and right up the stairs into her room where we stood it against the wall until the frame got put together.
“I got it from here,” Hadley told me.
“But we still have the frame and drawers in the truck,” I tell her.
“No worries. I like the work out, and it gives me time to think about how I want to arrange it.”
“Okay.” I walk downstairs and take my seat in the chair beside the house. Just for a moment though as I’m soon up grabbing water from the kitchen and chugging it down. The sweat just wouldn’t stop, even with all the activity now done for me.
I reach for my phone and call up Ed to see if he had any use for the sleeper couch. He told me no so I tried Vikki and before I could ask anything it was a million questions about Hadley. After getting through her interrogation she said Derrick could probably use it for sleepovers and has been wanting a couch for the basement anyways. We arranged for me and Hadley to drop it off with them tomorrow afternoon, and I hung up the phone and went back to the living room to chill.
Hadley was now bringing in the bed frame and soon came back down for the drawers to the armoire.
“Can you help me get the bed frame together? It’s not setting in properly,” I jump at the chance to help her and am up the stairs to rescue the situation, while forgetting to tell her yes.
The bed was already set along the main wall with the armoire where the couch used to be. I walk to the bed frame and have to step on the frame to get it forced to lock into place. I set up the support boards and then drop the mattress on for her.
“Looks good, thanks.” she states coming in with the final drawers and sets them into their rightful places within the armoire. “I’m going to call it an early night; I’ll see you in the morning,” she tells me.
“Good night,” I tell her, closing the door behind me. Heading downstairs I jump in for a quick cold shower to stop the sweat and then I too get ready for bed. Before clonking out I remember the sleep monitor I had long forgotten about and run out to the truck in my pajama pants to grab it. The hose was annoying and uncomfortable after I placed it on my face for the night, but I would endure. I take two sleep aids to help with the awkwardness and then turn off the light.
13
It’s Matt’s junior year in high school and his first year on the varsity team. He went to school this morning with his letter jacket and team jersey on, wearing those blue and yellows he dreamed of when he was little.
He did not come home from school with Hadley as he needed to prep and practice for the game tonight. Hadley found her letter jacket from gymnastics, and I’m currently searching for the pullover fleece I got from one of Matt’s football fundraisers from last year.
“Hadley! Have you seen my fleece?” I yell out to her.
“It’s in the front closet!” She returns the yell from upstairs. Of course, the one place that makes sense. I get out of my room and look in the front closet. It only takes a few seconds to find the pullover, and I throw it on. Hadley comes down the stairs and we head out the door.
There will be no dinner at home for us tonight it’ll be whatever they’re selling at the stands to support the team. We get there and the parking lot at the school is already crowded at thirty minutes until game time.
Finding a spot a couple of blocks away, I park the truck and Hadley and I begin the trek to the game. Once at the gate I pay for both our entry fees and head straight to the concessions as my stomach starts to grumble at me. Hadley orders nachos and a soda for herself, and I get two hot dogs and a soda for myself.
We head to the grand stands and don’t find a seat until we get ten rows up. the house is filling quickly as tonight is the homecoming game, and everyone is amped. Hadley and I sit and watch as Matt’s team comes busting out onto the field, breaking through a banner the art students made this week.
The speakers come to life and rock music pours through the air as the school’s announcer begins to introduce the team by their position, last name and number. When they get to Curry, Hadley and I stand and scream with about a hundred other people. He’s the star linebacker for the team and is expected to run well tonight, maybe carrying the team in yards.
Hadley finishes her nachos as some of her friends from band are screaming to get her attention. She asks if she can join them, and I tell her to go ahead and have fun. I give her five bucks before she takes off in case she gets hungry again, and then she disappears behind the band’s tuba section to sit with her friends.
Alone now, I sit and watch as the two teams get ready for the coin toss. Matt is back by the rest of the team as the captains are out in midfield with the referee. The visiting team gets to call the toss, and they win the toss, choosing to kick off first.
The first quarter of the game is a stalemate with no one scoring, until a field goal by Matt’s team just minutes before the quarter ended. This got some momentum going as the defense put the opposing team to a five and out, forcing them to punt.
After the return, Matt takes the field, and I stand up to cheer him on. The ball is snapped, and Matt runs straight into the mass of players after being handed the ball and picks up six yards. Matt is turning into a team favorite for the quarterback as he’s getting the ball about every fourth down.
Half-time comes and it’s a close game; seventeen to fourteen, our lead. I take the break during half-time to use the restroom and grab a pretzel and water from the concessions. I spot Hadley under the bleachers with her girlfriends, no doubt chatting about some boy on the team they're all dreamy about. I walk back up to the stands to find my seat taken but find a better one three rows closer and center on the field.
Taking my new seat, the school lights off a couple sizzling fireworks as the two teams retake the field. With the visitors receiving the ball, the pace is quickly changed and it is not until the fourth quarter that Matt gets to take the field again.
Our team is currently down by eleven. Matt is handed the ball once again and runs a seventeen yarder for a first down. Everyone in th
e bleachers is shouting madly at his impressive run.
Unfortunately, the offense is halted there forcing a field goal and bringing the score to an eight point game. Still down, our defense finally stops their attempts and we have control of the ball again. There’s three minutes left to the game and we need four yards to get a touchdown. Matt is handed the ball and runs taking a leap of faith over his team and outstretches his arms. He’s quickly knocked back and to the ground but not before the ball passes over the goal line.
It’s now a one point game and everyone is on their feet as the coach is going for two to tie the game. With his incredible performance at four yards Matt is again handed the ball on the two yard line and takes a leap into the mass of players, this time getting knocked to the ground quicker than he could jump. The two pointer was a fail and Matt comes walking off the field with his head down. His teammates pat patting him a good job from his last performance, trying to bring him back up and into the game.
Our offense doesn’t take the field again as the visitors wind down the clock and make a failed attempt of a field goal with the last few seconds remaining.
Matt is off the field and into the showers before I or his sister could catch up to him to commend him on his two great runs tonight. He’s probably either sulking or pissed off in the showers trying to figure out what he did wrong, which was nothing.
I find Hadley by the front gate with her friends, and she says her good-byes as I approach, giving them all hugs for the night.
We walk the couple blocks back to the truck and swing back around after we hop in to go back and pick up Matt. We wait for some time as Matt is one of the last ones to come out of the school. Walking with his coach’s arm around him, I can only assume he’s being told not to sweat the last play.
Matt’s quiet and fussy as he gets in the truck. Hadley and I are quiet in return to not disturb him. I drive off, heading to a steakhouse to cheer things up a bit for the evening, and Hadley has the same idea as she starts going crazy over her brother’s touch down. After all it was his first on varsity and to have it during the homecoming game… that’s just awesome.
A Father's Dreams Page 14