“Nice, huh?” Augie asked as she looked over her right shoulder at Colleen.
“Yeah. Real nice,” Colleen said with an empathetic tone.
“You should see the other guy,” Augie grunted as Leah helped her to her feet. “Don’t go anywhere,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
“I was thinkin’ about going for a walk,” Colleen said.
“Why, you got a date with the Six Million Dollar Man or somethin’?” Augie quipped weakly, referring to Colleen as the Bionic Woman.
“Ha ha ha,” Colleen said mockingly. “Very funny.”
Leah chuckled and helped Augie through the bathroom door. Augie took short steps and shuffled her feet as she turned and positioned herself in front of the commode. Colleen heard the reverberated groans coming from inside the bathroom.
“Hold on to the rails,” Leah instructed.
“Yes, mother,” Augie said as she lowered herself slowly to the commode. “I think I might be in here for a while.”
“Okay,” Leah said. I’ll just wait outside the door, and you can let me know when you’re done.”
“I don’t want to hold you up,” Augie said. “It’ll take some time.”
“When you finish, just pull the emergency call bell, and somebody at the station will let me know you’re done,” Leah said.
“Okay,” Augie said, grunting again.
Leah exited the bathroom, closed the door and washed her hands. Colleen reached for the phone on the bedside table and lifted the receiver. She pulled the table closer and dialed the number to the Triple C as Leah exited the room and closed the door.
“Triple C, how can I help you?” Joan answered.
“Hey,” Colleen said in a soft tone.
“Hey, sweetheart!” Joan said, surprised to hear from Colleen. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess. What’s goin’ on?” Colleen asked.
“Not much. Just goin’ over invoices,” Joan said in a humdrum tone. “I really don’t feel much like working today.”
“So don’t,” Colleen said.
“Well, bills gotta be paid sometime, don’t they?” Joan asked.
“Are we behind on anything?” asked Colleen.
“No. Have we ever been behind on anything?” Joan answered with a rhetorical question of her own.
“Did we get the Purina invoice yet?” Colleen asked with a light yawn.
“Uh… Yup. Got it right here.”
“Refresh my memory. He’s net thirty for terms, right?” Colleen asked.
“Umm… five percent off net fifteen, full price net thirty,” Joan said.
“What’s the date of the invoice?”
“Five days ago,” Joan said, confused at the line of questioning. “Why?”
“Hold off on that one, please,” said Colleen.
“Don’t pay it?”
“Right,” Colleen said. “Don’t pay it.”
“Why not?”
“Just because,” Colleen said with a more serious tone.
“Okie dokie,” Joan said lightly. “You’re the boss.”
“Let’s see how long it takes before he calls or sends an invoice with a late penalty,” said Colleen.
“Are you sure you wanna do that?” Joan asked cautiously.
“I’m sure,” Colleen said. “Just let me worry about that one.”
“You know what you’re doing,” Joan said. “Just remember that we’ve never been late on a payment before. For anything.”
“Yeah, well…” Colleen said as she stared blankly at the dry erase board on the wall. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“You’re so stubborn sometimes, Colleen Caldwell,” Joan said playfully.
“I know. I come by it honest,” Colleen said. “Did Leah call you already?”
“She did,” Joan replied. “She said to bring your cell phone along with your iPod. Can you think of anything else you might need?” she asked.
“Bring a box of tampons and a box of pads, will ya?”
“Didn’t you just get over your period?” Joan asked.
“They’re for Augie,” Colleen said in a lower tone. “I don’t think she has any. God only knows what they have for feminine products here.”
“Should I just pick up the assorted ones?” Joan asked.
“Yes on both counts,” Colleen said, back to normal tone again.
“Okay. You need underwear or anything?” Joan asked, even though she remembered Leah told her Colleen probably wouldn’t need them.
“Shit… I wouldn’t be able to wear underwear if I wanted to,” said Colleen. “But it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you picked up a pack for Augie. She’s a lot smaller than me, obviously. I would say about a size five.”
“Okay. I’ll stop by Wally World before I come down,” Joan said and then paused to write a list.
“Hey… on a different subject, I need a favor,” Colleen said almost in a whisper again.
“Anything you need, sweetheart,” Joan said. “You know that.”
“I know,” Colleen said. “But this one’s a bit… unusual.”
“Okay,” Joan said. “What is it?”
“That priest you saw yesterday,” Colleen began.
“Father Jones?”
“Yeah,” said Colleen.
“What about him?”
“He’s coming to see you this afternoon when you get here,” informed Colleen.
“Oh, wonderful! We had the nicest—”
“That’s where I need the favor,” Colleen interrupted.
“Okay… what… what?” Joan stuttered.
“Can you come earlier and go find him so he doesn’t come back here?” Colleen asked.
“Why?” Joan asked, confused.
“Never mind why,” Colleen said with a condescending tone.
“I… I don’t… get it,” Joan said defensively.
“There’s nuthin’ to get,” Colleen fired back.
“How am I… supposed to find him?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Colleen replied. “I just need you to make sure he doesn’t come back here.”
“Can’t you tell me why?” asked Joan, worried.
“Don’t worry about why. Just do it, okay?” Colleen yelled.
“I can’t stop him from coming to the room, Colleen,” Joan sputtered.
“No, but I can if you won’t,” Colleen said in a suddenly calm, business-like tone.
“Just calm down, Colleen,” Joan said.
“Don’t fuckin’ tell me to calm down!” Colleen blurted.
“Colleen… What’s wrong?” Joan asked as she started to cry. “Why are you acting like this? What happened?”
“Nothing happened! But that priest does not come back into this room!” Colleen said commandingly. “You read me?”
“Why not?” Joan asked, “Father Jones is really nice!”
“Because I said so, that’s why, Goddamn it!”
“That’s ridiculous,” Joan said, brushing her off.
“Don’t you ever fucking dismiss me, Mother!” Colleen yelled.
“All right! I read you!” Joan fired back.
“Good!” Colleen shouted as her heart raced. “You would think I’m asking you to wipe my ass or something!”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this,” Joan said, giving up a fight she knew she couldn’t win.
“Look,” Colleen said, calming a little. “I don’t ask for much.”
“No, you don’t,” Joan said, feeling a little guilty.
“Then do this one thing for me. Please?” Colleen asked, suddenly switching her role to submissive.
“Okay, sweetheart,” Joan said. “I don’t understand it, but I’m sure you have your reasons,” Joan said.
“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t.”
“What time did he say he was coming to the room?” Joan asked with a sniffle.
“I told him you were coming at one o’clock,” Colleen said. “He said he was go
nna stop by then.”
“So what time do you want me to come and find him?” asked Joan, trying to hold back her tears.
“I don’t know, Ma,” Colleen said, frustrated. “I’m tired and my leg hurts. Can’t you just figure it out yourself?”
“Yeah, I guess… I’ll figure it out somehow. What brought all of this on, Colleen? What’s going on?” asked Joan.
Colleen slammed the receiver to the cradle with a loud crashing ring.
†
Sheila had the strange feeling that something just wasn’t right. She couldn’t immediately put her finger on it, but she felt as if something was missing. She got out of her BMW and pressed the remote button that armed the anti-theft system with a chirp. As she searched for the spa’s master key, the small ring of keys rattled like a tiny wind chime in the otherwise quiet parking lot.
“What the…?” Sheila asked aloud. “Who did this?”
Sheila crossed her arms and shifted her weight as she stared at the building alarm status box to the right of the metal door. The status indicator light on the left side blinked a brilliant red, which meant that there was a problem. The red light put her instantly on edge. Her heart began to race as she thought about what could have happened.
She uncrossed her arms and unzipped her purse. Her cell beeped again as she pulled it out, flipped it open and read the pop-up message at the bottom of the screen.
3 missed calls
“Shit. That can’t be good,” she said aloud.
Suddenly something thumped loudly against the heavy metal door from the inside, causing her to drop her keys. She felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her chest. She stood, frozen in place.
Another thump rattled the door. She bit her bottom lip as she whipped her head back and forth in a panic, hoping to find someone who could help her. All she saw was the long, empty parking lot and her car. In the distance, a white delivery truck was parked in the back of Ralph’s grocery store on the other end of the Colony Plaza.
The door clicked heavily as someone flipped the deadbolt. Sheila screamed in terror. She took a clumsy step backward and squeezed her thighs together as the pressure from her bladder announced itself with lightning urgency.
Suddenly the sound of squealing tires echoed loudly from the other side of the delivery truck.
“Oh my God!” she screamed.
†
Colleen closed her eyes and leaned back against the thin pillow. Adrenaline raced through her veins as she replayed the phone conversation in her head. She asked herself why she had acted the way she did, since never before had she treated someone she loved with such disdain and condescension.
Augie sat on the commode in the cold bathroom and tried to accomplish her business. The pain of her broken ribs stabbed at her chest as she tried to go, but had no success. Abdominal cramps added to her discomfort as she cradled her ribs with one arm, and her tummy with the other. “Ugh,” Augie whispered aloud. “I really did it this time.”
Augie’s overly-tanned skin was covered in goose bumps from the air conditioning. The tile floor and stainless steel rails were far too cold for her comfort. She reached for the metal bar to her left, which made a tinny “ping” sound as her wedding ring struck the stainless steel. She grabbed the call bell cord and gave it a weak tug. She winced in pain.
Colleen opened her eyes as she heard the electronic tone from the emergency call bell. She thought about calling Joan back and offering an apology for the way she lashed out at her.
“Can I help you?” a voice asked from the call box speaker.
“Can you tell Leah that I’m done now, please?” Augie asked loudly.
“Okay, she’s on her way,” the man replied.
Augie leaned forward and resumed cradling her chest and abdomen. She looked down at her toes. She shook her head and wondered how long it would be before she could paint her toenails again. “Disgusting,” she whispered. “I need a pedicure.”
Colleen lifted her head and tried shifting her position in the uncomfortable bed. “Who the hell is she talking to?” she asked aloud. “Jesus… who am I talking to?”
Leah entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Knock knock,” she called as she rapped on the bathroom door.
“Come in,” said Augie.
Leah opened the door slowly. “How did we do?”
“We didn’t.”
Leah pulled fresh gloves from her pocket and put them on. “Do you want me to help you wipe?”
“Nuthin’ there,” replied Augie. “Do you know how bad it feels to be constipated with broken ribs and cramps?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Leah said. “Ready to stand up?”
“Yeah,” Augie said. “I’m sorry, Leah,” she said with a sniffle.
“Awww, that’s okay, honey. That’s what we’re here for.”
Leah helped Augie to her feet and then positioned herself behind her. Augie held onto the middle of the IV pole and guided it slowly out the bathroom doorway toward the edge of her bed. The wheels squeaked as she dragged it, and Leah followed behind with her hands on Augie’s waist for support.
“Man, that sucks,” Colleen said.
“Tell me about it,” Augie said as she turned with her back to Colleen.
Colleen chuckled to herself as she saw Augie’s bare back and buttocks. The lid of the cold commode had made large imprints across the back of Augie’s thighs, resembling a large red smiley face.
“I hear you over there,” Augie said. “What’s so funny?”
“Nuthin’,” Colleen laughed. “All I can say is have a nice day!”
“Keep on!” Augie said in a playfully threatening tone.
“Sorry,” said Colleen. “Couldn’t resist.”
Augie used the IV pole for support and sat on the edge of the bed. Leah helped her swing one leg over the edge of the bed, and then the other.
“I’m a mess,” Augie said.
“How will I get up if I need to?” Colleen asked. “That looks like quite the process, even with legs that function.”
“Someone would come in with me and we’d help you,” Leah said as she removed her gloves.
“Sounds complicated,” Colleen said.
“Nah,” Leah said matter-of-factly. “It’s actually pretty easy when you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope so,” said Colleen.
“Hey, who were you talking to when I was in the bathroom?” Augie asked as she pushed her pain button for more Morphine.
“Oh,” Colleen said. “My mother-in-law.”
“You sounded pretty pissed off,” Augie said. “I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but you sounded mad, I guess. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Leah threw her gloves in the wastebasket and washed her hands. Augie looked at Leah, and then looked at Colleen again, trying to get a feel for whether Colleen wanted Leah to hear the conversation.
“It’s okay,” Colleen said as she motioned to Leah.
“Do you ladies need anything else?” Leah asked as she dried her hands.
“We’re good for now,” replied Colleen.
“Okay. I’ll be back again before too long.”
Augie and Colleen paused for a second as Leah left the room and closed the door behind her.
“Okay. It’s your turn to spill your guts,” Augie said. “But no crying this time. It hurts too much.”
“I can’t guarantee that,” said Colleen. “But I can try.”
“I know,” said Augie. “It was just a disclaimer. Why were you so pissed off?”
“Because I… I’m stupid.”
“Why? What did you do?”
“I… yelled at my mother for no reason,” Colleen said.
“I’m confused already,” said Augie. “I thought you said you were talking to your mother in-law.”
“She’s my mother-in-law, but I refer to her as my mother,” said Colleen. “I mean she might as well be. My real mother died in a car accident when I was
eleven.”
“Oh, that sucks,” said Augie.
“Yeah,” Colleen said in a sad tone. “Fuckin’ drunk driver ran a stoplight and t-boned us broadside.”
“Shit. Wait… did you say us? You were in the car with her?”
“Yes,” Colleen said with a hard swallow and looked blankly into space. “She was killed instantly.”
“Wow,” Augie said with seriousness in her tone.
“I don’t even remember the guy hitting us,” said Colleen. “I woke up and I was like… upside down, sort of. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was red. So much… blood.”
“Oh my God,” Augie said as she covered her mouth.
“I was covered with it,” Colleen continued. “I like, wiped my eyes, but that only made it worse… I mean… I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.”
“Ugh,” Augie said and closed her eyes.
“When I could finally see,” Colleen started, and then paused to swallow hard. “I saw that Mom was bleeding really bad from her shoulder. Where her arm… used to be.” Colleen paused as her eyes welled with tears for the second time that morning.
“You don’t have to… I don’t—” Augie started, and then couldn’t find any words. She dropped her arms to her lap and shook her head in silence.
“It’s okay,” Colleen said as she fought the tears. “I don’t mind talking about it.”
“You sure?” asked Augie.
“Yeah. I’m okay,” Colleen said and then paused for a second. “So her arm was torn off… and I could see the blood squirting from her shoulder. It was… indescribable.”
“I’ll bet,” said Augie.
“Anyway, the paramedics had to cut us both out of the truck with the Jaws of Life,” Colleen continued. “That scared the livin’ shit out of me, to say the least. When they pulled me out, I realized that I didn’t have a scratch on me.
“You’re kidding me!” Augie blurted.
“Nope,” Colleen replied. “And neither did the guy that hit us.”
“Holy shit!” said Augie. “So what happened to… that fucker?”
“He was charged with DUI and second degree manslaughter. Spent about eighteen months in the slammer. That’s about it.”
Remembering August (Triple C Ranch Saga) Page 14