by Ian Tremblay
Diane, of course, was oblivious to Richard's pain, as she was to anybody's pain or needs. The only needs that counted for her were her own. For her, things were going exceptionally well, Richard Benson, the school's quarterback and resident hero was her boyfriend. She organized things so that she fit into his schedule. She was always there at the right time and had things figured out to the smallest detail. Richard went along. He got used to her being there always right on cue. He firmly believed she was a true friend who was his biggest supporter and who only wanted what was good for him.
The truth was that he did not have the strength or the wits to stand up to Diane Sorenson, and she was always miles ahead of him on everything. She directed and controlled his life without him really noticing. Everything in Diane's life was calculated and organized; nothing was left to chance or improvisation. She was not, as Richard believed, fitting into his life, but he was fitting into hers. For Diane, Richard was a moveable part. He occupied the moments of her life that she had decided were important for her. She directed everything to fit perfectly into her meticulously planned existence. Diane was brilliant, beautiful, and sexy; plus, she had rich parents who spoiled her and gave her anything she wanted. What she could not get through conniving or charm, she could always try to buy. She was, as she liked to say, "A vicious little bitch," who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. She was also an excellent student, with stellar grades, and was very involved in the schools' political and social activities.
Her number-one priority, though, was to make sure that Richard lacked of nothing, that he had what he needed before he even knew he needed it-especially sex. There was always a lot of that. Diane had learned very young the power of sex over men, and she used it to the extreme. The complacent and unsuspecting Richard went along; making no effort to understand what was going on. The relationship was comfortable and the sex was great and he admired Diane's strength and energy. He liked how she took care of everything; it made him feel important and loved. He could not, however, no matter how hard he tired, get Linda out of his mind. Linda had been the love of his life, the woman he had wanted to marry and to have children with. Now she was gone forever, and he couldn't get over it, no matter how much sex and attention Diane poured on him. He kept his heart's discontent to himself, however, concentrating on football and school; yet, buried in the bottom of his heart and tattooed to its' very walls was the inscription, "Linda Staunton, forever."
The school year came and went. Linda's world had revolved around school and Peggy and a few other friends she had made on campus. She was in great spirits when she left to spend the summer with her family at home. She was excited and buoyant at the promise that the coming months held; she couldn't wait to spend time with her brother and sisters and her mother and grandparents.
In the second week she was home, she saw Richard again by accident at the shopping mall. She had gone shopping with her mother and her younger brother Derek when she saw Richard and Diane pass hand in hand in front of the store they were in. They did not see Linda, as they were not looking that way. It had given Linda an electroshock to the heart to see them, jolting her, and she had felt her knees weaken and had momentarily felt sick to her stomach and had turned pale. Her mother had turned to talk to her just then, and noticing her change of composure, she had come up to her and taken one of her arms.
"Linda, are you okay? You seem pale all of sudden." She put her hand on Linda's forehead to check for fever.
"I'm okay, Mom, it's nothing. I'm fine. I'm just tired from the school year and all that. I'm fine, really." Linda's color had returned a bit. She smiled to her mother, who, reassured, went back to her shopping. Linda stared blankly out the store window where she had just seen Richard and Diane pass. It was the first time she had ever seen them together. All the pain of her break up with Richard came rushing back. She remembered it well now, and it was as if it had just happened, and it hurt-it hurt like hell.
The summer flew by, and soon it was time to go back to school. Linda threw herself into her studies; she got top marks and was an honors student. With Peggy she got involved in some humanitarian causes and helped on weekends at a local shelter for battered women. True to her promise to herself, she did not get involved in a serious relationship, and it stayed that way for the remaining years she was in school. She lived only for her studies, her volunteer work, her visits home for the holidays, and summer vacations. She and Peggy had become inseparable and they did everything together. When they were away from each other during the summer, they would talk for hours on the phone. The best part of going back to school in September for Linda was the prospect of being with Peggy again. She had become like another sister to her. Their friendship was pure and profound, and nothing could have altered that. All in all, the years at school were good years for Linda. She was happy and excited about the future. Everything seemed possible, and although her heart was still scarred from her break up with Richard, the years seemed to have eased the pain, and the hurt she had suffered subsided. She had been slowly healing and her heart was opening up again, and life was beckoning her with open arms.
Chapter 2
TRAGEDY
Linda and Peggy both finished school with top honors, and they were among the five best students of their graduating class. Graduation day was magical for both of them. Linda's mother was there, and so were her grandmother, grandfather, brother, and two sisters. All of Peggy's family was there too. Everyone was thrilled by the girls' accomplishments and the anticipation of an exciting future for them. Joy filled the air and dominated the brilliant summer day. They took pictures, cried, kissed, shook hands, and everyone seemed to be talking at the same time; it was a day that would be crystallized in the memory of all those who were there for many years to come. Linda's mother was particularly happy and proud of her daughter.
"Mom, I'm so excited I've graduated. I can hardly believe it. Thank you, Mom. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I know how much you sacrificed so this day could happen. This is your day too, Mom." Linda took her mother in her arms, and they hugged for a long time, each shedding a silent tear.
"Oh come on, Linda, I only did what I had to do. No, this is your day, Linda, and I'm really proud of you." She wiped her tears with a tissue and smiled, looking at her daughter, beaming. "Just look at you, a grown woman, beautiful and talented and with a brand new future in front of you." They stood facing each other holding hands, each filled to overcapacity with the emotions of the day.
"You know, Mom, what you did for us was extraordinary. I mean, you raised four children singlehandedly. Now that is a real achievement in my book. You are my hero, Mom, a real life hero, and you are the person I admire the most in the world, and I love you very, very much." Linda took her mother in her arms again and wrapped her arms around her.
"Oh hush now, you'll make me cry again."
Peggy and Linda had both been hired to work in the same clinic. They had planned it that way. Since neither of them was involved in a serious relationship, they had decided to stay together for a while. It had been easy to arrange; as top-notch graduates, they had gotten many offers from all over the country. The city they were going to would be a new one for both of them. They had only been there once to visit the clinic and for their job interviews. The clinic was a large, well-run operation with a large staff. The corporation that owned the clinic owned forty other clinics across the country. The pay would be good, and there were many perks and fringe benefits. The HR person who had recruited them had insisted, "We take good care of our people here, and we do everything we can to make sure that they are happy with us. We choose the most talented and promising people, and we do everything we can to keep them." Linda and Peggy had walked away from the interview excited at the prospect of working there. They had found a nice sunlit apartment not too far from where they would work, and they had rented it. Everything was set. They had jobs waiting for them and a place to stay, and they were both impatient to start work and to mo
ve in.
The girls had taken a month off after graduation to go home before moving and starting to work. Linda was glad to be home and to spend some time with her family. She loved the family meals when they all sat down and ate together. Even though her mother had very limited means, there was always enough of everything, and the food was great. Linda promised herself that she would help her mother as soon as she made a bit of money. Her brother and sisters all had part-time jobs now, so everyone pitched in and things were not as bad as before. There was one thing that they did have plenty of and that was the love they had for each other. Love was the single common denominator of the Staunton household. It had always been and was inherent to everything they thought, did, or said. Linda was very grateful for the blessing of having such a truly loving and caring family.
One day during that month Linda stopped by a coffee shop to buy a latte. As she was waiting for her order, a girl of about her age came up to her.
"Hi, Linda, remember me?" Linda looked at her, but did not recognize the girl.
"I'm sorry, no."
"I'm Debbie, Debbie Stewart, you know? I used to wear glasses and had pimples all over my face." Linda was still looking at her with a questioning look. "Oh, and I used to hang out with Diane Sorenson." She made an expression like, "not a great reference, I know, but maybe it will ring a bell."
"Oh yes, I remember you. I'm sorry it's been a few years now." Linda smiled; the mention of Diane's name did not bother her as much as it used to.
"Don't worry about it, Linda, it happens all the time. You know the hair, the contacts, no more pimples, it changes a person. So, how have you been? I heard that you graduated. Congratulations."
"Thanks, Debbie, yeah I did, and I've already got a job and an apartment. I'll be leaving next week. And you?"
"Well, I'll be graduating next year, and I'm getting married to Sidney in August. We met at college. Life is good. I can't complain."
"Good for you." Linda's attention turned to her order, which was ready; she was glad to get out of there. To spend any more time than she had to with a friend of Diane Sorenson's was not her idea of time well spent.
As if she read Linda's mind, Debbie said, "Hey, Linda, just to be clear, me and Diane haven't spoken in years, and I'm certainly not one of her friends anymore. I just said that so you would remember me. Well anyway, now that we've met, there is something that I would like to share with you about her and your ex, Richard. I think there are certain things that you should know. Do you have time for a coffee before you leave?" The mention of Richard's name piqued Linda's interest. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she definitely wanted to hear what Debbie had to say. Without wanting to appear too interested, she replied, "Sure, why not. Let's have coffee. I'm staying at my mom's. Here, take my number." Linda began to walk toward the door and turned around before stepping out. "I'm free tomorrow if you want Debbie?"
"Yeah, tomorrow would be great Linda. I'll call you."
"Ok then, see you tomorrow." Linda was perplexed as she walked out; she wondered what Debbie had to say to her. Mostly, though, it was the mention of Richard's name that moved her and caused an uneasy stirring in her stomach. Even after all this time, it still did that to her.
The next day Linda met Debbie at Larry's Diner. They used to hang out there when they were teens. Debbie was already there with a coffee in front of her.
"Hi, Linda, how are you?"
"I'm good, thanks, and you?"
"Never been better, thanks. Would you like something?" Debbie motioned to the waitress to come over, and Linda ordered a tea. They talked about college and their high school days for a while, and then Debbie cleared her throat.
"So, okay, Linda, here's the story I wanted to tell you about Diane and Richard. Prepare yourself, because it's not pretty. Well, the first year I went to college I still hung out with Diane Sorenson, and as you know, she ended up going out with Richard, your ex, before the Christmas break." Linda nodded, sipping her tea, saying nothing. "Well, some time later in that school year, we had a girls' night out, like, you know, five or six girls, dinner, drinks, and girl talk, that kind of night. So anyway, I sat beside Diane that night at dinner, and with Diane, as you know, you only speak about what interests Diane, so naturally the subject of Richard kind of came up. Anyway, by then we all had had quite a bit to drink, and everyone was more or less drunk. So out of the blue, Diane turns to me and asks me, "Hey, Debbie, want to know how I stole Richard from that little clueless bitch Linda Staunton?' Sorry about the language, but those were her words," Linda motioned with her hands that it was okay.
"Of course, that was not really a question. Diane had decided that she would tell me this story, whether I was interested to hear it or not." Debbie went on to tell Linda about how Diane had boasted to her about trapping Richard. "She told me how she had planned everything to the smallest detail and called Richard a moron and an idiot for having fallen so easily and how she had found out the password for his voicemail and had a lot of fun erasing the messages you left him. Also, that she had stolen his spare set of keys and had used them to plant stuff in his apartment a few hours before you showed up there with him. The whole time she told me this Linda, she laughed; she reveled in it and thought it was hilarious. Then she went on and on about how stupid you and Richard had been, I'm sorry to say that, but those were her words. So that's the story, Linda. I'm sure that today it makes no difference in your life, but I'm glad I met you and to be able to share this with you. I just think that it's fair that you know how mean she was to both of you and what a terrible person she had been."
Linda looked at her; her heart was filled with mixed emotions and her mind was flooded with anger by what she had just heard.
"Thanks, Debbie. Well, that's certainly not what I expected you would be telling me, wow! How can somebody be so mean, Debbie? That's something I just can't understand."
"I think she's mean inside, Linda, like really mean and angry. It's her ego. It's bigger than her and controls her life completely. She is so full of herself that even the slightest setback drives her crazy, and I think that deep down inside, she's a very unhappy person."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. You know, in a way, I feel sorry for her. She has to live with herself." There was an awkward silence. "So tell me, Debbie, what happened between you and her? Why did you stop being friends?"
"Well, nothing really, oh, something trivial, I argued with her about clothes or something of that nature, and that was it. Diane decided I was out, to be shunned and ignored. I didn't mind that much and I made some real friends for a change. I concentrated on my studies and eventually met Sidney. So, in a way, things worked out okay I guess. As for Diane, well, all I can say is that in retrospect, she was an evil little bitch; excuse the language Linda, but there is no other way to say it. I'm really sorry she hurt you and split you and Richard up. That was mean and just not right."
Linda smiled. "Its okay, Debbie, that's all ancient history now. As far as I'm concerned, Diane Sorenson is dead. I've wiped her from my memory." Shortly after that the girls left. They said good-bye and wished each other good luck. Although she did not let it show, what Debbie had revealed to Linda bothered her a lot. All the old hurt and pain came back to her, and it churned inside her gut and burned inside her head. She walked back home in silence, torn between her rage and sadness and fighting hard to hold back her tears.
Too soon the time came for Linda to leave. This departure was different than leaving for school and it wasn't just because she was traveling further. No, there was something more permanent about this move. Everyone was there to wish her off; all promised to visit soon and wished her the best. Linda had mixed emotions as she settled into her seat for the long train ride, a ride to a new city, a new job, a new apartment, and a new life with her friend Peggy. The thought of Peggy made her smile and cheered her up a bit. Peggy always had that effect on her.
Settling in went really well. Linda and Peggy were enthusiastic about everyt
hing. They had taken their first week together to set up their apartment. They cleaned, painted, and decorated, and in no time, their little nest was organized. The furniture was old, but it was in good shape and clean; the girls had added a little personal touch everywhere, not with expensive ideas but with creative ones. In the living room they had covered the sofa and chairs with matching bright tissues, and in the kitchen they had painted the chairs and the table a light shade of pink. For every room and for every wall they had added an object or a color that gave it that extra touch; the touch of warmth and sincerity, igniting every square inch of their cozy abode with the incandescence and promise of youth.
The plumbing and lighting were a bit dated, but everything worked, and the building superintendent had been really helpful and nice. Mr. Delvechio had immediately liked them; he was an older gentleman of seventy or so, but in great shape and very lively and talkative. He was polite, and his clothes were well kept. He spoke with a heavy accent, and he told them he had emigrated from Hungary with his parents after the war when he was still a boy. When the girls had come to give Mr. Delvechio their first month's rent, he had insisted they sit down and have tea with him and his wife.
"Sixty-four years I've been in this country, and it seems like only yesterday. I've never been back there, you know, to Hungary. I'm told things have changed now, but me and Edna, we're too old to go back there. Here is our home now, and here is where we'll be buried." He turned toward his wife and tapped her hand gently; she acquiesced by nodding her head and smiling. "As for you two, well, you're both in a new city where you know no one, just like Edna and I when we were children. So, we'll watch over you and this will be your home and you'll be safe here." He turned to his wife, who smiled approvingly. "Look at these two, Edna, so young, so beautiful, all their future in front of them, neither of them married. Can you believe that? Wait and see, Edna, men will come knocking on that door very soon. Mark my words, a second lock I'll have to install to keep them out, Edna. Believe me, I know these things." His wife shrugged and said nothing; after forty-seven years of marriage, Edna had learned the virtues of silence. The girls were flattered by the Delvechios, who acted with them more like benevolent grandparents than landlords. Once they finished their tea, they got up to leave, but only after having answered many questions about their families, their jobs, why they were not married, and so on. When they were out of ear's reach of the first-floor apartment of the Delvechios, Linda looked at Peggy and they both broke out laughing, exchanging knowing looks.