by Pepper Pace
She headed back down the stairs without saying a word. Robin sat in Jason’s lap and placed her head on his shoulder.
“Tired?” He asked. She nodded.
“Go back to the apartment. I’ll meet you there when we get finished.”
“No.” She said. “I want to stay.” She placed her hands around his body almost possessively. “I love you Jason.”
He gave her a solemn look. “We won’t turn out like that. I promise.” She nodded.
He helped her sale some CD’s. They had programmed the computer to play dance, techno and top 40 music for about an hour and so only had a limited amount of time to hang with her. “People like the visualizations.”
“Yeah it was cool.”
“And babe, did you hear the crowd going wild for Love’s End? They love your voice!”
“They love what you did to my voice…or the way Amberly made me dance in the video.”
“Hmmm. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Sweetheart. I don’t know what I can do to help you understand just how wonderful you are.”
Before she answered she noted that an older white man was standing in front of Jason, as if waiting. He gave the man a curious look.
“Jason Hamilton? I’m Mr. Edelson.” He had a British accent and very short white hair in a relatively youthful face. He was maybe as old as her mother but with a lot of flair.
“Yes. I’m Jason Hamilton.” He handed Jason a card and he examined it. Robin wondered what it said. “Have you ever heard of Akita Tom?” Jason nodded. “We’d like to talk to you and your partner.” Mr. Edelson held out his hand and Jason shook it slowly. “And by the way, I’d like to purchase a CD.”
Jason handed it to him. “Why don’t you just take this? It would be my honor.” Mr. Edelson gave him a brief bow and accepted the CD.
“Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you and Mr.Warrant.”
Jason turned to Robin in excitement as soon as he was gone. “That was Akira Todd’s Agent.”
“Who is that, babe?”
Jason took a deep breath. He held up his finger and moved his chair back. Robin turned to the other Omicron brother who had been helping unload the cd’s.
“Watch the money!” She quickly rose and pushed Jason’s chair back and turned his back to the line of people. Jason’s seizure lasted just 2 minutes and when his eyes opened he gave her a weary look. “Akira Todd,” he rubbed his face and tried to become alert. “is one of the top mix artists in Japan. He’s a white guy that knew how to make some wicked beats and went to Japan and literally blew up!”
“Jesus.”
“Shit! I gotta get back on stage! No telling where Peter is.” He wheeled away. “I’ll be back later, babe!” Robin couldn’t believe that Jason had just gotten a card from an Agent and then had just run off. An Agent! Screw the CD’s! Robin grabbed the lockbox and told the Omicron brother to take any remaining CD’s to the back. She hurried into the auditorium and saw that both Peter and Jason were up on stage. One of the Omicron brother’s was taking the mic again.
“Okay, it’s midnight and time to announce the winners of the Halloween costume contest. Drum role please!” Peter created a drum roll beat and everyone began laughing.
“The first prize winner, and the recipient of One hundred and fifty dollars is…Belinda Stryker and her Lady GaGa meat dress!” Robin couldn’t clap because she was holding a lockbox with over a thousand dollars in it, but she sure did cheer and whoop loudly. Belinda broke through the crowd and then climbed up the stairs. A few people assisted her since the meat shoes that she wore were spiked. Belinda took the stage appearing every much a star as the real Lady Gaga.
She curtsied drunkenly and the Omicron brother had to grab her before she toppled off the stage. He pretended to grope her and Belinda lightly smacked his hands away and snatched her check from him. She moved across the stage. Peter wouldn’t even look at her at all.
They announced the second prize winner who wore an elaborate Final Fantasy tribute. “Third prize goes to Jason Hamilton as the funky Mad Hatter.” Jason seemed surprised but wheeled to get his check, his face all smiles. “Honorable mentions go to Nan Penski as a bumble bee. Chris Tipp as a scary clown. Robin Mathena as the busty Queen of Hearts-” Robin’s eyes bulged. She almost fainted when her name was called. They also gave an honorable mention to Amberly as the Bride of Frankenstein. Amberly almost had a tantrum that they didn’t recognize her as Cruella Daville.
Robin watched as Jason talked to Peter. She couldn’t help grinning when Peter made two fists and began beating at the air whooping loudly. Belinda turned to them, hands up in question. Jason waved her over and told her, showing them both the card. Belinda almost fell on her butt. Amberly ambled up onto the stage and joined in the Wheels of Steel celebration. Robin watched happily from the floor at what could potentially become a history making moment.
Chapter 22
By the time the couple got everything broken down and loaded up into Peter’s van it was after two and Jason and Robin didn’t get back to his house until close to three. Peter drove off with two girls as Belinda looked on. Chauncy put his hands around her waist as she sat there and she swung around and slapped him.
“Dude, please! Hands? Damn. Amberly, take me home, please.” She climbed into Amberly’s car and ignored Chauncy who appeared confused.
“But Chauncy is so cute.” Robin heard Amberly say.
“But I don’t want to keep being someone’s meat puppet!” And then Amberly was driving away. Thank god she’d sobered enough to remember that.
Robin let Jason off at his apartment and he was incredibly disappointed. He’d been fantasizing about stripping her out of that Queen of Hearts dress all evening…or maybe even allowing her to keep it on. A little role play action might be fun. But Robin was unyielding. His mother would be there in the morning and she didn’t want her finding them in bed together again. End of story.
Jason watched her drive away and decided that it was time to talk to his mother about things; his legs, his adult relationship and most importantly—the Baclofen pump.
Robin slept so late that when she finally woke Saturday it was after twelve noon. She jumped up, feeling that there was something that she should be doing, or somewhere that she needed to be…but then she lay back down and remembered that this was Saturday; this was her day—the first that she’d had in a long while that hadn’t been spent sick on her back.
She lay there, decadently, enjoying the feel of doing nothing before she finally pulled herself out of bed. After some light house work, Robin got showered and dressed. She needed to visit the grocery store because the milk had gone bad and she was suspicious about the eggs.
She saw blueberry muffins and thought about Miss Lucille. Today would be a great day for a visit with the elderly lady. After she dropped her purchases off at the apartment, Robin drove to Covington Kentucky to the elder care facility. She thought about the party last night and about the Agent and then became anxious to see Jason. She had to admit that her body missed their nightly love fest. She felt her need for him like an ache deep in her belly.
She felt a bit chagrined that she had awakened to yet another morning with no sign of her period. The look on Jason’s face spoke clearly to the fact that he was not ready to be a father, as she was not ready to be a mother. She sighed. It was time to consider the possibility that she could actually be pregnant. She had no doubt that Jason would love their child—if that should be the case. It was just that they were so new and there was so much to life that she had yet to discover before she wanted to bring life into the world.
She sighed as she pulled into the parking lot of the nursing home. Again she was met with the sight of elderly people sitting out front chatting and she wished that Mrs. Lucille could be one of those people. There was probably not an individual more in need of a friend then Miss Lucille.
She went to the front desk. “Miss Lucille Babb please.” Robin was considering just how much she would
go off if she found Miss Lucille in a similar condition as she had before.
“Mrs. Babb.” It was the same man from the week before. “I’ll get the nurse. One moment please.”
After a few long minutes the nurse from the last visit rounded the corner. Her footsteps faltered as she saw Robin. Uh oh. She was sure that meant that she would need to get all into this woman’s butt and chew her a new asshole!
The woman averted her eyes. “I’m sorry. Mrs. Babb passed away earlier this week.”
Robin stood there watching the woman. “What?”
“Mrs. Babb expired from complications to pneumonia. She died peacefully in her sleep Wednesday morning. I’m sorry.” Robin sucked in a deep breath.
“I…”
“I can get you the information about her final arrangements. The funeral will be Monday. Dr. Babb had tried to contact you but something about your place of business would not give out your personal information. He left a number for you. I’ll get it.”
She hurried away and Robin stood there in the middle of the room feeling like the world had tilted sideways.
Oh my god. Wednesday. She was supposed to have visited her Tuesday…
“Ma’ame?” Robin blinked and the nurse was back and holding a card. “That is how you contact Dr. Babb.”
“But…what happened?”
“Well, as I said, there was complications from-”
“I know that! I heard you. I mean exactly what happened?” Robin asked.
The nurse’s eyes again would not meet Robin’s. “If you like we can go to the office and talk about-”
“No.” Robin snapped. “I’m just trying to understand. What do you mean when you say complications?”
“Mrs. Babb was an old woman.”
Robin sighed. Jesus! “What do you mean complications? Can you be more exact? Was it fluid in her lungs? Did she choke? Did she go into a coma? Please help me understand her last moments?!”
“Well…I’m not really at liberty-”
“Oh my god! You fucking ghoul!” Several people looked at them at Robin’s sharp words.
“You know.” The nurse said, a hard look falling over her face. “I don’t have to take this.” She turned and walked away.
“Yeah, I know about you. You and I had words last time; about the level of care that you were giving her. So it only stands to reason that you don’t want to talk to me about this since you did nothing to make her last few days…HUMANE!” Robin’s voice was shaking as she followed after the woman. “You’re a ghoul! Was she one too many in your case load?!”
The man from the front desk hurried after her. “Ma’ame! I’m going to have to ask you to leave!”
“Who is next on your list?!” Robin ignored him and chased after the nurse who was trying to walk to a back room. “Is it that poor old lady over there?! Or that man?! Who’s next on your list you bitch! You killer! YOU MURDERER!” The man grabbed Robin’s arm roughly as the nurse’s footfalls faltered and she turned to glare at Robin.
“You call me a bitch?! This is my life—taking care of these people who can’t take care of themselves is my life!”
“You didn’t want her to live, did you?!” Robin screamed. “One less ass to wipe, right?!”
“Ma’ame!” The man pulled her roughly, yanking her arm and Robin jerked away roughly.
“Don’t you say that to me!” The nurse yelled. “Don’t you dare say that to me! Fuck you, you stupid stupid girl! She was fucking old! She wasn’t going to live-”
Robin reached, lurched forward and this time the man got her tightly, one arm hooked around her throat. He yanked her painfully off her feet and began carrying her bodily out of the facility.
“Don’t you come back here! I’ll call the cops on your ass!” He tossed her to the ground and Robin landed sprawled on her ass with grit marks in the palm of her left hand. She blinked, heart racing, an angry retort on her tongue. But all she could think is that these poor poor people were all going to die. Die here amongst people that didn’t care, people that allowed bedsores to fester and that thought it was okay because they were old and going to die anyways.
Robin jumped to her feet and ran away as eyes watched her like she was the crazy one.
***
Jason didn’t have the luxury of sleeping late like Robin. His mom was at the door knocking at an ungodly 8 am. When he complained, her response had been that her life wasn’t going to be kept on hold. If he wanted his house cleaned and his shopping done then he’d do it on her schedule…and furthermore he would not have had to get up if he’d return the key that he had taken from her.
Jason just grumbled and went back to the bedroom without responding. He placed the pillow over his head while she turned on the television to the morning news and began to loudly clean. A return to sleep was not going to happen so he finally just got up and went to the bathroom.
“Mom!” He yelled. “I need cleaned.” She came into the bathroom and cleaned his bottom and then ran his bath.
“Where’s Robin?” She asked.
“Ha. Why do you think she would be here?”
“Because you two are boy-friend and girlfriend and obviously sexually active. How did her test go?”
“No cancer. But more tests to figure out why she has the ulcers. It might be Crohns disease…or it might not.”
“Well thank god it ain’t the big C. And by the way, about you two being sexually active.” Jason rolled his eyes. “I do hope that you are ALWAYS using protection because the last thing we need are you two trying to bring a baby into your relationship-”
“Oh my god, mother! I’m trying to get into the bathtub. Okay? Go please?” She scowled, looking just like him…or perhaps it was the other way around. She left the bathroom and he muttered about her words that were actually too close to truth. He should call Robin except that it was still too early. What if…? He didn’t think about it because, their first time could not result in a baby, especially when he had pulled out. Right?
Instead of focusing on Robin’s late period, he focused on the card from Mr. Edelson. They were going to call later that evening. With a sigh that should be joyous, Jason pulled himself to the edge of the tub and onto his chair. He dressed and he and Mom had breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs. They both read the paper, Jason glancing at his mother periodically.
“Mom.” He finally said, putting down the paper.
“Yes?” Her eyes didn’t move to his.
“I’ve been walking.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
Jason’s brow furrowed. “H-ow?” The reason she knew is because she had made a stop by his house to drop off something she’d forgotten at the grocers. She’d seen a new set of leg braces. But she didn’t tell him. Why should she tell her secrets?
When Jason received no answer he swallowed and stiffened his shoulders. “I’m also going back on Baclofen.”
His mother shook out the paper and continued to read. “No you’re not.”
“Yes I am.”
“I’m not going to argue with you. We’ve been over this before. I haven’t changed my mind. I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Mom-”
“Jason!” She slammed the paper down. “Why do you want to keep rehashing this argument?!”
His words were calm. “Who’s arguing? I didn’t say I WANT to return to Baclofen. I told you that I AM doing it.”
“With what money, Son? Because you won’t have any until you are 21.” Which is when his father offered to end the child support and provide him with a hefty inheritance. The current situation was more to benefit his mother then him since his mother did not need to provide support to a grown man that lived his own life. But maybe this is what his Dad felt needed to be done in order to make amends to her for being a shithead.