“I don’t have your number.”
“Interesting dilemma. I don’t want the reporter to get it either. Just call Ted back and we’ll figure something out. I love you Melody, and I promise nothing’s as bad as you think it is.”
She wiped a tear. “I have to go.”
“Goodbye, sweetheart. You’ll always be my sweetheart, no matter what happens.”
She said goodbye, ended the call and started to cry.
“What did he say?”
“Not much.”
“He still loves you, you know.”
“Yep.”
The man leaned forward. “Do you love him?”
“I can’t tell you that. You’re a reporter.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me.” He pulled a tape recorder out of his pocket. “Thanks for the story of a lifetime.”
She felt her mouth drop in surprise, not sure what to do. What had she said to him that he could print? She always messed up every situation and this one wasn’t any different.
~~~~~
Chapter 9
Melody walked back to the train, got something to eat in Union Station and boarded. She felt so empty inside, like she’d just given away her soul. Reporters were all evil and she knew better than to trust any of them.
She sat in her seat, surrounded by more people than she thought possible for wanting to go to Charleston. Everyone seemed to stare at her; making her wonder if they were all reporters. She closed her eyes and ignored all of them. They weren’t worth the time of day to her.
An old woman sat down beside her, forcing Melody’s eyes to open. “Going to Charleston?” the woman asked.
She didn’t have an accent, so Melody knew something was up. “Yes, and I’m really tired.”
“I bet you are. You’ve been all over the news nationwide.”
Melody didn’t answer, but just closed her eyes again.
“You know that, right?”
“Look. I just want to sleep,” Melody said, opening her eyes. “Is that okay with you?”
“Oh, testy. I guess I’ll just move.”
Melody felt guilty, shook her head and sighed. “No, stay put. I’m just tired of bein’ hounded by reporters. I really just want to sleep.”
“I understand. I’ll keep them away from you. I’m going to visit my daughter in West Virginia anyway. She has a new boyfriend.”
Melody knew she wasn’t going to sleep. This woman wouldn’t let her alone. She closed her eyes and didn’t answer the woman. At least she wasn’t a reporter.
She must’ve been asleep for at least six hours before she woke up. The older woman was knitting, and the other people on the train were either reading or sleeping.
“I think I fell asleep,” she said, yawning.
“Sure did. Some people took your picture, too.”
“If they want to watch me sleep, so be it.” She checked her watch. “What time is it?”
“It’s after dinner. Are you hungry?”
“No. I’m fine.” She knew she didn’t have much cash and she could wait. She also had a twenty-five hundred dollar bill hanging over her head, and who knew what bills her father had racked up while she was away.
She spent the last part of the trip thinking about John. He was worried about her? Why? She wasn’t what he wanted, and he’d even said as much to Chuck. What was it about him?
When the train pulled into Charleston around eight, a man from another aisle approached her. “Melody, I’m Arden Warren, a reporter from New York. Would you give me an exclusive interview? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“No.”
“How about me?” another man asked.
“No.”
“I’ll double his offer!” a third said.
She just wanted to get home and see if her father was doing okay. “No.”
The train stopped and she ran to the door, waiting to get off. About six men followed her, all wanting an interview and hounding her. When the doors opened, she ran out and grabbed her suitcase as fast as she could while dodging all reporters’ questions. Her car was parked at the train station, so she ran to it, threw her suitcase inside, and after paying the parking bill, drove home to her very small town, east of Charleston.
She decided on the ride home, her life would never be normal again, all because she chose the wrong table at a diner in the New York train station. She didn’t regret meeting John, but if they’d never met, she’d have been able to go to the wedding, see the Statue of Liberty, and go home alone. Her memories of New York consisted of being hounded by the press, breaking up a marriage, and stopping a gunman. Some vacation.
Melody pulled into the driveway of her father’s small home, grabbed her suitcase and walked to the front door. She glanced into the window of the living room, and saw her father having sex with a blonde woman. Not knowing what to do, she stood and stared. Her father looked very happy, happier than she’d ever seen him.
Feeling like a voyeur, she turned around, got into her car with her suitcase and left. She had no money, her credit card was over the limit, and she had no place to go. Her brother pretty much hated her in their ongoing feud, so she drove to her Aunt Shirley’s house.
The lights were out in the home, and she suddenly remembered that her aunt was away on a vacation in Nashville with her brother, Jimmy, and his wife. Melody was homeless and alone.
She drove to her job at Jack’s Groceries, knowing it was open twenty-four hours. She might be able to hang out in the back for a while, until she could figure out what to do. When she pulled into the parking lot, though, all the lights were out in the store. She drove up to the front, and saw a huge sign on the door, reading, ‘Condemned.’ She got out of the car, not believing her eyes. This was her job! She couldn’t survive without her job.
A metal news rack stood beside the door and she knelt down, trying to read the headlines in the dark. It said, ‘63 Employees Out Of Work at Jack’s,’ then mentioned that Jack’s had closed the day she’d left town. No one knew it was coming, either.
Melody got back into her car. No home, no job, no money. She couldn’t believe her luck. She looked at her watch. It was almost nine at night and nothing was open. She couldn’t afford a motel, so it looked like she’d be spending the night in the car.
She drove to her aunt’s house, parked in the driveway, and got into the back seat. The night was cool, so she threw the bridesmaid dress over her for a blanket, then lay back and thought about her life. What went wrong? Why did she feel doomed? What was she going to do?
She couldn’t go home. Her father was busy and he didn’t need her any more. As much as it was a relief, she was alone and not needed. She felt worthless. Going back to New York wasn’t even an option because she had to be her own person. She couldn’t go anywhere without being pitied, and that was out of the question.
She closed her eyes and felt herself start to dream. Her father was holding a gun to John’s head, threatening him if he dated her. She screamed for him to let John go, but her father held on even tighter. As his evil smile grew, he cocked the gun at John’s temple. John’s eyes squeezed shut and he told her he loved her. She screamed no to her father, but her arms were being held back by her brother who was laughing. Just as someone grabbed the gun, it went off.
Melody sat up straight and opened her eyes. It finally hit her. Her relatives were insane. John was the only one who had any sense whatsoever.
She touched her face and felt the sweat rolling off it. It was nearly three in the morning, and there was no way she’d go back to sleep.
Because of the cool temperatures and the sweat on her skin, she started to get extremely cold. This was crazy. She was parked at her aunt’s business where she could get out of the cool air, and she was sleeping in her car. She made her plan, got out her credit card and stepped out of the car.
After walking to the rear of the small building, she looked all around for someone who might be watching. No one was within miles of the place, and the
re were few neighbors, so she went to work on the door. She had it jimmied open within a few minutes, realizing that if someone caught her, she’d be arrested for breaking and entering.
She walked into the lit shop, hoping her aunt never installed an alarm, and closed the door. It felt good to get inside, so she warmed her arms and walked upstairs to the two-bedroom apartment where her aunt and uncle lived. She hoped they’d have something to eat, because she’d missed dinner.
The refrigerator didn’t have much food, but she did find a box of cereal in the pantry. She opened it and poured some into a bowl, then lay down on the couch to watch television. She’d be indebted to her aunt after this. Her eyes went shut and that’s all she remembered.
~~~~~
“Look who’s sleepin’ in your bed,” someone said. Melody opened her eyes to stare right into the face of her brother, Jimmy.
She sat up, purple and green sugary cereal clinging to her arms and shirt. “Oh, no. What day is it?”
“It’s Monday,” he said. “We came back a little bit early to find someone who’d broken in and eaten Aunt Shirley and Uncle Ned’s food.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Where are they?”
“I’m right here, sugar, and you’re fine. You’re welcome here any time.” Aunt Shirley walked into the living room and put a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of Melody. “Tell us all about it.”
“Well, I got back from New York—”
“Where your face was plastered all over the newspapers for datin’ someone out of your league,” Jimmy said with a smirk. His wife, Belinda, who was sitting in a rocking chair near the couch, started to cackle, like the witch she was.
Melody moved to the edge of the couch. “You have no idea what it was like. Besides, I got back and Daddy was…uh…entertainin’ some woman at our house. Right in the livin’ room.”
“You’re kidding!” Aunt Shirley said.
“I couldn't walk in on that, could I?” Melody asked.
“I would have,” Jimmy said. “And cheered him on.”
Melody shook her head. “Thank heavens I’m not you. I was told in New York that he was ill. Do any of you know what happened?”
“He’s fine,” Jimmy said. “I got a call, he went to the doctor and he’s fine. He has to stop drinkin’, but he never will. He kicked the woman out who was taking care of him because she took all his beer and hid it from him.”
“So who’s the new woman?” Shirley asked, sitting beside Melody.
“I have no idea. She was blonde and had a huge chest.”
“Naked?” Jimmy asked, waggling his eyebrows.
“You know it,” Melody said. “But don’t ask me any other details. I’m sure it’ll give me nightmares for years.”
“They closed Jack’s Groceries,” Shirley said. “Are you gonna go back home to live with your daddy?”
Melody shook her head. “I’d rather not if that woman’s there. I’m gonna find a place to stay and get a job.”
“If you want to stay here, you’re welcome to,” Shirley answered. “You could work for rent. I don’t mind.”
Melody reached out and lifted the teacup, then took a sip. “What about Ned?”
“He’ll be back…some time,” Shirley said. “He’s still in Nashville, thinkin’ he’s the next country music star.”
Melody put her teacup back on the coffee table. “What? Uncle Ned?”
Shirley smiled. “Since he’s related to you, and therefore the uncle of a famous woman whose face is all over the newspapers, he thinks he can cash in. He’s been singin’ karaoke all weekend.”
“So you left him there?”
“Sort of,” Shirley answered, chuckling. “We got him a bus ticket back to West Virginia for when he’s done.”
“I guess he’s unemployed, too, since they closed Jack’s.” Melody checked her watch. “Can I get a shower and see if I can find a job? I’m still gonna need money to eat.”
“Sure,” Shirley said. “Just help me when you get back.”
“Thanks.” She kissed Shirley’s cheek and ran toward the door. “I have to get my suitcase, and I’ll be right back.”
“Are you gonna stop at home to get some other clothes?”
Melody stopped dead in her tracks then spun toward them. “I guess I have to. Do any of you want to come with me so I won’t be shot?”
All three of them shook their heads. “I’m not crossin’ Martin,” Shirley said. “I’m glad I was your mom’s sister and not his sister.”
Melody sighed. “Jimmy? Would you help me?”
“No way,” he said with a grin. “And Belinda’s not comin’ either, so don’t ask.”
Belinda laughed, sounding more like a hyena than ever. She laughed at everything, whether it was funny or not.
“I’ll be back with my suitcase,” Melody said. She just wanted to get away from these people. They were all crazy.
She brought the suitcase up the stairs, took a quick shower and brushed her hair. As she glanced in the mirror, she suddenly realized why everyone thought she was a model. She never thought she was pretty, but with her long slightly curly dark red hair and her green eyes, her pale skin really stuck out. She’d always hated her dimples, but they made her look so much younger, especially with her high cheekbones. She really was pretty, even though her father had told her every day of her life how homely she was. She suddenly felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her father had been controlling her all her life, and now she was seeing how wrong and evil he’d been.
She walked a little taller and more determined out into the living room. “Thank you, Aunt Shirley, for takin’ me in. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t call the cops for you breakin’ in, either. Family has to stick together.”
Melody smiled. “I’m gonna visit Momma’s grave on my way back.”
“You do that. Tell her hello from me.”
Melody smiled as she left the apartment, walked down the stairs and out the back. It was about seven in the morning, which meant they must have driven the whole way back home the night before.
She drove to her father’s home, knowing what she wanted to do. In and out, and no one would know she was even there.
When she pulled into the driveway, another car was parked in her spot. She pulled in behind it, squared her shoulders as she got out of the car, and approached the front door.
Her key turned in the lock and she eased the door open, to make sure nothing was still going on inside the house.
“Who are you?” the blonde woman yelled as soon as Melody walked into the living room. The place was a mess, with beer cans, empty pizza boxes and candy wrappers everywhere.
“I’m Melody, Martin’s daughter. I’m here to get my clothes, then I’ll be gone.”
“I hope so.”
Melody raked her eyes over the woman, not sure what her father saw in her. “What’s your name?”
“Jillian. I moved in last Friday.”
“The day after I left, huh?”
“Yep. He said you walked out and wasn’t very nice about it. Your poor daddy was sick and no one was here to help him. I was in the waitin’ room at the doctor’s and helped the poor thing.”
Melody shook her head. This woman was evil and a liar. “I was goin’ to a weddin’ in New York and he knew I’d be back. It doesn’t matter.” She stared at him, asleep, in the living room. “He’s kept me here long enough. It’s time to move on.”
“Kept you here?”
“I’m his daughter and it was my job to make sure he was taken care of. My momma made me promise on her death bed.”
“And you believed it?” Jillian asked.
“Guess I was the stupid one.” Melody started up the stairs. “I’ll be gone in a few minutes.” As soon as she got to the top of the stairs, she saw the second floor was as clean as she’d left it. They must have only been living on the first floor.
She grabbed her only other s
uitcase, filled it with her clothes and her mother’s picture and walked downstairs. It’s all she owned in the world and she couldn’t be happier that she could leave with very few things. She couldn’t wait to get to her car, and at just a few feet until she could be free, the phone rang.
Jillian picked up the phone. “Hello?” She stared at Melody. “She’s right here, on her way out.” She held the phone out toward Melody.
Melody put her suitcase on the floor, walked back into the filthy kitchen and took the phone. “Hello.”
“Melody, it’s John. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You never called me back. I have to make sure you made it home okay. I called last night and your dad and the woman who answered the phone said you never came in.”
“They’re right.”
“What happened? Where did you sleep?”
“In the car,” she said in a low tone. “It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“But I don’t.”
“Why did you sleep in the car?” he asked.
“I couldn’t afford a hotel room. I seem to have a twenty-five hundred dollar bill on my credit card from New York’s finest Presidential Suite.”
“What? That room was to be comped! Dad promised me!”
“I had to pay it.”
She heard his audible sigh, sure he was running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “If you just wouldn’t have run out without saying goodbye, you could still be there, you know.”
Melody looked up just in time to see a shotgun pointed at her face, her father on the other end.
“Hang up the phone!” her father yelled.
“Melody!” John exclaimed. “What’s going on?”
“I’m lookin’ down the barrel of a twenty-two shotgun right now. I have to go.” She hung up the phone and faced her father, crossing her arms. “So are you gonna shoot me and go to jail?”
“I won’t go to jail. I have a get out of jail free card, in one man named Hank Johnson. I have too much dirt on him and he’ll make sure I’ll never go to jail.”
Melody was shaking on the inside, but had to appear tough. She turned toward the door. “I’m leavin’. Don’t contact me. As far as I’m concerned, I have no parents.”
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