The Pale Thane
Page 6
apartment, the young man was aghast at the damage incurred so quickly. A window was shattered and there were holes in the walls where the man had thrashed against his foes. Furniture was broken and torn. But he was most startled when he turned around and saw that the metal door frame was bent so dramatically that it would be impossible to close it tonight—or any night. The force that that represented was enough to make him sick to his stomach.
“We’ll have to get her to a shelter tonight if she is willing,” one officer told him.
“Of course, why don’t we take her down to the office and we can clean some things up here later. If she doesn’t want to go to the shelter, I can put her in one of the apartments close to the office for tonight.”
An officer went to the neighbor’s apartment and came back with Carolita. Another officer held the boy close and watched as the woman packed a few necessary things.
“Officer Stanton, will accompany you to the manager’s office so that he can talk through your options for tonight.” Carolita followed solemnly down the hall with the officer holding her boy. As a few neighbors poked their heads out of their doorways the other officers quietly assured them that things were alright now. They could see the yellow crime scene tape crisscrossing the doorway of Carolita’s apartment. Not many of them would sleep well the rest of the night, especially Herbert Spencer.
In the office, the pale man went to the back storage room to search for keys to an empty apartment. While the officer told Carolita all of her options, they could hear drawers being opened and closed and papers being shuffled around. After some consideration Carolita opted to stay in an empty apartment rather than going to a shelter. She had been in those before and hated them. There was too much doting and record keeping. She just wanted to be in a quiet place. Then she would figure out what to do in the morning. Reggie would be in jail for a while at least and she knew she would have some days to figure out what to do next.
The officer cleared his throat and raised his voice a bit to get the manager’s attention. “Carolita would like to stay here tonight with her son.”
In a moment the manager appeared in the doorway. Seeming to be distracted, he said, “Fine. Fine. That will be just fine. I’ll put her in one-twenty-four just two doors down from me.” Carolita felt some relief for the first time in several hours. The manager walked the officer to the door and Carolita could hear them finishing the business of the night. Her boy lay sound asleep in her arms.
“I’m sorry to make you wait a bit more, but I still need to find some paperwork. Could you wait a few more minutes?” Carolita was confused at his request but had very little capacity to make any more decisions this night. So she conceded to wait, sat on the stiff couch and stared at the cheap oil painting on the wall. She was just about to call out to him when he came and sat in the chair across from the couch. He laid some paperwork on the coffee table and spoke very quietly to her.
“Do you have family close by?” Carolita was surprised at his question and nodded yes.
“Would you feel safe going to them?” Carolita nodded again and tears came to her eyes.
“Could you get there in two or three days?” She quietly affirmed that this was possible.
He disappeared in the back room again. And it was very quiet. She could hear some activity, but it was hard to discern what was happening. He came back out, sat for a moment and looked at her. She was not sure how to interpret the look, but she did not feel afraid.
“This is the pink slip to my car. I have signed it over to you. It is free and clear and I’ve also filled out the bill of sale.” He moved the papers toward her and held out a pen. His fingers were trembling. “If you would sign this line right here I will give you the car. Here’s some cash, too. I would like you to get in the car and drive as far as you can tonight. There’s plenty of money there for gas and food for the next week. You can get to your family’s house on that. The car is right outside. I need you to do this tonight. Will you?”
Carolita sat stunned for a minute. “Will you?” His question was furtive and full of sincerity. “I don’t expect anything. I don’t want anything. I just want you to take the car. It’s perfectly legitimate, you can just take it to the DMV when you get where you are going and it will work out just fine.”
“But this is your . . .” he stopped her mid sentence.
“Will you?” He was nodding his head up and down as if to show her how to say yes.
Carolita nodded her head up and down, leaned forward and signed the Bill of Sale.
“Oh, I forgot something. Wait just one more minute, please.”
Carolita watched him go out the back door. The next thing she heard was the car door close and then he reappeared. “Come on.”
There was a pale light from an old fixture hanging just above the car. It made everything look orange. He opened the back car door and an old, disheveled car seat was strapped in, he lifted the boy from her arms, fastened the seatbelts around his little body and carefully closed the door. He led Carolita around to the driver’s side, opened that door and proceeded to point out the buttons and levers for lights, signals and oil. He showed her how to open the gas tank door and then asked her to start the car. Carolita dutifully followed his instructions and fastened her seatbelt.
Just before he closed the door, he leaned down, smiled very tentatively and said goodbye. Before Carolita could respond, he passed through the back door of the building and the light went out. Carolita sat there for a full minute clutching the pink slip and bill of sale while the engine ran. The baby stirred in the back seat and uttered a little cry. Carolita put the car in gear and drove into the darkness.
“The idiot lost another car.” Eyes rolled and guffaws erupted, the maintenance men had taken their seats again in the seat of mockers.
“You know what I would do if I had a son like?”
“We know! We know!” they all yelled raucously. One of the compatriots laughed, “You would beat him until he finally fought like a man!” The children in the nearby playground paused for only a moment hearing the loud, deep laughter erupting again from the maintenance garage.
Read more of M.R. Hyde’s work.
Wife of Lappidoth: A Mountain Tale (Novella)
Just Off Center (Short Collection of Short Stories)
Mercy and Truth: (Short Stories)
SHE: Stories of a woman (Flash Fiction Collection)