Sail With Me

by Heights, Chelsea

  William had stopped speaking and asked her what she was going to do. “Well, what exactly is your complaint?” she asked.

  He threw up his hands and sighed, “Isn’t it obvious? These hooligans are trying to ruin my reputation. They placed the Life Saver on my floor, and are now telling people I don’t keep the place clean.”

  Delaney thought about this for a second, and then asked, “When did the kids put the candy there?”

  William put his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet. Mumbling so she could barely hear him he said, “Two months ago.”

  She let out a laugh, followed by, “I suggest you sweep your floor immediately and be grateful they didn’t call the health department. I know the kids you’re talking about and when I see them I’ll have a talk with them.” He looked at her with big doubting eyes, and she said, “Promise.”

  Chapter Four

  Delaney parked her Mini Cooper in the garage and went inside. She was immediately attacked by Fetch, her two-year-old golden retriever. After a quick greeting, she opened the back door and the dog took off across the yard. She had three acres, and the invisible fence ran around the entire border of her property. Several months after Kevin died she had received a call from an attorney. To her utter shock, Kevin had never removed her as the beneficiary from his life insurance policy. They had purchased equal term life policies after they were married and she immediately removed him from her policy before the divorce was even final. Delaney had considered giving the windfall to a local charity but had a change of mind. She decided to pay off the mortgage on her three-bedroom cape cod and get a Mini Cooper. The Mini Cooper was red with white racing stripes down the center. It had a leather interior and most importantly, air conditioning. She then donated the rest of the insurance money to the Ronald McDonald House Charity at University Hospital.

  When Delaney was a teenager her younger brother Matthew had come downstairs one morning with a bloody nose. She called him a loser and was teasing him when she suddenly realized his pajamas were soaked and bloody footsteps had followed him down the stairs. It was as if someone had turned a fountain on to make the blood flow and there was no stopping it. She recalled sitting in the emergency room and looking at Matthew as purple blotches began covering his body. Initially the doctors and nurses falsely accused her parents of child abuse, and she was terrified of what would happen to her family. Matthew was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit and they were not allowed to visit. It was two days later when a hematology oncologist physician called her parents and told them to come immediately to the hospital. They had been cleared of all abuse charges and told their son was diagnosed with ALL, acute lymphocytic leukemia of childhood. She could still hear the sound of the phone falling to the kitchen floor as her mother vomited.

  Delaney and her parents lived on and off in the McDonald house for two years. During that time Matthew completed his course of chemotherapy and radiation and was in remission. Five years later he reached the status of being considered cured and has been healthy as a horse since. Her family had always been thankful for the McDonald house and their mostly volunteer staff. Donating the insurance money to help other families was the least she could do.

  Delaney went upstairs, peeling off her sweaty uniform, and took a quick cool shower. She spent a few moments in front of the mirror combing out the knots in her dark long hair before throwing on a pale yellow tank top and gray cotton shorts. She seemed oblivious that she had won the genetic lottery, both physically and intellectually. She never appeared to notice the men drooling over her or the women who would become lost in her beauty while talking with her.

  She had been raised in this town, the daughter of a teacher and a linguist. Her father traveled often to Washington DC where he did top secret work for the National Security Administration. Delaney shared his love of languages and cultures and she would often fall asleep while her dad was reading her a bedtime story in an exotic foreign tongue. The year after her high school graduation she traveled extensively with her dad through Europe. While her girlfriends in New Jersey fretted over summer loves and which sorority to join at college, Delaney experienced the world.

  She received her international driver’s license in France and drove on the Autobahn to Poland, where she purchased cobalt blue hand-crafted dishes for her mother. In Germany she visited the wall which at one time separated the country in half and painted her name on it. She picked up a piece of loose rock that had fallen to the ground and placed it in her bag. Her dad laughed at her enthusiasm and asked a stranger to take their photo. To this day it remained her all time favorite picture of just the two of them. They spent weeks just traveling around and immersing themselves in other cultures. While in Italy she shopped at the international market and attended fashion shows. She toured the Catholic Cathedrals and even saw the Pope. Every day they walked to the bakery and purchased fresh baked bread which they would enjoy for breakfast the following day with thick wedges of tomato and slabs of real butter. They spent their days walking the cobblestone roads and taking gondola rides. Delaney was in awe of her father, how fluently he could change his personality to fit in with other cultures and customs. He could so seamlessly transition from English, to Italian, and then German without missing a beat and she wanted to be just like him.

  Delaney pranced down the stairs, feeling refreshed from her shower. She grabbed a water bottle and salad from the refrigerator and sat out back on her patio. It was so peaceful out here, secluded from neighbors and the noise that comes with them; she enjoyed her privacy and the sounds of nature. A large natural pond was off to the side and filled with koi of varying sizes and bull frogs. The frogs were her favorite. She could listen to their croaking forever. Large plantings of red salvia and Jacob’s Ladder attracted hummingbirds and butterflies. An old brick path leading to nowhere had black-eyed Susans and honeysuckle bushes growing wildly along it, attracting every bee in the state. The faint humming of nature always relaxed her and gave her an appreciation for all God’s creatures. After losing herself in thought several times, she picked up her cell and pressed the speed dial button for Matthew. As much as she loved the sounds of nature, she loved her brother’s voice even more.

  Chapter Five

  Caroline had spent the day at her son’s grave. She often did. Wally watched from a distance as the grieving mother ran her fingertips along the cold smooth marble headstone and traced every letter in his name, before singing Happy Birthday, with tears streaming down her face.

  Andrew Thomas O’Sullivan

  July 21, 2005

  Sunrise to Sunset

  Until we meet again, love mommy

  ***********

  The weatherman had lied. Four days had passed and it was still hotter than hell. The police station was busier than usual, fielding calls for medical assistance due to heat casualties and calls for neighbors fist fighting in front lawns. The intense heat brought a drought, and water restrictions were now in place. It had been seven weeks since the last rainfall and watering regulations were in full force. The city ordinance only allowed for watering of lawns on Wednesday mornings, beginning at 5:00 a.m. and ending at 5:30 a.m. sharp, no matter what the size of the property. Those with livestock were required to have privately drilled wells just for these situations. The town couldn’t have horses and other farm animals dropping over from dehydration.

  Delaney sat behind her desk, assisting with phone calls from irrational people demanding to know when it would rain and end the heat wave. How was she supposed to know? It seemed as if the entire world had gone mad. Even with central air conditioning the police department was still uncomfortable. She repositioned her portable fan directly onto her face and drank a Diet Coke. She reached down to her left and pulled out the stacks of files on Caroline O’Sullivan.

  Over four million babies were born in the United States during 2005. Andrew Thomas O’Sullivan was one of those babies.Delaney was familiar with Caroline. Her brother Matthew had gone to school
with her and had even taken her to their senior prom. He never had anything bad to say about her, nobody did. She earned high grades, ran track, and was well liked by her teachers and peers. After graduation she attended college in the northeast and came home during long weekends and summer vacations. As the years passed her visits became less frequent and she lost touch with her high school pals. It wasn’t unusual, just the natural course of growing up, making new friends, and moving on.

  Caroline was naturally pretty, not knock-out gorgeous like Delaney, but pretty nonetheless. Her dirty blonde hair hung in loose curls just below her shoulders with a few light-colored freckles covering the bridge of her nose. She had deep brown doe shaped eyes with long lashes that curled upward at their tips. Her perfectly aligned teeth were framed by full rose-colored lips. Her legs were long and lean from all the years of running track and counting calories. Caroline had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and early childhood education. She was halfway through her first year of graduate school when she moved back home with her mother. Four months passed before her pregnancy was obvious.

  Delaney flipped through the most recent complaint and quickly scanned to the bottom of the page to see who called it in. Dolores Green. Well, Delaney thought, that explains a lot. Dolores was the stereotypical doctor’s wife, always following in her husband’s footsteps and worshipping him. Only in her mid twenties, she already had wisps of gray hair framing her face and wore thick glasses. Dr. Edmund Green was a respectable neurologist in his fifties at University Hospital who was rumored to be the next chief of neurology. He was a stern man with a strong jaw and high forehead. They were holy rollers who looked down on people that didn’t share the same beliefs. Devout evangelicals, they were often seen walking in town with their bibles trying to save all of the perceived lost souls. They were a nuisance people had grown accustomed to and tended to ignore. Delaney had no idea why she called in a complaint regarding Caroline but she was on her way to pay them a surprise visit.

  Walking up to the door, she could already hear the screams and laughter of a house full of children. Before she had the opportunity to knock, a diapered girl toddled out and started screeching “Mama Mama.” Dolores appeared almost immediately, grabbing the girl by her arm and lifting her up onto her hip. Delaney was stunned to see that number seven would be popping out any day.

  She started to introduce herself when Dolores interrupted, “I know who you are and why you’re here and it took you long enough. I called and complained about that crazy Caroline a week ago. She’s been walking past my house every morning and in the middle of the night, crying and talking to herself about her dead baby. Some days she’s even carrying a baby blanket that she rubs along her cheek. I can’t take seeing that loon in my neighborhood. I’m paying an arm and a leg in taxes and I want you and all the other cops to do their job and get her off of my street, and yesterday wouldn’t have been soon enough”.

  Delaney stepped back and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. She knew where Caroline lived and it was a good four-mile walk from here. Suddenly the toddler dropped her bottle and began to cry. Delaney picked it up and handed it back to the girl, only to watch her throw it again, but this time it rolled off of the porch and into an overgrown juniper bush. She turned to get it when Dolores grabbed her arm and shouted “Forget the bottle, I’ve got another thousand in the house. Just keep that crazy Caroline off of my street. My kids don’t need to be playing in the yard and listening to her talking to her dead baby at the same time!” Delaney glanced down at the woman’s huge stomach and wondered if she knew about birth control. Then she thought of Dr. Green in his fifties and decided Viagra was to blame. She asked if she knew why Caroline would be walking through this neighborhood. Dolores was becoming belligerent and Delaney didn’t know if it was her hormones or just her personality so she decided to just ignore it. “Isn’t it obvious? The cemetery is right around the corner from here. I don’t know why she goes there, everybody knows it’s just an empty coffin. What kind of cop are you anyway?”

  Just then Dr. Green appeared. “Excuse me, Officer. I overheard your conversation and you’re making my wife upset. Shouldn’t you be out helping society instead of bothering my wife with your questions? Caroline is irrational and you’re not going to cure that. I don’t want you coming around here and causing problems. Maybe if she placed her faith in God and prayed for salvation she would understand it was meant to be.” With that he slammed the door in her face.

  Chapter Six

  After work Delaney grabbed Fetch and headed for the beach. It was still unbearably humid but the breeze had picked up and she knew the walk would help clear her head. It was only a matter of minutes before Fetch began panting. As they rounded the corner of her tree-lined street she spotted Mike sitting in his ice cream truck at the stop sign. She knocked on his window and, using his new metal arm, he lowered it. “No donuts and coffee here,” he said with a huge grin on his face. Delaney leaned on the frame of his door and could see the tin box he kept his cash in. “Can you spare an empty cup? I’ve got water in my bag but Fetch hasn’t mastered drinking from a bottle yet. I just need something she can drink from.” Mike reached over and handed her a small plastic container. She poured the water into it and the dog lapped it right up.

  Delaney always liked Mike. He was a good person, and the only person who warned her about Kevin and she had ignored him. She was angry with him when he approached her two years ago and told her Kevin was having an affair with a nurse living in town. She had accused Mike of being jealous and miserable with his own life as a one-armed Marine who was now stuck selling ice cream. She only now recalled the look of sadness on his face when she said those words. Delaney could feel the burning in her cheeks and was embarrassed for her past behavior. She placed her hand on Mike’s prosthetic arm and was surprised at how cold it felt when it was so hot outside. Their eyes met and she held his gaze as she apologized for her cruel words. Mike smiled and planted a warm kiss on her forehead before driving away. His license plate read “SNIPER.”

  As Delaney threw the tennis ball in the water for Fetch to chase, her mind drifted to Mike. He was a good looking rough and tough type who took care of his body. They would often see each other on their morning runs, nodding as they passed in opposite directions. He seemed perpetually tan, even in the dead of winter. She never would have noticed the Eagle Globe and Anchor tattoo across his right upper back if she didn’t turn to check out his ass one morning as he ran by her. She happened to look up just long enough to see his toned body come running right at her. He quickly moved to the side and avoided a potential collision of sweaty bodies. As he passed her, Delaney had turned to check him out. It just happened to be at the same time he was checking her out. They both laughed and went on their separate ways.

  Mike was the kind of man who helped old ladies cross the street and rescued kittens from tree tops. But why should that surprise her; he gave his left arm for his country and never complained or whined about it. She had read in the lifestyle section of the local paper that Mike was recently engaged to Cecily Bongiovanni, a local artist and sixth grade teacher. She didn’t know the woman but felt a twinge of jealousy for their new love. Delaney made a mental note to congratulate Mike the next time she bumped into him.

  Chapter Seven

  At eleven p.m. Delaney logged off her Apple and went to bed. Two hours later she was still awake, tossing and turning thinking about the words Dolores Green had said to her that day. I don’t know why she goes there; everybody knows it’s just an empty coffin. Delaney climbed out of bed and grabbed a pair of shorts from the top of her hamper and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Fetch was sleeping in her usual spot at the foot of her bed and didn’t even look up as Delaney straddled the dog to get to the doorway. Once in her Mini Cooper she powered on the radio and listened to the weatherman talk about the full moon and the potential for rain in the coming week. She wasn’t certain what made her decide to check out th
e cemetery alone in the middle of the night but something told her Caroline would be there. As she approached the church, she turned her radio and headlights off and used her power button to roll down the windows. The car came to a slow roll as Delaney entered the narrow black top drive leading through the graves. They seemed to go on forever, and she wasn’t sure where the empty coffin was buried. Slowly she navigated through the winding path, scanning from right to left for any signs of Caroline. Thirty minutes had gone by and Delaney was about to give up when she saw her. Illuminated only by the moonlight, was a mourning mother, rocking back and forth as she sat at her only child’s headstone. Caroline stopped for a few seconds and looked up at the car. Delaney felt as if she were interrupting a very private moment and thought about what she should do, but as far as she knew cemeteries didn’t have visiting hours. She sat in her car for another minute before turning around. In the rearview mirror she noticed Caroline had resumed her rocking.

  The next day was quiet at the police department. The skies were filled with swiftly moving dark clouds and everyone was hoping for rain. Delaney sat at her desk staring out one of the numerous windows in her office. This was about the only benefit of having a half-wall cubicle that she could think of. The chief was out sick today and the office was running much more smoothly in his absence. She really wasn’t watching anything in particular but was thinking about Caroline.