Breaking into tears, Valerie fell on the floor and went over to hug her Ma who was sitting on the couch adjacent to her. Mary just held her child for a while like a baby needing comfort. After all Valerie was her baby girl and always would be. “It'll be all right. It'll be all right. What's wrong, baby?” She said as she continued to rock her.
“They found Charles.” She said looking at at her mother's face that was now in a state of shock.
“What?”
“Charles is alive. He's at the Scripps Hospital in Chula Vista. What am I gonna do, Ma?”
“Oh dear Lord,” Mary said shaking her head, trying desperately to choose the right words of guidance for her distraught daughter. “What happened?”
“They found him passed out on Mission Trails. Someone called 911 and they took him to Scripps. Here's the crazy thing, if him being alive is not crazy enough. I found out about it from Maria. Charles is telling everyone that his wife and daughter are dead. He told them he had a sister, they Googled her and ended up calling Maria.
“You still need to go on with your divorce. You need to distance yourself and Muffin from that nut case. Nothing has changed. I wouldn't even go to the hospital. Seven years without a word.”
“Ma, I've got to tell Muffin. You know she's gonna want to see her daddy. You know how she is about Charles. What am I gonna say to her, Ma?”
Mary was unusually lost for words. She hated Charles but loved her grandchild more than she hated him. “You're right, you have to tell her. No other way than just come out and tell her. But I wouldn't say anything about Charles saying she was dead. I sure would like to know what that loser's been doing for the pass seven years.”
“Yeah, that is a mystery. Maria is on her way to San Diego. She thinks she should see Charles first because the trauma of seeing me and Muffin might be devastating to his mental health if indeed he thinks we are dead. You know Maria.” Valerie got up and fixed a cup of coffee to fortify herself.
“I guess you should wait until Maria sees him. In the meantime, you'll have to break the news to Muffin somehow. Lord, why of all times did he pick now to show up?”
Valerie just sipped her coffee and shook her head in agreement, not knowing what else to say or how she was going to break the news to Muffin.
.
Chapter Seven
“It was easy, so easy,” Charles muttered repeatedly to himself as he slipped off into the land of nod. His eyelids fluttered and he twitched slightly as long past images appeared in his tortured mind, running like a movie across the film screen of his brain.
It was seven years ago and he was walking down the bustling streets of downtown L.A., smelling the food and the coffee from nearby restaurants as he walked by, wondering what pathway he should take in his life. He walked for what seemed like hours, the neighborhood getting seedier as his sojourn continued. Card board box city, blankets, shopping carts, the strong smell of urine and feces flooded his mind; he was there, really there.
A homeless unkempt vagabond urinated against a grimy wall covered with gang graffiti, a surreal old lady rummaged through a shopping cart full of plastic bags, an old Afro-American bum dressed in a tattered army fatigue jacket preached and praised the Lord at the top of his lungs. Welcome to your new home Charlie, and these are your new friends, get acquainted. Pungent odors of unknown origin titillated Charles' nostrils, he whirled round and round as he viewed a real life carnival freak show playing out before his very eyes.
The reality of the situation flowed over him like a suffocating river. “I can do this,” he proclaimed victoriously, like he has just had some type of of Epiphany, where he was the conquering hero, ruler of all he sees. A new found confidence overwhelmed him as he stood and surveyed this new and uncharted land. A calm like he had never known, soothed him to the point of almost being orgasmic.
A shopping cart, pushed by an overzealous can and bottle collector, slammed into Charles out of nowhere, breaking his train of thought and almost catapulting him to the trash laden concrete. “Watch where you're going. Do you know who I am? The nerve of some people.” The collector didn't break stride but continued on with his mission seemingly unaware that he had almost knocked poor Charles to the pavement or maybe he just didn't care.
“I must find a place suitable for my new residence. A home with a view. That's what I need. I don't want any of these bums sneaking up on me and taking what is mine. But first I need a suitable box. One not too big or pretentious, but adequate. And of course I will need a blanket and an old shopping cart.”
The nurse came in to check on Charles and was pleased to see that he was sound to sleep. She adjusted his pillow, covered him up all snug and warm, took a quick glance at his chart, and left the room.
“I must find a card board box,” Charles slurred in his sleep, making a motion with his arms like he was walking.
His new home set up, he stood back and admired it from a far. “Pretty cool, nice view.” He surveyed his new neighbors. They looked harmless but one could never tell in these matters. Charles pulled out the old “Rambo-style” knife he had just purchased at the army surplus store and thumbed the blade checking for sharpness. “Yeah, this baby should do the trick if any of these good people should decide to try and take what belongs to me.” He smiled sadistically as he replaced the huge weapon in its sheath and put it under his new army green blanket. He settled in and made himself to home in his new found world.
Sleepless, but dream filled nights haunted him for days without end, wandering in a sea of disgusting rubbish that confronted him at every juncture. Dead rats, and even more terrifying live ones, shared his neighborhood along with the vile filth of the L.A. underbelly. Paranoia gripped him like a steel hand, he was helpless to break free from its grasp. These were the early days.
Death was around him, it swept over him like a tidal wave of revulsion. A man died of an unknown malady in an adjacent card board box structure, the smell choked Charles to the point of suffocation. The nights, the nights were the worst. That's when they would come. Those who would try to steal what was his. He must not let them have their way with his goods or even worst, with his very body and soul. “You will survive,” Charles proclaimed, steeling his resolve to exist in this bizarre world of his choosing.
Then one day he came out of the shadows as a lighted pathway shone brilliantly. He knew immediately it was his destiny.
Chapter Eight
“Maria, don't let anyone see you. They're watching. They're everywhere. I've lost my cell phone. I told everybody here Valerie and Muffin are dead. Play along. They're watching. Please!”
Poor Maria just sat shell shock in the chair next to Charles' bed listening to him ranting. She tried to gather her thoughts to say something, but she didn't know what to say. Who was this person lying in the hospital bed? It certainly wasn't her brother. She didn't even recognize the man who called himself Charles anymore. “Now calm down Charles. Tell me what has happened.”
He began again. “They're watching. Don't tell anyone Valerie and Muffin are alive. Tell them to stay away.”
“But they will want to see you, especially Muffin. She loves and misses you Charles. Don't you want to see your daughter?” Maria pleaded her case, but Charles acted as if he didn't even hear.
“Don't you get it Maria? They'll use them against me. Tell them to stay away. They are in great danger. Danger!” Charles almost jumped out of his bed with these words.
Maria was speechless. She just stared out of the hospital window as Charles raved on, wondering what to do. What should she tell her sister-in-law Veronica, and worst of all, how would they explain the situation to poor Muffin. She adored her daddy, even after all these years of not seeing him.
Charles finally stopped his rambling and there was silence. He stared at Maria who was still looking out of the hospital room window. “Do you understand what I'm telling you?”
“Who are these people that are watching you? What are
you talking about? Tell me what has happened,” Maria almost pleaded.
“It's best you didn't know. It's dangerous for you to even be here.”
“How can I help you if you won't tell me what's going on Charles?”
“No one can help me, and if I don't find that cell phone and it falls into the wrong hands, I'm a dead man.”
“That's not true. Don't say things like that Charles. You're scaring me. It's going to be all right. Surely you're not serious about all this?”
“Oh, great, you don't believe me.”
“You'll have to admit it sounds like you're making this whole thing up. I know how you love to play games.”
“This is no game Maria, this is real. You've got to believe me!”
Having heard enough, she patted Charles on the shoulder and said she understood. “You get some rest. I'm going to talk to your doctor, in private. Let's see if we can get you released.”
“Thank you, Maria.”
Maria headed out of the door, down the hallway to the nurses station in search of Charles' doctor and hopefully some answers.
Chapter Nine
A frantic Valerie sat at her desk at the office trying to get some work done, but the cloud threatening to rain on her life about the whole Charles reappearance thing was overhead, occupying her mind to the point that she was almost a vegetable. She fumbled with a box of pens and pencils on her desk top and stared at the latest picture of Muffin in her ballet ensemble. She had become such a beautiful young lady, only recently turning thirteen. “How do I tell you they have found your daddy?" she said, talking to the picture of her daughter, who seemed to have fixed a cold stare upon her somehow. “Should I tell her at all?” These thoughts had Valerie dizzy at her work desk.
Valerie's boss Elaine, stopped by to see how she was holding up. Elaine was also a close confidant who knew the whole Charles saga including the the latest bizarre chapter. “Why don't you just go on home honey? You have some personal time coming. Take a few days and sort things out. What a situation. I've never heard a story like yours. Go home. I insist.”
As Valerie was preparing to leave, her cell phone vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, she noticed it was Maria. “Oh God, what does she want?”
“Valerie, it's Maria. We need to talk, in person if possible. Can you meet me somewhere?”
“Yeah, sure. I'm leaving work right now. Do you know the Denny's in Chula Vista?”
“I'll find it.”
“Meet me there in thirty minutes.”
“Okay, bye.”
Maria was there when Valerie arrived already sipping on a cup of steaming hot tea and looking like the college professor that she was, peering over the top of her glasses at Valerie who plopped down in the booth across from Maria with a sigh. “Cheer up Valerie, Charles is back.”
“Cheer up? Are you frigging kidding me? My life was bad enough. My job sucks, Muffin is driving me nuts, I'm grown and live with my folks, and now this crap. Cheer up?”
“Well, anyway. I saw Charles this morning. He is quite delusional I'm afraid. I talked to his doctor and his tests came back negative. Physically he is fine the doctor said, however... They would like to give him a psyche evaluation, if he consents to one. He needs one, that's for sure. He kept talking about somebody was after him, and seemed really fixated on his cell phone. He even said that if his phone fell into the wrong hands he was a dead man. He also said they must not know about you and Muffin or you would also be in some kind of danger. Like I said totally deluded.”
Valerie just sat looking at Maria the whole time with her mouth wide open in amazement. The waitress showed up to break the mood, bringing Valerie the cup of coffee she had ordered.
“But what should I do about Muffin, Maria? She needs to know her daddy is alive. She loves that idiot. I think she is just in love with the idea of having a father, like her little friends at school. To be honest I don't want to see him at all. He has caused Muffin and I so much pain through the years, seven years, not a word.” Valerie pounded her fist on the table causing a few of the other customers to shoot her a curious glare.
“Maybe I can set up a secret meeting with Charles, so Muffin can see her dad. I think it is in the best interests of the child to see her father. A child needs their father to be a well rounded individual. In the meantime, you have to figure the best way to tell her Charles is alive. I know it's hard Valerie, but I know you can do it.” Maria spoke in her college professor voice which Valerie always found so condescending. Maria was pale white, but with dark black hair and almond colored eyes, that hid behind old fashioned black-rimmed glasses, making her look like an old time elementary school teacher. Tall and thin, she towered over Valerie as she spoke, flapping her arms like a bird wishing to take flight.
“Okay, I'll tell Muffin, some how. In the meantime you talk to Charles and figure out some place safe we can meet him. You don't think someone is really after him, do you Maria?”
“No, it's all in his mind, I'm sure of that. I wouldn't put you and Muffin in danger.”
“Well... If you're sure. I guess it'll be all right.”
They finished their beverages and left the restaurant without further conversation other than to say goodbye and see each other when the meeting was arranged. Valerie had a bad feeling about the whole thing as she drove home that day. She tried to put it out of her mind. She had more important things to dwell on. Charles was alive, and she had to tell Muffin.
Chapter Ten
It was early evening, the sun sneaked behind the horizon for some much needed rest after a long day of shining. A few joggers and hikers took advantage of the remaining remnants of the day along the three mile stretch of trails, finishing up their daily exercise routine just as the sun was setting. A cell phone hid behind a group of bushes as of yet undiscovered. It vibrated and played a lively ring tone that fell on deaf ears that particular night. Its database held Charles' life, hopefully he would be the one to discover the treasure that lie in the sand, not those who wanted to do him harm.
Two men, Latinos, combed the trail with a metal detector. They looked somewhat out of place in the fading light. Their search had been in vain at that point, but they were not men who were easily dissuaded. Could they be the hombres who sought the cell phone and its important list therein? Or perhaps they were just looking for pocket change or jewelry items that had been carelessly dropped along the trail. As their search continued they grew more impatient and frustrated. These were clearly desperate men. Maybe their boss had demanded they find the phone in peril of their own lives.
Charles stirred in his hospital bed as if he somehow was aware of the duo on the trail looking for his cell phone. “Got to get out of this bed. I must find my cell. They're looking for me, Danger, danger,” he mumbled. He suddenly awoke with a start, sweating, although the room was cool. He tried to go back to sleep but there was no use, as his fear took a hold of him, he shook uncontrollably.
“How are we feeling this afternoon,” the doctor beamed, as he came in snatching Charles' chart out of its holder and making a few notes. “I have good news, Mr. Smithson. All your tests came back negative. So you are clear to go. I have been asked to order a psyche evaluation on you. This is voluntary, you understand. I can't force you to submit to it.”
“No, no psyche evaluation, I refuse to submit to any more tests. Just give me my clothes and let me the hell out of here. I have important business.”
“Very well, I will make a note on your chart to that effect. We will process you for release immediately.
Chapter Eleven
The meeting was set at a park behind the civic center in Chula Vista. One o'clock in the afternoon was to be the time. Valerie should park her car on the street and her and Muffin would stroll casually down 3rd ave. as if they were window shopping for a few minutes. Then they would saunter into the park area, find a seat on one of the concrete benches and wait until Charles arrived.
He said he would be in disguise and in s
tealth mode. He would check out the entire park for a tail before cautiously approaching them. It was very important to everyone's safety that their little clandestine meeting not be discovered by his enemies.
Valerie did as prescribed by Maria when she called, as bizarre and even ridiculous as the whole thing sounded. “Sounds like a scene from an old spy movie on late night TV,” Valerie had remarked laughing nervously, but the whole thing was just plain creepy and not funny in the least.
Her and Muffin walked slowly down the street looking in the various windows, hoping to appear to be window shopping. “Look Muffin, like that chair. It would look good in my room. Hey, an original Batman comic book, that would be a good collector's item.” Muffin didn't understand what her mommy was doing, all she knew was she was going to see her daddy.
“You think daddy will recognize me mommy? Can we go out to eat and to a movie?”
“ Yeah, he'll recognize you but I don't think he'll want to go out, but we'll ask your daddy when we see him”
After playing this charade for a few minutes it was time to execute the second phase of the master plan. The park was coming up. They hung a left, entered the park and found a bench over in the corner and sat down to await the grand entrance of the guest of honor.
Valerie surveyed the whole park, but still no Charles. Minutes had past and she was growing more anxious to get this whole dreadful ordeal over with. A few more minutes went by and then out of nowhere a figure wearing a hoodie and dark glasses resembling “The Unabomber” appeared out of thin air and materialized right in front of them.
The apparition pulled his glasses up and quietly said, “It's me, Charles.”
Muffin started to jump up off the park bench to give her daddy a hug but he waved her back down. Valerie just stayed frozen on the bench shocked by his bizarre appearance and demeanor.
Seven Years After Page 2