Wildflower

by Prudence MacLeod

Only the dog answered and he just bolted past her, running into the tall grasses to do his business. The door was still ajar so Wanda poked her head inside and called softly. “Abby?” She received no answer. Wanda stepped into the kitchen and called again, a bit louder this time, still no answer.

  Just then Hubby returned and pushed the kitchen door open with his nose. Ignoring Wanda completely, he ran past her and into the living room where she found him lying with his head on Abby’s feet.

  Wanda put her hand to her mouth to stifle a cry. There sat Abigail MacKai looking worse than death warmed over. The girl had not washed in days, nor had she combed her golden hair. Abby’s eyes were dull, lifeless, and three day old mascara still streaked her face where she’d been crying. She was still in her nightgown and it had tea stains down the front.

  “Oh my god, Abby what has happened?”

  “All gone again,” replied Abby in a flat monotone voice.

  “What’s all gone dear?”

  “Lovers all gone.”

  “Which lovers dear?”

  “Mine,” replied Abby. She still had not looked up or moved in any way. “Why do they always run away from me Wanda?” she asked, showing a bit of emotion for the first time. The dog began to thump his tail on the floor at even this small sign of life returning to his beloved Abby.

  “Tell me what has happened Abby,” Wanda urged gently.

  “Hazel ran away just like Randy did,” wailed Abby as she burst into tears again.

  Wanda held her gently, crooning softly to her until Abby had cried herself out. “Tell me about it Abby.”

  “I went to the dance in town,” sniffed Abby, “and she was there. Gwen was trying to foist her obnoxious cousin onto me and, suddenly, Hazel appeared to rescue me. Oh Wanda, you should have seen her. She was in heels and this active red dress that could dance on it’s own I swear. She smiled at me like she was really glad to see me and it made my heart sing. Yes, Abigail MacKai fell in love with a woman this time, and she ran away.” Abby started to cry again and Wanda held her, gently rocking her back and forth until she’d cried herself out.

  “Oh Wanda, it was so wild and exciting,” sniffed Abby as she resumed her tale. “We danced and danced until well after midnight. No one has ever danced with me like that before and I loved it. We laughed and sang and danced, and I know she was enjoying it as much as I was. I said it was time to go, but she held me back for another waltz. I said I really had to go, but she wanted my phone number. I went to get my card for her, and when I turned back, she was gone. I looked everywhere, but she wasn’t there. Someone finally told me that she’d run out of the building.” She burst into tears again.

  “This doesn’t make any sense at all Abby,” whispered Wanda as she rocked the distraught woman back and forth gently. “We need to get you cleaned up and to get some food into you. Once you can think straight again, we’ll make some sense of this. Come on now dear, up you get.”

  “I’ll need a happy pill first,” sighed Abby sinking back into her lifeless state.

  “A happy pill?”

  “Happy pill,” repeated Abby, nearly catatonic once again. “In the medicine cabinet, top shelf.” Wanda started to rise, but Abby caught her arm. “The bottle on the left is sleeping pills. Swallow them all and sweet sleep takes away the pain forever.”

  “Oh Abby,” whispered Wanda in a soft choking voice. Her heart was breaking for this poor girl who was in so much distress.

  “The smaller bottle on the right is the happy pills,” Abby went on softly. “Take one of those and the MacKai rise to do battle once again. I’ll need at lest two of them.”

  Wanda was up the stairs in a flash. She was back in just a moment with two of the pills and a glass of water. Abby sat gazing at the magic bullet for a long moment. “No sweet sleep for Abby this time,” she sighed as she swallowed the pills and drained the glass of water. “It takes a little while,” she said softly as she sank back into her chair. Wanda sat with her and waited patiently. She didn’t have all that long to wait.

  It was only a short while before Abby started to get restless and squirm in the chair. Soon she was up and pacing around the room, Hubby right on her heels, his tail slowly wagging back and forth. “I’ve got to have a shower,” she muttered. “I smell like a goat and I’m sure I look worse than last week’s left over dog food.”

  Wanda smiled with pure delight to see the fire returning to her friend’s eyes. “Wanda, I can’t thank you enough for this. Can I be a real bag and ask another favor of you?”

  “Of course Abby, what do you need?”

  “Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up then make me something to eat?” asked Abby.

  “You go on Abby,” smiled Wanda, rising to her feet, “I’ll put on the kettle and get some breakfast ready for you.”

  “Thanks Wanda,” called Abby as she ran to the stairs, “you’re a love.” She raced up the stairs with the dog close on her heels.

  Wanda soon heard the shower going and she smiled as she began to tidy up the kitchen. There was dog food everywhere, but precious little left in the bowl. Wanda swept the kitchen floor, and, as soon as the shower stopped, she put on the kettle for tea. Listening at the bottom of the stairs, Wanda heard the hair dryer stop, and smiling, she returned to the kitchen. A few moments later a freshly scrubbed Abby danced down the stairs, dressed in her sweats and smiling radiantly.

  “Wanda, I can’t even begin to tell you how good that shower felt,” she sighed as she plopped into a chair at the table.

  “I can guess,” laughed Wanda as she set a huge plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of Abby. “Eat your breakfast now, then we’ll get to work.”

  “Work?” Abby asked around a mouthful of eggs.

  “Yes, work,” smiled Wanda as she poured herself a cup of tea and joined Abby at the table. “Something terrible happened for you and it makes absolutely no sense to me at all. I suspect we are both missing something important here, and, with a bit of effort, I am sure we can figure out what that is.”

  “I certainly hope you’re right,” sighed Abby as she finished the last of the toast. She took a long sip of her tea and sighed with contentment. “Ok, I’m ready, what do we do?”

  “Start over where it was still beautiful. Go very slowly and try to see it all in your mind exactly the way it actually happened.”

  “I said I should be going,” murmured Abby as she closed her eyes and smiled. “We were laughing about something clever she’d said, a play on words I think. Anyway, the music shifted to a slow waltz, and as I was reaching for my coat, she opened her arms and smiled at me with that sweet look on her face. I laughed and shook my finger at her as I stepped into her arms. She held me close and laid her cheek on my hair; we danced the whole dance that way.”

  “That sounds so romantic,”

  “It was;” replied Abby, still smiling, “so sweet and so romantic. Once the music stopped I said I really had to go and she wanted my phone number. I went to the table to get a card from my purse, and when I turned around, she was gone. I searched and searched everywhere, but she’d just vanished. Gwen’s cousin told me Hazel had run away.” There were tears in Abby’s eyes again.

  “It still doesn’t make sense,” said Wanda, shaking her head slowly. “It sounds as though Hazel was enjoying you as much as you enjoyed her. Why would she run away? Abby, when the music stopped, exactly what happened, exactly what did you say? Go slow now.”

  “Hazel loosened her arm around my waist,” Abby mused thoughtfully, “but she held onto my hand as I started to drag her back toward the table. She asked for my phone number and I was getting one of my cards for her.”

  “Go slow now,” cautioned Wanda softly.

  “Hazel said she’d give me her number too,” Abby went on. “She asked if I really had to go. I said that I really did as I’d left Hubby alone far too long as it was.”

  “Whoa,” exclaimed Wanda stopping Abby, “exactly what did you say to her?”

  “I s
aid I had to go as I’d already left Hubby alone far too long,” said Abby slowly. Slowly the light of understanding came into her eyes. “Oh dear sweet lord Harry, with all the noise and the loud music, she must have misunderstood and thought I’d said....”

  “Uh huh,” agreed Wanda, slowly nodding her head. “Now it starts to make sense.”

  “Dumb blonde, dumb blonde, dumb blonde,” raged Abby as she smacked herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand. “She must have thought I was married and trying to set up a threesome or something like that. Dear god, no wonder she ran away.” She began to pace about the room, cursing softly under her breath.

  “So the question remains, what are you going to do now?”

  “I’m wide open to suggestions,” sighed Abby as she stopped pacing.

  “Call Hazel?”

  “Don’t have the number,” replied Abby softly, her shoulders beginning to sag.

  “Phone book?” suggested Wanda.

  “Right, phone book,” cried Abby as she leaped toward the phone in the hallway. She was back a few minutes later, completely dejected. “Phone’s out of service. She must have changed the number and had it unlisted. She really thinks I’m a bag of shit and doesn’t want me to find her Wanda. Now what am I going to do?”

  “What do you want to do Abby?”

  “I want to get her back,” sighed Abby as she plopped into a chair. “May the gods help me, but I have fallen deeply and completely in love with Hazel Fillmore, and I want her back. The question remains, how am I going to make that happen? I’m completely lost here Wanda, what do you think Bride Murphy would do in this situation?”

  “That’s an easy one,” laughed Wanda. “Bride would dress up in her best outfit, one that she knew the object of her desire would love, and then she’d head for town and hunt her up, even if it took all summer to find her.”

  “Good plan, I like it,” declared Abby decisively. “I’ll start first thing tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” asked Wanda, a bit surprised.

  “Tomorrow,” Abby replied firmly. “For days now I have ignored the most loyal friend I have ever had, and that has to stop, besides, this darn medication has me a bit hyper. I will take my Hubby here for a long walk then we will drive to the store for the mail and a bag of dog food. After that I need to put my house in order. I also need a good night’s sleep so I can think straight in the morning.”

  “Now that sounds more like my Abby,” smiled Wanda.

  Abby swept Wanda into a fierce bear hug. “I love you to bits Wanda my friend,” she whispered softly. “I will never be able to repay you for this.”

  “Yes you can dear,” replied Wanda as she returned Abby’s embrace. “The next time you feel like the bottom has fallen out of your world, you must call me at once, do you hear? I don’t care if it is the middle of the night or not, you are to call immediately.”

  “Yes Mom,” smiled Abby contritely.

  “I mean it Abigail MacKai,” admonished Wanda softly, still hugging Abby.

  “I know, I promise Wanda, cross my heart,” replied Abby as she continued to hug her friend closely.

  “Alright then, you and the man can walk me home then off you go,” laughed Wanda as she released Abby.

  Abby scooped up her beach bag and dropped her purse and cell phone into it before heading out the door after Wanda. Tail wagging at incredible speed, Hubby stayed right at her heels until they dropped off Wanda and reached the beach where he raced away chasing sea gulls.

  Abby laughed delightedly at his antics. He would never catch one of those birds, and in truth, she doubted that he even expected to. The combination of the medication, the fresh air, shower, and a solid meal were swiftly bringing Abby back to herself. “Oh Hazel, I swear I will find you girl,” she sighed as she threw another stick for Hubby to fetch. “I love you Hazel Fillmore, and I swear, no matter what happens, you are going to look me in the eye and listen to what I have to say. You are going to have to listen to me speak those words to you.”

  Well out near the point, Abby sat on her favorite boulder and watched Hubby chasing gulls for a while. Finally she pulled out her cell phone and called Billy. “Billy Parsons,” came that cheerful voice.

  “Hey Billy, it’s Abby.”

  “Well hello there stranger. You’ve been out of touch for a few days. Nan tried to call to see if you wanted to come in for Sunday dinner, but there has been no answer at your house.”

  “Yeah, I know, sorry Billy,” replied Abby contritely.

  “So what’s on your mind Abby? How can brother Parsons brighten your day?”

  “You just did sweetie. Listen, I need a favor.”

  “Name it and it’s yours, gorgeous.”

  “I need you to find my girlfriend,” she said softly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me Billy; I know you cabbies have mysterious ways of finding people, and I need you to help me find her.”

  “You could have told me, Abby,” he said softly. “It would have saved me trying so hard.”

  “I didn’t know either, Billy. I have always liked girls as well as boys, but this is quite new to me. We had a misunderstanding Billy, and now I can’t find her. Will you help me?”

  “Poor old Billy Parsons,” he sighed elaborately, “always being used and abused by the beautiful women.”

  Abby smiled at this as she heard the old teasing in his voice. “So what’s her name?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The new woman in your life.”

  “Abby, you are way too sharp for me,” he laughed. “How did you know?”

  “You gave up far too easily.”

  “Darn, I’ll have to work on that a bit,” he laughed. “Her name is Lucy and she’s great.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her. So can you help me Billy?”

  “Ok sis, if Miss Wonderful lives in St. John’s, I’ll find her. What’s her name?”

  “Hazel Fillmore. She published a book through a local publisher last year, if that is any help.”

  “Ok Abby, I’ll call as soon as I have her location. Do me a favor and call Nan, she’s worried about you.”

  “Of course I will,” replied Abby. “I’ll do it right away. Billy, are we still Ok? Are we still buddies?”

  “We’re cool Abby,” he replied easily. “We’re still buddies. You call Nan now while I get back to work.”

  “Thanks Billy, you’re the best.”

  “And don’t you forget it either,” he laughed as he broke the connection.

  She continued to sit on her boulder and touch base with her friends until the battery on her phone went dead. Finally she leaped up and raced back toward the house. Hubby gave chase and soon overtook her. Laughing all the way, she ran to the house and burst inside. With Hubby in the supervisor’s position Abby changed into something nicer and put on a quick dusting of make up. Once she was ready to face the public, Abby went to the store in Pike’s Cove for the mail and a huge bag of dog food for the man. Back at the house she whistled at the size of the bonus cheque Harry had sent to her, along with his request for another consultation contract. “Bless Harry’s golden heart,” she smiled as she read the letter.

  After changing back into her sweats, Abby set about cleaning her entire house. All the windows were opened to let the air blow through as she worked and she whistled as she busied herself. Soon she had washed away every trace of the soul crushing depression and she was looking forward to finding Hazel again. It was nearly ten o’clock when Billy phoned with Hazel’s address.

  “You owe me another rhubarb and apple pie Blondie,” he laughed. “Get you pencil, here’s the lady’s address.” She thanked him profusely as he finished. “Abby, good luck. She must be one hell of a woman and I hope to meet her one day.”

  “I want you to meet her Billy, but just you remember, I saw her first.” He was still laughing as she hung up the phone. That night Abby slept soundly and did not even notice when Hubby crawled up onto the bed with her.


  The Hunt

  The day dawned bright and sunny, and as the sun peeked over the watery horizon, it found Abby and Hubby out on the beach. It was barely five a.m. but Abby was an early riser and she had wanted to be up at dawn today anyway. Today was the day she would track down Hazel and set things straight between them. Back at the house Abby showered and dressed in a nineteen forties style that she knew Hazel would love on her then she fed Hubby and made herself some breakfast. Filled with hope and excitement, Abby put the dog in the car and headed toward the city. It was barely ten o’clock when she arrived, but she went straight to Hazel’s apartment anyway.

  A tousled haired Tommy Reid answered his door and went into shock as he saw the glamorous blonde woman standing there. She smiled radiantly and gave him a few minutes to gather his wits and his manners before she spoke. “You must be Tommy,” she smiled pleasantly; “we have met before. My name is Abigail MacKai.” Still smiling, she extended her hand toward him and waited.

  “Uh, Tommy Reid,” he responded as he regained some of his wits. “Forgive me; I worked a night shift last night.”

  “I am sorry to intrude on your rest,” she replied easily. “May I come in? I wish to speak with Hazel.”

  “I’m really sorry Mrs. MacKai,” he replied rather coldly, “but Hazel is not here and she does not wish to speak to you anyway. She has moved in with friends just in case you should try to find her. Please leave now, and if I see you around here again I will call the police.” With that he stepped back and shut the door in her face.

  Stunned, Abby just stood staring at the door for a moment. Finally she knocked again. “Please Tommy,” she implored as he answered the door again. “There’s been a mistake, I must ....”

  “Yes there has,” he replied coldly, “and you have made it, ma’am. Unlike some folks, Hazel has moral standards, and she would prefer to keep to them. She does not want to speak with you, and I will call the police if you continue with this.” This time he slammed the door.

  Completely taken aback, Abby stepped away from the door and walked slowly to the stairs. Almost like a sleepwalker she mechanically descended the stairs and made her way back to her car in the parking lot. Abby drove slowly to a vacant lot to let Hubby out for a few minutes.