Jamie sat up suddenly. He had that strange sensation again, almost like being drunk - as though his vision, and his mind, were a few seconds out of sync with the motion of his body. He sat on the edge of the bed, then got up and went into the bathroom, where he closed the door behind him and turned on the tap in the sink, scooping handfuls of cold water up onto his face and rubbing his cheeks and eyes.
Kelli felt along the wall by the door, found the light switch and flipped it on. Nothing happened.
“Hey,” she called over the sounds of splashing water through the door. “How do I turn on the lights?”
“That switch is messed up, like the one in the hall. There’s a lamp on the dresser.”
Kelli sat in the dark. Her eyes had yet to adjust to the light.
“Where’s the dresser?” she muttered.
She stood and felt her way across the room, walking in baby steps ‘til she bumped into something. She looked around the room, objects were slowing emerging from the darkness. She could just make out the edge of a lampshade glowing in the moonlight. She crouched down and flipped it on, only to recoil in terror at a grotesque sculpture bobbing its head up and down at her.
“Jesus Christ!”
The sounds of the water stopped.
“I’m guessing you found the lamp.”
Kelli leaned forward, studying the bouncing dragon head. It was sculpted from clay and intricately decorated. She looked at the symbols and markings, then stood and wandered the room. Paintings hung from the walls, and bizarre pieces of artwork sat on tabletops or crouched on shelves, as if ready to pounce. She studied a painting that hung over the dresser, the details along the edges were the same as the ones on the figures.
“These paintings are unbelievable.”
She crossed the room and looked at several more canvases, all done in the same style as the pieces in the hallway. She looked at the dates; there was nothing from the last two years. An arrangement of framed photos hung to the side of the bedroom door; one was signed from the current year. The bathroom door creaked as Jamie stepped out into the room. He was wiping his face with a washcloth.
Kelli was still looking at the paintings as Jamie went over to the dresser and pulled out a shirt, removing the one he was wearing.
“This stuff is incredible. Why did you switch to photography?”
Jamie started to speak, then stopped, and pulled the shirt down over his head. He was just looking up at Kelli when a door slammed downstairs, and Lynn’s voice called up to them.
“Hello? Anybody home?”
Jamie looked Kelli in the eyes, then shouted, “Yeah, we’ll be right down!” He turned back to Kelli. “Can we talk about it later?”
When they came down the stairs, Lynn Pepper was standing in the middle of the kitchen, pulling off a snow covered winter parka and hat. She turned to them with flushed cheeks, throwing her arms open.
“Hi!”
“Mrs. Pe-” Kelli started.
“Lynn,” She interrupted. “You must be Kelli.” She stepped forward, giving Kelli a hug. “I’d like to say I’ve heard so much about you, but Jamie has been keeping pretty mum.”
Lynn turned to Jamie and gave him a quick hug.
“Hi Mom.”
“I’ll have dinner warmed up in a few minutes. I just finished a piece for the magazine and wanted to go for a quick loop around the golf course.”
“You were playing golf?” Kelli asked.
“Oh no. No. Just cross country skiing. The golf course is great for it in the winter.” Lynn stopped and pulled a pack from her back, rummaging through it and removing a large paper sack. She continued, “I swung by Rice’s on the way home and got us something special for dinner.”
“Lobster?” Jamie asked.
Lynn nodded.
“Do you need help with anything?” Kelli asked.
“No, you two sit down.” Lynn tossed her gloves on a chair by the door. “Jamie can help me when it’s time to pop these guys in the water. Do you want any wine? Jamie, you can have alcohol now, can’t you?”
Jamie could feel Kelli watching him.
“Yeah, Mom,” he said flatly.
They exchanged looks.
Lynn glanced at Kelli, then back to Jamie. “Well, why don’t you run downstairs and grab us a bottle?”
Jamie left the room as Lynn took a covered dish from the fridge and set it down on the counter.
“So, Lynn, what were you working on today?” Kelli asked.
Lynn was a blur of action, sticking the dish in the microwave, pulling out a loaf of bread, and slicing it into wedges.
“Oh, just a piece on Bowie. A follow-up on how he’s doing after the angioplasty.” Lynn continued, “I’ve gotta say, it’s a weird feeling when your rock Gods start having heart surgery, or dying.”
“He’s not dying is he?”
Lynn looked up at her.
“Who?”
“David Bowie.”
“Him? No way. Not yet anyway. He’s the healthiest of the lot, but he is getting up there now.”
Jamie returned, carrying a bottle of red wine. He found a corkscrew in a cluttered drawer and popped the cork, deftly pouring three glasses of wine, giving one to Kelli as he arched an eyebrow and nodded towards Lynn.
“Mom loves Bowie. She thinks he’s ‘fabulous.’”
Lynn looked up at Kelli, a twinkle in her eye.
“Isn’t he?”
“Well, I don’t know him that well.”
“Mom, not everyone is as familiar with seventies rockstars as you.”
“Yes, but she is a woman. Old or not, I mean, come on,” she bobbed her head knowingly at Kelli. “Bowie is a very sexy man. He just has it. Whatever the hell it is.”
The microwave beeped and Lynn pulled out the dish, gave it a quick once-over, and stuck it back in. She turned to Jamie and snapped her fingers.
“Where’s my wine?”
He motioned to the glass sitting on the counter and she scooped it up, downing a long gulp.
“That makes the ride worth it.” Lynn put her hand on Kelli’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s sit down. I want to know everything about you.”
A fire crackled in the background as they sat and had their drinks. Lynn set out a plate of crackers and a block of cheese, which she attacked with a slicer the moment they sat down.
“So, where are you from Kelli?” she asked as she scarfed a cracker.
“From downstate, just outside New Paltz.”
“Oh, you mean in all those “kill areas?”
“What?” Jamie asked.
“You know, all the towns down there are named things like Wallkill and Fishkill. I think it means river or something. Can’t be good for tourism.”
“Yeah, I don’t know that it does wonders,” Kelli laughed. “I’m actually from Fishkill. I grew up there.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Kelli nodded, “Three brothers. I’m the only girl.”
“Three brothers? My God, it’s a wonder you’re not sick to death of boys.”
“Oh, I have my moments,” Kelli replied, looking Jamie in the eye as she took a sip of her wine.
The fire sizzled and popped behind them.
“I love your house,” Kelli said after a moment. “How long have you lived here?”
“Oh, Gosh, probably thirty years now. Jamie’s father and I got this place right after we were married. Most of the look of the place is his doing.”
Kelli looked around at the dark wood paneling and the walls of books and artwork. “Well, it’s really inspiring. I could happily spend a month just looking through the books.”
“Well, thank you. I’ve always liked it.” Lynn sat forward suddenly. “You said it’s inspiring. Can I ask what it is that you’re studying?”
Jamie interrupted, “Do you feel like you’re in a Lynn Pepper interview here?”
Kelli laughed.
Lynn turned her head to him, “What? I’m interested!”
&n
bsp; “No, no. It’s fine! I’m actually studying film. This is my second year at RIT.”
“Film’s good. Any specific area?”
“Unfortunately, I’m probably at the stage where I think I can be the next Nora Ephron.”
“Why unfortunately? No reason you can’t be.”
“I just keep hearing how impossible it’s gonna be to break in. So I feel kind of stupid when I say I want to be a director.”
“But that’s what you want to do,” Lynn responded. “Don’t let people convince you that you can’t do it. That’s part of the racket! When I was in school they did the same thing. Talk up the field, talk down to you; make you feel like you can study the medium and the craft, but you have no business shooting for the industry itself. They want you to think it’s impossible, cause they don’t want you stealing any of their thunder, or their opportunities! ”
“Well, thank you, I appreciate that,” Kelli replied.
“Besides,” Lynn continued. “I know Nora. Maybe I can hook you two up for a pep talk.”
Kelli’s face froze in a half smile. “What?”
Jamie looked at her, nodding his head with a smile, first up and down, then from side to side.
Lynn stood suddenly. “I’d better check on dinner.” She ran out of the room.
“Nora Ephron?” Kelli whispered to him.
“What can I say?” Jamie shrugged his shoulders.
“Jamie,” Lynn shouted from the kitchen. “The water’s boiling.”
Jamie stood and leaned down to kiss Kelli on the forehead. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered. “I’m off to murder some lobsters.”
“I see from insurance that you saw Dr. Price last month,” Lynn remarked as he walked into the kitchen.
Jamie was quiet.
“Everything all right?” Lynn continued.
“Yeah. It’s fine. I had a little thing. Nothing to worry about. He checked the dosages, checked the implant. Thought it was from stress while I was getting my bearings with classes.”
Lynn looked at him intently. “And what do you think it was from?”
“I think he was right. I missed a couple days of exercise. Could feel my brain tensing up like I was getting too worked up about classes. It hasn’t happened since.”
Lynn turned to the stove, where she pulled the lid from a massive pot of boiling water. “Well then, if you’re not worried, I’m not worried.”
“But,” Jamie laughed, “you’re still worried.”
“Of course I am.”
“Everything’s fine, Mom. Stop. Save some panic for the future.”
“You can pop in the lobsters now.”
Jamie opened the paper bag on the countertop, looking down at the mass of greenish-red claws and feelers. “Say your prayers, fellas.”
He flipped the bag end over end, dumping the lobsters on the counter, then picked them up one by one, and slipped them head first into the boiling water. He dropped the last one into the water, and watched as its eyes fogged over and air bubbles rumbled to the surface.
“Does she know what you’ve been through?” Lynn nodded towards the living room.
Jamie stared down into the water. “No. Not yet.”
“Any reason you’re waiting to tell her?”
“I don’t want to jinx it.”
Lynn nodded her head and marched out into the living room.
Dinner was simple and delicious. Scalloped potatoes, salad, and the lobsters, smothered in drawn butter. It was probably the butter, the ultimate indulgence. They sat at the table, washing each bite down with sips of red wine.
Lynn didn’t cook much, but she knew her wine, or rather, she knew her late husband’s wine, which had been aging in the house’s cellar for a decade now, the majority of his collection slowly clicking into its prime years, which they might not have had time to do had Jeff and his less patient artist’s temperment been at the helm. As it was, each bottle seemed better than the last, and at a time like tonight, as they sat around the table in the midst of a dark winter’s night, a fire at one end of the room, hot food in their stomachs, trouble momentarily at bay, the wine tasted all that much better as it swirled in their glasses and burned its way ever so gently down their throats.
The wind grew louder as the evening went on. They had dessert and sat by the fire talking. Kelli turned the questions to Lynn, who answered quietly, occasionally deferring a response with a joke. Lynn mentioned Jamie’s paintings once or twice, but that just led to questions of photography, and the when and the how, which left them scampering in squirrelly maneuvers to get the subject back on safe ground.
At midnight, Jamie got up to bring in the dishes, and looked out the window to see snow swirling in the air outside. He flipped on the porchlight and saw the white flakes billowing in under the awning and up over the steps. The wind roared against the sides of the house, gust after gust fighting to peel away the old wooden siding.
“It’s getting late,” Lynn called from the living room. “I’m gonna have to turn in.”
Kelli stood and walked into the kitchen with the last of the dishes, which Jamie loaded into the washer. Lynn walked in close behind, setting her empty wine class on the counter with a gentle ting.
“Kelli, it was lovely meeting you.”
“It was nice meeting you too.”
Lynn yawned loudly. “I’ll see you two in the morning. I trust Jamie to get you some towels and anything else you need.”
“Good night, Mom.”
Lynn slipped out of the room. They listened to her footsteps as she crossed the front entryway, then slowly made her way up the stairs. Kelli walked over to Jamie, looked him in the eyes, and gave him a long, deep kiss on the mouth.
They turned off the lights, strolled through the house to Jamie’s room, and stood at the window, watching the snow as it tumbled down from the sky. The wind still rumbled as they slipped into bed, burrowed under the covers, and squeezed each other tighter with each gust outside.
“I love you,” Kelli said once more in the darkness.
“I love you too.”
The thermostat clicked on downstairs; hot water burbled up through the pipes and into the radiator, which popped and rumbled as it warmed the air. The window panes grew foggy from the heat inside. Then they kissed, and grew still, and fell fast asleep.
It would be one of Jamie’s last peaceful nights.
The storm swept out during the night, leaving drifts of snow in its wake. The long, curving driveway was under at least four feet of it, which didn’t get cleared until noon that day. They could hear the sounds of the snowplows going back and forth across the drive as they sat in the kitchen at breakfast.
“The roads are gonna be a nightmare, you know.”
Kelli cradled a coffee mug in her hands. “You don’t have to take me to the station. We can call a cab.”
“Do you have to leave today?” Jamie asked. “You could always stay another night.”
“I wish I could, but the folks are expecting me. They’ve gotta pick me up, then head out to the Island.”
“You can’t meet up with them out there?”
“Trust me, this is easier. I’ll be back in a week. We’ll have New Year’s together in the dorms.”
Jamie nodded. “That’ll be great.”
“Hey, we’ve still got a little time here. Let’s make the most of it, not ruin the morning hoping for something else.”
“I hope the trains are canceled,” Jamie said.
“Thanks a lot.”
When they could finally leave, Lynn waved from the front porch as they crept slowly down the length of the driveway. The old Buick’s heater purred at their feet as the tires slipped in gripless circles, then caught hold and pulled the car out onto the main road. They passed several cars off on the side of the road, their lights flashing, the drivers sitting on the hoods, cell phones in hand, waiting for AAA to come and pull them out.
“See?” Jamie said. “You’re putting my safety at risk.”
/>
He eased off the gas, watching the road ahead carefully.
“You’ve lived here eighteen years. I trust you to drive in this.” Kelli replied, obviously knowing better.
There were a few other brave souls on the road, their headlights slipping away in the snowy haze ahead of them. Jamie pumped the brakes gently, keeping the car’s momentum at bay. Once or twice, he took a turn with a bit too much oomph, the back end sweeping around with a little Dirty Harry swagger, but things went smoothly for the most part. They took the long stretch of road down Mt. Hope, past the cemetery, past the turn-off to the University of Rochester, then down into the center of town, where their conversation cut off suddenly. The station was almost in sight. Jamie cleared his throat and sighed.
“Just about there.”
Kelli nodded.
“Think it’ll be on time?”
She shook her head, “No idea.”
The road curved to the right, then sliced through several cross streets. The lights were all in their favor. The snow was still falling as they turned into the parking lot and pulled into a space. Jamie killed the engine and they sat in silence for a moment. The car clicked and moaned as it settled. The air outside whispered icy thoughts.
They looked at each other, then turned and stepped out into the cold. Jamie pulled Kelli’s bag from the backseat and walked around to the passenger side.
“Should we get this over with?”
She paused a moment, then nodded.
The terminal was about the same temperature indoors as it was out. Jamie waited with the bag as Kellie went up and bought her ticket. He turned and watched the few scattered people waiting for the train. An older woman sat at the far end, alone, an overflowing wire laundry cart beside her. Lord only knew if she had walked all the way here by herself. A heavy-set woman rested on a bench in the middle of the room, her son and daughter, both clad in purple bubble-jackets, ran around fighting. The little boy kept grabbing his sister’s braided hair and throwing it back over her shoulders. The girl kept reaching behind her ears to sweep the braids back in front, brushing her hands down the twisted strands and scowling at him. Then he’d run over and do it again.
“Stop it!” the little girl shouted.
On/Off - A Jekyll and Hyde Story Page 14