Sunday’s eyes twinkled. “You’d be surprised with what I have in it.” She looked at the newest group member. “You must be Elvira. I’m Sunday.” She shook her hand.
All eyes returned to Sunday. Madison giggled. Jacki only smiled.
Roxy looked from face to face. “What? Every one knows but me? It’s a long time before my birthday.”
Sunday replied, “I thought I’d wait until after lunch. What do you think?” She looked around the table.
Madison spoke up. “No. I don’t want her losing her lunch on my lap.”
The waitress walked to the table with menus and water.
Sunday waved. “Could you give us about ten more minutes? We have a small celebration.”
The waitress smiled, nodded, and walked away.
Roxy grinned. “Cool! What is it?” She rubbed her palms together in anticipation.
“Close your eyes,” Sunday said.
Roxy played along, covering her eyes with her hands.
Sunday leaned down to her bag and brought up the urn, setting it in the middle of the table. To anyone else in the diner, it probably appeared to be a pretty, ceramic bell jar.
“Okay. You can look now.”
All faces watched Roxy. Her hands came away from her face. Her smile quickly turned downward, her eyes grew wide, her face paled. Even her body reacted immediately, her arms pushing her away from the table. Her feet scooting back, her legs pushing her out from the chair, which tumbled backwards onto the floor. Roxy’s arm reached out, her finger pointed. “What the fuck? How did you get that? My mother’s going to shit when she see’s it gone!”
For a short period of several seconds the restaurant was dead quiet. Even the waitress stopped in her tracks. Madison leaned back in her chair. “Sit down.”
By the time Roxy picked her chair back up, some of the customer’s normal conversations returned, although a few still stared, awaiting what would happen next. She sat outside the circle of friends, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. To all that looked at her, she did not appear to be having fun.
Sunday patted the table. “Listen to me.”
Roxy replied by glaring at her cousin. Her eyes sparked with heated anger.
“When Ned lay in the hospital, dying, I had hoped once he was gone, you could put that ugly part of the past behind you. Even at the funeral, you had a difficult time, but again, I thought, okay. Roxy’s making progress. But then, you called. I knew I had to do something. I mean, how could you continue to go to visit your mother, seeing this,” she waved towards the urn, “every single time you were there.”
Roxy’s eyes seemed less angry now, yet intense, trying to comprehend.
“I thought of a few scenarios before I decided on this one.” She took a sip of her water. “I called Mr. Jones, the funeral director, and made an appointment with him. I’m sure he thought I was planning ahead...buy my own plot or something. Anyway, I was looking pretty good when I met with him. Short skirt, sheer black blouse to show off my black push up bra. You get the picture.” They all nodded in unison. “I told him I absolutely loved the urn my aunt had gotten for sweet Uncle Ned”
Roxy groaned audibly.
Sunday continued. “I asked him if I could buy an urn, just like Ned’s, only without the body, of course. He laughed at that. He said it was a highly unusual request, but then I batted my lashes.” Sunday tilted her head and gave them a sample performance. “He was putty in my hand after that. Then I got on the internet, looked up how much ashes weighed with the average body. You can find out anything on the net. I took a some ashes from the wood stove in the shop, mixed a little sand and we have...an Uncle Ned look alike!”
Roxy even broke into a grin then.
Sunday relayed how it all “came down” at Madeline’s house. When she recalled the bit about the coldness of the urn and how Sunday explained that, the table of women broke into laughter.
Roxy wiped her laughing tears from her eyes. “What do we do with him now?”
Sunday picked up Ned. “I’m putting him in the back of the SUV so we can enjoy our lunch, then we are going up into the woods and bury him.”
Elvira spoke up. “Isn’t that illegal?”
Sunday shrugged her shoulders; her face held a look of mild concern. They broke into laughter once again.
* * * *
An hour later they were all piled in the SUV, driving up Highway 20.
“Where are we going?” Roxy inquired, sitting “shot gun.”
“The back side of Sauk Mountain.”
Thirty minutes later, Sunday pulled onto an old logging road and geared down. Madison peered over the back seat where the urn rolled within the bag as they bumped their way over the rough road.
“Enjoying the ride, Ned?”
Jacki laughed in response. Perhaps unsure of how to react, Elvira’s eye grew large.
They hit a large hole and the vehicle rocked its way through it.
“Hey,” Madison spoke harshly. “Ned says to slow down.”
Even Elvira cracked up at that. Still, she shook her head. “You’ve got some pretty sick friends, Jacki.”
Jacki nodded and wrapped her arm around Elvira’s shoulders. “I warned you, but you insisted you wanted to do a group activity. I think that’s what you called it.”
Elvira leaned her head back and peered over the seat. “I guess I had something different in mind.” She sat up and looked out the window. Elvira saw tops of trees to her left; the side of the road seemed to drop into...nothing. She nudged closer to Jacki.
Jacki responded by hugging her affectionately. “Don’t like heights?”
“It’s not the heights I mind. It’s the nothingness on that side of the SUV.”
Jacki laughed. “Sunday has driven this road a hundred times.”
“What for?”
Sunday, not looking away from the road ahead, replied loudly, “This is where Duffy and I hunt sometimes.” She pointed to a logged area. “That clear cut area is where we’ll come this fall.”
“Oh.” She placed her finger to her lips for a few seconds. “You hunt deer?”
“Yes. And elk.”
Madison interjected, “Me too.”
“I don’t think I could do that.”
“It isn’t for everybody,” Madison replied.
Elvira sat back against the seat. “Are you a good shot?”
She nodded.
Jacki piped up. “She’s got a trophy in her living room. You’ll see it when we go and visit.”
Sunday pulled onto another road and parked the SUV. She walked to the back, lifted the back hatch and pulled out a shovel. Roxy reached over, grabbing it. “I want to do this.”
Sunday nodded and pulled out the bag, lugging the bell jar.
Roxy scouted out a place a ways from the road. She began to dig. The soil was soft and the digging was easy. Still, in a few minutes she was breaking a sweat and Sunday took the shovel.
“I want a turn.” Shortly thereafter, Madison took the shovel. Jacki was next and finished the hole. “I think it’s deep enough now.”
“I want a turn.” All eyes landed on Elvira.
“Are you sure?” Jacki asked.
“I was thinking. I was molested when I was twelve by one of my brother’s friends. I didn’t tell...because...well...sometimes you just don’t tell.” The women nodded in unison. “I never did anything about it. But it still pisses me off!” She grabbed the end of the shovel, jerking it out of the dirt. She hopped down in the hole and stuck the shovel in the ground with fury. She jumped on the edge of the metal with both feet, sinking the shovel deep into the ground. Elvira stepped off the shovel, leaned back and wrestled the load of dirt, tossing it over her shoulder. Jacki ducked, but soil and small pebbles landed on her head and shoulders. Madison and Sunday laughed. Jacki leaned her head down and brushed the dirt from her hair.
A moment later Elvira exclaimed, “I’m done!” She reached her hand up and Jacki took it, pulling her up out of the
hole.
“Here goes,” Sunday said, tipping the bag upside down. The urn fell out, landing in the shallow grave, hitting the ground with a thud. The women all leaned a little forward and peered in the hole. A moment of silence hung in the air until Roxy broke it. “How do you like that, Uncle Ned? You won’t be the center of attention now, will ya?” She looked at her friends. “Get it? Center of attention.”
Madison handed Roxy the shovel and she tossed the first shovel of dirt in. “Goodbye for good!”
She passed it to Sunday who shoveled in the next scoop of dirt. The shovel passed from woman to woman like some unspoken ritual. When the hole was filled, they took each other’s hand, formed a circle and jumped on the mound of dirt, packing it down.
The ride back down the mountain was as jubilant and carefree as a group of schoolgirls returning from summer camp.
* * * *
The next day, Roxy drove to her mother’s house. Madeline was happy to see her and fixed her a cup of coffee. Roxy sat at the round table and stared at the urn.
“It’s just not right, you know.”
Roxy jumped. She could feel her blood draining from her face. How could she know?
“What?”
Madeline reached out and touched the ceramic jar. “It’s just not right that Ned is gone. This is all I have left of him.”
A wide smile broke across Roxy’s face. She couldn’t help it.
Madeline looked at her and frowned. “What are you so happy about?”
Roxy got up and walked behind her mother. “You have me and Cory, Mom.”
Her mother reached up and patted Roxy’s arm. “Yes, I do.”
Chapter 15
Sunday sat at her office desk sipping her latte. The door squeaked opened and she glanced up, meeting the eyes of a working acquaintance of Duffy’s, Michael Dunbar. He nodded his head. “Good morning, Sunday. Duffy in?”
“He drove over to the new mall construction site about thirty minutes ago. Do you have his cell number?”
He held up a long rolled tube. “I lost my cell in the Skagit River yesterday while I was out fishing with my son. I needed to see him in person to go over these plans. We spoke about meeting this morning, but I’m not sure either one of us set a time. Would you mind calling him?”
“Sure. I don’t mind.” Sunday speed dialed her cell and handed it to Michael.
While they talked, Sunday brought up the monthly budget on her computer and continued to work. A couple minutes later, Michael handed her back her phone.
“Thanks. He said he’d be back in twenty minutes or so. Mind if I wait?”
“Go ahead, have a seat.” She motioned to the davenport. The single wide trailer they had put on the little lot worked great for their business office. Two bedrooms were made into offices and the third bedroom they left untouched. It came in handy if Duffy or one of his foremen worked extra long hours and needed a place to crash for a few hours. The extra bathroom and shower were an extra little convenience.
“Coffee?” Sunday offered.
Michael nodded. “I’ll get it.” He walked into the kitchen area and poured himself a cup. Instead of sitting, he meandered around the room.
Sunday figured he was probably one of those guys that didn’t sit much. Nervous energy, maybe.
“You keep the books?”
“Huh?” Sunday turned before she realized what he was asking. She smiled and nodded. “Yes.”
Michael took a sip of his coffee and held the cup out, pointing towards her. “My accountant is having her third baby. I’m going to need somebody to do my bookkeeping, for two to three months. Do you know anyone you would recommend?”
Sunday opened her mouth to say no, but stopped herself short. Somehow, she needed to make extra cash. So far, she had only a few hundred stuck away in her private safe deposit box. She needed a whole lot more before she could leave Duffy.
“How many hours a week?”
Michael glanced up towards the ceiling in thought. “Probably six hours or so.”
Sunday smiled wide and turned her swivel chair toward him. “I wouldn’t mind doing it.”
He blinked and appeared surprised. “Oh. Are you sure...”
“I’d love a little change of scenery. When would you want me to come over?”
Michael’s surprised look disappeared into a grin. “I suppose Wednesday would be fine. That’s her regular day and she can show you where everything is.”
Sunday nodded. “I’ll be there. Nine?”
He chuckled. “Nine is fine. Don’t you want to know what I pay?”
Sunday responded with light laughter. “Construction people float in and out of this office all day long. I hear a lot of gossip, sitting here working at my desk. Sometimes I feel invisible, the things people say. You’re a fair man, Michael. I know you’ll pay me what the job is worth.”
He had set his coffee mug down and now stood with his hands in his pockets. Michael grinned and gave her a nod. “I appreciate that. However, I do disagree with something you said.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t believe that you could be invisible to anyone, even a blind man.”
Sunday was accustomed to compliments on her beauty, yet for some reason, his remark surprised her.
Michael took his hand out of his pocket and scratched the hair at the back of his neck. Cocking his head, he asked, “Duffy won’t mind you working for me?”
Sunday crossed her arms against her chest. “I am my own woman.”
“I bet you are, at that.”
Minutes later, Duffy’s truck pulled into the driveway. While he and Michael entered one of the offices, Sunday’s mind couldn’t concentrate on her business at hand.
Jacki would be taking some cash to the bank today. It was a grand plan Jacki had, of putting her name on the safe deposit box too. Sunday felt paranoid about entering the bank, afraid that one of Duffy’s friends may see her and say something to him in passing. The extra money from this side job would help. His behavior had been good lately. It had been so good, in fact, that Sunday felt herself growing a little anxious. A blow up would happen soon. She just didn’t know if it would be a little verbal fight...or...a physical one. She remembered one of the counselors at the women’s center explained the cycle of abuse. The fights would happen more often. They would get worse.
Sunday recalled the woman’s voice. “The average abused woman leaves her abuser seven times, before she leaves for good. If nothing changes, the cycle continues, until the woman leaves or gets killed.”
“Do the men ever change?” Sunday had asked.
“They can seek treatment; attend anger management classes. It’s a learned behavior.”
Sunday nodded, remembering Duffy talking about his dad hitting his mother. At the time he seemed disgusted by it. That was before they had gotten married. They were so much in love...and happy. It seemed so long ago now.
Chapter 16
Madison was sleeping soundly in bed when Princess’s bark woke her up. She lay there for a moment, listening. The only thing she could hear, though, was Justin’s snoring in her ear. His leg lay over the top of hers and his arm held her close. Princess jumped off the bed, Madison supposed, to check out the noise. A moment later quiet, familiar footsteps entered the bedroom.
She could feel a hand patting on the bed.
“Who’s that?” Roxy whispered.
Madison pulled the covers under her chin. “It’s Justin. Who did you think it was?”
“I don’t know. Could have been anyone...” She chuckled.
“Ha, ha. Are you getting into bed or what?”
“He’s got my spot.”
“Oh, shut up! I want to go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Madison felt the bed move.
“What’s going on?” Justin asked sleepily.
“Nothing,” Madison responded.
A whisper came close to her ear. “Who’s in bed with us?”
“Just Roxy. Go to sleep!”
“Can we have a three-some?”
“You can have a sleep on the floor-some if you don’t shut up so I can go back to sleep.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Princess jumped up on the King-size bed, making her way between the bodies. Unable to find a spot she liked, she whined and walked to the bottom of the bed, scratching at a spot by Madison’s feet. After walking in a circle and scratching one last time she lay down and fell asleep.
* * * *
Roxy was the first one up, shutting the bedroom door behind her. She brewed coffee and poured herself a cup of tea. By the time Madison got up, Roxy had pencil and paper, and was forming a list.
“What are you up to?” Madison asked, pouring herself a mug of the hot brew. She wrapped her pink bathrobe around her and cinched up the tie.
“Saturday is our annual cleaning day. Have you called your dad to borrow his truck?”
“Oh, crap! Is it that time already?”
“Better give Big John a ring.”
“Not until I’ve had my caffeine.”
The bedroom door swung open. Both women looked up. Justin ran his fingers through his cropped black hair. His shirtless torso showed off the lean muscles of his chest; his flat abs disappeared beneath his jeans. “I thought maybe I was dreamin.’ I actually slept with two women last night!”
Madison took a sip of her coffee. Roxy yawned. Madison spoke first. “Slept. That’s the key word here, I believe.”
He put his hand to his chest. Tilting his head, he stared upward. “But I’ve done it! What every man dreams!”
Roxy lowered her head and rolled her eyes.
Madison held back a grin and shook her head.
Roxy couldn’t help herself. “Justin! Enough! Besides, you’re not man enough for me anyway.”
“Huh?” His face took on a look of surprise.
Roxy shrugged. “I checked you out when you were sleeping. There’s just not enough, there, if you know what I mean.”
Justin stood tall, looping his thumbs inside the waistband of his tight jeans. “I know that’s not true, ’cause if you had checked me out...you’d a been all over me. No resistance.” The resistance came out with a fake French accent.
(Don't Mess With) Clear Lake Women Page 10