(Don't Mess With) Clear Lake Women

by Linda Hadaway

  “Oh, yes!”

  The back yard held tall weeds, and an accumulation of scattered items that no one must have wanted. Jacki strode over to an old metal pail and set it close to the house under a medium sized window off the back porch. The bottom of the pail had nearly rusted through, but she stood on the edges, where the thick metal appeared strong. She grabbed the window ledge to help her balance and used the back of her other hand to push up against the upper frame edge of the window. “Hand me that stick over there.”

  Elvira picked up the piece of wood and handed it to Jacki. She put the end of the wood against the wooden frame and pushed. The window moved slightly. Jacki continued, determined now. Within a few minutes, the window was wide open.

  “Come on, I’ll boost you up.”

  Elvira clapped her hands and squealed like a young girl. “This is so exciting!”

  Jacki clasped her fingers together to form a stirrup for Elvira to step into. However, when the “boost” got her half way into the window, one side of the pail sank deeper into the dirt and Jacki nearly lost her balance. Seconds later, she felt emptiness in her hands and heard a toppling from within.

  “Are you okay?” Jacki called out.

  “Humpph. Ah... I think so.”

  Jacki heard movement again and seconds later Elvira’s face appeared behind the dirty window of the back door. A click and screech of stiff hinges led to the door being pulled open.

  “Come on in.” Elvira waved.

  Jacki stepped onto the back porch. A deep porcelain sink, complete with rust stains around the drain, sat next to a well used washing machine. Dead flies and one lone lifeless spider littered the dented closed lid. No dryer was in sight. “Probably doesn’t have any 220 hook up.”

  “What?”

  “No dryer; they probably don’t have 220 electrical hookup.” She pondered the thought briefly. “I wonder what they had for a stove.”

  The door entering the house from the back porch opened to a spacious kitchen.

  “Wow. Look at all the room here to cook in!”

  Jacki laughed.

  “What?”

  Jacki pointed to the stove. “That’s an old stove.”

  “Oh, my! It is.” Elvira stepped closer. A bent metal prong was stuck in a tiny niche in the round plate on the steel stove. She took hold of it and turned to Jacki. Her face held curiosity. “I don’t get it.”

  Jacki chuckled and strode towards her. She took hold of the bar and lifted the metal circle out of the top of the stove and set it down aside another circle.

  “Ohh! “Elvira peered down in the hole. “What goes there?”

  “Wood.”

  “Wood?”

  “Yes. It’s a wood cooking stove. Complete with oven.” She pulled the oven door down, allowing Elvira to satisfy her inquisitiveness.

  “How unique!”

  “How old. Antique.”

  “I wonder how long it would take someone to learn how to cook on one of these.” Her fingers went underneath her chin in a thoughtful manner. She met Jacki’s eyes. “If I baked biscuits in here, would they taste like wood?”

  Jacki shrugged her shoulders. “Can we go now?”

  “Oh, no! Not until we’ve seen it all.” Jacki took a breath of relief that Elvira hadn’t wanted to check out the fridge. Who knew what old treasures that may have held.

  The living room was another large, spacious room. One hall way led to a large bedroom, a small sitting room, or parlor, as some would say, and a sad bathroom. The tub was an oldie. No shower. In the corner, along with cobwebs, was a silver chain attached to an old dried up rubber stopper. Jacki shook her head.

  “Come upstairs,” Elvira yelled, racing away. The stairway creaked all the way up. Jacki watched the boards, hoping they would hold their weight. The hallway at the top of the stairs led past three more bedrooms with another bathroom at the end. Elvira stood in one of the rooms, peering out a large window. “Look, you can see Mount Baker.”

  Jacki nodded. The view was magnificent. The snow covered dome stood above all else.

  “This would make a perfect sitting room. Don’t you think?”

  Jacki shrugged. Sitting room?

  Elvira turned around, her face alight. “We can go now.” She turned and ran down the stairs. Jacki followed more slowly. She glanced up at the ceiling. Old water stains were visible. “Damn thing leaks too.”

  Jacki stepped outside and watched as Elvira knelt in front of the FOR SALE sign, writing something down. A minute later, Elvira ran up and jumped into the passenger car seat. “I’m calling about it on Monday. I wonder what they are asking for it?”

  “Are you crazy?” Jacki asked as she started the car, backing it carefully down the driveway.

  Elvira laughed. She reached across and took a hold of Jacki’s arm. “With your know-how and my decorative skills, we can do wonders with this house. We can buy it!”

  Buy it? Jacki turned her head to see where she was going as she continued to back down the driveway. How do I tell her ‘fuck no’?

  Chapter 22

  Madison stood in front of the bathroom mirror brushing her teeth, when Justin opened the door, walked past her and began to urinate in the toilet. Madison took a quick peek. Yes, at least he lifted the lid. She continued brushing and spoke through her toothbrush and toothpaste foam.

  “Thutin. I’ll be ooth in thew minuths. Can’t you waith?”

  Justin, still standing in front of the toilet, looked over his shoulder at her. “I can’t understand a thing you’re saying.”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Ooth.” She bent over to spit in the sink when she felt lips upon her neck. It took her breath away. The bathroom door opened and closed. He was gone.

  Minutes later she walked into the bedroom to get ready for work. Justin sat on the unmade bed, remote in hand, flipping the television channels.

  Madison felt her face grow hot from irritation. “Justin! I’ve got to get dressed.”

  He glanced at her, his eyes questioning. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” He stood up and left the room.

  “Dammit,” Madison swore under her breath after the door had closed. She made the bed, smoothing out any wrinkles. Glancing at the clock, she swore again. Hurry up! She dressed quickly and went back into the bathroom. Justin was in front of the mirror, shaving with his razor. “Justin! I have to put my makeup on.”

  He moved to the side, attempting to use half of the mirror.

  Madison threw up her hands. “Justin, I have to have the whole mirror. In fact, I have to have the whole bathroom when I put on my makeup.”

  “Oh.” He stepped past her and out of the room again.

  Madison was trembling now. “I’m going to be late!” She tried to hurry with her makeup. The eye shadow smudged. Take it off. Start over. She began again.

  A knock sounded on the door. “Madison, honey. You’re going to be late.”

  “I know, Justin! You don’t have to remind me!”

  “Well, I gota get to work.”

  “Leave then!”

  A moment of silence before he spoke. “Okay.”

  He’s leaving without kissing me goodbye! What a pig!

  She heard his truck start up. “He’s leaving!” She opened the door and ran through the house. Opening up the front door, she saw the back of his truck speeding away. “Justin! Come back!”

  The truck continued on its way. Madison stared at the truck, not believing he left. “Bastard!” She stomped into the kitchen and picked up her phone, punching in her speed dial number for him. After five rings, it went to “message”. Her anger intensified. “Justin. This isn’t working out. You didn’t even kiss me goodbye. You’re a pig!” She hung up, feeling somewhat justified. Wait until he listens to that message!

  Madison glanced at the clock again. Taking a deep breath, she called her work and told them she was going to be a few minutes late. She felt sick to her stomach. I shouldn’t have let Justin move in. It ruined everything.

/>   Madison finished with her makeup and hurried to her car. Before she left the driveway, the voice began. The bedroom light is on.

  She slammed the palm of her hand upon the steering wheel. Hot tears welled up in her eyes. She had to go back into the house to check. She had to.

  Five minutes later she drove to work. Her heart ache worsened. How could Justin be so heartless to her?

  * * * *

  An hour later, her phone rang. She saw it was Justin’s number. Madison contemplated not answering it. If nothing else, just to bother him. Yet, she needed to hear his voice.

  “Hello?”

  “I got your message.” His voice carried apprehension. Maybe hurt?

  “It’s just not working, Justin.”

  “Madison. This was our first work day. Look, let’s talk tonight. Okay?”

  “I don’t know...”

  “I’ll bring dinner home. We’ll talk. I gotta go now.”

  Madison wiped away a tear.

  * * * *

  During the day, Madison had worked her way through several different scenarios of what she might say to him, and her response. No matter what the scenarios started to be, they all ended with Justin moving out.

  By the time she got home, she was dead tired. Princess, being let out of her cage, even seemed more attentive than usual, as if she knew something was wrong. A short while later, Justin came in, carrying a pizza and ice cream, her favorite. He attempted to give her a hug, but she didn’t return the gesture. He went ahead and set the table and placed a slice of pepperoni pizza on her plate. Justin sat down and devoured his meal, while Madison picked at hers. Afterwards, they both cleaned up, putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Justin took her hand and led her into the living room, sitting beside her on the couch.

  “Tell me why you are so upset?”

  Madison took a deep breath before she started.

  “I don’t see how this can work. You just...act like it’s okay to barge in on me in the bathroom...and don’t give me any space.” She met his eyes. “I was very late for work this morning!”

  Justin placed his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her to him. “Then we need to get up earlier. Fifteen minutes maybe?”

  Frustrated, Madison burst forth, “You act so...nonchalant about it all. You have no idea what that does to my OCD, and then you didn’t even bother to kiss me goodbye.”

  “You said you didn’t want a kiss.”

  Madison glared at him. “See. That’s what I mean! You are supposed to know that you have to kiss me every time you leave the house, no matter what!”

  Justin stared at her for a moment before he spoke. “So...we are fighting because I didn’t kiss you when you said not to? And because I need to stay out of the bathroom when you’re in it?”

  Madison suddenly felt foolish and embarrassed. In reality, that’s all it was. Yet, her insecurities and ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder...and perhaps being a woman...caused her to make a little disagreement into a breakup.

  Madison stared at the floor. “You don’t want to break up?”

  “No. I don’t want to break up.”

  “And...you don’t mind putting up with my...craziness?”

  “I’ve known you were crazy for years,” he joked. “But Madison...you need to tell me what you want or don’t want. I can’t read your mind.”

  “I’ll try, Justin. I need you to think more like a woman and less like a male.”

  “Hmmm. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  * * * *

  Later in bed, after they had made love, they cuddled, leg’s entwining each other. “You make me very happy, Madison.”

  “I’m not saying anything until later tomorrow,” she teased.

  “Is the alarm set for fifteen minutes early?”

  “Twenty.”

  “Madison, I think I’m in love with you. Let’s get married and have a baby.”

  Anxiety caused Madison’s heart to speed up; an excess of nervous energy swept through her veins. “You’re crazy! Go to sleep. Besides, you’re just intoxicated from our lovemaking.”

  “I don’t think so,” he whispered softly into her ear.

  Madison lay there, listening to him snore, while she tried to sooth the voices that screamed in her head.

  Chapter 23

  After a long day at the motel, Roxy got into her car, feeling exhausted. She covered her eyes with her hands, and applied pressure, moving her hands on each side of her face, to her temples, and moving all the way to the back of her head, then her neck and to her shoulders. She took two deep inhaling breaths, exhaling slowly. It seemed to revive her energy a little. If she could just go home and crash...but no...she was due to the second cleaning job in half an hour.

  She opened up her purse. There sat a ten dollar gift card for Starbucks. Miss Louise had left it for her as a tip. The caffeine might give her the extra energy buzz that she needed tonight. She started the car and drove towards town.

  “Might as well use it!” She had been scrimping since Madison put her on the “budget”.

  Although, Roxy had to admit, Madison seemed to know what she was doing. Roxy was having to borrow less and less from her. Another couple of months and she could quit the second job...unless she wanted to keep it and save up some money ( What a thought!) or, use it to buy something nice for herself. Maybe she could take one of her second job checks and buy a huge Starbucks gift certificate! She could get a coffee a day...for a while. That thought caused her to smile.

  Roxy pulled into the coffee house parking lot and got out. Since she still had twenty minutes to spare, she figured she would get her coffee and sit inside for a few minutes. The atmosphere was always quiet and relaxed. She walked in and stood in line. Just two people ahead of her. Plenty of time. The first in line got their order and moved aside. The woman in front of Roxy stepped up to the counter. She was a tall, beautiful blonde. That in its self was enough to irritate Roxy, but then the woman couldn’t make up her mind if she should get a croissant or not to go with her coffee. Roxy tapped her foot and glanced at the clock. She wouldn’t have a lot of time to sit and relax if that bimbo didn’t hurry up. She was tempted to tell the woman how much fat there was in one of those delicate croissants, when the woman finally decided against it and paid for her coffee. Roxy leaned forward and gave her order. She held out the gift certificate, when a male voice interjected, “I’ll pay for that.”

  Roxy reeled around quickly and met the smile of a familiar face.

  “Bud!”

  “I’ll get your coffee.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I know. I want to. Please.” He glanced behind him. “Look, you’re holding up the line.”

  Roxy saw three people behind Bud. Well, that wasn’t her fault. It was that bimbo’s fault. Still, no one appeared glad about waiting.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  She got her latté, stepped out of the way, and quickly made her way to the front of the shop, taking a seat at one of the small round tables. A couple minutes later, Bud joined her.

  “Just get off work?”

  Roxy nodded and sipped her hot coffee. She could visit with him plenty at the motel, but here, somehow she felt out of her realm.

  “Me too. Long day.” He smiled at her again.

  Say something! “Have you worked for the company long?”

  Bud nodded. “I’ve worked for them about seven years, but started in Seattle. I’ve just been here for a few months.”

  “Decided to relocate?”

  A sadness seemed to shadow a forced grin as he nodded. “How about you?”

  “Oh, I’ve worked for the motel since I was sixteen...so...quite a while.”

  “Always lived in the valley?”

  “Yep. Lifer.”

  He chuckled at her response.

  Bud took a couple of sips of his coffee before he spoke again. “I was wondering...if you don’t have any plans...would you like to go out for pizza or something?” His eyes pleaded in a humble
way.

  “Oh. I can’t tonight!”

  “Date, huh? I figured you probably had lots of dates.”

  Is he being a smart ass? Roxy searched his face for any tell tale signs that he was joking. She couldn’t detect any. She nodded in response. How can I tell him I have to have an extra job to manage my friggin’ bills?

  “I’d love to...go out some other time.”

  He smiled and nodded. Roxy didn’t think he believed her.

  Bud checked his watch. “I gotta get going. See you around.”

  “’Bye. Thanks again.”

  He stood up and turned towards the door.

  He’s leaving now! I had my chance and messed it up. Maybe I should go with Bud, but I’d probably be fired if I didn’t show up. She watched him go out the door and into the parking lot. He stepped up to a pick-up truck and opened the door. What if he relocates again? What if he quits his job? I may never see him again. With the last thought, she jumped up so fast, it knocked down an empty chair behind her. She didn’t even turn around; she just flew out the door. Bud was backing up when Roxy yelled at him.

  “Saturday!”

  He glanced at her, grinned, and rolled his window down. “Excuse me?”

  “What about Saturday evening?”

  He laughed, nodding his head.

  Roxy ran over beside his truck.

  Bud picked up his cell. “What’s your number? I’ll program it into my phone.” Roxy gave it to him. “I’ll call you later in the week.”

  A few moments later, she was driving to her second job. Roxy felt giddy and happy, right down to her toes. She couldn’t wait to tell Madison and the girls.

  * * * *

  Jacki sat in a lounge chair in Madison’s back yard, sipping a wine cooler. Madison added a few sticks of wood into her fire pit. “And what did she say then?”

  “She said she was going to find out who owns the damn place so we could buy it. We.”

  “And you said...”

  “Nothing. I was too...shocked.”

  Madison sat down. She waved her beer towards Jacki. “So...are you more upset over the condition of the house or the idea of being legally committed?”

  Jacki paused for a moment before answering. “Both I think.”