End of the Rainbow : There Lies the Portrait of My Love

by Henry H. Williamson Jr

  Hank was tuning in for all he was worth, his primary concern was that Bonnie was in an awkward position and she could very well get caught in a cross-fire between the mob and the feds. He asked, “I’m sure the timing on this thing is essential and I have no doubt you have everything you need to get a conviction; however, I am extremely concerned about Mrs. DeKarr. What are the chances of her being harmed in this thing?”

  “If things work out like we anticipate,” said the agent, “the chances are minimal.”

  “Minimal.” said Hank, as he continued, “But what if they don’t work out like you anticipate?”

  “That’s a good question,” the agent said to Hank, then he turned to Bonnie and said, “And that is why we are divulging our plan to you ahead of time. Mrs. DeKarr, if you agree to cooperate with us on this thing, you’ve got to be strong and play this thing out to the end. We are absolutely sure you are clean in this whole matter; however, the stakes are enormous, and many lives are on the line on this one.”

  Bonnie said, “If I agree to cooperate, exactly what do I need to do: what is my part in this thing, and when can I expect to retire from it and get on with my life?”

  The agent smiled, looked at Bonnie with assurance and said, “For you, this is an easy one. All you need to do is hire the best attorney you can find and turn everything over to him. Incidentally, the attorney you have on retainer may seem meek and ineffective, but he is part of the mob, so stay clear of him.”

  “One thing more…” added the agent, “The weekends are yours to fly away or do whatever your heart desires, but we need you available during the week -- until this thing is wrapped up, or at least until it gets into the final stages.”

  “I was in the process of divesting myself of all three charities and moving to Cincinnati, Ohio with my fiance -- in fact, I had already set the wheels in motion before I found out about this thing. If I stop now, won’t things seem to be out of phase?”

  The agent seemed to be of an understanding nature, he said, “When had you planned to move to Cincinnati?”

  “In about two to four more weeks if things went smoothly,” Bonnie was more insistent and definite, “I had expected there would be no problems.”

  “Have you told anyone else about your plans?”

  “Yes,” said Bonnie, “Quite a number of people. And all of them were congratulatory about my engagement and the planned move.”

  The agent said, “Then don’t change anything you had planned. We want this thing to go as though nothing unusual has happened. Just be sure you hire that attorney and let him handle everything from here. We may need you periodically, but if we do, your attorney can call you.”

  Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief and said out loud, “That’s a relief. Now, let me be sure I understand what you are saying: I can continue with my plan to move to Ohio, and maybe even get married, and there is no problem with that. Is my understanding correct?”

  The agent smiled and said, “That is correct, as long as you keep in touch with your attorney. Incidentally, who will be your attorney? Remember now, the one you have on retainer is part of the problem, so stay clear of him if you can.”

  Bonnie glanced at Hank with a quizzical look in her eyes, he responded and said, “That’s a good question,” he said as he looked at the agent. Then he looked at Bonnie and said, “I guess we’ll have to get a referral from the bar association or maybe your banker…”

  Bonnie was quick to respond, she said, “Yes, that’s an excellent idea, my bank retains an excellent law firm and I’m sure they will represent my interests, or refer me to someone suitably qualified.”

  Bonnie addressed her next comments to the agent and said, “Ok, I guess that takes care of that. Is there anything else on your agenda?”

  The agent arose from his chair and said, “I suppose that about wraps it up for now. As soon as you retain legal representation, I need to know who he or she is so we can insure we get things properly underway with them.”

  Bonnie and Hank arose and extended their hands toward the agent. Bonnie thanked him for his manner and apparent understanding of her situation, and the agent left. Then she said to Hank, “Let’s see if we can get on with this thing right away so we can get out of here. I feel like I’ve been here twenty-four hours already. As soon as I make these calls and get the ball rolling, how about we join Frank and DiJana at the house. I need to unwind in a big way.”

  “I know exactly how you feel,” Hank chimed in, “I was so tense that I felt the sweat rolling down my sides as we sat there. I will certainly look forward to putting this thing behind us.” He added, “Do you need my help in any way right now?”

  Bonnie said, “No, I’ve just got a few phone calls to make and we can be on our way. Tell you what, why don’t you drift by the club and grab a sandwich and maybe watch a game or two and I’ll join you there in about an hour or so. That sound like a winner?”

  “That sounds like a winner,” Hank thought the quicker he got out of there, the quicker he and Bonnie could join Frank and DiJana and begin to unwind. It was sure a taxing day, and the day wasn’t even half over.

  Frank and DiJana were relaxing beside the indoor pool when Hank and Bonnie arrived. Frank said, “You two don’t look too good. A rough day at the office, huh? Come join us, we were just planning our itinerary for the remainder of the week plus the trip home. What’s your plan?”

  Bonnie was already more relaxed than she had been in the past few days, she said to Frank, “Right about now, I just want to relax beside the pool and unwind.” Then she turned to Hank and said, “How about you my dear one?”

  Hank obviously was still preoccupied with the situation at hand, he said, “Oh, I’m fine. Whatever you want to do is fine with me. Right now, unwinding beside the pool seems to be a pretty good idea. Let me get out of this suit; actually, I feel tenser now than I did back at the office.”

  Frank chimed in with one of his lighthearted comments, and it seemed to help somewhat. Then he said, “’D’ and I have been impressed with what we have seen of your town, how about we plan the rest of the week together and really wrap this thing up. The week has barely begun, yet it has been glorious already: we are really appreciative of your hosting such a marvelous time for us. I don’t know if I’ve ever been treated more royally, we just want to say thanks.”

  Bonnie said, “You two are always welcome wherever we happen to be. You’ve been so much fun, and there is no doubt I’ve needed the fun and relaxation that you bring. I haven’t had this much fun in years, and I thank both of you for that: she turned to Hank and said, “Thank you dear: all of you are really something.”

  Then Bonnie changed the subject and said, “Look, we are only a little over 100 miles from New York City, how about we spend this next week enjoying the NYC scene. It could be a blast. When my husband was alive, and we entertained on a regular basis, we always enjoyed ‘The Big Apple’: we were never disappointed. How about it, would you like that?”

  Frank and DiJana chimed in in unison, with a firm, “Yes!”

  Hank added his resonant sound and said, “That sounds like a marvelous idea. When do we start?”

  “First of all,” said Bonnie, “We have a suite that we used periodically whenever we expected to be in the city: often times we found it to be much more convenient to stay over than to return home. So, what we’ll do is activate the suite and plan to spend the remainder of the week in the city. Also, let me call our planning coordinator and have her put together a cursory plan for us: of course, one that we can easily alter, but one that will give us a good start. Should I have her do it through Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

  Hank was the first to comment, he said sort of to anybody and everybody, “Man, it sure is good to have a couple of bucks hanging around, isn’t it?” Then he addressed Bonnie and said, “Sure, have her do it through Sunday, we can always cut it short if we want to. That sound alright to everybody?”

  Frank said, “Sounds like a winner. Now, how about y
ou two joining us at poolside and relax.”

  “As soon as I make a couple of phone calls,” Bonnie said, “I’ll be more than happy to join you.” She turned to Hank and said, “I won’t be more than a few minutes, so why don’t you change into something comfortable and join Frank and DiJana. It looks like everything is going to be just fine.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Hank was still uptight and he was sure it showed. He said, “I guess I’m still a little bit uptight, apparently a hangover from this morning. You’re right, let me go change and unwind.” He turned to Frank and DiJana and said, “Be right with you!”

  The week was tremendously successful; in fact, it was almost indescribable, probably because the four of them were as compatible as could be. They attended shows, games, restaurants, museums, and shops. They went on short trips, and express rides, they enjoyed relaxing and being free and fun-loving. They nearly forgot about the reason they were in Connecticut and New York.

  As all had agreed, all flights were arranged to depart on Sunday. Frank said he had wanted to accompany DiJana back to Chicago; however, he had a business commitment in Oahu that he could not postpone or change. He offered to take DiJana to Oahu with him and continue their activity there; unfortunately, DiJana also was facing a business commitment that had already been postponed once. It loomed big on the horizon for her.

  Hank was of a mind to hang around her little town with Bonnie, yet he really felt that even though he wanted to be near her constantly, under the circumstances, there was no real need. Nevertheless, that weekend was one to remember for many years to come, probably forever.

  At the airport, the four of them bid each other farewell and Bonnie returned home.

  Chapter Two

  Change the Linen, It’s Time to Cuddle

  Hank arrived home at around 7:45pm and he felt a sort of relaxation he was not accustomed to feeling in the apartment. He said to himself, “I guess there is no place like home.”

  At 8:37pm the phone rang and he knew it was Bonnie. He said, “Hi, how’s the bod’?”

  Bonnie said, “The bod’ is aching to be touched by your electric hands. I miss you already, and I’ve been thinking about my move to Cincinnati. I can hardly wait. I wonder… should we have a church wedding or just a quiet, simple wedding with a touch of character and uniqueness -- something that would add to the memories of this special togetherness we have gained?”

  “I hadn’t thought one little bit about a wedding,” Hank admitted, “but now that you mention it, I would prefer a simple wedding with a touch of character and uniqueness. One we can share with a few special friends and maybe a couple of relatives.

  “Actually,” Hank continued, “now that I think of it, I’d just like to have Frank as my best man and maybe DiJana as your bride’s maid. However, I would like to have it in a memorable setting. Then, a few weeks or months later, I’d like to have a pretty good sized reception at a fancy hotel or restaurant. What do you think of that?”

  “I don’t know about that,” Bonnie said, “actually, I’m just feeling you out. Let’s talk about it later.”

  Then she said, “Hank, I’ve been thinking a great deal about our future,” as she had said, she seemed to be very cautiously feeling him out, and in spite of her talk about a wedding, he had the distinct impression that she was having second thoughts about something relating to their future together. But then he thought back to his four-hour ride from Detroit where he was in tune with the idea of faith. With that in mind, he kept quiet and just listened.

  Bonnie continued, “You live in an apartment in Cincinnati, right?”

  “Yesss…” Hank was determined to hear her out before he assumed he knew where the conversation was headed.

  “I was just thinking,” Bonnie seemed to perk up a little, as she continued, “do you like apartment living, or would you prefer to own a home together?”

  Hank decided he would simply answer any questions as forthrightly and concisely as possible, he said, “Actually, there are things I like about both of them. I like Apartment living because it is more carefree than home ownership; on the other hand, I like home ownership because I like friendly neighbors who have an appreciation of the beauty of land and property ownership, plus I like to piddle around with a woodworking shop like I previously had when I was a homeowner.

  “On the other hand,” Hank continued, “I don’t always like the idea of cutting grass once or twice a week, painting rooms and houses, repairing electrical fixtures and other problems. At the same time, sometimes I do like to do those things. I guess I’m sort of a hands-on kind of guy, but only sometimes. Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious, my love,” Bonnie added, “by the end of this week, I should have it wrapped up here and I’ll be ready to move. Are you ready for me?”

  Hank nearly dropped the phone, but he recovered and said, “I’ve been ready for you for the past nearly 40 years.”

  Bonnie said, “That’s a long time my love.”

  “A long, long time,” Hank caught himself thinking about how close the weekend was, he said, “Are you wrapped up with all three charities? And how about the house, is that on the market?”

  “Everything is taken care of…” Bonnie sounded delightful, she added, “Nothing is complete as it goes, but I am free of all things related to Connecticut.” She continued, almost breathlessly, “I’ve delegated all activities and business to my staff and associates, I’ve told them to make the decisions, just keep me informed.”

  Hank said cautiously, “Then it’s done?”

  She said, “It’s done.”

  Hank felt a strange churning in the pit of his stomach, as he said, “Ok then, when will I see you?”

  “I had originally planned to leave Saturday morning,” Bonnie said breathlessly, “but as I thought about it, I had a burning urge to touch you, to smell you, to see you, and to sleep with you. If it’s alright with you, I can be there Friday evening?” she ended it with sort of a questioning tone in her voice.

  “Friday it is, I’ll see you then.” Hank heard himself say the words as he hung up the phone, but he also felt a morsel of fear in his innards. He didn’t quite understand it, but he was beginning to see the problem: he believed he was afraid he could not live up to what Bonnie might be expecting of him. He certainly was no sex machine even remotely similar to the way he had performed during their recent meetings. On the other hand, he loved the woman with such intensity that he wanted to be all she would want or need in a man. He was afraid he might not fit the bill.

  He wanted to talk with someone close to him that he felt would understand his feelings and desires, Frank was the only one that fit the bill, but he knew it was early afternoon in Hawaii and Frank probably had not arrived home yet. He decided to piddle around the apartment and straighten the place up a bit, then he changed his mind and decided to give the place a massive cleaning -- every little “nook and cranny” as the old folks used to say.

  He was preoccupied with a myriad of thoughts and come midnight he had no inkling what he really had in mind. He decided to retire to bed to give his mind a rest from whatever-it-was that was bothering him.

  Monday morning he knew a trip to the office would be beneficial for him, so he called the office and talked with his office manager.

  His manager was excited to talk with him, he said the past two weeks were uneventful; however, there were a number of things on his desk that required his attention. There were also a number of clients that requested his personal expertise and attention.

  It felt great to get back in the thick of business, he felt so at-ease it nearly unnerved him. That first day back was incredibly soothing, he felt so good he was amazed!

  At the end of the day, he stopped by the racquet club and sat in the lounge and enjoyed a drink. Apparently, he was glowing with delight because a gorgeous woman he had never seen before came over to him and said, “Hi, I just had to say something to you because you look so happy.”

  Hank was
delighted to talk with her, he said, “It shows, huh?”

  She said, “It most certainly does. What caused it? Did you close a big deal, get a promotion, propose to your sweetheart and she said yes?”

  He grinned and said, “You are a very perceptive woman. But let me ask you a question: why do you think something external has to happen for a person to be happy? For example, why can’t I just be at one with myself and have inner peace of mind -- maybe I’m this happy all the time?”

  She said, “You’re right, and it’s true, I guess peace of mind is the number one ingredient of happiness, but peace of mind is a fleeting nemesis. So why are you so happy?”

  “I am so happy, my dear lovely lady, because…” He was about to tell her flat-out, but he decided he would illustrate it for her, “well, you nearly hit it on the head when you said my ‘sweetheart said yes,’ -I closed a deal-, I got a promotion. All those things are the result of meeting an objective; like scoring the winning touchdown in football, producing a game winning hit or catch in baseball, or sinking a last second basket in basketball to win the game. All those things are the result of meeting an objective with a definite beginning and a defined end.”

  She smiled and said, “So you scored a winning touchdown?”

  “No, it’s better,” he said. “I am in the process of scoring the winning touchdown to win the super bowl, making the catch to win the World Series, sinking the basket to win the NBA championship-- all rolled into one. It’s been nearly forty years that I have been seeking this prize, now I am within sight of it, and it is incredibly delicious.”

  She said, with a smile and a gleam in her eyes, “I’ll bet a woman is involved in it. Am I right?”

  “That’s part of it,” Hank admitted.

  “I wish I were that woman,” she said.

  Hank looked at the lovely young woman and said, “Young lady, if I had met you six weeks ago, I would have been all over myself with gratitude that you would even consider a man like me to be your companion. But that was six weeks ago -- right now I’m accounted for.”