by J. C. Gatlin
“Too little, too late. Besides, I've already signed you up.” Mallory fastened her seatbelt and put the key into the ignition. “So really, the only question left is --- Who should I ask to go on this weekend excursion? The wealthy and distinguished Addison Gaynor or the tall, dark and exciting ball player Gunz Gonzales?”
Kim hesitated again. “Mallory, since we're being completely honest with each other, I've got some thing to tell you.”
“Decisions. Decisions.” Mallory continued as Kim wasn't even there. She backed out of the parking spot. “Sometimes I wish I was more like you. Then I wouldn't ever have to worry about men.”
Driving west toward the university campus, Mallory rambled on like she always did, and Kim considered telling her that if Addison and this Alec Whitman were such good friends, it made little sense to take her secret ball playing lover. But like any good friend, Kim let Mallory have her fantasy. And, so that she could keep her own, Kim decided to let the upcoming dinner date remain a secret. A secret only shared with Ross.
Their secret rendezvous.
It was all she thought about that afternoon in class. The Professor had moved on from Cyrano de Bergerac. The odd boy dressed in black still glared at her though, tossing daggers with his eyes. She didn't care. Her mind was elsewhere.
* * * * * * *
Ross’ invitation to dinner still weighed heavy on her mind when she entered the old folks home and Nurse Carla, wearing her aqua-colored scrubs, holding a clipboard in one hand and waving with the other, called out. “Miss Bradford, your grandaddy isn’t feeling so well today. He hasn’t gotten out of bed yet.”
Kim paused. “Is he okay?”
“You know how it is, child. He’s got his good days and bad days,” she said. “He didn’t touch his peas and carrots last night, but he still had a solid bowel movement.”
“Glad to hear it.” Kim waved a hand, moving down the hallway. “I’m going to go check on him.”
“That’s good, child!” Carla called after her. “That’s good for him. He likes visitors.”
The door was shut when Kim made it to his room, and she creaked it open to peek inside. His room was stuffy and warm, unusually dark with the curtains drawn.
“Grampa?” she asked, allowing her eyes to adjust.
He was lying in bed, chin up, staring at the ceiling. She slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. Approaching the bed, she reached for him and took his hand.
“Grampa, the nurse said you’re not feeling well today.” Kim watched him a moment, then put a hand on his forehead. “You’re not running a fever. Why didn’t you eat your peas and carrots?”
Without turning his head, his eyes moved toward her. She smiled at him. But there was no recognition. He looked back up at the ceiling.
Thinking he might be too warm, she folded down the heavy quilt, freeing his arms but keeping his legs and feet covered. Her grandmother had made that quilt, and it looked similar to the one draped over the recliner back home. Then Kim stepped to the window and opened the curtains. She could feel the draft coming through the window panes along with the warmth of the sun. Grampa flinched slightly in bed as sunlight filled the room.
“Now isn’t that better?” Kim asked, turning to him. She then walked over to the television sitting on top the dresser and turned it on. She flipped through the channels twisting the knob beside the screen.
“Let’s liven it up a bit in here,” she said.
She turned the stations, but found nothing worth watching. Propped up against the side of the television, three black, rectangular VHS cassette tapes collected dust. With blue magic marker, one was labeled “MR. ED, THE TALKING HORSE,” the other two were marked “I LOVE LUCY” She picked up one labeled “LUCY” and pushed it into the VCR. She then turned the station to channel three.
Glancing back to her grandfather, she smiled at him again. “You want to watch Lucy?”
From the bed, he watched her but didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on the TV. The screen went black before the familiar gray heart appeared and the theme song crackled through the speakers.
Kim moved over to the bed and sat down beside him on the edge. Leaning toward him, she wrapped her arms around his frail shoulder and put her cheek next to his. “Life doesn’t get any easier,” she whispered. “We just get stronger.”
She squeezed him as they watched the show. Lucy mistakenly thinks Ethel is the female bank robber she just heard about on the news, and hatches a plot to catch her in the act. Watching, Kim laughed.
For the first time in a while, she felt warm inside. She felt like the little girl who would climb in her Grampa’s lap when he was trying to read the newspaper, and he would turn on old reruns to appease her and she would curl up beside him, and they would laugh together.
Glancing at her grandfather, now a thin, wisp of an aged, fragile shell lying in bed, she noticed something else. Something she hadn’t seen in a long time. Her grandfather was laughing too.
A little over an hour and three episodes later, Kim left the nursing home. She had to stop at the grocery store and was away longer than expected. Still, despite the time and the heavy bag of groceries in her arms, Kim took the long way home.
She walked along Morris Munger Road.
Coming to the sharp bend, she set her bag of groceries down on the shoulder. Noticing an ant hill, she decided to move the grocery bag, then ran along the side of the road to the weathered real estate sign. She searched around it, and then a few feet further away.
Cars whizzed past her on the street, and Kim laughed at herself. She had walked along this shoulder so many times over the last few weeks, searching this area time and time again, that she imagined getting struck by a hit and run and dying right here on the road. She would probably become a tormented ghost, she thought, roaming this haunted highway, searching for an eternity. Never finding it, but always looking. Kim shuddered at the thought as darkness encroached. It was time to give up for the day, and go home.
When she finally made it back to the gated community and approached her townhome, she saw Zeus’ arrow-shaped head staring at her through the front bay window. His ears pointed, his paws on the glass, he was waiting like a sentinel and barked as she approached the front door. Yelling at him to pipe down and fishing for her keys, she removed a flyer rubber-banned to the doorknob. It was from a cheap Chinese dive around the corner. Tossing it into the bag on top a loaf of bread, she unlocked the door and Zeus greeted her as if she had been gone a year.
Or at least five weeks, one day and fifteen hours
* * * * * * *
Next door, inside Mallory's dark townhome, a man stood at the upstairs window, watching. He had been waiting for Kimberly to walk through the gated entry. When she did, he studied her approach. She walked slowly past the front gates and parking lot with school books and a bag of groceries in her arms.
He wondered if the poetry book he'd given her was among them.
Balancing the books and groceries in one arm, her other arm disappeared into the purse strapped around her right shoulder. He knew she was fumbling for her keys. There was a matching set hanging on the key-hook downstairs by Mallory's front door.
The thought made him smile as he watched Kim finally pull her key chain from the purse and then reposition the grocery bag and school books. With so much fuss, she headed to the porch and approached her front door. She yelled something to her dog, something he couldn't hear from his perch above. But he could imagine what she was saying.
He shut his eyes. “If you forget me,” he said. “There is something I want you to know.”
* * * * * * *
Zeus whimpered as Kim set down her school books and took the bag of groceries into the kitchen. He came trotting after her, holding his thin leather leash in his mouth.
“I know. I know.” She took the leash and wrapped the collar around his neck. “I've been gone all day.”
The words were barely out of her mouth when Zeus’ ears perked up. He i
nstantly turned his head toward the front door. There was a soft bump. Then the jiggle of the knob. Zeus barked and ran to the door.
Kim followed, as the door knob turned. It sounded like someone was trying to unlock the door.
Zeus barked and jumped at the door as Kim put her face up to the peep hole. There was a man standing there on the porch. Startled, she stepped back and the Doberman growled. Kim opened the door.
“Whoa,” he said holding out his hand. It was Addison Gaynor. “Please accept my apology if I startled you, Kimberly. And, please, forgive my unannounced intrusion.”
“What were you doing here?”
“Looking for Mallory,” he said quickly, seeming to brush-off her question. He nervously raised a hand and swept his fingers through his graying hair. A key ring looped around his index finger jingled and a house key tapped his cheek.
Kim noticed this immediately. Embarrassed, he lowered his hand, hiding the silver ring of keys in his palm. Kim stared at his fist and pressed him for an answer.
“Were you inside her house?”
“She isn't home.” He shook his head and stepped forward. Kim blocked the door with her body, holding him at the threshold. She asked again.
“Were you in her house?”
“She gave me keys, but no. I've been waiting for her in my BMW,” he said, then added, “She's seeing another man, isn't she?”
“I don't know,” Kim said. Zeus whimpered, reminding her that he was in pain. He had to go, now. She clutched the leash and held the dog between them. “Maybe she's working late”
“She works at home.” Addison persisted.
Kim looked down at Zeus, who was staring longingly at a newly planted tree. “I don't know where she is or what she's doing. Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but...”
Addison cut her off. “I've waited for her all afternoon, ever since you two disappeared on me at the diner. Let me just wait in your home until she returns.”
“No, I don't think that's a good idea.” Holding tight to the leash, Kim kept Zeus from running. Across the street on the sidewalk, Mrs. Roundtree was walking Little Rosie. Zeus noticed this too, as his body suddenly stiffened and pointed toward the offending Pekingese.
Addison glanced behind him in their direction, then turned back to Kimberly. “I've got to know who she's with.”
“No, Addison...” Kim started. Zeus growled at the Pekingese, then turned toward the tree and whimpered. He looked up at Kim, then suddenly noticed Little Rosie again and growled. Kim tightened her grip on the leash and shook her head at Addison. “What are you doing? Are you spying on her?”
“I know, I'm becoming obsessive again,” he said, finally taking a step back. “I'll depart.”
He turned and stepped away from them.
Kim watched him return to the curb and slip inside his red BMW. The headlights came on and the car quietly pulled away.
When he was finally out of sight, she let go of the leash. Like a rocket, Zeus scrambled into the parking lot, barking at Mrs. Roundtree and Little Rosie. Then he stopped abruptly, almost stumbling over his feet, and changed course to his favorite tree.
8
Invitations from
The Dead & Gone
Wednesday, January 12, 2000
11:12 AM
“You were out with the baseball player last night.” Kim studied Mallory sitting on the edge of the bed in her loft, and shot her a disapproving smile. “Weren’t you?”
“Of course.” Mallory nodded and ran a hand over the ripples in the bedspread. She had dropped by to talk Kim into lunch again. But Kim requested a favor instead. Now, Mallory turned her head and crinkled her nose. “Why?”
“Because Addison almost caught you, and I had to cover. That’s why.” Kim stood at her small closet trying on a red dress that showed off her legs. Ross had always said that it was his favorite. She hadn’t worn it since he left, but today was different. She finally decided to head into downtown Stillwater to confront him at the garage. She had no choice, really. No one knew where he was staying since he moved out five weeks ago. Five weeks, two days and seven hours. But above all else, she just wanted to get past all the childish notes and poems. And what was the deal with the invitation to dinner on Friday night? But, she couldn't think about that right now. For the moment, she focused on Mallory’s problems. “I think Addison is stalking you.”
“So? Let him.” Mallory motioned for Kim to turn around and pose. Studying her, Mallory shook her head in disgust and leapt off the bed toward the closet. Flipping through dresses on hangers, she continued, “I don’t care what Addison thinks.”
“Well, you were pretty worried about him catching you at lunch yesterday.” Kim slipped out of the red dress and folded it on the edge of the bed.
Deciding on a sheer white chiffon cocktail dress with sequined straps, Mallory squealed, pulled it out of the closet and handed it to Kim.
Kim folded her arms and shook her head. It looked more like a slip, than a dress. “That’s one of your dresses.”
“It’s Chanel and it’s very expensive,” Mallory said, dejected, and returned it to the closet. “I knew I liked it for a reason.”
“I’m not wearing that.”
Mallory hesitated, as if really analyzing the assortment of blouses, slacks and sweaters hanging in Kim’s small closet, then turned to face her.
“Gunz is fun and he enjoys the simple pleasures of life,” Mallory said. Her eyes sparkled as she talked. “When Addison left the other night, Gunz came over and took me for a walk and we looked at the lights along Black Moon Lake. Isn’t that just the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard?”
Mallory noticed the red dress folded on the edge of the bed and walked past Kim to pick it up. Holding it in her hands, she studied it a moment then handed it to Kim.
“Now this is hot,” she offered. “When you walk in wearing this, every grease monkey in that garage is going to flip out from under the car he’s working on and whistle.”
Kim rolled her eyes, taking the dress. She slipped back into it just as Zeus’ ears perked up. He raised his head, then leapt to his feet and scrambled down the spiral staircase barking. Kim looked after him as Mallory sighed. “Now what?”
A loud knock interrupted them, and Kim came downstairs to find Zeus barking and jumping at the front door. Mallory followed.
“I’m being serious,” she continued, seemingly oblivious to the commotion at the front door. “Ross is going to be putty in your hands.”
Holding her dog back with one hand, Kim unlocked and opened the door with the other. The landlord was standing on the porch. Wearing his dirty blue jeans overalls, he held his straw hat in one hand and, with the other, ran a handkerchief over his bald head to wipe away the sweat.
“Missy,” he said. “Hope I’m not bothering you.”
Kim held Zeus by the collar. Barking and growling, he snapped at the man’s hand. Kim yanked him back.
“We were just about to leave,” she said.
“Well, I won’t keep you.” He put the handkerchief in the center pocket of his overalls. “I was fixing the plumbing across the street at Mrs. Roundtree’s residence and just wanted to let you know I’d be turning the water off for about an hour.”
Zeus was howling now, leaping up on his hind paws. Kim swatted him on the nose, then turned back to the landlord.
“No worries,” she said. “We’ll be gone for a while.”
“Good to hear.” He looked down at the growling Doberman. Zeus snapped at him again. Shaking his head, he looked back at Kim. “One of these days I’m adding a no pets clause to your lease.”
Kim told him goodbye and shut the door. Zeus instantly calmed and Kim towered over him, putting her hands to her hips.
“Bad dog,” she scolded. “If you get us kicked out of here, you’re going to live in a kennel. Do you want to live in a kennel?”
Zeus whimpered at her as Mallory handed her a pair of shoes. “Let’s go kick Ross’ ass,” she said.
Within the hour, they were headed out in Mallory’s little Miata. Rolling along Morris Munger Road, Kim stared out the passenger-side window, noticing they were coming up to the bend. Mallory swerved into the curve, and Kim stared at the old real estate sign, then glanced at the empty wooden fruit stand.
She was focused on the window, staring intently, and Mallory seemed to notice this.
“Did I tell you that Gunz is in love with me?” Mallory asked as she shifted gears. “He may even ask me to marry him, he’s so in love with me.”
“You just met him!” Kim was sitting in the seat beside her. Her mind had been on Ross, and what she would say to him. She’d been so focused, she hadn’t noticed that neither had said a word since pulling out of the townhome parking lot. However, Mallory’s sudden statement caught her off guard.
“It’s perfect,” Mallory explained. “I could travel with the baseball team. I’d be, like, a groupie or something. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
“Mallory Astin, are you crazy? You hate sports and you hate traveling… And, hello, you just met the man.”
“Details,” Mallory answered, her red hair whipping in the wind. She turned onto Main Street and passed the University campus. “Minor Details.”
“What about Addison? I get the impression from him that you two are in a serious, monogamous relationship.”
“Addison gets on my nerves.” Mallory laughed again and then mocked him using a nasal voice. “We’re always in a fantastic hurry or everything is just simply scandalous.”
Kim shrugged her shoulders, looking out the passenger window again. Giant magnolia trees lined the median that ran along Main Street, and on either side stood store fronts that were built in the late nineteen-thirties. She turned back to Mallory. “So, you’re breaking up with Addison?”
“Hell, no! Have you seen his home? I’d kill to live in that place.”