Letter to Belinda

by Tim Tingle

  “So are you guys separated, or actually divorced?”

  “We have been divorced for almost two years now.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “I have been living with a boyfriend in Arlington, but I just couldn’t continue to put up with his ‘ways’. Thank you for letting Janice come pick me up. I don’t know who else I could have turned to. When your life goes to crap, sometimes your friends and family turn their backs on you, and you don’t know where to turn. That’s when good Christian people like you can really make a difference.”

  “Well, I don’t know about the ‘good Christian’ part, but we’re glad to help you out. So what will you do if Herbert won’t let you come back?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m counting on him to take me back. He might have to think about it a few days, but I think he’ll take me back eventually.”

  “Well, I’m about to go to England on business in a couple of days. If you need a temporary refuge to sort of hang out, while Herbert is thinking about it, maybe you could stay here? In fact, we just happen to have a vacant back bedroom.” (He assumed that Janice would mirror his sentiment, but he saw Janice standing behind Penelope, using crude sign language to convey NO, NO, NO! to him. He assumed that Janice knew something he didn’t.) Penelope’s eyes lit up when she heard this offer.

  “Do you really mean that? You are such a saint, Travis Lee! I have always liked you and Janice! You have always been my favorite neighbors! I want you to know that I really, really appreciate you letting me stay here, even if it is just for a little while!”

  (Janice was silently blowing a fuse over her stupid husband’s naïve offer, so he tried to scale it back a bit.)

  “Of course, it will just be temporary, . . . really brief, actually. I’m sure Herbert will allow you to come back this evening, after you talk with him. So by tonight you will probably be moving on.”

  “Janice graciously offered to let me shower and clean up here a little, before I go to see Herbert. I guess I look a little rough right now.”

  Janice cut in. “The shower is this way, Penelope. Come on and I’ll show you where everything is.” She shot Travis a daggered look, as she led Penelope away.

  “I’m really grateful to you both. You are good Christian people! God will bless you for this!”

  That sounded strange, coming from a woman with a big bottle of gin in one hand. Janice took her down the hall to the bathroom, and closed the door. She went to the hall closet and got extra towels to take to her. Travis heard the shower come on, as Janice came and found him in his study.

  “Travis, we’ve got a slight problem.”

  “We do?”

  “Yes, we do. I went and picked up Penelope, and the first place she wanted to go was the State Store to get some gin.”

  “Of course. And I see you told her no!”

  “Actually, I agreed to take her there, because she said she needed it, to get her through the day.”

  “So she had money to buy gin, but no money to call a cab?”

  “Actually, I bought her the gin, because I thought I would help her out a little.”

  “You don’t help an alcoholic by buying her gin!”

  “Don’t get on my case, Travis! I have had a very stressful morning already! She has told me some things that are just . . . unbelievable!”

  “Such as?”

  “I’ll get to that. After I bought her the gin, I took her to Herbert’s house, thinking I was going to just drop her off. Herbert was gone to work already, but her daughter, Jessica was there. But Jessica locked the door, and wouldn’t let her in!”

  “How old is Jessica now?”

  “The same age as Jenny, about 18. She said she was going to call the police if we didn’t leave, so we left. I didn’t know what to do. I suggested that I could take her to her Dad’s house, and she went crazy, she was so scared! She said she would rather be dead, than go back to his house!”

  “Why?”

  “She said that her Dad used to rape her all the time, when she was a teenager!”

  “Bob used to do that?”

  “That’s just one of the shocking bombshells she dropped on me this morning. Another one is that her Dad is also Jessica’s father! He got her pregnant one of those times he raped her! She said even Herbert doesn’t know about that. Jessica was almost three when she met Herbert, and she never told him who the real father was.”

  “Wow, that would mean that Jessica and her mother are also sisters?”

  “That’s right. And the reason she wants to go back to Herbert is because for years, Bob has been trying to get Herbert to let Jessica come stay with him, and Penelope knows the reason he’s doing that is to try to get at Jessica, so he can rape her too.”

  “And Herbert doesn’t know about this?”

  “Penelope tried to tell him about her Dad’s deeds, but he refuses to believe it. He and Bob are good friends. Bob gave him and Penelope several acres of land when they got married, so it’s like, Herbert just looks the other way. He thinks that Penelope is lying about it all. Apparently she has told him quite a few lies after her addiction started, and he thought this was just another one.”

  “So what do you think? Do you think she could be lying to you?”

  “I think she’s telling the truth. Know why? When I suggested that she go live with her Dad, she was so upset that she peed all over your truck seat!”

  “Aw man! So I guess my truck stinks now, huh?”

  “I’ll get something to clean your seat. But that’s why I think she’s telling the truth. Why else would she be so terrified at the mere suggestion of her dad?”

  “That’s a good point, but not conclusive. So why did you bring her here?”

  “Where else could I take her? I told her she could come here and take a shower and get cleaned up, so that when Herbert gets home from work today, I’ll take her over there to talk to him in person. She thinks she can persuade him to let her stay there.”

  “And if not? Where will she go then?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want her staying here, but I can’t just put her out on the street! But then you chime in and offer to let her stay here! Travis Lee, you stupid ass-hole! If I wanted that woman staying in my home for any length of time, I would have invited her myself, which I had no intention of doing!”

  “So just tell her to leave.”

  “How can I do that, after you so graciously offered to let her stay here? Thanks a lot, Travis!”

  “Well, I’ll just un-invite her, how about that?”

  “Oooh! What a mess!”

  “She may have to go back to her boyfriend in Arlington.”

  “No, she said she would never go back there. She hates him! She said he kept her there like a sex slave for the past two years. He kept her on drugs so that she couldn’t leave. She was like a prisoner. The drugs were the ‘chains’ that kept her from running away.”

  “She sounds like one really messed up woman! You picked a good one to try to help, Dear!”

  “I know, it’s my fault, and I’ll deal with it. I’ll find somewhere she can stay, if I have to take her to some kind of hospital. Maybe some kind of half-way house for recovering alcoholics. She is suicidal too! I’ll bet she said a dozen times that she ought to just kill herself, and save everyone the trouble!”

  “There are a lot of church-run programs to deal with people like her. We’ll just have to find one that will take her in.”

  They heard glass shatter.

  “Oh goodness! What now? I’d better go check on her!”

  Travis listened from his study, as Janice entered the bathroom. There was a blood-curdling scream, and then angry voices, as Janice and Penelope got into an argument, and then Janice cried out for help. Travis bolted for the door, and went i
nto the bathroom, where he saw Janice wrestling with Penelope over the broken shard of gin bottle. He paused, because Penelope was totally naked, but had an ugly scowl on her face, as she wrestled for control of the broken bottle. There was blood all over the floor.

  “Help me! Travis, she’s trying to cut her wrist!” He rushed in and grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the glass, and was trying to open her hand to remove it when Penelope’s other fist came around and caught him squarely on the jaw. It was like a Mike Tyson punch, and it stunned him for a moment. He lost his balance and fell, but kept his grip on Penelope’s wrist, which caused all three of them to tumble over into the tub. Travis couldn’t right himself, because he couldn’t let go of the wrist that held the broken bottle. So he floundered there, with his head and shoulders down in the tub, being doused with warm shower water, his legs out of the tub, unable to get traction, while naked Penelope, and terrified Janice were both piled in on top of him, both screaming and angry. With both hands, he was able to pry Penelope’s fingers loose from the neck of the gin bottle, and let it fall into the tub. Then he held on to Penelope’s wrists, while Janice was able to get up on her feet. She then grabbed Penelope around the waist, and pulled her out of the tub. That left Travis to try to get out of the tub on his own.

  “Watch the glass!” Janice warned, as he climbed out of the tub. “It’s all over the floor!”

  “I cut my feet!” Penelope said, as she sobbed, no longer angry. She put down the toilet seat and sat on it, while Janice covered her with a towel.

  “I’m sorry!” Penelope said. “I dropped the bottle of gin, and it shattered. I was trying to pick up the glass when you ran in and grabbed me!”

  “I thought you were trying to slash your wrist!” Janice replied.

  “No! Why would I do that? I was just trying to clean up the mess I made, and now look at me! My feet are all cut up and bleeding!”

  “I think I cut my foot too.” Travis said,” as he gingerly hopped out of the bathroom on the side of his foot.

  “I’m sorry,” Janice said, “I walked in and saw you with the neck of that broken bottle in your hand, and I assumed the worst. Here, wipe off your feet and go into the bedroom, and I’ll get the alcohol and tweezers, and try to get the glass out of your feet. Travis, I’ll see about you later.”

  “I’m okay.” He hobbled back to his study, where he sat down and examined his foot. He took out his pocket knife and probed into the wound, and extracted a shard of glass the size of his thumb nail. He gritted his teeth and daubed it with Jack Daniels to kill the germs, then took a swig just because he had it opened. It was probably the first time in over a year he had opened that bottle. It seemed like a good enough occasion.

  He didn’t believe Penelope’s insistence that she was not intending to cut her wrist, because she was fighting to keep him from taking the bottle neck from her. She may not have broken the bottle intentionally, but once it was broken, she seemed to have thoughts of suicide.

  As he bandaged his cut, he shook his head and chuckled over what a sight that must have been, the three of them up-side down in the shower like that. He and Janice wrestling a naked woman! Wouldn’t that have been a Kodak moment? He was glad their kids were not home. He could hear Janice and Penelope talking in the bedroom, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. As long as they were using civil tones, he figured it was okay.

  That was when he heard someone drive up outside. It was a large gray Yukon, with a camper shell. A really nice vehicle, but he had never seen it before. He slipped on his shoes, and hobbled outside to see who it was. A short man of about 35 got out of the truck. He had a big nose, and jet black hair. He looked Italian. The stranger spoke first.

  “Good morning! Is this the Travis Lee residence?”

  “Yes it is. I’m Travis.”

  “I’m Vance, Penelope’s boyfriend.”

  He stepped closer and extended him a handshake. “Pleased to meet you, Vance. What brings you here?”

  “Is Penelope here?”

  “Yes she is.”

  “May I see her, please?”

  “Wait a minute. How did you know she was here?”

  “She called me from a cell phone. My caller I.D. said Travis Lee. I looked in the phone book for your address, and here I am.”

  “She must have used my wife’s phone to call you. It’s in my name.”

  “I had just woke up when she called me. She said she just called to tell me she was leaving, and then she cussed me out. It was a total shock, because I didn’t even know she wanted to leave! This was just out of the blue!”

  “All I know is that she asked my wife to come get her, and now she is seeking refuge here. From what she has said about you, I don’t think she wants to see you.”

  “But I need to talk to her. At least let her know that I’m here.”

  “I’ll tell her, but if she says no, then you will have to leave.”

  “Fair enough. Tell her that I have the rest of her things in my truck.”

  “I’ll tell her. Make yourself at home. Come sit on the porch.”

  “No thank you. I think I’ll just stay right here.”

  “Suite yourself.” Travis went into the house to tell Penelope that Vance was there to see her. He found Janice in the bathroom, cleaning up the glass and blood from the floor.

  “She’s getting dressed in our bedroom.” Janice said. “Let me tell her. I’ll send her out to talk to him.” As he headed back to the front door, he heard Janice go into the bedroom, and there was a frantic eruption of distress, as Penelope learned that Vance had somehow found her. “Why did you call him? This is so confusing! I need time to think! Tell him to go away!”

  Travis went back and yelled through the door, “He said you called him from our phone!”

  “Yes, I called him, but I didn’t tell him where I was!”

  “He’s got caller ID. Well, he’s here now, and he wants to talk to you out by his truck. He says he has the rest of your things.”

  “Tell him to drop dead! I don’t want to talk to him! I’m afraid of him!”

  “He won’t touch you on my property, I’ll promise you that!”

  “At least go talk to him.” Janice urged.

  “Oh, all right, but I have nothing else to say to him!”

  “Give her a few minutes to finish getting dressed, Travis.”

  He returned to where Vance was still waiting by his truck. He had already unloaded a box of clothes from his truck, as well as a huge family Bible, which he threw on top the clothes. “She’ll be here as soon as she gets dressed.”

  “Travis, can I talk to you frankly about Penelope?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  “After her divorce from Herbert, I literally took her in off the street. She was a mess. She was an alcoholic. She was on drugs. I took her into my home, and encouraged her to get help, and she did for awhile. I got her completely off the booze, and almost off the drugs. It’s been a long and difficult ordeal, but I thought she was finally over the hump. I thought she was at a point where she would never go back, but I guess I was wrong. She has a lot of demons in her past, and she can’t get away from them. I don’t know if you know what I’m talking about.”

  “You mean her relationship with her father, if you can call it that?”

  “Yes, that’s her main problem. Do you know her father?”

  “Yes, I know Bob. When I was a kid, I worked for him after school on his farm. He retired from the mine where I work now, at least 15 years ago.”

  “So you know him pretty well?”

  “No not really. He has always been a strange kind of man. He never did marry, and he lived with his mother, up until she died. Everybody kind of suspected that he was a little on the ‘homo’ side, just by the strange way he behaved. I was actually shock
ed to learn that he had daughter! Apparently he knew at least one woman!”

  “He’s a pervert all right. Do you know who Penelope’s mother was?”

  “No, I never heard who she was.”

  “Penelope’s mother was also Bob’s mother!”

  Travis raised his eyebrows to this.

  “Hey, I’m telling the truth, at least according to what Penelope told me! Bob had a thing going with his own mother, and he got her pregnant!”

  “Come on now! Don’t tell me that! That’s just too sick!”

  “I swear, it’s the truth!”

  “So Bob’s daughter, is also his sister?”

  “Yes, I guess you could put it that way. And when Bob’s mother died, Penelope was like, 12 or 13 years old. That was when Bob turned to her. He molested and raped Penelope, until he got her pregnant. She gave birth to a boy when she was 16, but he died at birth. He got her pregnant again when she was 17, and she gave birth to Jessica. And now Jessica is 18, and the only reason Bob hasn’t got at her already, and raped her, is because Penelope broke away from him and married Herbert. I don’t think Herbert believed the family history, at least not at first, though I’m sure Penelope tried to tell him. You see, Bob gave Herbert and Penelope a few acres of land next to his, and even built them a small house to live in. The only reason he did that . . . he says . . . was so he could see his ‘precious granddaughter’ whenever he wanted. According to Penelope, the only reason he did it was so he could get at Jessica, to rape her too. I’m sure Herbert knows that now, but he ignores it, because Bob has given them so much. But at least Herbert is man enough to keep Bob away from Jessica, at least as far as I know.”

  Travis was still in shock, so Vance went on.

  “I think that’s why Penelope wanted to go back to Herbert, because she thinks maybe she can prevent her Dad from eventually raping Jessica.”

  “Does Jessica know about all this?”

  “Yes, Penelope says she told her, which caused friction between her and Herbert. I think it was one reason they got a divorce. Penelope wanted to take her Dad to court, on rape and incest charges, and Herbert wouldn’t back her up on it, because of Bob’s generosity to them. That’s when Penelope got started on prescription drugs, and then on alcohol, trying to drown out the truth of her sick past. A few times she actually tried to commit suicide. Let me tell you, Travis, I have had my hands full for the past year, just trying to keep Penelope from killing herself. Two weeks ago, she ran out on me, but I found her, literally in a gutter in Arlington. I brought her back home and cleaned her up, but she was intent on leaving again, I could tell that. I told her that if she ran out again, it was over! We were going to be through! Well, she left again, so as much as I hate to do it, I’m going to have to put her out!”