by Joy Redmond
She unlocked the door to her Volkswagen, slid under the steering wheel and laughed. She always talked to her car just like she did Darlin. “Nothing like trading in a stolen Harley for four wheels. It’s not much but it gets me there and back. Once I graduate, pass my boards and open up my own shop, I’ll buy me something fancy. I figure in another two years, I’ll have my name on a big sign” She closed her eyes and saw it. Lacy’s Clip and Curl.
How I love my life! I love you, RoJo!
Chapter Fifty-One
As the months rolled by, Lance’s rage gave him more willpower and more strength. He had been stuffed and stifled for over a year, but he was no longer catatonic. After the nurses made final rounds, he slipped out of bed, lifted and stretched his arms over his head, lay flat on the floor, lifted his legs up and out, held to the count of four, bent his knees, held, and placed his feet on the cold, tile floor. Willy had kept his muscles supple.
After several weeks of light exercises, he was able to raise the wheelchair over his head fifty times. He could do fifty squats and fifty push-ups. He could jog in place for thirty minutes.
He always walked one hundred and fifty laps around the small room. He wrapped his hands around a towel bar, squeezed with all his strength, released, and repeated fifty reps. Lance became as strong and fit as he was back in the days when he swung an ax all day, chopping wood and stacking the post pile.
Lance knew Willy’s footsteps, and when he heard them, he would let his guard down. When he heard strange footsteps, he’d lie flat in bed, stare at the ceiling, and wouldn’t even blink.
When he was alone, he held a sinister smile as he envisioned the doctor’s and nurse’s scalps hanging from the mantel of a fireplace as if they were Christmas stockings.
He still allowed Willy to strap him into the wheelchair so the doctors and nurses wouldn’t know he could maneuver, communicate, and had his razor sharp mind back. All medications had been stopped about the time the FBI began paying visits. When the medications stopped, the seizures began.
Lance had grand mal seizures, sometimes two in the same week, then he’d go for a month without any. Then it was back to once a week with no rhyme or reason. He was good at putting himself into a trance. Whenever anybody other than Willy came into his room he was able to achieve a blank stare. He didn’t even flinch when the doctors probed and prodded many parts of his body. He didn’t flinch when he was given injections of Dilantin for the seizures. When the stupid games were over, Lance would chuckle inside. It’s mind over matter. I don’t mind. They don’t matter.
One day Willy came into the room while Lance was in bed staring at the ceiling. Willy bent and whispered into Lance’s ear. “It’s me, you can stop pretendin’. Willy walked over to the window. “Did ye see all them purty tulips out there this year? That be the biggest bed of tulips I ever seen. Every color in the rainbow. I look at that big plot of flowers and it reminds me of all God’s peoples of the world. We’s all purty, we’s just different colors.”
“Yeah,” Lance said.
Willy rubbed the small of his back, stretched and walked closer to the pane. “May is my favorite month of the year. All the flowers a-bloomin’ and the grass so purty and green. After the long, dead winter, the world is comin’ back to life. You done been here a year now and I get nervous for ye every time them doctors and nurses huddle and talk about ye. It’s like they know I’s eavesdropping, and they’s careful what they say when I’s around”
Willy walked back to the bed and patted Lance’s shoulder. “I’ll be back directly and we can talk some more, we just have to be careful. Very careful. Lord, have mercy. If they only knowed ya could walk and talk. But they won’t get nothing outta me. No sirree.” Willy chuckled and strolled out of the room.
Lord have mercy is right, Lance thought, and did a Willy chuckle.
***
Lacy drove over to RoJo’s store after school ended for the day. “Are you about ready to close shop?”
“I’m emptying the till as we speak. Give me a minute and I’ll be ready. How about we eat out tonight? Does Chinese sound good?”
“Anytime I don’t have to cook, anything sounds good to me. I’m ready to get off my feet. I’ve cut a lot of hair and given more perms than I care to do for one day. One more week, and I’ve got all my hours put in. Soon I’ll be a licensed hairmesser!”
After they had eaten, RoJo said, “I’ve got something I want to show you. Are you ready for a big surprise?”
“Sure! I love surprises. What have you got up your sleeve? I see that gleam in your eye.”
“Let me pay the damages, then we’ll head across town. I sure hope you approve.”
“What are we waiting for?”
RoJo drove across town to Evergreen Apartment Complex. He turned into the main entrance, looked at Lacy and asked, “Do you like this part of town?”
“Who doesn’t like this part, but what are you doing here?”
RoJo just smiled as he drove up one block, turned right and parked the car on the corner. He pointed to apartment 22. “How do you like that red door?”
“It’s bright. Who lives here? You know I don’t make friends easily, especially the uppity ones.”
RoJo got out of the car, walked around it and opened the passenger door. “Follow me, my lady.”
Reluctantly she held her hand out to him and walked with him to the red door. She gasped when he pulled a key from his pocket and opened it. “What?”
“Come on in. Look around and if it’s to your liking, it’s all ours.”
Lacy ran from room to room, carefully studying the big closets in three bedrooms. In the living room, she ran her hand across the mantel over the prettiest fireplace she had ever seen. She went into the kitchen and could barely catch her breath as she eyed all the modern appliances, including a dishwasher and garbage disposal. “Sweet mother of pearl. Can we afford this? I love it! But—”
“But nothing. My business is booming. The past year exceeded even my expectations. We can afford it. I made a deposit and if you agree, all I have to do is pay the first month in advance, get the utilities turned on, then we’ll get our stuff in and start playing house in a real place. The little cracker box we’ve got is getting cramped. It’s about time we moved on up to the eastside. Oh, wait, that was the Jefferson’s.” He laughed. “Darlin will like it. He’ll have a bigger room.”
“I love it, RoJo! Get the rent paid, turn on some lights and let’s get moved in. I must say, you have great taste.” Life just gets better and better. I finally have a place to call home!
Chapter Fifty-Two
Lance paced the floor. He was sick and tired of spending his days in a wheelchair, pretending to be brain-dead. He walked over to the grimy window and wanted to shake the black bars until they fell to the ground. Willy was his timepiece, his calendar and informer, his only link to the outside world.
He knew it was the first week of December. He knew he had been in this hellhole for a year and six months. He stopped pacing and lay down on the bed. He stared at the dirty, fly-speckled ceiling. He glanced around the room. The once white walls were yellow with age and nicotine stains. The tile floor was buckled and a few blocks were missing.
He hadn’t had a seizure for four months and he hadn’t been plagued with the horrible headaches he had suffered all his life until lately. The past few days the headaches had returned with a vengeance. His head pounded as he got up and paced some more.
He rubbed his temples and cussed. He kicked the wheelchair. He whirled around when he heard footsteps. He smiled and said, “Hey, Willy.”
“Son, have you lost yo mind for sho. I heard you cussin’ all the way out in the hall. I dropped a food tray and made a loud clatter so nobody would figure out where the noise was comin’ from. Damn, son, you ain’t makin’ things easy for me.” Willy walked to the window and gazed outside.
“I don’t give a flying fuck who hears what anymore.”
“Hush, son. Ye don’t know what
you’s talkin’ about.”
“I’ve got plenty of strength to get me through whatever comes my way,” Lance said, flexing his biceps. He made his pectorals jiggle, and laughed.
Willy turned to stare out the window again. “You know that land I told ye about that my ma and pa left to me? Well, there’s a big company what wants to build a paper mill on it, and they offered me a heap of money for it. More money then I’ll ever make in a lifetime. I studied over it for a spell, then me and sweet Liza decided to sell. I finally got my money after a bunch of stupid paper work. We’s gonna buy us a big, fancy house right in the middle of Cracker Town. We’s gonna wave, smile real big like and say, “There goes yo neighborhood, whitey.” Willy laughed so hard he held his sides.
Lance did a deep throat chuckle. He sounded as much like Willy as Willy himself.
Willy scratched his head. He always scratched his head before starting a sentence and most of the time after a sentence, as if the head scratching was a punctuation mark. “I’s been workin’ a lot of overtime for a month now. Today is payday, and I got me a big, fat check,” he said, patting his breast pocket. “I’m gonna take my sweet Liza out for a fancy dinner tonight.”
“Good, Willy. I hope you and sweet Liza eat so much, you pop. And I hope you buy the biggest and fanciest house you can find, smack-dab in the middle of Cracker Town.” Lance did a Willy chuckle and Willy chuckled with him.
Willy scratched his head, turned his back to Lance, and rubbed the small of his back. “Draggin’ you and a bunch of others in and out of bed all these years done caused me to get a hitch in my get-a-long.”
“Hey, Willy, what’s buggin’ ya? I know when something is on your mind and gnawing the shit out of your guts. And it isn’t your get-a-long. You can’t fool me. Spit it out, ol’ pal.”
Tears sprung as Willy gazed out the grimy windowpane. He shook his head, wiped his hand over his face, and blew a deep breath. “I don’t know how to tell ye, son, but I overheard Mean Jean, that’s the big fat-ass, head nurse on first shift, talkin’ to the head doctor. I call ’er Mean Jean, 'cause she acts like she’s got a cob up her tight, white ass. Anyways, she was talking to Spock; I call him Spock, ‘cause his ears stick out like a pup tent. Anyways, Mean Jean said you was fakin’. Said she gonna notify the authorities, and I know that means the FBI po-lice.”
“What is today?” Lance asked.
“Payday, like I said.”
“Goddammit, Willy! What day of the week is it?”
“It be Friday, payday, like I said. I’d do anything to help ye, son, but—” Willy paused as if he was searching for words.
Lance eased his way toward Willy. He placed his powerful hands around Willy’s throat. Using four fingers on both hands, he pressed hard and fast.
Willy fought like a horse and Lance was beginning to think he was going to lose his grip, when suddenly Willy’s body slumped to the floor.
Lance cringed, and felt tears forming; the first tears he remembered shedding in his life. He dragged Willy over to the bed. “We have to change clothes, ol’ buddy. You said you would do anything to help me. Well, you’re my way out. My passport to freedom.” He wiped the tear from his cheek, not believing an actual drop of water had oozed from the iceberg that had been frozen inside him for all these years.
He quickly dressed Willy in the hospital pajamas, and then he dressed himself in Willy’s white shirt and pants. The waist was a bit large and he drew the belt tight, but the pants were the right length. The shirt was a bit tight across the chest, but the buttons didn’t gap. Willy had big feet, and Lance easily slipped into the white shoes. He hung Willy’s hospital I.D. badge around his neck.
Lance was sweating by the time he finished switching clothes. Now I know how hard it’s been all these years for Willy, dressing and undressing patients who he often said was too contrary to do for themselves.
Lance bent by Willy’s side. He stroked his face, kissed him on the forehead and wiped another tear. He cradled Willy’s body, hugged tightly and whispered, “Please forgive me. I had to do it. It’s my only hope of escaping. If there is a heaven, I know you’re there. I’m not sure about this heaven place, but wherever you are, I know it’s a better place than this crazy world. I did you a favor. I really did, my ol’ buddy.”
Lance gingerly placed Willy’s head on the pillow. He pulled the sheet up and tucked it around Willy’s body. “Thanks ol’ pal. I won’t ever forget you. If I’m capable of love, I love you. You’re the only man who ever called me son. That made me feel special.”
Lance opened the closet and found his wallet in his jeans pocket. He opened it and found twenty dollars. “Well, the bastards didn’t steal my money.” He checked his driver’s license, glad to see he had another year before it expired. He stuck the wallet into the back pocket. He walked to the door, peered around the doorway and looked up and down the hall. Several attendants and other staff were milling around. He stepped out into the hall, tucked his head, walked toward the elevator that was open, stepped inside and pushed the button for the first floor. He held his breath as the elevator descended.
The elevator doors opened. He stepped out, tucked his head and walked lively. Just as he was going across the floor of the front lobby he saw a large overcoat, unattended. There was nobody in sight. He quickly snatched it, slipped it on, then went out the front door. If you take a pee break, you lose your coat, stupid. But, thanks. I need it.
Once outside, he picked up his pace and walked several blocks, looking over his shoulder every few minutes. He continued walking, having no idea which way to go, but he didn’t stop until he had gone for several blocks. Although he had been walking laps around his room for some time, he felt his legs begin to tire. A spasm squeezed his right calf. He spotted a sidewalk bench ahead. He reached the bench, sat, rubbed his calf and breathed a great sigh of relief.
***
The morning sun streaming through the bedroom windows edged Lacy’s eyes open. She rolled over, stroked RoJo’s face and tenderly kissed his lips.
RoJo smiled and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Jordon.”
“You’ve been saying that every morning for five months. It does sound good. So keep on saying it. I still laugh every time I think of your parents hanging their heads in shame because you married the trailer-trash girl.”
RoJo laughed.
“Some days, I have to pinch myself to make sure the past year and a half hasn’t been a dream,” Lacy said as she snuggled closer. “I’m glad it’s Sunday. Since we’ve both got the day off, why don’t we just stay in bed all day and make out like two minks.”
“That would be nice, but we need to go by and make sure everything is ready for the grand opening of your beauty shop, come Tuesday. And I’ll get the outside Christmas lights strung. We’ll put up a tree, Monday. You’re an official hairmesser.”
“That I am. And I hired four girls who went through beauty school with me. The four best hairmessers in all of Little Rock. Come on, take Darlin outside and I’ll get the coffee started.”
Lacy was sipping on a cup of coffee when RoJo came back inside with Darlin. “He sure likes to take off running through the thicket. I’m getting tired of chasing him.”
Lacy walked over and took Darlin from RoJo’s arms. “Come to Mommy. Your daddy is telling tales on you. You never run off when I take you out.” She giggled as Darlin licked her face.
“I still can’t get used to calling a dog Darlin. But since we couldn’t agree on a name, I guess it’ll have to do.” RoJo rubbed Darlin’s head. “Ain’t that right, big boy?”
“Go get dressed. I’ll feed him, then we’ll take him with us and see if he approves of my beauty shop. I think he’ll like that big sign with his mommy’s name on it. Ain’t that right, big boy?”
Chapter Fifty-Three
It was wonderful being on the outside, and so refreshing to breathe outside air. It was December and the air was nippy, but it was a piece of heaven to Lance. He reached into the breast pocket of
the white shirt and withdrew Willy’s paycheck and a checkbook. Wow! Willy has a handsome paycheck, indeed. He flipped open the checkbook.
His eyes bugged. Willy had a balance of $55, 242.00. “Jesus Christ! Willy’s house money,” he whispered. He looked at the bank address on the bottom of the checks, then slipped the checkbook into his pocket and whispered, “Willy, you’re the greatest!”
A cab pulled up to the curb and he leaped to his feet and hurried toward it. A passenger paid the fare and climbed out of the cab. Lance quickly slid into the backseat. The cab pulled away from the curb. ”I need to go to the Old National Bank on Main Street,” Lance said in a demanding, loud voice.
The cabdriver jumped, then looked into the rearview mirror. “Shitfire, man!” he said, wiping his brow, doing a double take as he looked over his shoulder. “Where the hell did you come from?”
“Just get me to the bank,” Lance commanded. I don’t have time for idle chitchat and I sure can’t say I just escaped the nut-house or I’m the cuckoo who flew the coop.
“Yessir. Be there in ‘bout ten minutes. Ya sho come from outta nowhere. Ya ‘bout scared me outta my skin,” the driver said, wiping the back of his hand across his brow.
Lance did a Willy chuckle. “Sorry ‘bout that, man.”
The cabdriver pulled to the curb in front of the bank. “Here ye is. That’ll be—”
Before the driver could finish his sentence, Lance barked orders. “Go to the drive-through. I have to get a check cashed before I can pay you.”
The driver pulled the cab into the third lane. A tall truck in the second lane blocked the teller’s view of the cab. Lance rolled down the back window, reached into the chute and pulled out the cylinder. He retrieved the pen, hurriedly wrote a check out to Cash, in the amount of forty-thousand dollars. He endorsed the paycheck, reached into his back pocket and took out Willy’s wallet. He thumbed through it and pulled out Willy’s driver’s license. He placed the driver’s license and hospital I.D. badge and the checks inside the cylinder. He pushed the green send button and the chute made a swoosh sound.