She carefully went over all everything she had typed earlier concerning what J.D. told both at the apartment and in her dream. Alicia tried to remember every detail, not wanting to leave anything out. She was in a realm where she felt powerless because she knew so little about it. Subscribing to a theory or even striving to prove it was one thing - actually living it was a different matter.
She struggled to remember the tiniest details. Experience was a harsh teacher. In her life, Alicia discovered that those small details that are so often overlooked can have a major impact.
When J.D. complained of chest pains and passed it off as indigestion or a possible ulcer – he had one before – she thought little of it. He was a former college athlete and worked out every day. Sure, he was a little heavier than in his younger days but wouldn’t be considered obese. J.D. didn’t smoke and never had. Certainly, he had an occasional drink, but his partying days were well past.
Alicia remembered that terrible evening with a clarity she wished she could escape.
J.D. came home from his office at six o’clock on the dot just like any other day. He took his briefcase to the den and sat it on his desk and walked into the kitchen where she was cooking supper – meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. J.D. kissed her on the cheek.
“It smells good. Too bad Maggie’s not here. This is her favorite meal,” he said as he loosened his tie.
Maggie was a few miles away, living on campus at the U of L.
“She would love this especially now that she’s eating cafeteria food,” Alicia said.
“I miss her being here. Maybe we should call her – ask her if she’s had supper yet. It wouldn’t take her long to get here,” J.D. said.
“That’s not a bad idea. One of her roommates might feel like eating too,” Alicia said. “But you might have to wait a few minutes longer for supper.”
“No biggie. I still have indigestion from lunch. Waiting doesn’t bother me,” he said.
“I’ll call Maggie and you go relax,” she said.
He walked over and embraced her.
“I don’t know why you’re so good to me.” He kissed her one more time. “I love you,” he said.
Alicia simply smiled and said, “I love you too,” and then turned her attention to calling Maggie.
As she talked to Maggie she could hear the television turn on and the voice of the news anchor.
Maggie readily accepted the offer of a home cooked meal but none of her friends were available. She would be there in about twenty minutes depending on traffic.
Alicia walked into the living room to tell J.D. that Maggie was on her way.
J.D. was asleep in the recliner. No, his eyes were open...but something was amiss. Alicia hurried toward him.
“J.D.!” She cried out and he didn’t respond. She reached out to shake him and saw his color. Alicia checked for a pulse and then panic stricken, reached for a nearby phone and called 9-1-1.
Returning to some sense of calm she started trying to perform CPR. With tears flowing and voice shrieking out pleas for him to respond, Alicia did her best to recall her emergency training. Ten minutes later an ambulance arrived on the scene and EMTs took over CPR.
As Alicia watched them work, she slowly began to realize the battle was lost. In shock, she could not pull away from the scene in front of her as the EMTs had torn open his shirt and were attempting to use a defibrillator. “Clear!” The EMT with the paddles shouted as J.D.’s body jolted involuntarily.
“No response,” said the other EMT.
“Clear!” The EMT cried again.
Once more J.D.’s lifeless body jerked violently.
“Nothing,” said the other EMT.
The EMT with the paddles in his hands looked up at Alicia and then to his partner.
“Clear!” He shouted a third time.
And for the third time J.D.’s heaved off of the floor and back down.
This time the second EMT was silent. He merely looked to his partner and shook his head.
As everything unfolded before her, Alicia was jarred out of her shocked state by a scream.
“Daddy! Oh daddy no!” Maggie screamed.
Alicia had forgotten she was on her way over. How could she let Maggie walk into such a terrible scene? No child needed to see a parent like this – especially one as close as Maggie was to J.D.
There were people everywhere police officers, paramedics, and a few neighbors. When did they come in?
Alicia had no idea.
She ran to Maggie and embraced her.
Maggie sobbed uncontrollably and struggled to break free of her embrace.
A policeman almost pushed them into another room.
“Please ladies in here,” said a familiar voice.
It was Tony Avelini, J.D.’s bailiff.
Alicia gave him a puzzled look.
“I heard the call and the address. I got here as fast as I could,” Tony said as he took a deep breath.
He was crying but unlike Alicia and Maggie, he was fighting the tears. He still had one last task to perform for the judge that he had served for ten years.
“Please stay in here. Please. The coroner is on his way and I’m sure officers will have questions to ask,” Tony said.
“Questions?” Alicia asked.
“It’s routine in these cases. Please stay in here and let them get this over as quickly as possible,” Tony said as he gently walked them to a sofa.
It wasn’t until they sat down that Alicia realized they were in the den. She looked over and saw J.D.’s briefcase on the desk and though she didn’t believe it was possible, started crying even harder.
“Not my daddy. Please God, not my daddy,” Maggie kept repeating.
Alicia opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. All she could was hold her daughter and cry as well. She looked over to Sgt. Avelini, a man known to his peers as “Tough Tony.” His nose was crooked where it had been broken several times and he had a deep fish hook shaped scar on his chin. Avelini was the epitome of toughness. Yet, as Alicia looked up at the man guarding the den and shielding them from interlopers, she saw him sobbing as well.
Alicia came back to herself. It was such a bitter memory she realized she had been crying the whole time she remembered it.
She dried her tears. Things were different now. J.D. was back. Rose was back. Alicia determined she would never be separated from J.D. again.
***
Jett walked into Sizemore’s Drug Store and found an empty booth. The place hadn’t changed since it opened in 1955. Many of the soda signs were original as was the layout of the store. The pharmacy was in the back of the store. The front was local crafts, candy, toys, stationary, and of course, the lunch/soda counter.
Although Sizemore’s always had a licensed pharmacist on staff, the true staple was the restaurant portion of the business.
The smell of cheeseburgers on the griddle and fries in the fryer produced the most pleasant aroma. If someone went in without an appetite, they usually developed one while they were there.
A middle-aged woman with a combination of red and gray hair strolled over to the table. She was more than a little overweight and she wore a traditional diner-style pinstriped red and white dress with a white apron.
“What’ll it be sugar?” She asked.
Jett looked at plastic nametag.
“Dorothy, bring me whatever diet pop you got back there. I have a friend on the way. We’ll order when he gets here,” he said.
“You got it,” she said as she walked away.
Jett took a look around. Outside of the updated products – such as CD players instead of cassette players for example – it could very easily be 1985.
Or 1965.
The old Upper Ten clock rested comfortably over the griddle. On the wall beside the front door hung an RC Cola thermometer. The only digital items on display were the products on the shelves. There was even a gumball machine on the counter that featured a free gumball fo
r anyone that got the watermelon stripped gumball. It reminded Jett of what country stores looked like when he was a little boy.
“This place takes me back,” Al said as he squeezed into the booth across from Jett.
“That’s what I was thinking,” he said.
Upon seeing Al take his seat, Dorothy hurried back the table with Jett’s soft drink.
“You fellers ready to order?” She asked.
Al nodded to Jett.
“I’ll have a jumbo cheeseburger, no pickles or mayonnaise, and an order of fries,” Jett said.
In a prim and proper aristocratic voice, Al said, “I’ll have your finest lobster with frog legs and extra crackers.”
Dorothy looked puzzled.
“Honey, we ain’t got lobster or frog legs,” she said.
Al looked her up and down and in his normal voice he spoke again.
“No, I...I guess not. I tell you what. Just bring me a triple jumbo bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, and a large chocolate shake.”
“You want everything on it?” Dorothy asked.
“Well, uh, what do you put on the onion rings and milkshakes? I’ve been away for a while,” He asked innocently.
“Not the milkshake and onion rings — just the burger. You have been away for a while,” she said.
“In that case, yeah, put everything on the burger – except peanut butter,” Al said.
“Peanut butter? Good Lord. We don’t put that on cheeseburgers,” Dorothy said.
“Then we understand each other,” he said.
She looked unsure.
“So that’s a jumbo cheeseburger with no pickles or mayonnaise and an order of fries,” Dorothy said pointing to Jett.
“Yes,” he said.
“And a triple jumbo bacon cheeseburger with everything – except peanut butter – onion rings, and a large chocolate shake,” she said looking at Al.
“Since you don’t have lobster, yes,” he said.
Dorothy walked away shaking her head.
“I reckon you know both orders are going to be screwed up,” Jett said.
Al laughed.
“To the contrary. She’s so rattled right now; she’ll make sure they’re right to avoid having to deal with me again. It’s a proven method,” he said.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Jett said.
Al laughed again.
“Man, it feels so good to be back. You know, me and you sitting here waiting for food just feels...natural,” he said.
“This ain’t exactly the first time we’ve been here,” Jett said.
Al’s expression turned a little more serious.
“Have you talked to your boy Dan since yesterday at about two o’clock or so?” He asked.
“Yes. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon with and part of last night. Why do you ask?” Jett asked.
Al grinned a little.
“Oh, I think I interrupted some fun he was having. To tell you the truth, if I would have known who he was, I probably wouldn’t have even stopped. I mean, it wasn’t crazy like the crap J.D. was capable of,” he said.
“What are you talking about? What did Dan do? And are you sure it wasn’t Matt?” Jett asked.
“No, it was Dan,” Al said.
“For crying out loud Al, what did he do?” He asked again.
“I really don’t know the details of what led to it but I was just driving down Donahue Street looking around – you know that neighborhood really hasn’t changed. It’s still so pretty this time of year with all of the shade trees,” Al said as he offered a reflective expression.
“Al, forget the shade trees. What did he do?” Jett asked for a third time.
“I drove by your house and I saw someone on the roof – the little flat one on the side, the balcony I guess. And I heard yelling. Turns out it was your son,” Al said.
“Dan was on the roof –” Rose’s admonition to tell Dan to stay off of the roof popped into Jett’s head. “What was he doing up there?” He asked.
Al chuckled.
“It appears that he’s in love with Maggie Blake. I know this because that’s what he was yelling,” Al said.
“Dan? I’m not doubting what you say, but Dan? Boy, he must have it bad,” Jett said.
“She was there and I’ll tell you, I can’t blame the boy. She’s a living doll,” Al said.
“Maggie was on the roof too?” Jett asked.
“No. She was hanging about halfway out of the window. It appeared she was attempting to get him quieted him down – when she could quit laughing. I told him get off of the roof and be quiet. It wasn’t like he was breaking the law,” Al explained.
Jett shook his head and chuckled.
“Love makes you stupid,” he said.
“That’s the same thing J.D. used to say when you and Rose started dating,” Al said.
“I know. I heard it several times every day and night – until he started seeing Alicia,” said Jett.
“Yep. And then ol’ J.D. whistled a different tune,” Al laughed.
“Didn’t he though?” Jett asked.
“Listen, I know it’s your son and it’s really none of my business, but as a favor to me, would you not give him a hard time over it? We’ve both been there and I hate the thought that I had to spill the beans on him,” Al said.
“I won’t. He’s a good kid – so is his brother, who also has a girlfriend,” Jett said.
“Lucky you,” Al laughed again.
“What about you, with three daughters? Have you had any boys that have done something so stupid?” Jett asked.
Al shook his head and his expression darkened for a second before changing back to a smile. He chuckled.
“Not really. One glimpse of a badge and gun – and the offer of a free Taser demonstration – it discourages random acts of stupid,” he said.
“I can understand that,” Jett said.
“But I know the day’s coming when each one of them will bring a boy home and it won’t matter if I like it or not,” Al said.
“You’re a good man. I know that you and Jackie have raised them right. At some point, they’ll start making their own decisions and you have to trust that they’ll make the right ones,” Jett said.
“I guess you’re right but that ain’t easy,” Al said.
“Tell me about it. But what else are you going to do?” Jett asked.
“What I always do – blame Jackie if something goes wrong,” he said.
Jett smiled.
“Makes sense to me,” he said.
“No, I can’t say that. She really is a wonderful wife and mother. I couldn’t have done better,” Al said.
“You did well,” Jett agreed.
“Actually, me, you, and J.D. did well. I just hate...I just hate that things turned out the way they did,” Al said.
Jett looked more somber.
“Yeah, me too. But they did turn out that way,” he said.
“And it’s a shame. But you have your sons – as long as you have them, you have part of Rose. And you have a ton of great memories,” Al said.
“Yes I do and I’ll always be grateful for both. I’m sure Alicia feels the same way about Maggie and J.D.,” Jett said.
“By the way, I ran into Bud over city hall a little bit ago. He looks good for his age,” Al said.
“He’s doing pretty well – a whole lot better than I would have guessed thirty years ago,” Jett said.
“He had Maggie with him. I met her officially when Bud introduced us. She has a lot of her mom in her,” Al said.
“She’s very bright too but then again, she gets that from J.D. as well,” Jett said.
Al grinned.
“I don’t know. She wants to work for a newspaper and she’s dating a Bradley,” he said.
“Then she’s not only intelligent, she also has good taste,” Jett said as he took a sip from his straw.
“Jumbo cheeseburger – no pickles, no mayonnaise – and an order of fries,” Dorothy said as
she sat Jett’s lunch in front of him. She then turned to Al. “Triple jumbo bacon cheeseburger – no peanut butter – onion rings, and large chocolate shake. Does everything look right?” Dorothy asked.
“Yes ma’am, thank you,” Jett said as Al nodded his approval.
She gave Jett a slight smile and shot Al a brief glare before retreating.
“Your order right?” Al asked.
“Yes,” Jett said as he picked up a French fry.
“Told you,” Al said as he stirred his shake.
***
A couple of hours later, Maggie sat on the porch swing at Jett’s house. The car was packed and Alicia was doing a final walkthrough to be sure nothing was left behind.
Maggie checked her watch again. In just a few more minutes she would be on her way back to Louisville. So much had transpired so quickly in the past couple of days it was hard for her to process it all.
She really hadn’t looked forward to the trip to Crystal Springs on Saturday morning. Now, she wasn’t sure if she could two weeks before coming back.
A medium blue 2011 Ford Escape wheeled into the driveway.
“I hurried as fast as I could,” Dan said as he hopped out and made his way to the porch.
“I was hoping you’d make it before we left,” Maggie said as he sat down in the swing next to her.
“I’m glad I did,” he said as he took her hand into his and their fingers intertwined.
“How was your day?” Maggie asked.
“Slower than normal for one big reason but with the end of the semester, everybody is just trying to wrap it all up anyway. How was your day at the paper?” He asked.
“I had an interesting morning with Bud. He took me around and introduced me to people at the courthouse and city hall. And all the while, all I could think of you and how I’ll miss you,” she said.
“I keep telling myself that it’s only two weeks but so far it isn’t working,” Dan said.
“I feel the same way. It’s like ‘how long have we both waited for this’ and now we have to be away from each other,” Maggie said.
“We still have cell phones and computers. At least I can see your face and hear your voice. It doesn’t come close to holding you but it beats the alternative,” he said.
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