Second Street // Part ThirtyA Story by David Second
Street
Part Thirty The
situation between Andy and Danny had not been good for a very long time but was
now growing intolerable. Andy had been having some health issues and was not
feeling one hundred percent. Her last visit to the doctor’s office was
worrisome to her. She was exhausted all the time and never got much sleep
thanks to Danny and the damned pug. He insisted on having the dog sleep with
him. The pug had fleas as well as breathing trouble and was always snorting and
wheezing, Danny, rolling around, snoring and up to pee several times a night,
Andy was fortunate to get a few complete hours of sleep each night. This last
visit to the doctor’s office had unsettled Andy, the doctor not being very
forthcoming and cautious with her words, tests were scheduled. Andy left the
office and headed for the car where Danny was waiting, playing games on his
phone. She opened the car door and sat, Danny not even acknowledging her
return, just playing and playing. She looked at him and slammed the car door.
This got his attention, for a minute. He looked at her and said, what? Andy
started to tell him of the visit but he cut her short with some chatter of
having to go and fix his sister’s car. This indifference brought her to tears
and she let go a barrage of emotions that could not be helped. She railed at
him for his selfish and callous ways. She told him of his worries for others
but was not a husband nor man nor human, enough to care what was happening to
her. Never caring enough to question or ask about her just barking orders of
cooking and cleaning. All of her tirade fell on deaf and defensive ears. It’s
not my fault, he whined. You never explain things so what am I to worry about?
The next words from his mouth were muddled in self absorption and self pity,
never to man up and claim ownership of callous, cold and cruel behavior! Andy
saw the light at the end of the tunnel and just sobbed to herself. They rode home
in deafening silence! Jim was a
bit older than Andy and appreciated the attributes of a good woman. He had been
married and had lost his loving wife to breast cancer when she was still a
young woman. This had devastated him and put him in a tailspin that lasted a
very long time. It was Andy that brought him back into focus. For over a year
she chatted with him daily, mostly listening and doing her utmost to comfort
him. She could feel the heartbreak through the keyboard and wished so much that
someone could or would ever feel that deeply about her. There had been days
that Jim’s depression was so great she stayed with him for hours until she felt
his mood lift some. Andy admired his devotion and Jim admired Andy’s stamina.
He was amazed at the attitude she displayed with him after all the derision and
abuse she lived through daily with her husband. Jim lived in New York close to
the border and was almost a thousand miles from her but felt ever closer each
time they chatted or talked. Jim saw the same beauty in Andy that had attracted
him to his wife and was determined to make her life better or at least try. He
packed a small black canvas duffel, threw it in the back of his Suburban and
headed towards this wonderful woman. He stopped at the Mobil, filled the tank,
bought some snacks and bottled water. Back in his vehicle he set his GPS for
Second Street and Andy. It was New Years Eve and he had no desire to be on the
road after dark so he drove five hundred miles and checked into a Holiday Inn
for the night. He was given a room on the fifth floor that had wi-fi and he did
not wait to take advantage of that. He plugged in his computer and messaged
Andy, knowing full well she probably would not respond because of the evening
but wanted her to know he was thinking of her and wished her Happy New Year. He
wrote, wishing I was there with you and as the ball dropped on another year we
could stand under the mistletoe and begin a new life. It was still early so he
headed down to the lobby and found the bar. The bar was a small affair and
clearly there would be no major celebrations here tonight. Jim ordered a
cheeseburger with fries and a beer. He finished his beer and meal, ordering
several Crown Royals before retiring for the night. Jim headed for the shower
and it felt so good after such a long day, he slipped between the sheets and
turned on the television to catch some news. The first commercial break found
him fast asleep. Danny had
invited some of his friends over along with Andy’s favorite, Sonny, the pervert
brother. Damion and Don were there and at least that took some of the sting out
of it. Andy’s son was playing one of the local bars for the evening. He had
been looking forward to it for some time. It was nights like this that removed
the drudgery from his everyday life. Andy wished that Charlie and Jim could be
there. At least Charlene and Antonio were there as well as Darla and her
husband. Danny and Sonny were at their worst, ignoring every one and playing
their stupid games, drinking beer and becoming more vocal with each new can.
Sonny spilling out his putrid ideas about women never caring a wit who heard
him. Andy took a few minutes away, excusing herself and brought her laptop to
the bedroom. She opened the computer and found the offline message from Jim and
it brought a smile to her face. She took a moment to daydream before returning
to her family. The evening went pretty much as she knew it would, every one
being offended by Sonny and his garbage mouth, trying their best to ignore him
but not succeeding. Danny and Sonny drinking an endless beer it seemed, just
becoming worse all the time. It wasn’t even eleven and every one had enough and
bid her goodnight. Andy picked up the kitchen and retired to her bed to get
away from the duo in the living room. She prayed Danny would get so drunk he
would fall asleep right there in his chair and she would have a night rest. Jim was up
early and checked out asking the clerk about a place to have breakfast. There
is a Denny’s at the next intersection he was told. He thanked the clerk and
headed out. He stopped and had a good sized breakfast, pancakes, eggs, bacon
and toast, juice and coffee. There was a Hess station across the street, he
paid for his meal and went to fill the car for his next leg to Second Street.
He was becoming excited. Andy had no idea he was coming and he wondered how she
would take it. He wondered if she would be excited to see him or upset because
he had not told her of the trip. What would she think of his appearance in
person as opposed to emailed photographs. Would it be awkward conversation or
flow as freely as their daily contact. Would she smile and give him a
welcoming, warm hug. A kiss. Would she be apprehensive having him in her front
yard where Danny could appear at anytime? He drove the entire day, all these
thoughts running through his mind. By the end of the day he wondered to himself
if he might have made a mistake. He checked into a Sheraton, reserving a room
for several days just in case things went well, hoping he and Andy could spend
days together, talking and getting used to one another in person, with her
returning to the nightmare at night. He was exhausted from the drive and the
stress he had put himself through with all his thinking of circumstances. His
head hit the pillow not even eating or undressing. He was out. Andy spent
her day cleaning up after the drunks and what a mess they had made. Drinks
spilled all over the sofa, the place smelling like stale beer soaking into her
furniture. The carpet saturated in beer. It even had the acrid smell of urine.
She was disgusted as she worked the carpet cleaner into the fabrics. There were
chips and cheese Its strewn about everywhere, ground into the carpet. There
were burn holes in one of the chairs from Sonny’s cigarettes as well as burn
marks deep in the wood of the coffee table. She wanted to cry. She wanted out
of this life so very much. She wondered what she had done to God to anger him
so much that he gifted her with this existence! She was thankful that Danny was
so hung over that he spent all of the day lying in bed so she could at least be
miserable in peace. Andy made a grilled cheese sandwich and had some soup as
she checked her email. She was disappointed, there was no mail from Jim. She
started to worry. Fortunately the day passed by quickly, between the cleaning
and Danny out of the way. She let the dogs out several times and did some
writing, before she knew it, eight p.m. had come and she took a nice hot bath
and went to bed . Monday
mercifully arrived and Danny went to work. Andy went about her days chores,
laundry, cleaning up the breakfast dishes and letting the dogs out. She stood
in her yard shivering while the dogs went about their business. She never paid
attention to the red Suburban parked in front of Charlie’s house. Jim opened
the door and climbed out quietly shutting the door. He walked towards Andy, the
dogs kicking up a fuss. She recognized him from his pictures and her heart
leapt. He came close and said, Good morning sweetheart. She was so surprised she
had no idea what to do, so she gave him a big hug. The dogs yapping away, she
said, Jim , let me put these critters away, I’ll be right back. I’ll be in the
car he told her. Andy grabbed the dogs having to pick up Babette and the other
by the collar. She brought them inside closing the door. She leaned back
against the closed door her heart beating wildly. © 2014 David |
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Added on March 23, 2014 Last Updated on March 23, 2014 AuthorDavidhyannis, MAAboutLove to write but never seem to finish anything I write for my own pleasure of pen to paper more..Writing
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