Second Street // Part Thirty

   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.