Falling for Her

by Amy Stephens

  “There’s a pot of grits on the stove so help yourself. The rest is all yours,” she told me before turning to walk to her bedroom.

  I noticed we were out of butter for the grits, so I made do the best I could. Grits weren’t very tasteful unless there was plenty of butter and salt to give them flavor, but I didn’t say anything. I made a mental note to look for a small container the next time I went down to the corner grocery store. I had one more day to finish painting at the Treetop Apartments before the owner would settle up with me. I’d already spent the majority of my earnings buying food for us for the week, and whatever was left over, I’d divide up amongst the kids to have for snack money at school. It’d be cheaper if they’d just bring snacks from home, and most of the time they did, but they loved being able to buy something. They wanted to be just like the other kids.

  I ate as quickly as I could, savoring the last two pieces of bacon that’d been left for me. I pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans, then stripped the sheets and blanket from the couch before folding it in place. Our bed linens had come from one of the hotels my mom worked for. When the sheets and towels started to appear worn, what hadn’t been turned into cleaning rags, was usually donated to the Salvation Army. The manager was always good about making sure the staff had first choice if they needed anything for personal use; they could take what they wanted before it was removed. We didn’t mind that everything was all white or had been previously used. Most of it was still in good shape, but the hotel needed to keep quality items to maintain its image.

  I stuffed my remaining dirty clothes into the plastic hamper and opened the front door. Momma handed me a bag of loose change, and I tucked it into the front pocket of my jeans. I probably should have put on my light jacket, but I was fairly certain I’d be wiping away the sweat from lugging all of the laundry by the time we made it there. And another reason, I honestly didn’t want to see the jacket just then. Just thinking about it made my heart rate increase, knowing I’d had an illegal package inside.

  Wouldn’t it have been nice to have our own washing machine and clothes dryer there at the apartment? We wouldn’t have had to scrounge up change and fight to find two washers side by side. We could have done them from home all throughout the week and not have to spend all day on Sunday getting the clothes cleaned.

  With our arms loaded down, Momma and I didn’t say much to each other while we walked. I wondered if Eliana had told her about the money or if she’d kept it a secret after all, just as I’d asked. Either way, I sensed something was bothering Momma, hence her silence, and I hoped she’d open up to me in between loads.

  As expected, the laundromat was already chaotic, but we managed to secure two washers side by side in the back corner. Momma pulled out a book from her coat pocket, and I walked outside for some fresh air. I figured I’d give her some time before I mentioned anything.

  I leaned against the building and watched as the cars passed by. In my mind, I kept having flashbacks of going into Pete’s, then seeing the look on Eliana’s face when I’d given her the money. I ran my fingers through my hair and let out a sigh. It was still eating at me, no matter how hard I tried to forget it.

  I walked back inside and saw Momma putting in the next two loads to wash. I dropped some coins into the dryer and watched as the clothes tumbled around inside.

  “Can you walk down to the store and pick up some more detergent? I thought there’d be enough to finish, but looks like we still have a few more loads to go.” Momma interrupted the gaze I’d had on the clothes dryer.

  “Sure.” I didn’t mind at all.

  She handed over a five-dollar bill, and I slid it into my back pocket.

  I walked back outside and crossed the street to the small, independent discount store. Traffic was already picking up for a Sunday morning.

  The doors chimed, alerting the clerk someone had entered. I browsed around until I’d found what I was looking for. My gaze wandered over the prices until I found a small, store brand bottle.

  A pretty, dark-haired girl worked the register up front. I hadn’t noticed her around there before, but she was definitely easy on the eyes. I dropped the detergent onto the counter and waited for her to ring it up. I glanced away for a moment, and when I looked back at her, she smiled.

  I didn’t go out much, mostly because I couldn’t afford to take anyone on a real date. I didn’t let that stop me from flirting, though. She appeared young, probably a high school student, and I decided to play it safe and leave her alone.

  She kept smiling as if she wanted me to say something to her, but I just couldn’t. She handed me my change, and I walked toward the exit. The door opened, and I stepped aside so the other person could enter first. I saw him before he realized it was me. It was too late to try to avoid him.

  Javier.

  Why did we have to meet like that?

  “Fancy seeing you again so soon,” he said as soon as he saw me.

  I held the door open, hoping he’d go on inside, but instead he stopped to talk.

  “Hey, man.” I glanced away, not wanting to look him in the eyes, afraid he’d found out I’d left the bar in a hurry.

  “What’s up with you? You sound like you’re pissed at me or something.”

  “Nah, just busy helping Momma over at the laundromat.” I held up the detergent so he’d know I wasn’t making it up.

  “Sucks you can’t wash your own clothes at home, doesn’t it? When you’re ready for another job just let me know. I told you, I can help you out.” He emphasized the job part, and as hard as it was, I tried not to show any emotion.

  “I…” I was about to tell him I wasn’t interested and there’d be no “next time,” but I didn’t. I’d rather keep Javier on my good side, just in case. There was no way I’d subject myself to being involved in a drug deal ever again, but having Javier for a friend was certainly better than having him as an enemy. “Mom’s waiting, dude.”

  “Give Ms. Lorena a hug for me. She still working down at the hotel?” Javier just couldn’t take the hint that I tried my best to get away from him.

  “Yeah, she’s still there.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll see ya around, dude.”

  I darted across the street, weaving in between the oncoming traffic. The sooner I could get away from Javier, the better I’d be. Or so I thought.

  The remainder of the day his words still haunted me, as well as the rest of the week. They’d turned into a nightmare I simply couldn’t escape.

  ***

  On Friday I sat on the porch, watching Diego play, when a tall, slender gentleman wearing some kind of uniform came walking up.

  We weren’t used to having visitors, and anytime someone came around dressed like that, it usually meant business. Either we were behind on paying a bill, or they were looking for someone else who was and they had the wrong address. In no time at all, the neighbors would be looking out from behind their curtains and blinds. Nothing was kept secret for very long and privacy was unheard of.

  “Lorena Garcia. Is this her home?” the gentleman asked.

  I cringed, hearing my mother’s name come out of his mouth. What now?

  “Who are you?” I stood from my chair and looked the man dead in the face. It was one thing to owe someone money, but I didn’t like it when they made house calls. The least they could do was spare us some decency. “Diego, go inside for a minute,” I told him, and Diego, not understanding what was going on, looked up at me as if he was in trouble.

  The man held up his hand in defense. “No trouble, man. I’m not here for anything like that.” He sensed I didn’t like him being there and took a step backward.

  “What do you want then?” I asked curtly, stepping to the edge of the porch.

  “Are you Jaime? Lorena said to ask for you.”

  “Yeah, that’s me. What’s going on?” First, he knew my mother’s name, then he knew mine. This dude had better start coming up with some answers. Quickly.

  “Lorena. She slippe
d and fell this morning. She works for my dad down at the hotel. They’ve taken her to the ER, and she’s asking for you.”

  “Shit! What do you mean she fell? What the hell happened? How long ago?” I asked question after question, not liking what he’d told me.

  The gentleman explained she’d been cleaning one of the rooms and her foot caught on a loose piece of carpet. She’d brought her arm up to try to stop the fall, but ended up falling against the wall. Another staff member walked by, heard her crying, and called for help. She was unable to stand on her own or move her arm by the time the paramedics had gotten there.

  “My father called for an ambulance, and they transported her to St. Lucia’s Hospital. Are you able to get there?” he asked, concerned if I had transportation. I was pretty sure his father had probably mentioned that we didn’t have a vehicle.

  “I’m on my way.”

  I didn’t bother telling the guy goodbye or anything. I ran inside, told Mama Camila the news, and then took off out the door. I didn’t know how long I’d be gone, but she and Diego should be fine until the others got home from school. This wasn’t the way I’d hoped to spend my day.

  The gentleman was still standing outside when I closed the front door.

  “What the fuck do you want, man?” I asked, not wanting to waste any more time on him. “I don’t have time to talk to you.”

  “Can I at least give you a ride to the hospital?”

  I just shook my head, and continued my fast pace down to the main road. St. Lucia’s was several miles away, so I decided to catch the tram at the next intersection. It would get me there quicker, rather than walking.

  Once I arrived at the emergency room, I inquired about my mother at the front desk. The lady behind the counter instructed me where I needed to go for more information about her condition. She’d already been moved up to a room on the third floor, and the nurse’s station there could update me.

  After I walked into her room, I had no idea what to expect. The head nurse had said she was alone for the moment, but was awaiting surgery within the hour. Momma turned her head when she noticed the door had opened.

  “Oh, Jaime, I’m so glad you’re here.”

  I quickly walked to her side and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “What happened, Momma?” Even though I’d already been told, I wanted to hear her version of how it’d really taken place.

  I noticed her arm was wrapped in a bandage and was secured in place with some kind of strap against her body. Her legs were covered with the bed linens, so I couldn’t see the condition they were in.

  “They say my arm is broken here.” She used the hand on her good arm to point where her injured arm was bandaged. “When the swelling goes down, they’ll be able to see more in the x-rays and can put a cast on it. My leg, Jaime, they said the break is not good, and they need to do surgery. They must secure it with screws or something.”

  I watched as her eyes filled with tears. I was sure she was probably on some kind of pain medication so they weren’t from any pain she might’ve been enduring, but more from her worrying about how this would impact our family. How long would she be out of work? Who would help with the bills?

  “Momma, I’m so sorry.” I wrapped her good hand in mine, then lifted it to my lips. I kissed it, mostly for reassurance. “You’re going to be fine. You’re in good hands here.”

  “I know, Jaime, I’m not worried about that. What are we going to do now? I can’t work like this.”

  “Surely the hotel has insurance, right? They’ll take care of everything and compensate you while you’re out.”

  “No, Jaime. This is my job where I’m paid in cash. The insurance doesn’t cover me. Don’t you see? This is not good for us.”

  Fuck. I couldn’t believe what Momma had told me. I didn’t care what she said, the damn man she worked for would pay for this. He had to. It had happened at his place. It was his responsibility, right?

  A nurse came in while my mother was crying. I didn’t want her to think I was the reason for Momma being upset, so I grabbed the box of tissues from off the counter.

  “Here, Momma.” I pulled a few tissues out and passed them to her. “We’ll figure this out somehow, okay? Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll be fine.”

  “You ready to head back for your surgery now, Ms. Garcia?” the nurse asked.

  I sat in a chair and pretended to listen as the nurse informed my mother what was about to happen to her. My mind was in a million places, instead of where it should be, and I didn’t hear a single word she said. Instead of supporting my mother, all I could think about was how was my family going to make it.

  One thing was certain. I needed to find a real job right now.

  Chapter Four

  Six weeks later

  I ROLLED OVER to turn off the alarm that was loudly beeping. Its echo, I’m sure, could be heard throughout the whole apartment. I needed to get up, but my body didn’t want to move. My arms and legs were sore and stiff.

  Tossing my worn, flattened pillow to the side, I slid up on the sofa bed and leaned back against the couch cushion. Now that the time had changed, it was still dark outside and my body was still trying to adjust. I rubbed my hands over my eyes, then planted my feet on the floor. With just thirty minutes to shower and grab a bite to eat before leaving for work¸ I had to get moving.

  After the second week of walking the streets, going door to door, right after my mother had been released from the hospital, I’d finally lucked out and found a job. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was money that we so desperately needed. For the last month, I’d been walking down to the marina to meet up with six other guys. From there, we got onto a boat and rode down to the next port where we worked eight to ten-hour shifts, depending on the amount of freight. Several ships would come in throughout the day, and we’d unload the contents onto the backs of semi-trucks. The boxes seemed to get heavier and heavier each day, but the pay was decent. I still looked for side jobs on the weekend, though, oftentimes going to the hotel where I’d worked previously to do little projects.

  The asshole at the hotel my mother had been working for when she’d taken her fall had turned out to be a total jerk. When I’d confronted him about the bills and who was going to pay them, he’d pretended he didn’t know my mother or anything about her accident. I was shocked beyond belief that he’d taken that approach. I’d argued with him and even threatened to take his life, but he knew we were broke and didn’t have the money to hire an attorney to take on our case. Little did I know, there were plenty of money-hungry lawyers who looked for cases like ours, and in the end, they’d walk away with most of the settlement--if they won the case--and we wouldn’t be any better off than we were before.

  The bills from the hospital and doctors started pouring in. Each envelope that arrived in the mail sent me into a deep depression. I was worried sick about how I was going to take care of them all on my own. It got to the point that I hated to open them just to see how much more money we owed. In my mind, I felt that if I didn’t open them, then the bills didn’t really exist. It was wishful thinking, I knew.

  My momma’s other job had placed her on a leave of absence, but little good that did us now. We had to worry about today and not down the road.

  I stepped into the shower, hoping the hot stream of water would wake me and ease the soreness. I had just finished rinsing the suds from my hair when the lights suddenly went out. Damn it!

  I did the best I could, feeling my way around in the shower, then turned off the water sooner than what I’d wanted to. I felt for the towel hanging on the back of the door and then dried off my body. Hopefully, the electricity wouldn’t be off too long. Although I hadn’t looked outside when I’d first gotten up, I didn’t think it was raining out nor had I heard any thunder. I felt certain it must be a blown transformer or something and not bad weather.

  Seeing the light off on the coffee pot didn’t do much for me either. I felt the outside of the pot, and thank good
ness it was still hot. I poured myself a cup and sipped on it. This wasn’t a good morning for the power to go out.

  I got the kids up to start getting ready for school. I was fortunate everyone but me took their baths at night so no one would have to bathe with cold water this morning. They weren’t happy to eat cold cereal, but I’d much rather them drink the milk now rather than have it spoil if the power remained off for an extended period of time.

  I lit a candle and placed it in the middle of the table so they could see. I walked to the window and opened the blinds, but it still wasn’t quite enough daylight to help lighten the room.

  What the hell? Why was our apartment the only one in the complex without any electricity? Leaving the window, I stormed out onto the little porch and looked around. Sure enough, the porch lights to several other units were on as well as the inside lights to a couple others.

  No, please tell me this isn’t happening. I knew the power bill had been due a few days ago, but surely they couldn’t have turned off our electricity so soon. They couldn’t, could they? Not without giving a disconnect notice. There were kids living here. Weren’t there rules against that?

  I’d told Momma not to worry about the bills right now, that I’d see to it they were all taken care of, including the utilities. So what was she going to think when she got up and discovered we had no power? That I had let the family down. I hoped today was one of those days she decided to sleep late.

  I had less than five minutes to make a decision. Should I go ahead and leave for work so I didn’t miss the boat, or should I stay and take care of the electric situation? I couldn’t leave Momma, Mama Camila, and Diego there all day with no electricity. Besides, it was Friday and that meant we’d have to go all weekend without any power if I couldn’t get it resolved. I couldn’t do that to my family.

  The choice was obvious. Walking back inside, I tried to hide my frustrations from the kids. As soon as the utilities department opened for the day, I’d be the first one in line. They’d hear from me, how I’d had to miss work… I just wanted someone else to feel my frustrations, to know what I was dealing with and what they’d put me through.