Moving from the closet, Lena approached the dresser. The room still had tangible memories scattered throughout. Old books, random photographs, jewelry in a stand, they all were signs of not letting go.
The water running below, Lena walked into a spare bedroom. Art purchased from different countries highlighted the walls. Collections of pieces acquired from various vacations. Furniture pieces shipped by air, they were dispersed around the house.
A matching bedroom set, the wood design the same on the bed as on the drawer as on the desk. The old houses were so beautiful to Lena. There was so much history. Restored from the inside out, it was no wonder how knowledgeable Jeffrey was with antiques.
Lena exited the room, turning the corner into another room. Along the back of the wall was a fireplace. On the mantel were miniature statues and figurines Jeffrey and his wife had found at estate sales or antique stores.
Some items had been brought back from Europe when they vacationed there.
The room was empty, used for reading. Set up like a museum. Lena leaned in to inspect a figurine. A foo dog statue, half a foot high, was sitting on a pedestal. Picking it up, Lena heard the shower stop.
Not wanting to get caught prying, Lena ran back to Jeffrey’s room to collect his cheerleader uniform. Standing by the edge of the bed, Lena folded the outfit. With her feet underneath the bed, strands of hair tickled her toes.
Alarmed, Lena slid her foot back quickly. The force of her movement caused the strands of hair to slide out from underneath. Kneeling down, Lena flipped up the bed skirt and looked under the bed. Emily’s blank face greeted her unexpectedly.
Screaming, Lena quickly covered her mouth and looked toward the hallway. Footsteps underneath her, she could hear Jeffrey walking closer. Curious, Lena slowly poked Emily’s face. The realistic doll didn’t move, her expression blank. Much like the cheerleader masks, Emily looked like a ghost.
Pulling her out to get a better view, Emily appeared bare naked. Sliding her around, examining the RealDoll’s authenticity, Lena moved in closer to Emily’s vagina.
She could not believe how genuine Emily was. Her heart sank. William was right. Jeffrey needed help. He shouldn’t be bringing her anymore.
Footsteps grew louder, the feet walking up the staircase. “Lena,” Jeffrey called out. “Are you up here?”
Lena whispered, “Shit!” and pushed Emily back under the bed. Patting down the bed skirt, flattening out the creased parts, Lena stood to her feet and grabbed the cheerleader outfit.
“Thought you’d be in here,” Jeffrey said.
Spinning around, holding out the Drama Doll uniform, Lena was greeted by a buck naked, fully erect Jeffrey Doll.
Lena dropped the uniform. It unraveled on the wood floor in between them. Kneeling to pick it up, her eyes on Jeffrey’s face, she slowly retrieved the attire and stood back up. “You’re naked,” she said.
Looking down at his boner, Jeffrey returned to Lena and said, “I guess I am.”
Moving her eyes anywhere but down, Lena inched around him and walked out of the room. Yelling behind her, she said, “I’ll just wait downstairs.”
Admiring his erection, Jeffrey shrugged. “I guess I am,” he repeated.
As Lena waited for Jeffrey, she paced back and forth in mid thought. Replaying the previous moments got her thinking. She knew Jeffrey needed help. But, was she truly helping him? The bereavement group members all shared their stories. Each had lost someone. They all coped in various ways. Maybe this was how a person like Jeffrey suffered?
Adjusting a throw pillow on the couch, Lena returned to pacing.
The pharmacist in the group had found God. A retail worker became depressed and isolated herself for nearly a year. And Lena, she took steps backward in order to move forward.
Everybody grieved differently. Maybe William was right, Lena thought. But, then maybe, she owed it to Jeffrey to let him work through the pain in his own way. Jeffrey, after all, had opened the door to a whole new world for Lena. He filled the void that allowed her to heal.
Sitting down in the middle of the sofa, Lena dropped her head down into her chest. Her hands on her forehead, Lena stared down into the area rug. Just as she was going to dwell on the situation again, Jeffrey appeared.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Lena looked up at him. “About upstairs,” he said pointing to the ceiling. Locking gaze with the petite cheerleader Doll, he said, “I haven’t slept.”
Nodding slowly, Lena began to stand. Helping her up with his hand, Jeffrey grasped her wrist and pulled her up the rest of the way. “If it’s all the same,” he said. “I’d like to forget everything that happened and get on with the day.”
Lena smiled. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said, “That’s OK. We all mourn differently.”
Flowers from the last visit were knocked over. Heavy gusts of wind whistled through the cemetery. Trees were leaning in the same direction. A photo of a young boy was pushed up against a tree trunk. A grave missing a possession. In the distance, a riding lawnmower bustled as it moved back and forth.
A sense of calm brushed over Jeffrey. Bending over to retrieve the vase, he replaced the old bouquet with a fresh one. Something that had been repeated since Her unexpected death.
Rubbing the back of his neck, kneeling down by the headstone, tears fell as his eyes softly closed. The red darkness from the sun hitting the outer lids of Jeffrey’s eyes made him sleepy. Humming from the lawnmower grew louder. The noise forced Jeffrey’s eyes open.
There was a faint sound of music escaping the operator’s headphones.
A backward baseball cap covering his shoulder length hair, the young man’s sideburns glinted from the heat. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but blue jeans and tennis shoes.
The cemetery was empty. Green hills with tombstones protruding out of them filled the area. A large family mausoleum stood bravely in the center of the green space. Roads intertwined around the entire cemetery, all connecting with one another.
Stopping the mower, jumping off its seat, the man retrieved the photo. He looked around the cemetery, a shift long chore to find its home. Skimming the width of the landscaping, with no luck, the employee folded the picture and placed it into his back pocket. The humming continued.
Breathing in, Jeffrey focused on the grave. Staring into the dates etched into the stone.
It had been almost six months since Her death. Jeffrey’s life was still not back to normal. In fact, it was far from it.
Circling around a grassy mound, the lawnmower weaving in between family plots, the cemetery worker mowed a patch of grass that was off one of the roads.
Driving on the gravel until he could park near his shed, the man waved at Lena when he rode by. Offering up a smile, Lena returned to Jeffrey, remaining behind her friend while he paid his respects. Headstones in the dirt, some were falling over, slanting toward the ground. Others were new, the cement clean and the words legible.
Lena scanned the entire horizon. Knolls and windy roads were the focal points in the architectural design. The cemetery was so peaceful.
Since her husband’s death, Lena’s visits had declined. What once was a weekly appointment became a bi-monthly event. After she met Jeffrey, her spouse was lucky to see a presence every other month.
It wasn’t that her husband wasn’t important; rather, moving on was something Lena needed to do. Distracting her mind away from Him was a way to do that.
The heat still a nuisance, Lena fanned herself with her hand.
The sun made it difficult for Jeffrey to concentrate. The heat of its rays draining his energy. Kneeling in front of the grave, Jeffrey’s hands clasped together, Lena noticed that he wasn’t moving.
The man working the lawns was now weed whacking around the stones. Through the thicker weeds, he gunned the trigger causing the motor to whistle loudly. The noise was loud and often distracting. Lena looked over to the worker’s direction, watching him remove a field of weeds growing by the road.
> As for Jeffrey, he remained motionless.
Turning her body so the sun didn’t shine directly in her face, Lena stared at the spot where her husband was buried. Having promised Jeffrey that they would grieve together, the long prayer was beginning to get on her nerves.
The hum of the weed whacker increased, drowning out any other noise within shouting distance. Lena plugged her ears. Jeffrey, again, stayed still. His head into his chest, hands clasped, kneeling into the grass.
How can you not hear that? Lena thought.
When the man attacked a patch of weeds by the stones next to them, Lena walked over to Jeffrey and placed her hand on his shoulder. Tipping over, Jeffrey fell over onto the grass. His eyes were closed and there was a smile on his face. The sun shining upon him, Lena could tell he was sleeping.
Lena waved to the man working. When he didn’t respond, she ran over to him. Her sandals flopping underneath her, she said, “Hey, my friend likes to take naps by his wife’s grave as a way for him to sleep next to her.” Pointing over to Jeffrey on the ground, she said, “Would you mind keeping an eye on him while I visit somebody on the other side of the cemetery?”
The cemetery worker, looking across the green space, shrugged his shoulders. “Sure thing.”
It took three large hills and two road intersections to reach her husband’s gravesite. Sitting cross-legged in front of the tombstone, Lena said, “Hi Danny.”
The etching on the stone read LOVING HUSBAND AND BEST FRIEND. Weeds were growing around the grave and to avoid an interruption, Lena pulled the weeds out and threw them off to the side.
Speaking into the headstone, Lena said, “I’m sorry I haven’t been around. It’s not that I don’t miss you, it’s just that it’s too hard for me to deal with.” Sniffling, her body getting weak, she said, “I brought my friend Jeffrey. You’d like him. He’s fun. He’s an accountant.”
She laughed. “I guess that sounds funny.” Shaking her head, she said, “A fun accountant?” Looking in the direction of the sleeping Jeffrey, she said, “But really. He’s great.”
Extending out her legs, Lena kicked off her sandals. Wiggling her toes, she said, “I painted my nails your favorite color.” A teardrop formed under her eye. Another soon after.
Scratching some dirt off the tomb’s dates with her fingernail, Lena said, “I can’t believe it’s been a year and a half since you died.”
The sun beginning to set, the air still warm, Lena laughed and cried at the same time. “I think you’d be proud of me.” Twisting her ankles, her feet moving in a clockwise rotation, she said, “I learned how to downsize and not live beyond my means.” There was nervous laughter. “Not that I blame you for not teaching me. Why would you have? You gave me everything a girl could ever want.”
Standing to her feet, stepping up on her tiptoes, Lena looked to where Jeffrey was sleeping. Seeing that he was still passed out, she dropped to her knees. “My life is completely different now. I’m learning about old houses, crystal, I even went to a baseball game,” Lena said. A short laugh escaped her mouth. “I know, I know. You always told me to have an open mind.”
Pouring her heart out to her deceased loved one, she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t experience these things with you. And I really don’t know why I enjoy doing these things now.” Her eyes straying from the gravesite, moving toward the openness of the cemetery, she said, “I blame Jeffrey.”
Swallowing, the pent-up saliva disappearing down her throat, she said, “You’d be amazed if you saw me now.” A nervous laughter escaping her, Lena sat back down on the grass. Crossing her legs, she said, “Would you even find me attractive anymore?”
Lena’s husband, for the better part, was a white-collar executive who worked late hours and traveled the bulk of the year. His down time was spent golfing with his friends. He allowed Lena to buy whatever she wanted in order to keep her happy. Lena never once thought he was taking her for granted, but now, having met Jeffrey and William, she was beginning to realize what she had been missing out on.
The couple never had children. Partially because Lena wasn’t ready. He passed before she could ever change her mind.
Crossing her arms, Lena rocked back and forth. Silenced, she then placed her hands on her legs. Unable to get comfortable, and to reduce her nervousness, Lena began pulling on grass next to her. Keeping her fingers occupied calmed her nerves. The grass falling next to her as she pulled the blades out from the ground, Lena’s attitude started to lighten. The smell of the greenery mixed in with the atmosphere relaxed her.
Her body lifting in excitement, she said, “Oh my God. I forgot to tell you. At the baseball game, Jeffrey caught a homerun ball.” Raising her arm high, pretending that she caught a ball, she said, “It was sooo cool. I didn’t see it because I was hiding behind him.” Pulling her arm down, Lena said, “But the entire stadium did. We were on the big screen for everyone to see.” Smiling, her eyes became glossy from sharing the experience.
Removing the sweat from her forearms, Lena wiped her hands on the grass. She said, “I also met a man named William. He’s a trip as well. The three of us hang out together regularly.”
Her eyes moved left to right. Puckering her lips, forming a crooked smile on her face, Lena said, “I don’t want you to be mad at me for not coming that much.” A steady stream of tears down her cheeks, she said, “I will try to come out more often to see you.” Her face soaking wet, she said, “I promise.”
The weed whacker approaching, interrupting her moment briefly, Lena craned her neck to the direction of the motor. In her peripheral, she noticed Jeffrey was gone.
Standing, Lena pirouetted to find Jeffrey behind her. “Hi,” she said. Sincere in her words, she said, “You were sleeping over there so I—”
Butting in, Jeffrey said, “You don’t have to apologize.” Pausing so the cemetery worker could pass by, he said, “I know you miss him. I’m sorry that we had to meet because our spouses died.”
Sighing in relief, Lena said, “Danny would’ve liked you. William? Not so much.”
Smiling, his eyes half closed from the bright sunshine, Jeffrey said, “C’mon. I’ll take you home.”
The two walked the long stretch toward Jeffrey’s car. Both grievers were lost in their thoughts. Lena’s mouth curled into a grin as she walked side by side with Jeffrey, who was staring blankly toward the parked automobile.
Passing by a family plot of gravestones, the couple arrived at the ‘Vette. Once inside, the pair quietly drove off, never speaking the entire ride back to Lena’s house.
Arriving at the residence, pulling into the driveway, the Drama Doll said, “I’ll see you in a few.”
It could have been the afternoon in the cemetery with Her that caused Jeffrey to feel better than usual. Spending the day with Lena was always nice as well. Especially without William. Clearing up the Emily situation was also a breath of fresh air.
Sitting behind his vanity, staring into the mirror, Jeffrey observed his face. Turning his head left to right, his face clean and free of makeup from the shower, he could see the wrinkles around his eyes becoming more prevalent. Sun spots on his forehead, Jeffrey felt his age hitting him. Still a bit sore from the continual heavy lifting and non-stop action, the days of his youth were passing by.
Dressing up as a cheerleader still fulfilled him. To say that breaking into houses was as fun as when the Drama Dolls first started, that was not the case. It just appeared as if the same breakin was occurring each night. Pilfering the same types of jewelry, escaping down a similar path to freedom, and sorting through similar kinds of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
The voice of quality reason, silent for a while now, it was missing Her deeply. Visiting the gravesite only made it miss Her more.
Spotting the unraveled cheerleader uniform on the floor through the mirror’s reflection, Jeffrey smiled inside. The excitement building for the night’s heist brewing underneath his bitter exterior. Pumping himself up for another evening with his fr
iends, Jeffrey breathed in heavily and then exhaled through his mouth. Pounding his chest like a gorilla, his lips smoking an invisible cigar, Jeffrey rose to his feet and grabbed his Drama Dolls outfit.
Sliding into the uniform, Jeffrey picked up his pom-poms and shook his wrists, fluffing the plastic stream of feathers.
In full getup, the adult cheerleader kicked his leg up high into the air. A pom-pom in each hand, his fists on his hips, Jeffrey alternated kicks into the air. Skipping in place, building into a rhythm, the Drama Doll’s theme song played into his brain.
Underneath the cloud of thoughts, the volume increasing as the music played, Jeffrey’s chorus of his current life rang into his ears.
Raising up a pom-pom to his mouth, using it as a microphone, Jeffrey sang the lyrics to “I Will Survive” into the vanity’s mirror. His reflection returned an uplifting image, an impression of hope that everything will be alright.
Jumping into a scissor kick, Jeffrey landed on his healing ankle. His ankle twisting awkwardly. The discomfort caused him to fall over onto the wood floor.
A record needle pulling off the groove, the music in his head stopped suddenly. Groaning in pain on the hardwood, Jeffrey grabbed his ankle and rubbed it.
The inner voice of sympathetic reason, it said, “Survive! Survive!”
Inside, Jeffrey was changing. He was feeling his age. Emotions still running wild, there was a different sensation. Jeffrey, he was accepting the situation.
----------
Sneaking into the window near the side entrance, Barb entered first. She turned, waved Brittney in with her fingers. Instead of getting her partner, Emily appeared, arms extended.
“Seriously,” Barb said. “You’re bringing her?”
“What do you want me to do with her?” Brittney said, urging Barb to grab the body.
Frustrated, Barb said, “I don’t know. You could leave her outside.”
“Just grab her.”
Annoyed, pulling the mannequin in through the window, Barb said, “Hell, you could’ve left her at the house.” Barb heaved Emily up to her feet and propped her up against the wall.
Drama Dolls: A Novel: [Dark, Suspenseful, Fast-paced, Exhilarating] Page 15
