Nothing Else Matters

by Leslie DuBois

  “Look, I was planning on calling you, but since you’re here I’ll just tell you.” Maggie looped her arm through Reyna’s and walked with her to her first class still gesturing wildly with her free hand. “On behalf of the social committee, we would like to give you and Scott a wedding,” Maggie said, clasping her hands together excitedly.

  “What? A wedding? What do you mean?” She didn’t know what Maggie was talking about. She and Scott were already married.

  “Well, as you know, Fall Ball is Saturday night. We already have the venue, the decorations, the food, everything. But instead of making it just a dance, we want it to be your wedding.”

  Reyna stood speechless. She couldn’t believe the sentiment of the gesture.

  “Maggie, I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what to say,” Reyna said, smiling broadly. She thought about her father. This would be his missed opportunity to walk her down the aisle. It would be perfect. “But can you do that? Will the Charleston Prep administration allow it?” she asked, trying not to get too excited. Maybe there was something in the student handbook preventing teenage marriage.

  Maggie waved her hand in the air like she was swatting away a fly. “Oh, please. What does Charleston Prep have to do with it? It’s the social committee’s money and the ball isn’t on campus. Even if it was on campus, I’m sure the administration would be fine with it. Everyone loves you and Scott.”

  “Well … um … wow, Mags. I kind of need to talk to Scott. I don’t know if he’s up for planning a wedding.”

  Speaking about a million words a minute Maggie said, “Oh, just say yes. We’ll take care of the rest. You and Scott won’t have to do a thing. You know Caroline Darby? Well, her mom is a dress designer and she has the perfect dress for you. You won’t be able to keep it, but, hey, you can use it for the night. You’re gonna look gorgeous. And do you know what the theme of the dance is? It’s so perfect it’s going to be fabulous. The theme is Romeo and Juliet.”

  Reyna’s smile faded. Most people knew how much she hated that play. But she guessed she’d never mentioned it to Maggie. Honestly, she didn’t want her wedding associated with such a tragic story, but she also didn’t want to hurt Maggie’s feelings. She had obviously put a lot of thought into it. She was being ridiculous. It was just a play and it had nothing to do with her and Scottie. But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling of foreboding.

  ***

  I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock. I looked for my wife but she wasn’t lying next to me anymore. Apparently, she had gotten up early and set the alarm for me to take my medication. I’d slept through the buzzing sound for over an hour and now my body was paying for it. The pain was tortuous. Worse than anything I remembered experiencing in the hospital. I needed my medicine. Thankfully, Reyna had left it out for me along with something to eat. She thought of everything.

  I couldn’t eat though. The thought of food made me want to wretch. The amount of pain alone made my stomach turn. I thought if I could just get a few painkillers in me I would feel better and be able to eat later.

  I tried to swing my legs over the edge of the bed and cried out in pain. My knees were so sore I couldn’t bend them. I wanted to curl up into a fetal position and cry, but the thought of moving an inch was overwhelming.

  Not knowing what to do, I lay paralyzed for a few moments trying to think. With every passing moment the pain in my chest from the surgery grew and my knees felt more and more enflamed. I had to do something. If I stayed there any longer, I would pass out from the pain.

  One inch at a time, I forced myself to crawl over to where Reyna had placed my medication on the other side of the bed. Every muscle in my body strained. Every inch I thought would be my last.

  My hands shook as I grabbed a bottle of Oxycodone. Not having the energy or the strength to reach for the juice, I swallowed the capsules dry. Once the pills were inside me I sighed with relief. I truly believed that they would start working in moments and bring enough relief for me to take the rest of my medication. But that’s not what happened.

  My body didn’t accept the Oxycodone on an empty stomach. The vomiting that proceeded a few moments later was agonizing. I scooted away from the bile that had escaped my body and soaked the bed sheets so that I wouldn’t be lying in it.

  Paralyzed with pain, nausea, and fear, I lay in bed fighting the urge to pass out. My chest ached with an indescribable pressure. I thought I was having a heart attack. I felt I would die if I kept laying there.

  My eyes drifted to my open bathroom door. I thought about the night of passion my wife and I had shared. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to grow old with Reyna. Though two days ago the thought of never playing sports again made me want to welcome death, today I had a new reason to live. I was a husband. I didn’t want to make her a widow after just a week of marriage. I didn’t know when to expect Reyna back and I needed to get to the hospital.

  ***

  The thought of that stupid tragedy Romeo and Juliet plagued Reyna’s mind. It just gave her a bad feeling. Sitting in class was pointless. After missing a week of school, she wasn’t sure what was being taught and she couldn’t concentrate on the lesson anyway. She was sick with worry about Scott. She thought about calling him to make sure he was all right, but she didn’t want to wake him if he was resting. The strong painkillers probably had knocked him out. Everything was fine, she tried to convince herself. It didn’t work. She couldn’t believe she had left him alone. What was she thinking? By the end of second period, she decided to go back to Scott’s house and check on him. She had just finished explaining this to the rest of her teachers when her cell phone buzzed.

  Once again, Reyna rushed to the emergency room.

  She found him attached to an IV and sleeping peacefully. She placed his hand in hers and kissed it while berating herself for leaving him alone.

  “I’ll never leave you again,” she whispered.

  A few minutes later, Scott began to toss and turn in his bed. Reyna feared the worst when he woke up. Would he be depressed again? She thought he would eventually lose the will to live and try to kill himself or something. She would stay with him day in and day out if that was the case. She would keep him in her presence every second if it meant saving his life. He was too valuable to her.

  But when Scott looked at her and smiled his classic lopsided grin, she knew something inside him had changed. He wouldn’t be sinking into a depression again.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, brushing his hair off of his forehead.

  “I’m fine. I had a Lupus flare up. That combined with missing my meds kinda threw me into some pretty bad pain. After what I felt this morning, I could knit a sweater while sittin’ on hot coals till the cows come home.”

  Reyna chuckled at his colorful analogy. He really was back to normal.

  “Anyway, they gave me enough medication to make a rhinoceros tap dance and some fluids to fight the dehydration from all the vomiting and now I’m happier than a clam at an oyster roast.”

  “Vomiting? Oh God, Scottie, I’m so sorry I left you. I should’ve been there for you.”

  “Rey, you were there. When I couldn’t move and I thought I was going to die, I thought of you. Your face, your smile, that’s what gave me the strength to get out of bed and call 911.” Scott took his finger and followed the path of a tear that slid down Reyna’s cheek.

  Dr. Schaeffer kept Scott in the hospital overnight, hoping that the inflammation in his joints would decrease enough for him to walk comfortably. Despite several medications at different doses, nothing worked. So, the hospital rented Scott a wheelchair and recommended that he stay off his feet and in bed for as much time as possible.

  The star athlete of Charleston Prep was bedridden.

  When they got to the Kincaid house, Stu had anticipated Scott’s needs and moved his bed downstairs to the dining room so Scott wouldn’t have to climb the stairs.

  That night they held each other in a comforting embrace. As R
eyna described the wedding plans for Saturday, she felt for the first time that she and Scott could live happily ever after. That was until Sam returned the next morning.

  Chapter 34

  Friday Nov. 21

  We awoke to the front door slamming. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock sitting on the windowsill. It was 5:30 in the morning.

  Sam stood in the doorway of the dining room staring at me lying next to Reyna. She was silent. I noticed her favorite duffle bag tossed over her shoulder and a new medal hanging from her neck. She must have won the marathon in Italy.

  Reyna rolled over slowly. When she opened her eyes and saw Sam standing in front of her, she froze. They stared at each other like two tigresses that had happened upon the same fresh carrion. After what felt like an eternity, Reyna finally said, “I think you two should talk.” Thankfully, she wasn’t naked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She slipped her feet into her shoes and grabbed her keys. After giving me a peck on the lips she said, “Don’t forget your medicine.” Then she slid past Sam and walked out of the front door. The whole time Sam hadn’t taken her eyes off of her.

  When she heard Reyna’s car start, she said, “I sure hope you used a condom. I don’t want any nappy-headed grandchildren.” Sam dropped her duffle bag on the floor, and then headed to the kitchen.

  “Take it back,” I said as Sam opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.

  “What did you say?” she asked with the bottle halfway to her mouth.

  “Don’t talk that way about my wife.”

  “Wife?”

  I nodded. “We got married on Wednesday. Right after you left.”

  “Married? You married her?” She shook her head in disbelief then took a swig of water. After swallowing she added, “Doesn’t matter. I’m your mother. You can’t do that without my permission. Don’t I have to sign something or something? I’ll have it annulled.” She shrugged.

  “I’m eighteen. You have no control over what I do.”

  “I do as long as you’re living in my house.”

  “Well, then we’ll move out and get an apartment together.”

  She chugged the rest of the water then said, “You’re so retarded, Scott. You have one close call and you get all sappy. That girl is not gonna make you happy. Now she has you trapped. She’s gonna have half of your future earnings when you turn pro.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I had to stay calm. This conversation was a long time coming and I didn’t want to lose my temper. I needed to convey my feelings to Sam as calmly as possible. Maybe then she would understand me.

  “Mother, listen to me,” I said, trying to appeal to any remnants of motherly instincts she may have. Wasn’t it a part of nature for mothers to love their offspring? Why hadn’t I ever seen any evidence of that in Sam? “When I’m with her, my wife, Reyna, I feel human. I feel alive, instead of some trained monkey programmed to fulfill your dreams. Why can’t you understand that and be happy for me?”

  She didn’t respond. And she didn’t notice that I was barely moving in the bed or the fact that my bed was downstairs in the first place. She didn’t even inquire about my health. The woman had tunnel vision. If it didn’t directly pertain to my athletic career, it didn’t register in her mind. She would never understand me. I felt myself losing my cool.

  “I played a football game with a hole in my lung. A HOLE IN MY LUNG! Do you know how ridiculous that is? Any normal human being wouldn’t have even thought to do such a thing. But I didn’t feel I had any other choice. Because of you, I forced myself to go out on that field and I nearly died. I nearly killed myself for you. For you! Then you turn around and jet off to Italy to run in some stupid race without a second thought to my well-being.”

  “I couldn’t deal with seeing you in a hospital bed anymore, okay?” she said, turning away from me. “And it wasn’t a stupid race. It was the Firenze Marathon in Florence, Italy. I’ve been training for it for months,” she added softly. Maybe some guilt was finally starting to set in. She touched her medal self-consciously. In the dim lighting I couldn’t tell what place she had earned. I’m sure if it was gold, she would’ve felt her behavior was beyond justified.

  “Well, I hope winning that medal was worth it because you just lost a son.” I turned my back to her and shut my eyes tightly. I didn’t want her to see the sadness in my face.

  ***

  Reyna spent the day texting Scott every free moment she got to make sure he was okay. She wanted to stay by his side, but with Sam’s return she thought it might not be in their best interests. Instead, Stu stayed home to keep an eye on him.

  After school, Reyna, Shawan, Andrea, Julie, and Maggie went to Caroline’s mother’s dress shop on King Street to try on the dress.

  “OMG, Rey! You look like a princess. I love your hair straight like that,” Maggie gushed.

  “She’s looks better than a princess,” Julie said. “She looks like … like the sunrise over the marsh.”

  “What did you say?” Reyna asked, staring at Julie oddly. Her mood changed instantly from one of gleeful bliss to pessimistic foreboding.

  “What? Did I say something wrong?” Julie’s wide eyes revealed her nervousness at Reyna’s sudden change.

  “No. It’s just I’ve never heard anyone use that expression before.” Reyna stepped down from the platform and went over to her pile of clothes in the corner of the room. She searched for her cell phone. For some reason, that innocent reference to La Cienega filled her with an overwhelming need to speak to her husband. She couldn’t explain why. Julie didn’t even know anything about the story.

  You can’t explain away feelings. Sometimes you just have to let them explain themselves to you. She heard La Cienega’s voice in her head and searched harder for her cell phone. The day before when she had a bad feeling, Scott ended up in the emergency room.

  “Well, my family lives out in Bayview in Mt. Pleasant right on the marsh. Every morning I get up to watch the sunrise and I think it’s the most beautiful thing ever. I was just trying to say you looked beautiful.” She heard Julie explaining her choice in words. She seemed hurt over Reyna’s reaction.

  “It’s fine, Julie. And you’re right. The sunrise over the marsh is beautiful. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just have this bad feeling. Like … like something bad is going to happen.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Andrea asked in her sweet tiny voice. She had such an amazing and powerful singing voice, Reyna marveled how it could come out of the same little person.

  Reyna noted the looks of concern on everyone’s faces. She hated making people worry for no reason. She just didn’t understand why she couldn’t shake this feeling of doom that shadowed over her. She and Scott were going to be happy. The worst was behind them, right? Maybe Sam’s return had something to do with the bad feeling. She wondered if Sam was working up some way to keep them apart.

  She tried to smile and show everyone she was okay. She didn’t want to put a damper on what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. She was wearing her wedding dress.

  “Just let me talk to Scott for a minute, then we can grab a bite to eat and finish making plans, okay?” Reyna put on the most chipper voice she could muster. She took her cell phone into the changing room for a little privacy and called her husband.

  “Hey, Rey,” he said in his deep baritone phone voice. The sound of him made her insides quiver. She swore that when he spoke on the phone his voice went two pitches deeper making her weak in the knees. “What’s up?” he added.

  “I just wanted to hear your voice. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “What’s up with Sam?” she asked, hoping to allay the fears that woman had conjured up in her mind.

  “I don’t know. She hasn’t said a word to me since that argument we had this morning.”

  “Oh.” This didn’t help Reyna’s worries. “So, she’s still home then?”

  “Y
eah.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll stay at my place tonight.”

  He sighed. She could tell he didn’t want to spend a night away from her, but there was nothing else they could do. Sam would never allow Reyna to stay there and getting Scott to her place would be a logistical nightmare considering his wheelchair and the fourteen steps up to her front door.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you, too. The next time we see each other, I’ll be walking toward you down the aisle.”

  After eating dinner at Magnolia’s and finalizing all the plans for the wedding/Fall Ball, the girls hugged each other and said their goodbyes.

  “So I guess the Saturday study session is cancelled, right?” Shawan asked with a hopeful grin on her chubby face.

  “No way, little girl. I’ve had to cancel the last two. I gotta get back on track. We have to keep those Geometry grades up. I’ll see you at eight at the center. The wedding doesn’t start until six in the evening. We’ll have plenty of time.”

  Shawan pretended to pout by poking out her bottom lip. Then she smiled and said, “Fine, I’ll see you at eight.”

  “Can we come too?” Maggie asked, indicating herself and Julie. “Maybe we could work on the Econ project that’s due next week?”

  “And I could sure use some help in Geometry as well,” Julie added.

  Reyna thought for a moment. In three years, there had never been a white student attend the Saturday help session. Every once in a while Scott stopped by on his morning run, but he’d only stay a few minutes and even then he’d just tease her about working too hard then move on. Hmph. He was one to talk about working too hard.

  But why did her help session need to continue to be segregated? Sometimes, everyone needed help. Julie and Maggie were trying to bridge the gap between the white and black students. How could she deny them?