The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “She did too,” William insisted, “with the mailman.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “And the milkman. And her golf instructor and ... Marv the Gardner.” William tilted his head. “Oh I can’t forget about ...”

  “Dad.” Dean said shocked. “No.”

  “Yes. What can I say? I was never around. She stopped though eventually.”

  Dean closed his eyes briefly. “If Ellen and I start out from the ground up again, like you suggested, I have a feeling that, like usual, Frank will always be around. He has this hold on her.”

  “Really?” William raised his eyebrow and stood up. “I have dinner to finish.” He walked to the kitchen and stopped. “But just keep one thing in mind. No matter how much of a hold Frank has on Ellen, you my son, will always, be one up on the man with a bond only a child can bring.” He disappeared out of sight. “Oh now look, brown stuff has boiled over. Damn it Dean, you and your problems.”

  Dean drew up a smile as he swayed his head. Not only did his father make him chuckle and irritate him, but William made Dean think. The words of advice William gave Dean would not go unheard. They never did.

  <><><><>

  Everything Dean had said had stayed with Ellen even though she didn’t want it to. She reasoned that he spoke out of anger and hurt, but she couldn’t reason enough to shake his Frank ‘using her’ theory from her mind. Though she should have just let it go, she couldn’t. She had to find out for herself. She knew Frank so well How could she not after all these years? Dean had to be wrong and she was going to prove it.

  Arms folded tightly to her, Ellen walked down the street, pausing to look at Dean’s place and wondering how much he hated her. She saw Johnny playing with Denny when she finally arrived at Frank’s. “Hey, Johnny, is your Dad inside?”

  Johnny looked up from the toy figures he and Denny noisily moved about the ground. “Yeah. He’s unpacking.”

  Ellen nodded a thanks, took a shivering breath, and walked into Frank’s house. “Frank?”

  “Up here. Come on up!” he yelled down.

  Ellen followed his voice up the steps and to his bedroom. “Frank?” She walked inside, he was unpacking.

  “Hey El. What’s up?”

  “I thought ... I thought you couldn’t bring yourself to unpack.”

  “I couldn’t.” Frank looked at her as he reached into an open box. “But right now, I’m feeling a little better.” He winked.

  “I bet,” Ellen mumbled.

  “What?” Frank asked carrying a stack of tee-shirts to his dresser.

  Ellen bit her bottom lip. Quickly she raced through her mind to choose one of the many ways she was going to approach him with her fears. “Frank?” She stepped to the bed. “What was this afternoon about?”

  “Excuse me?” Frank placed the shirts in the dresser.

  “With us. What was that about?”

  “El? What are you talking about? I think you know.”

  “I think I do too. I just need to hear it from you.”

  “This afternoon was about ...” Frank paused for the words. “About two best friends being there for each other.”

  “And you said you wanted us to be there for each other, right? Together not separate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like this afternoon? Is that the way you mean?”

  “El?” Frank gave a quirky smile. “What’s wrong? Why are you asking me that?”

  “Is that what you mean by together?”

  “If that’s what it takes to help us, if that’s what we need, yeah.” He moved back to the bed and his boxes.

  “Together not separate.”

  “Yes. It would be a little difficult to do it separately, El.” Frank grabbed another stack of clothes from the box.

  Ellen breathed out. “So does this mean, since you’re unpacking, that I should just get my stuff and bring it here?”

  The clothes dropped from Frank’s hand.

  “Frank?”

  “Um ...”

  “I’m going to live here with you right?”

  “El.” Frank bent down and picked up the clothes. “Look ...”

  “You said together, not separate. You meant as a couple right?”

  “A couple?” Frank brought the clothes to his dresser. “Ellen, look I ...”

  “Be there for each other. Work through this together. We should be a couple. Don’t you agree? I’m expecting to be a couple now.”

  Frank gave a nervous laugh. “Don’t you think that’s a little um ... inane, El? The world ended. I would think the need for commitment would have too. I mean, where else are we going to go.”

  “But you wanted to be together.”

  “There are twenty people in this town, Ellen.” There was a spark of agitation to Frank. “You live down the street. How are we not supposed to be together?”

  “By not being a couple.”

  “I don’t understand ...” Frank put the clothes away and walked to her. “I don’t understand this sudden need you have for a commitment from me.”

  “We slept together.”

  “So.”

  Ellen gasped. “So?”

  “No wait. That came out wrong.” Frank held up his hand. “We were together because we needed that closeness. We needed to be close to help each other through a rough time. I’m sure we will again.”

  “How can we if we’re not a couple? Doesn’t that make us a couple? I thought you told me a few months back that you wanted to raise this baby with me, be a family with me. And today you told me you wanted to be together with me.”

  Frank closed his eyes. “El, look. I said those things and if that’s what you really want, then ... then I’ll do it.”

  “Oh.” Ellen shook her head and waved her hands. “Don’t do me any favors, Frank.” She spun and moved for the door.

  Frank reached out and snatched her back by the arm. “El, wait. You have to understand. There is more to being a couple than sleeping together.”

  “I know this.”

  “We can be close. We can be there for each other. But I just ... I just can’t sit back and worry if I’m doing everything right enough to make you happy. I have my son to put first. He is number one. I can’t worry about if I make enough time for you, am I meeting your needs. There are other men in this community that you can be with. I don’t want that on my mind as well, not now. Not at this point in my life. My head is too fucked up to think about that.”

  “And mine isn’t? I lost my children too, Frank. My head is fucked up also, but that didn’t matter to you did it?”

  “What are you talking about” Frank asked.

  “I was trying to move ahead, put the past behind me, but you took it upon yourself to fuck that up, to send Dean upstairs to see for himself that we slept together. Not because you wanted me, but because you didn’t want him to have me.” Ellen’s voice raised in anger. “How, after all these years, can you stand here and insinuate to me that it will be all right to sleep together, to be there, but only when the need is there and to hell any other time when things are fine.”

  “No El. No. You got it wrong. God.” Frank grabbed onto his head in frustration, tensing up his hands. “Right now, right at this moment, I can’t deal with anything else but my son and getting my head straight. I can’t deal with you like that in that way. Not right now. Can’t you understand that?”

  “Oh I understand. I understand that you needed a quick fix for your hurt and you reached out to the easiest place to get it. Me! Just like you always have. Just like you did for fifteen years. Frank’s little whore. When the truth is you really could care less about me and my feelings. You proved all that and the fact that you know nothing about me.”

  “Bullshit!” Frank’s arm came pummeling down. “I know everything about you!”

  “The hell you do. If you did Frank, if I was the so called best friend in your life, then you would know me well enough to know I’m hurting too. I need to move on. I don’t need to get int
o any head game relationships either.”

  “If you’re not wanting to get into a relationship either, then why did you bring it up?”

  “Just to see how much you used me today, to see what your intention were. And you showed me you just wanted to secure the fact that you had me at your beck and call whenever your body wanted to feel good enough to make your heart stop hurting. Well I got news for you, Frank. Find someone else to lay down for you.” Ellen stormed through the archway and before she even made it in the hall, Frank pulled her back, slammed the door, and spun her around.

  “You tricked me?”

  “I tricked you,” Ellen said smugly.

  “Where do you get off pulling shit like that?”

  “Where do I get off? Shouldn’t the question be, where does Frank get off ... Ellen.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “No, fuck you, Frank. From now on, stay away from me. Stay out of my life. I’m putting my past behind me and that includes you.” Ellen pointed, pushed him back, turned, flung open the door, and charged out.

  “Ellen!” Frank raced out after her, hearing her quickly moving footsteps on the stairs. Just as he descended them and reached the halfway point, he heard the door slam. And with that, Frank filled with outrage, turned, and delivered his anger through his fist into the wall.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Come on, Dad, please,” Robbie begged Joe as everyone started to gather for the meeting.

  “Robbie, no.”

  “But we can.” Robbie followed Joe around the long table set up. “I can get along great with Henry.”

  Joe looked at Henry who trailed behind Robbie. “Did you put this into his head?”

  “Oh, no, Joe. Robbie approached me, but I don’t see a problem with it.”

  “I do,” Joe stated. “You too will clash, guaranteed. Robbie, what is wrong with living with Frank?”

  “For starters I don’t want to sleep on the couch. Second, I was playing my guitar and he yelled at me.” Robbie nodded. “In all seriousness, Dad.” Robbie cleared his throat. “You can’t stop me from moving in with Henry.”

  “No, I can’t.” Joe folded his arms. “You are absolutely right. You’re a grown man who is free to make his own decisions, but as your father let me say this. You move in with Henry. You have been warned. There are no laws anymore, Robbie and I don’t have to deal with being irritated with you. So complain once about living with Henry and I can kill you, plain and simple. Kill you. Death doesn’t faze me anymore.”

  Robbie blinked a few times and then his eyes immediately shifted when he saw Ellen walk in. “El.” He raced to her. “Can I move in with you? I’ll help clean. I’ll cook. I just want a bed. Please?”

  “Sure.” Ellen shrugged. “That’s fine.”

  “Yes! I’ll bring my stuff over tonight. Thanks.” Robbie grinned and ran to Joe. “I’m not moving in with Henry.”

  “Good.” Joe showed his pleasure in hearing that.

  “Yeah. I’m moving in with Ellen.” Robbie hurried away.

  “Christ. Robbie I ...” Joe felt the tug on his sleeve. He turned around and had to look down some. Maggie, red faced stood there. “Maggie, what’s wrong.”

  “I’m hot, Joe,” she said. “I am so hot.”

  Joe’s finger went to his ear to rub it. He thought he felt a buzz but realized that was an annoying snicker. Slowly he shifted his eyes to Henry. “Knock it off.” He turned back to Maggie. “Why are you so hot?” Again, Joe shifted his eyes to the peep of a snicker.

  “My air conditioning unit broke and that darned front window won’t go up. Can you get it up for me, Joe? I’m too hot.”

  Joe bit his bottom lip and looked at Henry. “Henry.”

  “You know what?” Henry looked brightly. “How about I go over and look at your air conditioning for you.”

  “Would you?” the elderly Maggie said.

  “Sure. Joe can fill me in on the meeting. We don’t want you being a hot woman, Maggie.” Holding back his snicker, Henry stepped to the side, gave a smirk to Maggie and Joe, and walked away.

  <><><><>

  Baby Katie was so fussy in Andrea’s arms and she was a big baby for nine months too. Andrea bounced her, staying calm as the baby fussed and whined. She walked in to the hall with Denny and the baby. “Denny, sweetie, I’ve got to get a break. I’ll be right back.” Looking around to see who could help her, Andrea spotted seventeen year old Jenny. Jenny stood with John Matoose and Robbie looking more like she was bothering them than talking to them. Adjusting Katie once more, Andrea moved to the trio. “Jenny?”

  “Oh hi, Andrea.” Jenny said perkily.

  “Jenny would you be a sweetheart and hold Katie for a while. She’s being fussy and my back is killing me.”

  “Oh sure.” Jenny took the baby from Andrea who brought forth a loud sound of relief. “Go sit down. I’ll watch her.”

  “You’re a doll.” Andrea reached out and patted Jenny on the cheek, grabbed her back, and moved to the tables.

  Jenny held the fussy baby. “I like children. Do you like children, John?” John opened his mouth to speak but Jenny rambled some more. “One day I would like to have children but I’m going to have to find a man. And have sex. I’m a virgin you know.”

  Robbie walked away.

  Andrea nearly staggered to the table. The three farmers sat there near Miguel. Everyone else that was there seemed to mosey about the big empty building. Andrea smiled, waved her hand a little to Miguel, and walked over. “Mind if I sit here?”

  Miguel looked at her and then looked ahead.

  “Miguel?” Andrea pulled out the chair. Just as she lowered to sit, Miguel sprang up.

  “Excuse me,” he spoke rapidly and ran off like a scared child.

  From behind Andrea, Joe leaned. “I think you should closely reexamine what you have been saying to people. I think you offended him again.”

  “There’s Denny.” Johnny happily pointed as he and Frank walked into the meeting hall. “Can I play with him?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Frank looked about everyone there as if there were a hundred people. “Be good.”

  Johnny raced over to the far wall where Denny was on the floor with George. “Hey guys.”

  “Johnny, my boy.” George reached up and took Johnny’s arm. “Join us. I’m teaching Denny a game here. It’s called shooting dice. You can play each other for chores and things. That’s called gambling.”

  “Neat.” John sat on the floor, and excitedly waited to learn.

  “El.” Frank made his way over to her as she stood with Robbie. Ellen ignored him and kept her back to Frank. “El.”

  Robbie looked at them both. Ellen’s bitch look, Frank’s anger. “Hey Frank,” Robbie spoke upbeat. “Guess what? I know you may not like this but I’m not going to live with you. I’m gonna take the other bedroom in Ellen’s house until the baby is ...”

  “You’re what?” Frank’s voice raised and he laid his hand on Ellen’s shoulder turning her around. “Why is my brother living with you?”

  “He needs a bed.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning he needs a place to sleep, asshole and not just on your couch,” Ellen snapped.

  Robbie swayed his head. “Really, Frank, it’s innocent, I just ...”

  “Stay out of it, Robbie.”

  “Don’t you yell at him,” Ellen blared at Frank.

  “I’m not yelling at him. This is yelling at him.” Frank moved his views to Robbie. “Robbie! Stay out of it!”

  Robbie’s mouth tightly closed in a sour pucker as he held back laughing. “O.K.” He shrugged. “I think I’ll uh .... just sit down now.”

  “Thank you.” With his hands on his hips, Frank looked at Ellen as he spoke to Robbie. He waited until he saw through his peripheral vision that Robbie was gone. “Now what kind of game are you playing here, El?”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “Using my brother by asking him to move in with you.”


  “I wouldn’t play games and use Robbie, Frank. Once again today you prove how well you don’t know me.”

  “Bullshit. We fight. You run to him.”

  “First off!” Ellen held up her hand. “I did not run to Robbie. Secondly, again, it’s my business and it has nothing to do with you. Nothing!” Her head shook once. “I told you, Frank, I’m done with you. I mean it. I do. A lot of years I dealt with you ...”

  “Dealt with ne?”

  “Dealt with you. And I’m through. Moving on with my life means not only putting the heartache behind me but my mistakes as well.”

  “Oh you’re doing that real well by having my brother move in with you. Or don’t you consider sleeping with him a mistake? Probably not or else why would you move him into your house?”

  “I’ll tell you what, Frank.” She pointed as she moved away from him. “That is the second time today you have proceeded to make me feel cheap. Do it again and see that gun Joe has? I swear I’ll shoot you in the fuckin’ head. I swear it.” She spun harshly, moved to the table, and conveniently took a seat between Miguel and Robbie.

  <><><><>

  Joe’s voice was the singular sound in the big empty room with only two long tables joined together. “I’ll explain that to Henry when he returns. O.K.” Joe set down his notes at the end of the table. “To rehash quickly, besides all of us doing our share of field work, Henry will work with Robbie and John in what will be our mechanical division. A lot needs fixed and up and running. Miguel, Jonas, and Jenny will work with our farmers, Jenny in the greenhouse, Miguel and Jonas learning fields. George and I will stock and organize all that shit we picked up on the runs plus schedule more. Frank, you’ll come up with a new security system and run checks of our perimeters daily. Keep out those who wonder over from the far mountain. Stan said about three showed up last month. One got violent because he wouldn’t let him in.” Joe watched Frank nod. “William will work with Andrea, teaching her and getting the clinic up. Dean and Ellen are our medical future. They’ll do research. Any questions?” Joe received silent stares. “All right. Listen.” Joe lifted his leg and set it on a chair. “I know the feel is a somber one here people. I’ve been around you all day. It’s normal. This is all new. But it will work. I promise you that. We’ll survive, unlike those who are outside our walls. They may not. After a few days I’d like to take a break in the work. I know we have a few of these buildings that need redone. I’d like to make this one the first.” Joe looked around. “Make some short runs into the neighboring towns. I’d like to make this building into a bar type place, a social hall. So next week, we’ll do it. At least we’ll have a place other than out homes to relax. O.K.?” Joe took a breath. “All right, I’ll let you all go. Any questions about anything, any problems, just see me.”