Gert nodded and walked towards the door. Jason and Jenny Lee went back to watching TV and arguing over the program.
Outside he walked with her towards her car and started by saying, "I, uh, been doing a lot of thinking. Ma'am, I can't continue on living like this, so, uh…just so you know it, I've already filed for divorce."
"Dwight…" His name came out as stunned empathy and some regret.
"I'm sorry, I just can't …your daughter… she don't care a lick about me, never has; I thought, somehow… someway, I stick with her, she's bound to love me at some point. She don't. She don't clean house. She don't cook. Only time she knows I'm alive is on payday. She barely sees about our kids, the moment they were old enough to see to themselves. Most of the money, if she gets her hands on it, goes to drinking, smoking, staying out all night. She cheats on me too, ma'am. I just…I can't keep on like this. I got a job waiting for me in Wyoming. Supervisor position with damn good pay if I was willing to relocate and, uh…I am. I'm taking my boy with me. Jenny Lee, well…she's set on staying here, marrying him. I'm gonna let her, and her mama is here, you all are here. She needs anything, can you check on her?"
"Of course, Dwight, there was no need you even asking that. I'm so sorry."
"Ain't nothing for you to be sorry about. Kathy Ann is just…I don't know. I wish her the best and I hold nothing against her. It's my fault; I knew she didn't love me, but I loved her so much…I thought I could love her enough for the both of us. No such thing."
Gert didn't know what to say.
"I just wanted you to know, that's all, ma'am."
"When will you be leaving, Dwight?"
"I've been hanging around, trying to wait for her to come home, so I could tell her. I gotta report to my new job next week Monday, I can't wait anymore. I'm taking Jason, he and I are heading out first thing tomorrow morning. I was gone swing by the farm to let you all know, say goodbye."
"I don't know what to say, honestly I don't. Well, yes I do. You done the best you can. It amazes me that you stuck with her for as long as you did, under those circumstances. She'll regret losing you."
"No she won't, ma'am. She barely gives me the time of day."
"What about this house?"
"It's hers. It's been paid off for over a year now, reason I been working like the devil putting in as much overtime as I could get my hands on. I had planned leaving her last year, but she don't work, I couldn't just leave her with no home, even though she does have her family. I figure if I'm gonna go, I need to get this house paid for first. Now that it is, it's hers. She can do what she want with it. The taxes on it is paid up for the year as well. But—I not paying alimony. Don't see as I should."
"Dwight, I don't see as you should either. Time for Kathy Ann to get up off of her ass and do something for herself!"
"Well…anyway, what's done is done. Jenny Lee will be staying here with her boyfriend until she comes home, then I think she's moving on too, in with him. As you can see, all the furniture in the house is from your son, we move the other furniture to where Jenny Lee will be living. All that's needed here is a refrigerator."
Gert felt her headache increase. "You have any idea where she might be?" She asked him.
"She could be at this bar where she likes to hang out and drink or…she could be over her friend's house, Connie."
"Can you write it down, this bar?"
"Ma'am, that bar is not the place for a lady like you."
"Please?"
"Want me to go with you? I don't feel right sending you off there alone."
"I'll be fine and give me her friend's number and address as well."
Dwight did as he was told, giving Gert a kiss and a hug goodbye. She went back in and said goodbye to Jason and told him that his grandpa was out of town, so there was no way to catch him before they left but promised to send his love. Gert left and went on a lone search for the bar, she decided that she wouldn't get out of the car unless she saw her daughter's El Camino. There were a few cars there, but no such luck spotting Kathy Ann's. She then left, drove to a Kwik-Trip convenience store, parked there and phoned Kathy Ann's friend on her cell phone, she answered.
"Connie here, if you're a bill collector, you just fuck off—I'm broke!"
"I see, well…I'm Kathy Ann Dearborn's mother, is she there?"
"Oh, shit! Damn, ma'am, sorry about that! You know how it is, most the damn time the phone ring, it's somebody looking for money. What can I do for you?"
"Is my daughter there?"
"No, ma'am, she was supposed to be coming by tonight, I talk to her this morning. She got problems I guess, she was drunk as hell—pardon my expression."
"What did she say?"
"Talking nonsense mostly. Talking about running off and leaving her family, ohhh, this 'bout the hundredth time I heard that. I tried to get her to come by then, so she could just chill, be here. Nope, not happening, said she might come by here tonight."
"If she comes there, please, please, please call me?"
"Yeah, I can do that, hang on, let me get yo'number."
When Gert clicked off, she had little choice but to point her vehicle to Madison and of course, because she hadn't when she said she was going, her phone rang. She sighed, she had a pretty good idea who it was. "Hello?"
"Mom? Where are you?" Derrick blasted.
"I'm on my way there now, son." She patiently explained.
"You were supposed to be on your way here three hours ago! You should have been here by now! Where are you now?"
"Has it occurred to you, son, that I'm a grown woman?"
"Dad said you were pulling out. That was three hours ago. I should have come and gotten you."
Gert gave up, told him where she was, that she'd only come by Kathy Ann's to see about her. There was no explanation needed because he knew what his sister was like. She went on to say that she would explain when she got there. Satisfied, Derrick let her off the phone and went back to pacing and watching the clock until her safe arrival.
* * *
Sheila had just gotten her boys down for the night and was carrying clothes to the hallway to gather with the others to do the laundry. Next week was the last week of school for them, and that meant she would be busy taking them around to their karate classes, their swimming classes, their piano and clarinet lessons, boy scouts, and when summer school started up, that too. She didn't like the idea of them being inactive during the summer, so always had them going even though they didn't need it. They liked it as well, because they did more activities than actual lessons. As she collected the separated loads, she took them into the basement where her husband sat in front of the TV watching the news.
"Guess what, baby?" She finally found the time to tell him the news.
"Hm?" He mumbled a bit distracted, trying to divide his attention between her and what was on TV.
"Miss Vivian, got a ring on her finger."
"What?" He turned around full on the sofa, looking over the back of it towards her.
"You heard me, Jake done put a ring on her finger."
"You lyin'—when?"
"Sylvia called yesterday, said he and Shawn were off to buy her one."
"What?" Dennis started laughing. "My boy been hoodwinked!" Slapping his legs thinking about it, he was cracking up. "So she got it on her finger now?"
"I don't know, Sylvia said they went for it. I haven't heard from her since. I'm assuming he either put it on her finger or going to."
"Man-o, man-o, man! So when she coming home?"
"Sylvia said, that Shawn said, that Jake gone bring her home Wednesday night, after his son's graduation."
"Man, I'm telling you the truth, he put that ring on her finger, her ass gone be grinning for weeks!"
"She said she wanted him. Her ass was praying for that man…and now…she got'im. I just hope she can deal with what she got!"
"Shi-i-it! If she prayed for him, she best pray to the Lord she can. Question is now, if they getting together, who
moving where?"
"I know, I was thinking about that. You think he gone move here?"
"He got that place from Sylvia's mama, no doubt he gone be here from time to time. But moving here? I don't see that. He might try it, but his ass gone be done got up one day, packing his shit, telling her let's go."
"Ohhh, I hope they don't end up moving there, I won't have nobody here for me."
"Let me ask you something, you really like it there?"
"In Wisconsin? Where Sylvia live?"
"Yeah, you like it?"
"Yeah, I like it—why?"
"'Cause, uh, I like it too. I like it a lot; mainly, because of them. Shawn cool, his brother's, they all straight. I could see living there."
"But, what would you do for work? You doing good here."
"I know, that's the hard part. I'd have to make some contacts about work there. See how they do bids for jobs and stuff. Might consider putting in a few bids."
"Yeah, but if we go there, you not gone be able to take your crew with you. So you'd have to get all new guys. I don't know, babe, we might just have to settle for going there every summer, instead of moving there."
"True…true that, it's just a thought." He returned, standing from the sofa heading for the stairs. He had to use the bathroom and grabbed a couple of magazines on the way, as he made his way in, he sat thinking about their weekend there. With a smile on his face, he reminisced on some of the funny things that happened and then their,"Talk". A talk that had been on his mind, but every time he thought about what he had to do, to go there his nose scrunched up and he changed his mind. He sat on the toilet, thumbing through the magazines and happened to look over and notice the light pile of clothes on the floor. His head leaned to the side, looking down at the pile, they were a pile of "delicates". With his foot, using his toes, he kind of shifted them about, separating them to see what was there, for his big toe to hook into a pair of his wife's lacy underwear.
With his eyes shifting to and fro, his mind working, he remembered what Shawn had advised, one of the steps to get used to going there. "I'm telling you, Dennis, if you're not use to it, that's how you get used to it. Grab a pair that she's worn, stick your nose to that crotch cloth and take a deep breath!"
Pinching the lace-trim panty between his big toe and the second toe, he dragged them towards him, and folded the magazine closed on his thigh, gingerly picking them up. Holding both top corners up, he stared at them for a few moments, making faces that reflected him gearing himself up, he turned them around, the crotch facing him. With his mouth twisting and contorting, twitching his nose and taking a deep breath, he blew it out and then brought to crotch to his nose and inhaled deep once more, just as the bathroom door came open.
Startled, he snatched them away from his face down by his side, the magazine tumbled from his thigh while hiding the underwear out of sight. Eyes big as saucers on Sheila, the intruder, he yelled, "DON'T YOU KNOCK?"
Sheila was standing in the open door with her mouth open in surprise, then closed it as his unpleasant activity hit her full force. "Um em! You stank!"
"Would you close the door? Gone leave me alone!"
"Uh? What was…uh…you, uh…doin' just then?" She asked with her face scrunched up in a worried grimace.
"I wa-was readin' my magazine, tryin't'take a shit! You just gone walk yo'ass up in here! Ain't even knock! What the hell you want?" He grumped, trying to figure out what he was going to do with the underwear in his left hand. He decided to drop them and pick up his magazine that hit the floor, when he sat back up, Sheila was still standing in the door. Holding her nose and staring at him with a worried look on her face.
"What the hell you standin' there lookin' at me for?"
"I come to get them dirty clothes on the floor." She said in a nasally tone because she was holding her nose.
"Well, you just close the door and wait for me to come out! Gone now!"
Sheila slanted a sideways look at him, leaning over to try and look past him on the floor where he dropped whatever it was that he'd been sniffing. Dennis was slowly following, leaning forward to block her and realized he had to stay on the stool.
"SHEILA! Can I wipe my ass now - do you mind? My legs gettin' numb, goddammit…get on out'a here now."
"Let me get that load first." She nasal-spoke again.
"NO! You can get'em when I get done."
"Em hm, and spray that Lysol, 'cause yo'ass stank!"
"Yo'ass don't smell like roses either—goddammit!"
Sheila smiled, "Em hm." She grinned walking out and closed the door. Her mouth wide open in shock, she knew what she saw. He was sniffing her underwear. She couldn't believe it. Her husband, sniffing her underwear. She walked around the house in a state of disbelief. When he finally came out of the bathroom. She was standing in the kitchen cleaning up, putting the dishes away out of the dishwasher. No nerve to face her again, she heard him creep back downstairs. She couldn't believe it, unable to keep such information to herself, she went to the phone and called Sylvia.
After 3 rings Mundo answered.
"Yo-yo-yo' baby—yo' baby yo! Who dis?"
"Boy! You done los' yo'mind! Where yo'mama at?" Sheila asked him, laughing despite him.
"Hey, Sheila, how you doing?"
"I'm fine, how you all there?"
"We ah'ight…but mama, I'on know. Hang on."
Sheila made a face at the phone wondering what he meant by that, she could hear him at his mother's door knocking, "Mama? Sheila on the phone."
"Bring it here." She heard the faint return.
"Hey." Sylvia answered.
She was sitting on her bed, watching TV that was turned down low. She'd gone into her room and wasn't in the mood to come out. Even knowing that Shanna was there, talking with her kids and Angela. Crystal was playing music; Mariah Carey, Can't Let go… And You Don't Remember. Celine Dion, The Reason. It was driving her crazy, giving her the worst kind of blues, making her ache deep in the pit of her stomach.
"Hey back. What's going on?"
"Nothing much, I'm just trying to chill out."
"From what?"
"Stuff…nothin' I can share right now."
"Alright, girlfriend, ain't no biggie. If you need to talk, you know my number."
"Yes, I know." Sylvia yawned.
Hearing Sylvia's mood, put her off what she'd called to tell her, "Maybe we should talk tomorrow, when you're in the mood?"
"No, now is fine. Um, Vivian got the ring."
"Get outta here!"
"Sure did, it's beautiful, Sheila…and I can tell you now, he gone be workin' some over time for that—you hear me?"
"Is it big, girl?"
"Chile, please…I was tempted to put mine next to it, it look like it might be a bit bigger than mine." Sylvia grinned teasing, trying with all her might to lighten her mood.
"Whoooeee! She got his ass, let me tell you! I can't believe it! Heifa' didn't even call and tell me! I see how she gone be!"
"Girl, she ain't thinking, too busy out here behind that man."
"Well I just want her to be happy."
Sylvia was quiet for a moment, "Sylvia?" Sheila called her.
"Yeah."
"You sure you don't need to talk? Is everything okay with you and Shawn?"
"Yeah, we're…we're just…fine."
"You don't sound like it's fine."
Again Sylvia went quiet, "Sylvia? What's wrong, girlfriend? Tell me."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I can't, Sheila…believe me, if I could, I would."
"Is it about you and Shawn?"
Sheila could hear her fighting back tears, "Sylvia! Talk to me!"
Sylvia gasped, swallowing, tears rolling, "It's just that old sayin', you know." She was sucking in short choppy breaths, fighting a good cry.
"What old saying?"
"That…you don't…know a person, until you…live with them."
"Did Shawn do something, Sylvia?"
"Sheila…I can't…tell you. If I could…I would…but I can't…tell you…I have to keep…this one…to myself."
"Alright, alright, alright. But, all bullshit aside, when it comes down to the crunch—you can trust me, I hope you know that."
"I know, Sheila. Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, of course!"
"How far…do you feel…a man should go…to protect…his family."
"What? I don't know, what you mean?"
Sylvia leaned back on her headboard with her hand to her forehead trying to think, she was rubbing at her stitches, they were itching as she tried to gather her thoughts and sort them out. "Okay, listen to me. Don't ask me any questions, just listen to me and answer if you can."
"Okay…fire away."
"Let's say, someone…ummm, threatened you."
"Okay."
"And…Dennis found out about it."
"Okay?"
"Now this is strictly hypothetical, it's just something that's on my mind for reasons I can't share! No…nothing has happened, but I can't tell you any more than what we're discussing now."
"Okay, gotcha!"
"Okay, someone has threatened your life—someone who is the type that will carry out the threat, first opportunity. In fact, that person is now stalking you."
"SOMEBODY STALKING YOU?"
"Nooo, Sheila! Will you listen?"
"Okay, okay, okay…damn—well get to the point!"
"They're stalking you, said they're gonna kill you; how would you want Dennis to handle it?"
"To be honest with you, I don't know, Sylvia. It's one of those things, that…you can't really say what you want, until you're faced with it."
Sylvia went quiet. "Okay, let's say, Dennis found out. He was afraid for you and he got to the man, before he got to you. Let's say, he…he…killed him. What would you do?"
"Somebody kill somebody?"
"You're doing it again, Sheila…this is all hypothetical—nothing has happened, okay?" Taking a deep breath Sylvia decided to fib a bit, she had no choice, "Okay—this is the thing, Shawn and I have a difference of opinion on things. He feels, to protect his family, if someone set out to seriously harm one of us…he has no problem with taking that person out first, and I disagree."
BOMAW 7-9 Page 71
