Rainbow's End

by JB Bonds

  “Sweet, sweet sisters, are you ready for the show?” Burton said as he gave each of us a peck on the cheek.

  “We’re ready, the sets are ready, and it looks like all the performers have arrived,” Roz said.

  “Oh, yes indeedy, everyone is dressed and ready and I just gave them all a big pep talk. Break a leg and all that jolly rot, you know?” Burton said as he adjusted his gold lame shorts and pulled up his knee high stiletto boots.

  “Burton, how are things going without the elixir?” Roz asked.

  “Oh, I decided I needed a little of that good ol’ elixir before the show. I was moving pretty slow this morning, but I told myself that was absolutely the very last I was going to take.”

  “I thought you poured all you had down the drain,” I said.

  “I did, but Virgil was a life saver and brought me a bottle this afternoon. He is a marvel, isn’t he? All righty, I’m off. Wish me luck, my darling little sisters.”

  “What’s going to happen when Burton doesn’t have Virgil to supply him with that elixir anymore?” Roz asked.

  Around 6:15, Roz and I closed the entrance doors with Kody’s help, and went to the seats McGhee and Ida were saving for us. Burton was a true master at his trade and mesmerized the entire audience with his banter and quick wit, and of course, his glorious voice. He was giving it all he had. I found watching Burton a little distracting because he was sweating so profusely. He actually had a handkerchief in his hand that he used constantly to keep the sweat out of his eyes. After Alberta, Lois, and Bea finished their number, which received a standing ovation, there were about ten more acts before Kendall and Burton were due on with their song. Every imaginable talent was represented at this little talent show. There were three piano players who were outstanding, four singers who truly surprised me at how well they could sing, and of course, there were a few animal acts. One of the ladies in my Sunday book club had brought her little Pomeranian that sang with her, and a man I didn’t know had his dog do tricks with a Frisbee.

  The time had come for Burton and Kendall to do their song. The shower curtain handlers came out on either side of the stage and held up the curtains while Kendall and Burton positioned themselves behind them. The music began and their heads popped up above the curtains. They waved to each other across the stage and started singing the beginning of the song as they mimicked washing their hair. Burton was singing by himself as Kendall got her towel turban in place, then she sang as he did the same. They then stepped from behind the curtains in their big terry cloth robes and walked to the center of the stage. Both of them had the audience in the palm of their hands. It was mesmerizing how beautifully their voices blended. Towards the end of the song, Burton reached out his hand to take Kendall’s, and right at that moment, his knees buckled. For just a second, I thought that was part of the song, but then realized he had gone down on both knees and was slumping to the floor.

  “Burton, oh no, somebody help him. He’s sick!” Kendall screamed.

  Roz and I got to the stage the same time Herb did and could see right away that Burton was in trouble. His face and lips were blue. Roz didn’t hesitate to get Burton onto his back. She checked for a pulse and if he was breathing. She then yelled for someone to call 911 as she started CPR. By this time, the audience had gotten completely quiet and watched as Roz and Herb performed the CPR. About five minutes later, we could hear the ambulance pulling up outside, and EMTs ran into the room. Roz and Herb moved out of the way as the EMTs hooked Burton up to oxygen and continued the CPR. I looked for Kendall and Kody — they were huddled together by McGhee and Ida.

  “Where will you be taking him?” I asked.

  “Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West,” one of the EMTs said as they quickly rolled Burton off the stage and toward the waiting ambulance.

  Kendall was in tears and Roz had her hands full assuring her Burton would be all right. I wasn’t so sure because I was almost certain he’d had a heart attack. Christopher and his grandmother invited Kody to stay with them that night while Kendall, Roz, and I raced to the hospital in Key West. From what Burton had shared with us about his family, we weren’t sure there was anyone we needed to contact for him. By the time we got to the hospital, Burton had been rushed to the operating room.

  It was just the three of us in the waiting room when a surgeon approached us about two hours later.

  “Excuse me, are you here for Mr. Monroe?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes, how is he?” Roz asked as the three of us stood.

  “Mr. Monroe had a heart attack. How well do you know him?”

  “We know Burton very well,” I said.

  “You should be able to see him in an hour or so. He’s in recovery right now. We had to do bypass surgery. He’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days. I’ll make sure the staff knows to let you in to see him.”

  “Thank you for everything you did for Burton tonight,” Kendall said.

  “He’ll be in Room 201, ICU,” the doctor said as he went back through the doors leading back to surgery.

  “I’m going to find a coffee machine. Would either of you like anything?” Roz asked.

  “Thanks Grams, I would love a soda,” Kendall said.

  “Thanks. Bring me a coffee while you’re at it, Roz. This is going to be a long night.”

  We went into Room 201 to find Burton hooked up to three machines. Tubes and wiring were running from his chest, nose, and mouth. He looked so frail. When we touched his hand, he opened his eyes for a second, but couldn’t speak. At that moment, I realized how much Burton meant to me, and also, how alone he was. Flashes of Samuel came to mind as he lay dying from a heart attack. I shook my head to clear it of these images.

  Roz and Kendall went home around 2:00 a.m. but I decided to stay. I was really dragging by 9:00 a.m. when the doctor came in to check on Burton. I left the room to give them privacy, but stopped the doctor as he came out.

  “How is Burton doing this morning?” I asked.

  “He’s doing very well. He’s got a good chance for a full recovery. He’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days. Is there someone who can be with him for a week or so once he goes home?”

  “Oh yes, there’s a whole community that will take good care of Burton.”

  I went back into Burton’s room and the tubing had been removed from his mouth so he could speak.

  “Burton, how are you feeling?”

  “Like I got run over by a semi. Do I look like I got run over by a semi?”

  “You look fantastic to me. We thought we lost you last night.”

  “Joanie, I thought I was gone, too. What happened? The last thing I remember, I was singing with Kendall, and boom, I was out.”

  “You do know you had a heart attack and you had bypass surgery last night, right?”

  “The doctor told me. He also told me I had to stop my cocaine use.”

  “What?”

  “Joanie, I haven’t used cocaine in over twenty years, but that doctor just told me they found an alarming amount of it in my system. Virgil Hammond has to be stopped. He almost killed me.”

  Chapter 46

  They Flew the Coop

  Roz, Kendall, and Kody came to the hospital on Saturday around noon. Roz and Kendall were allowed back to see Burton, but Kody was too young to come into the ICU. I went out to sit with him while Roz and Kendall visited.

  “Grandma, is Burton going to be OK?” Kody asked.

  “It looks like he’s going to be just fine. He had surgery last night and is doing much better today. He had a heart attack.”

  “That was scary when he fell to the floor.”

  “It was very scary. How was your evening with Christopher?”

  “It was way cool, Grandma. We played games on his grandma’s Wii and I got to sleep on an air mattress in Christopher’s room.”

  “I c
an’t believe you and Kendall have to fly out tomorrow. It seems like you just got here.”

  “Can I call Mom and Dad and ask if I can stay for a little while longer?”

  “Kody, you still have a few weeks of school left for this year. Did you forget?”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh, man, I want to stay down here with you and Aunt Roz.”

  “We’ll get you back down here before you know it. You know you’re my favorite grandson, don’t you?”

  “Grandma, I’m your only grandson.”

  I gave Kody a big hug and treated him to an ice cream in the hospital cafeteria. Roz and Kendall came out and we all left for home. Burton was resting. So much had happened in just two days. The burglars had been stopped in their tracks, the talent show was over, and Burton had almost died. I was exhausted, but we took the time on our way into Rainbow to stop by and talk to Herb about what Burton had said about the cocaine in his system.

  “I’m glad you two stopped by. Joe Curtis was just here. He told me he had been doing some routine investigations on the Hammonds. He also told me he received the results of a test that had been done on that stuff the Hammonds are selling and it’s got cocaine in it. The results came in this morning’s mail. He told me the three of you were working on this together, but he knew you were busy at the hospital with Burton, so he took it upon himself to come talk to me. All hell is going to break loose around here. I’ve notified the police and told them all I know. I’m not sure how they’re going to handle this, but they definitely want to talk to the Hammonds,” Herb said as we walked back out to the car where Kendall and Kody were waiting for us.

  “Herb, we wanted to let you know that the doctor’s found a lot of cocaine in Burton’s system last night, and Burton says he hasn’t knowingly used cocaine in over twenty years. He’s just been taking that elixir,” I said.

  “I’ll let the police know about that when they get here. Thanks for stopping by.”

  Kody and Kendall put on their swimsuits and walked to the pool. Roz insisted that I try to sleep a couple of hours before we were due at McGhee and Ida’s for dinner. I stretched out on the couch and the next thing I knew, Roz was shaking me and frantically saying something about the Hammonds.

  “Joanie, wake up! I think Virgil and Flo are flying the coop!”

  “What?” My head felt like cotton. I was so tired, and I couldn’t get my thoughts together.

  “Should we call the police? They’re going to leave and disappear. I just know it.” Roz was wringing her hands and walking in circles.

  “Roz, please sit down and tell me what’s going on.”

  “I can’t sit down!” With that, Roz went to the kitchen phone and dialed 911. How the dispatcher could understand Roz, was beyond me. I was finally getting my wits about me, so I put on my sandals and walked to the window to take a look over at the Hammonds’. I now understood why Roz was in such a state. Virgil and Flo were both running in and out of their house carrying suitcases and boxes and frantically loading their car.

  “Joanie, the police said they’d have someone here as soon as possible. Let’s go slow the Hammonds down.” Roz was out the door.

  I couldn’t let my seventy-three year old sister go flying into harm’s way, so I followed her. To my shock, Roz called out Flo’s name as if she wanted to catch up on the latest gossip.

  “Flo, how are you? Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sorry girls. Virgil and I are running late. Can’t talk,” Flo said, as she slung a suitcase in the back of the car. Virgil was running down the deck steps with a cardboard box under his arm and a suitcase in his hand. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw us.

  “Hi, Virgil. Looks like you two are going to be gone for awhile. Are you taking a vacation?” I asked.

  It was obvious neither Virgil nor Flo had any intention of talking to us. It was also obvious they were leaving and leaving soon. So I did what I had to do. I gently slid to the ground directly behind their car and faked a faint. Roz let out a yelp because she was shocked, as were Flo and Virgil, that I had gone to the ground. All three came my way. Roz knelt down by my side. I peeped up at her and whispered, “I’m ok, but you need to panic.” Roz’s eyes were as big as saucers, and the word “Huh?” was on her lips, but she understood that if we were going to slow the Hammonds down, now was the time.

  Virgil and Flo were pulling at Roz and yelling at her to move out of the way. I guess they intended to drag my body from behind their car so they could leave. Roz started wailing and screaming that she thought I was dead. She had flung her body on top of mine. Virgil started pulling Roz aside and was reaching for me when McGhee and Ida pulled into the driveway in their golf cart. They immediately ran to my side and started screaming for someone to call an ambulance. By now Roz, McGhee, and Ida were screaming and yelling so loudly the Hammonds didn’t know who to grab first. Roz was back on top of me by now keening and crying that her sister was dead. In the distance I thought I heard sirens. Thank the Lord. With Roz on top of me and the other two sisters screaming, I was finding it hard to breathe.

  By this time, Virgil and Flo had gotten into their car and started the engine. This didn’t look good for me and Roz because we were right behind the back wheels. Two police cars pulled across the driveway and officers were running everywhere. Virgil and Flo were trying to get out of the car when the police shouted for them to stop that they needed to talk to them. Roz helped me to my feet. McGhee’s eyes rolled up into her head, and I thought she was going to faint when she saw me stand up.

  “McGhee, I’m all right. We just had to slow the Hammonds down. They were trying to leave before the police had a chance to talk to them about the elixir.”

  “Praise, the Lord! I thought you were a goner!”

  The four policemen were talking to the Hammonds by their car, and from the expression on Flo’s face, whatever Virgil was telling them wasn’t going well. One of the officers asked that everyone go on their way, that all was under control. I could now see that the officers wanted Virgil to unload a couple of the boxes in his car so they could take a look. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kendall and Kody walking toward us from the pool. I gave Roz a nudge and told her we should start for home and meet the kids. I was sure someone from the police department would talk to us when they were ready.

  “Are we still on for dinner tonight?” I asked Ida.

  “Sure are. Come on over when you’re ready.”

  Roz and I walked to meet the kids as the neighbors who had come to check out all the excitement were leaving as well. We filled Kendall and Kody in on what had happened at the Hammonds’. Kody had decided that a visit with his Grandma was about the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. We all got cleaned up and dressed for dinner.

  Early the next morning, Roz got in the golf cart and went to the Country Store to get a newspaper. We didn’t get one on a daily basis, but we knew there had to be some news about the burglaries and, we hoped, something about the Hammonds. The police had been over there until the wee hours of the morning. Just as we went to bed the night before, Roz and I saw several detectives carry out paper bags full of something from both the house and the car.

  “Joanie, come look. Rainbow’s End news fills the entire front page of the paper!” Roz said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

  I read over Roz’s shoulder about the burglary ring. None of the names of the young thieves were printed, but the amount of stolen property found in the house where one of them lived was astounding! The article said that eventually, people who had property stolen would be able to come to the police department to see if any of the stolen property belonged to them. Just below that article was a picture of Virgil and Flo Hammond and an article that said they were being held for questioning about selling drugs in Rainbow’s End and possibly other locations around the state of Florida. Good Lord!

  I looked up from t
he newspaper and saw Max standing on Kody’s chest and licking his face. Kody drug himself into the kitchen, and said, “Maybe you and Aunt Roz need to get a bigger dog than Max. Do you think you’ll be OK here without me to help you?”

  “We’ll miss you terribly, Kody. But I think Max is going to be the one who misses you the most,” Roz said as she ruffled Kody’s hair. What time does my plane leave, Grandma?”

  “Your flight is at 4:30 p.m. and Kendall’s is at 5:00, so we have a little time before we have to go to the airport.”

  “I know what I want to do before I leave. I want to get a few more hours of sun so I can be as bronzed as possible before I get back to Chicago,” Kendall said as she came up the hall to the kitchen.

  “Kendall, you and Burton sounded so fantastic together. I’m sorry you didn’t get to finish the song. I know we haven’t had much time to congratulate you on your performance, or to tell you how wonderfully you did,” I said.

  “Thanks, Aunt Joanie. I loved every minute working with Burton. He taught me so much in only a week. I’m getting a voice coach when I get home, and he told me yesterday in the hospital that he’ll definitely meet me in New York City once he gets his strength back. He’s already talked to several of his contacts there about me.”

  “When you and your mom and dad go to New York, let me know. I want to meet you there. In fact, I’ll plan on traveling with Burton. He’ll probably want to have a companion with him. Joanie, are you up for a trip to New York with me and Burton?” Roz asked.

  “I’ll be the first one on the airplane. Sounds like fun,” I said.

  We all jumped when someone knocked at the door.