"Chain Reaction" Power Failure Book I

by Andrew Draper

  Chapter Eleven

 

  Aaron opened his apartment door and saw Carlotta sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. She greeted him with a smile. “Hello, Aaron. How was your day?”

  He answered her with a small, weary smile of his own. “Not too bad I guess, what's going on here?”

  Aaron set Rambo on the floor and dropped his keys into a basket sitting atop an end table to the left of the door. He was tired, it had been a long day and he just wanted to take a hot shower and unwind.

  She came into the living room and gave him the once-over. “You look beat. Sit down and rest. I made some chicken manicotti. I'll fix you a plate. Have you eaten at all today?”

  “I stopped at Geonelli's and got a bite at lunch time.” He lied, wanting to avoid her steadfast insistence that he eat.

  In truth, he spent almost the entire day wandering the city, eventually ending up at the cemetery visiting Heather’s grave. He replaced the flowers and talked to Heather's headstone as if she were present. He’d visited her grave every Friday since her death. Being there helped him feel her presence, but the searing loneliness almost killed him every time he had to walk away.

  He couldn't believe more than a year had gone by already. It seemed like she was with him just yesterday. He still could feel her. Sometimes he still thought he saw her, going into a fashionable shop or disappearing down a side street. It crushed him to know that tonight he would sleep alone…again.

  After the accident, Aaron wanted to kill the man who caused it. The police report said that the young truck driver responsible for the crash was drunk. Later, Aaron was even cheated out of confronting the man in court and showing him how he had destroyed their lives. The driver lingered in a coma for three weeks and then died, robbing Aaron of even the slightest retribution.

  The driver’s insurance company awarded Beth a large settlement, but Heather was gone and no amount of money would bring her back.

  As he continued his dark thoughts, Rambo jumped in his lap, snapping his concentration and giving him quite a start. “You little monster!”

  He scratched her ears and Rambo replied by meowing softly and licking his face. She looked at him with her amber eyes and meowed again. Kneading his thighs like a loaf of bread, she curled up in his lap to go to sleep.

  As the cat was settling in, Carlotta came in from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Aaron got up, over Rambo's protest, and went into the kitchen. Carlotta was dishing out the food when he interrupted her, “I'm sorry Carlotta, it smells great, but I'm just not hungry.”

  She wasn't so easily put off. “Look, you need to eat. If you don't, you'll get sick,”

  He was in no mood to eat and tried to be polite “Carlotta, I appreciate the gesture, but I've had a long day and I just want to take a shower and go to bed.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. “Look, Aaron, I know that you visit Heather's grave on Fridays and I know when you come back the last thing on your mind is food, but you need to eat.”

  “Thank you so much, Carlotta. I don't know what I’d do without you.” He said, escorting her to the door.

  The woman flashed him a big smile. “I do. You'd starve yourself. Heather would never forgive me if I let that happen. Now you go eat and try to get some rest. I'll see you on Monday.”

  Genuinely touched by her concern, he ushered the housekeeper out the door with the promise he would eat later. Rambo rubbed against Aaron’s leg and gave a long, low meeeoww. “Yes, I think she is a good friend too,” he answered. The cat purred loudly. “Do you want to share some manicotti?”

  Rambo shot into the kitchen like a champagne cork.

  After dinner, Aaron stood beneath the steaming spray of the shower until it ran cold. Still toweling his hair dry, he made his way back to his room, picking up the phone. Aaron called his mother to see how Beth was doing, and see what Christmas plans they were concocting. He really didn't feel much like a party, but it was important to his mother that they all get together for the holidays.

  Aaron knew all of them being under the same roof gave his mother a sense of normalcy, something missing since his father’s death. He believed it a small inconvenience to make his mother happy.

  The call revealed that both the women in his life were fine and awaiting his return for holiday festivities.

  He finally crawled into his bed. As he was about to turn out the light, the phone’s demanding ring broke the silence.

  Who could that be? Aaron asked himself, picking it up. “Hello?”

  The voice on the phone boomed in his ear, “Hey Aaron! How’s it going?”

  The voice belonged to his Navy buddy, Ed O'Brian. “Ed, is that you, you old squid?”

  He chuckled and was joined by the laughter of man on the other end of the line. The two had been friends for decades and shared the camaraderie only military service can build.

  “Just thought I'd call and see how you were…and ask if you’re going to make the ice festival this year.”

  Aaron thought about it briefly and agreed to go. “It starts on the 20th, right? I wouldn't miss it.”

  The Woonsocket, Rhode Island ice festival was an event straight out of the works of Norman Rockwell. He could already envision the kids skating on the town’s outdoor ice rink, the people walking through town window shopping and enjoying the holiday season in a very picturesque, care-free, evening. Aaron knew his mother and Beth would get a big kick out of it, and he looked forward to a cup of their world famous hot-buttered rum.

  It’ll be fun, and right now I could use the distraction.

  He told Ed to meet him at Walnut Hill Plaza and they could take in the sights from there.

  “Right-on buddy,” O’Brian said. “I'll see you there. And don't forget to bring that terminally beautiful sister of yours. I miss her.”

  Aaron cracked a knowing smile his friend couldn’t see. Over the years, Ed had spent a considerable amount of time, both before and after her accident, trying to work up the courage to ask Beth on a date and, so far, hadn’t made it yet.

  “She’ll be there, but you keep your roving hands in your pockets or I'll beat you like a Tom-Tom,” He said, then he burst out laughing. “See you later, Ed.”

  “See ya, Aaron.”

  He clicked off the nightstand lamp, replaying the day in his mind like a looped videotape until he finally fell asleep.

  Part Two - Little girl lost