by Linda Ellen
Gritting his teeth for a moment to keep his emotions under rein, Vic breathed in through his nose. His mind scrambled for balance as he fought against sensations similar to what one might feel locked in a whiskey barrel rolling unfettered down the Falls of the Ohio. The baby…finding a new place…their future… What would happen now? He fought off a shiver as he imagined going from interview to interview again. Why, Lord? Why? Why is this happening again? Haven’t I paid my dues?
Finally he managed a nod and rose to his feet as his boss was saying he had ordered an extra week’s severance pay for him and he could pick it up on his way out.
Numbly, he shuffled toward the door, but paused and turned back to the man at the desk.
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
“Could I ask how you found out after all this time?”
Mr. Wayborn pursed his lips, trying to decide what to say. Finally, he met Vic’s eyes and admitted, “This morning, there was an anonymous note on my desk, suggesting I check into your background. Undoubtedly it was from someone in the office, but I can’t say who for sure…” he finished, trying to give Vic a message without words.
Puzzled, Vic thought for a moment who it would be, and then a light bulb snapped on in his head. Old Lady Crenshaw! But…how did she find out? Then, a memory surfaced of a few nights back – he and Louise had been talking about something they had read in the paper, and Louise mentioned the night he spent in jail. The old battleaxe must have been in the hall listening!
Grinding his teeth together in frustration, Vic felt a surge of hate wash over him. Giving a final nod to his now former boss, he exited the office and closed the door.
Iris, already knowing what had happened, was shaking her head, her eyes full of sympathy. He inclined his head toward her in thanks, and when he turned to go, he once again met the malevolent stare – now a seemingly triumphant stare – of his neighbor from Hades.
The look on her face burned into his mind as he made his way to the car and on home.
*
Vic held Louise in his arms as she sobbed, feeling like a heel that he’d had to tell her his devastating news. “Sshhh, honey,” he whispered. “Try not to get so upset…we’ll be all right…things will work out,” he murmured, as much to encourage himself as her.
Louise sniffled miserably. It had been a horrible week. Plagued with morning sickness that struck at unexpected times, her hormones and emotions felt as if they were on the Tilt-a-Whirl at Fontaine Ferry. Tommy had been acting up and giving her trouble, and the prices of everything from bus and trolley fare to foodstuffs had gone up – and now this. It was the last straw.
“Why is all this happening?” she wailed into his chest as he rocked and tried to comfort her.
“I don’t know, honey… I think Old Lady Crenshaw’s just a bitter old woman that hates everything and everybody. Nobody at the office likes her.” Thinking of things his mentor had said to him when he had swung by the church on the way home, he added, “Doc says some people who are that unhappy feel a need to drag others down with them. It’s like they believe it will make them feel better to hurt somebody else – but if they thought about it, they’d realize it only adds to the burden.”
Louise leaned back and wiped at her tears, blowing her nose on a tissue Vic handed to her. Glancing at him, she murmured, “I didn’t tell you…yesterday, Tommy told me that the old woman snatched him up by his arm one day last week when he came out of the bathroom and told him if he didn’t keep quiet in the apartment, she would tan his hide, and that he’d better not tell us she said anything.” Vic’s eyes narrowed in anger and Louise rushed on, “I went right over and banged on her door and really gave her a piece of my mind and told her she better not ever threaten my son again…and now, she got you fired…” she moaned, dissolving into tears again.
As anger and hatred surged through his system like liquid fire, Vic tightened his hold on his wife, caressing her back with his palm as he imagined marching over to the woman’s apartment and…and what? He couldn’t punch her out like he would if she were a man, although that would at this point give him a measure of satisfaction. She had made his sweetheart cry and had caused him to lose his job, but she was just a miserable old woman. He would, however, tell her to stay away from his son and his wife.
With a tired sigh, he realized the time had come for them to move on. Everything was on his shoulders and it weighed mighty heavy.
*
Saturday afternoon, Louise stood up straight and flexed her back, wiping perspiration from her forehead with the back of one hand. Tendrils of her hair had pulled loose from the ponytail she had hastily put it up in and now furled becomingly around her jaw.
Taking a good look at the floor of her new kitchen, which she had just mopped, she silently nodded “that’s good enough” to herself and moved her bucket further into the foyer to finish cleaning there. She smirked at the term kitchen; because there was only room for one person, and barely that – a tiny stove, an even tinier refrigerator, a small sink, and one cabinet for dishes all lined one wall with not much room to shuffle between them. Vic had found some shelves to put in the foyer area where they were now keeping their canned and boxed goods.
Unbidden, the thought of her kitchen and dining room, which were now occupied by that woman, came into her mind and she pressed her lips together in disgust. A small niggling of shame washed over her that she had ever complained about their size. Now by comparison, they seemed huge. Perhaps she hadn’t been grateful enough about her home. Before this all happened, she would have sworn she was…but now in the privacy of her own thoughts, she realized that she had complained and wanted more. Her own mother made do with just one big room, much the way the whole family had done during the bulk of the Depression.
“I’m sorry, Lord,” Louise whispered as she squeezed the excess water from the mop and slapped it down on the entryway floor.
Finishing up a few minutes later, Louise moved on into the living room, occasionally glancing out the front windows each time she heard the sound of a car going down the road. Wondering where her husband had gone immediately after breakfast, with barely a kiss goodbye, she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she straightened the covers on Tommy’s bed. So many things had happened lately, it seemed as if her happy life was being shaken at the base by a big unseen hand. She wondered what Vic was thinking today and when he would return…and she worried. She couldn’t help but wonder how long this latest span of unemployment would last for her precious husband and soul mate.
Turning, she picked up a shirt he had dropped on the big living room chair and she brought it up to her nose, breathing in that scent she loved…part Old Spice, part Vic.
Oh, how she loved him! When he had come home and told her about losing his job, her heart had ached so for him, because she knew how hard he had worked to maintain a good record with the company. To think that their mean-spirited neighbor purposely did something to get him fired made her want to chew a nail in half. What causes a person to be so mean and nasty, lashing out and hurting others in such a way? Did the woman really feel satisfaction doing such a thing? Did she not possess any conscience at all?
With a sigh, Louise berated herself, because she knew exactly what Irene would say when she found out. She would say, “Louise, now you must forgive this woman. Holding on to anger and bitterness toward her will only hurt you; it won’t bother her a bit. You should pray for her. She must certainly be a miserable human being to do the things you’ve told me…”
I know, I know, Louise answered Irene’s voice in her head. But just let me be angry with her for a little while before I have to forgive her. At that thought, Louise snorted softly and shook her head at herself as Tommy came in the front door with his friend on his heels, both of them looking for something to snack on.
Two hours later, Vic sauntered in through the front door whistling a snappy tune, eyes sparkling as he marched to his wife, swooped her up, and swung her around.
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Squealing, she protested softly for him to put her down, and then laughed as his contagious joy began to infect her as well. “What’s got you so happy, Mr. Matthews?”
Teasing, he grinned and reached down to snatch an apple from a bowl on the coffee table and brought it to his mouth for a large, loud crunching bite. He chuckled when Louise squawked and snapped a towel at him. “Victor Herbert!” she fussed playfully.
He plopped down in the armchair and pulled her down on his lap. “Well, it’s like this…” he began, but paused and acted as if something out the window had gotten his attention. She poked him in the ribs and he laughed and continued, “Seems your husband has friends in high places…”
She raised her eyebrows at him.
“Mmm hmm. I was over on Liberty, talkin’ to a pal that still drives for B-Line. While talkin’ to him, John walked up and started talkin’…”
“John Womack?” Louise asked, thinking of the kind-hearted, recently promoted detective.
“Yep. Said it’s been awhile since we did anything together. Asked us out to go to the movies next week with him and his wife.”
“That’s nice. I’ll like that…”
“And then,” he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted, “When I mentioned what happened, he…well, he said a few things that would curl your hair…that’s the way John is,” he deadpanned with a shrug. “And then he said a friend of his needed some help. He went in the Walgreens and used the payphone and – wha-lah. When he came out, I had a job.”
Louise gasped and gripped his shirtfront. “Oh Vic, that’s wonderful! Where?”
Vic took another bite of his apple, adoring how Louise pursed her lips in frustration as she waited for him to swallow and continue. “It’s a Gulf station near Fourth and Chestnut.”
She thought about that for a moment. “What will you be doing?”
He shrugged, unconcerned. “Don’t know. Whatever needs to be done, I guess.” Then wrapping his arms tightly around his beautiful wife, he asked softly, “How you doin’ today?”
“It so happens that for the first morning in a long time, I don’t feel that dreaded queasiness,” she answered, blessing him with a lovely smile. It took his breath away for a moment, just like always, and it struck him again that he would never, as long as he lived, tire of gazing at her, hearing her voice, and holding her in his arms. The thought crossed his mind to be grateful…it had been awhile since he had spent time thinking about God, much less praying – but the previous night, he had fallen asleep asking God to guide him and help him take care of his family. Now, one day later, their world had been righted again. He couldn’t wait to take Louise and Tommy to church the next day and tell Doc just how fast God worked things out this time around. Thinking of that made him smile and emit a chuckle.
“What?” Louise asked as she snuggled against him in the big chair.
He winked at her and gave her lips a firm smack. “Oh nothin’. Just thinkin’. Now, you need help with anything around here?
Louise pursed her lips with a twinkle in her eye.
‡
CHAPTER 26
A New Apartment and a Surprise Visitor
“That’s all of it,” Alec huffed as he set down the box he was carrying and plopped into the overstuffed chair. He had lost count of the times he had climbed the stairs.
Alec, Earl, Sonny, Billy, and Vic had managed to get the family’s furniture and belongings moved to their new digs near First and Broadway. A second-floor apartment in an old three-story building with tall ceilings and warm steam heat, it wasn’t as nice as their previous place had been, before Despaine had cut it in half, that is, but the new one had three distinct advantages – it was larger, there was no Old Lady Crenshaw hovering close by to complain about their every move, and Sonny and Sara occupied the apartment directly below. Plus, it was five dollars less per month, and that meant they would have a lot more money for food and necessities.
“Thanks, man,” Vic acknowledged as he and Sonny worked to situate Tommy’s twin-sized bed into a small alcove off the living room. Glancing at his brother-in-law, Vic mentioned for the third time, “Thanks for tellin’ us about this place when it came available. We were already past the end of our rope at the other place, dealin’ with that old battleaxe.”
Sonny grunted and shoved at the bed frame to get it in place, giving an easy shrug. “No problem, Vic. Things worked out real good.” Then he paused and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and chuckled. “Only now, Mom’s sayin’ she and Billy want to move into one of the small units across the hall here. When that happens, look out.”
Vic shot him a grin. “Ah, won’t be so bad. She can help out when Louise has the baby.”
Tommy came in carrying a box with some of his stuff and helped his uncle and stepfather get his new “room” situated. It wasn’t much bigger than the bed itself, but Louise had promised him they could fix a curtain across the opening and it would feel like a small room. Vic had mentioned he could put up a shelf or two so he could display his growing collection of wooden model cars. His stomach growling from the delicious aroma coming from the direction of the kitchen, the boy plopped down on his mattress just as Vic maneuvered it in place and exclaimed, “I’m hungry. It time for supper, yet, Chief?”
Vic laughed and ruffled Tommy’s thick hair. “Always hungry. Why don’t you go see, son?” Watching the boy take off like a bullet, he added in the direction of his help, “You guys are stickin’ around for chili, right?” speaking of the meal Lilly and Louise were cooking for all of their helpers in Louise’s new kitchen. Her new kitchen, which seemed huge in comparison.
At that moment, he heard raised voices from the back of the apartment and, curious, he glanced at the men and went to investigate.
He found Louise and Lilly struggling to light the burner under the large round hot water tank in the corner.
“Here, let me,” Vic murmured as he went down on his knees and took the matches from his pregnant wife. “Babe, why didn’t you call for me? You shouldn’t be crawling around on the floor,” he fussed.
“Needed hot water to wash the dishes…didn’t realize the burner wasn’t lit,” Louise grumbled as she climbed to her feet.
“Yeah, I forgot to tell ya…” he paused as he concentrated on lighting the old burner. “Mr. Fleishman says we have to light it every time we want hot water – but he said it don’t take long to heat.”
Lilly turned back toward the stove, grumbling, “That’s ridiculous. Never heard of such a thing.”
“Hap says a lot of these old apartment buildings are like that,” Vic commented as he climbed easily to his feet, speaking of his new boss at the Gulf station – namely Horatio A. Pait. Everyone called the man “Hap”, which was his initials, and Vic had only found out his real name by accident just the day before. Hap had jokingly threatened him with bodily harm if he ever called him by his hated first name.
“It’ll save on the gas bill,” Vic added with a grin.
For the next little while, the men worked on getting the furniture arranged in the new space and carrying boxes and bags to be put away, while the ladies finished the meal. Everyone was tired, but felt like they had accomplished a great deal, and the chili was delicious. Lilly’s secret recipe that so far, Louise had not been able to get her to reveal, even to her.
Later that evening, it was a tired trio that finally bedded down for the night in their new place.
Louise and Vic both tucked Tommy in his bed in the living room alcove. The apartment was laid out in a shotgun style, and they made their way to the apartment’s only bedroom. The small dining room lay beyond that, with the bathroom situated between the dining room and kitchen.
“Man, I’m bushed,” Vic groaned as he crawled over his wife to get to the right side of the bed. “This ol’ bed sure feels good tonight.”
Louise smiled over at him. His face was easily visible, even with drapes up to the window, as bright lights from businesses on Broadway,
plus streetlights, forced their way inside. “Tomorrow I need to do something about that window. Hope the light don’t keep me awake.”
Vic yawned and pulled her closer, his eyes already closing. “Me, too. Night babe,” he mumbled as she snuggled close. Within a minute, he was asleep.
As usual on the first night in a new abode, unfamiliar sounds seemed unusually loud, and a little mysterious, in the dark. Louise could hear scratching noises that seemed to be coming from inside a wall somewhere toward the rear of the apartment. For a long while, she tried valiantly to go to sleep, but every time she would doze off, something would awaken her.
On one such occasion, as she lay on her left side with her back to Vic and facing the walkway, she distinctly heard what sounded like the scratching of a small creature, its claws scurrying along the linoleum floor two feet from the edge of the bed.
Her eyes popped open and she caught a glimpse of the black shiny fur, long whiskers, and long skinny tail of – a rat! And it was heading straight for the living room, and Tommy!
“AHH!” she screamed, bolting up in the bed. “RAT!!”
Vic, ripped from a deep sleep by his wife’s shriek, bolted up as well, reaching for her as panic of unknown trouble gripped him. “What’s the matter?!”
Louise sucked in a breath and screeched, “There was a rat! Right there! It’s headed toward the front room!”
Alarmed, Vic scrambled out of bed, barefoot and clad only in his boxers. Looking around for some kind of weapon, he spied the broom propped against the wall and brandished it like a baseball bat. Flipping on lights, he hurried to the living room, where Tommy was now wide awake and perched on the edge of his bed, wide-eyed and sleep tousled. He’d heard the commotion and hollered, “A rat? Where?”
“I dunno, stay there,” Vic ordered, suddenly feeling his wife tug on his arm from behind. “Wait for me! Don’t leave me!” she squealed.
