10
510
515
520
525
530
535
540
545
550
555
560
TWENTY-SEVEN & EIGHT
“ I don’ t think you are cold. Maybe better prepared is the best description. Did you see the look on Hutchinson’ s face when I asked him if he wanted to pump our stomachs?” Tanya asked.“ What difference would it make where he found my husband’ s semen?”“ It gave him jerk off material.”“ He saw the dresses on the floor and us in robes and wondered what it would be like to have us take care of him like we did John and Eddie,” Sam said.“ The pages of that notepad of his are never going to come apart,” Tanya said. The laughter was long and needed. It was confirmation of life in those that became aware of their mortality suddenly. They held each other and laughed until they cried. It was a soul cleansing mass of tears.
Eddie received the message that said,“ Sam needs me. John had a heart attack. Kids are with friends.” He was too busy to give it a great deal of thought. Cars had filled the empty streets behind the“ Fear Factory” because the parking lot was full. The line outside stretched the length of the building and turned the corner past the very happy vendors. Eddie posted a sign that stated the wait was three hours from this point.
The police began to patrol the streets stopping anyone from double parking. The cop recognized the group attending this function.“ Guys! The wrecker is gonna fuck up that killer ride of yours. That would be sick,” the officer boomed, giving a whoop from his siren. The kid got back into the car and moved his vehicle.“ Do you know how long the line is?” the kid asked, walking past the patrol car and rejoining his waiting group.“ Pushing the four hour mark.” The officer expected the group to turn around and leave. He misjudged that one as they strolled along.
At midnight Eddie closed the ticket booth. Four AM rolled around and he figured he could close the doors in twenty minutes. It took another half hour to get the staff out. Five AM and Eddie was crawling up the stairs to the apartment. Rodney promised to open Sunday.“ Today.” Eddie thought and fell into bed.
Heading toward the well stocked bar, Sam asked Tanya if she wanted a drink. Tanya waited while Sam poured two tall Jack and Cokes.“ I am going to sit in my Jacuzzi with this drink,” Sam stated. On the way she hit some buttons and the pool turned a deep blue with the waterfall a beautiful shade of turquoise. Sam threw her robe over one of the dozen cedar chaise lounges that were spaced around the tiled edge of the pool and stepped into the churning Jacuzzi. Tanya followed. They sipped their drinks, listened to the sounds of the night and relaxed. When the water jets stopped Sam fretted,“ Is it wrong to feel this good?”“ Did John ever ask you to trade places with him?” Tanya asked. Sam looked confused by the question. Tanya put it more bluntly.“ Did John ask you to die so he could live?”“ He would never have asked such a thing.”“ Then he obviously wanted you to live and be happy. To do otherwise dishonors an honorable man,” Tanya stated a truth that touched Sam’ s heart.“ Is it really that simple?”“ Switch places with him and ask yourself how you would want him to feel.”“ Miserable... but only for a little while,” Sam tried to smile.“ And you will, because you will feel the loss. But you will honor your husband because he earned it.”