The Special One. James Griffin

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СКАЧАТЬ Rhetta, Ah see Mr. Larabee got up to go into his bathroom, sos I gotta scoot now… gotta get his bed changed quick. Once that man settles in there’s no budgin’ ‘im. But don’ you worry. Ah’lls be real close by.”

      Footsteps leaving room. Many distant conversations, mostly TV game shows and commercials. Wheels going back and forth, the sound of clipboards being slid…or are those food trays? I guess I won’t be getting any food tray here. This tube in my nose must be my lunch.

      Now I can hear Rosie’s humming again from across the hall, sort of an echo. Her voice is that of an angel. I wonder if she knows how sweet it sounds… She must. And the way she stroked my hair and arm… some man somewhere has a wonderful wife. I hope she married well, for love. Love is really everything. At least it was.

      Funny, I’m trapped inside my own body, but it feels okay. I lost a leg yet it feels okay. All I can see is Rosie’s song. I want that song to be mine, so I’m going to try and sleep now, sleep into her song…

      6

      “I feel so foolish, driving past his house. And Marianne, I don’t even know if he lives at home! But what am I supposed to do? I’m certainly not going to call there. That would be so… inappropriate. Don’t you agree?”

      “Yes! His parents would talk and it’d get around. Just be patient, Rhetta. Sooner of later he’ll show.”

      “I actually saw his parents at the market the other day. I casually looked through their cart, trying to see if what they were buying would be more than what they’d eat alone, without him. But I couldn’t tell, got nervous, like they might notice this crazy girl following them around or something. So I took off.”

      “Well, Rhetta, if you see them again, why not just ask them about him? It wouldn’t look too forward, not like you called there or anything.”

      “I suppose I could. Maybe. I might, but I’ll probably chicken out.”

      “You’ll see him again, Rhetta. I just know it.”

      “All I can see is that smile of his. He melted me on the spot.”

      “Just keep telling yourself he was the one who approached you, so there must have been something about you he liked, too.”

      “My father lets me take the car out after dinner. Maybe tonight I’ll go by again. Sooner or later, like you said, right?”

      “Call me, later on. Tell me if you see him.”

      “Will do, Marianne. Bye.”

      After dinner…

      “I’ll be back soon, Dad. You know I just like to ride around, showing our new car off. I’ll be super careful. Promise.”

      Pulling out of the driveway…

      Oh my God! Was that him? On my street? I’m following. I don’t care if he sees me.

      He’s pulling into that gas station. I’ll pull in, too. What could he say? Everyone needs to buy gas, right? No one else is here, great. I’ll pull up to the other side of the pumps…

      “Rhetta? Rhetta Sweeney? Is that you? It’s me, Mike Strathmore, from last week’s competition? Remember?”

      “Oh, uh, yea, yes, I remember… Mike. How are you?”

      “No, no… take care of the lady first. I’ll pump my own, thank you.”

      “Why thank you, Mike.”

      Click…thunk. “Oh, Miss, your tank must be full. It only took twenty five cents’ worth.”

      “Oh, I like to keep it topped off. For safety reasons, you know. A woman has to think about things like that.”

      “So, Rhetta, what are you doing tonight? After all, it is Friday. Have you any plans?”

      “Of course I have. That’s why… I had to make sure my tank was full. Yes, it’s a full weekend of plans lined up. You?”

      “I had to, well, to be honest, on Friday nights I go to my parents’ house on Orchard to do my laundry for the week. We have dinner, talk, you know. I have an apartment with two other guys in Boston, and, well, it’s nice to get a home cooked dinner now and then. I’m not such a great cook. Can you?”

      “Can I what?”

      “Cook?”

      “How did we go from the weekend plans to cooking?”

      “Ha! I don’t know! But… can you? Cook?”

      “Uh, yes; I can, Mike. Why do you ask?”

      “I, uh, thought maybe you’d like to some time.”

      “Like to cook?”

      “Dinner?”

      “Mike, are you asking me out on a date?”

      “I’m tryin’ here, but it isn’t coming out the way I’d wanted it to.”

      “You’d like me to cook you dinner some time? Is that it?”

      “If that doesn’t sound too bold, Rhetta. Yes.”

      “I see. Hmmm….”

      “Never mind. It was a bad idea. Silly me. I should have just asked if you’d like to go to the movies, like other guys probably do.”

      “So why didn’t you?”

      “Well, I didn’t really have it planned, to be honest. I didn’t know you’d pull in next to me here, Rhetta. But when the words came to me they felt right, like, like, I didn’t want to take you to a movie and just sit next to you. I wanted to look at you, not a movie screen… and talk. You aren’t supposed to talk in the movies.”

      “I’m aware of that.”

      Suddenly I’m torn between driving away quickly from this stumbling boy and saying yes to his lovely offer…

      “Yes.”

      “Yes?”

      “Yes. I’ll make you… us… dinner some time. If you still want that.”

      “Really?”

      “Sure.”

      “Swell!”

      “When?”

      “Boy, Rhetta… you’re catching me off guard here. I wasn’t expecting…”

      “It’s alright, Mike. Just tell me when it’d be a good night for you.”

      Pay the boy, Mike. He’s just standing there with his hand out. Hello?

      “I’m sorry, kiddo. What’s the damage? $3.85? Wow. She really СКАЧАТЬ