The Special One. James Griffin

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СКАЧАТЬ it’s once a month. But you already have plans for tonight, so…”

      “I could break them. They weren’t too exciting.”

      “Really?”

      “You really like to use the word ‘really’, huh, Mike?”

      “Umm… I’ll stop.”

      “Just teasin’ you. Tonight would be great. But could you pick me up? I live on McAllister, right across from the…”

      “Elementary school.”

      “How’d you know?”

      “I… dunno. I think I must have heard it somewhere.”

      “Oh.”

      “What time?”

      “How’s about right now?”

      “Really?”

      “Mike?”

      “I’m sorry! It slipped!”

      “Follow me. Come on.”

      “Roger!”

      “Daddy? Mom? I’m going out for a while. Yes. The keys are on the hook, yes. Mike. Strathmore. You remember… the piano guy? Yea, him. Because he asked me, is why! No. No! Bye bye!”

      “This is quite the car you have here, Mike.”

      “Chevy Sport Coupe, 1937.”

      “It’s a convertible?”

      “Not just… also has a rumble seat!”

      “Could we put the roof down? I’ve never been in a convertible before.”

      “Sure thing!”

      “This is so nice, the wind in my hair… Mike, you better keep your attention on the road…”

      “Oh yea. Sorry. You looked like a picture there for a minute, Rhetta.”

      “A picture?”

      “Yes. You know… with the wind blowing your hair back and all… like, like Hollywood or something.”

      “Oh, Mike. Don’t be silly.”

      “No, I mean it, Rhetta. You really are beautiful, you know.”

      “Oh my…”

      “And I even have a confession.”

      “A confession?”

      “Yes. I wasn’t exactly honest with you back there. I feel awful about it, too, so I need to clear it up. I knew where you lived because I looked you up, even drove by your house a few times looking to see if you were around.”

      “No!”

      “I swear. Crazy, huh?”

      “Crazy!”

      “I kept thinkin’ about you when you played that Bach piece. Your expression was so fierce, so strong, yet you also seem so soft. It, well, I dunno…”

      “It what, Mike?”

      “It made me want to see you again some time. I’ve actually thought about you all week, Rhetta.”

      “Really?”

      7

      Sounds of footsteps and packages, zippers, rustling clothes…

      “Ooh look, Robbie, someone brought roses. Nice ones, too. There’s a tag… uh, hmmm, oh yea, figures. Billy and Joanna. Mr. and Mrs. Perrrfect. Oh yea. They would be the ones to bring them roses. Probably just look healthy, like roses can do sometimes, but they’re really dried out. Hmmpft. Watered. Somebody watered them.”

      “Ma must of.”

      “I don’t think so. I think Mom’s been getting’ watered herself.”

      “Speakin’ of getting’ watered, I sure hope that scumbag that hit Ma doesn’t get away with hosin’ her insurance. I mean, everyone knows Ma’s a shitty driver—“

      “You mean was a shitty driver.”

      “Whatever, Annie, whatever. She could drive again one day; we don’t know that.”

      “Yea, whatever yourself. Eggplants don’t drive, Robbie, one legged or two.”

      “That lying bitch is sayin’ Ma ran the light. No fuckin’ way, man. Ma was slow on the uptick, but if anything, she was overly cautious. To run right through a red light? No friggin’ way. And what sucks is she can’t even give her side of it.”

      “Probably never will, either.”

      “Fuck you, Annie.”

      “Right, Robbie, right. Hey, here comes some white coats. Ssh.”

      Large shoes entering room… one pair

      “Good evening, folks! I’m Dr. Birnbaum. I’m one of the team looking after your mother… I presume Mrs. Bartlett is your mother?”

      Sounds of chair legs scraping the floor, clipboard being slid off of bed’s footboard hook

      “Yes, we are her children. Two of the three. I’m Bob and this is Ann.”

      “And there’s one more, if I understand correctly?”

      “Yea, my older sister, Julie.” answered Ann.

      “The eldest child, then?”

      “The brat, too. Hmmpf.”

      “Shuttup, Annie. Yes, Doctor, Julie would be the eldest child. She’s 54.”

      “I believe the nurses have told me she usually comes in the afternoons.”

      “Couldn’t tell ya. I work in the afternoons.”

      “So do I, driving a truck.”

      “And besides, we, uh, as I understand it, Mom just got down from the ICU a day or two ago, right?”

      “Yes.”

      “That’s true ‘nuf. Like my sister says. We know people aren’t supposed to be up there in ICU.”

      “We have visitors’ hours in the ICU. Your mother had plenty of visitors up there, as I recall. Father—“

      “Carroll! I know him. From St. Mary’s.” said Ann.

      “Yes, he was there each morning.”

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