Business as Usual (18 page)

The
woman was young, all of twenty years-old with big pretty eyes and dark hair
pulled into two pony tails. She looked liked a school girl.

“I’ll
have some coffee,” I answered.

“I’m
sorry. We shut our coffee maker down for the night. We close in an hour. Would
you like some tea instead?”

“Tea
would be great, thank you.”

I looked
away, typing again. A few minutes later the young woman returned, setting the
tea on the table before me. She stood for a moment, gazing out the window.

“A
shame the rain didn’t put the fire out.”

I
looked up and gazed into her soft pale face.

“It
was a nice restaurant,” she muttered absently. “You look cold. My brother told
me to offer you a blanket. Would you like one?”

“I’m
almost dry and the tea is keeping me warm… but thank you.”

“I’ll
be in the kitchen if you need anything.”

“Maybe
some more tea.”

The
girl nodded.

Lightening
lit the sky, revealing a glittering of stars behind dark ominous clouds. My
eyes darted to a silhouette outside the window.  A woman in a tan trench
coat slipped out of a dark car, closing the door behind her.  I watched as
she raced into Satsuki, wiping rain water out of her eyes. A few seconds later,
the door opened and the woman walked inside, an open newspaper covering her
damp hair.  She took the paper off and shook it, droplets of water falling
to the floor.

I
drained the liquid in my cup unsweetened, gazing blankly at my computer screen
again. Suddenly, a familiar voice called me by name.

“Tai?
Is that you?”

I
looked up, immediately recognizing the woman.

“Rachel?”
I exclaimed. “What are you doing here? How are you? How are the kids?”

 I
waved her over, wondering what she was doing out so late. She took her wet
trench coat off and shook water onto the floor as she sat down, exhausted.

“Damn
rain. I fucking hate it.”

Rachel’s
thick brown hair clung to the side of her chubby cheeks.  She blinked
water from long dark lashes as we hugged across the table, leaning away from my
laptop. A drop of snot tickled out of one of her nostrils and her hands looked
shriveled and cold.

“I
haven’t seen you since…”

“The
party,” she answered dryly, trying to light the sopping wet cigarette in her
hand.

“I
didn’t know you smoked.”

Rachel
smiled. “Neither does Richard.”

She
flicked ashes into a ceramic tray, covered with packets of sugar and salt.

When
Rachel and Richard got married, everyone thought they were the perfect couple.
Even their names matched. Rachel had dropped out of college and married Richard
before his unit deployed to Iraq. She was a twenty-five year old mom of two
kids and as much as she loved them, hated the life she’d been dealt. Or rather,
the life she chose...

I
looked up to find the waitress next to my table. She set a tea cup before me
and took the old one away.

“So…
what brings you out on this cold wet night? Shouldn’t you be at home reading
the kids a bedtime story?”

Rachel
spouted a cloud of smoke into the air, pointing her nose dramatically.

“They’re
not up this late,” she answered, fanning a puff of smoke away from my face. “I
was out with my old man. I told him to let me out at the diner.”

I
almost spat tea out of my mouth. “I hope you’re talking about Richard.”

“Why
would I be talking about Richard? If you must know, I’m having an affair,” she
answered flippantly.

“Why?
What happened?”

Rachel
gave me a curious smile and pointed her cigarette at my face accusingly.

“Richard
bores the hell out of me, that’s what happened.”

“What
about the kids?”

“
Puh
-lease, what are you, my mother now?”

I
sighed. “I’m your friend. You can talk to me if something's wrong.”

Rachel
nodded, drawing from the filter of her
ciggie
again.

“Good…good.
I’m glad I ran into you, actually.”

“What’s
up?”

“I
slipped out when Richard went to bed, but he must have realized I was gone because
he called my cell twenty minutes ago, wondering where I went. I told him to
pick me up. He’s been acting real suspicious lately. So if you don’t mind, I’ll
just use you as an excuse.”

“As
long as I don’t have to lie to him…” I started.

It
wasn’t my style to get involved. I liked Richard. I wasn't down with lying to
him about his wife. Rachel took a puff of her cigarette again. I inhaled,
drawing second hand smoke into my lungs, unable to meet her unrelenting gaze.
She must have known by the look in my eyes that deep down inside, I was judging
her.

“Don’t
worry about it. He trusts me.
But enough about my shit.
How are
you
?”

“I’m
fine. But sometimes, I miss Everett so much I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“I
know, sweetie…” Rachel softly replied. “Just remember he’ll always be with
you.”

…And
what if I didn’t want him to
‘always be with me?’
I hated trite
responses like that. When was it okay to move on? Maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad
about the accident if I weren’t always blaming myself.  I met Rachel’s
pitying gaze.

“When
I’m alone in the house I see him as clear as day, standing right there in my
bedroom. It’s scary as hell but I miss him so much I don’t want him to leave. I
feel so torn. Whenever I think about being with someone else, you know, dating
again... I feel like I’m betraying Everett. Like I don’t deserve to move on and
have a life without him. It feels so wrong…”

 “Everett
would want you to be happy, Tai. Give it some thought.”

“Now
you’re sounding like
my
mother. I know Richard’s boring and all but just
thank your lucky stars he came back from the war alive.”

Rachel
sighed.

“I’m
sorry. I must sound like a real bitch when I talk about my husband.”

“I
wouldn’t say that…”
Out loud.

We
looked out the window. A green minivan pulled to the curb, right in front of
Satsuki’s. The door opened and a man jumped out and slammed the door behind
him. He gazed at the burnt out diner across the street, a confused look on his
face.

“There’s
Richard. Just a head’s up before I leave…” Rachel said.

I
gave her a questioning look and she gestured toward the kitchen.

“You
might end up with somebody a lot sooner than you think.”

I
turned around. The young Japanese waitress appeared at my table again with the
check.
What in the hell was Rachel talking about?

I
looked at the young woman. “Thanks, I’d like to pay my bill now.”

She
left and I grabbed the second cup of tea and drained it quickly, searing hot
liquid scorching my throat. The young woman returned a few minutes later and
sat the check on the table. I stayed another twenty minutes and finished my
article. When I was done, I paid the bill and left her a small tip.

Thunder
rumbled and lightening streaked across the darkened sky.  I loved rain,
but lightening scared the shit out of me.
Especially at
night, when I'm alone in bed staring at the ceiling, trying my best to fall
asleep.
I'd see things in the flickering shadows and angry flashes of
light.

I
looked back at the restaurant and thought about going inside. But the flashing
green “OPEN” sign in the window powered down and a red “CLOSED” sign flickered
on.

I
hopped on my bike, swung my bag over my shoulder and pedaled away. I could hear
the wheels crunching on top of pavement it was so quiet out. Everything in
Madison Heights shut down at 11:00 pm, the boring little city that it is.

It
was lonely out, but I didn’t need an mp3 player to keep me company. Nature had
already provided an orchestra, like the thundercloud pouring rain on top of my
head. A cold merciless wind battered my face. I was grateful when I made it to
the deserted little bike path not far from my house nearly an hour later. 

I
entered the blackness of the bike path. There, pavement gave way to dirt and treacherous
shards of rock where the mud had been washed away by the rain.  I wasn’t
intimidated. I rode my bike on that path for most of my life. It was second
nature to me. I knew every hill, bump and crevice. But the most ungodly aspect
of the ride was that unpredictable wind. Branches bent and swayed ominously
overhead and my face was cold and red.

I
adjusted the messenger bag swinging from my neck. It was getting heavy. I could
feel the straps burning into my shoulders. I turned the handles on my bike
swirling a full 360 degrees to a screeching halt, the tires kicking mud into
the air. My fingers were numb. I blinked water from out of my eyes, wiping them
with the back of my hand. I got off the bike and kicked the wheels, knocking
mud from between the spokes.

I
got on my bike again. Darkness loomed ahead. I realized the worst part of being
alone, was the feeling that I
wasn’t
alone.

I
looked over my shoulder. I saw someone in the distance, about a block away. I
wiped my eyes hoping to make out one of my neighbors. Who
was
this stranger and what was he doing on our path this time of night? He rode a
motorbike, and moved quickly toward me.

Our
house was the only one for about two or three miles and the bike path ended
well before then. I squinted, trying to make sense of the shadow, but he was
gone… Where was he? He was there only a second before… 

I
was used to seeing ghosts around the house, but out here?

My
thighs burned. Mud was clogging the wheels again and I had only gone a couple of
blocks.

The
bike path veered left of the road down a steep hill and whenever it rained,
water and soot rolled down, washing the path with sludge. My bike sunk into the
mess like it was quicksand, when suddenly I hit a bump and lurched forward, the
chain on my bike snapping violently.  

I
was airborne for what seemed like an eternity. Then gravity took hold, ripping
me out of the air like a disgruntled old man with a cane. I grunted, as I
landed face down in the mud, blood dripping down my face. I tried to breathe
but my chest hurt. Worse, the impact of my fall broke my laptop, smashing it to
pieces.

I
laid there a moment mumbling “fuck” and “shit” over and over again in
frustration. Every bone in my body ached and the whole world went dark. Water
from the puddle in crept into my nose. I coughed, choking as it burned the
inside of my nostrils.

Then
I heard it.
The sound of a branch snapping underfoot.

There
I was… alone, defenseless, and immobile in a deserted wooded area with Freddie
Krueger .
What in the hell was I thinking coming out here
like this?

Then
I heard it again… another footfall in the brush.

“Who’s
out there?” I called.

I
looked up, a desolate gray sky poured infinite drops of rain onto my face.

I waited
quietly for the stranger to make his move as I wiped blood from my bottom lip,
tasting dirt and soot… my nostrils leaked like I was a two year-old child with
a bad cold.