Between the Rage and Grace Page 10

  “Uh huh”

  “Rub it across your panties and find the hot spot between you legs….did you find it?”

  “Yes”

  “Massage it for me, slowly now…”

  When Ray could hear her breaths increase he grinned and grasped himself.

  “I wanna lick your soft brown skin… I want to suck the nipples of your sweet warm breasts…are you rubbing your tits now Linda?”

  She was.

  “Glide your hand back down…slide it inside your panties this time…you’re wet aren’t you?”

  “Yes” she groaned.

  “Ever so gently I want you slip your hard finger into the wetness…push it deeper….

  Now pull it back real easy…hold it there.”

  Ray was on the verge of climax as he spit into his palm and began pulling at the protrusion from his slacks.

  “Faster now baby…pump that sweet hot- OHhh, Ohhh ohhh….”

  When he had finished he could hear Linda panting.

  “I’ll see you on Saturday.” He said and hung up the phone.

  The next morning a brand new Lexus was delivered to her.

  Linda and Ray were getting along beautifully. He came home once or twice a month, phoned for sex more frequently but that was all that was expected of her and he compensated her very well. She had made a few friends halfway through college and thankfully no one so far had called her the voodoo priestess. She never had to explain her way of living because no one ever asked.

  She was totally and completely normal, above average in her lifestyle but normal.

  Maggie Turner was her study partner in lab and they became friends instantly, of course Maggie had no idea where Linda truly came from, all she saw were the cute clothes and the Lexus and when they got together it was always on Maggie’s terms and turf.

  “Meet me at my place.” Maggie told her one day after class, “We’ll find something to get into.”

  “Okay, but I have to run a few errands first.”

  Linda’s only errand was to deposit the cash that had come in the mail. She had amassed quiet a nest egg living on the gravy train. Little did she know the train was about to derail.

  She had just pulled out of the bank and headed to Maggie’s when the cell phone rang.

  “Get home and make yourself pretty.” It was Ray.

  “But I thought you weren’t coming in till Saturday.” Linda reminded him.

  “I’m not, but there is someone who wants to meet you and I want you to be nice to him- do you know what I mean?”

  “I think you’re talking about pimping me out. You’re not talking about that are you Ray?”

  “Don’t be vulgar. Just go home and get ready.”

  “I’m not screwing this guy Ray.” Linda shrieked, “I won’t do it. Don’t send him. I’m not a fucking hooker.”

  “Linda, he is on his way. I can’t call him and tell him-”

  “Then I’ll tell him when I get there. If he shows up Ray I swear to God…” Linda was crying.

  “Okay, okay. Calm down.” He said, “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Alright.” Linda sobbed.

  “Just go home.”

  “Okay.” Linda said and headed home. She called Maggie on the way to tell her something had come up; there wasn’t an answer so she left a message.

  She carefully parked the Lexus and strolled inside; tossing her keys onto the sofa table she checked her appearance in the mirror hanging above it purely out of habit. Linda froze when she realized there was a figure sitting in the Queen Anne chair behind her in the dimly lit parlor. Without taking her eyes off of the entity she quietly grasped the keys and clutched the mace container that was attached, positioning it to spray. Her plan was to run back out and when the intruder followed he would get an eye full of pepper and she would yell for help.

  “What’s wrong Linda?” the man asked. “Are you planning to spray me with that?”

  It dawned on her that it was only Ray and she relaxed immediately.

  “Jeez Ray, you scared the day lights out of me!”

  “Sorry about that.” He said dryly without making any attempt to get up.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked on her way to the kitchen.

  “The usual.” He replied.

  Linda poured two ounces of bourbon into a glass with one ice cube and returned to the darkened room. Sitting the liquor on the end table beside him she bent and reached for the chain dangling from the lamp. Ray grabbed her wrist, “Leave it off” he said, “the gentleman prefers it in the dark.”

  Linda looked up to find the mayor smiling down at her.

  “NO Ray.” She said in a low but harsh tone,”I told you I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh you will do it, willing or unwilling you will do it and I’ll watch.”

  “Okay.” She said just to make him release her arm and then she bolted for the front door.

  The mayor was faster than she had anticipated and blocked her exit.

  “This is wrong Ray. Don’t do it.” She begged.

  “Are we playing a game?” the mayor asked.

  At the same time Linda screamed “No.” Ray answered “yes.”

  “I’m not in to rape so tell me girl, is this a game or not?” the mayor asked looking at her sternly.

  “No sir. I told him I wasn’t a hooker. I’m his but I’m not to be shared. Please…”

  The mayor looked at Ray with contempt and quietly let himself out.

  “What did you just do?” Ray yelled.

  “It’s the truth.” Linda yelled back

  “Get your things and get out!”

  “You don’t mean that Ray, baby.” she said softly reaching for his crotch, “Let me make it better.” Not that she wanted to have sex with the man that had just tried to pimp her out but Linda knew her place and what the relationship consisted of.

  “You can’t.”

  “Let me try.” She whispered into his neck.

  Pushing her away, “It’s too late.” he said and slapped her so hard that the ringing stifled everything he was saying.

  “Why are you doing this?” Linda whimpered only to be met with repeated slaps.

  “Why? Why?” he asked, striking her again, “You humiliated me. I was counting on you-you useless bitch! Haven’t I given you all you wanted and you couldn’t give me this ONE thing? The one thing I asked you for and you made me look like a fool.”

  With every word said Ray issued a slap with his right hand and then his left until Linda was hunkered on her knees begging him to stop.

  “You worthless pencil peddling slut!” he groaned with the final blow knocking her sideways.

  “Stop it Ray. Please stop it.” She pleaded with her face against the floor.

  When he did stop he stormed to the kitchen and came back with a garbage bag shoving it in her face as he informed her, “Whatever you have that will fit in there pack it. I’ll be back in an hour and I want you gone.”

  “Where am I going to go?” she asked raising her self to a sitting position, “How am I supposed to get there”

  Linda sounded like a lost child that had been left in the wilderness, probably because that is exactly how she felt.

  “That’s not my problem anymore. The car stays with the condo.” He sneered, as he pocketed the keys and suggested, “Maybe you should go back to your mother because frankly you fuck like a dead horse.” And he walked out.

  Linda waited for the door to close then scrambled to her feet to lock it. She stood there with her back pressed to the only way in and out of the apartment waiting for the trembling to stop. She considered calling Ray and begging once more, telling him she would do whatever he wanted… whatever it took to keep her from having to go back to where she’d came from just until she could finish school, she only had one semester left. How hard could it be? She asked herself. Too hard was the answer.

  Despite what her mother had said Linda did have a shred of dignity left, not much more than
that but enough that she couldn’t do what Ray wanted. The possibility of going home was nonexistent as the words of her mother echoed through her baffled mind.

  If you go to dat devil you must not bring dat dark spirit back to me.

  There was only one other person, one other place that Linda could go to so she shoved all that would fit into the thirteen gallon trash sack and caught a street car to Maggie’s.

  Linda had hung her head for the entire ride while the other passengers ooh’d and ahh’d at the surroundings. When the car reached her destination Linda walked a block to Maggie’s with the awkward black bag over her shoulder, peering through the open window she could see that her friend had company and set the make shift luggage behind the shrubs before ringing the door bell.

  “Oh goody.” Maggie squealed, “I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

  “A change in plans, what can I say?” Linda smiled with a light shrug.

  “Excellent. You can meet my dad.” Maggie told her dragging her inside and making the introductions she announced, “Linda Latrull meet my father Levi Turner.”

  Mr. Turner smiled at Linda in such a way it made her uncomfortable.

  “You two get acquainted while I freshen up.” Maggie said, “Oh Linda Daddy is going to take us to The Red Fish for dinner, won’t that be yummy?”

  “Yummy.” She replied watching Maggie go down the hallway and out of sight all the while trying to avoid Mr. Turner’s disturbing stare. Linda walked over to the window rubbing her arms briskly which seemed odd being as she wasn’t really cold. Maggie’s father followed her and the hairs on the back of her neck bristled when he softly said,

  “You’ve turned out beautifully Mucalinda.”

  Chapter 18

  Madam Latrull Arrives

  Clara knew she needed to sleep but slumber had eluded her once again.

  Ten patients had come and gone since Linda’s admission while she lay unresponsive in the same bed waiting on her only known relative to sign release papers. Maggie rarely left her friends side sleeping in a fold out chair when she wasn’t on duty and going home only to shower. You’re a good friend. Clara had told her. She’d do it for me Maggie insisted and declined Clara’s offer to relieve her of her vigil.

  The dreams were troublesome again also. They weren’t really nightmares they centered more around people Clara had known with unfamiliar events that didn’t make sense but nonetheless they kept her from a sound sleep so she avoided it as much as possible. For that reason most of the time she dozed on the couch unless Jim was home. She could sleep like a rock when he was there. His presence was such a comfort to her. He didn’t have to speak; he didn’t even have to touch her so long as he was near her she was at peace. Clara decided against catnapping being as Jim would be home in an hour.

  “You’re awake.” He said smiling at Clara sitting cross legged in the bedroom floor.

  “I didn’t hear you come in.” She replied jumping up and landing in Jim’s arms,

  “How was your day?”

  “Better now.” He laughed hugging her close to him.

  “You smell like oil.” She said sniffing the collar of his greasy shirt.

  “I don’t smell like cake?” he joked, “Guess the spell has been broken.”

  “I’m sure you do underneath all of that grime. Wait, I can’t be sure.” She said sniffing around his throat causing him to laugh, “I think I smell cake but you’d better let me be sure.” Jim drew his shoulders up from the torturous tickles of his wife.

  “You know I can’t stand that.” He eeked out with a giggling grimace.

  It amused Clara to see the big man become so weak and silly by the light touches of her nose to his neck but he allowed it until she grew bored of playing because her happiness made him happy and she was all that mattered to him.

  “What have you got there?” Jim asked looking at the shoe box half filled with newspaper clippings and old photographs with the other half strewn across the floor.

  “Just reminiscing.” Clara told him as she scanned the stacks of history she hoped would explain some of her visions.

  Jim leaned down and picked up a sepia toned image, “Is this Duffy MacDougal?”

  Clara nodded with a smile.

  “He was a handsome rascal, wasn’t he? Kind of looks like my self.” Jim said posing with a side profile and stroking his furry face.

  “He wasn’t quiet as handsome as you. A close second I would say” Clara informed him. She hadn’t noticed before but there was a resemblance in the two men. Maybe it was the dark hair and stature. She ogled the photo of her uncle Duffy and looked back at Jim.

  “Almost a little creepy.” She said exaggerating a shudder, “I wonder if Mama ever noticed.”

  “Yeah, she did.” Jim replied, “She said it’s in the eyes.”

  “Hmm.” Clara grunted, “She never mentioned it to me.”

  “Yep. She said we were kindred spirits, angels of sorts me and ole Duffy MacDougal.”

  Jim said in his best Irish Scottish accent.

  “What else did she mention?” Clara asked with her voice drenched in intrigue.

  “That’s about it. She just talked about how folks like me and Duffy Mac D wander the earth guiding and soothing other souls. I’m not sure I believe all that. I think she’s just misses her brother.”

  “Good lord he’s been gone twenty plus years.” Clara said.

  Jim looked at her with a hurt she hadn’t seen before.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Because I’m afraid you don’t understand… absence doesn’t erase a person’s love.”

  Jim explained, “You’re mother will always miss Duffy or till she sees him again. Did you know that she still cries for her Mama? Not like its everyday but still.”

  Clara shook her head, feeling ashamed that the fact hadn’t occurred to her. That she was apparently too caught up in her own world.

  “Am I calloused Jim?”

  “No sweetie. You just haven’t pulled the blinders off yet.”

  Jim wanted to hug Clara and console her, to wipe away the tiny hurt of the revelation she had just experienced but he knew she needed to feel the sting and move past it. Within moments she had.

  “Here’s a picture of me and Duffy.” Clara beamed.

  Jim took the photo and smoothed his finger over the face of the blonde bright eyed child that was now his wife. “Did the man ever wear clothes?” Jim asked looking at the bare chested shoeless uncle.

  “I don’t think so.” Clara laughed, “He looks like that in my dreams too.”

  Jim handed the photograph back to Clara, remarked on what an adorable little girl she was and chirped, “Hey you want to order a pizza?”

  “Sounds good to me, what do you want?”

  “You go ahead and reminisce, I’ll call it in. You want hamburger with extra cheese, right?”

  Clara nodded quickly and blew him a kiss. Jim caught it and walked out to make the call.

  He looks like that in my dreams too. Clara couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud but it was the truth. He did look like that in her dreams. Maybe because that was the only way she remembered her Uncle Duffy, without shirt or shoes. In her dreams he was pressing through the darkness with radiant palms and sometimes pushing at briars and limbs like an overgrown forest on a moonless night. He’d clear the path and then look back with gentle smiling eyes that motioned for someone to follow. Clara could never see who he was leading, if it was her coming behind him or if it was someone else that he beckoned while she was merely a spectator… but she knew he could be trusted.

  He kept the fear of blackness at bay by the light of his feet. Each step illuminated wherever his naked feet set down till the blackness broke all around him and a burst of light would wake her up. She tried to stay in the dream realm a few times before, wanting to see what was on the other side of the darkness but always the flash sent her flying back through the void into reality.

  �
��Pizza’s here.” Jim announced as he plopped down on the floor beside her, “Have you figured it out yet?” Clara took a bite of hot cheesy pie and mulled over his question and the words dropped from her lips like feathery lead, “You’re an angel aren’t you?”

  When Jim was able to stop laughing he assured Clara that he was flesh and blood with more than his share of short comings and cosmetic flaws. But she wouldn’t believe it.

  “Eat your pizza goofy girl it’s time to go to work.”

  “Oh heck it sure is. Guess I lost track of time.” Clara said as she raked the collection back into the shoe box. “I’ll take the rest of this pizza to Maggie she is probably starving.”

  “How is she? How is Linda?” Jim asked with true concern.

  “Maggie is diligent about her vigil and all the tests look normal for Linda but she won’t wake up. I don’t understand it and we haven’t heard from her mother. Did I tell you we put a feeding tube in her?”

  Jim nodded and Clara added “You can’t tell anyone that. Patient confidentiality- okay.”

  “Who would I tell?” Jim chuckled.

  “I don’t know” Clara scowled, “but things have a way of getting out.”

  “Scouts honor.” Jim promised

  “Were you a scout?”

  “No.”

  “Then is doesn’t count.”

  “Cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye.”

  “That will do.” Clara grinned and hurried out the door “Oops” she said running back in to kiss Jim and she darted out again.

  Clara lightly tapped on door # 6 but didn’t wait for an answer before she crept in.

  “I brought you some pizza.” She whispered to the sleeping Maggie, “Shift starts in fifteen minutes.”

  Maggie stretched and rolled her stiff neck, “Thanks.” She said accepting the stinking cardboard box. “Lot’s of parmesan yum.”

  “Any change?”

  “No.” Maggie told her as she tore into the cold pizza.

  “I’ll take report and see you out front in a bit. Take your time.” Clara assured her and eased the door closed.