24 hours, 5 years, 10 months Ch. 07
bywieliczka©
"Jim, I've got a problem. Do you have time now to talk with me about it quickly? I'm on my break and this isn't life or death, but it's close."
"Hold on Gail Marie, let me run into the spare conference room for a bit of privacy." It took me about a minute to find the room and thankfully it's empty. "Ok, what's up?"
"You know that I'm in the ER this week because they were short staffed, right?"
"Go ahead."
"They brought in a hit and rum victim from the highway. Unconscious. No ID on him. The cops said that it looks like a Good Samaritan flinched his wallet." She paused, "It's Jay." It got deadly quiet.
Jay was her lover over 5 years ago. We've spoken about him and her and everything about what happened. She's said that there has been no contact at all from him since that day. Now he's back, and hurting and a John Doe? "Gail Marie, do the right thing."
"I needed to tell you about it first, and then tell the Police, the Social Worker and the admitting Department."
"Do you still have Mary's phone number? His ex. They'd be looking for somebody that had any information on his family. You have to do what is right. I understand, but do what is right and do it quick."
"I've got her number. Thank you. I'll call when I get an update."
The rest of the day put me back those years, and once again, showed me how far we have come. Gail Marie moved back in with me 3 months ago, and it's been a ride. Lots of ups and downs, but we never wavered from the trust we now have for each other. Jay 'showing up' was trust and communication front and center. Clean, clear, upfront.
A month ago, Charlene came into town and she even stayed with us for 2 days. The three of us had dinner together and Gail Marie and I found out her car broke down and needed the additional time for the repair. Her budget was tight and it was Gail Marie that quietly suggested to me that we could put her up if I wanted to extend the offer. Living in the same house for two nights was slightly different. Those two realized that they weren't competitors and warmed to each other.
Now it was Jay. He was married for about a year when my emails put an end to his life in Cincinnati. Gail Marie apologized to Mary about a year later. They both have kept in touch. It doesn't matter what Jay did before, he at least deserves our assistance now.
Gail Marie gave me a call at 11:15 and asked if we could host a visitor. Mary was driving up from Cincinnati and could use a place to stay. I agreed and Gail Marie said she'd fill me in the details when we both got home.
I was home first, so I pulled the leftovers from the fridge and microwaved two plates worth. I did make a fresh salad, waiting till Gail Marie got home to dress it with salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My cooking has improved. At least I know how to make a salad and when to dress it.
As soon as she came in, Gail Marie started talking. "Jim it was unreal. The last person in the world shows up on my shift, unconscious and unidentified. To be honest, I freaked out a little, and that's why I called you right away. I would have spoken to the police and hospital anyway, but it felt better knowing you were in on it from the start."
24 hours, 5 years, 10 months(romantic story series)
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romantic_story
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- Joined: 17 Aug 2015 17:28
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romantic_story
- Expert Member
- Posts: 228
- Joined: 17 Aug 2015 17:28
Re: 24 hours, 5 years, 10 months(romantic story series)
"I have no problem with it. I think that we both are always glad to be able to help out when there is a need. But what about Mary?"
"This I'm not really sure about all the details. They aren't together, not even living in the same state. Mary is still in Cincinnati, his mother is someplace near the Twin Cities and he's near her and in Florida too. I don't understand it myself. His mother can't drive and is taking care of his child. His brother is on a cruise in Greece right now. Mary was the only one available. Her ex-mother-in-law asked and she agreed to come for Jay. I'm sure we may find out more when she arrives. She was due to leave at noon and with the traffic, she should be at the hospital about now. She'll call us before she leaves or if she needs anything."
"I have to ask you, how do you feel about all of this? Last month it was my ex and this month, it's the ex-wife of your..."
"Affair? That's the prettiest way I can put it. We could get graphic and call it what it really was." I shook my head no. "So affair it is.
"Jim, we're not the same people we were then. I finally grew up thanks to you. First 5 years ago and in these past 7 months, so much more. You've been a role model for me. So how I feel? A bit confused but feeling like we're doing the right thing all around. Between us and with Mary and even Jay. I have to hold my head up high for the rest of my life, and this is part it."
After dinner, we checked the guest bedroom and put out fresh towels for Mary, then waited. It was about 9:30 when we got the call. She had GPS on her phone and we put the light on for her. We met her at her car when she pulled in the driveway.
She looked pretty worn and I immediately grabbed her suitcase from her car and Gail Marie offered her dinner and anything else. She asked for a drink of water and something small to eat. We gave her some time to decompress at the dinner table alone. She started to look a bit rested and she joined us in the living room.
"I'd like to thank you for letting me stay here, and on such short notice. After I got the call this morning and I called everybody I could, it's been non-stop."
"So how is he doing? When I saw him in the ER this morning, I was shocked. No ID, no nothing. I didn't know what to think."
"Actually his car broke down on the 894 bypass and he walked a mile to an exit where somebody hit him. Once the police got a name and his home, he was connected to the car. They searched the area where he was discovered and his wallet was in the weeds. Nothing was missing. At first they couldn't connect him to the wallet, his son's picture was in it. They were looking for an African American."
We both must have appeared confused. Mary looked at us and smiled. "Oh, you don't know."
"To be honest Mary, I've known nothing of Jay since that day over 5 and a half years ago when I grabbed his phone and..."
"Let me go back to that time and then to the present. It'll all make more sense. By the way, could I bother you two for a drink?"
"Mary you've come to the right place. We have all kinds of wine. We have red, white, and pink. We have box and ..."
Gail Marie barged right in "Mary please forgive Jim, he thinks that it's funny to pull this old line on everybody. We have about everything. What would you like?"
"At the risk of it being a cliché, some white wine?"
"Done, you are ok with Trader Joes wine selection?" Mary answered, "A woman after my own heart, and wine merchant." That's when Gail Marie turned to me, "Jim open the one in the fridge and bring out two wine glasses. Why don't you pour yourself some bourbon and then join us."
"DONE? And I get to do the work?" I started laughing, and then Mary saw the humor and chuckled. Gail Marie only smiled with an 'I got caught' smile. We are a couple in all ways. A good couple.
"This I'm not really sure about all the details. They aren't together, not even living in the same state. Mary is still in Cincinnati, his mother is someplace near the Twin Cities and he's near her and in Florida too. I don't understand it myself. His mother can't drive and is taking care of his child. His brother is on a cruise in Greece right now. Mary was the only one available. Her ex-mother-in-law asked and she agreed to come for Jay. I'm sure we may find out more when she arrives. She was due to leave at noon and with the traffic, she should be at the hospital about now. She'll call us before she leaves or if she needs anything."
"I have to ask you, how do you feel about all of this? Last month it was my ex and this month, it's the ex-wife of your..."
"Affair? That's the prettiest way I can put it. We could get graphic and call it what it really was." I shook my head no. "So affair it is.
"Jim, we're not the same people we were then. I finally grew up thanks to you. First 5 years ago and in these past 7 months, so much more. You've been a role model for me. So how I feel? A bit confused but feeling like we're doing the right thing all around. Between us and with Mary and even Jay. I have to hold my head up high for the rest of my life, and this is part it."
After dinner, we checked the guest bedroom and put out fresh towels for Mary, then waited. It was about 9:30 when we got the call. She had GPS on her phone and we put the light on for her. We met her at her car when she pulled in the driveway.
She looked pretty worn and I immediately grabbed her suitcase from her car and Gail Marie offered her dinner and anything else. She asked for a drink of water and something small to eat. We gave her some time to decompress at the dinner table alone. She started to look a bit rested and she joined us in the living room.
"I'd like to thank you for letting me stay here, and on such short notice. After I got the call this morning and I called everybody I could, it's been non-stop."
"So how is he doing? When I saw him in the ER this morning, I was shocked. No ID, no nothing. I didn't know what to think."
"Actually his car broke down on the 894 bypass and he walked a mile to an exit where somebody hit him. Once the police got a name and his home, he was connected to the car. They searched the area where he was discovered and his wallet was in the weeds. Nothing was missing. At first they couldn't connect him to the wallet, his son's picture was in it. They were looking for an African American."
We both must have appeared confused. Mary looked at us and smiled. "Oh, you don't know."
"To be honest Mary, I've known nothing of Jay since that day over 5 and a half years ago when I grabbed his phone and..."
"Let me go back to that time and then to the present. It'll all make more sense. By the way, could I bother you two for a drink?"
"Mary you've come to the right place. We have all kinds of wine. We have red, white, and pink. We have box and ..."
Gail Marie barged right in "Mary please forgive Jim, he thinks that it's funny to pull this old line on everybody. We have about everything. What would you like?"
"At the risk of it being a cliché, some white wine?"
"Done, you are ok with Trader Joes wine selection?" Mary answered, "A woman after my own heart, and wine merchant." That's when Gail Marie turned to me, "Jim open the one in the fridge and bring out two wine glasses. Why don't you pour yourself some bourbon and then join us."
"DONE? And I get to do the work?" I started laughing, and then Mary saw the humor and chuckled. Gail Marie only smiled with an 'I got caught' smile. We are a couple in all ways. A good couple.
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romantic_story
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Re: 24 hours, 5 years, 10 months(romantic story series)
I uncorked the $6 chardonnay for them and made a Manhattan for myself and sat back down. "Here you go ladies." I put the bottle on a coaster on the coffee table and sat down. Wine helps things sometimes.
"As I was saying, that day that it all blew up was the last straw for me. Jay had been playing around and this time I couldn't deny it any longer. I'd had it with him for a while. I've never thanked you Jim for what you did. It stopped me from enabling him, denying what it was doing to me. I kicked his ass out that day.
"The funny thing, he finally stopped being a jerk after that. The divorce went smoothly and we did it with a minimum of fus while he was living in Florida. He got a sales job down there almost immediately.
"About two years after it was finalized, he showed up at my door and asked to go out to dinner. He made it clear that this was dinner on the up and up. That's when he told me what was really going on in his life, and showed me a picture of his adopted son, and his partner," she paused, "Trevnor."
"It turns out his entire life he'd been fighting who he was. He and his mother were part of a very conservative church. I know all conservative churches are not like this, but this one was a fire and brimstone on homosexuality.
"He told me that he married me to 'cure' him. I found out that this wasn't uncommon for men and women who aren't straight. When that didn't work, he kept going after new female conquests to try to cure him again and again. When it all blew up and he was alienated from his church, he went to Florida.
"There he found another church that was much more accepting of gays and lesbians. That's where he met Trevnor. Trevor's in the Navy and is in the mid-east right now. I contacted him about Jay and he's trying to see if he could get leave. Together, they adopted a crack baby. Trevnor is African American. Jay's mother in the Twin Cites is taking care of 5 year old Jason when Jay is on the road. He was heading back home when his car overheated on 894 west of the city.
"We'll never be lovers, but we have moved to being good friends. He's not a bad guy since he's gotten serious in life...That's why I came up here for him. His son is in special-ed, and will always have problems in life. He and Trevnor knew it going in. I feel I need to support that. Besides, I'm Jason's godmother.
"Jay's spoken to me in the past about apologizing to you two. He's in stable condition and we'll see if he's alright after a few days. They're keeping him in a medical coma for now."
This was Gail Marie's specialty, medical stuff. Medical stuff is my professional term for it. "You have a few days for that. You do know that they sometimes can hear you, even while in the coma. I had a patient in for a week in the ICU like that. The family stayed around him the entire time. When he came out, he recounted all what he heard. He found out that his bitch of a wife loved the hell out of him but never really told or showed him. He was shocked, it helped in rebuilding their marriage. So be careful on what you say. By the way, do you want to ride with me to work? It'll save you on the parking costs."
"Thanks a lot Gail Marie. That would be great." She turned to me. "Jim, Gail Marie said that it was OK for me to stay here for a few days? Are you good with that? I feel like I'm imposing."
Gail Marie popped on up, "Well yes you are." I was a little shocked. We had spoken about the possibly of this happening and ... "And we wouldn't have it any other way. You have important things to do and this is the least we could do to help out."
"As I was saying, that day that it all blew up was the last straw for me. Jay had been playing around and this time I couldn't deny it any longer. I'd had it with him for a while. I've never thanked you Jim for what you did. It stopped me from enabling him, denying what it was doing to me. I kicked his ass out that day.
"The funny thing, he finally stopped being a jerk after that. The divorce went smoothly and we did it with a minimum of fus while he was living in Florida. He got a sales job down there almost immediately.
"About two years after it was finalized, he showed up at my door and asked to go out to dinner. He made it clear that this was dinner on the up and up. That's when he told me what was really going on in his life, and showed me a picture of his adopted son, and his partner," she paused, "Trevnor."
"It turns out his entire life he'd been fighting who he was. He and his mother were part of a very conservative church. I know all conservative churches are not like this, but this one was a fire and brimstone on homosexuality.
"He told me that he married me to 'cure' him. I found out that this wasn't uncommon for men and women who aren't straight. When that didn't work, he kept going after new female conquests to try to cure him again and again. When it all blew up and he was alienated from his church, he went to Florida.
"There he found another church that was much more accepting of gays and lesbians. That's where he met Trevnor. Trevor's in the Navy and is in the mid-east right now. I contacted him about Jay and he's trying to see if he could get leave. Together, they adopted a crack baby. Trevnor is African American. Jay's mother in the Twin Cites is taking care of 5 year old Jason when Jay is on the road. He was heading back home when his car overheated on 894 west of the city.
"We'll never be lovers, but we have moved to being good friends. He's not a bad guy since he's gotten serious in life...That's why I came up here for him. His son is in special-ed, and will always have problems in life. He and Trevnor knew it going in. I feel I need to support that. Besides, I'm Jason's godmother.
"Jay's spoken to me in the past about apologizing to you two. He's in stable condition and we'll see if he's alright after a few days. They're keeping him in a medical coma for now."
This was Gail Marie's specialty, medical stuff. Medical stuff is my professional term for it. "You have a few days for that. You do know that they sometimes can hear you, even while in the coma. I had a patient in for a week in the ICU like that. The family stayed around him the entire time. When he came out, he recounted all what he heard. He found out that his bitch of a wife loved the hell out of him but never really told or showed him. He was shocked, it helped in rebuilding their marriage. So be careful on what you say. By the way, do you want to ride with me to work? It'll save you on the parking costs."
"Thanks a lot Gail Marie. That would be great." She turned to me. "Jim, Gail Marie said that it was OK for me to stay here for a few days? Are you good with that? I feel like I'm imposing."
Gail Marie popped on up, "Well yes you are." I was a little shocked. We had spoken about the possibly of this happening and ... "And we wouldn't have it any other way. You have important things to do and this is the least we could do to help out."