Tuesday
Another cool, breezy yet mostly sunny evening finds Nick taking April to the pine tree park by the riverside, she just wants to hang out and even drove to his house. She also brought word that Deej is feeling under the weather for real this time, evidently running a small temp at the doctor’s but they checked her out anyway.
But for now, this gal, she seems eager to just engage with politeness that seems deliberate but sincere. On the trip they covered the small topics, how work goes, the project, roofing business.
At the park they find a picnic table and sit together, at first in silence, then she asks,
“Why…okay…what makes me a babe?”
“Well, the brown eyes don’t hurt.”
Silence. He looks over and this got a smile. Finally she responds,
“Thanks.”
“And since you asked, well, you have a way of picking your moments.”
She looks over, “For a second I cringed that you were gonna say nose.”
“That’s your business, dear.”
“Only in dry weather.’
“Okay, right there, you’re also funny as hell.”
“I don’t mean to be.”
“Why?”
“Girls aren’t funny.”
“How do you explain Sam and Deej?”
Silence, but this gets a grin.
He waits.
“I don’t compare to them.”
“Yah whadda you know.”
She leans on his arm.
“That old saying says it all, birds of a feather.”
April lets that stand, then gets slightly agitated at trying to form a sentence.
Nick steps in, “If you don’t mind me saying, that’s a cute outfit too.”
“Thanks,” she sighs, then, “Why is it I can’t find what I’m looking for?”
“Can you define it?”
She sighs. “I chased it and see where it got me.”
“Where did it get you?”
“Back where I started.”
Nick lets that float.
“Well, Danni got me to start thinking through why I do things, and I had a good talk with Mom.”
Nick takes a chance. “I remember at the theater, she said something that made you uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, we talked about that.”
“Sounds like things will have to happen in your own time and on your terms.”
Silence, so he looks over and she’s beaming.
He can’t resist going for a mutual peck and they connect.
“Wanna grab a bite?” He offers.
She smiles again, “Actually I have a crock pot started but, well…”
For the past several minutes, Nick had been increasingly aware of a figure slowly wandering down the path that passes about ten feet from their table, and had become increasingly convinced that it’s the one and only Dan Aldwin, looking about fifteen years older. And so, he can’t resist,
“How ya doin’ Dan?”
“Oh hello young people, Christ be with you. Have we met?”
“A few years ago, at Calvary. How’s your wife?”
“Oh not well I’m afraid, not well, she may go home soon.”
“Sorry to hear that. Can we give you a ride?”
“Oh…OH, bless your soul, but I’m out for my walk.”
“Well it’s good to see you Dan, take care and we hope for the best.”
Dan raises his hands and prays a blessing over them and heads off with,
“Bye now, friends.”
They watch him for a bit, then April speaks up,
“Nick that was really sweet of you.”
“It’s the least I can do, had you heard about that crazy Sunday?”
“Danni told me what she knows.”
“Well - sorry I cut you off, the crock pot?”
She smiles, “Screw the crock pot, wine me dine me. Just what happened that Sunday?”
And so they head to the DQ for this and that and enjoy it in the car. They get back around 7:30 as it gets dark and he gets a good squeeze before she heads home and promises to call. Actually it was a bit too good; he didn’t mean to feel her pert little upstairs (at least consciously) but he didn’t think to avoid it, so, sailor’s luck.
Nick updates Irene until the phone rings, April sounds perkier than ever,
Next to shower and settle in, he watches a bit of TV then tries Deej. A younger, thinner voice answers,
“Hello hello.”
“Sam?”
A pause. “Please insert 25 cents for the first five minutes -”
“Is your sister alive?”
“It’s been a while since we poked her with a stick but hold on.”
Nick holds on.
“Ok, she’s going to take a shower and eat something, can she call you back?”
“Does a deer shit in the woods?”
She snickers, “Hey, you been practicing?”
“Most days, you? Is there gonna be a test?”
“When you least expect it -”
They finish in unison, “Expect it.”
“Alright I need to go finish my trig.”
“God I love trig.”
“Then why don’t you marry it?”
“Real mature.”
“Yeah that was lame, sorry,” she chuckles and Nick kinda wishes she needed help with math but it’s more the other way around.
“Alright brat, she can call whenever, take good care of her for me.”
“Yes sir, roger roger, over and out, ten four good buddy, we gone.” Click.
Nick just shakes his head. Everyone should have a Sam around.
He also thinks Deej needs her own phone, he would even crawl beneath their house to wire it up, no charge.
So more TV, a little pickin’ and grinnin’, then before long the ringy-dingies.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” She sounds awful.
“Is it in the head mostly?”
“My head is pounding and throat sore.”
“But you got through the exam.”
“Yeah, it went well, no issues, he’s very objective and…<deep breath>...he wanted to take blood, since I’m young.”
“Good, and, I’ll try to not make you talk much, sounds like you have it worse than I did with this bug. I ended up taking our brunette to the river and to DQ, she seems to be…loosening up, I think you know what I mean.”
“I’m glad, that’s what she needs, some affirmation.”
“I really wish you had your own phone, I’ll even wire it up.”
“We’ll see, for now I’m wrapped in a blanket on the c….<voice breaks up>...couch, got a sock on the phone and hopefully no one else gets this shit.”
“Well good, and I think you know you need some downtime.”
She laughs, “You know me too well, dear.”
“Did the campus call you back yet?”
“Not yet, I left a message last week sometime, “ then dry coughs.
“Honey this seems to really be kicking your ass already.”
“Yeah the doc could tell I was getting sick and checked my glands, well, the ones upstairs.”
“Probably doesn’t mind some practice on the business end once in a while.”
She chuckles and dry coughs.
“Do you have plenty of juice and drugs?”
“Daddy ran to the gas station and got a couple bottles of OJ and we have Tylenol out the butt.”
“Wish I could do something.”
“You do plenty.”
“Alright, I don’t want you coughing, I’ll check in tomorrow k?”
“Kayyy, love you.”
“Love you Deej, nite.”
“Nite.”
He goes downstairs to update Irene on his sick gal then goes back to TV.