Authors: Mercedes Keyes
"YOUR FUCKIN' HUSBAND... HAS DRIVEN US CRAZY SCREAMING FOR YOUR ASS!!! AND HE BROKE MY HUSBAND'S NOSE! SONOFBITCH!"
"Is he all right?!" Sylvia cried out.
"WHO? My husband?!" Meribel asked.
"NO... MY HUSBAND!"
She ripped into Spanish again. "How about we get to the house and you can see your husband! 'Cause I'm done with his ass and Jake's too!"
Sylvia sat back sniffing and put the window up, "Hurry up, follow them!"
"You ain't got to tell me! I swear to GOD up in heaven above! I ain't never bringing my ass back here ever a'goddamn'gain! Not ever again! And they got the nerve to say we don't know how to act! Damn this shit! Everybody mad! Everybody fighting! I done got lost! You married to a lunatic!-..."
"Don't call my husband no lunatic!" Sylvia blasted.
"He a goddamn lunatic! And his goddamn brother insane! And yo' ass married to one! And miss Red Dress hooked on the other."
"I ain't hooked on nobody! I just wanna get going! Its after eleven and I just wanna get back to Chicago." Vivian fussed from the back seat.
Bart and Gert stayed put waiting on Sheila to call them back, when she finally did, it was to say they were following behind Mundo, Meribel, Derrick and Shawn. Gert asked her where was Jake, and Sheila answered that she had no clue. An hour later, standing in Sylvia's front window, they saw Jakes truck roll up and screech to a halt in front of Silvia's house. Kathy Ann not far behind him pulling onto the side grassy area.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Would you look at him?!" Gert sighed exasperated with Bart standing beside her as they watched Jake throw open the door of his truck, lean out and vomit on the ground. She looked up at him, he down at her. "No one in her right mind is ever going to marry that boy... we might as well accept it." Gert said. They both turned and made it to the kitchen door, down the steps and stepped outside just as the SUV pulled up onto the grass on the far side of Sylvia's garage. Shawn's truck with Mundo driving it went into his driveway across the road. Meribel pulled up behind the SUV. The van pulled in behind Gert and Bart's townecar. Everyone was jumping out at the same time, Shawn started calling out for Sylvia, Sylvia jumped out of the van yelling for Shawn. She saw his face and burst into tears, getting upset all over again.
Gert herded her into the house with the help of her friends.
While Bart stayed outside trying to get his sons under control. Jake and Shawn were cursing each other out, yelling at each other. In the house, the women were trying to calm Sylvia down. She had to get out of her gown, and into other clothes. Vivian used her bathroom and changed into her Capri outfit, upset because Sheila wasn't even trying to get back on the road, so caught up with Sylvia.
"Sheila! We need to go! I gotta get home! I don't have time for this! I have a job to get to in the morning!"
"I told you to call in!" Sheila blasted back.
"Oh no... hell with this shit." Vivian spat and marched outside and yelled out. "CAN SOME GODDAMN BODY... PLEASE TAKE MY ASS HOME!!!" All the men looked at her as if she were crazy.
Bart looked at Jake, "You... you will either do as I say now... or never show yourself at my home again... I mean it Jake! Give her your keys, get in that truck! And get the hell out of here for a while! Go! Get the hell out of here! Now!"
Jake stood angry, wiping his hand across his face. He started to say something, but he had enough. He turned to Vivian, felt around for his keys. She looked at his truck, walked to it, they were still in the ignition. "They're in here... lets go! I'm telling you now... while I'm driving! Don't say shit! It's been one helluva day!"
Jake dragged himself to the truck, climbed in on the passenger side, slumped down, crossed his arms over his chest, and passed out.
Vivian jumped in after skipping over a nasty spot where he'd emptied his gut. Started it up, turned it around and headed out.
Shawn stumbled into the house, walked pass all the women straight to the bedroom and then into the bathroom, slamming the door closed.
Sylvia looked at everyone.
"Please go... I'll be fine... just - go... leave us alone."
"Girl I don't know... he drunk."
"I'll be all right Sheila... really I will... just... everybody...please... I need to be left alone with my husband." She asked.
Gert came up to her. "You call us if you need anything...understand?" Sylvia nodded.
She then hugged Sheila, Ellen and Edwina. "We ain't leaving here yet... we gone get a room, so we'll be right off the interstate at the Super 8, if he start trippin', like he gone hit you, you come on! Hear me?" Sheila stated.
"Okay Sheila... thank you."
Slowly everyone started pulling out of the yard leaving. Mundo came and checked to make sure she was alright.
"I'm okay son... just... leave us - okay?"
He kissed her and stepped down off the porch and trotted across the road, jumped into Shawn's truck and left to make that other set. She shook her head and closed the door. Standing there, she took several deep breaths. Afraid to cross the house into their bedroom and then into their bathroom.
Taking a deep breath, she took the necessary steps and stood at the bathroom door, tapping on it, she called out, "Shawn... can I come in?" He didn't answer, she could hear the water running in the sink, so she knew that he heard. "Please Shawn... I need to talk to you."
Still no answer.
She drew in a deep breath and tried the door, it wasn't locked. She opened it to see him leaning over the sink rinsing his face, rinsing off his knuckles. She walked in and closed the door behind her, leaning against it.
He leaned up bracing himself against the counter top, taking several deep breaths.
"Shawn..."
"You lied to me. You fucking lied to me."
"Can you let me explain first?"
"How many times... did I - I ask you... about my brother... how many times?" His voice was gruff and forced from his chest.
Sylvia felt her chest squeeze, trapping the air there, she had to move, and walked away from the door to lean against the wall behind him.
"Well... don't remember?" He asked, still leaning on the sink.
"I think... three times." She answered softly, tears rolling from her eyes.
He stood up then, his body felt like it weighed a ton to him. He blew out from his mouth a long breath and turned around to face her. "Three times... why'd you think - I asked you... hm... why? Because... I - have nothing... better to do. Just for... lively... fuckin' conversation... hm?"
"No."
"No... that's all you have to say... no."
"No Shawn... that's not all I have to say."
"All... I wanna know... is this... has my brother... ever put... his hands... on you... hm?"
"Oh Shawn ... please." Sylvia felt sick to her stomach.
"Answer the question."
"Yes..."
"Yes... he touched you. You like it?"
"NO! No I did not Shawn!"
"He kiss you... he said he did... I heard him... did he?"
"I thought he was you Shawn..." She whimpered crying. "I thought he was you... please listen to me."
"What are you gonna say? Hm... what? Let me think... let me think back... you said to me... across that road... you are honest with me... and I ... be honest with you. Did you say that?" He slurred, feeling himself on the verge of collapse.
"Yes... I did."
"So... you want my brother... is that what you want?"
"NO Shawn! NO! No I don't... I swear to GOD I don't!"
"Then why didn't you tell me? WHY! WHY DIDN'T YOU FUCKING TELL ME!! WHYYYYY! SONOFBITCH!!!" He raged and put his fist through the wall two feet from her, making Sylvia scream out, covering her head she started shaking, sobbing, praying.
He stood for a moment seeing her that way, and turned to the door trying to open it, it wouldn't open for him so he stepped back and kicked it open, slamming it back away from him as it came back at him from momentum. He snatched off his vest walking pass their bed, tripped, fell down crawled to the door and climbed up it to his feet, staggered into the living room and sat on the sofa. He sat there... breathing deep...
"I'm sorry I ever came back here... I'M FUCKING SORRY - I EVER CAME BACK HE-E-ERE!!!" He bellowed. Swaying, he leaned back on the sofa, his head rocking until he finally slid to his side. His arm went over his head and he finally passed out.
Sylvia stepped from the bathroom and sat on the bed, tears dropping from her eyes. She sat, and sat and sat, letting the tears roll. An hour later, she stood over Shawn, looking down at him. She laid his check-book, all of his credit cards, and his keys on the table. Then went to him, bent low and kissed his brow.
"I love you so much... but I can't take it... I just - I just can't take it." She sucked in trying not to start sobbing again. "I just... need a little time... just... just a little time... okay... just a little time."
She stood, walked to the door, picked up her bags, and quietly left.
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