Chapter 4 Same Scars, New Me

           When I finally made it home with the kids that afternoon I didn't have the heart to tell them about next weekend. Dewayne has been the number one reason I've had to break so many promises to my kids in their short lives, and I just couldn't break another one right now. Instead we went inside and packed a picnic lunch for the three of us and decided to explore the woods surrounding or little home.
        We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking, animal watching, and playing a rather unfair game of tag in my opinion. We laughed and joked till our stomachs ached. When it started to get dark the kids and I went inside to have a family movie night in the living room. Bree and I constructed a large fort over the blankets we had laid out in the floor. While Alex gave us directions on the best way to do it.
      Bree and Alex both agreed on a movie with Alex insisting on putting it in the player. I settled in and the kids came and got on either side of me demanding I give them a cuddle while the movie played. Half way thru the movie Alex was already passed out. Bree turned to me, then went back to watching the movie, then turned back to me. I could tell she wanted to say something she just hadn't worked up the courage to. So I waited till she finally gave in. "Momma can I ask you something?"
      "Anything buttercup. What's on your mind?"
     "I heard Godma Mabel on the phone today talking with Godma Winnie. Ms. Mabel said court didn't go like you wanted, and we gotta go see daddy this weekend. Is that true?"
       I've never lied to my kids, even when I had to break promises or change plans we had, I always told them the truth why we couldn't still do them. It was a little awkward telling my five year old daughter daddy hit mommie so hard in the ribs she couldn't walk, or the time I had whelps all along my back and legs from the buckle of Denton's belt at Dewayne's order. I wasn't going to start now. No matter how much I wanted to avoid this conversation tonight.
        "Yea baby, I'm sorry. The judge said I have to let y'all go to your dads this weekend and every other weekend from now on. Y'all will also have to spend every other holiday with him."
        "Why would the judge do that? Didn't he see what daddy did the last time we were home?"
        "Yea baby he believed you. It's just he's your dad and it's really hard for a kid your age to pick if you want to see one of your parents or not."
         "I really don't wanna go to daddy's house, momma. I hate how he treats us all the time. Why can't he love us like you?"
         That was the million dollar question I desperately wanted to answer for her, but couldn't. "I can promise y'all don't have to go to his house this weekend. Instead your dad is coming to Memphis and you guys are going to stay at a hotel, then come back on Sunday. I'll only be a few minutes away."
        "Ok momma, if I need you I promise I'll call." I bent forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "That's all I ask baby. I love you buttercup." Bree and I joined Alex in the dream world not long after that. My dreams were uneasy all night. Dewayne was punishing me for something but it was worse than ever before. I kept screaming for him to stop and get away but he never moved from on top of me. Alex came running at his dad to try and knock him off me. Instead of making contact with Dewayne's back, he turned at the last second and shot Alex in the head. I started to scream no while trying to stop the blood pumping from his skull.
         I knew he was dead, but didn't stop trying to save my son. Bree came into the room to see what was going on, but before I could tell her not to Dewayne had shot her point blank in the chest. My screams were verging on hysterics now. I left Alex and ran to Bree's side. I pushed with all my might on the wound in her chest trying to make it stop, but her blood just kept coming. Dewayne turned and let out a crazed laugh, "You thought I was playin...I told you I'd take everything from you. What do ya have now, whore...haha"
        I jolted awake with that laugh still ringing in my ears. It was only ten minutes before our alarm was to go off for the kids to get to school on time so I just went ahead and got up. I stood at the side of the bed and watched the kid's chest going up and down. Reassuring myself it was just a dream, and my babies were fine.
       The rest of the morning was normal. The kids got up and ready for school. I made them both lunches then made sure their clothes were right before I sent them to the end of the road to wait for the bus. Nerves shot from the stress of the last month every little noise made me jump out of my skin. Getting ready for work once the kids were gone I kept having flashbacks of the dream. Still images of Alex shot in the head and Bree mouthing the word 'momma' to me before she bleed out. Blood everywhere and that laugh the soundtrack to it all.
       I couldn't handle the sight anymore. I closed my eyes and started hitting and shaking my head trying to make it stop. The kid's bodies stopped but that laugh seemed to get louder with it hit and shake. Finally I stopped and just looked at myself in the mirror, but Dewayne was there. Staring at me through the mirror was laughing just like my dream. I grabbed the first thing I could off the dresser and smashed it through the mirror. The sound of the glass breaking into thousands of little piece made the noise stop for a second. I looked at the mirror again. Dewayne was still there smiling his evil smile.
      I gave the mirror Dewayne the same evil grin then started again. Object after object went flying into the glass. Make-up, toys, I think I even threw some of my underwear. With each hit I imagined it hitting Dewayne. Hurting him just like he hurt us. Blow after blow blood started flowing from Dewayne's face and neck. I didn't stop till everything was wiped from the dresser. When there was nothing left I surveyed the demolished mirror.
      Definitely no saving it, but the same could be said of Dewayne. Mirror Dewayne gave me a look of disbelief before the last shard of glass fell from the top and he was gone for good. I started to laugh after that. Loud manic laughing. A sound is never heard come from me before. After a few minutes the laughs turned into sobs and I broke.
       I don't know how long I sat there and let the tears roll down my face. This time the tears released felt different, lighter in a way. I guess taking your anger out on an imaginary image of your ex-husband in a mirror was therapeutic. Freeing almost lighter in a way. I felt peaceful for once. Almost like everything would be ok now.
       I wiped the tear tracks from my face, and started cleaning up the broken glass and thrown objects. I finished getting ready for my shift at the diner then drove my car the half mile to it.
    When Ms. Winnie told me there were only a few locals I'd have to deal with every day she wasn't exaggerating. After being here for a month now we were all on a first name basis. As soon as I stepped through the door Joe and Chris, the local farmers who came in every morning and sat at the same booth called out a "Hey Marie" in unison. Within the first week the guys told me their shared life story. Best friends and neighbors since birth the both still live next to each other and ran their families farm.
    Jim, an older man who stopped in every morning for his cup of coffee before driving his logging route the rest of the day, silently waved his greeting. Jim wasn't much of a talker, but the few times we'd talked he always made me laugh.
    The last of my regulars was the sweetest old couple you could ever meet. Jerry and Lisa we both in their eighties and have been married for more than sixty years. Their relationship is the stuff of legends. Jerry told me he knew Lisa was the one for him before he was ten years old. Lisa said she only had eyes for Jerry. The way they still dotted on each other always made me smile. They would show up around lunch time for their daily lunch date.
    I returned the guys hello and headed toward the kitchen to clock in. His was in his usual spot behind the flat top grill frying sausage. "Hey Gus how's it going? You man up and ask Ms. Winnie on a date yet?" It wasn't hard to tell his feelings toward the younger sister. He'd been the cook at the diner for twenty years watching her from afar. "Hush yo mouth Winnie might here ya."
    "Maybe she should. Neither one of y'all are getting any younger and you won't grow a pair and tell her how you feel." Gus eyes went wide. He turned around and started checking behind him. For what I'm not sure. "Hush Marie! She's in the stock room and can hear you please." "Fine, I'll leave it, but hurry up and grow a pair."
     This has become our daily argument after I caught Gus checking Ms. Winnie out a few times. It was almost like pulling teeth to get him to finally admit it though. Gus thought Winnie was out of his league and would rather be her friend than nothing at all. I tried to part some wisdom on him, True love is more than skin deep, but Gus didn't believe me.
     "Alright I'll see ya in a bit gotta take this food out to Joe." The next few hours I made myself busy restock things in the diner, and giving it a quick clean. Before lunch Jerry and Lisa came in. Lisa made it first but Jerry wasn't far behind. He came in with the biggest bouquet of red roses I'd seen. Jerry wobbled to the table they always shared and gave Lisa the flowers. He said something to Lisa I couldn't hear then gave her a kiss. That kiss put everyone I'd had to shame! Those two gave me hope of finding something like they shared one day. My bad mood from this morning was officially gone. I gave the couple a minute longer to themselves before I headed over to take their usual order.
      When I finally went over Jerry ordered their usual, and I went behind the counter to fix their sweet teas. I was putting the last of Jerry's extra lemons around his glass when the bell over the front door went off. I called out a quick hello and told them take a seat wherever and I'd be right there. I grabbed the drinks and hurried them over. Even though the diner was hardly ever busy I hated making people wait that long. I was still meeting the locals so I wanted to make a good impression.
      I sat the drinks down without spilling a drop told them their food would be out in just a moment, then turned to find whoever came in. I didn't have to look long. The man was sitting at the bar with his back toward me. Definitely someone I hadn't met yet. No way I'd forget someone as big as this guy. I always thought Dewayne had very wide shoulders but this man had him beat. We had brown hair curling out of his baseball cap going down his neck. He had on a dark blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans that were molded to his ass and thighs. A sight I couldn't seem to look away from.
     'Make it a good one cuz that's all it's ever gonna be from now on Marie.'
       Tell me something I don't know miss voice-of-reason. Doesn't that voice just piss you off sometimes!
      I was finally able to look away. I shook of the frustration that was trying to grow bigger in my never ending commentary and made my way behind the bar to take Hulks order. As I rounded the corner of the bar I snuck a peek at his face from behind my hair. I don't know where the sudden urge came from, I was just glad Hulk didn't catch me staring. He looked even better from the front. Muscles for days. His wide chest and lumberjack arms fit him just right. He had a small beard that wasn't very long and crystal blue eyes. It's like he came from one of my dreams.
     I heard my mouth snap close when I realized I was starting to drool at the man! Way to be a creepy pervert Marie! I took my pad and pen from my apron before I made it in front of him. That way I would have something I could look at, safely. I stopped about a foot away from the counter directly in front of him, the air around him made my mouth water. Whatever cologne the man was wearing was to die for!
     I cleared my throat and readied my pad and pen, "Good Afternoon! My names Marie and I'll be taking care of you today. What can I get you to drink?"
     "Well Marie that makes me feel all warm inside knowing I'm getting special treatment from someone like you." My head snapped up instantly when his words registered in my brain. Mr. Hulk had the nerve to give me a wink and mega-watt smile at the end for good measure. I had to bite my tongue to stop from saying a smart-ass comment back. He must have saw the fire flash in my eyes, because his smile turned into a wolfish grin.
     "There ain't nothing to get mad about Ms. Marie I meant that with the finest of intentions for a fine ass woman such as yourself." He was leaning half over the bar staring me in the eyes by the time he finished with another cocky wink.
      'Who the Hell does this guy think he is? And who is he actually talking to?'
    I went to take a step back but the dude grabbed my arm keeping me in place never breaking eye contact. Hulk leaned in a little closer into my personally space. Even though he had my elbow my feet would listen to my brain and move. I couldn't move a single muscle.
      'Where have you been hiding all my life Marie?" His whispered words were enough to jolt me back to my senses. I clutched my pad and pen to my chest turned toward the kitchen door and ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I went straight to Ms. Winnie's office. I didn't bother knocking just went straight in and hide myself behind her door.
      Ms. Winnie dropped the pen she had in her hand on the invoice she was filling out and turned to me. The way her eyes bugged out of her head would have been comical any other moment. "Child what happen? Do I need to call the sisters? Do I need to tell Gus to get my guns?" She had wrapped her arms around me in a hug at the start of her speech, but by the end I was staring at the white haired granny in front of me with more confusion than when I came in.
     "Guns?...No, Ms. Winnie, nothing like that. I just need a favor."
     "Anything sweetheart."
     "Would you mind waiting on this guy at the bar? I know you're busy, but he just gave me the creeps and I..."
      "Say No more child I'll handle this. You just stay right here." Ms. Winnie gave me a smile and a pat on the cheek. When she dropped her hand gone was the granny instead she was a woman about to do battle. Little old lady turned into a badass before my eyes. Ms. Winnie doing her office door open and hollered for Gus, "Bring Betsy, somebody's messing with Marie and I ain't having that!" The kitchen door slammed to emphasis her point.
      I gasped in shock and ran to the kitchen door. Gus was coming from the broom closet with a shotgun in his hand headed to do as Ms. Winnie asked. I tried to barricade myself in front of the swinging door to keep Gus from going out there. I was no match for the ex-military man though and he pushed me to the side of the door and behind him.
     Dread welled up in the pit of my stomach and I squeezed my eyes closed as tight as I could. My brain going through a slideshow of the worst possible scenario taking place in the diner. What I didn't expect to see was Ms. Winnie laughing and giving the Hulk man a hug while he spun her around the diner floor.
    "Aw hell, it's just you. I thought it was some real trouble, I'll just go put this up then." Gus waved at the man as he went back into his kitchen. Ms. Winnie was finally back on her feet, but hadn't let the guy go. "Jamie Shaw, I swear you got bigger boy! Only gone for a month and come back looking like someone else. Boy weren't you suppose to stop growing a long time ago?"
    "Yeah, but the food sucked down there so I just stayed in the gym when I wasn't working. Just need a few plates of Gus fried chicken and the pudge will be back don't you worry Ms. Winnie."
    "Alright then, sit down and you can tell me all about your project when I bring your chicken back." Ms. Winnie reached up and gave the man a kiss on the cheek and another quick hug, "I'm so glad your home!" She turned around heading to the kitchen when she spotted me still standing in the doorway.
     "Marie, I know he put you up to that. Scaring an old lady like that. But oh what a surprise." She gave my arm a quick pat as she went into the kitchen laughing as she went. I'm glad she's happy because I'm more confused than ever.

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I can't help but picture Blance, Rose, and Sofia from the Golden Girls when I was writing about the sisters. When I was a kid and I would watch that show I would dream they were my Aunts and Grandma. Now it feels like they are!
Be glad your on the other side of the screen right now and can't see my horrible amazing dance moves I'm throwing down right now!
Let me know what you think! Till then,
Callie

© 2018 Copyright by Callie Sumner. All rights reserved.