PART 10 OF 15

CHAPTER 28

“Well, Missus Gardner, yes that is a fact. I have a proposition for you,” said Owen Cord.

“A proposition. You see my burns Mister Cord. You’re a good looking guy, and you want to proposition someone who looks like me. What’s the matter you afraid no normal woman would want you or something. Or are you some kind of pervert, Mister Cord?”

“Huh? What? No, no, no, no,” he said. “Nothing like that, and no it’s not for me. I’m married, happily married. No it’s for a friend. He’s in tough like you. He got his injuries in the war though. He’s a real life hero. Saved a lot of guys and a nurse. But his face . . . And he is in a wheelchair for life. He needs a woman.

“Missus Gardner, I’m in a position to do real good by him and by you. You don’t have to agree to anything right now. It’s almost Christmas. I’m going to fete a Christmas dinner and party for wounded war vets. I’d like you to come and meet the man. He won’t know that I’m, we’re, setting him up to meet you. But, if you decide to maybe date him, be with him well, you know; I’ll guarantee your futures, the two of you, to the tune of ten million dollars. How about it?” he said.

“And you’ll cover my rehab bills one hundred percent even if it doesn’t work out, right, that’s what you said before, right.”

“Yes,” he said. The woman in the four-wheel walker across from him nodded.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll meet the guy. Why not. And maybe it will work out,” she said. “How ugly did you say he was?”

“He’s in pretty tough,” he said. The woman nodded.

“Okay, what have I got to lose,” she said.

“Nothing,” he said.

******

“Dad you have to come,” said Mia.

“Yes,” said Sarah. “We’re going to be there, and our hero dad needs to be there too,” said my now twenty year-old daughters.

I sighed. I guess I didn’t have a choice, thanks to my good friend Claire Cunningham. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll be there. But there are going to be two conditions. One, no presents for me, and two you two girls must come like you say you are. Okay?” I said.

“Okay, Dad, we promise,” said Sarah.

******

“I understand the party thing. He’ll meet someone there for sure, but ten million to Glades to get a particular non-vet attendee?” said Abigail.

“Not exactly,” said Owen. “I was going to give the money to Glades anyway, I just tied a couple to strings to the mix. We’re picking up $120 million annual on interest alone on the $2.2 billion in our liquid investments. Ten million is hardly going to be missed,” said Owen.

“I understand. I guess Glades was happy to help you out,” she said.

“Yes, I guess you could say that,” he said. “Yes, you definitely could say that with confidence.”

“Hmm, yes,” she said.

******

I’d just grabbed my keys to get going over to the Christmas party when I heard someone knocking on my door.

“Mia!” I said. “Aren’t you going to the party?”

“Oh yes, Dad. Just like I, we, promised. And we’re taking you.” She said.

“Huh? I can drive,” I said.

“Uh-uh,” she said. “We’re making sure you don’t leave early. We’re smarter than that.”

I scowled. “You don’t trust me?” I said.

“Not a lick,” she said. “Come on. Sarah’s waiting and the car is running.”

“I put my keys in my pocket and she wheeled me to the car out at the curb some fifty yards distant.

“You two girls have got to learn to trust your old man,” I said, as we rode toward the Horseshoe Country Club where the party was being held.”

“We do trust you, Dad. We trust you to do as you always do anymore. But this one is kind of in honor of you and you can’t leave early. The only ones leaving later than us will be the cleanup crew Daddy’s hired,” said Mia.

“In honor of me?” I said.

“Yes, we talked to Miss Cunningham, who will be there by the way, and Sergeant Jeff too. They are planning something you’re not supposed to know about, so pretend you don’t know,” said Mia.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said.

The ride took some little time, maybe half an hour. I’d never been there. I’m sure I couldn’t have afforded it had I had to pay my own way, but I wasn’t and I was going, reluctantly going. Well, I hated honoraria.

We pulled into the valet gate and Sarah, who’d been driving, got out and gave the keys to the man. Mia helped me with my chair and wheeled me in.

The place was big and it was full. There had to be five hundred people. Most were wearing veterans caps with the names of their units or ships or whatever on them. I hadn’t dressed military for the occasion. I’d thought about it because it was a vet event that Owen was sponsoring. I had figured that I was going to be embarrassed by the lot of them. Maybe have to make some kind of proforma speech or other, but had decided against it, wearing my military hardware. I just wore a suit instead. It was enough.

“I see the girls really did corral you,” said Owen, coming up to me.

“And then they abandoned me to my fate,” I said. I really was a little miffed that they’d dumped me almost immediately after shepherding me inside.

“Well, don’t worry Ronald’s here and he has Dad duty tonight,” said Owen.

“Hi, Dad,” said Ronald, coming up behind me and surprising me. I smiled; it was a nice surprise.

“Ronald, I didn’t see you,” I said. “So you’re your Dad’s baby sitter tonight.”

“Dad, you’re not a baby!” he said.

“Hmm, well maybe not to you. Others might be inclined to differ,” I said, but I was smiling.

Over the next couple of hours, say by 9:00 p.m., I was decreasingly harassed by the kids, to the point where I was more or less left to my own devices. They or the dynamic duo, who had also been around me a lot in the early going, seemed to get it that I wanted to interact with my peers.

One odd thing, Jeff and Abigail’s wing-woman, Harriet who’d come in a little later than the rest of us. Had left together; there seems to have been some kind of a relationship slowly working itself out between the two of them. I had heard from Abigail, kind of obliquely that they had been kind of off and on since first getting together.

Around 9:30, Abigail showed up with Ronald and the twins in tow again. They were going home she said. It had been an exhausting day. I would be getting a ride home with the man. I shrugged at the news. I was having a good time talking with this vet and that; well, we did have a ton in common: we, well most of us were wounded vets, and the few who weren’t were the significant others of those who were.

A sad commentary on the event, and it was sad, and boy could I relate, most of us didn’t have significant others. I guess our war wounds were worth honoring but not living with. Helluva note, and like I said, I sure as hell could relate.

One thing in particular I was grateful for: I didn’t have to make a speech. I’d really thought that I was going to have to. At one point, near the 9:00 p.m. mark, Claire Cunningham, who of course had also come to the do, and who wasn’t a “wounded” vet, but who had cared for many who were in her duty as an Army nurse, took to the lectern.

She read out an honor roll of all of the Purple medaled vets in attendance. I was one of those, and it took her some time to announce the names of 377 vets. It was enough. After the Honoria the party got going in a more serious vein.

A number of people seemed to be making a point to introduce themselves to me. Of course, most all of them were disabled vets. I saw it as likely that the hands of my good friends Jeff and Claire had something to do with that. In fact I thought there to be damn little doubt about it.

I think I was on my third drink, a JD, when she came up to me.

“Wow! You’re even uglier than me,” she said. I turned to see who it was that found my situation worth joking about.

I looked her up and down. “That’s arguable,” I shot back.

“Touché,” she said.

“Buy a fellow ugly a drink?” she said.

“The drinks are free,” I said. “But, I’ll get you one and share a bit of time with you. I mean if you don’t mind sitting with a loser like me.”

“A loser are you,” she said. It was not really a question.

“Yeah, not much doubt about it. When my ex dumped me she let me know that that was the reason, my loser-ness, that is,” I said. “She married a rich guy that was better looking than me, even better looking than I used to be. And I really was good looking back in the day.”

“Yeah, well, I was pretty good looking back in the day too,” she said. “Anyway, stop stalling and get me that drink.”

“Coming right up,” I said. “Oh, I forgot, what are you drinking?”

“JD,” she said.

“Really? That’s what I’m drinking. I think you and me might be able to get along,” I said.

I turned and wheeled myself over to the bar. The barman was quick to come to my aid. I wondered if he was under orders from Owen to take care of me special. I hadn’t had to wait for anything so far, and there were tons of people around who also needed service. While the man was getting my order; I noticed Owen at the end of the bar. He gave me a thumbs up; I returned it in kind with a smile. Well it’d turned out to be a real nice party, best one in forever.

Two fresh JDs in hand, I returned to the woman who lived in a fantasy world where I was uglier than she was. I say that because to my mind she was wrong. She would definitely win the prize for ugliest human in the place.

“Here you go,” I said. “So are you a vet?”

“No, no, not a vet just a victim of an industrial fire,” she said, “a friend who knows me and is a vet said I could come, so I did.

“Hmm, a friend?” I said.

“Yes, Mark Cashman. I know him from work. I answer phones now for Zeus Industrial,” she said, “oil and gas.”

“You got a name?” I said.

“Rina, Rina Gardner,” she said.

“I’m . . .” I started.

“I know who you are. You’re kind of the reluctant guest of honor. I heard a couple of people talking, Your Sam Bradshaw,” she said.

“Oh,” I said. I only knew a few people in the place apart from the Cords. Maybe she’d heard Jeff and Claire talking.

At one point, nature called. The one thing that many might not know or realize is the truth that paraplegics, even if they do still have their ability to handle their bodily functions including the sex thing, take a little longer in the john than the run of the mill population. That was certainly true of me. At any rate I’d be gone for a good ten minutes. I’d learn later that that was enough time for a body to make a report.

“Well?” said Owen Cord.

“Well, you were right he is as ugly as me. Could we, he and I, get along? Maybe. I just met the guy. We’ve shared a drink. So we’ll be seeing I suppose. And plus there’s still the question of whether or not he would want to. These kinds of choices are usually made by the people involved not matchmakers, Mister Cord,” she said.

“Yeah, well, quite frankly, ten million dollars should impact that particular decision in this case to the nth degree,” he said.

“Yeah maybe, actually it’s likely, but from what you said he sounds like the kind of guy that money doesn’t impress all that much even a lot of money,” she said.

“Well, you’d be right about that, but it’s not him I’m concerned with here; it’s you. He’d likely accept the money and move on with his life if you’re in the mix. He is a very easy dude to pussywhip. He’s still madly in love with his ex-wife,” he said.

“Hmm, probably a looker,” she said.

“She is. You’ve met her,” he said. “She’s my wife.” The look on the face of Rina Gardner was something to behold.

“Oh my, I think I am beginning to see the light here,” she said.

“Yes, well we’ve been together for going on fifteen years now. But getting that man to a place where he can let the past be in the past has been a real challenge,” he said. “Anyway, he’s going to be back in a minute. So we gotta break this off.” He gave her a perfunctory wave and waddled off down the bar.

******

The night of the Christmas party had turned out to be a good one for me. I had made a number of new acquaintances, and most were disabled guys like me, and there was a good chance that I’d be getting together with s few of them down the line. Guys like us didn’t get a lot of visitors apart from family, so we tended to appreciate the peer support thing. One friend, who was disabled, but was not a vet, was Rina Gardner.

“Yes, Rina and I hit it off, and Rina and I had a date, and yes Rina and I were like going to go on many dates. We’d be displaying our ugliness to the population at large and give not a tinker’s damn if it upset anybody having to be around us: she was one with me on that one.

“So you gonna take those clothes off, or do I have to do it for you?” said Rina. I was sitting in my chair staring at the naked woman across from me.

It was clear that she’d had skin grafts over a good part of her body, but for all of that, she still looked mighty female and mighty sexy; well, she did to me. She wore a wig, pretty much 24/7 having lost the ability to grow hair from the fire. Her face was likewise messed up, different from mine, but still messed up. But, in my mind’s eye she was becoming a serious sex object.

I came out of my temporary social coma, and began getting naked as fast as I could. She kind of giggled.

“You sure that thing is still gonna work?” she said. We had talked on our dates of the past month since the party. She’d seemed relieved that I was functional in terms of the main functions of my personal body.

“Why yes I am,” I said, and smirking while I said it.

“Well, good it’s been a long time since I’ve had a decent screwing,” she said. “I’m depending on you.”

She set down on the floor in front of the love seat, and waited for me to join her. I wheeled myself over and slid out of chair and onto the floor next to her.

The sexual adventure that went on in the semi-dark of my living room was enthusiastic if not exactly remarkable in its originality.

Her tits were undamaged as was her secret place. I attended to both universes with a great deal of pent up zeal! Oh yes, yes indeed!

“She did pay a good deal of attention to my cock, and I’d have to say that that particular body part was more than starved for attention! The Christmas party had done good by me. Was Rina an adequate replacement for my Abigail or for Lana either when it came down to it? Adequate would have had to be the word. The other two women were far more beautiful, but I was in the process of discovering that beauty had its limitations in terms of its intrinsic value; loyalty and common decency trumped beauty every time, so I was learning.

CHAPTER 29

Winter was in full force, well, as full force as winter ever got in Phoenix, Arizona: the gauge on their patio wall read 72 degrees.

We’d, Rina and I, been invited to the Cords for a barbecue. Late January might seem to be kind of a weird time for a barbecue, but their patio was so big that if it got too nippy outside we could always move into the Plexiglas covered enclosure at the rear of the patio to get out of the cold and wind: fully one third of the expansive patio area was enclosed. Well, the guy did have the bucks.

Apart from the Cords, including the kids, Harriet Bridger and Jeff Michaels were there. And Claire Cunningham and her latest squeeze were also in the lists. Quite a crowd actually. The bar was fully stocked—it always was— and the food was varietal and super tasty.

“I am so glad you and Sam could make it,” said Abigail.

“Yes, it was nice of you to invite us, and me especially,” said Rina.

“So you and Sam met at the gala last month,” said Abigail.

“Yes. It was a nice party too,” said Rina. “And yes, Sam and I did kind of hit it off. Well, I’m sure you know: we’ve been dating these past weeks.” The look on Abigail’s face told a story.

“Uh-no,” said Abigail. “I mean I thought that this was your first date, actually. So the two of you are kind of an item?”

“Huh? You mean . . .?” said Rina.

“Mean?” said Abigail.

“Well, I mean your husband is the one who got us together. I mean I didn’t know you didn’t know. I mean . . .” said Rina.

“So, my erstwhile hubby is doing the matchmaking thing?” said Abigail.

“Well, I don’t know if you’d put it exactly that way. But, anyway, I was sure you knew that he’d invited me to the party to meet Sam. I guess you’d say he sees us as, well, compatible,” said Rina.

“No, no, he didn’t inform me of his plans in that regard,” said Abigail. “Does Sam know that you know Owen?”

“He does now. We’ve talked, Sam and me. I told him that Owen invited me to meet him. He didn’t know beforehand,” said Rina.

“Hmm,” said Abigail. “Well, I’m glad things seem to be working out for the two of you. So, I guess Owen’s matchmaking at least gets an initial thumbs up.”

“I guess,” said Rina, “an initial one. I hope I didn’t misspeak here.”

“No, no, I will be speaking to my husband about his machinations, but it’s all good,” said Abigail Cord.

It was clear that Owen Cord was going to have a time explaining himself. Oh to be a fly on that wall, thought Rina Gardner.

“Honey, it’s time to get everybody to the tables. Time to eat,” said Owen, coming up to the two women.

“I’ll get the kids,” said Abigail, smiling and striding off to call in the youth movement.

******

“Well, the barbecue went well,” said Owen, coming in from doing a bit of clean up in the aftermath of the feed.

“Yes, the woman and Sam seem to be getting on pretty good,” said Abby.

“Yes,” said Owen, “they do.”

“Hmm, is there something you want to tell me, Owen?” said Abby. “I mean you said you’d be looking, but you didn’t say you’d found!”

“Tell you?” he said. His wife stood waiting; her look was one of patient impatience.

“You talked to them,” he said, rhetorically.

“To Rina, yes,” she said.

“Oh,” he said.

“Yes oh! Owen why didn’t you tell me?” she said.

“Abbs, there have been so many mess ups that if this didn’t work out I didn’t want to have you all upset and whatnot in the afterglow,” he said.

“But they’ve been dating for the past month, fairly regularly if I have it right,” said Abigail. “Why haven’t you said anything since you must’ve been aware of your success?”

“Actually, I haven’t been aware of it. I knew they’d talked and had a date, but only one I was aware of. So I invited the two of them to the house for the barbecue. But, I have not been spying on him, and I didn’t know how far along their relationship had gotten. I was waiting to hear from Rina about how she felt about things before I outted myself to you. If things were not working out, I would just have let the whole matter drop and kept trying.”

“Okay,” she said, “so how . . .”

“I went looking for someone who would fit the bill for Sam and not be likely to dump him like Lana did after the fact of meeting him. The woman, Rina, was recommended to me by a guy I trust. When I met her I just knew she’d be a likely candidate, and not just because of her facial injuries. No, I chose her because she seemed confident in herself and not ultra-bitter and lost, well, like our Sam,” he said. “She has much the same injuries that Sam does, but has not let her problem ruin her self-image. He needs a woman like that a woman with her strength,” he said.

“Hmm, okay, you get a pass on this one,” she said. “But you’re going to pay in the bedroom tonight, trust me on that one.”

“I hope that means what I think it means,” he said.

“You can hope. But tell me, is there anything else going on here that I might be inclined to want to know about,” she said.

“Well, maybe. I mean nothing that makes any difference. But, I did tell Rina, but not Sam, that if they did make it together, and if they did become a couple, you know get married . . .” he said.

“Owen, did you bribe the woman?” she said.

“No, no, not exactly,” he said.

“Which means you did!” she said.

“No, no, I just told her that if they did start a family that I’d make sure that they were financially secure,” he said.

“Owen!” she said.

“I offered to offer them ten million to start their life together,” he said.

“What the fuck! Owen are you nuts! She might just be some gold digger who will do what it takes to pick him clean and then dump him!” said Abigail.

“She won’t do that. She’s in the same boat as him, and she won’t make anything off of the deal if she dumps him; I’ve seen to that. I don’t have Cedric on retainer for nothing,” he said.

“Hmm, maybe,” she said.

******

Rina and I had been dating, but she hadn’t moved in with me or me with her at her place. Now I was at the point of maybe suggesting something of the kind to her. The advantage of her moving in with me would be the immediate and resource laden support of the Cords; me with her, our privacy. Decisions decisions how to choose.

Milano’s wasn’t busy. Well, it was 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday. She was sipping her afternoon soft drink.

“So whaddya think?” I said.

“It’s an interesting choice: your place or mine, that is to live,” she said.

“How do you think that your family would react if you moved out to shack up with me?” she said.

I was nervous. I mean I was really nervous. I wheeled my chair around to her side of the table. I sighed in preparation for the big move, the big moment.

I pushed the little box I’d been carrying across a dozen inches of table to within her reach. “Will you marry me?” I said. She stared and muttered some unintelligible sounds before responding.

“Huh?” she said.

“Will you marry me, and it doesn’t matter what the family says or wants,” I said.

“Okay, yes,” she said, but it was a tentative yes, or so I thought.

“Rina?” I said.

“I have a confession to make before you kiss me and everything,” she said.

“Huh? What?” I said.

“Number one, I don’t want his money, none of it. You good with that?” she said.

“Yes, I don’t take money from him. I am living at his place right now, but that was never meant to be permanent. Though, in truth it has been a while since I moved in there, a few years actually,” I said.

“Sam, the man offered me—you and me— ten million to marry you. But, I have come to love you, and I want you to reject the money when he offers it. When he came to me, I thought that well if I could find a guy as ugly as me who would actually stay with me, well . . .” she said.

“Ten million! Ten fucking million!” I said.

“Yes, and for the record I never intended to take the money. He can buy us a toaster for a wedding present. Anyway, that’s my confession,” she said.

“You just made my day lady,” I said. And then I did come around to her and kiss her.

******

Rina did have a car, a ten year-old Ford sedan. But we took my truck up to the Cord’s place. We had a big announcement, maybe two big announcements. The second, if there was one, would be dependent on what Owen might say.

“Good to see you two. How’s everything going?” he said.

“Yes, how are you doing?” said Abigail, echoing her husband.

“Good, good, really good,” I said. “Owen, Abigail, Rina and I are getting married,” I said.

Big announcement number one made and done.

“Huh?” said Abigail.

“Huh?” said Owen.

The two of them were clearly practicing their act from the same script.

“We’re getting married,” said Rina. “And we wanted you guys to be the first to know.”

“Well, thank you for that,” said Owen.

“Yes for sure,” said Abigail. “I guess this might be the right time to have a small celebration. I mean before the big one!” I was smiling. We’d caught ‘em flat footed and for no damn reason whatever, it felt good to me.

“I’ll second that idea,” I said.

“Follow me,” said the big man, and we did.

2015

The twins were at the college; the second semester for them was underway. Ronald was also in school: St. Agnes Junior High. He was in the fourth grade. So with the children not in evidence the champagne flowed and the atmosphere went from festive to mellow over the next couple of hours.

Owen, rising, motioned me to follow him outside to the covered part of the patio. I did.

“So you’re going to do the deed,” he said.

“Yes, I got lucky. She told me you were the one that invited her. I have to thank you for that. She’s what I need. And, I think that I’m what she needs too,” I said.

“She told you. I’m kinda surprised. I’d asked her not to, but I guess I do understand,” he said. “Did she tell you anything else?” I just smiled.

“Sam, I want to set the two of you up. By this time tomorrow there will be ten million dollars in your account. I hope that this, the money, will in some way make your life, your lives easier than they might otherwise be,” he said.

“Thanks for the offer, but no thanks,” I said. “We’re going to be fine. But, we will accept a name brand toaster at the wedding. Well, I have toast and jam almost every morning.”

“Sam? Are you serious! I said ten million. I have it to give and I want to give it to you, to the two of you,” he said.

“No, no, like I said, thanks for the offer, but we don’t need it and we don’t want it. Really. Just come to the wedding and that’ll be fine. Okay?” I said.

He just shook his head, but in the end accepted my demur.

“Okay, man, but the offer is open. Just say the word and it’s a done deal,” he said. I nodded. We went back inside.

******

“It looks to be going pretty good,” said Abigail.

“Yes, yes, it does,” said Owen.

“I have to say I wasn’t too into you trying to set him up that is after I finally found out what you did. But now seeing the result; well, I have to say, you did the right thing,” she said.

“Well thank you for that,” he said. “The man deserves a break. They sure have been few and far between for the guy. I think she’s going to be good for him, and he for her,” he said.

“Yes, I guess,” she said.

“Abby?” he said.

“Nothing. It’s just that . . .” she said.

“What?” he said.

“It’s just that she’s so damn ugly. I guess, well, I know it was an unrealistic thought, but I was hoping he could find somebody who was at least presentable looking. She’s even worse looking than he is. But like you say, she’ll likely be good for him, and is likely the best he could hope for,” she said.

The two of them had gone back outside together to gather up some things that had been left out there. Me in my chair wouldn’t have been much use to them, so Rina and I had remained inside. Well, we had until Rina had the idea to ask them about a date for the wedding that would work for them. Owen was always traveling, I knew.

We were hidden from their view by the heavy curtains that draped the sliding glass door that led to the patio. We’d heard their conversation, and especially Abigail’s part in it. Rina was crying. I was livid. I decided to share our feeling with the two of them.

We stationed ourselves just behind the opening of the curtain. I wanted them to see us standing there listening to them as they came back in.

“Sam! Rina!” said a startled Abigail.

“Don’t worry about our wedding folks. You’re not invited,” I said.

“Sam! Please!” she said. “Rina!”

“The one thing I would like to say here, Abigail, is that I am so glad that I’m not married to a low class person like you. Have a miserable life.”

“Sam, Rina, you’re right, I’m a skunk. I’m so damn sorry,” she said. “Please let me make this up to you.”

“What, you gonna offer me money or Rina? Thanks but no thanks. We sure as hell don’t need anything you’ve got to offer, Abigail, not a thing.”

Rina wheeled me out. Well, it was faster if one could get a little extra propulsion.

We were on our way in less than two minutes.

******

She looked over at her husband. His look was not real sympathetic.

“He hates me,” she said, hoping he’d disagree with her.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” said Owen.

“What am I going to do?” she cried. “What about the children?”

“At this point, Abbs, I don’t know. They’re hurting. Hell I’m hurting for them as I’m sure you are right at this moment.

“Yes, they’re not real good looking that through no fault of their own. But they’re human beings, Abigail, and they need the same things you and I need, respect and a little affection from the people that are supposed to love them, us,” he said.

“I know, I know, I know!” she said. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I said those things. How could they have heard me? I am so ashamed!”

“Maybe a little time will help. We need a little time to come up with something that will make this, situation, right,” he said.

CHAPTER 30

“Oh my God! Not in a million years!” said Lana Meacham. “Ben follow my lead, please, and whatever you do, do not say anything offensive to this guy no matter what he says. Got it!”

“Got it? What guy?” said Ben Holder.

I stared as at a ghost, and uninvited ghost. She was two feet away when the waitress started to show us to our table.

“Hello, Sam,” she said. I didn’t respond. I had already begun to wheel my way out of the place. But then Rina cut in on the action.

“Sam? Where are you going? Wait! Stop!” said Rina, taking a seat at the table: the table next to my ex-girlfriend and her significant other.

I stopped, reluctantly. I turned toward Rina. I was trapped.

Lana was already out of her seat and blocking my retreat.

“Rina, this is . . .” I started.

“The biggest asshole in the world,” said Lana, interrupting my about to be cold, but polite, introduction.

“What the hey . . .” said Rina, staring at my ex.

“Rina, meet Lana Meacham,” I said, “I don’t know the man.” The man gave me a hard look, but he was silent, no doubt trying not to interfere in something he knew nothing about, and, likely influenced by my amazing good looks and the fact that I was in a wheelchair.

“Sam here was my boyfriend a long time ago, before I regained my sight. Once I did regain it, my sight, I dumped him with hardly a word. Oh, and it was he who is at base responsible for the truth that I can now see. So like I said—your name’s Rina?” Rina nodded. “You’re looking at the biggest asshole in the world.”

“Rina we need to leave. We’ll head on over to Milano’s,” I said.

“No Sam, we will. This, accidental meet up, should not inconvenience you and the lady. Please stay and try not to even think about this asshole. I truly do not want to ruin your evening,” said Lana. She was already gathering her things.

She was halfway to the door, but changed her mind and came back to us for a final word.

“And Sam, I will not be talking about you behind your back. I promise,” I knew what she meant. She meant that she would not allow the man she was with to diss my looks or Rina’s.

“Thank you,” I said, and turned back to my survey of the menu. She was gone before I even looked up again.

“She’s very pretty,” said Rina.

“Well, when we were together she was blind. She’s been history for a long time,” I said.

“Hmm, and now you’re stuck with me, and I’m not pretty,” said Rina.

“Rina, neither of us are what we once were. But, I need you and love you and you need me. And well, I hope you love me.” She nodded.

“I do,” she said.

******

The two of us had been staying at her house, but I’d gotten to feeling kinda closed in, trapped, being so close to all of the of the old relationships; that even though we no longer next door to the Cords. The appearance of Lana and her stud, or whatever he was, made up my mind for me. Tucson beckoned.

I got lucky, well, it’s how I felt about it. My old apartment at the Gloria Arms was available. The price was right, the patio had been redone, and it was nicer than before. We moved in.

“Tomorrow we get the license, okay?” I said. “I need you to be mine as soon as humanly possible.”

“I like a man who is anxious to have me. So yes, tomorrow would be good,” said Rina.

******

We’d no more than gotten home from the county clerk’s office than somebody was rapping on our door. Talk about bad timing. She and I had been intending to go out and celebrate together. Well, we did have our marriage license in hand.

Rina answered the door. I wheeled up behind her to see who was bothering us.

“Hello Dad,” said Mia.

“Yeah Dad,” said Sarah, “and you too Rina.”

“Yeah, Dad and Rina,” said Ronald.

“The whole team,” I said. “Well come in.”

I figured they’d been sent by the woman, but I’d at least wait and see before sending a message back with them to her.

“So what brings you all down here?” I said.

“Dad, Daddy told us what happened,” said Mia.

“Oh, and what did Dad tell you?” I said.

“He just said mom had offended you and Rina by something that she said, but didn’t really mean,” said Sarah.

“Hmm,” I said.

“Dad, mom’s been crying for days,” said Mia.

“Yeah Dad,” said Ronald.

“Daddy asked us to ask you if you’d allow them to come down and talk things over, Dad,” said Sarah.

“Well, let’s all have a seat and talk over a couple of things,” said Rina.

I didn’t want to talk things over. I wanted to give the kids the truth and then see how they might consider handling the situation. But the woman of the house was always the boss in these kinds of things, so I nodded and waited to be told what to do.

The talk went on two six packs of Coke worth—they’d brought the Coke with them. We were at an impasse. But, I had an idea. I wasn’t going to let the woman off scot free even if it cost me my daughters that’s how angry I was. Ironically, Rina didn’t seem to have taken it as hard as I did. But then, she hadn’t had to deal with years of the woman’s betrayals and nastiness as I had.

You girls are what, nineteen?” I said. They nodded. “Then you’re old enough to hear the truth. What your mom said was a lot worse than something a little bit offensive. But, that said. We, my fiancé and I, will be willing to consider letting bygones be bygones if she will come down here and repeat what she said about Rina and me to you, here, in front of us. If she can do that, I figure we can consider letting it go. I mean if Rina here agrees.” Rina nodded her willingness to go along with my idea.

The girls nodded in unison. Oddly, Ronnie followed suit.

“Okay then, this is the deal. We will meet with your Mom and Dad, here. But not in our house, a restaurant. This Saturday would be good; at the Roman Candle; the food’s good there,” I said.

“Okay Dad,” said Mia. “We’ll get them here. We gotta get Mom to stop all of the crying.” I nodded.

She was driving kind of fast, but she, Mia, wanted to get back before dark.”

“Mom must have really blown it with Dad and Rina,” said Sarah.

“Do you think?” said Mia.

“Do I get to come Saturday too?” said Ronald. The twins glanced back at their little brother.

“I don’t know yet, Ron,” said Mia. “We’ll just have to see.”

“It’s going to be up to us to get Dad back in the fold,” said Sarah. “I could tell he is really down on Momma.”

“Do you think Mom will come down here and do as Dad asked?” said Mia.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” she said.

******

“Owen, I can understand him wanting to get revenge. I can,” said Abigail, “but I don’t know if I can do what he is asking.”

“Well, it is your decision. But if you don’t, we don’t, it’s going to be a long time if ever that we see him or his new woman again,” said Owen. She nodded.

“I’m willing to go down there, but whether or not I can do it, I mean repeat everything I said that day. Well, if I can’t I can’t that’s all there is to it,” she said.

“Okay, let’s go down and just play it by ear. He might not even actually ask you to do what he says he wants. We’ll just have to see, like you say.” He said.

******

We were early. I wasn’t exactly anxious, but I wanted to get a good table for the festivities and I wanted to get a couple of drinks into me before we got underway.

I actually had doubts that they’d even show. The girls would be putting pressure on them to do so, but considering my demand; I was more than unsure about how the woman would react. But then my doubts were put to rest.

“Hello, Sam,” said Abigail coming up to our table. “Rina,” she said, nodding to my intended.

“The girls?” I said.

“They won’t be coming tonight. I came alone to apologize and beg your forgiveness. And I do apologize especially to you Rina for the awful things I said that day. I was so ashamed of myself after the fact that, well, I just can’t tell you how much,” she said.

“That it?” I said.

“Yes, I guess so,” she said. I could see she was nervous.

“After all you’ve said about me in the past. After what you said about Rina and me most recently. Your apology here tonight is meaningless. Even if Rina were to accept it and let everything go, I wouldn’t, and I don’t. So get out and don’t ever come around us again,” I said.

“Look, Sam. I understand your anger. And you have a right to be angry, but what you’re asking is too much. I think you know that too. Sam there are going to be times when we are going to be together and need to get along. Really,” she said.

“Like what?” I said. “I can’t think of a single time that I will ever want to be around you again.”

“The kids are going to be getting married one day. There’ll be christenings, graduations, all kinds of things and some of them won’t be that long in coming,” she said.

“Whichever ones you’re at I won’t be. Period! Now get out and away from us so we can eat,” I said.

“Rina, please, talk some sense into him,” said Abigail looking to my fiancé, who’d so far remained silent, for support.

“I’m with him. We’ve only got each other. We know what you think of us and likely your hubby too, not sure about him. I expect that the kids will write us off too since we won’t be going to any of their important do’s if you’re going to be there. So, have a good life and leave us to whatever we’ve got left of ours, Abigail. My man says we’re done, and that’s good enough for me,” said Rina.

“Sam, Rina, I really am sorry and that’s the best I can do,” she said and then she was gone.

******

“So you couldn’t get him to lighten up,” said Owen.

“No, he’s hurt. He’s hurt bad. But I just couldn’t do what he wants. Especially not in front of the children,” said Abigail.

“I’ll have a go at him myself and soon. But, if he’s as hurt and angry as you say. Well, it just might be over for the lot of us,” he said.

******

I was kicking back at the Roman Candle, and he plopped down across table from me without so much as a hello.

“The girls are graduating in just two more months from junior college. You gotta be there,” said Owen Cord.

“You really think that you can just order me around or come into my haunts and do and say whatever the hell you want, don’t you,” I said. It was not a question.

“Sam, she said some really bad things. Things by the way that she didn’t really mean, not in any true sense of the word. She wants you to be happy and Rina too. She’s a woman and she just blurts out stuff sometimes and well . . .”

“Look, Owen. I can’t be around her knowing what she thinks of me and my woman. You can’t begin to know how bad it hurts to know what she thinks about me and undoubtedly says about me behind my back. Fuck it hurts Mister—a fucking lot!” I was not being quiet. “I just can’t be around . . . Please just leave us be. We’re fine. Just leave us be,” I said.

“Sam, how about this: you come to honor your daughters. You don’t have to interact with Abigail at all. I’ll make sure that she doesn’t come to you or around you or any of it. And, I’ll get the girls on board with that too. She’ll be there, Abigail, but she won’t come at you or talk about you or Rina at all, and you have my word on that. How would that be?” he said.

“And not one word within the hearing of my woman, Rina?” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “Not a word from her or to Rina or you.”

“Okay, maybe. I’ll run it by Rina. But I suppose if we truly do not have to be around her; well, then maybe we can make a go of it. Heck it might actually be a formula for future events too if it in fact works out,” I said.

“Good, good,” he said. “Let’s have a drink or two.” He motioned Betty over to reload me and get him his first.

We talked for the next half hour with not a word about Abigail being uttered.