Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 10

Jeanie wasn't quiet much on the drive until they got into breezeway at Sally's apartment when they met Jerry, her next door neighbor. "You have friends, Sally?" Said the nearly forty year old man wearing a nineteen seventies polyester leisure suit.

"Surprise, Jerry. I do indeed have friends." Sally sarcastically  replied. "Jerry, this is my old college roommate, Kristin." She introduced them. "Kristin is staying with me for a few days to catch up. You know, old times." Sally put the key in the lock and turned it. She had to jiggle it a little to let it loose. The way Jerry looked Jeanie up and down wasn't lost on either of the women, "You know, Jerry," she added. "Kristin just got in and I know she's pretty tired, so I need to let her get to sleep."

"Sure Sally. It was nice meeting you, Kristin," he leered, trying to get a better look at her face from under the bill of her hat. "I hope we can continue this convo some time, maybe tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow, and an open can of Pepsi at Jeanie and Jeanie demurely looked away from Jerry and then at the floor inside Sally's apartment.

"We'll see, Jerry. I think the Bee-Gee's called and they want their suit back anyway." Jerry scoffed as Sally spoke, not even trying to hide the annoyance she was feeling. It was the first time Jeanie had heard anything negative come out of Sally's mouth. She let Jeanie in her apartment and closed the door behind them and her bags, then she looked out the peephole to make sure Jerry was gone before she spoke. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think he'd be watching for me. Jerry's kind of a creep and I should have told you about him before we got here."

"That's okay Sally. I understand. It's late and besides, how would you have known?" Jeanie replied. She seemed to be very understanding. "I mean," she picked up her suitcase and walked to the couch on the opposite side of the room, "I don't think I want to finish the 'convo' with him no matter." She realized Jerry couldn't be more than thirty-three, but he was stuck in a decade he had no first-hand knowledge of. She flashed Sally a tired grin as she made fun of the neighbor. "I don't really think greased back hair in a polyester one-piece leisure suit that went out with the 1970's is really what I'm looking for."

Sally laughed but Jeanie didn't. "I mean it. I really don't think I'm into anything right now, Sally. My boyfriend just tried to kill me. I've been in the hospital for too many days and I don't remember more than half of them." Jeanie wiped a tear away from her cheek as she sat down. "I mean, I really loved him, Sally. Matther was the best person I've ever met. Until..." Jeanie's voice trailed off, tears not threatening, but falling freely now. She hadn't allowed herself to cry much in the hospital, because of the charade of amnesia, but now, in the privacy of Sally's home, she was allowed to. To let all the stress she had been feeling to flow free.

"I'll be right back, Jeanie." Sally left her the twelve steps it took to go to her kitchen. Jeanie heard the water run, then the microwave. "Kristin has just arrived, Captain...Only one person...I know, but Jerry really is harmless. He just wears those polyester leisure suits that were popular when you were a small child, Sir...Yes, sir. I'll be more careful...No, I won't try to get her out, but I don't think that will be a problem at all...Yes, Sir...Yes, Sir...I'll check in with you tomorrow."

Somewhere in there, Jeanie heard the microwave timer beep and a spoon inside a mug. When Sally returned to the living room, she handed Jeanie a cup of hot chocolate. "I don't drink coffee, I've never really liked the taste, or smell, but I have this. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't drink it, but it's pretty spectacular. I tend to eat cheaply, but I have to splurge on my cocoa."

Jeanie put the cup on the coffee table in front of her and wiped at the tears in her eyes some more. "I just don't know how I didn't see this coming, Sally."

Sally wrapped her arms around her new temporary roommate and just let her cry. Jeanie's shoulders wept with her tears. It would be a headache-inducing cry, that's for sure, she thought, as she tried to comfort the other woman. As an aunt of many, she had learned that with children, including teenagers, that you let them just do their thing when they need a good cry and when they're ready to talk, they will. This was the approach she decided to take with Jeanie right now. Maybe she did just need a good cry.