Weeks after the wreck Dan sat on his couch watching television. He’d gone on a bender and Mary wasn’t pleased. Sometimes they drank together but Mary was a lightweight and prone to nasty hangovers. Three days ago she had called in sick to work and thrown up all day. Subsequently she had lost all desire to drink. Dan’s back and neck were bothering him from the car accident, though he already suffered chronic back pain working construction over many years.
“I’m going to get out of this racket,” Dan said often.
“And do what instead?” Mary always responded.
It was as far as the discussion went.
Dan had no idea where to go but knew his body was losing the war. The car wreck had been his fault. It was a single car accident. He had been taking the sharp curve to change freeways and took it with too much speed. The car had flipped and tumbled into the brush. The seat belt and air bags had protected him. Luckily he had been driving the company car.
“You’re a couch potato,” Mary said.
“I’ve earned the right,” Dan said.
“You’re drinking a lot.”
“Don’t worry. We’re covered. You know I’m on paid leave.”
“I know,” she said.
“You know the doctor visits are covered.”
“Yes, I know, I know, for Christ’s sake.”
“Why are you mad? Mary, why are you mad?”
“You don’t get it.”
“Is this about our vacation?”
“What vacation?” Mary guffawed and went to the kitchen.
Dan could tell she was steamed. Just to prove to himself he was getting better he got up from the couch and lifted his arms toward the ceiling, holding them there. He winced at the razor blade pain in his spine. It felt ice cold. He worked his neck in a circular motion. It wasn’t too bad, but he had to move it slowly and carefully.
Mary returned with a bowl of sliced cantaloupe. She ate with her fingers. Dan hated cantaloupe. He felt it was a slight.
“The doctor says I can go back to work in maybe two weeks.”
“I thought you were getting out?” Mary quipped.
Dan thought it over. “But if I did leave then going on vacation might be tough.”
She looked at him. It was a vacant look. “I already knew that a long time ago.”
“What do you mean, baby? The accident was last month.”
Mary ate a piece of cantaloupe then sucked her index finger. Her eyes stared forward at the ashy fireplace.
“We don’t even have airline tickets yet,” she said. “I told you about the sale. The sale is over. Now it’s too expensive.”
“Yeah, so?”
“I just said it’s more expensive now. We waited too long.”
“You see? That’s your problem. You always want me to commit to things way in advance. But I can’t do it with my job. It doesn’t work like that. You know my manager. Brad Wingo is really hard when it comes to time off.”
“I hate that you call him by his full name.” “Everyone at the construction site does. Only his wife calls him just Brad.”
Mary shook her head. The cantaloupe was warm now and had a glaze to it.
“You promised,” she said. “You promised me last Christmas.”
Dan felt something pinching his back. He sat upright hoping to quash it. It was still there like crab pinchers.
“My back,” he said.
Mary was quiet and seemingly disconcerted. It was a long time before she said, “Do you need me to get you the frozen peas?”
“No. I’m fine,” he grimaced. “Hopefully it’ll go away on its own.”
Mary said in a tone, “Yeah. Hopefully.”
Dan grunted as he got up. “I’ve got to take a piss.”
“Dan.”
“Hold on. I’ll be right back.”
“My sister is pregnant.”
He stopped in the middle of the room. He didn’t turn. His fist was clenched.
“I told them. I told those kids to use protection.”
“She says they did. And they’re not kids.”
He turned. “So what now?”
Mary was pensive. Dan read her face.
“Wait, you’re not thinking about letting her come stay here? She’s fine over at Ron’s place.”
“It’s his parents’ place,” Mary said. “She can’t stay there. She should stay here.”
“Bullshit,” Dan said. He went to the bathroom and shut the door. When he returned his face was troubled. He spoke softly. “Mary, we can’t have her stay here again. You saw what it was like. She has no respect for our place.”
“What do you expect me to do? She’s my little sister. It’s not like she has my parents to run to.”
He winced easing to the couch.
“What about your grandmother?”
“I guess we have no choice,” Mary said. “I’ll call Grammy in the morning.”
“That’s what I say, we have no choice.”
Mary’s cellphone rang. She answered it. “Kelly, what is it?” She looked at Dan. There was a long pause as she listened. “He did what? Oh my God, are you okay?” Her eyes were alarmed. “Why would he do that?” There was another long pause. “No, don’t stay there. Go down the street to the gas station. I’ll pick you up there. I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
After she hung up Dan put his hand against his forehead.
“What’d we just talk about?”
“That asshole slapped her.”
“For what?”
“Apparently for no reason.”
“Come on. For what?”
“Because there weren’t any pickles left. Kelly said she didn’t even eat them. She said Ron had forgotten he’d eaten them when he was drunk and he accused her.”
“So you’re bringing her here?”
“Yes, I’m bringing her here.”
“This is a pile of horseshit. I work too damn hard for this.”
“Well you’re not working now.”
He scowled, “What’d you say?”
Mary ignored the question. She got her keys and went out the door. She was gone almost an hour. When Kelly walked into the house her face was swollen from crying. Her left cheek was reddened. Mary stood alongside Kelly, an arm on her back.
Dan shifted when he saw Kelly. He straightened his posture. Mary led her to the couch next to Dan. He moved over.
“You okay?” Dan said.
“Yes.” Kelly’s face was downcast, her hand pressed against her left cheek.
Dan’s chin tightened. He pondered a few moments. Then the agitation dissipated. He became sympathetic.
Well I can sack it on the couch tonight. You’ve had a rough day.”
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“You want something to drink?” he said. “I’ve got beers in the fridge.”
She shook her head.
“She was starving so we went to Denny’s for a bowl of soup,” Mary said.
“Okay. That’s good,” Dan said. He watched Kelly. His mind wandered over many subjects. Then he stared at her belly. It was still fairly flat. He didn’t mention the baby. He didn’t want to get her started crying again.
“I’ll get the bed ready. We can lie down and watch TV in there,” Mary said and disappeared down the hall.
Dan looked at Kelly. She noticed and became embarrassed.
“Don’t,” she said. “I’m ugly.”
“No you’re not.”
“Sorry for barging in on you,” she said. “Mary told me about your accident.”
“Don’t worry yourself over it,” he said. “You just focus on feeling better.” He reached over nudging her arm. “Hey, it’s me, Dan. You can cut out the shy routine.” He chuckled, “You remember that time we were sitting right here and you farted so loud it woke me up?”
Kelly laughed and shook her head. Finally at ease she looked at him. Dan watched her stomach. Kelly noticed and put both hands over her belly.
“Congratulations on the little one,” he said. “You think you’re ready?”
If I keep it, I will be.”
“Well you must be tired. Mary will get the bedroom all set. Our bed is really comfortable.”
“I feel bad.”
“Nah. Don’t.”
Mary came back and led Kelly to the bedroom. Dan stretched out on the couch. After he was comfortably positioned the thought of a beer came to him. He waited until Mary appeared in the hallway and called to her hoping she’d fetch him a cold one. When she stopped and looked at him he saw the tension in her face, so he said, “Never mind.” Dan waited until he had to piss again before getting up to finally retrieve a beer.
He drank quickly and became lightheaded with inebriation. Five times he trudged to the refrigerator for another beer. When the six-pack was finished he took off his shirt, propped the pillow against the armrest and reclined his head. He was fast asleep within minutes.
An hour later Kelly appeared at the hall entrance. She watched Dan sleeping. Her eyes fixed on his shirtless muscular body. His torso was pale in comparison to his sunburned forearms and neck. Kelly was mesmerized over the contrast. She put her hands to her heated face before heading to the bathroom.
There was banging on the front door at six in the morning. Dan startled awake. Mary rushed to the door and looked out the peephole. She looked at Dan and shook her head at him.
“Who is it?” he said.
“It’s him,” Mary said.
“Ron?”
“Yes, Ron. What do I do?”
Ron banged on the door again. Kelly appeared, rubbing her eyes at the hall entrance. Dan got up slowly and moved toward the door, gesturing for Mary to step back. He looked at them and waved his frantic arm over and over for them to disappear. They went to the bedroom. Dan opened the front door.
“What is it?” Dan said.
“Is Kelly here?”
Dan felt tension in his back. He was in a very weak state. “No.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure, Ron. She’s not here. You know what time it is?”
“Yeah, it’s early. I’ve been up all night looking for her.”
“How is it you lost her in the first place? Isn’t she staying at your folks’ place?”
Ron looked past Dan into the house, his eyes jerking side to side. Dan moved forward a step to block Ron’s perspective.
“We got into it last night,” Ron said.
“Yeah, so?”
“She took off.”
“How come she took off?”
Ron became testy. “Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.”
“Look. It’s early. You woke Mary up. Your girlfriend isn’t here. What the hell else do you want me to tell you?”
Ron sighed. “Okay. But if you hear from her tell her I came by.”
“Sure I will.”
Dan shut the door and turned the deadbolt. He went to the bedroom where Mary and Kelly were poking fingers through the blinds.
“What’d he say?” Kelly said.
“Nothing. Just that you two got into it.”
“Is he sorry?”
“What difference does that make?” Mary said. “That jerk put his hands on you.”
Dan left them in the bedroom and gimped to the kitchen where he made a bowl of cereal. While eating he wondered how long Kelly would hole up in their house. He wondered why he had to be so unlucky as to have a sister-in-law who attracted so much conflict. If he and Mary could just get the hell out of there and go on a proper vacation.
Mary entered the kitchen to fetch a glass of water.
“I’m going to tell my boss we’re going away and I’m booking that flight to Hawaii,” Dan said.
Mary moaned, “Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have time for that right now.”
She marched down the hall.
Damn her sister and all the family politics, Dan thought. Damn Mary and Kelly’s parents for dying in that car crash. Damn it all. He went and lay face down on the living room floor and did the exercises his doctor told him would strengthen his back. He was careful not to overextend his neck. He did five minutes of the exercises then lay flat on the carpet, the burn coating his back muscles. He felt better. He chided himself for not being more consistent with the exercises.
From behind he heard, “Dan, are you okay?”
He turned his head. It was Kelly.
“I’m good. Just doing my back exercises,” he said.
“Do you need any help?” she said.
Dan thought that was a strange thing for her to ask. He got up and sat on the couch. He saw how she stared at his body so he grabbed his shirt from the armrest and put it on.
“You must think these tan lines are ridiculous,” he said.
“Not at all,” she said quickly. “They’re barely noticeable.”
“So what are your plans for the day?”
“Mary said she has to go to work. She said she used a sick day recently. So I guess I’ll just stay here with you, if that’s okay.”
Dan pretended it was no big deal. “Sure. Whatever.”
Mary went to work. She had called her grandmother but no one answered. Still, she was in a positive mood as it was the last day of the workweek.
Dan and Kelly watched game shows. Halfway through Let’s Make a Deal Dan smacked the armrest.
“Damn it.”
“What is it?” Kelly said.
“I’m out of beer. It’s Friday and I have no beer. I have to go out and get some more.”
“But aren’t you supposed to stay off your back? I mean, aren’t you supposed to stay home and rest?”
“Yeah. It’s only a block away. I can make it.”
“Well I can go for you,” she said.
“No,” Dan said rising from the couch. “I’ll go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Just lock the deadbolt after I leave. If anyone knocks, you stay away from the door. You got it?”
“Yes.”
Dan walked to the store at a snail’s pace. He walked as though his spine were made of glass.
Kelly opened the refrigerator and looked up and down the shelves. Suddenly her eyes widened and she reached toward the back. She brought the big jar of pickles from the refrigerator to the counter. It was unconscious eating. She became gluttonous. When Dan jingled the keys in the deadbolt, she panicked and picked up the near empty pickle jar. It slipped from her hands and shattered on the kitchen tile. Pickle juice made a large puddle. Three remaining pickles lay among the glass shards. She stood motionless.
Dan limped with visible deterioration. The long walk to the store had weakened him. When he got to the kitchen Kelly was on her knees cleaning the mess with a handful of paper towels. The kitchen reeked of pickle juice.
“What the hell happened?” he said.
“It slipped,” she said.
“The pickles of all things?”
Kelly looked up. Her face was fearful. She knew now that Dan had heard the details of her fight with Ron.
“I swear it wasn’t my fault,” she cried.
“Well, obviously it was,” he said gesturing toward the mess on the floor.
“Not this,” Kelly said. “Yesterday.”
Dan thought it over. “Look, it doesn’t make a difference if you ate the pickles or not. He had no right to haul off and hit you.”
Her face was downcast. “I ate them.”
“You ate Ron’s pickles?”
“They were both our pickles.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dan said. He rubbed his eyes with balled fists. “Ron’s got a problem with his temper. What the hell are you doing with a guy like that anyway?”
Kelly got up. Her gait was lifeless as she walked out of the kitchen. The floor was still a mess. Pickle juice-soaked paper towels lay in a small pile. Glass shards were scattered along the tile. Dan stood looking it over.
He hollered, “So now I have to clean the rest?”
He got the broom and swept the pickles and glass shards into the dustpan. He cursed as he lowered to his knees, spraying the solution and wiping the tile clean. Afterward he went to the backyard to rinse the broom and dustpan with the garden hose.
When he returned Kelly was in the living room watching a soap opera. Dan eased onto the opposite end of the couch.
“If you’re going to stay here you’re going to have to pull your weight.”
“I know. Sorry.”
Dan kept shaking his head until Kelly saw him doing it. He felt better after she saw him.
An hour later Dan had downed three beers. He was smiling now.
“Look at us, two prisoners in a house,” he chuckled.
I think I’m going to throw up,” Kelly said and fled to the bathroom.
Someone knocked on the door. It was respectful knocking. Dan looked toward the hallway but knew Kelly was in a bad way with morning sickness. He could hear her coughing and hawking spit. He got up and eased to the front door, opening it to find a small package on the welcome mat. The delivery truck vroomed and sped away. The package was addressed to him. He shook it. The return address was unfamiliar. He went back to the couch to open it.
Kelly returned from the bathroom and sat on the couch. She exhaled in deep breaths. Dan watched her. She looked over.
“What’s that?” she said.
“I forgot I ordered this,” Dan said cheerfully. He stripped off the packaging tape, opened the box and fumbled through clear bubble wrap. It was a remote control. Taped to the side were two batteries in a plastic pouch.
Kelly picked up the old remote control and examined it.
“Did this one break?” she said.
“Nah. But now there’s no more fighting over who uses it. You get what I’m saying?”
Dan unwrapped it, stuck the new batteries inside, clicked the piece shut, then waved it around like a sword. He grinned like on Christmas morning. When he pressed the buttons, nothing happened. The television didn’t react to the new remote control.
“What the hell?” he said and whapped it on his leg. “Son of a bitch must be broken.”
“You have to program it first, silly,” she said.
“Damn, I didn’t know that.”
“I can do it.” Kelly reached out her hand and kept it there until Dan handed it over. She flipped a switch, pressed two buttons simultaneously until the little light flashed twice, then she pressed another button, and then another. A few moments later the television’s channel changed. “Ta-da,” she said and then hit the power button so that the television went black. She pressed it again and it came back to life.
“Well, what do you know?” Dan said holding out his hand until she handed it back to him. He played with the buttons as though discovering a new toy. Eventually he tired of it, yielding to a yawn. “At least this one’s nice and clean, not nicked and caked with dust like that one. Thanks, Kelly. You really saved the day.”
Kelly smiled. Suddenly her face contorted. Her mouth made an “o” as she took in air then held it. Her jaw tightened.
“You okay?” Dan said.
She used the armrest to stand, then walked toward the bathroom like she’d just gotten off a horse.
Dan watched her go, chuckling to himself. “Been there before.” But then catching himself, “Well maybe not exactly like that, but still.”
Mary got home that evening and was unimpressed with the new remote control. As she made dinner, she called from the little window that divided the living room, “I hope that thing wasn’t expensive. Well, was it?”
Dan was consumed by something on the news, chewing on a hangnail, while standing in front of the television.
“What the hell?” he said lowly. “Everybody come quick!”
Kelly came from the bedroom. Mary clacked the knife on the cutting board and hurried to the living room.
“For Christ’s sake,” Mary said wiping her hands on her apron.
Dan gazed at the television. It was the news. On the television screen was a surveillance video of a liquor store holdup. He pointed at the unmasked robber.
“That’s Ron,” Dan said.
“How can you be sure?” Mary said.
“I can’t tell. It’s all grainy,” Kelly said narrowing her eyes. She moved closer to the television.
“It’s him,” Dan said.
Mary stood back, disengaged, smelling the sticky garlic residue on her fingers.
“Well if it’s him then he gets what he deserves,” Mary said and returned to the kitchen.
Dan pointed the new remote control at the television and the volume rose.
The news correspondent’s voice was urgent, speaking over the video footage of the attempted holdup. The video was short and looped five times. The grainy footage looked fragmented like an old video game so that Ron’s movements were stiff and robotic.
“…At this point we know there was a brief standoff that ended with the suspect surrendering to local authorities. The suspect was booked and is now in custody. The white male in his twenties apparently asked for a pack of Parliaments.”
“That’s what Ron smokes,” Kelly said.
“You can see here as the store clerk turns to retrieve the cigarettes and that’s when the suspect brandishes a knife.”
“That looks like the place by the high school. It’s got that Oriental cat on the counter,” Kelly said pointing. “Oh, that’s definitely him. Look at his head. You see that patch of missing hair? I did that.”
“You did what? You cut his hair?” Dan said.
“Yeah, I really screwed it up.”
“That’s hilarious.”
Kelly was excited. “You want to know something else? I sort of did it on purpose.” Dan gave her a look. She continued, “He kept telling me I was doing it wrong. He had the hand mirror so he could watch me and he was getting totally pissed off. So I told him if he wanted such a perfect haircut why didn’t he just go to Supercuts? Then he called me a dumb bitch so I–” and her hand made a jabbing motion with the invisible shears.
Dan laughed and slapped his thigh.
Mary called from the kitchen, “I’m just heating the sauce. The spaghetti is already cooked. You all can eat in a few minutes. Dan, turn off that nonsense. Turn it off. Nobody wants to eat dinner on a down note.”
Dan looked at Kelly. Her face had saddened. Eyes now tearful. He reached over and patted her arm.
“Sometimes love is a clogged vacuum. It sucks and sucks but everything is still dirty,” he said.
“I definitely should’ve seen it coming.”
He turned off the television and led her to the kitchen where they took seats at the table. The pasta sauce was bubbling and spattering in the pot. Mary turned off the burner then began plating dinner.
Kelly blotted her eyes with a paper napkin.
Dan twirled his fork in the spaghetti to form a mop head. He ate voraciously, gobbling the spaghetti and slurping the hanging strings into his mouth. Suddenly he looked over at Kelly, his mouth still chewing.
“What did you mean you definitely should’ve seen it coming?”
Kelly had her empty fork raised over the plate.
“Kelly, you okay?” Mary said.
Eventually Kelly said, “I did it with him once. We robbed a store.”
“You what?” Mary said.
“When the hell did this happen?” Dan said.
“I just stood by the door and Ron did all the talking and he had the gun.”
“Gun? I didn’t see no gun in the video.”
“No. Because he didn’t have a gun in the video we saw. Maybe something happened to it. Maybe it’s still under the mattress at his parents’ house.”
“But why wouldn’t he bring it? If he had a gun, why wouldn’t he bring it?”
“Who cares?” Mary burst. She stood up from her chair, huffing, livid. “Damn it, you’re all wrecking dinner! I go out and work all day and then I come home and make you all dinner and you just sit here and talk all sorts of nonsense no one wants to hear! Damn you!” She stormed out of the room.
“Well excuse me!” Dan shouted after her.
The bathroom door slammed.
Dan looked at Kelly and she snickered.
“So you robbed a place?” Dan said.
Kelly reflected and a smile appeared. “Yeah, but it wasn’t worth it. We only got thirty-seven dollars from the register. They put the bigger bills into a plastic tube and it goes down to some safe or something.”
Dan craned his neck. Mary was still in the bathroom.
“Did you like it?” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Did you get a high from it? You know, an adrenaline rush.”
“I don’t know. I guess.”
They were quiet, Dan’s eyes scrutinizing her.
“Yeah, you liked it,” he said. “You like trouble.”
“No,” Kelly said looking down. Then slowly meeting his eyes, “Okay. Maybe I do a little.”
“A little,” Dan said smirking. His gaze was unwavering so that Kelly blushed and looked away.
He reached under the table and put his hand on her knee. When the bathroom door opened, he removed it.
Mary returned to the kitchen table. Dan and Kelly were nonchalantly eating their spaghetti. Their forks clanked against their plates. Mary watched them as she sat. Dan slurped his spaghetti. Kelly ate noiselessly. This soothed Mary. She smiled, forking the now lukewarm spaghetti into her mouth.
*****
Mark Sumioka’s short stories have appeared in various literary journals including Birmingham Arts Journal and The Wall Street Journal Online. A series of short stories also appeared (over a five year duration) in Scholars & Rogues Literary Journal. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Linguistics from Cal Poly Pomona.
