The Visitor - Part 1
By Nutmegman
NOTE: Grammar is my nemesis. It always has been. I apologize in advance for my poor grammar. Computerized help is only so good.
A text arrived from my son Robert: "I'm coming home this Thursday for a few days and bringing a guest."
I texted back "Is this guest a girl friend or a guy? One room or two?"
"Girl friend. She wants to scope out the Springfield area as she is thinking of taking a job transfer there. You'll need to show her around? I have plans with the guys."
"Will you spend any time with me?" I texted and received no response.
Thursday arrived and I made sure the house was clean and the spare bedroom was ready for them both. Another girlfriend he was bringing home. I wonder if this one is serious, who knows, I was thinking.
It was 4 pm and the doorbell rang and I answered it. "Dad, this is Sue. Sue my dad. He'll let you know what he wants to be called." As Robert strode in with his bags, went into the room, dropped them and came back out. "I'm still not talking to you. You killed mom and should be arrested." As he strode out the door.
"Hi Sue, nice to meet you" and held out my hand. She took it and replied with "It's nice to meet you, Robert's dad."
"You can call me Mack. I'll take your bags. Aren't you going with Robert?"
"No, I'm not his girlfriend. Just a girl that is a friend."
"By the way, I ordered a pizza and it should be here any minute." I said.
Ding ding the doorbell sounded "There it is now. Let's go eat." We sat at the kitchen table and chowed down on the pizza and some wine. When we were full, I said "Let's go back to the bedroom and finish making the bed for you."
I grabbed her bags and brought them into the 3
rd
bedroom and Sue followed. "He told me you were his girlfriend and didn't clarify. Let me grab some sheets and make up the bed. One sec." Holding up a finger.
I returned and she helped me make the bed. "I have to apologize for him. I did not kill his mother. I loved his mother. She was killed by a drunk driver in a snow storm. Yet somehow he blames me." I said while looking down at my hands. As usual, my son had me near tears. "I don't understand how he can be so mean."
Sue sat down beside me and put her hand on mine and said "Let's get a glass of wine and go talk about it." As she stood up and sort of led me out.
I grabbed a bottle and 2 glasses and went over to the couch. Sue sat next to me as I poured 2 glasses and handed one to her.
Sue said "What's up with Rob's comment?"
"You're just a visitor, I don't need to burden you with this." I said.
"Mack, let me help you though this." Sue said.
"You're not sitting next to a murderer, if that makes you feel any better." I said sipping some wine and refilling my glass."
"Sarah and I made some chili the night before for dinner. The next day, we were sitting here, just like you and I and talking about dinner. Sarah said she'd like to make some baked potatoes and put the chili over it. I told her we can do that another night since it was snowing outside. Nonsense she told me, we have all wheel drive vehicles. I'm going to the grocery store to grab a few baking potatoes. I'll be back in 30 to 45 minutes.
Off she went. At the 45 minute mark, I stood by the front door window, watching it snow and looking for her. Then it was 60 minutes later and I was getting concerned. I checked her location sharing and it showed she was still at the grocery store. I figured the snow was slowing everyone down greatly. So I went and sat on the couch again.
At 90 minutes, the location had not moved and I was thinking her car broke down. I put on my winter storm jacket and boots and opened the garage door and a police cruiser had just driven in." I said as I filled my wine glass again and filled Sue's too.
"The officers came over and verified who I was and informed me that a drunk driver had slammed in Sarah's car right in front of the grocery store. They said the car was a wreck and when they got Sarah out she was dead. I nearly collapsed and the officers helped me back into the house. They said the driver that hit her was drunk and going much too fast and was also killed in the crash.
The police asked a few questions and said they would return tomorrow or the next day after the storm subsided. I sat on this couch in shock." As I started weeping as the memories came flooding back. "I'm sorry, I don't even know you. I will shut up now and not burden you with this."
Sue came closer and put her head on my shoulder and I was crying. She reached around me and squeezed me tight. "Mack, did you ever go for therapy?"
"Yes, (sniff), I thought I had come to terms with it. But Rob keeps throwing that in my face and won't listen to reason. I even showed him the police report. He even went to the town police and suggested they arrest me for letting her go out in the snow to her eventual death. He keeps saying it should have been me. Sometimes I think he is right." (sniff).
I gulped down my wine and was buzzing along now. I poured the last drops into my glass. "Sue, would you go get another bottle out of the fridge please?" To which she did. We uncorked that one and poured us both another drink.
While she was up, I pushed myself into the corner of the sectional couch and was leaning back. Sue gulped her wine down and climbed on top of me and held me close in a full body hug.
Here I was, a 40 year old guy with a pretty 20 something year old girl laying on top of me. Despite the wine and feeling like shit after the story, I felt myself getting hard. Sue must have felt it too as she wiggled a bit on top of me.