"Tommy" Part 21
"Tommy"
By Gentile
Part 21
---------
She called after 11.
"You're not mad because we took your car are you, boy?"
She was testing me. I had to be careful here because if I got mad it would disappoint her greatly.
"Of course not, honey." Yes, I said that.
"Where is the psycho?" No, I didn't say that.
"Thank you, Cully. It's meant the world to him. It really has. And to me too, boy. That's very kind of you. And he looks so cool driving it."
She never said that about me behind that wheel.
No, she had, I must confess. 3 times in fact.
"Where's he at?"
"Gettin' his hair trimmed. I told him I was going to check on you, make sure you got my note. We ate at Country Kitchen. It was just delicious. I had the corn beef hash. Well, we both did. We got you a surprise from there. You'll see when we get home."
I perked up. "What is it? Is it a piece of their strawberry rhubarb pie?"
"I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to wait. And we found the cutest top for me to wear on the drive-along. I wanted something new and Tommy said I looked beautiful in it. I tried it on and showed him. He's so generous, boy."
"Help me!" I softly declared aloud after covering the mouthpiece.
"I can't wait to see you, Cully. I've missed you this morning. Well, we'll all be together tonight. I'll have you both to myself. Got to go, baby, here he comes. See you soon. Love ya, boy."
I tried to edge in an (I love you) back but, the line was cut. Probably was picking her up as I looked at the dead phone. "What'd you say?"
"I said: he was probably picking her up in his arms!"
It was difficult to relax in their absence.
No Girl.
No car.
No Tommy.
I couldn't even find solace in the TV. Sat there, dark screen and all
"What if she leaves you for him?" Aloud to that dark screen, my reflection in shadow.
"Oh-my-God." To-my-self.
"Get up and pace. Now!"
I obeyed myself and paced for awhile. Up to their room, back to mine. The panic released about the 9th circuit. Exhausted by both the panic & it's release I sat out on the patio and enjoyed a Black Watch.
"At least you'll get custody of Robert Burns."
"Very funny, lad."
"She's not going to leave you.'
"I need a guarantee."
"I haven't got one for you."
"I know, I know."
I heard it before I saw them. And climbing that one way hill the lawful way that Road Runner looked absolutely spectacular thru that tree line of maples. I'd never seen it that-a-way because I was always driving it.
And Tommy?
"Christ, she's right: he does look cool."
Hell, together, black & white---they looked hot.
---------
I just remained out on the patio. [Hid out there] was more like it. Relit my cigar & portended like I didn't see them drive thru.
"Hey, Cully, we saw you sitting out here as we passed by. We waved, you must not have seen us." She didn't even step down the stairs. Just hopped down.
"Where's Tommy?"
"He's going to take a bit of a nap, Cully, before we leave."
"Is he okay?"
"Yes, he's just a little tuckered. I'm going to lay down with him after I spend a few minutes with my little Cully-boy. Can I sit on your lap?"
"Uh-oh." To-my-self.
"Sure, sweetheart, c'mon." Aloud.
"I missed you this morning. She settled in, all soft and warm."
"Girl, what's the matter?"
"Nothing, Cully. Cully, we didn't do anything serious, but, you know that parking garage at Crossroads Mall?"
"Girl, what happened to my car?"
"Oh, no, it's not that. Is that what you were thinking? Goodness no. It's not your car and I thank you so much for not getting mad about that, Cully. Tommy loves driving it so much. I hope you'll let him drive it again. It would make him so darn happy."
"If it isn't the car, what is it then? And yes, he can drive my car whenever he wants. No problem." Let him do the driving. He looked better sittin' in that driver's seat than I did. I'd either ride shotgun, or, drive his Jeep. I'd make that sacrifice.
"Cully, you're so sweet!" She hugged my neck & kissed my cheek.
"Girl, just spill the beans about the garage for the love of Pete."
She furrowed her brow and told it: "All we did was kiss and hug. Don't get mad now, Cully. It was me. It wasn't him. I wanted to kiss him and I didn't want to do it where we'd be seen, because I know how that bothers you, so, I made him drive into the garage and we kept going higher and higher and higher until we found a level where there were hardly any other cars. It was the level under the top level. No other cars at all, I swear, Cully. I wanted to kiss and hug him. He didn't want to go up there, but, I forced him more or less. Are you mad?"
"Girl, you are a corker."
"I am? You're not mad?"
"No, I'm not mad. How long were you up there?"
"Only about 20 minutes and all we did was kiss and hug. I swear to God. He needs affection, Cully. He's starved for it. And I believe that's why he had that attack last night. He's unsettled and needs to be held closely. When I held him during that attack last night he calmed down, remember? You were there. I hummed to him and he settled right down and fell back asleep, sound asleep. As long as I hummed he slept like a babe in my arms. I need to hold him and I need to hum and sing to him at night. In fact, if it's okay with you I'd like to go in there right now and lay down with him and just calmly talk to him and perhaps sing to him till he falls asleep and has a nap before we leave for that drive-along. Can I go to him now, Cully? He really needs me and no hanky panky, just hugs, not even kisses, just hugs and humming. Please?"
"Girl, you need more sleep too. You're all wound up." 4+ decades on & she still goes like that.
"I know I do, but, I have too much to do with you two guys. I have to take care of you both now. I have two guys instead of just one. I can do it, Cully. I can. I won't let either one of you down. He really needs me, Cully. Okay?"
"Sure, go ahead, I'm going to shower and get ready so you'll have plenty of hot water. You're gonna take another bath?"
"Definitely. I want to look extra special nice tonight. I'm going to wear my new top Tommy bought me. You'll love it, hon." She hopped off, threw me a kiss and was gone.
I re lit & finished my Black Watch.
I wasn't going to look, but, I could hear Girl's voice. She was softly singing. So I edged on down. She held him in her arms again as he slept. She pantomimed her love for me then continued with her song. This one, yes this one I knew by heart. We both did. I'd shown her one time on the . Before the VCR. "I'll be damned. Girl! Now! Hurry! Remember me telling you about this episode? Watch this, honey-bun:"
"Come to the church by the wildwood
Oh, come to the church in the vale
No spot is so dear to my c***dhood
As the little brown church in the vale"
The next time I would hear this tune Tommy's mother would be singing it to me.
(to be continued)
By Gentile
Part 21
---------
She called after 11.
"You're not mad because we took your car are you, boy?"
She was testing me. I had to be careful here because if I got mad it would disappoint her greatly.
"Of course not, honey." Yes, I said that.
"Where is the psycho?" No, I didn't say that.
"Thank you, Cully. It's meant the world to him. It really has. And to me too, boy. That's very kind of you. And he looks so cool driving it."
She never said that about me behind that wheel.
No, she had, I must confess. 3 times in fact.
"Where's he at?"
"Gettin' his hair trimmed. I told him I was going to check on you, make sure you got my note. We ate at Country Kitchen. It was just delicious. I had the corn beef hash. Well, we both did. We got you a surprise from there. You'll see when we get home."
I perked up. "What is it? Is it a piece of their strawberry rhubarb pie?"
"I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to wait. And we found the cutest top for me to wear on the drive-along. I wanted something new and Tommy said I looked beautiful in it. I tried it on and showed him. He's so generous, boy."
"Help me!" I softly declared aloud after covering the mouthpiece.
"I can't wait to see you, Cully. I've missed you this morning. Well, we'll all be together tonight. I'll have you both to myself. Got to go, baby, here he comes. See you soon. Love ya, boy."
I tried to edge in an (I love you) back but, the line was cut. Probably was picking her up as I looked at the dead phone. "What'd you say?"
"I said: he was probably picking her up in his arms!"
It was difficult to relax in their absence.
No Girl.
No car.
No Tommy.
I couldn't even find solace in the TV. Sat there, dark screen and all
"What if she leaves you for him?" Aloud to that dark screen, my reflection in shadow.
"Oh-my-God." To-my-self.
"Get up and pace. Now!"
I obeyed myself and paced for awhile. Up to their room, back to mine. The panic released about the 9th circuit. Exhausted by both the panic & it's release I sat out on the patio and enjoyed a Black Watch.
"At least you'll get custody of Robert Burns."
"Very funny, lad."
"She's not going to leave you.'
"I need a guarantee."
"I haven't got one for you."
"I know, I know."
I heard it before I saw them. And climbing that one way hill the lawful way that Road Runner looked absolutely spectacular thru that tree line of maples. I'd never seen it that-a-way because I was always driving it.
And Tommy?
"Christ, she's right: he does look cool."
Hell, together, black & white---they looked hot.
---------
I just remained out on the patio. [Hid out there] was more like it. Relit my cigar & portended like I didn't see them drive thru.
"Hey, Cully, we saw you sitting out here as we passed by. We waved, you must not have seen us." She didn't even step down the stairs. Just hopped down.
"Where's Tommy?"
"He's going to take a bit of a nap, Cully, before we leave."
"Is he okay?"
"Yes, he's just a little tuckered. I'm going to lay down with him after I spend a few minutes with my little Cully-boy. Can I sit on your lap?"
"Uh-oh." To-my-self.
"Sure, sweetheart, c'mon." Aloud.
"I missed you this morning. She settled in, all soft and warm."
"Girl, what's the matter?"
"Nothing, Cully. Cully, we didn't do anything serious, but, you know that parking garage at Crossroads Mall?"
"Girl, what happened to my car?"
"Oh, no, it's not that. Is that what you were thinking? Goodness no. It's not your car and I thank you so much for not getting mad about that, Cully. Tommy loves driving it so much. I hope you'll let him drive it again. It would make him so darn happy."
"If it isn't the car, what is it then? And yes, he can drive my car whenever he wants. No problem." Let him do the driving. He looked better sittin' in that driver's seat than I did. I'd either ride shotgun, or, drive his Jeep. I'd make that sacrifice.
"Cully, you're so sweet!" She hugged my neck & kissed my cheek.
"Girl, just spill the beans about the garage for the love of Pete."
She furrowed her brow and told it: "All we did was kiss and hug. Don't get mad now, Cully. It was me. It wasn't him. I wanted to kiss him and I didn't want to do it where we'd be seen, because I know how that bothers you, so, I made him drive into the garage and we kept going higher and higher and higher until we found a level where there were hardly any other cars. It was the level under the top level. No other cars at all, I swear, Cully. I wanted to kiss and hug him. He didn't want to go up there, but, I forced him more or less. Are you mad?"
"Girl, you are a corker."
"I am? You're not mad?"
"No, I'm not mad. How long were you up there?"
"Only about 20 minutes and all we did was kiss and hug. I swear to God. He needs affection, Cully. He's starved for it. And I believe that's why he had that attack last night. He's unsettled and needs to be held closely. When I held him during that attack last night he calmed down, remember? You were there. I hummed to him and he settled right down and fell back asleep, sound asleep. As long as I hummed he slept like a babe in my arms. I need to hold him and I need to hum and sing to him at night. In fact, if it's okay with you I'd like to go in there right now and lay down with him and just calmly talk to him and perhaps sing to him till he falls asleep and has a nap before we leave for that drive-along. Can I go to him now, Cully? He really needs me and no hanky panky, just hugs, not even kisses, just hugs and humming. Please?"
"Girl, you need more sleep too. You're all wound up." 4+ decades on & she still goes like that.
"I know I do, but, I have too much to do with you two guys. I have to take care of you both now. I have two guys instead of just one. I can do it, Cully. I can. I won't let either one of you down. He really needs me, Cully. Okay?"
"Sure, go ahead, I'm going to shower and get ready so you'll have plenty of hot water. You're gonna take another bath?"
"Definitely. I want to look extra special nice tonight. I'm going to wear my new top Tommy bought me. You'll love it, hon." She hopped off, threw me a kiss and was gone.
I re lit & finished my Black Watch.
I wasn't going to look, but, I could hear Girl's voice. She was softly singing. So I edged on down. She held him in her arms again as he slept. She pantomimed her love for me then continued with her song. This one, yes this one I knew by heart. We both did. I'd shown her one time on the . Before the VCR. "I'll be damned. Girl! Now! Hurry! Remember me telling you about this episode? Watch this, honey-bun:"
"Come to the church by the wildwood
Oh, come to the church in the vale
No spot is so dear to my c***dhood
As the little brown church in the vale"
The next time I would hear this tune Tommy's mother would be singing it to me.
(to be continued)
5年前
