The Visit
Go ahead, you freaking coward, I thought. You drove all this way, with your new 6" GPS. Now you’re a bowl of jello who can't ring a bell? I took a deep breath and pushed the buzzer ... nothing. I knocked, softly. The door opened, slowly....
"Joey Sliwa?" a voice said.
It felt good to be recognized after thirty-five years. "Yes, Lana?" I said, smiling, questioning. A touch on the arm and an awkward hug. She led me into a medium-sized living room with two, white-as-snow Shih Tzu puppies.
Sitting on a plush, microfiber couch with coffee and a baker's box of pastries. I was so drawn to this woman, I had to force myself to move away.... The dogs sat up. Their attentive stares were ... disconcerting.
"I can't believe I'm here," I said. "I never would have come without calling -- but, your number was disconnected and you stopped communicating on your Facebook page."
"I'm flattered you were so concerned. You do know I have MS, right?"
"Yes, of course. I figured it might be something like that. I guess ... I wanted to see you one last time before I dropped dead," I said, with a half-smile. Our fingers touched and, yes, there were sparks.
"How are your kids doing," I inquired.
"Both grown and out of the house. They're always badgering me to come live with them." She seemed lost in thought ... for a moment.
"And, Bob. You never told me. What happened to Bob?"
"I don't want to talk about him," she said. "He was abusive and a terrible father. That's all I'm going to say -- for now."
I moved closer and put my arm around her. She didn't pull away. "Lana, you don't have to explain anything. I'm here to visit my old friend, who I love very much." There were tears in her eyes.
"You know, Joey, we can never be," she said.
The Shih Tzus' white-as-snow fur was no longer so white. I felt a pain, and I was frozen in place.
"Joey. What's wrong? Can I help you?" I heard her speak.
"Can I help you? Sir, do you need help?" The voice of a young man. "Dina, call 911."
I opened my eyes. My arm was outstretched, trying to press the buzzer. There were people around me who I didn't recognize. "I was looking for Lana," I stuttered. "Lana White?" The good-looking kid with the Burt Reynold's moustache took notice when I repeated her name.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Joey Sliwa. I was friends with your mother many years ago. We recently connected again on Facebook," I said. "And, you're her son, Daniel. I saw pictures." I felt a tightening in my chest.
"My sister called for help. They'll be here, shortly," said, Daniel. He ran back into the house. There were neighbors gathered around.
A teenage girl who was listening to the conversation sat next to me. "Lana passed away three months ago. It was in all the papers. And, it was a week before her body was discovered. They found Goo and Princess eating parts of her body. It was just too horrible," she said.
One of the neighbors screamed at her: "Gigi, get the hell out of here. You're father's going to hear about this. This man is in no condition to hear that shit!" Gigi quickly left my side.
The ambulance arrived and they lifted me onto the stretcher. The last face I saw was Lana's daughter, Dina. It was uncanny the resemblance to her mother. I felt light-headed from the oxygen. The cold ambulance air-conditioning made me think of brisk autumn winds. I knew, if I closed my eyes now, I would be back in the living room with Lana. So, I did close my eyes, for the last time....
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