My cell rang again, and this time I was convinced it was...
I picked it up and answered it.
"Hi," after seeing it was indeed Rico.
"I wish you were home, Boo. God."
I suppose that was about the last thing he needed right about now, although I didn't know it...but I couldn't help it. I was so close to dissolution.
"Honey, got a problem..."
and that is when my neck hairs went into overdrive, along with every other hair on my body.
I was SO kewl, of course. As I slid off my chair and VERY unceremoniously and SOOO ungracefully..onto the floor. Bears are SUCH drama thingies.
Baby, I NEED YOU!
(and then the line went dead).
_______________________________
Just then the land-line rang, amazingly enough, but I was caught in a time-warp in my chair, or rather UNDER it.
Feelie got it and after listening for a minute she started walking toward me. I did not like the look on her face.
"Hawney, baby, it's the Sheriff. He needs to talk to you hawney, and it doesn't sound like good news," she said and I could see she was almost in tears. My heart went into my throat.
"OH MY GOD. IT'S RICO, ISN'T IT. IT'S RICO...oh...my...God," and I just fucking lost it. I KNEW it was about him and I sensed it wasn't good, and I just fucking lost it. Hysterics are not normally my strong suit, but...this after all was Rico we talking here.
Feelie kept talking to the sheriff, while Elke, Rose, Tess, Charlotte, and the others began to crowd around us.
Finally, she said "OK, I will do what I can," and hung up.
Jake was now almost on top of her he was trying so hard to hear the conversation while also on his cell talking to Derek.
"Feelie, What is it. What has happened."
"OG, Jake. The road is out," Feelie said and then stopped, and I have never seen her that overcome with emotion before.
"WHAT road, honey," Rose interjected.
"OUR road, Rose. Our road back here from the mall. Trees down. Looks like a bit of it has also washed away, I couldn't quite tell about that." The sheriff wasn't sure apparently, and it hadn't...but nobody could see much due to the torrential downpours and such.
"What about Rico, Feelie?" Jake asked, trying to be calm about it but struggling a bit.
"Oh JAKE, OH GOD," and that is when she really lost it, but right at that point Derek who was on the phone with Jake had some news, and not good either.
A big old Oak tree had been hit by lightning and toppled just as Rico was driving under it. He got the full force of the tree on his car, and was now pinned inside.
The first responders were trying to reach him but having a rough go of it due to the weather, and other trees and power lines down as well.
Several of us simultaneously were on cells trying to get through to Rico, but no answer.
Maybe the cell had been damaged? Maybe he had gone unconcious, maybe DEAD?
I had gotten up and started pacing...
up and down the huge room which did
NO good of course, but...
At least 30,000 of the assembled were trying to calm me down which was EQUALLY as pointless, until I finally caught myself.
"Where is he Jake? Feelie? WHERE IS HE? Maybe WE can get to him easier than they can. WHERE? IS HE? JAKE?
Jake put a finger up into the air as I heard him ask Derek. Derek didn't know but was patched into the sheriff who did, I hoped.
I WAITED the wait of the damned, after Jake had asked and was waiting for a reply.
FINALLY...Jake put the phone to one side and said...
"Bear, Derek says the Sheriff says that he appears to be a bit over half-way here. His car can be seen, barely, under the tree...
and it looks like he almost cleared it but he probably never saw it in the storm until it hit."
"Oh GOD," and I began to sob. REAL helpful.
"Oh Hawney...it will be ok, AH jest knows it," as Feelie went into comfort auto-pilot.
"Course it will be, DAMN. That boy of yours, Bear, he a TOUGHIE. He SICILIAN for God Sakes. Ah bin told they impervious to anythin' but machine gun fahre."
"Thanks Rose," and normally there would have been amore of a pinch of sarcasm there but not right now.
"Bear," Jake said grabbing my shoulder. Derek says the sheriff has some boys with chain saws working and they are almost to the car. Be a couple more minutes, Bear. Hang on."
I smiled but was incapable of much else.
God. What in the FUCK would I do without my Boo. WHAT? I love that stupid shit more than LIFE. MORE THAN ANYTHING, GOD...
"What in the hell would I ever do without him?" I thought more than said but everybody knew what I was thinking. I didn't have to say it.
WHAT? and then softer, a whispered... "What?"
and the next 'what' became audible as I sunk back into my chair.
Jake reached in under me, picked me up, and turning got in the chair with me on his lap where I put my head in his neck too overcome to even cry.
Jake's other half Kenny, Frankie's brother, was on the floor by the chair stroking my hair and then he put his face in the small of my back and HE lost it. He and Rico are really close as are Rico, Johnny, and J.R. who had just arrived and finding out what had happened. They live two doors down from us so were okay.
CHAPTER III - CLICK HERE
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