Thursday, August 13, 2009

Koala Killer Thirteenth Installment (on the 13th)

She ate as if she hadn't eaten for days. The soft and steamy eggs contrasted wonderfully with the crispy edges on the hash browns.

"Where did you get bell pepper? I didn't have any." A giggle escaped.

"Actually, I used zucchini. Taste all right? What are you giggling about?"

"I was remembering the time you used the word 'ephemeral' in the coffee shop we used to hang out at. Dear me, I seem to have lost my grammatical senses. Anyway, the football jock at the next table thought you said 'effeminate' and he made some stupid comment. Then you said, 'Better to stay silent and be mistaken for ignorant than speak up and prove it.' So he thinks you're apologizing or something and says, 'Yeah, and better to stay in the closet.' We almost choked trying to keep from screaming with laughter."

"That turned out to be a pivotal conversation for me. That 'jock' as you call him recognized me before I had a clue. We thought he was ignorant, but I've amended my opinion since then."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's not get into that tonight. I'll just say that trying to be erudite can backfire if not used sparingly and in the right company."

Mari got through college on a scholarship supplemented by various part time jobs. Her single-parent mother had died of breast cancer right after her graduation from high school. The last job had been at one of the better hotels in Pueblo Valley. That's where she met Cass. He was a bellman. His parents were 'wealthy-with-a-conscience,' as Cass put it. One of the things that attracted her to Cass was his vocabulary, which he claimed he got by osmosis at home. They also shared a love of reading. He recommended most of her books the first year she knew him. After her older stepbrother went into the army, Cass had been like a brother to her. They had tried to put a romantic spin on their relationship back then but it hadn't worked. They finally realized they were just life-friends. Just? As far as they were concerned, and they'd discussed it, a life-friend was more valuable than a romantic relationship. But it lacked something too. It lacked the same capacity for confrontation, even combat, which married couples could find themselves in, and, therefore, it was possible that it lacked depth that being a family could give.

She found herself thinking, "Funny how adversity and depth are connected." It was the kind of thought best explored and discussed with Cass. But right now she wanted to fill him in on what had been going on in her usually dull life.

"I can see you've stopped thinking about your food. Let me clean up and we can go over the action of the last few days. You said that detective is coming tomorrow morning?"

"God, yes. I'm so tired. This has truly been one of the longest days of my life."

"Let's get you ready for, and into, bed. Then you can tell me the basics."

While Cass patted her back, she told him the tale in an emotional weepy way that helped release her tension and fear. The next thing she knew she was groping in the night to get up and use the bathroom. Owen, of course, escorted her. Getting back to sleep was harder. She dreaded that policeman coming and she didn't know why. Owen hopped up to lay on the side of the bed with her.