My Journal 151

My weekend went very different than planned, but I don’t discuss it here, right? Anyway, most of you already know.

I told you that I found some of my old stories last weekend. I lost most of my work due to a computer crash about two years ago. But I found some on an old laptop. So instead of discussing my weekend, here is a story I wrote in 1995 I think. I hope you enjoy.

The Savior

“Why am I here”, she thought. Tom asked me to come with him, and it didn’t make sense then. It makes less sense now.

Before, when I was married to Tom, or at least in the beginning, there was love and passion. But Tom chose gambling and drugs over me. We grew apart and I finally left him to protect myself from his downfall.

But now he is trouble again. He called me to go with him to this meeting for support. He didn’t tell me what the meeting was about or anything, just that he needed me to go. And, like a fool, I agreed. So her I sit here in a dump of a Mexican Restaurant at a table with Tom, and this guy who looks like the Mexican version of the Godfather and his friend who is huge and scarred up.

Tom brought two of his friends, who are standing behind us. This Godfather guy has three guys in the room; another at the kitchen door and another standing out front letting people know the restaurant is closed tonight. We are the only ones in the restaurant. There is a lot of tension in the air, a lot of nervousness and I am the worse. So, why am I here?

The guy with the scars looks up from his plate and asks Tom if he brought the money he owes. He stares straight at Tom and then states that not having it would be VERY bad. Tom begins to fidget; he does that when he is very nervous. He shakes his head “No” and begins to explain.

“I know it is due today, but I need another week. I have a certain opportunity which will clear all this up, but it will take a few days to pull everything together.”

Everything got REAL quiet then. Tom was staring at the Godfather and I was staring at Tom, just screaming in my mind ‘how could you have brought me into this situation!’

The scarred guy looks over his shoulder at one of his guys, and the guy begins to approach the table. Tom is sweating profusely. At that moment, I hear a noise behind me. I am afraid to turn my attention from the table, but I find myself looking back over my shoulder.

In walks this tall, menacing figure slowly making his way over to the bar area, which is only about 20 feet from our table, but behind everyone. He is wearing a black Stetson and dark black sunglasses. He is in black jeans, a black shirt and a floor length black leather coat which just shows his black boots. He appears oblivious to the surroundings and the group in the area. But he is now the most frightening figure in the place.

As I turn my attention back to my present situation, the Godfather looks up at this man and tells the scarred guy to take care of this. The scarred guy stands up and waves his hand at the three guys behind him, signaling them to move forward.

“Hey”, he shouts at the intruder, “This place is closed for a private meeting!”

The intruder just ignores his statement as he reaches the bar, leans over and grabs a bottle and a glass. He calmly pours himself a drink and proceeds to sit on the bar stool and stare straight at the scarred guy without saying a word. There is no fear in his face, just a rugged, cold stare.

“I said we are closed!” he repeats, “Now get the fuck out of here!”

His three goons are still moving towards this intruder, and now I see that they have guns. One has what looks to be an automatic rifle at his side.

“I said get the hell out of here NOW!” he quickly repeats as he points toward the door.

The intruder finally speaks, “I was invited.” His voice is country, and deep. His words exude the same confidence his figure gives. The place goes dead silent again.

The scarred man turns to one of his guys and tells him to find out what happened to Roberto, the guy at the front door and why he let this guy in. He then tells the other two to get this guy out of here.

“Hang on!” the intruder interrupts, “The guy at the door DID tell me not to come in, and he was insistent. Unfortunately, I had to change his attitude ….. so he won’t be joining us ….. forever!”

His words echoed throughout the room, and sent a chill down my spine. This was becoming too real. This was becoming a deadly situation. This intruder had brought more tension to the room. I again began to wonder why Tom would bring the mother of his children to such a place and such a situation.

The Godfathers face was growing increasingly disturbed. He appeared very mean and was growing impatient with the intruder. Everyone else, including the scarred guy was frozen at the intruder’s statement. So, the Godfather rises up from his plate and throws his napkin on the table. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he sternly inquires.

The intruder calmly takes a sip of his drink and places it back on the counter.

“Who I am isn’t important, I’m nobody. What I am doing here is what I have been sent to do; and that is to protect the little lady from you. I am her bodyguard, and I am very capable of keeping her safe. I’m not here to interrupt your meeting, just to watch over things. But, I do want that asshole sitting next to her to explain to her the real reason that she was brought here tonight.”

My face went flush as he spoke. Everyone in the place turned to look at me, as if I knew anything about this at all.

Tom glared at me and spoke “You hired a bodyguard? For what?”

I quickly began explaining how I had never met this intruder before, how I didn’t hire him nor did I know how to hire a bodyguard, and that I am as much confused as everyone else when the intruder interrupted me.

“Hey Asshole!” He points at Tom and Tom spun around in his chair to face him. “Quit asking questions and tell her why you brought her or I will!”

I looked at Tom and he was looking at me nervously. “Honest, I have no idea what he is talking about.”

The intruder stands up and takes a step towards Tom. “You are such a prick” he exclaims as he points at Tom. He then turns his attention to me and continues. “Sweetheart, you are here today simply as ‘chattel’. You ex over there cannot pay his bills, so he has made a deal with ‘big and ugly’ across from you that he will leave you with all of them for the week as a down payment for him getting another week to pay them off. Yup, he was going to let you suck every guy in this room, or whatever he wanted for an entire week without your consent, just so he could get another week to pay his debt. Lady, your family found out and hired me to get you out of here. I am a professional, but I didn’t come here to kill anyone, just to protect you. Now I will say this, if anyone else needs to die, it is your fuckin’ ex. And, I’ll do him for free.”

His words were so direct that I hated to move my eyes from him, but I had to look into Tom’s eyes for the truth. His eyes were scared, which let me know it was all true. I was a whore for all these guys just so Tom could walk out of here.

“How could you?” I asked Tom as I felt myself tearing up.

Tom didn’t answer; he just looked at the Godfather with those pleading, lying eyes of his.

The Godfather looked angrily at the scarred man and reminded him that he was told to take care of the intruder. The scarred man pulled a revolver from his belt and pointed it at the intruder. In an instant, the intruder whipped out a short shotgun from under his coat and an automatic weapon from the other side. Then everyone pulled out weapons. Everyone was pointing weapons at someone else, moving from one person to another. There was a lot of shouting between everyone until the intruder calmly spoke again.

“Ok, everyone calm down. If we get too silly now a lot of people are going to die needlessly.”

The room became deathly quiet. The intruder calmly pointed his automatic at the Godfather and his shotgun at the back of Tom’s head. Tom was sitting facing away with his eyes closed and his hands nervously on the table. The intruder looked directly at the Godfather and continued.

“You have only two choices right now big guy. You can let me walk her out of here and you continue you meeting with the asshole, and I could care less what you do with him. The other choice is you refuse and your entire world ends right here, right now. Sir, I am good at what I do, and she WILL leave here safely. All you’re deciding is your condition when she leaves!”

Oh my god, all I wanted to do was hide. Eight men pointing guns at each other and I am right in the middle of it all. How could Tom have done this? Why? I sensed my death was near and my only hope was a stranger in a cowboy hat; a stranger whose voice sounded surprisingly familiar.

“The deal is done for the girl already.” The Godfather snapped. “I am going to finish my meal and then this bitch is going to do me. When I am finished, then these guys can take her and do whatever they want. I will get my money’s worth out of her ass!” he slammed his fist down on the table.

In a blink, the kitchen door swung open and a man fired a single shot. I dove on the floor as shots began to ring out all around me. The noise was deafening. I covered my head, closed my eyes and began to pray.

I heard dishes breaking, people screaming, and the sound of bodies dropping to the floor. The shots seemed to get louder as I began to shake. I felt myself losing consciousness and began to wonder if I was hit and didn’t know it. All I felt was fear. I have two kids at home and they may never see me again. How could this have happened? Lord, please spare my life.

It wouldn’t stop. Bang, bang, bang. Boom, pow. I have never been so scared in my life.

Then, in an instant it all stopped. No noise, no yelling, nothing. I was now more frightened than before. My ears were ringing from the noise but I could make out footsteps. The fight was over, and there was a survivor.

“Get up asshole!”

I recognized that voice, it was the intruder. I opened my eyes and pushed my way out from under the table. My first sight was of horror. Bodies were lying all over the place. Blood was splattered all over also. I noticed that I had blood on me also. I wasn’t hit; I think it was the Godfather’s. The room smelt of gun smoke. It was like a smoke filled morgue.

I saw the intruder. He was standing over Tom pointing a gun at him. Tom stood up with his hands in the air begging not to be killed. The intruder spoke.

“You are the only guy who needed to be killed today. Because of you ALL the others died. The only reason you are alive is because she once loved you enough to marry you. So because of her I spared your life. But, don’t ever go around her again. I will not give you a second chance. Now, you sit here and wait for me to leave. And don’t speak a word to anyone or I will find you.”

With that said, he turned to me and extended his hand to me. As I reached for his hand I noticed a small trickle of blood on his hand.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

He said nothing; he just took my hand and helped me around and over all the bloody and dead bodies. We walked outside together. I noticed it had started to rain and the temperature had dropped. I was shaking all over. I thought I was going to pass out. I began to cry, but this intruder, my intruder; my suddenly familiar intruder remained silent.

He opened the door to his car to let me in. He walked to his side and got in also, but very slowly as if in some sort of pain. I again asked if he was all right. He again remained silent. As he drove I noticed he was grimacing. I could see lines of pain in his face, but I still couldn’t see his eyes. His silhouette looked familiar though.

We drove to a bus depot where he stopped the car. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, which he lit with a match he struck on the dashboard. He then took a deep drag and laid his head back relaxing while he exhaled. He suddenly seemed peaceful. I was afraid to do anything, and I was trying to understand him.

He reached out to me and handed me a $100 bill.

“This should get you where ever you need to be. You are safe now, just like I promised.”

We sat silently for a moment while he took another drag on his cigarette, completely ignoring me. I opened the car door and stepped out into the rain. I looked back at him and asked.

“Who are you? How did my friends find you?”

“You already know me. That is how I found you, your mom called me.” The intruder responded.

“But who are you?” I asked again straining to get a glimpse of his face. The car was dark and he was in the shadows, still wearing a hat covering his eyes and his sunglasses.

He slowly removed his dark sunglasses and turned towards me. His face appeared from the streetlight above. His features were strong, yet kind. I realized that I did know him. I actually knew him well. He was my best friend; the man who held my head when I would cry about Tom. The man who showed up at Christmas the first year I was alone bringing gifts for my children. The man who used to call me daily, but quit. My heart leapt as I looked into his eyes. I should have known.

But my warmth quickly turned to horror as I saw blood pooling on the seat next to him. He was hurt, he was bleeding to death.

“Oh my god, you are hurt. Let me help you!”

He stopped me from entering the car by gently pushing me back. “I’m already dead.” He gave me a quick but fake smile and a wink. “I loved you sweetie. I tried everything to make you see that. You just ignored me. You avoided my calls, you avoided my questions, and I was trying to warn you. But in spite of all that, I could never let you be hurt. Anyway, if I can’t have your love, what is the point of staying here?” His face tightened as he grabbed his stomach and gently moaned. His hand was covered in blood now.

Then he reached across the seat and slammed the door closed. I yelled back at him. “What calls did I miss? How did I ignore you? How could I have known you cared?” I banged on the window as I watched him slowly and painfully put the car into gear. He fell forward on the steering wheel as he drove away. I ran beside the car screaming for him to stop, I wanted my chance to tell him how I felt.

But it was too late.

He finally picked up speed and his car disappeared into the fog.

I sat down and cried.

I never saw my friend again. I never saw anything about my ordeal on the news or in the paper. I never saw Tom again either. I realized that I was so busy and focused on my problems that I missed perhaps the greatest thing that could have come into my life. I went home that night and hugged my kids.

My mother said that she never heard of my intruder and that she had no idea this was going on. No one had sent him to me. He came for me out of love. My intruder, my friend, my bodyguard, my lover that got away ………. died that night. He died cold, bleeding, and hurting.

What hurt me the most is he died alone, and that I could have changed.

But, he did what he said he would do and he got me home safe. I will never be too busy or ignore anyone that cares for me again.