“Oh don’t worry dear, the paperwork will be ready long before next week. In fact, I’m waiting to hear from Judge Ouray in Keskert County. It should be all wrapped up any minute. He’s agreed to seal the whole mess under lock and key so none of my colleagues or judges I work with will have to know the gory details. Remember, I have friends everywhere dear.” With that Erik slaps his platinum card onto the leather folder the waiter is slipping on the corner of the table.
“Quickly please if you don’t mind. I have an appointment to keep.” He nods to the waiter who hies away to do as bid.
THREE DAYS LATER, at one in the morning, Anna answers her cell phone to wild raving. From what she can gather even Erik’s pocket Judge Ouray, all the way out in Keskert county where Erik owns half the grazing cattle and the grain elevator, even that Judge Ouray finds it impossible to invalidate the remarriage and enact the old divorce without potentially being in hot water.
“Who’d you hiir?” Erik slurs over the phone. “Whodja get ta bail you out? Who tha hall dja manage to convince to go upaganst me? Huh? Who?”
Anna knows better than to argue or rationalize, or even to try to placate him at this point. These are the watering nights. Nights back when they were living together, back when they shared a room. These were the nights Erik would be so drunk that he’d piss the bed. She’d be wakened by a creeping warmth dampening her night slip, a creeping warmth spreading to encompass her entirely.
It took her a while that first time to figure it out. It just didn’t seem possible that a grown man, soused or not, wouldn’t wake up. She only wished she were able to get that drunk herself; then, time after time, month after month she wouldn’t be wakened by a hot puddle of recycled Johnnie Walker Black. Worse yet were the nights his noise and nonsense would wake her up despite the earplugs and she would get snared by a hug, or he’d throw a leg over hers and she’d be trapped. She could choose to either risk waking him up by moving (never a good idea) or laying there wide awake waiting to feel the spreading warmth. Then at least she’d be sure he was dead asleep and she could finally move. To do so beforehand was too costly—she’d learned that the hard way. The glamorous charm he exuded in public became something quite different behind closed doors, something manipulative and insistent, something capable of punishing determination.
She actually grew to prefer the nights he simply wet the bed. On other nights when he wasn’t quite so drunk, his urge would wake him and he’d stumble blindly around thinking he was in the bathroom. The first time it was Drew’s dirty clothes hamper. Next it was the linen closet. This went on until Anna simply learned to shut the bedroom door so he wouldn’t sense the opening and wander around the house. Then she managed to restrict his nocturnal accidents to his and her clothes hampers and closets. On rare miraculous nights he did her the favor of accidentally pissing in the bathtub. Still it was disgusting, but much easier to clean.
She’s glad she’s as far away as her mother’s house, but she’s not so relieved that the kids are in that house alone…with him stumbling around blind drunk. Maggie is used to it by now and she is old enough to know what’s going on. Maggie’s also a light sleeper and would be sure nothing bad happened to Betsy or Drew. Anna is almost sure Erik’d never do anything to harm the kids intentionally, but accidentally? Who knew?
Maybe she should get a lawyer and aim for sole custody? But how the hell can she manage that without money? Besides she spent almost twenty years hushing up, covering up, and keeping his problems secret. How can she expect anyone to believe her now?
WHAT SEEMS LIKE ONLY A FEW HOURS after the drunken call from Erik, Maggie phones bright and early to tell Anna she’ll be driving the kids to school. Today is a rare occasion. Her dad is letting her take a car into town. Despite his tendency toward ostentatious wealth, he never bought his children their own cars. Sure, there were extra cars in the garage they were sometimes allowed to use. But he doesn’t want to be perceived as ‘spoiling’ them.
“Is everything OK Maggie?” Anna asks in code, hoping the relationship to last night’s bender was merely a coincidence. It isn’t unusual for Erik to be in such an extra kindly mood after a night like last night.
“Sure, everything’s fine. Dad left early for golf I think. He left me a note with the keys to the Escalade.” Maggie exclaims. Anna can hear the squeal in her voice. Maggie always begged her dad to let her drive the Escalade, but he never would. “And it says… you should come by the office to pick the kids up at four.” Maggie adds.
“Really?” Anna asks. “Are you picking them up from school then?”
“Ummm” Maggie hedges. “No, not that I know of. I guess he is or something.”
“Alright, thanks for saving me the trip Maggie Mae. I appreciate it. Did everyone-”
“YES,” Maggie interrupts her, “We all ate, everyone is wearing clean clothes, and we all have our homework…OK?”
“OK…thanks” Anna replies.
PROMPTLY AT FOUR ANNA SWINGS into the parking lot of his office building. She’s already planning dinner. Since the weather is nicer she’s thinking she’ll surprise everyone by firing up the grill. Thyme and lemon marinated steak. All the receptionists nod at her as she strolls back toward his office suite. Hmmm and green bean salad maybe, Anna’s thinking, when Marge shouts her name, “Anna, oh, excuse me…Anna.” Marge is practically shouting at her. Anna wonders what has come over the woman. Is Marge suddenly going deaf ?
“Yes what is it Marge. Erik knows I’m coming. I’m here to pick up…see there they are.” Anna can see Betsy and one or two of her friends standing around in Erik’s glass office. The blinds are only partially turned. Anna waves but gets no response. So she starts forward again. Marge appears from nowhere to block her.
“Marge?” Anna says. “Is something…is everything…” “Now!” Erik shouts as he steps forward to block the doorway to his office. “Help!” he shouts. “Help! Betsy. Marge. Somebody. help.”
Anna simply stands there gaping, wondering what the hell is going on now. More of Erik’s drama? Anna tentatively tries to make her way around him toward her daughter.
“She’s beating me up. She’s trying to kill me. Help. Betsy, call the police immediately. You mother is drunk and trying to kill me.”
For a second Anna starts laughing thinking the whole thing is some practical joke gone awry. She can see Betsy through the office window. Anna waves the universal sign for ‘come on.’ Betsy, however, seems to ignore her as she dials the phone.
“See! See!” he cries as she tries to pass by, “She’s beating me about the head and face. She’s using her fists! Help somebody, call the police. She’s drunk. I can smell the stench of alcohol on her. She’s drunk.” Now he also starts jerking his six-foot four-inch frame and flailing around in the doorway.
Anna makes a split-second decision to ignore Erik’s one man melee. She gives up trying to get around or now over him and simply calls, “Betsy. I’m here to pick you up…you guys ready to go?” She tries to make herself heard over Erik’s shouting.
“Betsy,” she shouts. Because Erik stopped wailing at the same instant, it comes out sounding louder than she anticipated. “Come on honey let’s get…” The only other sound she hears is Betsy sobbing. Through the glass Anna sees the girls huddle together to comfort her daughter. Erik’s bulk is the only thing keeping Anna from giving in to her motherly instinct to rush to her crying daughter.
Anna takes a long glance at Marge, who looks pale. The older woman’s hands are shaking as she punches numbers into the phone pad. “Hello building security…” Marge says into the headset.
After surveying the scene unfolding around her, girls cowering, Erik half crouched in the doorway, and Marge speaking shakily to ‘security,’ Anna makes a second quick decision. She simply