Morse Code Messages

Ms. Patty lived just off the street from my own home. Her house was large and yellow, the paint chipping and the wood warping. She had a small front deck that was screened in. The grass was dead and screamed softly as I scrambled upon it.

Wrapping my fist along the doorframe, a large lab had come bounding out of the door, barking at me.

I’d jumped back, startled by the sudden break of air.

I had stood in the stagnant Key West heat for a few minutes, listening for the sound of shuffling feet. When nothing came I began walking away, feeling a bit dejected when it came to the whole situation. My left foot had just hit the gravel of the road when I heard the screen door of Ms. Patty’s house open, slamming back against the warped doorframe.

“Hey!”

My turn had been so abrupt that I could feel the sharp sting of my bones rubbing together, but I ignored the feeling, massaging my hands against the back of my neck.
Completely ignoring the voice, I had expected Ms. Patty to be standing behind me, but instead, it was the young man from the other night.

Flashing him a bewildered expression, I opened and closed my mouth.

The shaggy haired blonde stared back at me, a lazy smile painted on his face. He was dressed in loose fitting denims, his bare feet planted upon the dead grass. Unlike Sock, his mud colored eyes didn’t see through me, instead looking directly at my own dully colored ones.

“Is there somethin’ ya want?”

“Um,” I stuttered, my thoughts tripping and causing a head-on collision. “I, ugh,” blowing a heated puff of air out of my cheeks, I stared up at the sky. “Is Ms. Patty here?” I’d murmured so quietly I could practically see the shifting of his body weight, as if he was straining to hear what I had questioned.

Then again, he probably was.

“No,” he shook his head quickly. “She ain’t been here in two days.”

“Why is that?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

A cheesy smile spread across his face, causing his eyes to squint. “She went to Miami.”

I pushed the tip of my tongue against the wall of my cheek, not quite sure how to respond to this. I had come to ask Ms. Patty for advice, despite the fact that she worked for Davie. The fact that she’d been gone the week I needed her didn’t surprise me.

Davie probably convinced God to screw up the rest of my life.

“You can ask me whatever you were gonna ask her.”

My shoulders jumped in the air, jolting my body back and forth. A quick blush spread across my face, as I hated being embarrassed but seemed to do it often. Staring back at the lanky young man I frowned. “Why are you even here?”

I watched as his smile twitched a little, yet still remaining to stay in place. “I guess you could say I live here... or somethin’.”

I nodded my head slowly, chewing on my bottom lip. “I, um... I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”

His smile seemed to grow across his face, like a flower in a well soiled garden. The wind blew, ruffling our clothes into the air. I shivered at its touch, already becoming used to the Florida heat that summers brought on.

“I’m James and you’re Mickey.”

I could feel the shame creeping into my body.

“Oh,” I deadpanned, “sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Jame’s chuckled, “not many people remember me.”

I stood stupidly, allowing the sun to beat onto my back. I wanted to make a mad dash for it, run away from his hard stare. Instead, I stood there pathetically, staring at my feet.

An awkward moment passed between the two of us, making the air much hotter than it already was. My legs had already begun to ache and I could feel myself slouching, because I no longer wanted to stand straight -- like a lady.

I breathed in deeply, squinting my eyes down the road, looking for absolutely nothing.

“Ugh,” James coughed loudly, staring away. “Would you like to get somethin’ to eat or whatever?”