The Woman in Red

A few days had come and gone along with the doctor Forrest had promised. He diagnosed me with a severe chest cold that if not monitored closely could easily form back into pneumonia. He gave me a bottle of thick chemically syrup, not nearly as appealing as the sweet juice the doctor in Chicago had prescribed me when Floyd has first taken me in. The good thing about the bitter tonic was that it made me sleep.

Forrest had been very attentive bringing me soups and making sure I was comfortable but he never said a word more than he had to. The little hope that had built up of the possible reconnection was burning out.

I lay in bed shivering slightly as I felt the medicine wear off. My eyelids were still heavy and my body sluggish with sleep. Glancing at the clock I knew it wouldn’t be long before Forrest or Howard would arrive to force the medicine down my throat. I felt childish for the men to have to make me take my medicine but it made me sleep so deeply sometimes I would miss my next dosage and wake up with terrible, painful coughing spells that felt like they were crushing my ribs.

As expected I soon heard two sets of footsteps come up the stairs. One of the voices I expected, but
the second took me by surprise.

“Floyd Banner leaves her under your care and you tell me that she’s laying up in bed sick as a dog?” his thick accent was so foreign in my current surroundings it took me a moment to place it.

“You put her under my care” Forrest voice was calm with the slightest edge of anger “Don’t question it. She’s alive and doing better.”

“We’ll just see about that.”

The door opened and the man walked in sporting his dark sporty suit and giving me a smile.

“Hey there doll” he beamed leaning over to kiss my flushed cheek “how ya feeling?”

“Better” I replied “Its not as bad as it seems really. The winters down here are different than in Chicago I just don’t think my body was prepared for it” I chuckled as Gummy took a seat in the awaiting chair near the bed. He placed a bouquet of expensive looking flowers on the bedside table.

“Floyd sends his love. He misses you like crazy.” Gummy sighed removing his bowler and combing his fingers through his slicked back hair, greasy with pomade.

“I miss him too.” I whispered eyes focusing on a parcel Gummy retrieved from his pocket. He fumbled with it for a second his eyes focused on it.

“He’s getting paranoid Fancy. He don’t sleep much barely eats. Lashes out at me and the boys a lot. ”

“Things aren’t going well with Willie?”

“He’s pulling on some favors for the Irish mafia.”

I gasped softly. Floyd tried his best to stay out of the mafia business to avoid gaining beefs with other crime families. Things must be worse than I thought if he was going to this length to involve the Irish.
Gummy shook his head before handing me the white package and standing. “I’m uh, going to see if these country rednecks can get you some water for the flowers.”

He left the room quietly and I studied the bundle. My fingers eventually pulled the cloth to reveal a small silver gun. The pit of my stomach seemed to pummel itself; Floyd would never send me a gun unless he knew this was becoming too serious. I was uncomfortable around them never having shot one but I had seen just what kind of damage they could do. I inhaled a shaky breath and placed the gun in the bedside table before staring up at the ceiling a few tears slipping past.

Gummy soon returned with a cup of water grumbling about how the boys didn’t have a vase. He stood for another hour or so before deciding he had to go to make back to Chicago. He gave me a hug before standing.

“Take care of yourself Fancy. Don’t need ya in the bad of shape you were in when we first met. Ya poor thing was nearly dead on ya feet.”

“I won’t make any promises but I’ll try” I chuckled.

Floyd walked out the door and moments later Forrest entered.

“You never told me you was sick in Chicago..”

I sighed resting into the pillows. “I didn’t tell you a lot of things Forrest. Mainly because when I try to you begin yelling and degrade me.”

His eyes fell downward as he walked further in the room. His hands shoved in his pocket before he took the seat Gummy had just sat in and was quiet for a moment adjusting his position until he was comfortable. Before leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees.

“Tell me about what happened to you in Chicago?”

His voice was even, soft and sincere. His eyes focused on me. I swallowed and focused on my hands. I had wanted to talk explain how life had been a struggle what I had gone through without him, but now that the time was here I was wondering if I could go through with it. I had retold my story to Floyd once many years ago and that was with a few drinks in my system I wouldn’t chance that with this strange medicine I was taking.

“It was awful.” I whispered feeling the tears prick my eyes. “When I first arrived I had nowhere to go. I walked the streets and eventually slept in a park bench. This woman found me, her name was Marilyn. She was older than me by a good deal. She had been an escort since she was sixteen and felt sorry for me.” I sniffed before continuing “We lived together and she taught me the tricks of the trade. It wasn’t the best of places mold growing in some sports and in a bad part of town. She got me started with some of her clients. A couple beat me.” Out of the corner of my eye I could see Forrest shuffle in his seat, uncomfortable with what I was telling him and a rage burning in his eyes.” Marilyn got shot by a client so I was kicked out of the apartment mid-December. Again I had nowhere to go. I was barely making it out of day number two of living on the street. I was cold and hungry. I remember thinking this was no better than where I came from. At least at home I had four walls to keep the cold from killing me. I remember I would think of you and when we would go walking through Mr. Calvert’s fields, when we were happy. That’s what I tried to think of every time a man touched me. In those two days out in the cold I got real sick pneumonia, real high fever. That’s when Floyd found me. He took me in, gave me a chance at life again. The kind momma wanted me to have. He took care of me.”

Ending my story I chanced a look at Forrest. He had his hands clasped together as if he were praying with his forehead resting against it his eyes clenched. A couple deep breaths escaped his lips before he looked at me with sad pitiful eyes. Reaching for my hands he took them in his stroking the skin tenderly before bringing them to his lips. The contact lingered sending a surge of shocks from my hands. Pulling away he set my hands back in my lap and stood.

As he reached the doorway he stopped hand placed gently on the frame, seeming to be contemplating something before he turned back to look at me.

“The day you left.” He gulped “I was coming to see you. I’ld worked my ass off those past few days and finally got the money.” My eyebrows furrowed as his hazel eyes lifted to meet mine a soft, sad smile tugging at his lips “I was going to ask you to marry me Fancy.”

My mouth dried and eyes watered at this admission.

“But” he continued “ I guess I was just a little too late, huh?”

Hearing him repeat the words I had spoken nights ago broke my heart.

“Night Fancy”

He closed the door and with the click of the lock the tears began to poor down my face. I held my face in my hands as my body shook with exasperated tears and sobs . He was going to purpose, I wouldn’t have had to go to Chicago Reba wouldn’t have to be taken, momma might still be alive. I wailed at the thought every time a stranger put his hands on me and I would think of Forrest for comfort I could have had Forrest the entire time.

Now with the years passed and how we’ve changed it seemed the chances of salvaging our relationship was inevitable. Besides what man in his right mind would want a whore as a wife..