Blood on the Floor
I'd had that terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach all day, so when I saw Myron drive past the Food Bank several times as I stood in the line up waiting to get in, I wasn't the least bit surprised. If anything, I was somewhat relieved to know exactly where he was even if I didn't have a clue what he was up to. Before I actually managed to get inside the busy building and pick up our food hamper, Myron drove past me at least four times. This was highly unusual because, not only was Myron not going to the Food Bank that day because it was "Families Only" day, but the Food Bank itself was at the edge of town on a seldom used road. So it was hardly as if he was "on his way" somewhere. As usual his presence had me shaken so I was especially glad that Nita and I had decided to make the trek together that morning. She was able to leave 2 of her kids at home with Jed, but like always I brought mine with. Usually I walked to and from the Food Bank and everywhere else I needed togo. Just me and the kids. I was also particularly grateful that Nita had arranged for a ride home for us. What with 3 kids between us and enough groceries to supply 2 families for at least a week, the walk home across town would have been long and arduous to say the least. Thankfully Doug, Nita's best friend had a truck and nothing to do that morning. And thankfully also, he was a genuinely nice guy who didn't mind helping out a friend in need. Or the friend of a friend in need for that matter. After Nita and I had received our monthly hampers from the generous folks at the Food Bank, we sat outside on the curb and waited for Doug. Nita scarcely had time to finish her cigarette when he pulled up in his truck. With a smile on his face as always he asked "Hey, beautifuls need a ride somewhere?" We all piled in and buckled up the kids as best we could while Doug loaded our groceries in the back of the pick up. Just as we were about to drive off Myron drove past us yet again. By this time I was visibly shaken and Doug could see it on my face. "Has that asshole been buggin' you again, Lor?" he queried with genuine concern. As I fumbled for words and choked back tears, Nita answered for me. "Yeah Doug, he's been following her around again." Then she added, "You better just come to my house Lor". We all agreed that this would be the safest plan of action. So off wedrove, Doug, me and the Kids and Nita and Adam, at ease at least for the moment. We determined it would be most convenient if we stopped by my apartment on the way to Nita's house. This way, I could unload my groceries and grab what the kids and I would need for the rest ofthe day and the night if we decided to sleep over. Quickly as I could I raced up stairs with the diaper bag. While Nita stayed in the truck with the kids, Doug packed my groceries up the stairs and helped me put away the stuff that needed refrigeration. As Doug andI headed back down the stairs and locked up the apartment, who should drive by one more time but Myron.
This time he cast Doug the most vicious glance and yelled at him out the window of his car "You better watch out, Doug! Ha Ha!" And drove off down the street. The three of us, along with just about everyone else we knew, were used to Myron's threats and accusations, so we didn't make too much ofthe spectacle. I tried my best to downplay his actions for the benefit of the kids who sat in the truck with looks of confusion ontheir tiny faces. After we got to Nita's house Doug hung around for a while helping Nita unpack the groceries and put them away. While they did that I hung out in the kitchen with them getting lunch ready for the kids. We had 6 kids in all that day, which wasn't at all unusual. As well as Nita's three boys, David, Jacob and Adam, and my two kids, Jakob and Cassidee, or Cassie-Annie as Nita's boys called her, we also had Louie. Louie, whose real name was Desmond was Nita's nephew. The two year old son of Nita's younger sister Destiny was Cassidee's best little playmate as they were born just a month apart.
Cassidee's birthday was in January and Louie's in February. All things considered, we were having a relaxing afternoon at Nita's cozy little house. The kids were watching movies in the living room and the adults were enjoying some good conversation and laughter inthe kitchen. Despite the antics from Myron earlier that day, mos tof us were having a fine time. Cassidee and Louie were probably having the most fun of all. Every chance they could get, whenever they were out of sight of a parent, they would empty all of Nita's CD collection out of their cases, spread them all out over th efloor, and dance upon them. It was as if they thought the shiny plastic objects were a special little dance floor just for them.
When I walked in to the living room and saw the disaster it was allI could do not to laugh out loud. But I kept my composure and cleaned up the mess quietly. While doing this I could hear voices in the kitchen, this time they weren't only Doug and Nita's. After carefully putting the CDs away for the third time, I returnedto the Kitchen to see Destiny's friend Kim standing in the doorway. She looked as though she had seen a ghost. Before she could comein, I glanced behind her and could instantly tell what she was upset about. Myron was standing directly behind her with the most menacing look on his face. We hurriedly rushed Kim in the house and double locked the doors. Myron left, almost immediately but not without whispering an ominous warning to me through the side window "I'll be back with a club!" He promised. That vow sent chills up my spine and by the look on everyone's faces I could tell I wasn't the only one who was upset. So much for our nice quietafternoon.
After we fed all the kids and got the kitchen cleaned up again, Kim decided it was finally safe for her to go home. Myron hadn't comeback as he promised and we all decided he wasn't going to. This was most likely just another one of his idle threats. So Doug decided that since he had to go home for dinner anyways, he'd drop Kim off at her house on the way. It was as great idea as Kim was certainly not feeling like walking around town by herself. Especially nowthat it was beginning to get dark. So Doug decided he would do whathe had to do and come back to check on us just as soon as he could, leaving us his cell phone, just in case.
Just in case Myron cameback before Doug did.
Just in case he was even more intoxicated than he had been earlier.
Just incase he was even angrier at methan he had been before. With Myron around it seemed there werealways so many things to worry about, so many `just in case's. While Doug was gone, Nita and I were both a little uneasy. Neither one of us were wimpy chicks, but there was just something aboutMyron, his behaviour, his attitude, his mere presence that set us on edge and put the fear in us. I know that silently we were botheagerly awaiting Doug's return. He could have stayed there with us the entire day and night and that would have been just fine withus.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the kids were having a ball asthey normally do when there are just too many of them in one room. And Nita and I decided that to get our minds off Myron's antics, we'd play some cribbage. And heck, perhaps we'd even have a drink. Nita had some left over Christmas vodka in the cupboard. Not being much of a drinker, she had no problem saving it for a special occasion. While this occasion wasn't exactly special, it certainly did call for something to calm the nerves and lighten the mood. So Nita mixed us up a couple of Bloody Caesar's, extra salty and extra spicy for me, and we sat at the kitchen table and played crib.I
t wasn't long into our game when our concentration was broken by a sound in the backyard. It was hard to distinguish, but sounded like someone walking through the yard. Aloud Nita and I both suggested in unison "Doug's back"
We waited and waited for the knock at thedoor, but it never came. Reluctantly, as I could still hearfootsteps outside and they sounded like they were very close to the house, I peered outside the blue curtains of Nita's kitchen window just in time the see Myron walking around the corner and on to the street. Almost as if he knew I was watching or maybe because he was sure I would, he turned around and flashed me an malevolent smile. "Told ya I'd be back" And off he walked. Nita and I guessed that he was making yet another trip to the liquor store as Nita's house was about half way between Myron's house and Downtown. But hec ertainly did not have to walk through her yard to get there. H ewas definitely going out of his way to torment us for some mysterious reason.
By the time Doug finally did arrive, Myron had walked by Nita's and right through her yard house two more times. Once on his way back form the liquor store,with bottles of booze in hand. This time, instead of saying anything he just stood outside in the yard seemingly waiting fors omeone to notice him. By then I was getting really freaked out, so Nita was the one who poked her head out the curtains. Sure enough she said, he was in the yard, leaned up against the shed in the backyard having a cigarette just as nonchalantly as could be. As if itwas normal to walk through someone's yard again and again for no apparent reason but to cause alarm. As if it was usual to stop in the yard in the dark and smoke a cigarette alone, leaned up against the shed like a thug.
The last time he showed his face at Nita's house that night was just shortly before Doug arrived. This time it seemed he was getting a bit more brazen. Nita and I conjectured that perhaps an afternoon of non-stop trips to the liquor store had Myron feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof. Not only did he unnecessarily cut through Nita's front and back yard on the way to the store, but he also slid open her kitchen window, parted the curtains and stuck his head in. And in doing so he uttered the oddest most perplexing statement I had ever heard. "If it happens more than twice, it's stalking!" he stated before he closed the curtains and left.
The sheer oddity of this situation and the peculiarity of his remarks had Nita and I in a panic. What did he mean? Why did he saythat? When Doug arrived, we were both near tears. It had been one helluva day and it certainly wasn't getting any better. Doug was reassuring as usual. "Oh don't worry about him, girls. He's not gonna do anything while I am around. I'll just stay here. I'll stay all night if I have to" No sooner did those words leave Doug's mouth than we heard aterrible smashing sound coming from the back yard. The smashing sounded unmistakably like breaking glass. "What the fuck did he just do?" Doug said the words that were ineveryone's minds. There was no question that Myron had beenresponsible for the breaking glass, but just what had broken was yet to be discovered.
As Doug hastily opened Nita's back door, to see what all the action was, we could clearly see his truck. And every window in it had been smashed to bits including his side view mirrors. Suddenly Irealized just what Myron had meant when he said he'd be back with aclub. Seeing what Myron had done to his truck had severely pissedDoug off. "that's the last straw" he fumed. "'I've had enough of this. I'll be right back" With that, Doug proceeded to walk the few short blocks to Myron's house to see what his beef was.
Nita and I were on the edge of our seats, anxiously awaiting Doug's return, praying for his safety and hoping that Myron didn't come back in the meantime. Myron had been getting gradually more and more twisted over the last few weeks and Nita and I were both frightened of what he could do. Especially since we had so many little kids with us. Yes, Doug had left us his cell phone for emergencies, but somehow that did not give either one of us reassurance that Myron wouldn't harm us. When Doug finally came back several minutes later he was walking kind of funny and didn't look quite right. Something had definitelygone down at Myron's house.
When I looked at his face I could seethat something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Doug's face was as white as a ghost and he looked as if he was about topass out. I was about to ask what happened when I noticed blood on Doug's right hand. Did he hurt Myron? Did they fight? Then I noticed the blood wasn't just on his hand but all down his arm and his leg. On his face. Quietly, faintly Doug whispered a sound "hhhehh." I did not understand what he was saying. As Doug staggered into the kitchen, his legs gave way and he fell in a large heap on the floor. He tried to get up, but could only manage to lay down flat on his back.
His breathing was heavy and forced and his movement was slow and methodical. And the blood just kept coming. It was pouring and pouring and pouring. I could not tell where it was coming from but it was definitely Doug's blood. My mind was racing trying to fit the pieces together and my stomach was churning at the sight of my friend so covered in his own blood. Quietly I heard Doug whisper to Nita "Call 911. He stabbed me". As Doug lied in a pool of blood on Nita's kitchen floor waiting for the ambulance to arrive, minutes seemed like hours.
I tried desperately to keep all the kids confined to the living room so they couldn't see what had happened. At the same time, I wanted to be by Doug's side to make sure he was going to be alright. I was so shaken and guilt ridden that I could barely think straight. "I'm sorry Doug, I'm sorry Doug" was all I could say while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. Over and over again. "I'm sorry Doug" through sobs. "I am so sorry."
"It's ok sweetie, it's not your fault." Doug whispered between forced breaths. But as the pool of blood surrounding my friend grew larger and larger I realized I didn't believe him.
This time he cast Doug the most vicious glance and yelled at him out the window of his car "You better watch out, Doug! Ha Ha!" And drove off down the street. The three of us, along with just about everyone else we knew, were used to Myron's threats and accusations, so we didn't make too much ofthe spectacle. I tried my best to downplay his actions for the benefit of the kids who sat in the truck with looks of confusion ontheir tiny faces. After we got to Nita's house Doug hung around for a while helping Nita unpack the groceries and put them away. While they did that I hung out in the kitchen with them getting lunch ready for the kids. We had 6 kids in all that day, which wasn't at all unusual. As well as Nita's three boys, David, Jacob and Adam, and my two kids, Jakob and Cassidee, or Cassie-Annie as Nita's boys called her, we also had Louie. Louie, whose real name was Desmond was Nita's nephew. The two year old son of Nita's younger sister Destiny was Cassidee's best little playmate as they were born just a month apart.
Cassidee's birthday was in January and Louie's in February. All things considered, we were having a relaxing afternoon at Nita's cozy little house. The kids were watching movies in the living room and the adults were enjoying some good conversation and laughter inthe kitchen. Despite the antics from Myron earlier that day, mos tof us were having a fine time. Cassidee and Louie were probably having the most fun of all. Every chance they could get, whenever they were out of sight of a parent, they would empty all of Nita's CD collection out of their cases, spread them all out over th efloor, and dance upon them. It was as if they thought the shiny plastic objects were a special little dance floor just for them.
When I walked in to the living room and saw the disaster it was allI could do not to laugh out loud. But I kept my composure and cleaned up the mess quietly. While doing this I could hear voices in the kitchen, this time they weren't only Doug and Nita's. After carefully putting the CDs away for the third time, I returnedto the Kitchen to see Destiny's friend Kim standing in the doorway. She looked as though she had seen a ghost. Before she could comein, I glanced behind her and could instantly tell what she was upset about. Myron was standing directly behind her with the most menacing look on his face. We hurriedly rushed Kim in the house and double locked the doors. Myron left, almost immediately but not without whispering an ominous warning to me through the side window "I'll be back with a club!" He promised. That vow sent chills up my spine and by the look on everyone's faces I could tell I wasn't the only one who was upset. So much for our nice quietafternoon.
After we fed all the kids and got the kitchen cleaned up again, Kim decided it was finally safe for her to go home. Myron hadn't comeback as he promised and we all decided he wasn't going to. This was most likely just another one of his idle threats. So Doug decided that since he had to go home for dinner anyways, he'd drop Kim off at her house on the way. It was as great idea as Kim was certainly not feeling like walking around town by herself. Especially nowthat it was beginning to get dark. So Doug decided he would do whathe had to do and come back to check on us just as soon as he could, leaving us his cell phone, just in case.
Just in case Myron cameback before Doug did.
Just in case he was even more intoxicated than he had been earlier.
Just incase he was even angrier at methan he had been before. With Myron around it seemed there werealways so many things to worry about, so many `just in case's. While Doug was gone, Nita and I were both a little uneasy. Neither one of us were wimpy chicks, but there was just something aboutMyron, his behaviour, his attitude, his mere presence that set us on edge and put the fear in us. I know that silently we were botheagerly awaiting Doug's return. He could have stayed there with us the entire day and night and that would have been just fine withus.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the kids were having a ball asthey normally do when there are just too many of them in one room. And Nita and I decided that to get our minds off Myron's antics, we'd play some cribbage. And heck, perhaps we'd even have a drink. Nita had some left over Christmas vodka in the cupboard. Not being much of a drinker, she had no problem saving it for a special occasion. While this occasion wasn't exactly special, it certainly did call for something to calm the nerves and lighten the mood. So Nita mixed us up a couple of Bloody Caesar's, extra salty and extra spicy for me, and we sat at the kitchen table and played crib.I
t wasn't long into our game when our concentration was broken by a sound in the backyard. It was hard to distinguish, but sounded like someone walking through the yard. Aloud Nita and I both suggested in unison "Doug's back"
We waited and waited for the knock at thedoor, but it never came. Reluctantly, as I could still hearfootsteps outside and they sounded like they were very close to the house, I peered outside the blue curtains of Nita's kitchen window just in time the see Myron walking around the corner and on to the street. Almost as if he knew I was watching or maybe because he was sure I would, he turned around and flashed me an malevolent smile. "Told ya I'd be back" And off he walked. Nita and I guessed that he was making yet another trip to the liquor store as Nita's house was about half way between Myron's house and Downtown. But hec ertainly did not have to walk through her yard to get there. H ewas definitely going out of his way to torment us for some mysterious reason.
By the time Doug finally did arrive, Myron had walked by Nita's and right through her yard house two more times. Once on his way back form the liquor store,with bottles of booze in hand. This time, instead of saying anything he just stood outside in the yard seemingly waiting fors omeone to notice him. By then I was getting really freaked out, so Nita was the one who poked her head out the curtains. Sure enough she said, he was in the yard, leaned up against the shed in the backyard having a cigarette just as nonchalantly as could be. As if itwas normal to walk through someone's yard again and again for no apparent reason but to cause alarm. As if it was usual to stop in the yard in the dark and smoke a cigarette alone, leaned up against the shed like a thug.
The last time he showed his face at Nita's house that night was just shortly before Doug arrived. This time it seemed he was getting a bit more brazen. Nita and I conjectured that perhaps an afternoon of non-stop trips to the liquor store had Myron feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof. Not only did he unnecessarily cut through Nita's front and back yard on the way to the store, but he also slid open her kitchen window, parted the curtains and stuck his head in. And in doing so he uttered the oddest most perplexing statement I had ever heard. "If it happens more than twice, it's stalking!" he stated before he closed the curtains and left.
The sheer oddity of this situation and the peculiarity of his remarks had Nita and I in a panic. What did he mean? Why did he saythat? When Doug arrived, we were both near tears. It had been one helluva day and it certainly wasn't getting any better. Doug was reassuring as usual. "Oh don't worry about him, girls. He's not gonna do anything while I am around. I'll just stay here. I'll stay all night if I have to" No sooner did those words leave Doug's mouth than we heard aterrible smashing sound coming from the back yard. The smashing sounded unmistakably like breaking glass. "What the fuck did he just do?" Doug said the words that were ineveryone's minds. There was no question that Myron had beenresponsible for the breaking glass, but just what had broken was yet to be discovered.
As Doug hastily opened Nita's back door, to see what all the action was, we could clearly see his truck. And every window in it had been smashed to bits including his side view mirrors. Suddenly Irealized just what Myron had meant when he said he'd be back with aclub. Seeing what Myron had done to his truck had severely pissedDoug off. "that's the last straw" he fumed. "'I've had enough of this. I'll be right back" With that, Doug proceeded to walk the few short blocks to Myron's house to see what his beef was.
Nita and I were on the edge of our seats, anxiously awaiting Doug's return, praying for his safety and hoping that Myron didn't come back in the meantime. Myron had been getting gradually more and more twisted over the last few weeks and Nita and I were both frightened of what he could do. Especially since we had so many little kids with us. Yes, Doug had left us his cell phone for emergencies, but somehow that did not give either one of us reassurance that Myron wouldn't harm us. When Doug finally came back several minutes later he was walking kind of funny and didn't look quite right. Something had definitelygone down at Myron's house.
When I looked at his face I could seethat something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Doug's face was as white as a ghost and he looked as if he was about topass out. I was about to ask what happened when I noticed blood on Doug's right hand. Did he hurt Myron? Did they fight? Then I noticed the blood wasn't just on his hand but all down his arm and his leg. On his face. Quietly, faintly Doug whispered a sound "hhhehh." I did not understand what he was saying. As Doug staggered into the kitchen, his legs gave way and he fell in a large heap on the floor. He tried to get up, but could only manage to lay down flat on his back.
His breathing was heavy and forced and his movement was slow and methodical. And the blood just kept coming. It was pouring and pouring and pouring. I could not tell where it was coming from but it was definitely Doug's blood. My mind was racing trying to fit the pieces together and my stomach was churning at the sight of my friend so covered in his own blood. Quietly I heard Doug whisper to Nita "Call 911. He stabbed me". As Doug lied in a pool of blood on Nita's kitchen floor waiting for the ambulance to arrive, minutes seemed like hours.
I tried desperately to keep all the kids confined to the living room so they couldn't see what had happened. At the same time, I wanted to be by Doug's side to make sure he was going to be alright. I was so shaken and guilt ridden that I could barely think straight. "I'm sorry Doug, I'm sorry Doug" was all I could say while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. Over and over again. "I'm sorry Doug" through sobs. "I am so sorry."
"It's ok sweetie, it's not your fault." Doug whispered between forced breaths. But as the pool of blood surrounding my friend grew larger and larger I realized I didn't believe him.
posted by Lori-Anne | 9:41 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home