Chapter13
Three months later, Axel’s phone rang on the nightstand. He woke up, his body tired from a romantic date night with Rita, where they had spent half the night at a nice restaurant enjoying themselves. He groaned, rolling off the side of the bed and walking up to the nightstand. As he grabbed his phone, he ground his teeth together. It was an unknown number. That could only mean one of three things.
It could be a telemarketer, but since he had little to no money, it didn’t make much sense for them to target him. There was the chance of it being some debt collection agency, but he had blocked most of their numbers. So, the only option left was one of his “clients.” Axel glanced at Rita who was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. He sighed and stepped out of the room.
The living room was empty, so Axel sat down on the couch and took the call. “Hello?” he asked in a hushed voice, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“Hey man, when are you going to come back in business? I’ve been by your shop, but it looks like you aren’t around anymore. What’s the deal with that?” a gruff voice came through the line.
Axel’s fingers tightened around the phone as he took a steadying breath. He didn’t have the time or patience for this right now. How many times did he need to tell these people that he wasn’t going to deal anymore?
“Look. I don’t do that anymore. Find someone else.”
“No one else sells decent dope. I’ve been looking for like a month now. The streets are dry. Nothing but the hard stuff,” the voice answered.
“Look. That’s not my problem. I’m done with that. Don’t call me again.”
With that, Axel hung up, his heart pounding in his chest. It was always hard to deny a client, especially since he knew how much money it would bring in. But he had made a vow to change his life and he was determined to keep it.
Feeling a little shaken up, he sighed and leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. The moment he did, however, his phone started to ring again. He simply silenced it, realizing he would need to change his number soon. He couldn’t have these people constantly calling him. It was starting to interfere with his life and with Rita, now six months pregnant, he did not have the bandwidth to deal with these people.
“Everything all right?” Rita asked as she stepped into the room. “Who was that? You sounded distraught,” she observed before she sat down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer.
“No one,” Axel mumbled. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but as he glanced over at her face, he recognized that she wouldn’t drop it. He sighed once more and leaned back into their lumpy couch. “Someone wanted to buy some dope,” he said plainly, looking up at the ceiling with a blank expression.
“And what did you say?” Rita asked as she looked at him expectantly. “You aren’t going to sell them any are you?” Her voice was quick and sharp as she made the demand. She reached out her hand and took his, waiting for the answer.
“Rita, I have been off the streets for nearly four months now. I’m a little offended you’d think that I’d crumble that easily,” he said after a moment.
“I’m sorry. I just get worried sometimes. With the baby almost here, I get scared that I’ll have to raise him all by myself.” Rita bit the corner of her lip as she finished her statement, looking into his dark eyes, hoping he would understand.
Axel swiveled on the couch, turning his body toward her. He took her hands in his, holding them up to his chest.
“I promise that’ll never happen. I won’t let anything happen to this family, okay?” He smiled at her before gently pulling her head close to his chest, caressing her soft hair.
“Okay,” Rita responded after a moment and nodded. She took a moment to take in his scent and listen to his heartbeat. In the nearly six months they had been living together, Rita felt herself fall deeper and deeper in love with him each passing day. With a reassured smile on her face, she pulled away from him. “Do you want breakfast?”
“Do we have any food?” Axel asked, remembering that it was the end of the month and money was tight.
“Yes. I did some laundry for the old woman on Fifth Street and she gave me twenty dollars. I did some minor grocery shopping. We have bagels and cream cheese.” Rita smiled brightly like she had just announced that she had won the lottery.
“Bagels and cream cheese?” Axel asked in disbelief. “Then today we eat like royalty!” He grinned as he gently picked her up and carried her over to the kitchen. There, he placed her on the counter, gazing into her beautifully dark eyes. He couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her. Their lips melted together as they shared a moment full of love and compassion. He wrapped his arms around her waist before pulling away.
“Your stomach’s getting so big,” he commented, resting his hands on her protruding belly. He grinned to himself, imagining his unborn child. He wondered what he would look like. Gently, he rested his head on her stomach. Ever so faintly, he could hear his child’s heartbeat and it sent a shiver of elation rolling over his skin. He remained like this for a bit as Rita’s nimble fingers tangled into his thick mess of curly hair.
“Have you thought of any names yet?” Rita asked curiously.
Axel straightened up at the question. His face scrambled in concentration as he seemed to digest the question.
“Names?” he repeated the end of her statement.
He searched the sparse kitchen as if looking for inspiration. Rita took a good look at his face, seeing its hard lines and sharp nose. She could tell he was thinking hard about it. A smile crept on her face.
“Actually, no,” he finally answered.
“Well, we do have to name the baby eventually.” Rita chuckled. “I was thinking Jasper if it’s a boy, and Lizzy if it’s a girl. I think Eliza would like that,” Rita added.
“Lizzy. No that’s way too similar to Eliza. It has to be something different.” He paused and rested his hands on her stomach once more as if asking the baby. “Besides, it’s going to be a boy, anyway.”
“We don’t know that,” Rita warned.
“You said it yourself back at the hospital when you were recovering from the car crash. You said you felt like it was a boy and I believe you.” He kissed her cheek and rested a hand on her thigh. “I’ll think about it and let you know, okay?” He smiled. “Now, where are those bagels? I’m starving.” He scavenged through all of the cabinets but found nothing.
“Pantry, bottom shelf.”
“Why do you put everything on the bottom shelves?”
Rita shrugged. “Just so I can reach it easily. Plus, that way Eliza can grab it without getting the stool. I’m always afraid that thing is going to collapse right underneath her one of these days.”
“What are you talking about? I built that thing myself. It’s as sturdy as a rock.”
“Exactly. You built it. You’re a mechanic, not a carpenter.” Rita chuckled when she noticed his offended expression. “Come on now, you know I’m just teasing you.” Slowly, she got down from the counter, grabbing the bagels when Axel still could not find them, even though they were in plain sight. “Go tell Eliza to come have some breakfast.”
Axel nodded and left the kitchen. He found Eliza still fast asleep in her bed. There was a book by her pillow. The paperback cover was tattered and water stained in several places. He could tell she had read it multiple times. Silently, he promised himself to take her to the library later that day. He hadn’t been to the library with her in a very long time. She would enjoy it.
He almost regretted waking her up. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, lying there, curled up in her bed and holding on to her favorite one-eyed teddy bear. By her side, Spot was snoring loudly, his tail wrapped around his owner. Axel smiled to himself before sitting down on the edge of her bed. At the sudden movement, Spot’s head perked up. He curiously looked at Axel before he jolted upwards and licked the man’s face repeatedly in his excitement, his large spotted tail wagging violently.
“Calm down Spot, you’ll wake Liza!” Axel tried to stop the dog from bouncing all over the bed, but it was impossible. With his hands pushing the beast away, he looked down to see Eliza now wide awake, staring at him. “Morning sleepy head,” Axel said, still trying to fend off the large dog. “Get off me,” he commanded, but the dog wouldn’t listen.
“Spot.” Eliza’s small voice rang out and the dog’s floppy ears instantly twitched before he immediately laid down, his large lanky legs draped over her tiny body. “Good boy.” She smiled, scratching his neck as his back paw started to shake in pleasure.
“I will never understand how you do that.” Axel laughed before he ruffled up his sister’s hair. “Rita has a surprise for us.”
“Is it the baby?” Eliza asked innocently, her face full of excitement.
Axel burst out laughing. She had asked the same question plenty of times since she noticed Rita’s stomach getting round. Even after telling her that there were three months left of the pregnancy, Eliza was still all too eager to meet the baby.
“No. But she did buy some bagels and cream cheese.”
Eliza’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head as she heard the announcement. In a flash, she bolted out of her bed and into the kitchen. Axel chuckled upon seeing her enthusiasm. As he sat there, on the edge of the bed he looked over at her wall, seeing it covered with her various drawings. Getting up, he walked over, examining each brightly colored masterpiece. Finally, his eyes settled on one predominantly colored in shades of gray. He plucked it off the wall and looked at it.
In the middle was a large woman, indicative by the triangular dress she wore. She had long, curly hair and a frown on her face. To the side of her were a boy and a girl. The little girl wore pink and a bow in her hair that was way too large. The boy, on the other hand, wore black and was completely bald. At the top of the page was scribbled “To mommy. Love, Eliza.”
Sadness overwhelmed the mechanic as he looked at the drawing. His mother had finally left the house for good, two months ago. All she left behind was a note on the kitchen table, saying she would be leaving. He didn’t even get to see her, didn’t get to say goodbye. It wasn’t like he had a good relationship with her to begin with, but it seemed cruel that she would simply leave. It felt like a final slap in the face after so many years of dealing with her hermit behavior. He no longer knew where she was and whenever Eliza asked, he would just make up some excuse.
Luckily, Rita had assumed the role of a mother quite easily. The two girls were now very close and Axel knew that his sister adored her. A smile spread on his face as he pocketed the drawing and made his way to the kitchen, where he could already smell onion bagels being half-burnt in the toaster.
“Axel. Just in time. Eliza almost ate your bagel. She is quite the piggy this morning,” Rita said as she looked up at him when he entered the kitchen.
“She can have it. Maybe you two can split it,” he offered, pouring himself a cup of coffee and grabbing a packet of stale toaster strudels from the cabinet. “I’ll be okay.”
“Aww, come on big brother, I wasn’t really going to eat it.” Eliza grabbed the bagel and brought it to her brother. “Eat it. It’s good,” she pressed.
“Fine,” he answered after a moment, taking a bite out of it while she held it up to him. His taste buds exploded momentarily as the silky cream cheese melted in his mouth. “You’re right. This is good.” He smiled down at her before he grabbed the bagel, eating it.
Once done, he looked at Eliza who sat there, swinging her legs with nothing better to do. “What do you say we go to the library today? I have the day off from work,” Axel suggested as he took a sip from the lukewarm coffee.
Eliza’s eyes grew large in her head. “Do you mean it? We haven’t been to the library in, like, forever!” she commented, her voice full of excitement.
Axel nodded and moments later Eliza ran out of the room, searching for her library card.
“She’s eager,” Rita commented while wiping down the kitchen table.
“She loves to read. She’s the smart one in this family and that will take her far. Do you want to come?” Axel offered.
“I can’t. I picked up a shift at the nursery this afternoon,” Rita explained.
“You’re getting pretty far along in your pregnancy; you shouldn’t be pushing yourself so hard,” Axel said with a hint of worry in his voice as he glanced down at her bloated stomach.
“You worry too much. Women work up until their water breaks. I’ll be fine.” She shrugged. “But I am going to take a nap before my shift so have fun with Eliza, okay? And do you mind bringing me back a book?” Rita added in, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
“You want a book?” Axel raised an eyebrow in her direction.
“A poetry book. Surprise me.” She grinned and then left the room, making way for the bedroom.
Axel thought about her request, but before he could give it much thought, Eliza was already back in the kitchen, tugging on his hand.
“I’m ready.” She had already gotten dressed and brushed her hair. In her other hand was the library card.
“Okay, let’s go.”
***
Rita woke with a start as she heard a strange noise in the apartment. It sounded like something was rattling the kitchen window. A bird or an alley cat maybe. Before she could go back to bed, however, there was the sound of shattering glass and her eyes grew wide in fright.
She got up quickly, trying to figure out what to do. Had a cat broken through the window or was something worse going on? She looked around the room, trying to find something to defend herself with. In the end, she grabbed a lamp and cautiously made her way toward the kitchen. As she turned the corridor corner, she came face-to-face with a large, hulking individual. She recognized him from somewhere, but before she could pinpoint the memory, he slammed her into the doorway.
She cried out as her spine came into contact with the hardwood. She arched her back and tried to take a deep breath, but by this point, his large hand was wrapped around her neck.
“Scream and you’re dead,” he hissed in her ear, making the threat.
Rita’s whole body froze in place as she realized that they were being robbed. “Please. We don’t have anything worth taking,” she whispered, desperately trying to convince him to leave.
“I’m only here for one thing. Where does Axel hide the weed?” the man asked, his voice turning hostile as his fingers pressed deeper into her throat.
“I…He doesn’t sell weed anymore.”
“That’s a bloody lie and you know it,” the man growled, growing even more frustrated.
“I’m telling the truth!” Rita gasped, trying to squirm away.
Angrily, he pushed her onto the floor. She wanted to get up and attack, but when she saw the crazed look in his eyes, she feared what he might do in order to get his hands on some weed. She could do nothing to stop him now. Even Spot couldn’t help as Eliza had accidentally locked him in her room. His loud barks echoed throughout the apartment. The man approached Eliza’s door, but when he heard Spot’s vicious barking, he seemed to hesitate until he gave up completely. He seemed desperate to find those little bags of dope, but not desperate enough to face what he could only imagine as a huge beast lying in wait behind the wooden door, shaken to the frame as Spot tried to bite his way through it. The man backed away and after tearing up the rest of the apartment, he stopped his search. There was no sign of what he was looking for.
“Where are they?” He approached Rita again, who was cowering in the back corner of the kitchen. She had called the authorities, but they had yet to show up and she had this hunch that they never would. They rarely wasted their time on poor communities like this. She tried backing away as he approached her, his eyes full of hatred. “Look, slut. I know you’re Axel’s girl. I saw you in the body shop with him. Now tell me where he keeps the dope.” His voice was slurred as he grew more desperate.
Rita’s eyes grew wide as she finally made the connection. This was the man from the body shop that she had seen when she went to confront Axel. He had ordered ten bags at once. She was no expert, but that seemed like a lot. She didn’t know what this man’s background was, but the way he tore apart the apartment looking for weed, made it seem like he had some sort of problem. A serious problem.
“Please…Axel doesn’t sell weed anymore.” Rita tried to reason with him, but the hard expression on his face made it obvious that this wasn’t someone you could reason with.
His full lips turned into a hard frown as he stepped forward, his heavy boots coming down on the linoleum floor with an ominous thump, thump, thump. Rita’s whole body shook as she saw him approach. She wanted to scream, to fight or at least to run away, but she was completely paralyzed.
“Well if he doesn’t want to give me what I want, I’ll just have to take you as collateral.” The man grinned, pulling Rita up by the hair.