Chapter 29
twenty-nine
Tipple Me Over
Charlie
Yesterday felt like the longest day of my life.
It should have been happy, relaxing and full of comfort, but that got killed before I even opened my eyes.
I’m glad David is going to be okay with Jimmy and me.
I don’t think I could have lived with myself if Jimmy had lost his best friend over me, let alone said best friend running off to tell the world about us.
It was bad enough Richard was loose and running his mouth.
I ended up going to see my dad, who was surprised to see me, to say the least. I gave him an update on Jimmy and why I was home.
I braced myself for him to react to Jimmy and I officially being together and David finding out, without giving away too much explicit details, but all he did was ask if David was okay with it, and I eased his worry.
When I told him Richard got out, and that was the reason David stormed in, his face turned murderous.
He couldn’t believe they would let him walk free, while the investigation was pending.
I filled him in on what the plan was and that we should go do something together to spend time with each other, anyway.
It had been too long since we had father-son time.
We ended up going to The Edge Diner along High Street and Annabell Street, which is the very edge of the mountain itself and was a straight shot out of the Village to the cliffside of the mountain and two blocks over.
Dad was told about it from some of the men that frequent the establishment either before work in the mornings or to help cure their hangovers.
We passed a bunch of people on the way, going about their day with the noise of children playing in the park floating through the air.
We arrived at an old square brick building, dirty from the years of smoke, smog and dust that hazed this city.
The front windows were dirty and hard to see through except for silhouettes of people sitting at tables and a plain wooden door off-center to the right that wasn’t welcoming and if not for the sign above it, which simply stated EDGE, I wouldn’t have looked twice.
There were eight booths with metal tin tables and red vinyl seats with an additional eight tables scattered throughout.
The menu was a giant board on the wall, including the daily specials.
Service was simple and rushed since the place was packed with families spending their Sunday together, either after Church or for quality time.
I got the Landslide Platter which was two biscuits with white pork gravy rolling down them like a landslide with two over-easy eggs, bacon and potato cakes smothered with sour cream, apparently another Pittsburgh staple.
Dad enjoyed a simple stack of griddlecakes with strawberries and a side of bacon.
The food was amazing. Hard to believe that a place so grimy on the outside, cooked food so delicious on the inside.
Dad and I didn’t talk much, which was normal.
He asked what I had been up to during the meal, which I told him I’d fill him in later at home since I didn’t feel safe telling him in public about going to the bar in the city.
I asked if he was doing okay, which all I got was a blank stare and a nod that told me everything I needed to know.
My dad was lonely, which broke my heart a little.
I, up and left him with no warning and now he had no one, even in the quiet non-verbal solitude that he was, at least I had been there physically.
On the way back, we detoured to the company store right outside the Village, to pick up some basic items Dad said he needed for the week, which was only a straight shot down Annebell Street.
While there, he asked if I needed anything, the look in his side-eye peripheral asking the real question.
I replied that I was okay for now and I’d let him know if that changed.
I was sure Jimmy would have me go to the store soon since he would be home for the rest of the week.
While roaming, we saw Karen and her sister-in-law Patricia scurrying about.
When I glanced in their direction, Karen made direct eye contact on chance and started to storm over.
Before I could warn Dad or brace myself, a loud voice stopped them them in their tracks, “Now, I know you aren’t about to make a scene in this store in front of all these families? ”
I whipped my head around to my savior.
Betty.
She was standing to the side of me, probably already on her way over to say hi, when she caught Karen about to stir trouble.
Her hands were planted on her hips, standing like a goddess protecting her child, “Because I think your husband has already done enough of that around this town for a lifetime, don’t you think? ”
“Stay out of this, Betty. This doesn’t concern you,” Patricia came to her brother’s defense. “Plus, they let my brother go–”
“Pending an investigation,” Betty finished the most important detail of that statement, probably knowing Patricia wasn’t going to.
“And I have full faith that the police will get it right this time. And it does concern me, if it concerns my friend Charlie.” She placed her hand on my hip and pulled me into a side embrace.
My dad was standing at his full height, shoulders square, eyes blazing. I could tell he was trying to hold himself back from jumping in. I wish he would. It would truly be a sight. But Betty also seemed to have a handle on it.
“Now, I’d run along before more eyes and ears catch this little conversation.
You know how rumors run wild on this mountain.
Plus, I’m sure you have a ton of packing to do before you have to move,” Betty raised an eyebrow and gave a one-sided slightly evil smirk.
“I sure hope you found a place on such short notice,” the parting concern, full of sarcasm.
“Rumors are already running wild, but not about us, but about him. Don’t you know you are defending a f—,” but Karen didn’t get the full word out before Betty walked right up to her in two steps and slapped the word right out of her mouth.
My physical reaction to the noise of Betty’s hand making contact with Karen’s face about tipped me over.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” the fierceness in Betty’s tone was laced with murder. “You will learn some god damn respect, even if it’s beaten into you. Now go.” Without turning her back on them, Betty stepped back to my side and took my hand and dad’s shoulder and guided us away.
Before we got too far, Karen threatened, “You better watch your back!”
Once in the back corner, I felt like I could take a real breath again. “Are you okay, Baby?” Betty framed my face with her hands, checking my eyes, as if they could tell her all my vitals.
“Yes. I think so,” breathing deeply. My heart was pounding. “Where did you even come from Betty? It was like you popped from thin air. And do you think she’s a threat?”
She did a little body wiggle and head bob, saying, “Thank you, it’s one of my specialties. And Karen? Please. She doesn’t have the balls. She is literally all mouth. Now, if I had said that,” she smirked, eye brow arched high, making me giggle, which felt good, tension releasing from my body.
I caught Dad staring at her and forgot they had never met. “Oh, sorry for being rude. Betty, this is my dad, Mike. Dad, Betty here is the librarian of the mountain.”
Dad nodded, saying quietly, “Hello. And thank you for what you did.”
“It was my pleasure, Mike,” giving a soft smile to Dad before switching to a revengeful tone.
“I have always wanted to give it to that bitch in public. I just so happened to walk in, and the perfect opportunity presented itself,” making both Betty and I laugh, while my dad’s face shifted into a stunned expression over Betty’s choice of words.
When we calmed, she asked, “How is he?” Not using his name clearly on purpose because of what had just happened.
“He’s doing well. He doesn’t need much help anymore, but is still careful with how he moves,” giving her the update with a full mouth smile. Just thinking about my man creates this happiness I never knew I could feel.
It must have shown because Betty gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “I’m happy for you both.
” I stiffened up and when she pulled back, she gave me a wink, while motherly tapping my cheek.
I gave her a small smile, not used to people knowing or being okay with it, and told her I’d see her soon to return and get more books and we parted ways.
“Well, she was something else. I never met a woman like her before,” Dad quietly stated, while picking up some egg noodles to go with the ground beef we also picked up.
“You have no idea,” I turned to him with a smile. “But she is probably the best person I’ve met in this town so far other than Jimmy.”
Dad and I finished up our shopping and headed back to the Village. He wanted to finish cleaning his jumpers that were dirty. My jumpers were waiting for me, so I packed what I needed or wanted to take over to Jimmy’s for when I headed back over tonight.
Dad saw me while he worked and cleared his throat, “You two are getting on well, then?” He was wringing out his clothes in fresh water before he hung them up.
“Yes,” I know I was beaming. I couldn’t help it. I’m nineteen years old and I found someone to love and that loves me. “He took me on a date last night.”
That got my dad’s full attention, dropping his clothes with a slash. “What? Where?”
Oh. I didn’t think this through. Can I tell him about where we went? It’s supposed to be secret to people that weren’t like us.
Gnawing on my lip in worry, then giggling at hearing Jimmy’s voice in my head telling me to stop doing that.
“Um, he took me to a bar. I can’t tell you where, but it’s a hidden and safe place for people like us to go.
I got to meet some of his friends and talk to people like me and hear their stories. It was the most amazing night.”