Taboo

Keywords: The, What, Conclusion, Now?,

"

I just looked over at Dorothy and said, "Thanks Dorothy, you always were a great cook."

She just looked over at me and said, "Thanks George," anytime.

I wondered what she meant by anytime? Was it just a slip of a word or did she mean, anytime.

I went home and decided what to do about Joe. Now he was messing with my family. That wasn't going to happen. I waited till Monday and went to the bar that I knew Joe might be in. I seen him sitting on a bar stool and walked up to him. He looked very nervous when he seen me.

I said, "Joe I need a word with you."

Now, I was a welder with strong arms and hands. Joe on the other hand worked in an office and didn't even work out.

Joe looked at me and said, "I have nothing to say to you George."

Joe I said, "I want a word with you. I suggest you get off that fucking bar stool and come over here and sit in the booth with me for a minute, or I'll just go outside and wait for you. The choice is yours."

Joe got off the stool and went to the booth and sat opposite me.

I starred at his eyes but didn't say anything for a few seconds, just to make him squirm. Then I said, "What's this shit I hear you calling Dorothy?"

He looked at me and said, "What's it to you? You're divorced. She can see anyone she wants. She's an adult and over twenty-one."

I starred at him again, waiting before I spoke. Making him more nervous. Now, mother fucker as I spoke in a very low voice so only he could hear me. I made a mistake letting your sorry ass have her as a revenge. I should have never done it. You aren't worthy enough to lick the shit out of her ass. You will call her one more time. You will apologize for any remarks you have made to her or about her. Then you will tell her you will never and I mean never bother her again.

If I ever hear that you have called her or slandered her in any way, I will personally hunt you down and put your sorry ass in a body bag. Did I make myself clear?

He said, "Yes, I understand in a low voice."

I starred at him some more and said, "I didn't hear you."

He said, "Yes, I understand and promise to never call her or bother her again."

One more thing, you son of a bitch, you call your fag buddy Paul and pass the same message along to him. This is not a threat, this is a fact. Next time, if I should have to come back, there will not be any talk. Do I need to break your arm or smash your face in now to make sure the message is loud and clear?

"No George, I understand and I will pass the message along to Paul."

I looked at him and said "You make that call to Dorothy as soon as possible. I don't want you upsetting her anymore." Then I got up and walked out the door.

---------------------------------

It was now Thursday and I went to work. Me and a one of my employees were on a welding job when there was an explosion.

When I woke up I was in a hospital bed. There sat one of my daughter in laws, Lisa, starring at me. She yelled out he's awake, he's awake and gave me a big hug.

I asked her what happen? She said, "There was an explosion last Thursday and you have been unconscious ever since."

"What day is this," I asked?

Sunday, Lisa said. "You have been unconscious since Thursday night. We all took turns sitting with you on four hour shifts. All but Dorothy."

A sadness overcame me when she said Dorothy never took a turn sitting with me. I don't know why, I guess I just thought. . . . . When Dorothy walked in the room with tears in her eyes.

Then Lisa continued, all but Dorothy, she never went home. She stayed right here in the room with you and slept in the chair. We had to force her to go home and clean up and she was back within the hour. She even called off a sick day at school Friday to just sit here with you.

All this time Dorothy stood in the doorway crying. I didn't know what to think. Then Dorothy came up to the bed and gave me a hug and said, "Welcome back George, we missed you." As Dorothy stepped back my whole family came in and hugged and kissed me. Most of them crying.

All this emotion made me start tearing up also. Then Dot came up to me hugged and kissed me, Then said, "We all missed you and love you daddy." The way she said it I knew she was including Dorothy.

The doctor came in and told everyone to please leave the room.

As my family was leaving, Dorothy said, "I'm not going anywhere. He's my husband and I'm staying here with him."

The doctor was taken back and said that's alright, please just have a seat, as Dorothy sat down in the chair. The doctor examined me and asked a lot of questions. I told him the last thing I remember was an explosion then I woke up a few minutes ago.

The doctor wrote on my chart, said I could probably go home the next day if all the test come back negative. The only thing is he didn't want me to be by myself. I would need someone to be with me at least for the next few days. I wasn't to go anywhere and needed to rest. It looked like everything was going to be alright.

He said I had a concussion but as far as he could tell no internal bleeding. He said I was very lucky. God gave me a second chance at life. I could easily have been killed when thrown from the explosion. He then left the room saying he would stop by first thing in the morning to check on me.

My family came back in the room and Dorothy explained everything to them. They asked who's going to stay with dad, we can't leave him by himself?

Dorothy looked at me and then the kids and said, "I'm taking dad home with me for a few days till he gets better. He needs someone to watch over him. I called the school and will take a week personal time. I explained to the school about the accident and had no problem getting the time off."

I looked over at Dorothy and said "Hold on a minute here. Don't I have a say in this?"

My whole family looked over at me and in unison said, 'NO.'

I just said Okay.

Dorothy walked out to talk to the nurses and I asked JR about my business and Ben my helper on the job. He said Ben is fine. He was clear of the accident. He was the one that called 911.

When mom found out you were here she got hold of your office and got the jobs set up for over the weekend. She told Ben to call her Monday to make sure everyone had work. She just took control dad. She said after thirty-three years with you she knew enough about the business to see the work was done.

I know she hurt you bad dad, but she is a great mom and a hell of a woman. I can't tell you what to do but she really does love you dad. We all know it but we will abide by whatever you do.

As my family was leaving the nurses came in and gave me some medication, I had a hell of a headache. I went to sleep. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning and there was Dorothy sitting in the chair watching me. She seen me open my eyes and asked if I was alright?

I asked her why didn't she go home with the others?

She just replied, "We'll go home tomorrow George." and I nodded back to sleep.

------------------------------

The next morning, Mike and JR was there to help me gather my clothes, flowers and cards that I received while Dorothy checked me out. She got all the information from the doctor on what to do in the next couple of days.

My boys helped me into Dorothy's condo. I realized I've never been in it. She had a lot of our old furniture there. My favorite chair and the sofa. My sons set me in the chair and propped up my feet. They told me they would see me later and then left.

Dorothy came in and asked if I was hungry?

I told her I could eat a sandwich and maybe a cup of coffee. She went in the kitchen while I rested. A few minutes later she came in with a ham and cheese sandwich just the way I liked it. Swiss cheese, tomato, ham on toasted rye bread, she remembered my favorite sandwich. Also a hot cup of coffee that tasted just right. She set up a tray and set it all down in front of me, turned on the tv set to my favorite sports news channel and then left the room.

Damn, I missed her, I really did. Just having her in the house seemed to make everything better. What the hell was I going to do? I honestly didn't know. After eating I must have dozed off. I remember dreaming. At least thinking in my sleep about the last time Dorothy and I had a discussion.

I remember Dorothy saying:

I have been thinking back over our whole thirty-three years. I can't say there was love and I can't say there wasn't. We had a marriage, we had sex, we had a family. With our family there truly was love from both of us to our kids. They knew it and have it with their family. We did a good job raising them.

"Maybe just maybe we did have love between us. But over the long period of time we just didn't work at it like we should have. Maybe if we would have shone our feelings for each other like we did for our kids this might all have turned out differently."

I know that it's way to late for us, but the way you treated me the last month, I think I was beginning to believe that writing the letter in the first place might have been a mistake. I honestly believed I was falling for you. She started crying and said, "Isn't that a crock." Then she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Then I remember the doctor saying:

I had a concussion but as far as he could tell no internal bleeding. He said I was very lucky. God gave me a second chance at life. I could easily have been killed when thrown from the explosion.

I woke up and Dorothy had taken my empty tray and cup and was now sitting there watching me.

"George, are you feeling okay?" Dorothy asked. "George I want to thank you for what you did for me."

"What did I do?" I asked

"Joe called and apologized for bothering me. I know you had a talk with him. I don't know who told you but it was a big relief off my mind. He said he would never bother me again. That's not all George. Paul called me and pretty much said the same thing. I don't know how you did it but I just wanted to say 'Thank You,' George.

Keywords: The, What, Conclusion, Now?,