Page 52 of His Wounded Heart

He calms down as I continue to repeat myself. Finally, he cups his hands around mine and peers into the phone.

“That’s Violet,” he exclaims.

“Yes it is. See, she’s talking. She’s feeling better.”

“Violet’s on television.”

“Yes she is,” I agree. “She’s getting better, and soon you two can be together again.”

He looks up at me with pleading eyes. “Now, please. Mister, I want to be with her now.”

He’s killing me.

“I know you do, Buddy. But she has to get better. Can you see that tube in her arm?” I point to it on my phone. Luther nods. “That tube is giving her medicine so she feels all better. She needs a lot of medicine before you can be together.”

“Can I go home?”

What do I say to that? Now that the state was involved I didn’t think that they would ever allow Violet to take her husband back to the mountain. And as much as I believe in free will, I don’t think she should take him up there. She’s too frail, and I know that sometimes dementia can lead to violence. It was an overall bad scenario.

“You can’t go home. You have to wait for Violet. I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll bring you some cookies, will that be good?”

He gives me a weak smile. “Cookies are good.”

I stand up, but when I do, he hits my forearm. “Don’t take Violet!” he shouts. I easily keep the phone out of his reach, but he makes a lunge for it. I catch him and lower him back into his chair.

“Luther, the only way I can take new pictures of Violet is if you let me take my phone.”

His hand sweeps out, trying to take my phone again. I put his hand firmly back in his lap.

“Luther, did you hear me? Violet can’t be on television again unless I have my phone. I need it so I can show you more TV tomorrow.”

He looked so damned sad and confused. It’s heartbreaking.

I put my arm around his shoulders. “It’s going to be all right, big man. Tomorrow will be cookies and more Violet television. Won’t that be good?”

“Trenda?”

“You want to see Trenda again?”

He nods. Then points to a spot beside his bed. I see an empty Tupperware container. Judging by the crumbs, I’d say the container used to contain brownies. “Did Trenda come and visit and bring you brownies?”

Luther smiles and nods.

“I want cookies, Violet TV, and Trenda.”

I laugh. “You’ve got it, Buddy.”

I want a beer.

Chapter Thirteen

I wish I had more women friends. Friends who aren’t my sisters. Women friends who I could talk to about things like hormones and horniness without them questioning me to the nth degree. Because that’s all it is with Simon, right? Hormones acting up that are causing some unwanted horniness, because in no way shape or form am I in any way liking this man. My policy is to never, ever entangle myself with a male ever again. Ever never, Amen.

But what about sex?

Shut up!

That same stupid voice has been quietly chirping away in the back of my head ever since I woke up on top of Simon. It is way worse than the I want to have ice cream voice. This voice is like a marching band going through my head, with mostly only the tubas and the drum section playing.