I pull her wrist toward me, alarming her. “This doesn’t fix it, Adriana.”
She pulls back forcefully, her heels walking away, escaping the conversation. I stand, my pace increasing to catch up with her. I pull her shoulder back, causing her to halt.
The anguish is overcoming her, the tears streaming down unwillingly. “Don’t tell me this doesn’t fix it. I’m so sick of feeling pain. How dare he leave me! How dare he leave our son!” she screams.
I let her get her words out, wanting to hold her tight, yet holding back, not wanting to confuse the moment.
“He didn’t have a choice, Adriana,” I whisper, pulling the sleeve on my jacket to wipe away her tears.
“He did have a choice. He refused treatment. My dad and Lex did everything they could to help him. In the end, he was selfish.” Her chest is rising, the short breaths and panic sending her into an anxiety attack.
“Adriana…” I keep my voice low. “He was in his own pain. There’s no way you’ll ever be able to understand his intentions. You’re here, Adriana. You have a son who loves and needs his mother. This…” I pull up her arm, the sun reflecting off her deep scars. “This isn’t the answer.”
She allows me to hold onto her arm while she catches her breath. “I didn’t do it on purpose, at least not the first time. I was ga
rdening, weeding Elijah’s veggie patch when I tripped on my own feet and stumbled into the rose bush. It stung so much, yet at the same time, it took away the emotional pain I felt. The second time, I did it on purpose, that was the night I first attended the meeting.”
I let go of her arm as we continue to stand on the side of the road.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Adriana. I only met him a few times, but from what I remember, he was a great guy.”
Her smile remains fixed. “He was a great guy, the best friend and husband anyone could ask for.”
A horn beeps in the distance, and the yellow bus is approaching us.
There’s one more thing I want to say before the moment is lost. “Thank you, Adriana, for not judging me. But there’s something I need to say…” I pause, forming the sentence in my head, not wanting to overwhelm her. “If ever you feel that way again, I’m just a phone call away. Please remember that.”
She bumps her shoulder against my forearm with a wide grin. “And if ever you get all Charlie Sheen on us again, just flash your bat signal, and I’m there in a heartbeat.”
I laugh painfully as the doors to the bus open. A sobbing Penny is sitting at the front with Hazel comforting her.
“What’s wrong, Penny?” I ask worriedly.
“A cock pecked my ass!” she wails.
I turn to look at Adriana, attempting to keep a straight face.
Fred and Jerry have tears of laughter running down their eyes, and the bus driver barely contains himself, making it hard to control the laughter bubbling up inside of me.
“A cock pecked your ass? Poor Penny Tration,” I tease.
Penny’s sobs become fits of laughter. “Yeah, okay, I should be used to it.”
We all fall into a fit of hysterics, and Hazel, as usual, is beaming with pride.
Laughter is the best medicine, they say, and so are a tranny’s antics.
It has been a week since I left the shelter wishing to escape reality, yet reality has come and found me.
It started on Tuesday. I was sitting at my desk in the office, the usual daily grind. It was ten o’clock when my boss called me to his office. He didn’t sound unusual on the phone, so I thought nothing of it. That was until I walked into his office and saw Human Resource personnel sitting in there.
Economic downturn, blah blah blah, and I was handed my final paycheck.
There was no point arguing it as I returned to my desk to pack up my things. In the corner of my eye, I saw Nyree standing in the doorway. She told me three of her friends in the office were also let go. She was quite upset, but being in my own hell, it was pointless consoling her.
“So, how long do I have to keep standing here flashing some leg before you ask me out to dinner?” she asks teasingly.
My face spreads into a grin, and without looking into her eyes, I continue to pack. “I was too distracted by the bust to notice the leg.”