Christy: A Journey Tale (17 page)

Authors: Michael Thomas Cunningham

Tags: #love, #loss, #friendship, #life, #death, #journey, #redemption, #meaning, #purpose, #waffle house

BOOK: Christy: A Journey Tale

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Chapter 24

Jennifer let those words hang in the air for
a moment, and then started the car to drive back to the cemetery.
Christy on the other hand had turned toward the passenger window
staring off into the distance. She was clearly somewhere else.
Jennifer hoped dearly that it was a place that gave her some
answers or at the very least a little peace. The ride was quiet.
Both of them were so lost in their own thoughts they didn’t even
notice the silence.

Jennifer knew the divorce decree would land
her some bucks. The only question was how many. She could be
devious and slow play her hand stretching out the proceedings just
to watch him bleed. That would certainly give her the satisfaction
of vengeance, but she doubted now that she had the will to be that
petty. Besides, that’s what he would do if their situations were
reversed. The thought of debasing herself like that soured in her
mind. She was better than that. Then again, she thought changing
her mind, a little pay back would feel good, or was that just a
little devil on her shoulder? Just as quickly she changed her mind
back again. Revenge, there are so many practical definitions. There
are so many psychological traps in these games, it’s easy to lose
oneself. Oh sure, she could play the role of the scorned and bitter
ex-wife, but there’s also the chance that’s exactly what she would
become. The problem was that no matter what she did, once it was
over, he would never think twice about her again. Thinking of her
father, she decided that in the end, maybe her only real choice was
to be the person she wanted to be, the person her father had always
seen in her. Jennifer smiled as her whole world seemed to open up
and everything began to make sense. She would file for divorce all
right, but hand him a settlement offer to good to refuse. She would
take his money, but she would use it to go back to school or
something good like that. She might even start her own business.
She had management skills as well as being good with people. Now
was her opportunity. The sky was the limit and she imagined herself
in her new liberated life. It felt fantastic.

The cemetery entrance was coming up quickly
now, and it brought her back to the present. She looked over at
Christy, dropping her grin as she saw her still staring out the
window. She seemed distant and very alone.

“I can take you to your car if you would
like.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly drive,” she said
hesitating. “I don’t really have one.” Christy said, obviously
embarrassed.

“Oh...” Jennifer stammered, not exactly sure
how to respond. “In that case, is there any where else I can take
you?” she asked, but Christy didn’t answer. Jennifer became
concerned as it begged the next obvious question. “Christy, if you
don’t have a car, where are you staying?”

“It’s ok; you don’t have to worry about me,”
she said with practiced confidence. “I’ll just catch a bus or
something. That’s good enough for me.” Christy said as she lied
without even blinking. The truth was that she would walk and it
would be a long way.

“No, that doesn’t seem right. I couldn’t do
that to you. I can take you wherever you need to go.” Jennifer
said, and she pulled the car into a parking spot and shifted it
into reverse.

“I appreciate that and all, but really, I
just don’t know what to tell you,” Christy said, the honesty
finally coming through in her expression. She slumped her shoulders
and sighed as it occurred to her that she had not once considered
an exit strategy.

“Why not?” Jennifer asked with a reassuring
tone. She wanted to support her. She wanted to draw her out so that
she would at least talk about it.

“It don’t matter,” Christy said as she
glanced over at Jennifer and then back toward the door. “It’s
probably best if I just leave. I know I’ve wasted enough of your
time,” she said as she pulled on the door handle, but the locks
were still engaged.

“Please. Don’t go. I promise you don’t have
to tell me all the gory details if you don’t want to, but at least
answer one question for me. If where you’re going will help you get
to where you know should be, then there shouldn’t be any reason to
be ashamed of it. If it’s not where you want to be, then let me
help you; please let me help you.”

“Now you really do sound like your daddy,”
Christy said. She took her hand off the door handle and let
Jennifer’s words soak in. All of her defenses came down, and she
felt like she was fifteen again. It was another chance and she
weighed that against every impulse she had that told her to leave.
She had cried herself to sleep more nights than she could count,
wishing and praying for this moment. She closed her eyes, running
Jennifer’s words through her mind, but this time it was Jack’s
voice she heard. Every word, every syllable echoed with his love. A
father’s love, sending a chill down her spine from the end of her
fingertips to the tips of her toes. The emotion of the experience
mystified her, but it scared her that her brain might overpower her
heart. She wanted to give in to it. She needed desperately to give
in to it, but her battered soul had touched too many mirages to
give in so easily.

“Christy, please say something,” Jennifer
said, pleading with her after such a silence.

“This all sounds a little too good to be
true. I want to be that person I was when I knew him, but I don’t
see how. It’s too late for me. Don’t you see that it’s just too
late? I’ve gone too far,” Christy said with the eerie calm of
someone who has given up all hope.

“Meet me halfway, Christy. That’s all I ask.
You can believe all that despair crap if you want, but it’s crap
and you know it. If you think it’s too good to be true, then enjoy
it. Enjoy every minute of it while it lasts. What do you have to
lose? If you truly want what you say you want, then give me this
chance to finish what he started.”

“You know you’re just like him. Has anyone
ever told you that?” Christy said as she finally released all
resistance.

“I can’t think of a better compliment,
Christy. I only hope that I can come close to measuring up with the
best. So, what’s it going to be, Christy? It’s up to you where we
go from here.”

“Ok…if you say so, I don’t really understand
how this is going to go down, but I’m willing to trust you. I’ll
trust you like I’ve only trusted one other person.”

“Good! Now that we have that taken care of,
let me ask you another question. I want you to think for a minute.
Think about everything you’ve done, and most importantly, think
about the work that’s made you the happiest. If you could do
anything, what job do you think you would enjoy the most?”

“I don’t rightly know,” Christy said. “It’s
been so long since I’ve had anything steady that I reckon anything
would be good enough for me.” Her response took Jennifer by
surprise. She was expecting something more defined, but in reality
Christy was just keeping her expectation within reason. Jennifer
thought about that for a moment and agreed with Christy that maybe
that was the best way to go, just keep it simple.

“You know I was thinking about everything I
could do to help you reach your potential. Now I see that I was
trying to go too fast, just like Dad took you too far too quickly.
I want to support you though, put you up for a while and let you
get back on your feet. What do you think about that?”

“I don’t want to take your money,” Christy
said half-heartedly.

“Christy, don’t let pride keep you from
making a better life for yourself. Besides, if it makes you feel
any better, it’s not really my money,” Jennifer said with a devious
grin. It’s my soon to be ex-husband’s money.” Christy looked at her
then and returned her smile.

“But you have to realize the money is
actually the easy part. I know that sounds strange, so let me
explain before you say anything. Your lifestyle, your friends, and
what you do to get by all has to change for this to work. All this
crazy stuff that you’re into is blocking your way and it all has to
end. Are you willing to commit to that? I mean, you know what it’s
like, and it has to be absolutely what you want to achieve. Can you
do that?” Jennifer said as Christy had heard this all once before,
but this time was going to be different. The truth was obvious and
if this was ever going to happen it had to be now. She weighed that
for a moment and then in her own mind she sold herself out
completely and let go.

“I understand what you’re telling me and I
know exactly what you mean. I’ve done it before and I’ll do
everything I can to do it again.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve got
to get clean, get a job, get steady, and get a little money saved
up. It’s that simple and just that hard, but I’m willing to do what
needs to get done.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear
that,” Jennifer said with excitement and anticipation. Still, as
soon as Christy had made her declaration, she began to look
concerned. She was thinking about something, and it looked like she
was going through the whole plan in her mind and kept hitting
something that wouldn’t budge. “I know saying it doesn’t make it
happen, but it’s an important first step. Don’t let your past
distract you. Only think about what you need to do right now and
don’t worry about the rest until you have to.” Christy nodded her
head in agreement, but she still seemed to be caught up in
something she couldn’t untangle. “It’s the job, isn’t it?” Jennifer
guessed, but she knew she was right as recognition dawned on
Christy’s face.

“I…I reckon I don’t look like I’m exactly
ready for an interview.”

“That’s not a problem. I can help you with
that. A shower and a new set of clothes will do wonders for your
confidence. Entry-level jobs are fairly easy to come by, so I don’t
expect that to be a big deal. Trust me. I’ll get you through this,”
Jennifer promised, and she put the car in reverse, backed out of
the spot, and headed toward the exit.

“Where are we going?”

“We are going to get you your own place. I’ve
got a hotel near here and I’m going to get you a room by the week.
That’s the first step. After that we’ll see what’s available close
by, get you some new clothes, and then we can talk about
interviews. I figure in a month, give or take, you’ll be on your
way. Does that sound like a plan?”

“It does, oh and Jennifer?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” Christy said and Jennifer took
every bit of it to heart. She reveled in this new challenge and new
opportunity. She finally had a purpose; a mission: to finish what
her father had started. Christy had been nothing more than a
stranger a few hours before and now she was like a sister. A
parting gift of her father’s life, a life well-lived. His
generosity and sense of purpose would shape her actions to come,
but she was still human and that at least gave her one small out.
The credit card charges would not be small and she thought about
the bills immediately after she mentioned putting Christy up in a
hotel, a very nice hotel. Then again it was his money, so what did
she care? Maybe at least for once it could do some good. She had
been a little nervous at first, but now, the more she thought about
it, the more it warmed her. Maybe a little revenge isn’t so bad
after all.