Andrea Donovan Pt. 06

Indio silently handed me a card which read --

"Pioneer Construction and Demolition: Licensed Bonded Insured: Indio Garcia owner: Casa Grande:

"You're sure you really want to go through all the trouble of removing these things for free?" I asked Indio while studying his business card.

"Yes, I want them. I have operated these two lifts many times; my first job was working here at this gas station when I was sixteen. The Lane's were very good to me and I can use the lifts" Indio said quietly as he looked nostalgically at the floor hoists.

"I assumed that you were friends with the family when you consoled Mary, a few minutes ago" I replied.

"She is a good lady and she will be alright" Indio said simply.

"My wife has already grown quite fond of her" I replied.

"We will be here next week to remove the hoists then?" Indio asked me.

"I will delete the ad tonight and see you next week, Indio" I said.

I shook hands with Indio and Billy again, sealing the deal.

After the two men had left, I walked into the Texaco's office and began collecting the antiquated credit cards and driver's licenses which someone had knocked onto the floor.

"Jesus, what a day" I said tiredly to Vic as I stood up again and spread the credit cards and driver's licenses back onto the metal desk again. The Buddy Holly guy within the driver's license photo was now staring up at me again.

"People are always Interesting" Vic replied quietly as he folded his laptop now and stood up from behind the metal desk.

"Yes they are" I replied without emotion.

...Looking down again, I picked up the Buddy Holly guy's driver's license and studied it more closely now. The license had expired in nineteen sixty eight I noticed and apparently the guy's name had been Jon R. Long ...for some reason this seemed strange to me but I wasn't exactly sure why. Damn, he really did look like Buddy Holly except with a much harder stare into the camera lens; he was actually a little bit spooky to be honest I thought to myself, as I flipped the driver's license back onto the metal desk.

"Let's lock-up this place and get out of here, Vic" I said with finality.

..............................

"...she found her best friend in bed with her husband this afternoon, that's why she was so distraught, Tim. She's staying with Indio and Rosita right now, they only live a block away from here" Andrea said stoically, as she passed the bowl of bread rolls to Brenda.

"Oh my God, a double whammy -- you've just lost your best friend and your spouse, both at once. That's too bad, honey, because Mary seems like a nice lady." I replied, shaking my head.

"She is a nice lady, Tim" Andrea replied.

"Mary seemed to be fairly composed until she sat down at the desk opposite of me. We spoke for about a minute and then she just fell apart" Vic remarked, looking up from his plate.

"Obviously she must have been in shock, I wish I'd been there" Brenda interjected now.

"She was in shock" Vic acknowledged.

Brenda and Vic, having both been First Responders for years, seemed to understand each other quite well. It was interesting to watch the two of them as they began the process of building a strong rapport with each other within the last few days. Each of them had spent years honing their skills of awareness and working with people during the worst possible moments.

I had a lot of respect for cops and nurses.

"Have you heard from Ricky?" I suddenly asked Brenda, changing subjects.

"Still in Seattle, he plans to start-out tomorrow" Brenda answered.

"That's the last of all your stuff now?" I asked, taking a bread roll for myself.

"Yes, everything we own is either in one of the trucks or has been sold at the garage sale or given away, Tim" Brenda replied with a sigh and closing her eyes.

"Brenda, you and Ricky did the right thing. I don't think either of you have been happy there in Seattle for a while now" I replied and squeezing her arm.

"I know, Tim, but it was familiar to us. It's just that all of this, with the move here to Casa Grande, is a bit intimidating right now." Brenda replied.

"It won't be for long, Brenda" Andrea said encouragingly.

Brenda nodded an affirmative but remained silent.

Brenda had just retired and just moved to Arizona, all within the last few months. Ricky and Brenda had just been married for close to a year's time now and all of these were significant changes which had just occurred in Brenda's life within the last year. It was essentially the same scenario for Andrea and me as well, and was "a bit intimidating" as Brenda had stated...

The evening turned out to be sunny and warm without any wind, so Andrea and I mounted our bicycles after dinner and began riding. As Andrea and I each began to build a head of steam on our bicycles, I started thinking about Vic, and now Mary, as some of my own self doubts and fears began to resurface. Will Andrea's and my marriage make-it? Nothing was currently crosswise with us but after seeing Vic and then Mary, this afternoon, I had to ask myself once again - will the Spitfire really fly this time? Is it for real this time or just another round of bullshit like my marriage to Susan was? ...I really didn't think it was bullshit this time -- I was banking that it wasn't bullshit.

God, please let it for real this time...

As Andrea had stated herself, a few weeks ago, "Everything I've GOT is invested in YOU now!" ...Marriage wasn't a dress rehearsal, this was the real deal and I was suddenly fraught with fear of what "could" potentially happen simply by observing Mary and Vic this afternoon.

"You OK?" Andrea asked, looking back at me, as if she could somehow read my thoughts.

"I'm just a little spooked right now, girl" I answered honestly.

"Why, because of what happened this afternoon with Mary?" Andrea asked, intuitively.

"Her and Vic, both, nobody gets married with plans of divorce yet it still happens, Andrea" I replied with some discouragement.

"Honey, I understand what you're saying. We all have fears and insecurities, especially around trusting another person, but as long as we're on the same spiritual wavelength and we're honest with each other, then we'll make it. I don't think Angela was ever honest with Vic, I don't think she can be honest with anyone including herself. Mary's husband -- I've never met but it's probably a similar scenario." Andrea replied, slowing down and pedaling beside me now.

I now thought of the gut wrenching feelings that I'd experienced when Susan had first left me. ...I suddenly stopped pedaling the bicycle as I put my feet on the pavement and just sat where I was for a few seconds with my head down and eyes closed. Andrea turned her bike around and stopped beside me, going in the opposite direction now.

"What, Baby?" she quietly asked.

"Tell me you love me. Tell me the Spitfire's really going to fly and not crash this time Andrea" I said, looking her in the eye.

"Tim, the Spitfire IS flying, honey" she said as she leaned across and kissed me and then put her arm around my neck and engulfing me within the scent of her Jasmine and sweat.

"I know baby, I'm not doubting, you as a wife ...maybe I'm just doubting myself a little. I'm just so in-love with you woman, that it scares the hell out of me, I'm not playin' now, baby." I replied with strong conviction.

"YOU'RE SCARED!!!???" Andrea asked, looking up at me with an incredulous look on her face and then continuing with "How the hell do you think I feel? - Honey, I pursued YOU! Do you remember that, Tim?" she asked.

"Yeah" I gasped, nodding.

"...Tim -- I've needed to say this and I should have done so sooner but I didn't know how to approach the subject." Andrea said as she closed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair.

"Just tell it like it is, Andrea" I said.

"I had no idea that Allen was going to come on to me as strongly as he did the other day, I don't think he meant to. Dad taught him to fly and Allen's always had a crush on me. I thought by now that he would have outgrown it but apparently he hasn't and he took me by surprise with swinging me around in a hug. Thanks for not freaking out when he hugged me" Andrea said quietly.

"Andrea, Allen didn't intimidate me and I've stood in his shoes myself, more than once. I knew he was a longtime friend of the family, from what you'd already told me, and it was obvious he's in-love with you. If anyone handled the situation well, it was you. You immediately introduced me as your husband and handled Allen with kid gloves. Neither of us will probably see the guy again for years, anyway. I knew all of those guys were going to make a fuss of you that day and they did but it was me that took you home and it's me that sleeps in your bed, woman. Allen was awkward that day but I didn't feel disrespected" I replied.

"Thank you for being a gentleman about it, Tim" Andrea sighed, closing her eyes again. Obviously this had been on Andrea's mind for some time now and somewhat troublesome for her.

"Lady, you and I can always be honest with each other and I think that's what makes the difference with us." I said quietly.

"As long as we're honest and sensitive with each other, then we WILL make it, Tim!" she said smiling and pulling me closer to her, relief obviously in her voice.

"I love you Andrea Millhouse" I said.

"I love you too, baby" Andrea said as she wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed me again.

We rode our twenty miles and then put our bikes away upon arriving home. The blatant honesty between Andrea and me, along with the vigorous bicycle ride had helped dissolve my insecurities and unfounded fears of marriage. Andrea and I then stood in the kitchen and went through our "Replenish -- Refuel" routine, with juices and enzymes. We always did this after a bicycle ride, only today, we had to refuel in our sweaty clothes. Normally this refueling process was done with Andrea and me completely naked but because we had a whole house full of people, we obviously couldn't do that...

Andrea and I showered together within our bedroom's private bathroom. - Showering together at the end of the day was something Duffy insisted that Andrea and I do each night before bed. ...After drying each other, Andrea and I crawled into the warm luxurious bed with its Jasmine scented pillows and blankets; my God I loved it here with her.

"Andrea, I'm sorry I had doubts while we were riding our bikes this evening. You're the girl that bought her husband a toy gas station and gave him a B-17 ride. I know both of those accomplishments took a tremendous amount of time and selfless work for you to set-up" I sighed deeply.

"Kind of like that guy who gave a girl a green car once, and who's also been working his ass off for the last solid month, building a coral and stables for his wife, you mean?" Andrea asked proudly, looking down at me.

"Yeah ...kinda like that guy. He's in-love with you, Andrea" I replied quietly.

"I know, and I'm in-love with him" Andrea answered.

Andrea and I made love slowly and gently for the next half hour and then fell asleep within each other's arms, the adrenaline from the evening's bicycle ride and our love making now winding down and bringing with it a sense of peace to both of us. Just before drifting off to sleep, I silently barrowed some of Ricky's faith in marriage now and decided to just emulate my little brother. Ricky always knew what to do in scary situations, including marriage it seemed. Ricky was my hero ...Ricky had been the one who'd taught me how to ride a bicycle to begin with. God, I loved that guy...

Andrea and I slept.

Sometime during the night, Wolfie bumped open our bedroom door and jumped up onto the bed, going to sleep upon the bedspread at Andrea's feet and purring quietly.

And all was well within the world...

...................................

"...no, it's not a problem, Indio, I totally understand. ...Yes the lifts will still be here on Thursday when you guys get here ...no not at all -- they're yours. ...Alright sir, thank you for calling and keeping me in the loop. ...OK, see you then." I clicked off the phone and stared out the Texaco's large fronted windows at the rain puddles gathering.

Well I guess it's a total wash for today -- no pun intended. Doesn't look like anything at all is going to get done today, I thought grimly as I watched the rain pouring down outside ...when it rains in the Desert, it really rains.

As I stood looking out the large plate glass windows I was suddenly reminded that the coral and stables were as of yet, incomplete. ...I closed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair at the thought of how much work the coral and stables had actually turned out to be and was truly grateful that Ricky was willing to help me finish that "little project."

Ricky had already intended to be back here in Arizona City by now but he'd been delayed for another day, replacing the old Ford's fuel pump.

I guess I was just bored and frustrated as I presently stood within the Texaco's main entry foyer and continued watching the rain come down. I'd hoped to get a lot accomplished today but everything seemed to be going off the rails all at once and I suddenly had a gut feeling that nothing at all would get done today. I had wanted to help Indio begin the process of removing the floor hoists and had been in hope of a bicycle ride later this afternoon with Andrea, except Andrea and Brenda had been downtown all day and tangled up in paperwork, something to do with Ricky and Brenda's new house. Apparently from Andrea's text messages they'd been at some government office since noon, sorting out a glitch of some kind. Indio had now canceled out on removing the floor hoists today and I had no Idea where Vic was at the moment; he was out driving around in Brenda's Camry somewhere and apparently doing fine with it - driving with his right arm in a sling.

...I glanced out the front windows again at the rain and sighed loudly as I threw my hands up in the air with the universal sign of boredom and wondered what I should do for the rest of the day. I couldn't bicycle in this soup and I certainly couldn't work on Andrea's coral or fence either. Mark and Peggy Morgen were probably wondering when, if ever, Pippi was going to go to her new home. I sighed again in frustration; ...maybe I just didn't like being alone anymore.

...Glancing down now at the metal desk, I picked up my two hundred and ninety dollar newspaper which had been concealed within the Texaco's safe until two days ago. Obviously the paper had been kept for posterity's sake in regard to the life and tragic loss of Hank Williams, a gifted and much loved entertainer whose influence in music was still revered and talked about yet to this very day.

Out of curiosity I methodically began leafing through the decades old newspaper as I slowly sat down in the grey squeaky chair behind the old metal desk. I suddenly just decided to thoroughly examine the old newspaper for the sake of novelty -- I certainly didn't have anything else to do at the moment. Now as I quietly began reading, I relaxed a bit and subconsciously lifted my muddy boots onto the battered desk's top as I carefully scanned through the sixty eight year old newspaper.

I strongly suspected that my current pose and body language suggested that I was a bored Texaco employee presently on-duty and awaiting the next patron that wanted their gas tank filled, complete with the infamous ding-ding of the stations pneumatic bell.

"...No gas today, folks" I mumbled aloud, holding the paper at eye level.

Taking my time, I found myself reading the entire newspaper article on Hank Williams which was a full page and a half long. As a child of the nineteen sixties and seventies I'd always known of the man's songs and even enjoyed a few of them to a marginal extent today. What fascinated me most was the legend of the man himself and his creative ability, Hank Williams had possessed a wonderful mind and phenomenal talent in conveying his gut feelings to others. People could relate wholeheartedly to his feelings of deep sorrow and lost love as well as his ecstatic songs of eternal joy. Much of this joy as well as heartache within his songs had been firsthand knowledge and sung from within the very core of his heart, I knew. It had not been uncommon for his audiences to have tears of genuine sorrow or joy within their eyes during one of his performances. Hank Williams had been an extremely powerful figure on stage...

The article chronicled Hank's humble beginnings with church music and his lifelong fascination with Jazz and Blues. The newspaper article also listed all of his recorded songs in chronological order and even elaborated somewhat on each of the song's own origin and significance, in regard to Hank. I knew that when this newspaper had first been held by human hands that the Nation had been grieving a much loved and gifted entertainer, the likes of which the world had yet to emulate, at least according to some.

...Once I had finished reading the entire article on Hank Williams, I noticed a three-by-five inch, black and white photograph of an extremely attractive girl inset onto the lower right hand side of the page with a headline that read "HOLLYWOOD DARLING MILDRED MAYFIELD LOST AT SEA."

...Looking up from the paper now, I glanced out the Texaco's plate glass windows again and noticed that the rain still hadn't let up yet.

Out of boredom, I turned back to the antiquated newspaper again and decided to read the article on Mildred Mayfield, whom I vaguely remembered seeing in films which had been created in the late nineteen forties and early fifties. According to the article the young starlet had just completed a U.S.O. tour in Korea which had lasted several days and been accompanied by several other well known celebrities. Apparently the aircraft which they had been travelling aboard, enroute back to the U.S., had been diverted to Mexico after developing a minor mechanical problem and delayed there for a day of repairs. Supposedly Mildred had then taken advantage of the small window of opportunity and chartered a small boat for a day of local sight-seeing and much needed relaxation after the grueling schedule of the U.S.O. tour. The small craft and all aboard had then sadly been lost at sea for reasons still unknown.

Of her film work, the article mentioned several of her most popular movies and the much anticipated "Belle of Autumn" which would begin playing in theatres in July of this summer (1953). The article also went on to say that Mildred had been extremely proud of this latest work - Belle of Autumn.

Mildred had been quoted, earlier that month, as saying she was in hope that America's audiences would now begin taking her seriously as an accomplished actress, once the new movie Belle of Autumn, did reach theatres. According to the article the coming movie would portray Mildred Mayfield as the Confederate spy "Belle Starr" during the final phase of The Civil War.

Belle of Autumn had been classified as "Serious Romance."

The paper's article also quoted her, now widowed husband and film director, Felix Gordon, as having said "My heart, and all of my life's work are now gone forever."

Losing interest in the newspaper article, I glanced again at the photo of the young girl and then closed the newspaper. I suddenly decided that I was hungry and would dash home through the rain and get a bite to eat, it was four thirty PM now and I'd been at the Texaco, all day. I folded the newspaper and then nonchalantly flopped it down onto the old desk, beside all of the outdated driver's licenses and credit cards which had also been hidden within the safe. I turned off all the lights and locked the front door before dashing home in the rain.

Arriving home I let Yogi out and then quickly back in again, followed closely each time by Stormy and Wolfie. The rain was still coming down and none of the animals wanted to stay outside very long. Taking off my coat, I then built myself a large sandwich and sat down at the desk-top computer within the living room. Without any conscious thought, I absent mindedly did a Google search of Mildred Mayfield. Chewing my sandwich now, I found a website devoted entirely to the actress, complete with photos and a detailed accounting of her work as a professional movie actress. There were several of Mildred's movies listed, complete with box-office sales, ratings and a brief description of each movie itself. Below that were random comments listed by people interested in the life and work of Mildred Mayfield.