At What Cost Friendship

I talked to my two mechanics on Saturday morning, told them my plan, and ask for their help. They agreed to help. Oh, what was my plan you ask?

Simple plan, painful but simple. Bill usually went to the Palace on Saturday nights Jenny had told me. I was going to get him to attack me in front of witnesses. The plan was for Bill to be arrested, charged with assault at least, and I would file a civil suit against him.

In addition, when he was in jail, Lesley would file charges for domestic abuse against him. I believed we could get him sent to prison for a long time. At least long enough for Lesley to get clear. The alternative was for me to kick his ass, get arrest, charged, sued, and Lesley would still be in danger.

I know, not the best plan ever, but it was all I had. When I confronted Bill, I would be wired for sound. We had hopes that he would incriminate himself and the tape would provide evidence to get him convicted of domestic abuse.

Saturday morning Jenny was taking Lesley to an abused women's shelter about a hundred miles away. If the plan worked, Lesley would come back to file charges. If it didn't work she would stay at the shelter until we could work out something else. Lesley could always move far away, but she wanted to stay here in her home town. That may not be possible as she had to get out from under Bill's control.

Saturday night I was parked in the side lot of the Palace, waiting for Bill to show. At 8:00 he rolled up in his jacked up truck with another guy. I waited until 9:45 to give them time to down a few drinks, before I went in. I spotted Bill as I walked past the bar; he and his friend were at a table next to the dance floor. If the empty glasses were theirs, they sure weren't nursing their drinks. They were drinking pretty heavy. Good I needed him a little out of control for the plan to work.

I stopped at the bar got a beer and nodded at my two co-workers. They had come into the bar earlier to scout it out. Their part in the plan was simple; keep me from getting seriously hurt or killed. If both Bill and his buddy jumped me my guys were going to stop his buddy from joining in to help Bill. They were also going to try and keep Bill from killing me. I intended to make Bill that mad; it was the only way to get the results needed.

When the band took a break, I walked across the dance floor and stopped in front of and about ten feet away from Bill's table. I just stood there until he noticed me. Then I grinned at him, laughed, and shook my head. That got his attention.

"What do you want John?" Bill was frowning at me and didn't appear anywhere close to being sober.

"Nothing really Bill, I'm just amazed that you have the nerve to show your face in public," I goaded him.

Bill was having trouble with his vision; he stared at me and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I mean you can't hold onto your woman and you should be embarrassed about it."

"You mean Lesley? I control her alright. She is visiting her aunt over in Moberly and will be back tomorrow. "

"Bill, she doesn't have an aunt in Moberly. She came back to me and I stashed her in a motel outside of town. Looks like I stole your woman and didn't even have to try. You must be some kind of man, your woman left you for me twice. And you say you control her? It doesn't seem to work very well."

"I give her the back of my hand if she steps out of line," Bill admitted. "Lesley is afraid to cross me because she knows I'll put her in the hospital again if she crosses me."

"You must not have hit her very hard because she's with me again."

"I hit her plenty good. She had to go to the ER twice after I touched her up and to the dentist once. I put the fear of god in her those times."

"Really, when was this?" I hoped he was drunk enough to answer. If so I could move on to the second part of the plan.

"It was last June for the dentist. That cost a lot of money. The ER was in August and again in October. She was a believer after that," Bill boasted.

I had the confession recorded and now he had to attack me. "Lesley wasn't a believer for long, she came back to me. She said she wouldn't mind the beatings if the sex had been good, but you couldn't even do that right."

"You're lying," he yelled.

"Nope, she said you weren't very good in bed and that you had a little dink-us."

I guess that last part pushed Bill over the edge. He growled and came across the table at me. His buddy came at me too. The plan was to let Bill get in a few shots and then get out of dodge before I got hurt too bad. It didn't work just that way. His buddy got to me first and landed a punch to the side of my head and I went down. Damn that hurt.

I had been paying attention to Bill and didn't really see his buddy. Then Bill got to me, picked me up and hit me on the jaw. I saw stars and went down again. I was on my hands and knees trying to clear my head when I saw my co-workers grab the other guy.

That didn't stop Bill; he began to kick me in the ribs while I was down. He picked me up and knocked me down again. This time I covered up to protect my ribs. I thought that's enough, where is my backup? If I can get up I will fight back, I couldn't take much more of this abuse.

The Palace employs some of the biggest men I have ever seen as bouncers and three of them arrived to stop the fight. Thank god, I thought. They grabbed Bill and subdued him. His buddy looked around, decided to take a hike and left. One of the bouncers helped me to my feet. He helped me to a chair and told me the sheriff was on the way. I told my friends to get the names of some of the other people to use as witnesses and waited for the law.

The sheriff arrived and ran a short investigation then arrested Bill. He said the charges were assault with a deadly weapon, drunk & disorderly, destruction of private property, and disturbing the peace. Bill had a bottle in his hand when he came over the table and that was assault with a deadly weapon. He also broke the table and that was destruction of private property.

As he was being handcuffed, Bill started swearing at the sheriff and tried once to pull away. The sheriff added resisting arrest and interfering with an officer in the performance of his duty. That's it, just keep throwing charges on Bill, this was good. I was asked to come to the station on Monday to sign a complaint against Bill.

I had an unscheduled appointment at the ER that Saturday night. I had several injuries that needed tending to with two cracked ribs being the most serious. So much for the plan of not getting seriously hurt. Oh well, life's bitch and then you die.

On Monday, I learned that Bill was going to be tried on all the charges the sheriff has mentioned plus a couple of others he had thrown in. Bill was denied bail due to some threats he made against the sheriff and deputies. I contacted my business attorney and had him file a civil suit against Bill. It was a nuisance law suit, Bill didn't have anything. The suit was just to keep Bill occupied and to make him forget about Lesley, at least for the time being.

I also made two calls Monday morning. One I was happy to make and the other I wasn't so sure about. I called Lesley and Jenny, gave them the news and told Lesley she would have to come back and file charges against Bill. This would give us a full house of charges against him. He was going to be a guest of the state for at least five years.

The other call was to Julie. The last time I called she hung up on me. I hoped she had calmed down some and would talk to me. I waited until early evening and called her at home. This wasn't a discussion to be held while at work.

Julie's dad answered the phone. At least he seemed glad to hear from me. He told me that Julie had told him what I was doing. "It's a good and honorable thing you're doing John. Don't let my silly bitch of a daughter persuade you otherwise."

The moment of truth, Julie came on the line, "Hello John, what do you want?"

Really cold Julie. "I just wanted to tell you that everything worked out. Bill is going to prison and Lesley can go on with her life.

"That's nice for both of you, isn't it," Julie told me.

"There is no 'us' as far as Lesley is concerned. She is just a friend that needed help. Can't you understand that Julie? Why is my helping her any different than helping any other old friend?"

"You were in love with her once, that's what is different. Probably still are. The two of you would have gotten married if she hadn't lied to you. This is the old friend you just had to help. At first I didn't understand. If she had hurt you so much back then why you would want to help her now? Now I know it's only because you still love her, John."

"That's not true honey. You are the one I love, you are the one I want to marry and you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Just you. She was in big trouble and needed help."

"I don't see it that way John and I probably never will. I can't marry a man unless I'm sure that I am the only woman he loves. I'm not sure that you feel that way John. Good bye." Julie hung up.

Maybe she will cool off in a couple of days, I thought. I'll call her then and try to get her to see that it's her that I love. Wednesday evening I called Julie again. She answered the phone but didn't seem glad to hear from me.

"I haven't changed my mind John. You knew how I felt before you did this 'mission of mercy' and you did it anyway. That tells me a lot. I think we are done John. Please don't call me anymore." She hung up again.

The next afternoon a messenger delivered a package to me, the envelope had no return address. Inside were Julie's engagement ring and the key to my apartment. Guess that let me know what her feelings were. I tried a few more time to see or talk to Julie, but she refused to answer my calls. I saw her around town and would try to talk to her. She would just ignore me and walk around me. I finally gave up.

The same afternoon, I got a call from Lesley. "Thank you helping me John. I don't know how much longer I could have gone on."

"I owed you that much Les and I'm glad you are free of that asshole. What are your plans now?

Right now I'm at a women's shelter. First I will have to go back bruises and all to make a formal complaint against Bill. Then I'll stay here a few days at least until the bruises fade a little. After that, I'm not really sure yet. John is there any chance that we could get back together? I still love you and want to be with you. I only went to Bill after you left because there was nowhere else for me to go. Please John; I know you still care for me too."

"I do care for you Lesley, maybe even love you a little. But there is no us anymore. That was over a long time ago. I forgave you for sneaking off to see Bill when we were dating. I even forgave you for lying to me. I forgave you but I can't forget it."

"Okay John, I understand, I had to ask you. I won't bother you anymore. Thanks again for saving me John. You're a good friend, "Lesley said.

"Keep in touch Les and let me know how you are doing. If you need anything, give me a call Les. I'll be here for you," I promised her.

Well hell, I had done what I thought was right for a friend but it cost me my fiancé and my future. I spent about a month trying to drink Julie off my mind. My business started to suffer but at that point I just didn't care.

An old acquaintance and a new friend came to tell me that Bill had been sentenced to 5 years in jail. Between the assault charge and the domestic abuse charges filed by Lesley he would be gone a long time.

She also pointed out that I was going to lose everything I had worked for because of my drinking. She said it would be a shame for me to fall apart after doing such a heroic thing in helping an old friend. My new friend also reminded me that I had gotten over Lesley and that I could get over Julie.

She told me that what I needed was a new woman in my life. We discussed my problem and I decided she was right and cut way back on the alcohol. I also decided maybe she was right about a new woman in my life.

I ask her who that could be and she told me that she changed her mind about me when I agreed to help Lesley and that maybe I wasn't such a lost cause after all. Guess we will just have to explore our new found friendship.

I heard that Lesley had moved out of state to live with an aunt and uncle. She is doing very good and is going back to school. She plans to get the education and training necessary to be able to help battered women and children. Until her training is finished, she volunteers at a shelter for women. It was good to hear that she had found a purpose and was going on with her life.

So now you can join me here at the bar as I nurse my second drink and wait for my friend. She has already rescued me from myself. So I'm looking forward to see where this friendship can go.

Here she comes now. You do remember Jenny don't you?

Quote: Life goes on.