Dan's Story Pt. 03 - Everything Goes Awry

Marie: "You bet, and you better have it for tomorrow, if your going to be this bitchy." Now the baby is really crying. Dan twiddles his finger while he drives and Danny gets a grip on them and smiles.

Marie: "Dan, watch where your driving!" She pulls Danny back from his hand and puts her back to Dan on the far side of the seat. In silence they arrive home.

Dan starts to unload the car as Marie goes to the house. Betty's waiting at the side of the house. She runs to open the door for Marie. Dan comes in with the luggage and goes back for the last package. He brings it in and dumps it on the kitchen floor. It's the new high chair.

Marie and Betty are chatting in the kitchen and Betty looks quizzically at him. Marie just ignores him.

Marie: "One of his moods!"

Betty: "God, Marie, he's been pining away down here all week." Dan hears her as he goes into the bathroom. "Why isn't he happy today? I thought he'd be overjoyed?"

Marie: "I don't know. I can't seem to do anything right since I arrived. I feel big and clumsy without him blaming me for everything else that's wrong." Her voice seems to crack and Dan thinks she's close to tears. He's pushed too hard! He feels more guilty than ever.

Dan comes out of the bathroom and takes Danny from her. He bounces him up high and the baby loves it. He laughs as Dan tosses him up and lets him down. "Has he ever grown." Dan says. "Has he tried to stand up yet?" He puts him down in his playpen and stays with him playing for a moment.

Then he walks over to Marie who has stood up by the table and puts his arms under hers and lifts her clear of the floor. "Want me to bounce you too, honey?" He says and gives her a big kiss as she struggles to reach the floor. "Welcome home, Sweet Marie!" He says and Betty laughs. Marie looks at him as he lets her down and she's grinning too.

Marie: (patting her stomach) "I'm surprised you can still do that. I must weigh a ton!"

Dan: "You better be light on your feet tonight, if you want to go dancing with me!" He's all smiles.

Marie: "Oh Dan, I'm just too tired from the trip. Please, not tonight. Let's just sit home. I just asked Betty if her and Gord would like to come down this evening."

Dan: "Hey, suits me. If I get bored I can always go out and work on the car." he laughs.

Marie: "Where is the car? I thought you brought it home."

Dan: "Oh, I rented a garage to work on it in. Don't look like that, its only ten dollars a month. And winter is just around the corner. Besides our landlord didn't like the looks of an old unlicensed car sitting up here by the house."

Betty: "Well, I better get home. I'll leave you to get reacquainted." She winks and gets up to leave. "By the way, those are my things in your dryer. Dan hasn't had a sleep over in here!" She grins and sticks her tongue out at Dan as she leaves.

Dan catches her in his arms and gives her a real kiss, a kiss that lingers, a kiss she's been longing for, and her arms encircle his neck. They break and she whispers, "Oh Dan, I have missed you so very, very much. Please, just hold me for a moment." He does.

She heaves a great sigh and steps back away from him, to turn and pour two cups of coffee.

Dan: "Two cups? One for us and one for the sink, eh?" She fixes his and puts it on the table in front of him. He slips his arm around her waist and sits her in his lap. He offers her the cup and she takes a sip, then holds it to his lips. He takes some and they both push their faces forward to kiss and coffee squishes out between their lips and down their fronts. They break laughing and Marie grabs a cloth off the sink and mops the front of Dan, then herself.

Dan takes a drink of the coffee and she takes one. When they've finished the coffee, Dan notices big eyes watching them from the playpen. Danny hasn't made a noise since they started horsing around. Dan nods towards him and Marie notices his expression.

Marie: "I think he's happy to have us back together, too."

Dan: "I think its our laughter. He really seems attentive. I wonder what's going through his mind?"

Dan helps Marie to get unpacked and they have everything in order before long. They flop down on the bed beside each other to relax for a few minutes. Dan places his hand on her stomach. Marie says it's not kicking yet. Dan leaves his hand there anyway. He half dozes and Marie gets up to check the dryer. "Dan, are these your shorts?" She holds up a pair of jockey shorts. Dan shrugs and says they all look the same.

Marie: "They do not." She holds up boxers.

Dan: "Those aren't mine! They must be Gord's."

Marie: "Was Betty doing your washing, too?"

Dan: "I suppose. I had a bunch of whites out there on the dresser. She must have thrown them in with hers. She does the washing and I let her use our machine. That was a good deal for both of us."

Marie: "Oh." She folds the clothes, panties, bras, Dan's shorts, blouses', Gord's shorts, white socks, hankies, tea towels, regular white towels and a pile of T shirts. "Do you know which of these T Shirts are yours?"

Dan: "Large are mine and extra large are Gord's."

Marie fills the washer and puts in a bunch of whites of Danny's and hers. She goes to the kitchen and Dan dozes again.

Marie: "Dan? Dan? Are you awake?"

Dan: "Hmmm? Yes, dear."

Marie: "The mail's come. There must be some mistake. There's a bill here from the Midtown. It says it's for damages occurring at some wedding reception. One hundred and ten dollars? Who's Emory Clogg? It must be his bill."

Dan: "Emory's the guy I'm going to be painting for. He just got married. You'll meet them."

Marie: "What about this bill? You'll have to tell him I opened it by mistake. It was addressed to you, though?"

Dan: "I was best man at his wedding and I think I signed for the room at the Midtown. I'll straighten it out. Don't worry."

Marie: "Why should I worry? You didn't rent it, did you?"

Dan: "Well, ... uh, I did rent it as a wedding present for them."

Marie comes into the bedroom with the bill in her hands. She looks down at him and says, "Dan, what's going on? I go away for a few weeks and you suddenly meet and befriend, then act as best man for someone I never heard of. Doesn't that strike you as strange? Then you rent the reception hall for them as a wedding present. And you have the nerve to say it's because of this, our home, that we're broke!"

Dan: "Honey, I've known Emery and Mary for a long time now. Almost since I came here to the island."

Marie: "I suppose they're friends of Ginger and Lorena? Is Mary another island tramp?"

Dan: "Whoa! You have no call to speak like that of someone you've never met!"

Marie: "Then why haven't I met her?"

Dan: "I don't know all your friends in Clinton, do I?"

Marie: "No! And I don't know all the friends you have in Delhi, either! But I thought we had mutual friends here, not separate ones!"

Dan: "You don't know half my buddies here. That table in the kitchen came from a guy who calls me 'buddy' and has been on course with me in Greenwood. Do you know him?"

Marie is stumped. She goes back to the kitchen and broods. Dan comes out of the bedroom and says, "I'm going down to the Midtown and straighten out this bill. Want to come along?"

Marie says she will and gets the baby ready to go out. They drive down to the restaurant and Dan orders coffee. He asks Marie if she would like anything. She decides to have a toasted BLT, so Dan says he'll have the same as his wife. Bev takes the hint when she hears him say 'wife' and nods. He asks if the manager's in. She says she'll check.

When she leaves, Dan says, "That's Beverley. She's going with Clay. Another friend you didn't know about!" When the waitress comes back and says he can go right in, Dan says, "Thanks, Bev. By the way, this is my wife, Marie. I just explained to her that you're going with Clay."

He goes back to the office and pays the bill. The manager says he didn't expect him to respond so well and quickly, so he discounts the bill to eighty dollars, in the interests of future business, he says with a smile. Dan thanks him and goes back to their table. Marie is chatting with Bev, so Dan sits down and listens. They're talking about the baby and Bev's son. They're sort of comparing notes.

When they leave the restaurant Marie says, "She's rather nice. Certainly nicer than that thing Clay was going with before. I like her. She says they haven't been going together very long but I think she likes Clay, maybe more than he knows." she grins at Dan.

Dan: "Clay's still dating Theresa off and on."

Marie: "Bev doesn't know that! I could tell she thought she had him to herself. That's a shame. I suppose he can screw Theresa whenever he likes and can take his time working on Bev. What a rotten thing to do! I thought Clay was better than that." She sounds disappointed.

Dan: "I don't know the whole story. He introduced me to Bev one night at the wets. That's all I know."

Marie: (quick as a whip) "Where were you?"

Dan: "Out at the wets with Sam." Marie watches Dan out of the corner of her eye and asks, "Did you pay the bill?"

Dan: "I arranged for payment, yes."

Marie: "When am I going to meet this Mary and Emory?"

Dan: "You can right now if you want?"

Dan drives to the waterfront and pulls in by the vine covered wooden structure. "They live here?" she says.

Dan: "You should have seen his old place." he grins.

As they go through the gate he tells her that this is one of the apartments he looked at when he chose Irma's place. The old crone downstairs comes to the door and waves at him with a stained and broken toothed smile. He nods back.

Marie: "Another of your friends?" She giggles.

Dan: "As a matter of fact, she's the landlady. Want me to introduce you?" He is grinning as he watches a horrified look cross her face. He leads her to the stairway and follows her up. "So I can support you." he says, "So you can peek up my skirt." she says. They both laugh. Dan has the baby so he asks her to knock. She does as she sniffs the air. "How can they stand the stench of the packers down here? That was one of the reasons I had to quit work."

Mary comes to the door with her bulging belly and looks at Marie, then behind her at Dan and the baby. Her face lights up and she says, "Your here! Mrs. Miller, its so good to meet you. Come in." She calls, "Emory, look who's here. Dan's brought his wife and son to visit. Come in."

Marie hasn't moved. She is looking at Mary with a funny expression on her face. She says, "Your husband's the painter's son?" Mary says yes and tries to urge them in. Dan has crowded up on Marie's heels and wonders what the hold up is. Marie reluctantly steps in and sees Emory shyly coming from another room. She looks like she might take flight at any time. Dan moves up along side her and reaches his free arm out to hug Mary. "How's our little mother tonight?" he says cheerfully. "Emory, I want you to meet my family." He carries Danny to him and Emory looks him over.

Emory: "Wow! He looks just like you. I hope Mary has a son, too." He takes Danny's hand in his and wiggles it side to side.

"Don't touch him!" Marie jumps forward and takes the baby from Dan. "I want to go home, Dan! Now! I'll wait for you in the car." and she wheels and heads for the door.

Mary looks stricken. "Did I do something wrong?" She's on the verge of tears.

Dan: "Mary, she's tired from the long trip today. She just got in from Ontario and we were having a bite at the Midtown. I thought she might like to meet you, but I made a mistake. She's tired out and her nerves are on edge. Please forgive us. I'm sorry, Emory. Looks like I blew it! I'll be back, guys. I have to get her home."

Mary: "I understand. I'm pregnant too. I'm real moody at times."

Emory grins and says, "She sure is."

Dan: "Thank you for your consideration, guys. I'll be in touch." He leaves and goes down to the car. He's rather angry, but says nothing as he pulls away from the curb and heads home.

Marie: "How dare you take our son into that man's house! He's a hoodlum, a worthless bum, worse than that, a child molester!" Marie's seething mad.

Dan: "Take it easy! You don't know him... or her. What are you talking about?"

Marie: "You make some of the strangest friends!" She's staring at Dan like a stranger.

Dan: "Now hold on! You've heard some silly gossip about the guy and don't know what you're talking about. The painting I have in the living room that Sam gave me last year was painted by him. At their wedding, Mary's mother gave her blessing to them and entrusted her daughter to him. Where did you gain your great knowledge of him? From some old biddies gossiping in the Laundromat, maybe?"

Marie: "From Irma! That girl's only a child! Don't you see anything wrong with that?"

Dan: "This is the Maritimes, Marie, wake up! Children marry children down here. Its common practice. I think you owe Mary an apology, at least. Whether you can accept Emory or not, she didn't deserve your outburst tonight! She's pregnant, too! I'd think you could understand that. You hurt her in her own home."

Marie looks Dan in the eye and says, "Don't ever bring that man around our home. I mean it!" She snorts. "And your going to work for that? Don't make me laugh! He can't get a job in this town!"

They arrive home. Dan doesn't say any more that night about Emory or Mary. He reads for a while and it's very quiet around their house. Marie finishes the washing and folds the clothes. Just before bed time Dan notices she's storing Danny's diapers in her suitcase. He checks and some of her clothes are in the suitcase as well. He goes to the kitchen and confronts her. "What are you doing? Unpacking or packing your suitcases?"

Marie (in a quiet voice) "I don't know. What do you want me to do?"

Dan: "Come to bed, please."

Marie: "I don't think I should. You'll want to make love and I'll forget all about how I feel. Your very good at that. Then every day I'll wonder what's going on. That's not the way we should live. I should be able to trust you and not wonder all the time about what you're doing. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

Dan: "What! Honey, I've slept alone in that big bed so long waiting for you to come home! Not tonight. If you don't come to bed, I'll come out and sleep on the couch with you." He grins. "That might be all right."

Marie grins a little bit, in spite of herself, and Dan goes to her. He catches her up in his arms and holds her to his chest. "Please, come share my bed, my love." he whispers, "I need you so!" She melts against him.

They change Danny for the night and put him in his crib together. Dan turns all the lights out throughout the house and when he reaches the bedroom, Marie is undressing. He strips off shirt and T shirt in one movement, then helps her to shed her clothes. Then he picks her up and carries her to the bed. His love making is very tender this night but she cannot relax and is tense throughout. Afterwards he drops off to sleep, but for a long time Marie stares into the darkness. Finally she slips into oblivion.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12: 1040

Dan's dressed for work. Marie has been home six days and they've argued almost every day. His nerves are on edge and she still hasn't unpacked that one suitcase.

She's spent a lot of time with Betty and the two of them visited Mary yesterday. Dan thought this was a good omen, but she says nothing much and still doesn't unpack that suitcase. Dan feels like he's in jail, constantly being watched by a guard. He speaks to her in the kitchen as he's leaving, "I think I'll get some more work done on the car tonight. There's some sanding and painting I have to do before it starts rusting, so I'll be late. Probably eleven or so, unless you have something planned?"

Marie:(taken off guard) "Uh, nothing special, I guess."

Dan: (Kissing her) "Well, keep the home fires burning and a light in the window. See you later."

He's in a better mood now. The die is cast. When he gets to the base, he picks up a phone and calls Irene. "I'll be at the garage tonight."

And later that night he adds another pair of her briefs to his collection in the box in the garage.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19: 0905

No sex this morning, in fact very little sex the last two weeks. Dan's restless over breakfast and tells Marie he's going to be working on the car again tonight.

Marie: "Again tonight! It seems every other night your working on that damn car. When are you going painting? I thought that was going to be our extra income?"

Dan: "Well, Emory hasn't been able to work anything out yet. He's working on it. The car is nearly ready for painting. One of the guys at work told me about a young fellow that paints cars real cheap and does a good job, but he lives quite a ways away up in Tignish. Its near the end of the island. I may take it up to him this weekend. Depends on the weather."

Marie: "How will you get the car up there?"

Dan: "Oh, I'll either get a permit and drive it up or have Sam tow me up with our car. We can sleep in the Ford if it takes more than one day, I guess." Dan gets a cold beer from the frig and settles at the table. He reaches for her hand and tries to draw her over to sit in his lap.

Marie: "Stop that! I'm busy here at the sink." and in a moment, "Dan, stop pestering me! What are you doing drinking beer at this time of the morning before you even go to work? Do you know how much of that stuff you consume. I've been shocked since I came home and have seen how much you drink. I think you have a problem."

Dan: "I do! And she won't come and sit in my lap. Why are you so frigid lately."

Marie: "Frigid! If you weren't half drunk all the time and stayed home nights, instead of working on your precious car, a woman might want to have sex with you!"

Dan finishes his beer and says, "Well, I better get out of here. See you later." He catches her elbow and turns her for a kiss. "What's your hurry? It doesn't take over an hour to drive to the base! I thought you wanted to drag me back into the bedroom." She grins and looks up at him through her lashes coquetishly.

Dan kisses her and she pushes him away. "Your breath stinks of beer. Go brush your teeth or something."

Dan: "Nevermind, I want to catch Sam this morning about towing the car. I'll be home late. Take care now." and he goes to the door. She's gone back to work at the sink. He leaves.

When he gets to the base he calls Irene. She'll be baby sitting tonight, but she gives him the address and says to come on over. He goes around to the barracks and tells Sam about the girls in Tignish.

Sam: "We could tow the car up there and find someone to paint it, or do it ourselves at your girlfriend's place. When we come back on Sunday, you can say it's not done yet and we could go up again another weekend." Sam grins.

Dan: "Excellent. Saturday morning early then, right?"

Sam: "Right."

After work Dan drops around to the address Irene has given him. He comes up on the porch and knocks. Irene opens the door for him and he comes in. Two little boys of about three or four run around her feet. A little girl about six stands watching him in a doorway to the living room. He kisses Irene and she presses herself to him. She whispers, "Things bad at home again?" Dan nods. She continues, "I'll look after you, my darling." and kisses him again. This starts a chorus of "She's kissing him." and "K-I-S-S-I-N-G"

Irene shoos the children into the living room and gets Dan a cup of coffee. "They won't be home until two in the morning. Come on in the living room." She goes to the couch as Dan sits in an easy chair and watches her with the children.

Dan: "You should have kept your two. You make a lovely picture as a caring mother."

Irene: "But then I'd never have had the chance to meet you." She smiles at him sweetly and her dark blue eyes smile as well. She pats the couch beside her and he shakes his head in the negative. He sips his coffee.