Upheaval

"The what?" Josh asked stupidly. "What time..."

"Our car; it's not parked outside," Alyssa said loudly. "What happened to our car?"

"Not our car, fucking fat ass bitch," Josh snarled angrily. "My car, my fucking car, all right, you pig?"

Alyssa hoped against hope that somehow Christian was still within sight. She marched to the door of the apartment.

"And uh, hey, where the fuck you been, huh?" Josh demanded, trying to push himself up. "Hey, bitch; where the fuck you think you going?"

Christian sent a text to Savannah, asking her if he needed to pick up anything before returning home.

"Just your big cock," was her response.

Christian smiled and put the truck in reverse and prepared to back out of the parking spot.

He slammed on the brakes when he saw Alyssa fling the door of the apartment open and wave frantically to him.

"This doesn't look good," Christian muttered.

"Huh? I fucking asked you, you big ass pig. Where the fuck were you all night, huh?" Josh yelled as he lurched off of the couch.

"Out, all right?" Alyssa yelled back. "I was out. Now, where is our car? What happened to our..."

"Everything all right?" Christian asked, coming into the apartment.

"What? Who the fuck, mother fucker, better get the fuck on out of here," Josh yelled.

"I need to get some things," Alyssa said to Christian.

"I told you, get the fuck on out; this is my fucking house, you don't come on up in my, where the fuck you think you going, you pig?" Josh yelled.

The neighbor to the left hammered on the wall.

"Aw, fuck you, fucking don't even speak English, huh?" Josh screamed at the wall.

He remembered that his wife was home, and he was angry with his wife. He turned to march into the bedroom and ask her again where she had been.

The stranger shoved him, hard, and Josh fell backward on the couch.

"Best thing you can do is just wait right there," Christian said forcefully.

"Best thing you can do is suck my fucking dick, bitch," Josh yelled, getting to his feet.

The neighbor hammered on the wall again.

Christian easily blocked Josh's wild swing and pushed him back onto the couch.

"Don't get up again," Christian said.

"Josh, where's my, never mind, here it is," Alyssa called out from the kitchen.

"That's my wife, my fucking wife, bitch, you don't come on up in here and..." Josh snarled at Christian.

"Ready," Alyssa sniffled, dragging an overstuffed garbage bag across the carpet.

"Bitch, where the fuck you think you going?" Josh yelled and got to his feet.

He grunted as he again was shoved onto the couch.

"One last time, Josh, where's the car?" Alyssa demanded, tears trickling down her face. "Why were you fired from Super One? And where's my ring?"

"Fuck you, piggy piggy piggy," Josh spat at her.

"Good bye, Josh," Alyssa said.

"Go," Josh yelled. "Huh? Like anyone else would ever want your fat ugly ass?"

Cristian easily picked up the black garbage bag. Alyssa proceeded him out the apartment.

"Huh? Better thank God I was with you," Josh yelled.

Alyssa didn't say anything as Christian helped her into the truck and put the garbage bag at her feet.

"It's going to be all right," he assured her.

He sent Savannah a text that he was bringing Alyssa back home. Her response was a simple 'YAY!' and a series of smiley faces.

"I uh, I guess you better take me to my mom's," Alyssa whispered as Christian started the truck.

"And disappoint my wife?" Christian joked. "Uh, I don't think so."

Savannah was in a bubbly, happy mood, until she saw Alyssa's face.

"What? What's wrong, what happened?" she demanded.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around the woman and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

At noon, Savannah gently woke Alyssa from her slumber and pulled the girl into the kitchen. The trio sat and ate soup and tuna salad sandwiches.

"You going be all right go in to work?" Savannah asked, green eyes searching Alyssa's brown ones.

"Going have to be; was supposed be off but Dominique asked me take her shift," Alyssa mumbled.

"Here, here's my phone," Savannah said, pushing her cell phone across the table. "Christian's number one; you need us, you just hold down the number one and we'll be right there, hear?"

Christian drove Alyssa to Early's, keeping an eye out for Josh as he pulled into the parking lot.

Even though she was emotionally drained, Alyssa somehow made it through the day. As she clocked out, she again felt an overwhelming sadness descend.

Her husband, a man that had professed to her that he loved her, said that she was perfect, her husband had not come to the store. He had not come in, apologizing. He had not come in, demanding that she come back to their home, where she belonged.

He'd not even come in for the gallon of milk that they needed.

A quick check of the schedule showed that she'd need to be in at six the next morning. She hoped Christian, or Savannah didn't mind getting up that early.

"But it's not that far," she said as she stepped outside. "I can walk it."

Christian flashed the truck's lights and she walked to the truck. As she walked, she glanced around.

She didn't know if she was hoping that Josh would show up, or if she was afraid that Josh would show up. But Josh was not there.

"Want to go see if he's all right?" Christian asked as he helped the silent girl into the truck.

"No," Alyssa said glumly.

"That is your husband," Christian said.

"Screw him, all right? Just screw him!" Alyssa yelled angrily.

When Alyssa entered 1220 Arrow Road, Savannah pulled the upset girl to the couch. Christian left them alone as Savannah muttered words of love and comfort to the quietly sobbing girl.

The next morning, Alyssa awoke, feeling oddly refreshed. Christian grumbled good-naturedly as he drove her to work.

After dropping Alyssa off at Early's, Christian drove to the apartment. A quick pass by showed nothing out of the ordinary; Christian did not stop.

Then he drove to Tornadough doughnuts and bought a mixed dozen for Savannah.

"You just want to keep me all fat," she playfully whined as she polished off three of the still quite hot treats.

"Just want to keep you happy," Christian asserted.

"Love me?" she asked.

"With all my heart," he assured her.

"Then that keeps me happy," she said and shrugged her shoulders at the taste of the strawberry doughnut.

At lunchtime, Alyssa called her mother. To her mother's credit, Mrs. Smith did not say 'I told you so.'

Instead, the woman expressed concern over Josh's possible descent into drug addiction. She also expressed a wish that Alyssa come home, where she belonged.

"I uh, I'm staying at uh, I'm staying at some friends right now,' Alyssa stammered.

Then she called Josh's mother and told Mrs. Godwin about Josh's behavior, possible drug addiction.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Mrs. Godwin snapped hatefully at the girl. "God knows what else you got my baby into."

"Yes ma'am, it's all my fault, I'm a horrible person, but at least I called you so you can go check up on him," Alyssa sighed.

"You married him, you go check on him," the woman shrilled.

"No ma'am, I'm not going through that again," Alyssa said and hung up.

"Tommy know you using the office phone?" Kurt, one of the butchers asked.

"No; why don't you go ahead and tattle. I'm still not going out with you, Kurt," Alyssa said. "Remember? I'm married."

Alyssa did hope Mrs. Godwin would at least send Mr. Godwin, Josh's step-father to check on her husband. Any love Alyssa may have had for the boy had disappeared when she saw the condition of their apartment, saw the condition of her husband, and heard the hateful, hurtful words come out of his mouth. But she did not wish any harm to come to Josh.

At four o'clock, Alyssa smiled as she saw Christian sitting behind the wheel of the Tundra. Again, there was no sign of Josh as she glanced around the parking lot.

"Soon as Savannah gets off, we're going to Benito's, that new Italian place; you like Italian food?" Christian asked as he helped Alyssa into the truck.

"Uh, pasta? I think you can look at my big fat ass and tell I like Italian food," Alyssa agreed.

"Hey, we do not use words like 'fat,'" Christian said.

He squeezed her hand.

"Your butt ain't small,' he said. "But it is not fat. We use words like 'beautiful,' or 'sexy' or 'juicy,' but we do not say 'fat.'"

He kissed her.

"Now, yeah, I can look at your big beautiful butt and tell you a fan of the pasta, girl," he smiled.

"I love you," Alyssa said and leaned across the console and kissed him passionately.

They kissed for a few minutes. Then Christian started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

In the parking lot, Kurt turned to Savante, one of the bag boys.

"Thought her old man had that crappy old Camry; when they get that Tundra?" he asked.

"What? Dog, that ain't her old man," Savante said, then smiled when his girlfriend pulled up in her cousin's wheels. "Her old man's that scrawny little cracker."

"That your girl?" Kurt asked, looking at the attractive African-American girl behind the wheel.

"Yeah," Savante said and laughed when his girlfriend playfully hit the door lock just when he went to open the door.

"She uh, she got a sister?" Kurt asked.

"I catch you," Savante said, not answering Kurt's question.

At 1220 Arrow Road, Christian gently pushed Alyssa away. They'd been kissing hot and heavy ever since getting home and now Alyssa was down to her panties and bra and he was shirtless. But he just didn't feel right being so intimate with Alyssa without his wife being there.

"Go on, get dressed," he said gently. "I'm going get Savannah right now, all right?"

Alyssa felt her insides tighten up; she was being rejected, pushed away.

She went into the second bedroom. She did not stay in this room; she slept in the large bed with Christian and Savannah, but there was no room for her clothes among Savannah's clothes and Christian's clothes in the master bedroom's closet.

Alyssa sat on the bed and wondered what was wrong with her. She went to twist her wedding band and rubbed the finger where her wedding ring should be.

Christian apparently had morals; did not feel right making love with another woman unless his wife was there. But Alyssa was married and she had not once thought about her husband while making love with Christian, or Savannah.

Josh had once told her this horribly crude joke; God created man, then created woman. Then he left them alone so that they could make love.

(Josh said the word 'fuck' and not 'make love' but Alyssa really didn't like that word.)

Then God came back and saw Adam sitting there, smiling, but there was no sign of Eve.

"So where is the wife I have created for you?" God asked.

"She's down at the river, cleaning herself," Adam said.

(Again, the words Josh had used was 'her cunt' and not 'herself.' But Alyssa truly hated that vile word.)

"Fuck!" God yells. "Now I'll never get that smell out of the fish!"

And Josh and his two video game playing buddies had giggled maniacally while Alyssa and Robin, the girlfriend of Darwin had both expressed their disgust.

Alyssa made sure to keep herself clean and apparently Savannah took such pains as well; Savannah did not taste like fish. She had a salty, musky taste, almost like sweat. Alyssa liked the way Savannah tasted. She also liked the way Christian tasted.

Again Alyssa rubbed her finger. She had not thought of Josh while she was tasting Savannah, she had not felt any guilt while making love with the beautiful strawberry blonde. She had not felt any guilt while making love with Christian Michael Carmouche.

And Alyssa wondered if she should feel guilty because she did not feel guilty.

"Hey," Savannah broke into Alyssa's reverie.

"Hey," Alyssa tried to force a smile to her face.

"Listen, Christian was telling me you two were getting hot and heavy," Savannah accused.

"Yeah, but he stopped," Alyssa defended.

"And I told him, y'all, when I'm not here? Y'all feel like making love? Then make love," Savannah said, grabbing Alyssa's hand.

She gave the girl a kiss on her lips.

"I'm sure, when he's off-shore and it's just you and me here? We'll feel like making love; we supposed to wait for him to come in?" Savannah asked.

"Love you," Alyssa agreed.

"Now, come on; I'm dying to try their lasagna; seven layers! Supposed be even better than La Scalia's!" Savannah said and bounded out of the bedroom.

Alyssa picked out a nice blouse and some khaki colored slacks.

Her sandals had definitely seen better days; almost everything Alyssa owned had seen better days. But she never had any money to replace sandals, or slacks or blouses.

Then Alyssa remembered, their rent was due; it was two days late. Their landlord actually gave them a five day grace period. The rent was due on the first but he didn't consider it late until the fifth of the month.

"His apartment," Alyssa said, pulling the money out of her purse and putting it into her underwear drawer on the dresser. "Let his mommy pay the rent."

"Now, don't you look cute?" Alyssa praised as Savannah came out, wearing a short dress and strappy sandals.

"Thank you!" Savannah beamed and twirled.

"Gosh, Honey, I'd think you look swell, no matter what you wore," Christian said, making an exaggerated face. "I'd think you looked keen even if you was naked."

"Aw, well thank you, Captain Dorkface," Savannah laughed.

The waiter did not ask for identification so Alyssa enjoyed the heady red wine with the three cheese ravioli.

After a delicious meal, the trio was walking out when they overheard a woman say, "God, if I was that fat, I'd never wear such a dress out in public."

Savannah smiled and turned to the woman and said, "And I'd never say anything as glassless as that out in public. Guess we're even, huh?"

"Savannah Carmouche, you are my hero," Alyssa said when they got into Savannah's Ford Taurus.

"Savannah Faye Begnaud Carmouche, you're my hero," Christian agreed.

"Well, it's true," Savannah defended. "If I was short, would it be all right to make a comment about that? Or if I was black, would it be okay to say something about that?"

"But, Honey, you are short and black," Christian said.

"I'm black?" Savannah asked, looking at her pale white arms.

"And short; don't forget short," Alyssa laughed.

The following morning, Savannah woke Alyssa with a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder.

"Remember, y'all feel like making love, y'all go ahead and make love," Savannah whispered into Alyssa's ear, then kissed the girl again.

Alyssa reached a small hand under the sheets and located Christian's morning wood.

"You heard her," Alyssa said, stroking the hard cock a few times.

She pulled Christian over, rubbed the head of his cock up and down her moistening slit, and then groaned happily as Christian entered her.

"Y'all, God! At least wait until I'm out the house, huh?" Savannah laughed.

Christian didn't last long, but Alyssa was quick to orgasm as well. Then she rolled over and fell back asleep.

Christian woke her again after he'd brought Savannah to work and made slow, tender love to her. After breakfast, while she was bent over the sink to wash the pan he'd cooked their bacon in, Christian came up behind her and slid his cock into her again.

"God!" Alyssa cried out in orgasm.

Alyssa had that day off and helped Christian with his yard work, helped him with any projects around the house.

They met an elderly neighbor, Walden Iechenbach as the man was walking his yapping toy poodle.

"No, no, I'm not his wife," Alyssa smiled when Walden made that mistake.

"She's our house guest," Christian said, not knowing what else to call Alyssa.

"Oh, so you on the market?" Walden jokingly asked.

"Are you?" Alyssa teased.

"Oh, Honey, if I was, I'd be over here in a heartbeat," Walden smiled. "But I'm eighty one years old. What would a gorgeous little cutie pie like you want with an old geezer, huh?"

The following day, Kurt asked about the owner of the Tundra. Unfortunately for Alyssa, she was working the delicatessen counter, so was in close proximity to Kurt.

"Kurt, ask me out one more time, I'll report you for sexual harassment, got it?" Alyssa snapped.

"Think what's his name, think Josh knows about your boyfriend there?" Kurt threatened.

"Alyssa Jordan, line three, Alyssa Jordan, line three please," Dominique St. Charles' voice cut through the horrible piped in music.

Alyssa's mother in law informed Alyssa that they'd admitted Josh to DeGarde's Chemical Dependency Unit that morning.

"Visiting hours are..." a much more composed Mrs. Godwin said.

"Don't care; won't be visiting him, but thanks for calling," Alyssa said and hung up.

She almost smiled; imagining how that simple act of hanging up on the domineering, overbearing woman must have affected her. She could almost hear the woman's scream of outrage.

Then she said a silent prayer of thanks; Josh would be getting the help he needed.

Mrs. Godwin did not give up; Alyssa had known the woman would not. Alyssa received calls daily, begging her to go visit Joshua.

"You know, Mrs. Godwin, you never had one nice thing say about me before," Alyssa said after the tenth such call. "So, why's it so important I go see your son now?"

"That a personal call?" Tommy, the general manager asked.

"He's asking, he loves you, can't understand what happened," Mrs. Godwin apologized as much as she would ever apologize to the girl she considered poor white trash.

Savannah did encourage Alyssa to go visit the young man.

"See what he has to say," Savannah counseled. "Who knows? Seeing him clean and sober? You might fall in love with him all over again."

Alyssa switched her shift with Woody, agreeing to work the evening shift on the liquor and cigarette counter. That gave her the morning off to go to DeGarde CDU.

The building was a brown brick building, among other brown brick buildings. There was only a small sign that announced the purpose of this one building.

Inside, it was a hospital setting, gleaming white walls, white tiled floors, plastic and chrome furniture.

Alyssa signed in, told the receptionist whom she was there to see, then sat and waited.

"Hi, Mrs. Jordan?" a tall, slender man asked. "Hi, I'm Dr. Whitmore."

"Hi," Alyssa said, forcing a smile to her face.

"You probably get this all the time, but I swear, you look just like one of those, oh, God, everybody had one, what were they called?' the man smiled as he shook Alyssa's small hand.

"Kewpie doll," Alyssa said.

"Precisely!" Dr. Whitmore agreed.

In his small office, the man filled Alyssa in on Josh's progress at the chemical dependency unit.

"Of course, only reason I'm able to tell you all of this, even though you're his wife, couldn't tell his mother any of this, God, should have heard... Anyway, Josh gave us permission," the man said.

Alyssa did not comment, just nodded.

"Well, I'm sure you're anxious to see him; it's been what? Almost, uh, yes, twelve days, right?" Dr. Whitmore said.

Alyssa did the math in her head and shrugged.

"Actually, it's been fifteen days; guess he didn't count the three days before he got here," Alyssa said.

"No, no he didn't; guess he was in a black out and disappeared for a few days there," Dr. Whitmore agreed.

Alyssa didn't correct the man; it had been her that had disappeared.

A few minutes later, Josh entered. He looked gaunt, pale, dark brown hair greasy. He smiled a genuine smile of happiness and moved to hug Alyssa. A hand to his chest stopped that.

"Hey, hey, I mean, shit, ain't seen you in what?" Josh snapped, anger immediate.

"Josh," Dr. Whitmore cautioned.

"Fuck, go to hug you and get this stiff armed shit? What the fuck's up with that?" Josh barked.