Monday, June 21, 2010

The Blue Door...continued (part 14)

Richard knocked and wait.

Not what I imagined at all, he thought.

The hum and buzz from the air conditioners only exacerbated the haze, heat and humidity that the mid afternoon sun had brought.

Richard looked at his watch. Sweat glistened on his forearms which were turning pinker by the minute. He pulled his cell phone from his back pocket, but there was no signal. Too many trees, he thought.

“Shit.” He said.

Marta lay curled in the center of the bed. A catnap had turned into full REM sleep.

Richard pulled the books from his car and stacked them on the porch next to the front door. He’d leave a note.

M—

I knocked and waited, knocked and waited…

Where? Are? You?

Driving now to find a signal for my phone. Not too far though.

Hope this note finds you soon…

—R

Marta ran back inside to retrieve her phone. No signal.

“Shit!” She said.

She would have to walk the few blocks up to the main street and hope for a signal.

I’m such a fucking idiot, she thought, but Marta couldn’t help but smile at the turn of events. Things like this ALWAYS seemed to happen. Richard would have to get used to it.

Marta’s phone buzzed.

Incoming
Richard Lemon

“Richard?”

“Marta?”

“Hi! I’m so sorry—“

“Are you home now?”

“I was home—I didn’t hear the door. I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m walking towards the boardwalk.”

“When you get there, stay put! I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay.”

“Okay—bye.”

The phone clicked. Marta stood dead center in the middle of the boardwalk, facing the ocean. She hoped that Richard would see her standing there, trapped inside the sea of moving people. She closed her eyes, hoping more that it would drown out the drone of chaos and noise. Eventually she heard only the seagulls and the waves.

Richard took Marta by the hand.

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