Darryl. He’s an asshole. You’re fine here. You’re safe.”
“Safe…” She repeated the word like she didn’t know what it meant. Thinking back now, maybe she didn’t.
“Can you tell us what’s going on?” I asked. “Why were those guys looking for you? Who beat you up?”
“Whitey,” she spat. “That son of bitch, he hit me for last time. He is very mad.”
“That’s great,” Darryl said. “Now how about you tell us everything?”
“Can I, how you say…pee first? I get scared in parking lot and almost pee my pants.”
“Sure,” I said. “Follow me.”
I showed her where the bathroom was and turned the light and exhaust fan on for her. Webster waited outside the door. Obviously, he preferred Sondra’s company to me and Darryl. Can’t say that I blamed him. My cat had taste, just like me. I walked back into the kitchen. Darryl was seated at my table. He didn’t speak. Neither did I. Instead, I started brewing a pot of coffee.
“That’s a good idea,” he said finally. “Something tells me we’re in for a long night. Coffee would hit the spot.”
“Yeah.”
“So while she’s in there, let’s call the po-po.”
“No, man. You heard what she said. No police. Let’s at least hear her out. If the Russians knew how to find us, they’d be here by now.”
He sighed. “We’ll do it your way. For now. But hear me, man. After we listen, if I don’t like what she has to say, then I’m dialing 911. Ain’t no way in hell I’m gonna live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for the Russian mob. I got enough shit in my life. I don’t need that, too.”
“Fair enough.”
Sondra came back into the kitchen, cradling Webster in her arms. She’d cleaned the grime and blood from her face, and had wiped most of her make-up away as well. Her lip was still swollen and her bruises had darkened, but she still looked beautiful. Her robe was fastened tight again. The blue silk clung to her curves. Webster purred, lying limp like a rag doll. He seemed content. I wondered if someone had secretly switched my cat for a look-a-like when I wasn’t home.
“Coffee?” I offered her a mug. “Just made some, so it’s fresh.”
“Yes, please.”
“Sugar? And I think I got some milk.”
“Da. Milk.”
I pulled the milk out of the fridge, sniffed it, and made a face.
“Is no good?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“Is okay. I drink black.”
She sat down next to Darryl. Webster hopped off her lap and wound between my legs, apologizing for his rude behavior when we’d first come home.
“Same way I like my women,” Darryl said. “Strong, black, and just a little bit bitter.”
He and I both laughed, but Sondra just stared at us in confusion.
“I sorry,” she said. “I not get joke.”
“It’s okay,” I told her. “Wasn’t very funny, anyway.”
I poured coffee into both of their mugs. Then I poured myself a cup as well. After filling Webster’s water bowl again, I sat down.
“So,” Darryl said. “Sondra. You’ve met Larry. You’ve met me. You’ve even met the cat. Had a chance to clean yourself up and calm down. Larry even made you a nice cup of coffee. Feel better?”
“Da, very much. Is nice.”
Darryl smiled, flashing all of his teeth. Sondra smiled back at him.
Then Darryl’s smile faded.
“Now how about you tell us what the fuck is going on. No more delays or excuses. This ain’t an episode of Lost , where they never answer the fucking questions. Tell us what’s up. We want the truth. We deserve that much.”
“Da,” she said. “You do. I tell you everything. It is just…not easy to talk of.”
“Try us.”
“I try. My English is so-so. You tell me if you not understand?”
We nodded.
She took a sip of coffee and sat the mug down. Her hands were shaking. She folded them in front of her and stared at the tabletop. When she spoke again, her voice was low.
“I was born in Russia after Glasnost. You know of Glasnost?”
Darryl
“Safe…” She repeated the word like she didn’t know what it meant. Thinking back now, maybe she didn’t.
“Can you tell us what’s going on?” I asked. “Why were those guys looking for you? Who beat you up?”
“Whitey,” she spat. “That son of bitch, he hit me for last time. He is very mad.”
“That’s great,” Darryl said. “Now how about you tell us everything?”
“Can I, how you say…pee first? I get scared in parking lot and almost pee my pants.”
“Sure,” I said. “Follow me.”
I showed her where the bathroom was and turned the light and exhaust fan on for her. Webster waited outside the door. Obviously, he preferred Sondra’s company to me and Darryl. Can’t say that I blamed him. My cat had taste, just like me. I walked back into the kitchen. Darryl was seated at my table. He didn’t speak. Neither did I. Instead, I started brewing a pot of coffee.
“That’s a good idea,” he said finally. “Something tells me we’re in for a long night. Coffee would hit the spot.”
“Yeah.”
“So while she’s in there, let’s call the po-po.”
“No, man. You heard what she said. No police. Let’s at least hear her out. If the Russians knew how to find us, they’d be here by now.”
He sighed. “We’ll do it your way. For now. But hear me, man. After we listen, if I don’t like what she has to say, then I’m dialing 911. Ain’t no way in hell I’m gonna live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for the Russian mob. I got enough shit in my life. I don’t need that, too.”
“Fair enough.”
Sondra came back into the kitchen, cradling Webster in her arms. She’d cleaned the grime and blood from her face, and had wiped most of her make-up away as well. Her lip was still swollen and her bruises had darkened, but she still looked beautiful. Her robe was fastened tight again. The blue silk clung to her curves. Webster purred, lying limp like a rag doll. He seemed content. I wondered if someone had secretly switched my cat for a look-a-like when I wasn’t home.
“Coffee?” I offered her a mug. “Just made some, so it’s fresh.”
“Yes, please.”
“Sugar? And I think I got some milk.”
“Da. Milk.”
I pulled the milk out of the fridge, sniffed it, and made a face.
“Is no good?”
I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“Is okay. I drink black.”
She sat down next to Darryl. Webster hopped off her lap and wound between my legs, apologizing for his rude behavior when we’d first come home.
“Same way I like my women,” Darryl said. “Strong, black, and just a little bit bitter.”
He and I both laughed, but Sondra just stared at us in confusion.
“I sorry,” she said. “I not get joke.”
“It’s okay,” I told her. “Wasn’t very funny, anyway.”
I poured coffee into both of their mugs. Then I poured myself a cup as well. After filling Webster’s water bowl again, I sat down.
“So,” Darryl said. “Sondra. You’ve met Larry. You’ve met me. You’ve even met the cat. Had a chance to clean yourself up and calm down. Larry even made you a nice cup of coffee. Feel better?”
“Da, very much. Is nice.”
Darryl smiled, flashing all of his teeth. Sondra smiled back at him.
Then Darryl’s smile faded.
“Now how about you tell us what the fuck is going on. No more delays or excuses. This ain’t an episode of Lost , where they never answer the fucking questions. Tell us what’s up. We want the truth. We deserve that much.”
“Da,” she said. “You do. I tell you everything. It is just…not easy to talk of.”
“Try us.”
“I try. My English is so-so. You tell me if you not understand?”
We nodded.
She took a sip of coffee and sat the mug down. Her hands were shaking. She folded them in front of her and stared at the tabletop. When she spoke again, her voice was low.
“I was born in Russia after Glasnost. You know of Glasnost?”
Darryl
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