Five Hundred Miles From Friona, page 7
“Didn’t you tell me one time that your mom lived with one of her professors when she was in college?” she asks, picking up another piece of gum.
“No, she lived with her boyfriend who was an archaeology professor. They lived in an old adobe hacienda with a turquoise blue door. She even went with him to South America on a couple of his digs.”
“Shit, Leelee, your mom has done some really cool stuff. Tell me something else about her.”
I take the gum out of her hand, unwrap it, and give it to her. “She told me that she didn’t mind me staying out all night on graduation night as long as I didn’t get pregnant or thrown in jail.”
“Okay, that’s good news, but I want you to tell me about when she was our age, when she was in college.”
This conversation is kind of surreal. She thinks my mom is cool, and I’ve always wanted to be like her mom. “I don’t know that much, but she got to actually meet Georgia O’Keefe, whose work inspired my mom to get her degrees in art. My mom was eight or nine when she met her in Santa Fe. I think Georgia was in her nineties then, but it was like the highlight of my mom’s life.”
Rachel’s forehead crinkles. “I don’t even know who Georgia O’Keefe is, but that must’ve been a big deal to your mom.”
“It was a huge deal, Rach. Georgia O’Keefe is a very famous artist. It was such a big deal that she almost named me Georgia. Thank God my dad hated the name.”
She shakes her head. “You’re definitely not a Georgia. So how’d your parents hook up if your mom was living in New Mexico?”
“I’ve never told you how my parents met?”
“Huh uh,” she answers.
“Oh, this is good. So, my mom was working in my grandparents’ gallery in Santa Fe during spring break of her senior year in college when a couple of guys wandered in and asked if they could use the bathroom.”
“I’m guessing it was your dad,” Rachel says, “and who else?”
“John Graves.”
“The same John Graves that owns the farm supply?”
“Yep, they’ve been friends forever. Anyway, my mom took my dad’s arm, walked him back to the front door and pointed to the sign that said no public restroom. She said he was so embarrassed, and she felt so sorry for him that she fell in love with him for the first time right then. And she let them use their bathroom.”
“How’d she fall in love with him more than once?”
“Well, while John was in the bathroom, my dad started looking at this painting and my mom came up and asked what he thought about it. He told her that he really liked it; that he was drawn to it for some reason. See, my dad likes art, too, but not to the extent that my mom does.”
“He’d have to; y’all’s house looks like a damn gallery.”
“Seriously.” I nod in agreement. “Anyway, they started talking about the painting, and he wanted to know how much it was. She told him that if he was serious about buying it, she might get the artist to negotiate on the price.”
“How much was it?”
“Eighteen hundred dollars.”
“Whoa, that’s a lot of money for a college guy.”
“Yeah, well, you know my dad. When he wants something, he goes for it.”
“So that’s where you get it,” she says, pointing her finger at me.
“Shut up!”
She makes a “hurry up” waving gesture with her hand. “Finish the story, we’re almost to Amarillo.”
“My dad told her he was serious about buying it, but he wanted to know about the artist. She told him that the artist was a New Mexico native who specialized in modern Southwest landscapes and portraits. My dad just stood there, studying the painting, and then he asked if she knew the location of the landscape depicted in the painting. She told him that she would take him to see it if he bought it. So he bought it and agreed to meet her at the gallery the next morning so they could go see the landscape.”
“That’s when she fell in love with him the second time?”
“Yeah, and you know the painting that’s above our fireplace in the den?”
“That’s it… the one with all the colors? That’s the one your dad bought?”
“Yep, and guess who the artist was?”
“Georgia… um, whatever her name is?”
“No, Rach! It was my mom’s painting, the first one she ever sold. She even delivered the painting to him in Friona the next weekend.”
“They had a long-distance relationship?” Rachel squeaks.
“Yeah, but it wasn’t for very long. Some weekends they would meet in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, which is about halfway between Albuquerque and Friona. Or he would go to Albuquerque to see her. I think she came to Friona a few times, too. They got engaged as soon as she graduated and got married not too long...” I stop talking when I see Rachel’s forehead wrinkle; she hasn’t said anything in a couple of minutes and I seem to have lost her attention.
“I can’t do a long-distance relationship with Jake,” she blurts all of a sudden. Her chin is quivering, and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears.
“I thought you were crazy about him, Rach. Did something happen?”
“I am crazy about him, and no, nothing happened except that I fell in love with him and he fell in love with me. We can’t leave each other. We’ve talked about it and cried about it, and we still don’t know what to do. We just know that we don’t want to live in two different places while we’re in college.”
“I’m sorry.” A tear trickles down her face. My first instinct is to reach over and wipe it off, but she gets to it before I do.
“Leelee, what would you do if you were me?”
“I’d cry too, babe.” I pat her arm, realizing how devastated I would be if Brandon and I were facing the same dilemma. “Which school is Jake’s first pick?”
“Angelo State. It’s where his parents want him to go too, and they’re really pushing him to sign because his dad’s afraid they’ll take the offer off the table if he waits much longer. And I feel so bad that he’s holding back because of me.”
More tears fall down her face, and I just want to cry with her. I can’t imagine how hard this is for her and Jake. “How far is San Angelo from Waco?”
“Th-three and a half hours.”
She’s falling apart, but at least we made it into the mall parking lot. “Stop in the next parking place you see, Rach.” I’m afraid she’ll have a wreck if she’s sobbing and trying to drive.
She parks almost immediately and lays her head on the steering wheel. I try to calm her down by rubbing her back. “It’s not your fault; you’re not holding Jake back from anything he doesn’t want to be held back from.”
“He’s thinking about taking an offer from Tarleton State because it’s only eighty-eight miles from Waco. But it’s not the best place for him. He needs to sign with Angelo State, and it’s killing both of us.”
It’s extremely hard to watch my best friend break into pieces like this, so to distract myself for a few seconds, I dig around in my purse for a tissue. I find a couple in the side pocket and hand them to her.
“Th-thanks.” She takes the tissues and wipes her eyes and nose. “This is why my mom was so cool about calling in for me yesterday. I told her everything last weekend, and she knows what it’s doing to me and to Jake.”
“Um… Rach, I know this is kind of out there, but have you thought about going to Angelo State instead of Baylor? I mean, I know your mom is proud of you for getting into Baylor and everything, but it’s your life, and if it meant the difference between being happy and being devastated, it might be worth it.”
“I said that to Jake yesterday, but it’s probably too late to apply now. And I don’t want to piss off my parents because they’ve already paid all the fees, dorm deposit and everything, for me to go to Baylor.”
Money isn’t an issue with Rachel’s parents; they have tons of it. “I bet it’s not too late. You could probably get the fees back and I think your parents would understand. Especially since your mom already knows what’s going on and how much this is hurting you.”
Her face brightens a little as she smiles through her tears. “My mom said she hopes that Jake and I get married someday because she loves him too.”
“Well, you know what guys say about that, don’t you?”
She shakes her head. Thankfully, she’s calmed down some and isn’t sobbing anymore.
“They say, ‘If you win over the mother, you’ve got the daughter’, or something like that.” I smile at her, trying to cheer her up, and one corner of her mouth twitches a little. “Jake’s in with your mom, babe; all you need to do is have him with you when you tell your parents you’re going to Angelo State.”
“I haven’t decided to go to Angelo State yet, but I’m going to talk to Jake about it some more tonight.” Tears fill her eyes again. “What am I gonna do when you’re down in College Station and I’m in…God knows where? I’ll miss you so much.”
“You’ll pick up your phone and call me, and I’ll do the same. Either that or we’ll FaceTime.” I lean over and hug her and we both cry. I finally let go and make a “T” with my hands. “Time out. We’re not doing this anymore today; no more crying allowed. We’re going in that mall and we’re buying the sexiest outfits we can find. We’ll get jewelry, makeup, and shoes too. Oh, and we can’t forget perfume and sexy underwear. We’re gonna be so damn hot that Jake and Brandon will pass out from testosterone shock when they see us.”
Even though she’s still teary, Rachel giggles. “Then get your shit, girl, and let’s get goin’.”
Chapter Ten
Brandon
“That’ll be a dollar twenty-nine,” the lady behind the counter says. “Do you want a bag?”
“No, that’s okay.” I throw a couple of ones on the counter, grab the package of plain M&M’s and tell her to keep the change as I head back out to my truck. I’m in a hurry to get to the cemetery before I have to pick up Jake around ten.
Tossing the M&M’s on the console, I search radio stations, looking for something to improve my mood. I woke up thinking about Blake. He’s all I’ve thought about this morning. The poor little guy suffered so much during the last five months of his life, and while his death took away his pain and suffering, parts of the rest of us died with him. We still suffer, but I have faith that he’s in the proverbial “better place” and that I’ll get to see him again someday. For now, all I can do is go to his grave, talk to him, and remember what an awesome little kid he was.
I always go to the cemetery by myself because I can’t stand seeing my parents grieve. Besides, when I’m there by myself, I can cry alone and talk to Blake without anyone hearing me except him. At least I hope he hears me. As I turn off on the dirt road leading to the cemetery, I can see there’s nobody else out here this early on a Saturday morning. I park on the edge of the road, grab the M&M’s and make my way over to Blake’s grave. As I get closer, I see a shiny, silver Mylar birthday balloon tied to a small bunch of flowers lying at the base of the grave marker. The balloon is whipping around in the breeze. Who would’ve already been here?
Squatting in front of the white marble marker, I tear open the M&M’s and pour them out in a pile on the grass next to the flowers. “Happy birthday, Blake.” Then I sit down and tell him about Mattie’s foal and how Kylie believes he sent it to her from heaven. I also tell him about Leanne and how much I love her. “You’d love her too, buddy.”
A few minutes later, I stand, running my hand over the smooth marble and head back to my truck. With one quick look back at Blake’s grave, I get my shit together and call Jake to let him know I’m on my way.
He’s waiting outside when I get to his house. Since our girlfriends have ditched us for shopping at the mall in Amarillo, we’re going out to my grandparents’ old farmhouse for some target practice.
“Leanne sent me a text; they just got to the mall,” I tell him while he puts his gun case in my backseat.
As soon as I drive away from his house, he pulls out his phone, checks the screen and starts sending a text. “Rachel promised she’d let me know when they got there. I don’t like her driving on the interstate.”
I guess he didn’t believe me when I said they’re at the mall. “They only have to drive on the interstate for like three miles.”
“I know that, but Rachel’s used to driving around here.” He gestures to the deserted farm-to-market road he lives on. “This is nothing compared to the interstate.”
“Are you saying she’s a crappy driver, or are you turning into her dad?”
He glares at me and answers his phone, which must’ve been on vibrate because I didn’t hear it make a sound. “Hey, baby… Not yet… What’s wrong?”
I’m trying to concentrate on driving and to not listen to him talk to his girlfriend, but it’s kind of hard to tune him out when he’s sitting right next to me.
“She thinks you should?” Jake glances over at me. They must be talking about Leanne. “Maybe it’s not too late. We’ll talk about it tonight.” His voice gets a little louder, and he says, “Rach…listen to me for a sec, please. This is a big decision, and I want to make sure you’re doing the best thing for you.”
Now he’s scowling and clawing his neck. His frustration is getting to him, which is unusual for Jake. Even when he gets frustrated during a baseball game, nobody ever knows. He’s good at keeping cool under pressure, but right now he looks like he’s about to lose it.
“I know, babe, but I said we’d talk about it tonight… We’ll talk to your parents.” He lowers his voice. “I want you to stop crying and go have fun.” Now he’s talking to her like she’s a little kid. “Call me when you’re on your way home. I love you.” When he ends the call, he drops his phone in one of the cup holders on my console and rubs his hand over his face.
We’ll talk to your parents? I’m thinking some big time shit must’ve hit the fan. “Are the girls okay?” I ask, hoping he’s going to let me in on whatever is going on.
He looks out the window, inhales a deep breath and blows it out loudly. “They’re fine.”
We ride in silence for a few minutes, and I can’t stand not knowing what’s happened. “You okay?”
“No.”
“Want to tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you to know, but…” Scrubbing his hand over his face again, he adjusts his cap, and finally looks at me. “It’s a big damn mess. All these people are on my ass and I don’t want you on it too.”
“I won’t get on your ass, Jake, but I’ll try to help if you need help with something.”
“I don’t know what to do about college or even the rest of my life,” he says.
“Why not?” I’ve turned off on the dirt road that goes up to the house my grandparents lived in until they moved to Possum Kingdom Lake right after Blake died. I haven’t been out here since the last time Jake and I came out to shoot. Out of habit, I slow down to check out the sorghum crop my dad planted on this section. “I thought you were pretty set on Angelo State.”
“The coach wants me, and that’s where my parents want me to go, but....” His voice shakes as it trails off.
I wait for him to finish the sentence, but he doesn’t. After a few seconds, I prompt him to keep talking. “But what?”
“But… Rachel won’t be there. I don’t want to be there if she’s not there.”
This is when I’d usually make a smartass comment, but he’s the unhappiest I’ve ever seen him, so I swallow it down. “Could you try to walk on at Baylor?”
“Man, I’m not doing that,” he says, shaking his head. “I like that schools came to me and asked me to play for them and offered scholarships. That doesn’t happen much when you’re from a small school like ours. It’d be like you having the highest GPA in our class, but the school you wanted to go to didn’t want you, so to get in you had to prove yourself again and beg them to take you. That’s not a great example, but do you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I hear ya. So what does Rachel think?”
“She says she wants to try to get into Angelo State.” He doesn’t sound too happy about that idea either, but it sounds good to me.
“Wouldn’t that solve your problem?”
“Yeah, but think about it… She’d be giving up Baylor for a lot smaller school just to be with me.” He squeezes his eyes shut like he’s in pain. “And, if she hated it there… God, I’d hate myself.”
He’s so freaked out that I’m beginning to wonder if he needs to be handling loaded firearms right now. We’re at the farmhouse sitting in the driveway with the truck still running. I don’t think he’s ready to get out, but I’m willing to sit here awhile if he wants to keep talking.
“I’m thinking about asking her to marry me.”
I almost give myself whiplash jerking my head around to see if he’s serious, but he has tears in his eyes. Man, this is awkward as hell. I don’t know what to say, so I smack the back of my hand into the middle of his chest. He gives me a “WTF” look, and I give him one back. “You suck, Wolcott.”
His reply is nothing but shrugged shoulders and palms in the air with the same look on his face.
“That’s for giving me shit about Leanne yesterday at lunch.”
Jake looks down and shakes his head again. “I did that because it was easier for me to talk about your problem than mine.” He lets out a loud sigh. “My dad found out there’s a major league tryout camp in two weeks in Oklahoma and he’s on my ass to go. I’m not going.”
“Don’t you want to try out?”
“Hell no,” he answers, rubbing his hands on his jeans. “I’m not going to some farm team in some shitty town just to spend my life living on a bus going to play in other shitty towns. I’ll play baseball to pay for college, but I don’t want to play for the rest of my life.”
