A Constant Reminder (11 page)

Prison was worse than the movies, Adam had to fit in and keep his head down. He joined everything offered just to stay busy and out of stupid squabbles that came with comingling too much in the gen-pop environment. Adam’s knowledge on most subjects made him a go to guy. He was protected and the money his mother provided helped keep him at a decent status.

Jane Hardwick walked in her commoners clothing. Adam was happy to see her. She always dressed down when she came to see Adam. She told him she actually went to the Salvation Army and picked up old clothes to wear when she came to see him. It made for a funny story. One that they shared because she would never tell her friends she shopped there. She even went to the resale place in disguise.

Jane sat across from her son. “Adam.”

“Mother, you look healthy.”

“You know I work out a lot in here.”

“Do you think you will get parole?”

“I’m really not sure. I think it’s a fifty-fifty situation with these kinds of things. I don’t think you should get your hopes up.”

“That’s impossible. I am very hopeful. I want you out of here.”

“I want that also.”

“I have things ready for you if they grant you parole. I didn’t sell those stupid little businesses your father owned. I still have them. I thought you could work there for income to start out. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“Maybe you could eventually put that accounting degree to good use and do the books. I wouldn’t know if they were stealing from me or not.”

“If I get out I would do whatever you want to win your trust. I learned a lot about myself in here. They make you learn a trade so you can try to find work if you’re paroled. I can do a lot of things now that I didn’t know how to do before. I think I can rebuild a car and build a house from the ground up.” Adam knew he could. He was just being modest. Six years in prison was punishment and a lot of hard lessons. Adam was forced to be a man. He was compelled to learn things he never would have thought of otherwise.

“Do you still go to church services in here?”

“Yes a few times a week.”

“Well you need to pray you make parole. I can’t be the only one praying. You have to have faith and you have to pray for yourself.”

“Yes of course Mother. I will pray for myself.”

Adam wanted to get out of prison but he really wanted to get out for his mother’s sake. She shouldn’t have to come here. She shouldn’t have to be searched and patted down to see him behind bars. She shouldn’t have to be subjected to the violent outbursts that happened from time to time when she came to visit him.

If he did get out he had a job. If he did get out he had a place to stay.

“I have to ask you something?”

“Sure ask.”

“If you get parole, I don’t want to be surprised if you have changed.” Jane stumbled with the words. “If you like different things now.”

“Like what?”

“If you like men now. I don’t want to be surprised by this. It’s nothing wrong with it, being gay.” Jane whispered. “I just want to know beforehand. Do you understand? I’ve been shocked enough.”

“Mother prison hasn’t made me gay. Everyone including me is not doing that sort of thing in here. I’m still attracted to women. That will never change.” Adam knew that if he got released he planned to make up for lost time. He didn’t want to even think about being with a woman again until he walked out of that place.

“So one day I will be a grandmother?”

“Mother I was so high years ago, you could already be one.” Adam smiled.

“That’s not funny.”

“You’re right. It’s not. I will give you a grandkid one day. I promise. I just got to get out of here first.”

“You will. I know you will. I believe it.”

***

Morgan’s sixth birthday was coming up and she looked forward to decorating the apartment for her birthday party. When that day came twelve small children gathered around a table in her kitchen.

Morgan was perched in a chair at the head of the table. Roxanne stood next to Erika as all the children sang happy birthday to Morgan. Roxanne had to admit that these six years of motherhood were the best years of her life.

After the singing stopped, Morgan leaned over the table to blow out the six single candles on her Monster High birthday cake. Roxanne was quick to grab Morgan’s shoulder length blonde curly hair before it caught fire.

The colorful candles were out in seconds. All the children clapped and cheered. They were ready for cake and ice cream and Roxanne was in a hurry to serve them.

It was getting late. She was behind schedule. She was becoming a little overwhelmed with the sheer volume of children’s chatter in her apartment. Morgan was a quiet well-behaved child but she couldn’t say the same for all the other children in her apartment that day. A lamp had already been broken and there had been a few spills on the floor as well. It would be over soon. She would do anything for her daughter.

***

Roxanne went back to work Monday morning and her workweek was going pretty well. She had received a bump in her salary Monday morning and that made the rest of the week go by quickly. It would have gone by without incident but some new woman in human resources had lost the Chief Financial Officers Health insurance file and tried to blame it on Roxanne. It was a good thing Roxanne had kept all her emails.

Sure the mess was straightened out but she didn’t appreciate how that witch tried to throw her under the bus.

Work back stabbers were inevitable. The woman knew Roxanne had received a substantial raise because she had to put in the paperwork. She was jealous and tried to rain on Roxanne’s parade. Little did she know, Roxanne was well liked by the big bosses. It would take more than finger pointing to send Roxanne packing. She was just happy the week was over.

Roxanne had always put Morgan first and this meant that sometimes she neglected some of the other things in life that were important to making things run smoothly.

Roxanne had put off going to get an oil change for long enough. So after work she decided to get one. She drove over to the shop that was ten blocks away from her apartment building.

There were two cars in front of her so she checked her emails while she waited for her turn. Roxanne’s midsize four-door vehicle pulled up to the closed glass garage door. The garage door automatically opened for her to enter. She was waved in by a one of the male attendants.

She drove her car into the garage. The garage attendant walked over to the driver’s window of Roxanne’s car. A baseball cap bearing the name of the garage hid the attendants face and eyes. Roxanne read the cap, Jimmy’s Lube.

Roxanne opened her car door just as the guy approached. The attendant leaned into her open door and looked down on her.

“Afternoon.” He smiled a crooked smile that took her by surprise. “Hey, what do you need, an oil change?”

“Yeah, an oil change.”

“Anything else?”

“No just the oil change.” Roxanne motioned to exit her car dressed in her spiffy office attire. She was wearing a crisp gray suit jacket and matching skirt. Her mauve blouse matched her mauve pumps. Roxanne never wore much makeup and her hair was flat ironed straight. Something she rarely did since she loved her hair in waves. But after her raise she decided to treat herself to a new sleek hairstyle.

Her eyes met with the guys when he didn’t readily move back to let her stand to exit her vehicle. She got momentarily swept into the allure of his blue-gray eyes. He was too close, too much in her comfort zone. This didn’t annoy her like it should have. She instantly felt attracted to him. Damn, he’s tall she said in her mind and was happy it didn’t come out her mouth.

“Well you’ve come to the right place. The sign says we do oil changes here so we do oil changes here.”

Roxanne smiled involuntarily. “Well if the sign says it. Then it must be true.” Roxanne pressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe she had just said that.

“You just go take a seat in the waiting area and it’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

“I’m going to take a look at everything and see what you need.” He suggestively muttered while giving Roxanne a seemingly quick visual full body scan.

She knew he was really flirting. “Thanks.”

“No.” He paused for what seemed like forever. “Thank you.” His eyes scanned her body again and she noticed the intrusion. She couldn’t believe his nerve but she was flattered because she had a terrible day at work. She didn’t think she was all that attractive today. She was wearing a gray suit and gray wasn’t really a color that popped on brown skin. Plus he was really cute with his bluish gray eyes and honey blonde hair. He probably flirted with every woman that pulled into his little station. He could get away with it, the body, the eyes, the face.

Roxanne walked over to the adjoining waiting area. It was just a few feet away from her car. She took a seat, crossed her legs and grabbed a magazine off the table next to her chair. Why she took the magazine was a mystery. She wasn’t going to read it. She was a little distracted by the oil change guy.

She looked straight ahead at the service desk and noticed another male employee standing behind the counter watching a trashy television talk show. He was completely enthralled in the show. She recognized it was The Maury Povich Show. How many paternity tests could one person watch? She thought and grinned to herself.

There was another woman with two small kids in the waiting area. There was another customer outside the front door having a smoke.

Roxanne had a clear unobstructed view of the oil change guy. She slyly peeked over at him. Their eyes met again. He was watching her. She hadn’t imagined that he was actually checking her out from afar. It was pretty obvious. Roxanne quickly looked into the magazine. She realized the magazine was up side down. She turned it right side up and giggled to herself.

Every time she looked out at her car it seemed she would catch his eye. She refrained from looking his way. She was afraid he might make a mistake while changing the oil. She really didn’t need any car trouble. Roxanne took her cell phone out and started scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed.

The oil change was taking a bit longer than Roxanne expected. She wasn’t in a rush but she couldn’t help watch the wall clock that was in her direct line of view.

He sauntered into the waiting area wiping the oil off his fingers with a handkerchief. Roxanne stood when his eyes guided her to do so. How did he do that? He stood in front of her, much too close, close like they had been intimate.

“Follow me.” He demanded.

Roxanne followed him to her car.

“It’s been a long time since you had an oil change.” He looked down on her with blue-gray scolding eyes.

“Yeah I know.”

“You have to get an oil change every three thousand miles.”

“Yeah I know.”

“If not you could really damage your car, really damage the engine. It’s no joke.”

“I know I just forgot.”

“Your boyfriend is supposed to remind you.”

“I don’t, I don’t have a boyfriend.” She stuttered. She was shocked that she told him the truth and that she let him trick it out of her.

“I could call you and remind you.”

Roxanne was flustered and she couldn’t hide it. She was resigned to regain her composure. This guy wasn’t the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He was the oil change guy. That’s not even a real mechanic. She mused then scolded herself for thinking such a ridiculous thought, a job is a job.

“Why would you want to do that?” Roxanne tried unsuccessfully to hide her attraction to the guy. She was back to speaking confidently and clearly.

“I think that good car maintenance is extremely important.”

“I’m sure it is.”

“You look like a very busy lady. So I can call you up and remind you to come back here and let me handle you.”

“Oh.”

He smiled. “I meant handle your car.” His eyes observed Roxanne without any boundaries.

“That’s what you meant, huh?”

“I believe a free oil change might make you feel obliged to go out with me.”

“Why would I want to go out with you?”

He smiled. “Cause I’m much cuter with my clothes off, with these clothes off.” He corrected his slip up. “I mean, I’m really quite handsome once I’ve had a shower.”

He raised his dirty hands for Roxanne to observe.

“Is that so?”

“Definitely so, Roxanne.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Your plates are in the system. Every time you come in your info appears on the computer screen.”

“Yeah right, I forgot.”

“You’re pretty forgetful. You need me to jog your memory.”

“Do I?”

“Yes, I like the name Roxanne. Reminds me of the song.”

“Yeah, The Police.”

“I’m a cool guy so you don’t have to put on the red light.”

“Funny.” Roxanne felt a smile breaking free from her pressed lips.