Drama Dolls: A Novel: [Dark, Suspenseful, Fast-paced, Exhilarating] (18 page)

Collecting the spliff, Alex said, “They’re called Juggalos.” Joint in hand, Alex sucked in deeply. Holding in the pot until his eyeballs tightened, he said, “In the glove compartment of his ‘Vette I found some makeup. There was lipstick, cosmetic case, you name it.”

Returning the marijuana cigarette to his friend, Alex blew out the smoke.

His eyes halfway closed, his face melting, the shorter boy raised the joint to his lips. After he breathed in the drug, he pulled out the pot and rested the cigarette on the ashtray lip. Holding in the smoke, the boy said, “Yea. That is weird.”

Spinning around to look out the back seat, Alex said, “But his girlfriend is pretty hot.” Through the window, Jeffrey, standing on the porch landing, was head banging. Both of his hands now in devil horns, the adult cheerleader began jumping up and down simultaneously.

Lena, observing from her spot, followed suit. Forming devil horns with both her hands, Lena stuck her tongue out. Jumping up and down with Jeffrey, she banged her head in the air. Together, they were rocking out to a concert that didn’t exist.

The shorter boy, taking another drag from the joint, he said, “She’s weird too.”

Inside the house, Jeffrey removed the Drama Dolls uniform, throwing articles of clothing as he marched toward the shower.

Lena followed behind, gathering up the pieces as they were discarded on the floor. She pulled them close toward her, inhaling the scent of days with no sleep or showers.

The two separated, with Lena heading up the stairs to the master and Jeffrey hitting the bathroom.

Jumping into the bath, the water’s temperature to Jeffrey’s desire, he scrubbed his face with his hands. The water, it turned from a clear stream to a melting rainbow that circled the drain below. Closing his eyes, the water running down his face, Jeffrey took in the warmth.

The hot water was just what Jeffrey’s body needed. He moved his body so the stream would hit the small of his back. Lena’s kneecap during the pyramid was bony. Feeling the burn on his back made the pain subside.

Aching all around, sore from lugging heavy bags of jewelry and running down streets and woods, Jeffrey stood statue-still in the middle of the shower. The multi-colored water turning clear, his body free from odor, Jeffrey felt refreshed.

Lena laid out the uniform on the bed, readying the outfit for the night’s heist. There were sweat stains around the skirt and cosmetics marks throughout the sweater. Licking her palm, Lena rubbed out the makeup stains. Saturating her hand with saliva, the female Doll rubbed the cosmetics until they disappeared from the white fabric.

Searching around the room for deodorant, Lena found a stick hidden behind the television. Removing the cap, she smelled the scent and then rubbed the stick on the sweat stains. Once the cheerleader outfit was as clean as it could get, Lena started to go through Jeffrey’s belongings.

Walking around the room, situating items that she passed, Lena observed the movies by the television. Old classics lined up in a row; favorites watched during rainy days.
Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, On the Waterfront,
Jeffrey had them all.
Some Like it Hot, Ben-Hur, The Cincinnati Kid,
they all were snug in their cases ready for viewing.

There were musicals all around.
Holiday Inn, White Christmas, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Lena smiled. Her collection was nothing of the sort. She was a simple girl who was happiest when she was married. Meeting Jeffrey had opened her eyes to a whole new world.

Peeking into the closet, clothing from Her still hanging, Lena flipped through the dresses individually, admiring the collection. Donna Karan, Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, and Badgley Mischka, they were all represented.

Shaking her head, Lena smiled. She wished she had an ounce of culture that Jeffrey and his wife had had. He was an accountant and she was a teacher. Yet, the two were always presenting themselves as if they were attending a White House dinner.

Moving from the closet, Lena approached the dresser. The room still had tangible memories scattered throughout. Old books, random photographs, jewelry in a stand, they all were signs of not letting go.

The water running below, Lena walked into a spare bedroom. Art purchased from different countries highlighted the walls. Collections of pieces acquired from various vacations. Furniture pieces shipped by air, they were dispersed around the house.

A matching bedroom set, the wood design the same on the bed as on the drawer as on the desk. The old houses were so beautiful to Lena. There was so much history. Restored from the inside out, it was no wonder how knowledgeable Jeffrey was with antiques.

Lena exited the room, turning the corner into another room. Along the back of the wall was a fireplace. On the mantel were miniature statues and figurines Jeffrey and his wife had found at estate sales or antique stores.

Some items had been brought back from Europe when they vacationed there.

The room was empty, used for reading. Set up like a museum. Lena leaned in to inspect a figurine. A foo dog statue, half a foot high, was sitting on a pedestal. Picking it up, Lena heard the shower stop.

Not wanting to get caught prying, Lena ran back to Jeffrey’s room to collect his cheerleader uniform. Standing by the edge of the bed, Lena folded the outfit. With her feet underneath the bed, strands of hair tickled her toes.

Alarmed, Lena slid her foot back quickly. The force of her movement caused the strands of hair to slide out from underneath. Kneeling down, Lena flipped up the bed skirt and looked under the bed. Emily’s blank face greeted her unexpectedly.

Screaming, Lena quickly covered her mouth and looked toward the hallway. Footsteps underneath her, she could hear Jeffrey walking closer. Curious, Lena slowly poked Emily’s face. The realistic doll didn’t move, her expression blank. Much like the cheerleader masks, Emily looked like a ghost.

Pulling her out to get a better view, Emily appeared bare naked. Sliding her around, examining the RealDoll’s authenticity, Lena moved in closer to Emily’s vagina.

She could not believe how genuine Emily was. Her heart sank. William was right. Jeffrey needed help. He shouldn’t be bringing her anymore.

Footsteps grew louder, the feet walking up the staircase. “Lena,” Jeffrey called out. “Are you up here?”

Lena whispered, “Shit!” and pushed Emily back under the bed. Patting down the bed skirt, flattening out the creased parts, Lena stood to her feet and grabbed the cheerleader outfit.

“Thought you’d be in here,” Jeffrey said.

Spinning around, holding out the Drama Doll uniform, Lena was greeted by a buck naked, fully erect Jeffrey Doll.

Lena dropped the uniform. It unraveled on the wood floor in between them. Kneeling to pick it up, her eyes on Jeffrey’s face, she slowly retrieved the attire and stood back up. “You’re naked,” she said.

Looking down at his boner, Jeffrey returned to Lena and said, “I guess I am.”

Moving her eyes anywhere but down, Lena inched around him and walked out of the room. Yelling behind her, she said, “I’ll just wait downstairs.”

Admiring his erection, Jeffrey shrugged. “I guess I am,” he repeated.

As Lena waited for Jeffrey, she paced back and forth in mid thought. Replaying the previous moments got her thinking. She knew Jeffrey needed help. But, was she truly helping him? The bereavement group members all shared their stories. Each had lost someone. They all coped in various ways.
Maybe this was how a person like Jeffrey suffered?

Adjusting a throw pillow on the couch, Lena returned to pacing.

The pharmacist in the group had found God. A retail worker became depressed and isolated herself for nearly a year. And Lena, she took steps backward in order to move forward.

Everybody grieved differently.
Maybe William was right
, Lena thought.
But, then maybe, she owed it to Jeffrey to let him work through the pain in his own way.
Jeffrey, after all, had opened the door to a whole new world for Lena. He filled the void that allowed her to heal.

Sitting down in the middle of the sofa, Lena dropped her head down into her chest. Her hands on her forehead, Lena stared down into the area rug. Just as she was going to dwell on the situation again, Jeffrey appeared.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Lena looked up at him. “About upstairs,” he said pointing to the ceiling. Locking gaze with the petite cheerleader Doll, he said, “I haven’t slept.”

Nodding slowly, Lena began to stand. Helping her up with his hand, Jeffrey grasped her wrist and pulled her up the rest of the way. “If it’s all the same,” he said. “I’d like to forget everything that happened and get on with the day.”

Lena smiled. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said, “That’s OK. We all mourn differently.”

Flowers from the last visit were knocked over. Heavy gusts of wind whistled through the cemetery. Trees were leaning in the same direction. A photo of a young boy was pushed up against a tree trunk. A grave missing a possession. In the distance, a riding lawnmower bustled as it moved back and forth.

A sense of calm brushed over Jeffrey. Bending over to retrieve the vase, he replaced the old bouquet with a fresh one. Something that had been repeated since Her unexpected death.

Rubbing the back of his neck, kneeling down by the headstone, tears fell as his eyes softly closed. The red darkness from the sun hitting the outer lids of Jeffrey’s eyes made him sleepy. Humming from the lawnmower grew louder. The noise forced Jeffrey’s eyes open.

There was a faint sound of music escaping the operator’s headphones.

A backward baseball cap covering his shoulder length hair, the young man’s sideburns glinted from the heat. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but blue jeans and tennis shoes.

The cemetery was empty. Green hills with tombstones protruding out of them filled the area. A large family mausoleum stood bravely in the center of the green space. Roads intertwined around the entire cemetery, all connecting with one another.

Stopping the mower, jumping off its seat, the man retrieved the photo. He looked around the cemetery, a shift long chore to find its home. Skimming the width of the landscaping, with no luck, the employee folded the picture and placed it into his back pocket. The humming continued.

Breathing in, Jeffrey focused on the grave. Staring into the dates etched into the stone.

It had been almost six months since Her death. Jeffrey’s life was still not back to normal. In fact, it was far from it.

Circling around a grassy mound, the lawnmower weaving in between family plots, the cemetery worker mowed a patch of grass that was off one of the roads.

Driving on the gravel until he could park near his shed, the man waved at Lena when he rode by. Offering up a smile, Lena returned to Jeffrey, remaining behind her friend while he paid his respects. Headstones in the dirt, some were falling over, slanting toward the ground. Others were new, the cement clean and the words legible.

Lena scanned the entire horizon. Knolls and windy roads were the focal points in the architectural design. The cemetery was so peaceful.

Since her husband’s death, Lena’s visits had declined. What once was a weekly appointment became a bi-monthly event. After she met Jeffrey, her spouse was lucky to see a presence every other month.

It wasn’t that her husband wasn’t important; rather, moving on was something Lena needed to do. Distracting her mind away from Him was a way to do that.

The heat still a nuisance, Lena fanned herself with her hand.

The sun made it difficult for Jeffrey to concentrate. The heat of its rays draining his energy. Kneeling in front of the grave, Jeffrey’s hands clasped together, Lena noticed that he wasn’t moving.

The man working the lawns was now weed whacking around the stones. Through the thicker weeds, he gunned the trigger causing the motor to whistle loudly. The noise was loud and often distracting. Lena looked over to the worker’s direction, watching him remove a field of weeds growing by the road.

As for Jeffrey, he remained motionless.

Turning her body so the sun didn’t shine directly in her face, Lena stared at the spot where her husband was buried. Having promised Jeffrey that they would grieve together, the long prayer was beginning to get on her nerves.

The hum of the weed whacker increased, drowning out any other noise within shouting distance. Lena plugged her ears. Jeffrey, again, stayed still. His head into his chest, hands clasped, kneeling into the grass.

How can you not hear that?
Lena thought.

When the man attacked a patch of weeds by the stones next to them, Lena walked over to Jeffrey and placed her hand on his shoulder. Tipping over, Jeffrey fell over onto the grass. His eyes were closed and there was a smile on his face. The sun shining upon him, Lena could tell he was sleeping.

Lena waved to the man working. When he didn’t respond, she ran over to him. Her sandals flopping underneath her, she said, “Hey, my friend likes to take naps by his wife’s grave as a way for him to sleep next to her.” Pointing over to Jeffrey on the ground, she said, “Would you mind keeping an eye on him while I visit somebody on the other side of the cemetery?”