The Secret Lives of Housewives (23 page)

T
he call came to Angie's house at two o'clock the following Wednesday. The twins were napping and having just finished stuffing the dishwasher, she was trying to decide what to make for dinner. “Mrs. Cariri?” an unfamiliar voice said when she picked up the receiver.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Is your husband Anthony Cariri who teaches English at Bronx Technical High School?”

Suddenly Angie was terrified. Something had happened to Tony. “Yes,” she said, trying to control her rising panic. “He's my husband. Is something wrong with him?”

“My name is Hector Martinez and I'm the principal at your husband's school. I'm sorry to tell you that there's been a shooting in his classroom. He's being sent to the Bronx Borough Trauma Center by ambulance. I don't know much about his condition, but I do know that he was conscious and talking to the police officers when he was loaded into the ambulance.”

“What happened to him?” She was barely able to get the words out.

“He was shot by a student.”

Oh my God, shot! “Shot? Like the shooting a few weeks ago?” She pictured Tony's beautiful body covered with blood.

“Yes. I'm so sorry. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got hit with a stray bullet. Again, I'm so sorry.”

Angie felt like her heart had stopped. “Tell me where the hospital is?”

In a fog, Angie reached for a piece of paper and wrote down the address and directions. “I'll be there as soon as I can.”

“Take your time,” the man said, “and be careful on the road. It's really pouring out. I'm sure he'll be in the emergency room for some time and it's important that you not get into an accident driving down there. And take care of those twins of yours.” The man's voice brightened. “Tony talks about them all the time.”

“Yes. Right.” In a total panic, she hung up and dialed Cait's number. When her friend answered, she told her exactly what Mr. Martinez had told her.

“I'll be right over,” Cait said. “Don't go anywhere. I'll drive you down to the city. Can you call one of your sisters-in-law to take the twins?”

Angie was so scrambled that she'd forgotten that Tony had brothers. Actually she'd almost forgotten about the twins. “Yes, of course. I'll have to let them know. Of course. Someone will take the babies.”

“Tell me the name of the hospital and I'll call from my cell in the car and see what I can learn about Tony's condition. I'll be over in ten minutes.”

By the time Cait arrived, two women whom Cait assumed were Tony's sisters-in-law were already at Angie's house, getting the babies organized. “Diaper bag,” one bulky lady said.

“In the van.” Angie handed the woman the keys. “Their car seats are in there, too, but you can't take the van. It's not mine.”

“Hi,” Cait said, interrupting the chaos, “I'm Cait Johnson and it's my van. Take it, by all means. It will be easier with the two car seats already set up inside.”

The bulky woman extended her hand. “I've heard a lot about you from both Angie and Tony and it's nice to finally meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances. I'm Linda, Tony's brother Frank's wife, and this,” she said, pointing to a tiny, dark-haired, dark-eyed woman, “is Sandra, Paul's wife. We'll take good care of the babies and Tony's brothers will meet you at the hospital. Cait, I don't think Angie's up to it, so we're depending on you to keep in touch.” They exchanged phone numbers as Cait whisked Angie out of the house and into her Honda.

“I called the hospital,” Cait said as the two women buckled their seat belts, “but I couldn't get any information. I even lied and said I was Tony's sister but it didn't help. They're about as close-lipped as the FBI.”

“Thanks, Cait,” Angie said, her face white, her voice strained. “Let's just get there.”

“Done.” Cait capably maneuvered down the rainy parkways and using her car's GPS system, found the hospital and parked in the gated parking structure. The two women hustled through the main entrance and followed the signs to the emergency department.

The waiting room was chaotic, filled with people needing attention: several crying babies, two bandaged young men, a couple having a screaming fight, with a security guard trying to calm them both down, and several older couples, holding hands and looking totally lost. The entire area was presided over by a nurse who looked like she'd spent several tours of duty in the military, with a rigidly straight back, a grim expression, and rimless glasses. “Yes?” she said when they reached the front of the line snaking up to her desk.

“We're here to see Anthony Cariri,” Cait said when Angie seemed too cowed to say anything.

“And you are?”

“This is Angie Cariri, his wife.”

“I don't understand” the woman said, looking slightly puzzled. “I sent Mrs. Cariri in to see him a few minutes ago.” The woman looked down her large nose at a stack of file folders on her desk.

“That's not possible,” Angie said, bewildered. “I'm here and his sisters-in-law are in East Hudson. We're the only Mrs. Cariris there are.”

“I'm sorry but you'll just have to wait. I don't have time to straighten out who's married to whom.”

“This is his wife!” Cait snapped. “Want to see her driver's license?”

“That won't be necessary. Take a seat and when Mrs. Carirri comes out, we'll get this all settled.”

Angie was too confused to make any sense out of what was happening. “Can you tell me how my husband is?”

The woman sat up even straighter and leaned forward. “Mr. Cariri's condition can only be given to a family member. Maybe his wife will fill you in when she comes out.”

Angie took out her driver's license to show to the “guard dog” but the nurse had already turned her attention to the next person in line, a gaunt woman with a two-year-old on her hip. “One more thing,” Cait said, using her most authoritative tone. “What did ‘Mrs. Cariri' look like?”

“She had a long black braid down her back and blue eyes. Satisfied?” she snarled.

“Jordanna,” Angie and Cait said in unison. “She's his ex-wife,” Angie said to the nurse.

“I didn't ask about divorce papers. She said she was his wife so I let her in. You'll still have to wait.” Again she shifted her attention to the woman with the baby. Angry and frustrated, Angie and Cait made their way across to the waiting room.

“Sit here and don't move,” Cait said, walking back toward the emergency department door as if she owned the hospital.

For several minutes Angie sat in the room, listening to whining children and whispering adults, totally numb. Tony. Shot. How? What had happened? Was Tony badly hurt? She had to get in to see him, touch him. Angie had confidence that Cait would make that happen, but how quickly? She had to know now. Why wasn't she in there? What the hell right did Jordanna have to usurp her position as Tony's wife? How did she find out so quickly about the shooting?

All these questions were whirling in her mind when she saw Cait approach, grab her by the arm, and hustle her to the other side of the area from the watchdog nurse, toward the emergency department door. “It's through here and he seems not to be too badly hurt. Look like you belong and you won't be challenged.” Cait pushed her hand into the small of Angie's back and shoved her forward. They entered the emergency department without being stopped and squeezed through the curtains into Tony's cubicle.

His left shoulder was heavily bandaged but other than the white gauze and his slightly pale skin, he looked okay. Jordanna stood beside his bed. “Angie, you're here,” Tony said, extending his unbandaged arm. “Jordanna looked a few minutes ago and said you weren't here yet.”

Angie leaned over and kissed her husband then looked him over to assure herself that he was in one piece. Then she turned to Jordanna and something snapped. “Get out.”

“Excuse me?”

“Get out of here! Go home. Tony's my husband, not yours. How dare you tell the people out front that he was your husband!” She turned to Tony, now relieved that he seemed all right and so furious with Jordanna that she could barely speak a coherent sentence. “How the hell did you find out he was here?”

“My name was still on some of the papers at school as his emergency contact. The vice principal called me, and of course I rushed right over from work by subway.”

“You were called by mistake and you should have known that. Get out!”

“You told them out front that you were my wife?” Tony said, staring at Jordanna, totally confused.

Looking like the aggrieved party, Jordanna whined, “I wanted to get in to see you and they told me that only family members could be here. I am your wife, after all.”

“Ex-wife,” Angie hissed. “Get out of here right now. I couldn't get in here because of you and your convenient lie.” Everything she'd held inside for so long came flooding out of her mouth. “I've tried to be nice. I never argued with Tony when he volunteered to fix all the things that went wrong in your house, but that's over. I've always believed that exes should get along, so I swallowed my hurt and smiled when Tony made plans with you. This is the end of that as far as I'm concerned.”

Her lower lip slightly stuck out, Jordanna said, “Tony's a big boy and if he wants to see me, he will.” Her voice was almost a whine.

Cait grabbed Jordanna by the shoulders and turned her toward the exit, but Jordanna twisted out of her grip. Ignoring Jordanna, Tony turned to Angie. “You mean you were upset that I went to help Jordanna out? It was all perfectly innocent.”

“God,” Cait muttered, “you're such a jerk. It was innocent for you but I suspect that your darling ex-wife knew that she was causing trouble.” Jordanna tried to look guiltless but she couldn't keep the small smirk from her lips.

“I was jealous,” Angie said, tears streaming down her cheeks, “and I'll admit it. She's so much more than I am and it makes me crazy, but I believed that it was important that you and she have a good relationship so I bit my lip and tried to be a good sport. Right now, I've no idea why.”

Tony looked totally nonplussed but when he remained silent, Angie said, “I think it's time for you to make some choices, Tony. I never intended to be a problem, but I think it's time you spent time with me and the twins rather than with your ex-wife. We miss you when you're gone.”

“Really, Angie,” Jordanna said, “be serious. Do you think he'd rather spend time with you and those twins of yours than with me?”

Tony took a deep breath, winced, and grabbed his shoulder, then said through gritted teeth, “Jordanna, shut up! Angie,” he said, turning toward his wife, “I never realized. I'm really sorry. I felt needed and flattered by Jordanna's attention but that's all. Really. Cait's right. I have been a jerk. I really never realized how you felt and I didn't see how much Jordanna was hurting you. I guess there's a lot we have to talk about. Never forget this, Angie. I love you totally, and no one else. Jordanna's my past, you're my present and my future.”

“Oh, Tony,” Jordanna said, straightening her spine, “don't be silly. We have such nice times together. You're important to me.”

“Jordanna,” Tony said, “get out. Angie's right. She and the babies have first call on my time and my love. Just get the hell out.”

Jordanna turned, seemingly in shock, and it was difficult for Angie not to feel some triumph. Trying not to gloat she said, “Someone will keep you informed about Tony's condition but he seems just fine to me right now.”

Cait found Jordanna's coat on a side chair, handed it to her, and guided her toward the break in the curtains surrounding Tony's stretcher. “Nice almost meeting you,” she said. Behind Jordanna's back, she gave Angie a thumbs-up sign. “I'll wait outside.”

When Angie and Tony were alone, she held him and kissed him deeply. “I was so scared,” she said.

“I know, and I wanted to call you to let you know I was okay, but my cell phone is in my locker at school and I couldn't get hold of a phone here.”

“What happened?”

Tony explained that the same gun that had been smuggled in the previous week had appeared again in the hand of another gang member, attempting to shoot another member of the rival gang. Tony had accidentally gotten in the way and a bullet had traveled through his shoulder. “It's only a flesh wound.” His grin was irresistible. “I've heard that in so many TV cop shows and I always thought that meant it was minor. Well, it hurts like hell.” He wrapped his good arm around Angie's waist and squeezed. “I'll need lots of care when we get home.”

“Are they going to let you go home today?”

“Seems so. They've already patched me up pretty good so I'm just waiting for discharge instructions. I have to see my regular doctor sometime soon to have the stitches attended to, but other than that I'm really okay. I'm on light duty for a week or so.”