Chapter 15
Bonnie looked out through the peephole.
“Can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Opal, I’m your husband’s neighbor.”
Bonnie opened the door.
“What’s wrong?” Bonnie asked.
“Nothing Honey. I just want to talk to you for a minute is all. Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Bonnie said. “Come on back and have a seat.”
She let Opal in the door and walked back to the den, which was really supposed to be the dining room, but she and Greg had put the sofa, TV, and stereo there for convenience. Opal followed her back and had a seat next to her on the sofa.
“Would you like some coffee?” Bonnie asked.
“No thank you, I’m mainly caffeine free, but that’s real nice of you to offer.”
“Something else then? I have some...”
“No, no, thank you.”
Opal was painfully thin and pale, the kind of person who looks frail from a distance but not up close. Her hair had once been blonde but now primarily white and gray. It had the yellowish look of plowed snow left by the roadside to melt. The pouches under her eyes made it appear as though she was peering out of two mud puddles.
“He said he was staying with friends. Is it that you? Is Greg okay?”
“Yeah, he’s staying with me and my old man Lucas. We live next door,” Opal said. “I reckon he’s fine, but we don’t know for sure because he’s gone off and we don’t know where. Lucas and me are worried about him, and that’s why I came, was to find out if you had any idea where he might have gone to.”
“I don’t know,” Bonnie said. “I don’t know. He never returns my calls anymore. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”
“He’s a good man,” Opal said. “I bet he’ll come around. Are you two close?”
“We used to be. But over the years he’s gotten more and more distant.”
“I understand Honey,” Opal said. “Believe you me, I had my share of problems with Lucas. I gave up Lucas’s child for adoption because I was sick and confused, and that hurt us both bad. But we worked through it, it’s all worth it in the end, if you stay with it. Most people, they give up before they even really get to know their better half. Don’t you give up on him. No matter what.”
“Oh I won’t,” Bonnie said.
“I want you to have this. It’s his cell phone. He left it at the house. If he was to call on it, I’d want you to be able to talk to him.”
“Thanks, that’s a great idea,” Bonnie said.
“Did he tell you anything that’s going on with him?” Opal asked.
“No... is there something going on?”
“Oh Honey, I’m sorry, I thought maybe he told you. I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you,” Opal said. “He got real drunk one night and he took a leap off of the bridge, but he just got real wet and what not, he wudn’t hurt. He was shook up though, and that’s when he come by the house all wet and wore out. He’s been with us about a week, that is until he took off last night.”
“Oh God, I didn’t know he was suffering so much...”
“Easy now, it ain’t that bad. He’d been drinking so hard for some months I guess, but it only took him a few days to sweat it out, and he was coming along great until last night. Something must’ve spooked him, so he took off is all. He’ll be back. He really loves you, and I think he’s going to be okay.”
“But where is he?”
“I don’t know sweetie,” Opal said. “Lucas and some of the guys are out looking for him. But I’m tellin’ you, I’m sure he’s going to be okay.”
“What makes you so sure?” Bonnie asked.
“Well, this is going to be real hard, maybe harder than hearing he took that jump. But see, he’s blessed and touched. When he survived that, he came out with a special gift.”
“What are you talking about?”
Opal took Bonnie’s hands in hers. Bonnie noticed that they were as clean, cold, and dry as a snake’s. “He was destined to survive and to get the gift. Your husband has the power to make his dreams real.”
“What is this, some kind of cult?” Bonnie said, pulling back her hands. “That’s the same load of bull that was on the CD that Greg left for me. Did you people put this into his head?”
“CD? What CD?”
Bonnie got it off the end table and showed it to her.
“Greg snuck in and left it for me.”
“Your husband didn’t leave that here,” Opal said. “Gator must’ve done that. Harold was with us twenty-four-seven until he disappeared. Have you seen a long-haired fellow around here in a yellow-checked jacket?”
“Yeah, I saw him pulling through my trash can.”
“That’s Gator. He’s the one who showed us how to find Harold in the first place. We call your Greg by Harold.”
“Get out,” Bonnie said.
“Don’t be that way sweetie. Listen now, Gator didn’t mean any harm. He’s a mute, so I bet he was givin’ you a message the only way he knew how, leaving you that CD. We haven’t done nothing to your man. Gator led us to Harold right after he jumped. He let us know that Harold was the one that was comin.’ We’re trying to help your man, not hurt ‘im.”
Bonnie stood and went back to the door and held it open. Opal rose and followed, and as she walked planned her final statement. When she was halfway out, Opal turned and said, “If I was trying to keep him in a cult, why would I come by and bring you his phone, and why would I try to get your help to find him? I care about you both sweetie, believe me, I really do.”
“Well, thanks then,” Bonnie said. “I know where to find you.”
Bonne closed the door and stood there thinking about the sincerity in Opal’s face and the strength in her thin cold hands.