Category : Notes/work

Sub Category : N/A

Memorial Day Weekend 2013

It was Friday morning and I woke up at approximately 9am to a note on the kitchen table that read: 
            
"Good morning honey - I had to run out and take care of some business so just relax and I'll be back soon. Here's a few cigarettes to get you through until I get back. Love, Richie"

The same old song and dance that happened time and time again. It was never just "I'll be back soon." It was  several hours later each time. On one occasion, he didn't return till the following day and when I called his phone, it went directly to voicemail. Allegedly, his phone was dead but I knew he'd deliberately turned it off. For one who despised deceitful people, truth be told, he was one himself. Where I came from, we defined those people as "the shamming pretenders." This time I swallowed my pride and not one time did I consider texting, nor calling his ass. 

The afternoon had come and gone, transitioning over to the early evening hours. This was nothing new when Rich went on his little excursions so now I was hellbent of going on one myself. It was a Friday night and there was no way in hell I was sitting around this gloomy apartment all by my lonesome. I was beginning to feel like these walls were closing in on me and it was pretty small to begin with. I was going to the tavern across the road. For once, it was going to be about me while this selfish prick did his own thing.

It was 6:30pm and the evenings were still relatively chilly, so I changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, put my hair in a ponytail. Then, I went to my cash stash where I hid some money in a balled up sock, grabbed $30, stuffed it in my purse and out the door I went. I had no idea where he was, when he was coming back and by this time I wasn't the least bit concerned. 

I went across the road to the Avonia Tavern, a little country bar out in the rural surroundings of Downtown Erie. Located approximately eleven miles west of the city limits. On Friday nights the tavern hosted karaoke and drew in crowds from all around. The only bar in the vicinity and the ideal place for people to go without the burden of law enforcement officers pulling them over. Generally, the cops stayed in the municipalities and on  the State Highways. They very seldom made an appearance in these rural areas, unless they were called out for a traffic accident or disturbance. With that being said, you'd be lucky to see one pass by once or twice a month. That's why so many people congregated at these types of places. 

I was familiar with some of the folks who hung out there, Rich's youngest sister worked there as a bartender on   the weekends to supplement her income. Natalie was my age, at the time we were both thirty-six. She was a single mother of two youth children and worked two jobs just to support them. We became friends and I had so much respect for her, being the hardworking mother that she was. Natalie and Rich didn't see eye to eye,  along with his other relatives. He had stolen from them repeatedly and always promised to transform himself into a better person. They all grew tired of hearing the same old bullshit over and over again. When I reflect back on those dreadful days, I can relate to each of them. 

The parking lot was full, many of what were jacked up four-wheel drive trucks and I could hear the sound of country music blaring out from inside the building. It was still light outside and before I walked into the entrance there was a man already passed out in the grassy area to the left side of the doorway,  laying on the ground with a cowboy hat over his face and a bottle of Budweiser tipped over a few inches away from his sprawled out left arm. I just chuckled and walked inside. 

The place was crowded and I made my way up to the bar to order a drink. It was only 6:45pm but it was a holiday weekend and everyone had begun early. The bar was full, people were surrounding the pool tables, the dance floor was occupied by ladies dancing with their cowboys to the  karaoke music sung by the many participants who were pushing impairment. 

As I waited to order,  here came Natalie from the the back room "hey girl,  how are you? Glad he let you finally come over" She said with a big surprising smile on her face. 
 
"Hey sweetie, I'm ok I guess. He didn't exactly have a choice." I replied. 

Natalie just chuckled and rolled her eyes. "What happened now?  Did he leave you hanging again?" She questioned. 

"He always does." I answered. 

"Well say no more girl, I  know exactly what your saying. Why do you think Annie took the kids and left him? He did the same thing to her and she'd had enough." She explained. 

"Hmmm...that's funny because the story he told me was much different than that." I replied. Cogitating on what I just heard as the anger continued to build up inside of me. 

"Why doesn't that surprise me." She replied with frustration. "Anyhow,  what are you drinking honey?" 

"Just give me a bottle of Coors Light I guess" 

"Gotcha, I'll be right back."

Wow, just another fucking lie,  I thought to myself. This whole thing was all nothing but a story and I was naive, I fell for it and now I'm so far up the crick, not only without a paddle, but a canoe that was falling apart around me. I wish I could just go home and put this nightmare behind me once and for all. Was it going to get better at some point? I really wasn't sure but it felt seemingly impossible. Screw it, I was still getting hammered, at least that way I wouldn't have to feel anything. My family gave up so what did I have to lose?  Nothing...absolutely nothing at all. 

I sat down at the last bar stool in the corner of the "L shaped" bar,  scrounging through my Louis Vuitton purse for my cash. 

"Here you go girl." Bringing me a frosted over bottle of Coors Light and setting it in front of me. 

"Thanks hon,  how much do I owe you?" I asked,  pulling out a twenty dollar bill. 

"Your money is no good here." She said. "It's on the house and I'm just glad you finally decided to grace me with your presence, besides that, you paid your dues by putting up with Richie." She smiled and winked. 

"No, no, no!  I'm paying you for my drink." I demanded

"Listen,  just chill out and I'll be finished here in a little while and we'll have a few cold ones together, my mom has the kids tonight so I'm free til tomorrow." As she slowly walked away to serve another happy customer. 

"Sounds great!  Thank you Nat. You're a doll. I smiled back as she walked away. 

The night went on and I hadn't felt so much freedom in a long time. It felt nice to just have a change of scenery and time to myself. I was precluded from any place that didn't involve him and deep down I knew there would be hell to pay for being in a bar without him,  I just prayed that he'd stay out all night again. I was now on my fourth beer and it was 9:00pm,  the place was amusing with all the intoxicants and I just hung out with Nat and a few of her friends where we ended up sitting at a table off to the side in the other opened area where the karaoke was taking place. It was four of us ladies getting a little tipsy and laughing at all the entertainment happening around us. 

The next time I checked the time on my phone it was pushing 11:30pm. Still not one missed call and I was pretty well wasted. I had lost count of  the beers I had consumed but it was at the minimum seven beers and two Alabama Slammers. I knew it was getting to be that time to head back to the scanty little place I needed to lay my head down at night. 

I was getting ready to walk out the door,  giving my friend a hug and as I turned around to leave here came Rich charging through the door,  furious and seeing red. 

'Ohhh shit...here we go!' Was the last thought that came to my mind before he grabbed me by the left arm with a grasp so tight it hurt my arm, dragging me to the back of the tavern into a hallway that led to the restroom. 

" Let go of me asshole your hurting me." I shouted. Embarrassed by the way he snagged me up like I was meaningless. Tears began to stream down my face. 

"You fucking bitch! Why did you come over here?  I told you to never come over here without me.. Stop it...I said stop crying you fucking whore!" His fierce voice became unpleasantly loud as his irritation grew far more intense. Then Natalie ran over an chimmed in. 

"What the hell is going on bro, why are you doi--"

Rich turned to his sister and shouted "Mind your own damn business chump, I'm sure you couldn't wait to talk a bunch of bullshit to my girlfriend like your notorious at---"

"At what Richie? Telling the truth because you sure don't!" Natalie's face turned beat red as she gripped tightly onto the neck of an empty MGD bottle, as if she was taking precautions due to the escalation of her brothers anger. 

"Are you ok?" She asked me in a sympathetic voice, grabbing both of my hands with her own. 

"Yes, I'll be fine." I replied. Still shaken up and apprehensive. 

"Let's go right now!" Rich strongly declared. As his wandering eyes were glancing around each area of the tavern to ensure that nobody was aware of the transpiring conflict. 

"Call me if you need anything at all girl, I mean that ok? And you back off her bro because she did nothing wrong,  I invited her over here and was with me the whole ent---"

"Fuck you Natalie!  Let's go now!" As he forcefully escorted me out the door by the sleeve of my Penn State hoodie. 

It was now close to the midnight mark. Rich finally released my sleeve once we got outside and I peacefully followed a few feet behind while making our way back to the apartment. I just wanted to pass out and go to sleep. I had no energy to argue, discuss or, hear another word about this topic. I stumbled and nearly fell as I walked into the driveway,  then I made it into the door where I was surprised by a hardcore blow to the face. 

THANKS FOR READING EVERYONE. STAY TUNED FOR MORE. 🙂