The Nuclear Catastrophe (a fiction novel of survival) (49 page)

He dutifully gulped them down.

The holiday season was just getting into full swing, travelers passed back and forth, their arms loaded, as they searched for their departure gates, or met incoming planes. Cecil had watched them as they carelessly stepped near Althea
’
s bandaged feet. He had seen the awful wounds, and was concerned that someone would unwittingly mash into them, causing her pain. He leaned forward and extended the nub of the crutches slightly, a caution to strollers.
“
You know,
”
he said,
“
I
’
ve given some thought to your insurance problems, Thea. Before we land, I
’
m going to tell you what to do once the insurance agent arrives.
”

“
All right, Cecil,
”
replied the woman.

“
And if he gives you any static, you call me.
”

“
Yes,
”
she answered. Then after a moment she continued,
“
It
’
s very kind of you to help me. I honestly don
’
t know what I
’
d have done without you. From the day you came into that house....when that man....
”
her voice drifted off.

Cecil had been watching her, but at the mention of Carter, he turned away and pretended to observe the people in the terminal.

Finally she spoke in a soft voice.
“
It
’
s odd, don
’
t you think, that we have never discussed him?
”

Although he knew perfectly well to whom she referred, he asked,
“
Who? Carter? The man I found attacking you?
”

“
Yes,
”
she answered.

Aware that she observed him, Cecil continued to look about at the people. Why was he unwilling to discuss Carter? It was not as if he had forgotten the man. Or his foot between Carter
’
s shoulders, or the snap of the man
’
s neck. He had certainly felt no exhilaration in what he had done to the scarecrow, but he
’
d had no regrets, either. Carter
’
s death was simply a consequence of his action—and of the times.
“
What
’
s to be said, Althea?
”

She worried with the handle of her purse for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Then in a nervous tone she said,
“
I
’
ve wondered if you were ever questioned about his manner of death, Cecil.
”

At last he turned to her and looked deep into her eyes.
“
My report explained how he died, Althea, in rescuing you. Did you expect more to be made of the incident?
”

“
I hoped not,
”
she replied, meeting his gaze directly.
“
I really hoped not.
”

As he returned his attention to the passers-by, he heard her gently sigh. There would be no further mention of the wicked, drooling man who had beaten her practically senseless, then had attempted her final humiliation. He took a long draught of air and said,  "You know, Thea, the best part of these past two months has been in finding that once again I have control over my life. Do you know what I mean?
”

She laid her hand on his arm,
“
Yes, I know. During that week of White Water none of us could do anything but be swept along in its wake.
”
She paused,
“
Yes, it is nice to think that we are again our own masters.
”

They sat silently for several minutes, watching the crowd.

“
I wish you
’
d come to San Diego, Thea. It
’
s such a beautiful city.
”

“
No,
”
she answered.
“
I make changes very slowly, Cecil. I
’
ll stay on in San Mirado.
”

“
You
’
d like it there in San Diego,
”
he said.
“
I
’
d find you a little place next to my apartment. We
’
d be together a lot.
”

She slowly shook her head, making no reply.

After awhile, he asked,
“
We get along all right, don
’
t we, Thea?
”

She smiled.
“
Yes. We get along fine, Cecil. But I won
’
t make myself a burden on you. I won
’
t allow you to be my guardian any longer.
”

The loud speaker announced their flight, putting an end to the conversation. Cecil paused momentarily, as though wanting to say more, then reluctantly got to his feet.
“
That
’
s us.
”

Chapter Sixteen

Six Months After White Water

It was over. Finished. Everybody had gone except for the two of them. Theirs had been the last case on the docket, but instead of rushing out as had the others before them, they had heard the pronouncement, and remained in their chairs until the chamber emptied. After fifteen years, they had developed mutual habits, similar methods in reacting to situations, which even now, still bonded them together. A single declaration by a man in a black robe couldn
’
t undo the routine which had become second nature over the years.

He walked over and sat down beside her.

“
Well, that
’
s it, Paula. Are you happy now?
”

“
It had to be done, Frank. You know that.
”

“
Yeah, I guess, since you had obviously already decided on it.
”
He was bitter, and it showed in his speech.

“
Did you hear what the judge said?
”
asked Paula.
“
He said ours was the most amicable interlocutory he
’
d ever granted. The next time we
’
re here, it
’
ll be for the final divorce decree.
”

“
I thought it was called a dissolution,
”
Frank said.

“
Dissolution. Divorce. They amount to the same thing.
”

“
I
’
m glad you waited,
”
he said.
“
At first I thought you wouldn
’
t.
”

“
You wanted to talk, didn
’
t you?
”

  A custodian stuck his head inside, saw the man and woman in conversation, and backed out.

“
You know something, Paula? I really believed in us, in our marriage. I never figured it would end this way.
”

“
Yours is a blind faith, Frank, the kind that belongs in religion, not in a marriage.
”

“
It carried us through fifteen years,
”
he reminded her.

“
People have to be realistic about marriage, though. There
’
s so much sharing to be done, that has to be done, that the more realistic two people are, the better their chances are for success.
”
She spoke firmly.

“
I
’
m not so sure I believe that. To face reality is one thing, but if you dig too deep, you may find some things in the other person that you just can
’
t live with. That
’
s what happened to us. Until then, until that mess at White Water, we were doing fine,
”
Frank replied.

“
White Water really brought it out in the open, didn
’
t it?
”

Frank laced his fingers together, the digits becoming antagonists, pulling against each other, as he worked out his inner tension.
“
Psychiatrists say that certain things become traumatic for people, reducing their capacity to cope. A marriage breaking up, loss of a job, having to relocate—these are very stressful occurrences to most people,
”
he said.
“
I guess we are no different.
”

“
You
’
re right, I guess. In one single day we were hit with two of those, Frank. Your job, having to suddenly move. No wonder our nerves were rattled.
”

“
And now the end of our marriage. I think the only thing worse that could have happened would have been death,
”
he said thoughtfully.
“
We
’
re lucky there.
”

“
Yes, we are,
”
she agreed.

“
Say, on the way here, I went by San Mirado. Saw Cooter— they
’
re living in the same place again. Can you imagine that?
”

“
Did they ever get any of their belongings back?
”
she asked.

“
Naw. Had to buy everything to refurnish the house. Boy, was he sore! Said he should have barricaded his family inside the place and stuck it out instead of running.
”

“
Didn
’
t he know how many died from the radiation?
”

“
Oh yeah, but it doesn
’
t seem so bad to him right now.
”

“
Cooter is stupid,
”
she said matter of factly.

“
Oh, I don
’
t know,
”
he said.
“
I heard that Flo and her husband moved to Texas. Did you know that
’
s where they came from originally?
”

“
No. But I really liked Flo. God, she could tell the funniest stories I ever heard,
”
answered Paula with a hint of sadness.

“
I wish now that I hadn
’
t let the house go to the mortgage company. If I
’
d kept up with the payments I
’
d have probably moved back to San Mirado, too,
”
Frank announced.
“
It was a nice place.
”

“
Didn
’
t I try to tell you to either hang on to it or else wait for a sale? But once again, you never listened to anything I had to say.
”

He threw her a disgusted look.
“
It
’
s great for you to run around dishing out advice, especially when I
’
m the one who had to make the payments. In case you have forgotten, Paula, the money tree went out with Santa Claus.
”

“
Even so, you should have tried to keep the house until it could be sold. Crap, no wonder the judge thought ours was a peaceful divorce, there wasn
’
t anything to fight over,
”
she snapped at him.

“
Except the kids.
”

“
Oh well, why squabble over them? Children are always better off with their mother, there
’
s no question about what
’
s best for them. Besides, a father rarely wants the responsibility of the kids, anyway,
”
she said.
“
At least none that I
’
ve heard about.
”

“
That
’
s not true. I told you that I
’
d take them. That I wanted them. But no, nothing doing.
”