Chapter 32: 2000

Finally summer and warm weather. I hate the cold. Damn if I didn’t! And then it was June ‘00, and a hundred and three degrees, true cowboy weather. I’d been watering a potted plant on the three-foot-high walkway wall in front of our place. Now I had me a cowboy visitor. A Mexican fella name of Hector Hernandez!

“You’re out!” I said, and I said it loud enough to be heard in the Philippines.

Hector had been dropped off at our place by Rein who’d waved and cut country after dumping the man off.

“I am so fucking glad I was chosen to cover your ass. And yes, mister Bach told me everything!” said Hector. “I came here first. I haven’t even seen Lorena yet.”

“Well, you best hurry yourself up then, or she may finally divorce your too tall ass,” I said.

“Yes, and you’re coming with me, okay?” he said.

“Huh? Well, okay, I guess. And my wife?” I said. The big man smiled. “Yeah, Reinhard told me you were married, to a con, right?”

“Yes, like so many of us,” I said.

We headed to the super-mart to interrupt my wife’s weekly shopping spree. She was going to be surprised, maybe a little miffed, but eventually happy.

We arrived, parked, and headed inside the giant complex. I knew where to look—women’s clothes.

“There she is,” I said. Hector looked, saw, and smiled.

“You outdid yourself,” he said. “She’s a nice-looking gal for sure.”

“Actually, Rein did the choosing; I just did a lot of nodding.”

“Okay, well good then.”

We came up to her. “Uh honey, I have someone for you to meet.” Sarah turned, kind of abruptly, and stared.

“Chase! What?”

“Sarah Benedict, I’d like to introduce you to Hector Hernandez. He’s a friend of mine and late of Winslow. We were together for many years.” She gave me a look, a questioning look.

“Nice to meet you, Missus Benedict,” he said.

“Yes, yes, me too,” she said. “So, this is ‘the’ Hector?”

“Yes, he is,” I said. “He’s out and I need to ask you to join us for a little trip to his wife’s house. He’s needing some back up.”

She glanced at her half-filled cart. “Okay,” she said. “I guess I can do this later.” We left her cart where it was and we headed out. The trip to Gilbert took half an hour. I left my Buick at the store, and we took Sarah’s used BMW—she drove.

“You sure we’re doing the right thing showing up with you not even having seen your wife yet?” I said, as we drove.

“No, no, she knew I was getting out today, and I told her I might get dropped off at your place first,” said Hector. “Rein knows where you live obviously. It’s all good.”

“Okay then,” I said.

“Hector! Finally!” said Lorena Hernandez. The greetings and what all went on for some minutes. Then my wife and Hector’s wife went kitchenward and did the cooking thing.

“So, your husband and you?” said Lorena.

“Yes, Chase and I have been doing good. But I have a question?”

“Okay?”

“If I understand correctly, you haven’t seen your husband in thirty-some years. Are you sure it’s okay for us being here? I mean now...” said Sarah.

“Yes, it’s fine. It’s because of Chase that my Hector is finally out. And to be clear, he and I have seen each other some over these last ten years—visitations by me at the prison and at his hearing more recently. I knew he was getting out, and he did let me know he’d be coming home today; he called from Winslow. I knew mister Bach might be dropping him at your place first. I didn’t know you guys were coming over, but it’s all good. Very good,” she said.

“We have talked, you and I, some. I mean when we came by that one time at the Lutz’s and at our wedding. But can I ask, are you nervous?”

“A little. Like I say Hector and I have talked, but until he kissed me fifteen minutes ago, it was the first time we’d physically touched in thirty-five years. Tonight, there will be a lot of touching,” she said. The two women laughed.

“At any rate, Chase and I will skedaddle after lunch,” said Sarah. “You can get an early start on tonight.”

And we did skedaddle after lunch and that about two hours after having arrived. We didn’t have to guess what the reunited couple’s plans were for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

“That was nice,” said Sarah. “I like Lorena. We talked, obviously, while we were alone doing the cooking. She told me some stuff about how things were for them over the years. Well, and you and I have some understanding about that.”

“Yes we do, and I gotta tell yuh, again; I’m feeling good about the future for us,” I said. “There is still a lot of rows to hoe, and we will, but I do feel good about things.”

“Yes, and me too,” she said. “And, Chase, I have some ideas about some of that. I mean having learned a lot about how things are with the Benedicts, Cartons, Coopers, as well as the Lutzes and Hernandezes; I have some thoughts and you have to listen to me; well, once I’ve got them organized, my thoughts that is.”

“And I will listen. We are, in point of fact, still newlyweds; but I have already come to respect your judgment. What can be done will be done; I promise,” I said.

“Good,” she said.

I was polishing glassware after the day’s lunch time rush. One thing about the Javelina, there were a number of businesses within walking distance of the front entrance, and we did get a pretty good lunch crowd most days. There had been quite a few customers talking and eating and drinking during lunch today, but things had quieted down for the moment. They’d be picking up again around 4:00 p.m.

I did have one visitor walking in the door at the moment. “And hello to you, Missus Cooper,” I said.

“Chase,” she said, greeting me in turn. “Got a minute?”

“Yes, I guess I can pull myself away from the housework for a few,” I said. She smirked, turned around, and headed toward a booth securing it. I motioned to Larry my college squire who had been cleaning tables and generally making things easy on me. He’d be handling the bar for the next few.

“How are things going?” she said.