Knock, Knock. Who’s There? Midge of Course
Paige – Chapter Fifteen
The Morning After
Ugh, my head feels like someone took a sledgehammer to the side of it and for good measure kicked me between the eyes. I sit up and squint at the bright sun shining through my bedroom window. Rhonda comes in the room singing, “Good morning, good Morning, it’s time to start a brand-new day. Good Morning, good morning to you.”
“Please, make it stop. My head feels like it’s going to explode.” I flop back on the bed and pull my pillow over my head to muffle her damn cheerful ass singing. “I see your drunk ass is awake finally.
Still under my pillow and slightly muffled, “Yeah Rhonda, that’s at the top of my list.” She disappears and returns with the little white pills that will hopefully put an end to this vibrational hell I’m in. Just her shuffling across the floor is making my head pound. I swallow my salvation and drag myself into the shower allowing the hot spray to sluice over me for like five minutes. I need to get my head on straight, so I can make the trip up to Kansas City. Thankfully, I had written down Jessica Collins address before Cody had ripped the journal out of my hand.
Finding Jessica may be an extremely bad idea and spending the rest of my life wondering will be far worse. I’m going for it and I’m not changing my mind. I’m dressed and make my way downstairs where Rhonda is making breakfast. “Do you know how much I love you?” Rhonda starts snickering, “Uh yeah you told me repeatedly last night how much you love me in your drunken stupor.” Laughing, “Yeah I was pretty drunk on wine when you got here last night. “Paige are you sure you want to disrupt your life and break-up someone else’s wedding just to prove a point?”
I Can’t Help it, I Love Him
I sigh, cross my arms on the table and lay my head down on top of them. I sit like this for what seems like forever but after only a minute I raise my head up, “I cannot live my life on what could have been. I know it’s crazy, but I have never felt this way about anyone and I know Cody feels the same way about me. I’ve fallen in love with him. Whatever happens, I’m prepared for the consequences and I will make peace with whatever way this falls.”
Rhonda is studying me closely and gives me that resigned look of hers, “All right honey, let’s do this. The faster we find Miss Jessica, the sooner you can move on with your life. I’ll load up the car, while you get ready to go.”
Looking around my living room, I see Mr. Darcy laying in the sunlight and stretching out on the floor. “Hey there Mister, are you hungry? Let’s get you a cat treat.” I rub his head and wish I could be as care free as he is right now.
We’ve been on the road for about an hour and a half and as we get closer to the desired address, the bigger the knot in my stomach grows. “Hey Rhonda, how are we doing on time?” Looking at her phone, “Well according to Waze, we should arrive in about ten minutes.”
Moment of Truth
Ten minutes, six-hundred seconds, three songs on the radio, a lifetime, and no time at all. “So, have you thought about what you’re going to say when she opens the door?” I look over at Rhonda and shake my head. “If I had thought about any of this, I probably wouldn’t be in your car headed to see Jessica in the first place.” Rhonda sighs, “Well you’d better think of something, because her apartment is coming up on the left. I’ll just park the car while you contemplate your plan of destruction.”
What am I doing? This is insane, stupid, and selfish. “You’re coming with me, right?” Rhonda raises her right eyebrow at me. “Seriously? Do you not know me? Of course, I’m coming with you.” Rhonda expels a loud breath, “Girl you need all the help you can get and I’m not about to leave you hanging the one time you have lost your ever lovin’ mind.”
“Thanks for having my six girlie.” We pull up in front of the apartment complex and Rhonda parks on the street. Good if we need to make a fast get away, this will be a great spot. “Alright girl, moment of truth, go fight for your man.” I reach down for the door handle and my hand is shaking like crazy. I push through and jerk it open hearing Rhonda exiting the car on the other side.
Walking up to the apartment, I try to figure out what I’m going to say. Hey Jessica, Hi, I’m Paige and I’m in love with your fiancé and as a result I’m taking him. Nope that won’t work. Hi Jessica, I’m Paige and Cody is mine. Yeah, that’s probably not gonna work either.
Before I know it, I’m standing in front of her door. I pause, take a deep breath, and expel it. Knock, Knock, Knock. No answer, I guess she could be out. I knock once more pounding louder. If she was in the bathroom, she wouldn’t hear the knocking. Boom, Boom, Boom.
A Cup of Tea Will Fix Most Things
Abruptly the door across the breeze way from Jessica’s apartment opens. “Excuse me, I heard you knocking on my neighbor’s door, are you looking for Jessica and Cody?” A woman, about my Mom’s age, is standing in her doorway in yoga gear giving me a concerned questioning look. “Hi, I’m Paige, I’m looking for Jessica Collins, do you know where she is?”
“Hon, are you a friend of Jessie’s?” She’s giving me the same look I’ve seen a million times from my Dad when he had to give someone sad news. “Jessica and I have an acquaintance in common. I needed to ask her some questions about him.”Like why in the hell is Cody coming after me when they’re supposed to be getting married soon. “Do you know where I can find her, it’s really important that I talk to her today.” Before I lose my nerve.
“Hon why don’t you and your friend come in and join me for my morning tea. Everything always seems better after a hot cup of tea.” I pause looking confused as to why a perfect stranger would invite two other strangers into her apartment. She doesn’t know us from Adam. “Thank you ma’am but I’m kind of in a rush this morning, I’ll just come back later and try to catch her at home.”
“Hon, you won’t be catching Jessie at home later. Seriously, just come in and I’ll tell you where you can find Jessie. I hate to have this conversation out here on the landing. I can tell you’ve got something heavy weighing you down.” Extending her hand toward me, “I’m Midge, and I don’t bite, I promise.”
“Hi Midge, we don’t want to intrude.” She waves us in, “It’s always nice to talk to young people, besides I rarely get visitors anymore.” Rhonda and I look at each other and follow Midge into her apartment. Safety in numbers, plus how dangerous could a 50 something woman be?
Midge gestures for us to sit at a small table and chairs in front of the sliding glass door. “I’ll just get the tea and bring it over.” Rhonda and I sit down and I’m wondering why Midge is being so cryptic about Jessica. Within minutes, she’s coming out of the kitchen with a full tea service of cups, cream and sugar and a beautiful tea pot. “Midge thank you for the hospitality, but we can’t stay long. I really just need to know where I can find Jessica so I can be on my way.”
Realization Sets In
Midge slowly pours us each a cup of tea, placing them in front of us. She motions for us to help ourselves to cream and sugar. “Hon, I’m afraid I have some sad news about Jessie. I didn’t want to tell you outside. I figured Jessie wouldn’t want me to do that.” Where is she going with this? Taking a sip of her tea, Midge continues, “You see hon, Jessica had a bad accident about eight months ago.” Midge reaches across the table and places her hand over mine. “Jessie had gone out to her favorite bakery and some fella decided to rob it when she was there in line. She was accidently shot and died at the scene.”
I just stared at her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. My body started shaking and tears just started rolling down my cheeks. Oh my God, how could she be dead. He wasn’t cheating on her with me. He was trying to forget her with me. There’s not going to be a wedding.
“Hon, I know that this is probably a shock. I still can’t believe she’s gone myself. Cody, her fiancé, keeps paying for her apartment. He was so devastated he couldn’t bear to clean out her stuff.”
I look up at her kind face as she gently pats my hand. I’ve got to get out of here, this is too much. Rhonda can read my body language and knows I’m about to bolt. “Paige, we really need to go.” I jump up from my seat, “Midge, thank you so much for your kindness and the tea. We need to get back to Alma. I’m so sorry to hear about your neighbor, it sounds like she was a special person.”
Midge looks confused and concerned. “I know this must be hard, did you know Jessie well?” I shake my head, “To be honest, I really didn’t know her at all. I just needed to talk to her, but I guess I’ll need to get my answers from Cody now. I’m so sorry for your loss Midge but I really need to go.”
Rhonda and I get up and move toward her front door, “Hon, I hope you can find whatever it is your looking for.” I turn and give Midge a half-hearted smile, “Me too, I just hope it’s not too late.” In a fog, I somehow stumble to Rhonda’s car and get in. I’m completely numb.
I Smell a Storm Coming
Rhonda reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Paige, are you alright?” Staring straight ahead I mumble something inaudible and shake my head back and forth. “Well I guess you’ll be wanting to find Cody right away, huh.” Rhonda starts the car and we get underway back to Alma, to the place where all this began.
Rhonda pulls up to my house and wordlessly I fumble for the door handle to stumble out. I’ve been silently sobbing the whole way back to Alma. “Paige, do you need me to come in with you?” With my head hung down toward my chest, I slowly shake it no. “Ok then, I’m going to go talk to Danny and see where we can find Mr. Cody so you all can talk through this thing. I’m sure there are lots of words that’ll just start falling out when you see him.” “Rhonda, thanks for driving and going up to the apartment with me. I don’t think I could do any of this without you.” Rhonda winks at me, “Girl, there ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Now go on and rest up for that word tornado that’s about to hit Mr. tall dark and handsome.”
