Scenes From Her Life: Second and Third (or more)
Ten minutes later Teddy was sitting in the back of a dark sedan, pulling into the darkened parking lot of her apartment building.
There are no lights anywhere, until they pull into the parking space across from the one with the 1991 Suburban. Suddenly an outside light blinks on and the front door of A-12 swings open. Teddy rolls her eyes and turns to Dee. "I knew it was too much to hope she'd be asleep."
"Don't you worry, kiddo. You go get your stuff. I'll deal with this."
"You have no idea."
"I've dealt with mother's before." Looking out at the dark haired woman who has suddenly appeared, she smiles. "She doesn't look so tough."
"Okay. I'll just be a couple minutes." Teddy squares her shoulders and steps out of the car.
"Where the hell have you been?! I've been worried sick. You've been gone all day! And who the hell is this?"
"I called you, Mom. This is Dee and Bill. I'm going in to get a few things. We'll be leaving in a minute. No problems."
"Leaving? Where do you think your going?! You are not leaving me here by myself! I had a really bad day at work. Young bitches calling me 'old'! Who the hell do they think they are?"
"I'm sorry you had a bad day at work, Mom. I really have to go."
"Where? You just got that damn job at the nursery. You're quitting it?! I knew you would. You always quit everything!"
"No, Mom. That's you. I never get to . . ."
Dee's hand on her shoulder. "Go on up and get packed. We'll explain things to your mom. Okay?"
"Sure."
As Teddy is packing she can hear most of the really loud conversation going on down below.
"Who the hell do you people think you are? That's my daughter up there. She's never been anywhere without me! She won't leave this building when I tell her to stay!"
"Ms. Jackson, I am sorry that you were worried about your daughter. She has been in good hands, at least for the last couple of hours. I'm not sure you'd have had that much to worry about to begin with. She's a grown woman, after all. I'm sure she can take care of herself."
The sound of her mother's derisive laughter puts ice in her veins and tears come to her eyes. "That Ms. Bitch is where you are wrong. Since that 'woman' was 8 years old, I've been the only one taking care of her. She couldn't get down the street if it wasn't for me!"
The next part of the conversation is muffled for some reason, but Teddy hears Dee respond. "I find that difficult to believe! She seems like a pretty level headed gal to me. Maybe she just needs to break loose for a little while. It'll do her a world of good coming with us."
"With you? Who are you?"
Teddy stills herself to hear Dee's response. "We work in the entertainment industry. Our boss has taken an interest in your daughter and has asked her to come with us for awhile."
Teddy almost laughs out loud. Dee's voice is steady and even, but she must be seething.
"'Entertainment'? Oh, I'm sure. What, some fly by night thing? Like that modeling agency when she was 14. You remember how well that turned out?!" The last part she shouts up the stairs.
"You aren't 14 anymore, Teddy. I can't threaten people with jail this time!"
Teddy comes slowly down the stairs, a suitcase in her right hand. She is waiting for soemthing she hasn't heard, yet, but knows is coming. The second her mother sees the case it is as if a switch has been flipped.
Tears appear from nowhere. "You can't do this! You know what will happen to me!"
Dee looks hard at Teddy. Teddy just shakes her head.
Down on the floor now, Teddy's mother puts her hand on her daughter's leg. "You can't leave me! I'm warning you!"
"Mom, please, stop. You're being ridiculous. I'll call before we leave tomorrow night. You'll know where I am. You won't have to worry about me."
Screaming now and pulling at Teddy. "You can't! How can you be so heartless? I told you! You can't do it!"
Teddy's stomach lurches and she pulls hard away from the older woman's grasp. "I'm not a baby any more, mother. I haven't believed that in a long time. Why I've stayed I'll never know."
She walks quickly to the car and smiles at Bill. He opens the door for her and she sits down, quietly and calmly.
Dee is standing, shocked, at the apartment door and moves slowly away as the other woman curls up into a fetal position at the foot of the stairs. She closes the door behind her and walks to the car and gets into the front passenger seat.
"Dear sweet freaking Heaven," she says, almost to herself, as she lights a cigarette. "That woman. . . That woman needs help."
Teddy sits back in her seat. "I know. I've been it for the last thirty-one years."
Dee looks hard at her husband and he starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot.
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Fifteen minutes later they pull into the parking area of the hotel and Bill opens the door for Teddy and offers to carry her case for her.
"No, thanks. I've got it."
"I'll take you up to the third floor, sweetie. Introduce you around. Sheri should still be up. She has this thing about practice. I swear I don't know when that girl sleeps. If you're not too much of a light sleeper yourself you two should get along fine."
Teddy laughs. "Light sleeper? I've slept through tornadoes, blizzards and at least one hurricane. I sleep like a stone."
"You'd have to, living with that woman." Dee catches herself. "Sorry."
"No. You're right. I've slept through my share of lectures and drunken tirades."
"Oh. Okay. Well, that explains it."
"Oh, No. She's not drunk tonight. She doesn't drink when she has to work. That's just her."
"Jeezus," Bill breathes.
"Funny thing. She's probably less . . . Welll, just 'less' when she's done about 10 or 12 shooters. She passes out before she gets up a good head of steam."
"Wow,"Dee says."Just wow."
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"We're all mostly on the third and fourth floors. Doc's upstairs. You know. PH." Dee smiles.
They got off the elevator and Dee moved down the hall to the right. "Sheri is a little crazy. Always wants to stay in 311. Places that don't have a 311 she makes one."
The sound of violin music reaches Teddy's ears and she smiles. "That's beautiful."
"And that's practice. Wait'll you hear her solo. Girl will knock your socks off."
Dee hammers loudly on the door as the music slows. "Take a break, hon. I got a new roomie for you!"
A girl with long black hair and large doe eye's answers the door with a bow in one hand. "Oh, hey, Dee. What about a roomie?"
"Doc invited her on the tour."
"And she's HERE why?"
Teddy stands back and tries not to hear.
"I have no idea. She seems cool, though. Quiet, mostly. Polite. Weird."
Teddy looks up to see both women smiling at her. "Funny. Really cute."
"I figure she won't be in your hair long. He'll either scare her off or she'll be 'upstairs'. I'll give it a week."
Sheri looks Teddy up and down, circling her. "Three days, tops. He's in one of his moods. They don't tend to change much."
Dee laughs, watching Teddy turn pale pink. "Don't tease her too much. I'd pay money to see her last the week."
"Seriously, though, kiddo, get some sleep. Late lunch means oneish. Somebody'll be around to get you. Be casual. Take deep breaths and don't stroke his ego too much. Insufferability is not one of his most endearing qualities."
"I'll try to remember." Walking to the older woman she reaches for her hand. "Thank you for everything. Especially bearing with my mother."
"No problem, Teddy." Dee takes her hand and pulls her into a hug. "I like you. I don't say that about everybody."
Teddy smiles when the woman pulls away. "I'll see you tomorrow. After the "date" he'll probably drag you to the theater and make you watch him play 'boss'. Try not to laugh too hard. He really does know what he's doing."
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Minutes later, Teddy is sitting on a still made bed looking out the window.
"Hey, if you need ear plugs I got a bunch."
"No. I'm fine. I love your music. Is it you playing on the last album or do they get studio people?"
"Actually, it was me this time. Doc wanted me to learn the new arrangements for a couple of the older songs."
"He played my favorite for me tonight. I remember the violin from the album. You really compliment his piano."
"Thanks. That's high praise. He's a master."
"Actually, I love violin. It's probably my favorite instrument. I wish I had had a chance to learn when I was a kid. Piano you can sort of fake, but real violin gives me chills. And that is real violin."
"Thanks. Doc, said something like that to me when I first started with him a couple years back. Real sweet."
Sheri walks into the bathroom and out again, smiling. "Don't know about you, but I've got a long day tomorrow. I hate to fly and . . .."
Teddy sleeps soundly and quickly. Sheri takes a blanket off the stand by the closet and carries it to the bed, carefully laying it over the sleeping woman. She hears a murmur and bends to catch it and stands up smiling. "Three days, max."
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