Waiting and Watching (7 page)

Andrew rolled down his side window and with mock seriousness said, “Don't you jokers have anything better to do?”

Connie sheepishly leaned over Andrew and greeted the guys at the window. “Hi, guys.”

“Hi, Connie,” Hazelton said. “Don't you want to come inside? It's kind of cold out here.”

Andrew laughed. “It's nice and warm in here guys, but I guess we'll be in shortly.” He rolled up the window and his buddies melted away into the night.

“I think I'll stay right here,” Connie said, their faces so close, her breath mixed with his. She stared at Andrew's mouth as if it were prey and she was a wildcat, ready to pounce. “Now that I've found you again,” she breathed, “there's no way I'm going back in there. You're the only one I want to be with right now. Let's go to your hotel room,” she said, surprising herself.

“Whoa.” Andrew looked at her and smiled. “In high school you were always pushing me away, but I like this new you. It's so bold and sassy.”

“I can't believe I'm saying this either, but I want to make up for all those lost years. I had to deny myself the right to grieve for you, since I knew there was no chance of us ever getting together, and now that we have, just looking at you makes me realize how terribly I've missed you.”

“Well, then, let's get going.”

“Okay, but I need to run in to get my purse and tell Julio what I'm doing. I won't be long. I promise.” She gave him a long hard kiss and scrambled back over to her side of the car. She reached for the door handle.

“You know, there's no such thing as you running in there quickly. You'll get accosted by all your old friends and never get out of there.”

“I will. I promise. Wait for me here.”

“Oh, I'm not going anywhere. Try not to take too long.”

She jumped out of the car and headed inside. She couldn't find Julio and as Andrew predicted, she was accosted by old classmates whom she hadn't spoken to yet. She was frustrated at not seeing Julio and all the delays. Suddenly, an arm swooped under hers and a voice said, “I see you need rescuing. Let me help you out of here.”

Connie looked up to see Martin smiling down at her. “Thanks. I'm desperate to get out of here.”

“Follow me. I just talked to Andrew and he sent me to get you. I also told Julio what's going on, so hang on and follow me. Andrew left his car running while he was waiting for you and he thought he'd run out of gas, so he went for gas. Get in my car and I'll run you to the gas station. I parked my car right by a secret side entrance.”

“Martin, what would I do without you looking out for me?”

“Well, it's kind of my job since we're such old friends. Being your big brother came with the territory. The truth is I'm tired of making excuses about why I'm back living with my mother.”

“Your mother is just trying to help, but you do have to get out of there, especially if you don't have any privacy. It's not healthy.”

“Trust me. I've already figured that one out for myself.”

“Why didn't you ever get married, Martin? Just never found the right one or what?”

“I'm not sure. I had a serious girlfriend in Pennsylvania and when that didn't work out, I shut down and shied away from women. You know I've always been awkward and geeky with girls.”

“Martin, maybe it's time you gained a little self-confidence. You're as good looking as the rest of the guys in our class. Did you notice that quite a few of the guys have developed beer bellies? And the hair loss…at least you have some. Maybe you should just relax and go to the After Party at the tavern and have some fun.”

“I know I should. In fact, I think I'll head over there once I drop you in Andrew's loving arms.” He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Sounds good,” she said.

“You don't mind if I stop by my place to pick up some cash, do you? It won't take a second. I'll run in through the garage.”

“No problem,” Connie said, inwardly gnashing her teeth while trying to sound casual and nonchalant. She wanted to get back to Andrew so badly she could hardly stand it.

Martin pulled into his garage and said, “I know you're in a hurry, but I want to show you something really fast. Be quiet so my mother doesn't hear us or neither one of us will get out of here.”

Connie reluctantly got out of the car and followed Martin through the garage.

“The hall light is out,” Martin said. “Come on. I'll guide you.”

When his hand cupped her elbow, Connie grudgingly took a step inside.

Sunday, September 7, 1986

Connie woke up groggy and disoriented. The room was pitch black. She felt a soft mattress under her and for a moment thought she was in Andrew's hotel room. Her last memory was of frustration. She remembered being in the car with Martin, on her way to meet Andrew. Connie tried to move, but couldn't. Her hands and feet were tied to the bed. Her heart pounded with the realization that she was in danger. A scream began to well up in her throat, which never came out.

From out of the darkness came a deep, vibrating, guttural voice that had the sound of being modified by some kind of apparatus. “Did you have a good rest? Were you dreaming about your nigger boy? Those are naughty thoughts and you are a very bad little girl, Connie.” She couldn't…wouldn't answer.

Then the voice said, “I'm the invisible man, Connie. Did you know that? No, of course you didn't…any more than you knew I was in and out of your life all those years ago like a wraith. Mostly, you never noticed, but that's alright, pretty girl, because now you're going to make up for all those lost years. And you're going to do it without ever seeing that black bastard boyfriend of yours again.”

A faint light came on in the corner of the room, and what Connie saw there terrified her. A large figure dressed in a black robe loomed in the gloomy light. A black executioner's hood obliterated all human features from the sinister figure, except for two glinting eyes.

Dark black and purple wings flapped slowly as the menacing creature advanced on her. He was holding a large black vulture, which he placed on a stand next to the mattress. The vulture was making crowing sounds as he looked over her body.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?” Connie demanded.

The monster laughed, and then the light suddenly went out. He spoke again in that gravelly, vibrating voice. “You just don't get it, do you, Connie? I watch you from afar and you don't see me. But I've seen you for what you really are behind that pretty face. You're a hypocrite and whore.”

He went silent then, but she could still hear his heavy breathing and feel his threatening presence watching her. A whore she was not, but what did he mean by calling her a hypocrite?

“Please,” she pleaded. “Don't hurt me. Is Martin here? Where is Martin? What have you done with him?” Connie screamed.

She got no answer. Instead, the frightening caw of the bird broke the silence as it flew over her head, and then around the room. The flapping of its wings stirred her hair when it came close enough to attack her, if it chose. Connie struggled with the ropes that bound her. “Who are you? What do you want?” she screamed at him.

The eerie voice answered. “Figure it out, bitch.”

Connie could hear him walking around the bed, and heard the flapping sounds of the large, diaphanous wings. Suddenly a light focused directly into her eyes, and she was blinded. She winced and closed her eyes tightly against the glare. “You're a stupid, ignorant cow and you need to pay for your sins.”

“Please tell me. What did I do to you?”

“You know what you did. And now you need to redeem yourself. I'm going to help you.”

“Oh, God. Please believe me. I'm sorry for whatever I did,” whispered Connie. “Whoever you are, I never meant to hurt you or anyone else.”

“Saying you're sorry doesn't change anything. Perhaps feeling some of the pain you caused others will help cleanse your conscience.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she said, desperate to keep her captor talking.

He let out a soft, low, deranged laugh that grew into a taunting, maniacal shriek as she felt a cold hand run slowly up one leg. “So soft. So delicate,” he whispered. “You're mine now. Finally.”

Terrified tears streamed down Connie's cheeks. The light went out and her captor walked away. She could hear him whistling out of tune as he busied himself with something. She closed her eyes, held her breath and tried not to contemplate the possible horrific tortures he might be preparing for her. Perhaps she fainted, because the next thing she knew, he was gently running a knife tip up and down her legs. She closed her eyes and held her breath. Suddenly he cut her hands free and she felt him throw something over her.

“This is our special night, Connie, and I want you to look your best.”

Connie was terrified and confused. In the darkness, it felt like a dress, a taffeta dress with a crinoline underskirt. The texture of it brought back the memory of a pink sweetheart topped dress she had worn to Andrew's junior prom. “What is this?” Connie asked in a hushed voice.

“You wore it to the prom the year you were supposed to go with me. But you broke our date to go with someone else, and we both know who that someone was, don't we, Connie?”

“Martin?” Connie couldn't believe it. “You're my friend, Martin. Why are you doing this?”

“You're getting smarter by the minute, bitch. But you still got to get a little smarter.”

“Martin, we planned to go together since I was afraid my parents wouldn't let me date Andrew. Don't you remember? I confided in you. I wasn't sure what my parents would say about going with an older black boy. You offered to take me so I could meet Andrew there. You and I weren't really going to the dance together; you know that.”

“Put the dress on!” Martin yelled.

“I will, if you free my feet.”

“Of course, my darling,” Martin said softly. “I only want to dance with you.” Martin took the knife and cut the rope tied around her feet.

Connie's mind was racing as she stood up and slowly unzipped her expensive couture gown and stepped out of it. Naked except for her panties, she braced herself for an attack. Connie believed Martin intended to rape her.

She stepped quickly into the taffeta dress and pulled up the zipper under her arm.

“No need to bother with that,” Martin said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her across the room with surprising strength for such a scrawny man.

Pinning her to the wall, he turned on the overhead light. It cast a dim, gloomy aura about the room, but Connie could finally see where she was. It was a bedroom decorated with unremarkable furniture, probably hand-me-downs with posters hanging on the wall. The light was too dim to distinguish what was on the posters, but it seemed like the room of a teenager.

Martin dragged her towards a boom box and pushed the start button. The old song,
Goodnight My Love
, began to play. Still wearing the long black robe, Martin held Connie tightly to his chest and pushed her head down against his shoulder. He swayed to the music and said in his whispery voice, “We dance so well together, my darling.”

Dancing slowly around the room with Martin, Connie looked out the window. Her stomach turned, and she would have passed out if Martin hadn't been holding her so tightly. It was the view from her old bedroom window. Martin had made her a prisoner in her own bedroom.

Connie caught a glimpse of a doll in the corner of the room. The doll's eyes were missing. Its cadaverous, smiling face was horrifying and mocking, but it was familiar to her. She realized it was the doll her Grandfather had given to her. She loved the doll and one day it suddenly disappeared. Connie realized now that her precious doll had been a victim just like her. Connie was certain she was going to die here, just like her parents. The shrill cry of the vulture mimicked her worst fears.

Connie prayed silently, so as to not raise Martin's ire. She looked back over to the window and saw her mother's face reflected in the glass. The vision didn't scare Connie; instead it reassured her. Her mother didn't say anything, but she smiled her kindly smile and silently communicated to Connie that she was there to protect her.

Andrew was tired of waiting in the car. He turned the motor off and walked into the party. Julio was at the bar. Andrew walked over to him and asked, “Hey, where's Connie?”

“I might be asking you the same thing,” Julio said.

“She came back to the party to tell you she was leaving with me and to get her purse. I've been waiting for over twenty minutes and she still hasn't come outside.”

“If she came back into the party, she never told me she was leaving with you. I suspected it when I saw you both walk outside together and then rumors surfaced that you two were playing ‘kissy face' in the car,” Julio said, smiling.

“Do you mean you haven't seen her since Connie and I left about an hour ago?”

“No,” Julio said.

“And, she didn't come in here to tell you she was leaving with me?”

“No,” Julio repeated.

“Where then…Where in the hell is she?” Andrew asked with obvious concern.

“She's probably in the ladies' room gossiping or having a cig with the girls.”

“Man, I hope you're right. It seems kind of odd since she promised she'd be right out. Let's walk over to the Ladies' Room and send in a search party.”

As they walked toward the women's bathroom, Andrew recognized Sally Mullins and asked her if she would go in and see if Connie was there. Sally came out a few minutes later and said no one was in there.

“Let's check our rental car,” Julio said. “Maybe she left me a note there.”