Mothers Daze

Poor Lenny. Things go from bad to worse in this adventure, which picks up immediately after the events in Fallout. All the usual disclaimers apply.

Carmine awoke and saw Laverne staring down at him like she’d never seen him before. Of course she hadn’t, not like this; all disheveled from sleep first thing in the morning. Still the look of horror in her green eyes seemed a bit much. “Laverne, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” She grabbed for her discarded sweater and slacks and began trying to tug them on simultaneously. “The mortal sin we committed, for one thing! Both of us married – that’s double the adultery. I don’t think there’s a ring of hell deep enough to cover that!”

“Whoa, wait a minute!” Carmine sat up in bed, yanking the sheet well over his midsection. “Adultery? Come on, Laverne – that’s a little strong, don’t you think?”

She stared at him wild-eyed, her sweater on backwards and her slacks halfway over her thighs. “What would you call it Carmine?”

He shrugged. “I call it comfort. Two people reaching out to each other when they were at their lowest.”

“That’s a nicer way of saying it, I’ll give you that.” She glanced into the mirror and tried to finger-comb her hair into place. “Doesn’t change the facts, though. My God, I must be completely insane.” Her arms dropped limply to her sides and she slumped against the wall. “How could I do this to Lenny? It’s bad enough the way I’ve been acting, but now this?”

“Laverne, how much of last night do you actually remember?”

She looked up. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you were a little, um, tipsy.”

“That’s no excuse, Carmine, and you know it!”

“Excuse for what?” he cried in exasperation. “What do you think we did?”

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” She stood up, clutching at the nightstand for balance.

Carmine tossed aside the bedclothes and stood up. He saw Laverne flinch, then relax when she saw that he was still wearing his sweatpants from the night before. “Geeze, you really don’t remember, do you? Laverne, we didn’t sleep together.”

She rolled her eyes. “Carmine, I know where I woke up this morning. In your bed, by your side!”

“Okay, okay, so we did sleep together! But we didn’t…you know…sleep together. Not the way you think.”

“We…wait. We didn’t?”

“No, of course not!” He walked over to her. “You think I’d really take advantage of you while you were drunk?”

She pursed her lips. “You weren’t exactly in your right mind either, Carmine.”

“Yes I was. Well, maybe not all right, but completely sober.”

“You were? Since when?”

He shrugged. “I stopped drinking after that last visit to your father’s, the one where you and I talked. Flushed all the booze down the toilet, haven’t gone near a bar…nothing.” He held out his hands and watched them tremble. He felt less jittery all over and the other, assorted pains and nausea seemed to be finally fading away.

“Wow.” Laverne reached out and touched his cheek. “That’s why you’re lookin’ so ragged. You got the shakes from going cold turkey!”

“Yeah, well, they’re getting better. And it’s kind of nice to be able to think clearly again. Which is why I know for a fact that you and I didn’t break a single marriage vow last night!”

She looked as though she were going to melt into the floor with relief. “Thank God! That would have been too much for even Len to forgive. Not that I don’t already have plenty for him to forgive me for.” Carmine led her out of the bedroom and downstairs into the kitchen. He scrounged around for some instant coffee and set a pot of water to boil. Laverne sat and watched him from the table. After he handed her a steaming mug, she said, “So, if you and me didn’t do the deed last night, what exactly did we do?”

He sat down across from her, sipping the weak coffee and grimacing. “Mostly talked.”

She nodded, frowning in concentration. “Some of it is coming back to me now.” Her green eyes met his. “You cried.”

“So did you!”

She smiled kindly, reaching out to cup his chin in her hand. “Don’t get all embarrassed.”

Carmine tried not to squirm. “I was sad. You made me feel like it was okay to let some of it out.” He sighed. “I haven’t cried in front of another human being since I was about seven. It’s not something a guy’s supposed to do.”

“Oh, yeah, God forbid a man should have a human emotion.” Laverne slumped back in her chair. “Ain’t we a pair? You haven’t been able to shed a tear and I ain’t been able to stop.”

“I shed a few last night. And I don’t see any in your eyes now.” They looked at each other over their coffee mugs and grinned. “Hey, Laverne?” he said. “Thanks for last night. For listening, and for helping me get some of this junk out.”

She stood up. “I’m glad I could help. Believe me, whatever I said or did, you helped me more. At least I got some idea what to do to make myself better.”

“That’s great, Laverne. You’re a terrific lady and I want you to be happy again.”

“You, too.” She chuckled. “The happy part, I mean, not the lady!”

He followed her to the front door. “So, what are you going to do?”

“I’m gonna start with my OB. I’ve been skipping appointments since the baby was born. Maybe he can refer me to a good shrink, or whatever I need. But first, I have to talk to my poor husband.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“How about you, Carmine?” She straightened her clothes as best she could. “What now? You’ve already started down the right road, giving up drinking. Are you gonna give Shirl a call?”

He hesitated. “You know, I once told Squiggy that he didn’t have to be his father, but I didn’t believe my own words. But maybe I was right.” He heaved a sigh. “I may not be Frank’s, but that doesn’t make him less of a father figure to me. I might not have inherited the genes of a decent man, but that doesn’t mean I can’t choose to become one. So yeah, I guess Shirley’s the person I need to start with. Lord knows she deserves an apology, if nothing else.”

“Now you’re getting it,” said Laverne.

“Yeah, well, goodbye, Laverne. And thanks again.”

“Goodbye, Carmine.” She stared at him for a moment longer, before opening the apartment door and stepping out into the hallway.

Where Lenny was standing. Holding his baby and talking to Rhonda.

Rhonda’s mouth dropped open at the sight of them framed in the doorway, disheveled and smiling, first thing in the morning. The conclusion she’d come to was as obvious as the naked shock in Lenny’s eyes.

Carmine struggled to find the right words to dispel their very wrong thoughts. He heard a strange squeak from beside him and realized it had come out of Laverne. Her eyes were huge and she seemed frozen in place. “Lenny,” he began. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

Lenny closed his eyes and gave his head a brisk shake before opening them again.

“Len, don’t,” Laverne managed. “I can explain!”

The stunned young man opened his mouth, and then snapped it shut. He handed baby Joey back to Rhonda, turned, and stalked away.

Laverne started after him. “Lenny, please! I’m sorry! Don’t go!”

He paused for only a moment. “I can’t do this. This…it’s just too much.”

“Len….”

“No!” He held up one hand, still refusing to look back at his wife. “Just stay away from me, Laverne. You stay the hell away!” He ran for the stairs.

Laverne started after him, but Carmine caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

“Carmine, he thinks I betrayed him!” She tugged at him frantically. “With you, of all people…I have to explain it!”

“Yeah, you do. We both do. But not right now.”

“Let me go! I have to…!”

“He’s in no condition to hear it, Laverne.” Carmine turned her to face him, grasping both her arms. “Trust me on this. He needs to cool off first.”

She stared over her shoulder in the direction Lenny had stormed off but stopped trying to pull away. “You think? What if he goes and does something crazy?”

“It’s Lenny, Laverne. He’ll think it over and realize that there has to be a logical explanation. He knows you…us. He knows we’d never hurt him like that.” Carmine wished he were as certain as he sounded.

“I hope you’re right.” Laverne bit her lower lip. “Poor Len. After all I’ve put him through, and now this.” She shook her head.

“Um,” said Rhonda from behind them.

Laverne walked over to her. “Oh, yeah. Rhonda, I appreciate your taking care of Joey so much lately. You’ve been a real lifesaver.”

“Well, Rhonda does love the little ones.” The tall blonde still looked uncomfortable. “However, I do have an audition today.”

“No problem.” Laverne reached for the baby.

“Oh, thank you.” Rhonda handed over the tiny bundle. Laverne cradled her baby in her arms, staring down at him like she’d never seen him before.

“Laverne? You okay?” Carmine went over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at the little face peering up from between the folds of the blanket.

“Yeah. At least, I will be.” She raised the baby and kissed his forehead. He rewarded her with a gurgle and she sighed. “For his sake, and for Lenny’s, I gotta be.”

***

Lenny got into his car and pounded the steering wheel with the palms of his hands a few times before switching on the ignition. “Damn her. Damn them!” he muttered. How could Laverne have done this to him, and with one of his best friends, yet? How could Carmine let it happen, knowing how much she meant to him? Lenny knew both of them were having problems, were both maybe more than a little close to crazy, but to actually betray him and Shirley? It was beyond insane; it was downright evil.

“Well, I’ll show ‘em!” he declared, shifting into gear and peeling out of the parking lot, nearly clipping a black sedan that had been parked behind him. “Santa Barbara ain’t too far away. All I need is to get there and pick up a phonebook and look up one Mrs. Lillian Feeney! That’ll teach ‘em both!”

***

“If you hear from him, will you call me?” Laverne said into the phone. “Okay, thanks, Squig. Bye.”

She hung up and slumped dejectedly in the easy chair. She reached over and opened the vial of pills her doctor had prescribed earlier that afternoon and popped two into her mouth, chasing them down with a swig of her milk and Pepsi.

At least now she had a name for what was wrong with her. Post-partum depression, or the ‘baby blues.’ Apparently, it had been around for years, but only recently were doctors giving it a name or offering any sort of treatment. All these weeks she’d been suffering from a genuine, but treatable condition – had she bothered to make her post-delivery appointments, things probably wouldn’t have gotten so out of control.

It was a huge weight off her mind, knowing that she wasn’t just plain rotten or nuts. Chemicals, hormones, things beyond her control but not irreparable were to blame. If only her husband didn’t think she was an adulteress, they’d be celebrating right now.

The phone rang and Laverne lunged out of the chair to answer it. “Hello? Len, is that you?”

The person on the other end of the line hesitated before replying, “No, it isn’t Len. This is Stanley, his father.”

“Oh!” Laverne cleared her throat. “Well, hi, there, Mr. Kosnowski. It’s nice to meet you…on the phone at least. I’m Laverne.”

“Well, hello yourself!” His voice was so similar to Lenny’s, except for the faint, Polish accent. His friendly tone made Laverne warm to him immediately. “So you’re the lady my lucky son married. I’m looking forward to finally meeting you in person.”

“In person?” She searched her memory. “Oh, geeze, that’s right! Len said you were comin’ for a visit!”

“I hope that’s still okay. I know you’re busy, what with my new little grandson and all.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, you’re absolutely welcome here!”

She heard him let out a breath. “That’s good, because I’ve got a lot to talk to my boy about, and I’d rather do it in person.”

Hopefully he’ll be back by then, she thought. “So when will you be by?”

“Tomorrow morning, if that’s okay.”

She tapped her fingertips nervously against the arm of the chair. “Sure, why not? We’ll see you then, Mr. Kosnowski.”

“I’m looking forward to it. And please, at least call me Stan.”

“Stan, then.”

“You have a good night, Laverne. Tell Lenny his Poppa has got some good news for him.”

“I will. Good night.”

She hung up and groaned, looking around the apartment. “I better get started making this place look fit for humans again.” The least she could do was give her husband someplace nice to come home to…whenever he finally decided to come home.

***

Lenny rapped on the door to Shirley’s mother’s house and immediately wished he hadn’t. The long ride to Santa Barbara had almost cooled him down to the point where he could re-think dragging Shirley into the situation. Almost.

A few moments later, Lillian Feeney opened the door. She glared at him as though he were contagious. “We don’t want any!”

“Well, good, ‘cause I ain’t got any.” He cleared his throat. “I’m a friend of Shirley’s. I’m Lenny Kos…”

“Whatever. Shirley’s not here right now.”

“Oh. Oh, well, then would you mind if I left a message?”

“If it’s from that no-account lush of a husband of hers, no, you may not!” She started to close the door, but Lenny stuck his foot in the way.

He yelped and hopped back. “Ow! Wait…no! It’s not from her husband! It’s more about him, actually.” He cradled his sore foot in one hand and kept hopping.

Shirley’s mother opened the door a bit wider, an eager look on her face. “Is it bad?”

Lenny planted both his feet on the porch again. “You could say that.”

“Excellent! Maybe this is the final push Shirley needs to sign those divorce papers. Well, don’t just stand there, big boy, come on in!”

Lenny hesitated. Divorce papers? The word chilled him to the core. If Shirley divorced Carmine, he’d be free. Not that not being free had apparently stopped him, but still. The way Laverne was acting lately, it might just be the excuse she needed to end their marriage as well. And as angry and hurt as he was, Lenny knew he didn’t want that. Not for Joey – not even for himself.

“Um, you know what, Mrs. Feeney?”

“Ugh, don’t call me that. Call me Barb. You know, like Barbara Rush?” She preened.

“Yeah, okay, Barb. I think I made a mistake. I really ain’t got nothin’ to tell Shirley that can’t wait ‘til she gets home.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Feeney – Barb – looked crestfallen. “Well, she should be here in an hour or so. You can wait…”

“Naw, that’s okay. I gotta go, myself. Sorry to bug you.” He turned and headed back to the car, leaving Shirley’s mother staring at him forlornly from her doorway.

Lenny shook his head as he stepped into the street to cross to where his car was. He had to go back home and face things, find out how far gone they were. Maybe I didn’t see what I think I saw. Maybe I misunderstood? He couldn’t come up with how he’d not seen his wife and his friend in the doorway to said friend’s apartment, all messed up and afterglowy at seven in the a.m. Lenny felt sick inside. If only there were a way to un-see what he’d seen….

Then he was flying up in the air. Then he slammed into something hard that shattered under his weight. Then he was flung up and forward and down, until he rolled to a stop.

Blinking, he stared up into the blinding sun with something wet stinging his eyes. A hazy shape that resolved into the face of a stranger replaced the sun. Then the sun and the face faded away, leaving only darkness.

***

“Oh, my good gracious sakes!” exclaimed Lillian “Barb” Feeney, hands fluttering. She watched in horror as two men got out of the car that had hit that Lenny fellow and knelt beside him. Before she could run over and see if he was all right, or dodge back into the house and call for help, they picked up the injured young man and carried him over to their black sedan. After putting him in the back seat, they got back inside, broke out the rest of the glass in their shattered windshield, and drove off with a screech of tires.

“Well, it is the least they can do after racing in out of nowhere like that and hitting him.” She turned and walked back into her house, shaken from her ordeal. She poured herself a cup of coffee and added a shot of cooking sherry from the fridge to calm her nerves. “I sure hope they get him to the hospital in time.”

***

Carmine answered the knock on his apartment door and was surprised to see Laverne, holding a sleeping baby Joey, and Lenny’s father standing in the threshold. “Well. Hi, there.”

Lenny’s father stuck out his hand. “Hi, again. Carmine, right? How’ve you been?”

Carmine took his hand and shook it. “Better, thanks. How are you, Mr. Kosnowski? Or is that Agent Kosnowski?”

“For you, it’s Stan.”

Carmine smiled and gestured for them to come in. He noted the worry lines etched in Laverne’s face. “Is everything okay?”

“Lenny’s still not home,” said Laverne, softly. She slumped onto the sofa, cradling her son. “It’s been almost three days, Carmine. Not a phone call, he didn’t show up at work…I’m really getting scared.”

Carmine frowned. “I bet.” He shot Stan a nervous look. “Um, I haven’t heard from him either.”

“Relax,” said Stan, sitting down. “Laverne explained what my son saw, and how it was a misunderstanding.”

“Oh. Oh, good. I was afraid you were here to punch me out, or audit me, or something.” He took a deep breath. “So, where do you think Lenny is, Laverne?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea. Squiggy ain’t seen him, no one at work’s heard from him. It’s like he just…disappeared.”

“Well maybe he needs more time. I know how I’d feel if I thought…” He bit his tongue. “Maybe he just went off somewhere private. Did you check the tar pits?”

“First thing. Stan also called around hotels, hospitals, the police.” Her green eyes glistened. “I’m scared, Carmine.”

He wanted to put his arms around her, but it just didn’t seen appropriate, given the circumstances and the presence of her husband’s father. “I really wish I could help you out, but he hasn’t called or come by. If I do hear anything….” The phone rang. Carmine excused himself and went into the kitchen to pick it up.

“Carmine?”

“Shirley.” He whispered her name like a prayer. “Angel Face, I’m so sorry I haven’t called. I was going to, later today, but….”

“That’s not what I’m calling about.” He heard her clear her throat on the other end. “Carmine, something’s happened. I tried calling Laverne first, but her phone’s been tied up all day.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

She paused. “My mother told me something very disturbing this morning. About Lenny.”

Carmine’s heart sank into his shoes. “Lenny? He’s there?”

“He…he was. Carmine, just tell Laverne to come to my mother’s house, okay? She needs to be here so we can talk about it, in person.” She hesitated again. “Maybe you should drive her.”

Oh, shit. Oh, shit! In his wildest dreams he’d never thought Lenny would go this route. “Shirl, I can explain….”

“We’ll talk when you get up here. Goodbye, Carmine.”

He heard the receiver click, held onto the phone until the dial tone buzzed in his ear. “Goodbye, Shirley.” He hung up and pressed his forehead against the kitchen wall. This is it, he thought, the final nail in the coffin of our marriage. Almost funny that it’s going to end over the one thing I actually didn’t do.

He took several deep breaths before walking back into the living room. It didn’t help, as Laverne’s reaction to the expression on his face proved. “Oh, no! Lenny!”

“He’s fine, Laverne. At least, I know where he is.” He hesitantly informed her, watching as her eyes widened until her brows disappeared into her hairline. When he was finished, she clutched her baby against her heart and buried her face against the blanketed bundle.

Stan stood up and shoved his hands into his suit pockets. It struck Carmine how much he resembled his son, if Lenny didn’t slick back his hair, dressed like a sophisticated gentleman, and aged about twenty-five years. “I suppose you young people ought to handle this privately. I’ll watch my grandson for you, Laverne.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, handing the baby over to his grandfather. “I gotta make this right, Stan, all of it. Your son is everything to me and he has to know it! And now Shirl, too…Jesus!”

“I’ll deal with Shirley,” said Carmine. “You just worry about Lenny. That’s more than enough for you to handle right now.”

Stan gave him an appreciative look. “You sure aren’t anything like your old man, Carmine.”

Carmine winced a little. “Thanks. That’s pretty much my goal in life.”

“Your father’s not in jail, you know. After they released him from the hospital, the court decided he was too old and frail for prison. They gave him a big ol’ fine, slapped his wrist, and let him go home.”

Carmine snorted. “Believe me, sending him back to that place was probably a lot worse than putting him in prison.” He grabbed his jacket and held out a hand to Laverne. “Come on. I’ll get us there in a couple of hours and we’ll clear this whole mess up.”

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “I just hope we still can,” she sighed, echoing his thoughts exactly.

***

Lenny stirred slightly, but a sharp pain convinced him it was better to remain still. After a while, the hum around him resolved into voices, then actual words.

“What if he dies? What then?”

“Then we go in another direction. He should be fine.”

“But his head…so much blood….”

“Just keep an eye on him. Nothing broken…look, he’s starting to wake up a little.”

“What do I tell him?”

Lenny struggled to follow the conversation, but it kept fading in and out like an old radio program. Finally, he gave up and let himself sink back into silence.

***

Shirley opened the door to her mother’s house. She looked out at them as though they were meeting for the first time. “Come in.”

Laverne glanced at Carmine and saw the raw panic in his eyes. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and released it before they stepped into ‘Barb’ Feeney’s small white ranch house. Barb herself was standing in the middle of the living room, arms tightly crossed, staring at Carmine like she wanted to crush him under the heel of her shoe. He gave her a quick, reluctant smile, and went back to staring at the green carpet.

“Nice to see you again, Laverne. Why don’t you have a seat over here?” Barb gestured to an antique-looking chair in the corner.

“Thanks.” Laverne took a seat, wondering why all of the woman’s ire was directed at Carmine. After all, it took two to tango. Maybe she didn’t hear Lenny’s accusation?

Shirley studied Carmine for another moment, before touching his shoulder. “You don’t have to stand there like a statue. Go on, sit.”

He met her eyes briefly and slunk over to the sofa. He started to sit, but a sharp look from Shirley’s mother stopped him. Shirley sighed. “Mother, let the man sit down! It was a long drive.”

“Hope you didn’t run anyone down in your condition!” Barb snapped at him.

Carmine looked at her defiantly. “My condition is the same as yours.”

You tell her, Carmine! Laverne grinned, glad to see her buddy still had his spine somewhat intact. Barb just glared daggers at him as he made himself comfortable on the slip-covered couch.

Shirley walked over to her and Laverne’s pulse started to pound. She wondered if her little friend was going to sock her one, right there in her mother’s living room. But then she realized the look in Shirley’s eye wasn’t anger, or betrayal, or anything like it. It was concern. “Laverne, sweetie, I’ve got to tell you something. I know you’re going to be upset, and I don’t have many details….”

Laverne’s stomach clenched. “Is it Lenny? What did he say to you, Shirl?”

“He didn’t see me.” She glanced over at her mother. “He talked to Mother, briefly. Then he left.”

“And? There’s more than that, right?”

Shirley took a deep breath and nodded. “Mother saw Lenny step out into the street, to go to his car. It was parked across the way.”

“And?”

“And…another car came speeding around the corner.” Shirley took her hand and held it between her own. “It hit him, Laverne.”

She blinked, struggling to process what her friend was saying. From the couch, Carmine exclaimed, “It what? Is he all right?”

Shirley looked over her shoulder at him. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Laverne sprang to her feet. “Where is he now, Shirl? I gotta go to him! What hospital did they take him to?”

“That’s just it. He didn’t go to the hospital.”

Laverne felt her knees buckle. Immediately, Shirley and Carmine were at her side, easing her back into the chair. Shirley was babbling, “No, no, that’s not what I meant! He’s not…oh, I’m saying this all wrong!”

“Let me do it!” Barb interrupted, walking over to join them. She looked down at Laverne and said, “I’m the one who saw it, after all. Your husband stopped by for goodness knows what reason. He changed his mind about talking to Shirley and left. Then he got hit by this black car that was driving like a bat out of hell…crazy California drivers, probably drunk….”

“Where is he?” Laverne cried.

“Well, I don’t know. I was going to call for help, but the two guys in the car got out, picked him up, and took him away.”

“Wait a minute.” Carmine shook his head. “They just…took him? Where? Why?”

“How the heckity-heck would I know that?” she snarled. “I assumed they were taking him to the hospital to get patched up, but after I told Shirley about it, she called all the area hospitals and no one by his name or description had been admitted.”

“When did this all happen?” asked Carmine.

Barb hesitated. “A couple days ago.”

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?” Laverne demanded. “I’ve been so worried and with good reason, apparently, but you didn’t call until today!”

Shirley looked apologetic. “Mother didn’t tell me about it until this morning.” She shot her mother a look of disgust.

“I was traumatized!” said Barb, not meeting any of their eyes. “I took a little…something, and got some rest.” She glanced at Laverne and bowed her head. “Besides, I was sure he’d be okay.”

“Except he’s not. We don’t have any idea where those guys took Lenny, or why, or if he’s even…” Carmine broke off, jaw clenching. “Tell me about the car.”

“It was black and shiny. And now it has a broken windshield.”

A sob escaped her. Laverne rested her head against Shirley’s shoulder and welcomed her friend’s comforting embrace. “He’s hurt. He could be worse than that, and I can’t even comfort him or tell him I love him.”

“You will.” Carmine gave her a look of steely determination. “I’ll find Lenny. Wherever he is, whoever took him, I’ll find him for you, Laverne.”

She saw Shirley look at her husband like she hadn’t in a long time. He saw it too, and his smile was full of hope.

“Thanks, Carmine. But a black car…that’s not much to go on,” Laverne sniffed.

“Maybe not for me,” he admitted. “But for a G-man, it should be plenty.”

To Fallout

To Part Two