Jude was both charming and enthusiastic, which meant that he could convince anyone to do almost anything he wanted him or her to do. He was also a grateful eater. “I’ll take that last piece of chicken if no one else wants it” was his mantra. There were no leftovers he didn’t like, either on his plate or yours.
Jude was also addicted to college football, so when he was given two tickets to an out-of-town game, he asked W.S. to join him that weekend. “I’d love to go,” W.S. responded, “But isn’t your baby due any minute now?” “The baby isn’t due for two more weeks,” said Jude. “See, I marked it on the calendar.”
“What does Tuesday think about your leaving?” I asked. “Take him. He’s all yours,” said Tuesday as she shuffled into the room. If a person didn’t know she was pregnant, one might wonder why this beautiful woman had swallowed a beach ball. “The doctor said that I’m not ready to deliver yet, and Jude is driving me nuts, so one quiet weekend sounds pretty good right now.”
I offered to move in with Tuesday and that Friday I packed a few things, and then drove Jude and W.S. to the airport where they took the late flight to football Nirvana. On the way to Tuesday’s apartment, my car started coughing, and by the time I arrived, it was hissing and wheezing and begging me to stop. It was midnight, and I figured I’d call a repair service in the morning. Tiptoeing my way into the apartment, so as not to waken Tuesday, I was startled when I saw her standing in the living room with a suitcase.
“My water broke,” she announced. “My car broke,” I responded. She said, “The last thing Jude said to me was to put my feet up,” I would kill him but my child needs a father. I called Vinnie and Velma since they lived close-by, and we took off for the hospital. As soon as we got Tuesday settled, I called and left a message for Jude that no matter how good the game was, he had to return home NOW! He was able to get a return flight that would arrive at 3:00a.m. Vinnie and Velma went to pick him up at the airport. Jude had convinced W.S. to stay for the game since there was only one emergency return ticket available.
Vinnie and Velma went home after dropping him off, but I decided to stay. I could take a taxi back to my apartment after the baby was born. Luckily, the plane had been early and Jude’s timing was perfect because at 3:45 a.m. I heard him yell, “Touchdown!” I assumed he was referring to the delivery of his little girl and not some goal post far, far away.
After congratulating the happy parents, I asked a nurse where I could catch a cab. “At this time of night, you have to call from the emergency room. That’s where they come to pick up passengers.” I found a door marked, Emergency and entered. No one was behind the desk, but I found a pay phone and called a taxi. I was told that a cab would be there in about 30 minutes, so I found an empty chair and sat down.
No sooner had I planted my posterior into that chair, than the door swung open, and a huge, hairy man wearing a black leather vest, black leather pants, and black leather gloves stomped into the room holding his bleeding head with one hand and his motorcycle helmet with the other. Magically, a nurse appeared, sat at the desk, and said, “Welcome back, Glock. You get into another fight?”
Esther Blumenfeld (To be continued---)
CROSSING WITH THE BLUE LIGHT, Blumenfeld, c. 2006