Standing outside the Deli-Mart, Lina picked at the dried gum lodged in the whitewashed wall as she pressed the payphone receiver to her forehead. She found little warmth in the uncharacteristic January sunshine and displayed even less in her tone with Chad.
“What’d you say?” Lina asked, putting the phone back to her ear.
“I asked if you miss me,” Chad repeated, speaking from the payphone at the county jail in Mount Vernon.
“I s’pose.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I ain’t good on the phone, that’s all.”
“Hmm,” he said. After a pause, he continued, “You make out all right with your move?”
“It’s okay. I put curtains up,” she said. So I wouldn’t go out of my mind.
“Don’t girly up the place too much,” he joked affectionately. “Just take care of it, and when I get out, maybe we can find a nicer place… together.”
Lina’s grip tightened on the phone. It’s not you I wanna be with…
“Anything you need?” he asked.
“Naw. I got the state check for JD, and Papa brings me propane for heat and cooking. He or Luke usually runs me to town when I got counseling or need’a go to the store or the food bank. I only had to hitch-hike twice.”
“That’s twelve miles! Luke’s supposed to be taking care of you for me.”
“Course he is.” She went silent. Now what am I supposed to say? Glancing at Luke on the other side of the payphone, she frowned at the letters ‘LT + HC’ he had carved into the wall.
“How’s the weather?” she asked.
“What? How would I know?”
“I mean, how’s it in there?”
“Oh… I’m all right, if that’s what you’re asking. We’re….”
Lina’s attention wandered to a middle-aged man in canvas jeans leaving the Deli-Mart with a six-pack of Diet Pepsi. She recognized the man as Mr. Renshaw before he climbed into his truck and pulled away.
“Lina!” Chad said.
“What?”
“I just said we’re a third of the way through, so hang in there with me.”
“I’m here.” Another moment of silence followed.
“Babe, why don’t you go ahead and put Luke on?”
Finally! Thrusting the phone at Luke—who took it with a startled look—as she hurried to the Bronco and climbed into the warm cab. Turning away, she watched the traffic come and go at the four-way stop.
“What’s up with Lina?” Chad asked.
“What do ya mean? She’s still squatting in that trailer of yours across from my place. I still ain’t happy about that, but she likes it. Least she’s out of Faye’s hair like you asked,” Luke replied.
“But how’s she doing?”
“Why you asking me? She’s always been a nut-case. Seems she got enough state money to get by on if she don’t toke it all away.”
“Don’t let her do that!” Chad demanded.
“I ain’t her damn babysitter,” Luke snapped back. “You the one pushed her on weed to begin with.”
“Okay, okay. I’m just worried she’s slipping away. You two’s all I got left.”