Free When It Rains: The Umbrella Collection by Prudence Hayes Page B

reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone to dial. “Hi, someone just beat the shit out of my car,” he yelled to whoever answered on the other end. “I’m at Marty’s Mart on Dover Street. Someone broke all my windows to my car. Who did it? Hold on.”
    He turned his head to me and asked, “What is your God damn name?”
    “Nora Boutilier. Eleanora May Boutilier if you wanted to be more specific,” I really didn’t have any room to be an ass, but this guy was grabbing on me pretty hard.
    “Boutilier? You’re a Boutilier? Are you related to John?” he asked as he pulled me closer to get me to look at him.
    “Yeah, he’s my uncle.”
    “Shit!” he uttered under his breath before returning his attention to the caller on the phone. “ Never mind. I’m not going to be pressing any charges Ma’am. Sorry for the confusion.” He hung up the phone and then searched for another name to hit the call button. “Hey Man, it’s Richie. I have a little problem with your niece. I was inside Marty’s putting mustard on my hotdog and I hear glass smashing. After the third time, I looked out the window to see what the fuss was about and there she was throwing rocks at my car. Smashed all my fucking windows! Alright…Yeah…Bye.”
    He stood there in disbelief, “Man, your uncle just saved your ass. He is on his way. Why don’t you have a seat on the curb here. Don’t even think about moving either, I can call the police faster than you can run.”
    I sat there not saying a word to anyone, thinking in my head how much of an idiot I was for ending up here with this glass surrounding me. I was also thinking if I could run over to the corner a few feet away and back to slap Mr. Garrison before Richie could pull out his phone. I decided against it, though;  I don’t run that fast. I sat on the curb with my knees to my chest and arms wrapped around them, mad at myself once again. I closed my eyes and cursed at myself over and over that I could do something like this, and hoping that magically this could all go away. With my body filled with angst for only myself, I looked to the sky in aggravation and asking why I did this. During the catastrophe that I caused, I didn’t even notice that rain clouds in the shade of ebony rolled in right above us. Just then a loud deafening clap of thunder made my body jump.
    “Oh shit,” I thought to myself.
    Mr. Jones came running out of the mart towards me, “I’m taking her inside, Richie,” he directed to the man still pacing up and down the sidewalk uttering profanities under his breath.
    Mr. Jones knows everyone and everyone knows him. He is friends with everybody, but he had that demeanor to him that you automatically respected and listened to his every word. If he said jump, you jumped and continued to do so until he told you to stop. So, when he told Richie he was taking me inside, Richie didn’t even put up a fight.
    “That was a crazy thing you did there, missy,” Mr. Jones said to me and I nodded unable to have words come out of my mouth.  “If I would have seen him in here earlier I would have told you.” I turned and looked at him and gave a weak smile and bowed my head.
    I stood at the window behind the counter to the cashier staring out eagerly anticipating the arrival of John. Out of all my uncles, I ‘m glad his friend’s car was the one I decided to smash. Outwardly, he seems unfazed and uncaring, like he is made of steel. I saw him cry when my parents passed only because I walked in on him in the den when he thought no one else was home. When I walked in and announced my presence, he turned his head towards me and his face was red, his eyes swollen and his cheeks soaked from tears. He just wiped his face and said “Tough day,” as he walked by me and ruffled my hair. That was the only time I have ever seen an emotion emitted by him. He always reflects the “Whatever” attitude. When he breaks up with a girlfriend, you wouldn’t even know it.