ANGELS FROM HELL
I follow the slow moving U-Haul down the narrow streets, tired and strung out. It has been a long day and a tough year. All I can say is, “Thank God for Charlie.” I goose my Honda Accord. Technically, I run the red light; but, if I lose the truck now I won’t have a clue where to go.
Charlie brings the truck to a stop at the next light. As I wait for the light to turn green, I rub my tired eyes. Fifteen hours in a car is just too damn long. At least we are almost home. Well, to Charlie’s home anyway. While I rub my eyes with the heel of my hand, I reflect on the unfairness of life.
I was always the responsible one. I was the one who went to school, got good grades, and stayed out of trouble. That is the past. Now, here I sit, depending on the charity of my little brother.
Life had been going so well, too. I had a good job, a nice place to live, and a new car. At least I still have the car. Six months ago, the diagnostic lab that I managed was bought out by a larger company and I was out. They gave me a generous severance, but that was no substitute for a good job.
Still reeling from that, three months ago I received notice from my landlord that the apartment complex where I have been a good and faithful tenant for six years was being converted into luxury condominiums. Because I was a current tenant, I had first dibs on available units. Unfortunately, since two apartments were to be combined to form one condo, I had ninety days to move out. I was in a jam. I had no job and no place to live. I couldn’t even go home, since Mom and Dad sold the farm before they passed away.
I hear the grumble of the truck engine and put my hands on the wheel, blinking away the spots. Here I am. Everything I own is in the back of that truck and I’m heading to my brother’s house.
Charlie had ridden up yesterday on his bike to drive the truck back today. I snort at the unfairness of it all. The wild and carefree little brother bailing out the conservative and careful big sister.
Charlie turns the truck into the parking lot of a grocery store and parks the truck at the end of the lot. I wheel the Honda into the spot next to it and kill the engine. I have to get out of the car, if only for a few minutes.
“Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina, Claire. Oh, and by the way, happy birthday,” Charlie says with a grin. “The big three-five today. Woo!” he says, waving his hands about with mock excitement.
My sour mood lightens and I can feel my face break into a smile. It’s not Charlie’s fault I’m in this mess. “Thank you, Charlie,” I say. “For everything.”
“Nah,” Charlie says, as he begins to unstrap his bike from the trailer attached to the U-Haul. “If you can’t abuse your family, who can you abuse?” he asks with a grin.
“I’ll try to make it up to you,” I say. He had found me a job and is putting me up for a few weeks, until I can get moved into my new apartment. I can’t help but feel like I owe him something more than just my gratitude.
“Are you kidding?” Charlie exclaims. “I’m glad you’re here. Brings a little respectability to the Decker name, Ms. Head of Mission Hospital Laboratory.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I say, feeling my eyes tear up in appreciation.
“Bah,” Charlie says. “When I told Doctor Webber about you, I couldn’t write the contact information down fast enough for him. The rest? Well, that’s what brothers are for, right?”
As Charlie undoes the last strap, I give him a hug. I would have never guessed that the bratty kid who was always tearing around the farm on one beat up motorcycle or another would turn into the man I see in front of me. I release Charlie and smile. “You’ve come a long way since Green Bay.”
“Yeah…and I feel it in my ass, too,” he says with a grin.
***
We leave the truck locked up in the grocery store parking lot for