Chapter 52
Ron ate his Chinese food and listened to Joni Mitchell’s music. He felt himself finally calming down. He stared out the window at the dark street and the blackened snow that was now just dirty ice and slush.
When the phone rang again, he moved to it with the order of spiced eggplant still in his hand.
“Hello.”
“How are you?” drawled Warren Lashly.
Involuntarily Ron felt his heart quicken. Warren never called him. Something must be wrong. He wasn’t sure that he could take too much more pressure today.
“I’m fine Warren, what’s up?”
“You still working at teaching those little girls?”
“Yup, still working at it.”
“I know this is gonna sound a little strange, but April’s been wanting to see you and she asked me if I could give you a call. She’s been sick. She’s been very sick actually and she needs something from you.”
Ron said, “OK,” and paused.
“Well, she’s here right now and what she asked me to do was to call you and see if you had any pot. She’s been very nauseous.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“I’ll let her tell you that. Is there any way that you can drive some down here tonight?”
“Sure Warren, I can do that for her. Now you aren’t gonna have me busted for bringing any pot to Rahway are you?”
It was a reference to the way that Warren had dissolved the partnership between Chris and him, the partnership that had begun Rahway. It was a move that forever had tagged Warren with the nickname of The Sheriff. Ron, of course, would never have turned Warren down about anything and he knew it. He would be forever grateful for what Warren had done for him with teaching, with helping him to get well after Robin, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t break his balls a bit.
“There’s no need for that,” said Warren.
The “that” was left ambiguous and Ron decided not to pursue it. “I can be there in about an hour.
“We’ll see you then,” said Warren and then the phone clicked dead.
Ron glanced at the clock. It was 7:30 on a school night but he knew that he was going to do it.
Kelly answered the backdoor and smiled brightly as if Ron was one of her best friends. She bent into him and kissed his cheek. Ron felt her breasts press against her his chest and it caused him to twitch in his pants Sometimes he hated his cock. It left him with absolutely no dignity. His eyes watched Kelly’s ass as she led him through the kitchen and down the one step into the sunken living room.
Laureen, April and Warren were seated by the fire. Ron recognized the Brahms Requiem that was playing softly on the stereo. April smiled when he walked in and stood. Ron almost gasped at the sight of her. She had always been thin, but now she was cadaverous and she wore a red checked bandana on her head that promised that there was not much underneath it. She came to him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her body felt like nothing but bones and there was a stale smell on her breath that Ron recognized from Zoe. April had been vomiting. She took his hand and led him to the group after she whispered. “Thank you so much for coming down like this.”
Ron sat on a pillow, keeping his back to the fire. He opened his jacket and took it off and let it slide down in back of him as he reached into one of the pockets and took out a small bag of pot and some rolling papers. He handed them to April, who blushed without color and said, “I don’t know how to do it.”
Warren cackled. “Well, Ron can sure help you with that if not with a lot of other things too.”
Laureen giggled and said, “Warren, you’d better be nice or Kelly won’t sleep with you tonight.”
Kelly giggled and Warren smirked the smiles of someone very sure of himself.
Ron’s eyes danced at Laureen’s quip. He said, “Guess there’s not much that you can hold over me, huh Laureen?”
“That’s just one of her phone calls to Robin away,” said Warren.
Ron smiled. “I don’t think so.” Then he smiled to himself. He really had not felt anything at the mention of her name.
Laureen said, “Well thank god for that. It was becoming tedious.”
Everyone laughed and Ron found that he could laugh as well. He stood and pulled an album cover from the shelf, opened it and then opened the bag of pot and began to roll a joint. Looking down at the composer he said, “Richard Wagner, do you think he’ll mind?”
“He’s seen a lot worse,” quipped Laureen.
Ron laughed again and looked into her dark eyes. “I really have missed you, he said.
Laureen stiffened as if his statement had reminded her of something uncomfortable.
“I spent the afternoon in the police station,” said Ron. “One of my students was shot to death by his father.”
Everyone was silent as Ron cleaned the pot and rolled the joint. Laureen said, “Well, that was a real conversation stopper.” She got up and moved into the kitchen to get something to drink.
Sitting with the album cover spread open on his lap, Ron rolled joint after joint until there were 10 in a neatly stacked row and the bag was empty. The talk moved from the college to what was happening in New York’s museums. Ron half- listened. Then he looked up and saw that the group was staring at him.
“What?”
“How did you learn to do that so quickly and so well?” said April.
“Lots of practice,” said Ron.
“Too much for his own good,” said Warren.
“Well it’s a lifesaver for me tonight,” said April and lit the joint. She inhaled deeply and passed it to Ron who shook his head no.
“I’ve got to get going,” he said. “I have to be in early.”
“Ron Tuck refused a joint. Will wonders never cease?” said Laureen.
Ron slid his arms back into his jacket and met Laureen’s eyes. They were dark and dancing. He thought for an instant that they were actually quite beautiful. “I was thinking the other day about whether there was ever a woman that I went to visit and called on the phone who I did not also wish to fuck. Yours was the only name that came to my mind.”
Laureen laughed. “I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or an insult.”
Ron stood up. “I meant it in the most complimentary way.”
“Why did the kid’s father shoot him?” said Warren.
“I don’t know. I only know that I was the last one to see him alive before he was killed.”
He half turned to April. “Anytime I can help you out just give me a call.”
“Which probably means that he wants to fuck you,” laughed Laureen.