As I’m dialing the number tears begin to form impairing my vision. I’m temporarily paralyzed, I kept thinking about what I could have done to help Shelia, how all of this could have been avoided if I had of heard what she wanted to tell me that day. It takes me back a few years right before Steven was arrested when I met his 5th victim. Melissa Reeves 30 years of age, never married, a pharmacy aid who worked at the local drug store not too far from Steven’s practice. Melissa was the only victim who was able to contact me before she was killed. I worked at the nursing home where her grandmother received care. It was towards the end of my shift when I met her; I remember walking towards the entrance of the nursing home looking at the storm brewing in. Admiring how dark the sky had become, the way the clouds formed as they were swelling up ready to strike the ground with a strong thrust to the earth. I was in thought, Steven and I had become estranged, well at least for me we had. Melissa had just walked in as I was leaving the entrance headed towards the restroom; she wore this huge yellow rain coat along with big yellow galoshes. She bumped into me while trying to get the hood from over her eyes, then giving this condescending look before walking past me. I didn’t pay any mind to her of course I was still reflecting about my situation with Steven, he had been smothering me and I’ve grown tired of it. While in the restroom I found myself gazing into the mirror when Melissa walked in, she had a look of fury in her eyes revealing to me that I was keeping her from having her child. Confused about the conversation I asked what she meant, she reiterated “because you can’t have kids, I’m not allowed to keep mine and that’s not fair!” “Okay did I miss something?” I stated. “Why won’t you leave Steven?” she said. “Are you referring to my husband Steven?” I replied. Just as she’s about to speak, one of my coworkers came into the restroom. “Lucy, Steven’s out in the hallway waiting for you.” Then her demeanor changed. “Look, Steven can’t know I’m in here I just…” I had to interrupt, “Are you saying you’re pregnant by my husband?!? No you look! You want him you can have him!” I have had it! Was this the reason why he had begun suffocating me? So many emotions started building up in me and I was about to explode on Steven. But just as I’m walking out Melissa starts pleading with me she needed a few minutes more of my time but I didn’t want to hear it. I walked out of that restroom furious yelling at Steven about Melissa, and a week later they found her body in a dumpster of a closed drive-in movie theater. The Coroner’s Office determined she died of trauma to the head and body, then hit with a vehicle. It was made to look like a hit-an- run accident. Then officer Puerile consoled me bringing me back from reminiscing, “Would you like me to call?” I nodded my head and cried.
8:38pm I’ve been home about an hour and a half sitting in my living room gazing at the floor. I never really noticed the large spot in my carpet that has discoloration in it, odd usually I notice things such as that. Just as I’m about to investigate the phone rings. It’s my mom worried because I hadn’t called her last night, I didn’t want to alarm her by mentioning what happen but it seems she had news of her on to inform me of. Dad had a very "slight heart attack" last night, who knew there was such a thing? But he was recovering. My dad has always been a physical nut he was that strong ox for my mother, and at the age of 57 he leads a busy life, he and my mother walk at least forty minutes a day, they jog, and he still works every day, and does all kinds of other physical activity. My mom says the doctor thinks it may have been stress related. Like my mom, dad worries and obsesses over me, especially since all that has been happening, and I feel a little guilty. Mom says not to worry too much because they also found his cholesterol levels were high, she says she assumes this is from eating at least a dozen tortillas a day for the last, thirty years which she is taking blame for. My mom hasn’t cooked a home cooked meal since I moved out. Everything that she prepares for dinner is pre-packaged, out of a can or box or jar, all of it ridden with tons of sodium, chemicals, and other bad stuff for you. As I’m listening to her talk, I’m thinking maybe it’s time for me to pay a visit, things are becoming crazy here plus I could get my mom started back on cooking for my dad. And just as I’m about to throw in the hint of me coming home, my other line clicks in. “Hello… Hello?” I need to remind myself to call the phone company in the morning. After hanging up the phone rang a second time. “Hold on mom, Hello!” It was Dr. Shelton calling checking up on me, he was concerned because he didn’t see me at work today. I explained to him what happen and that we were okay, but he insisted I take another day off from work, given I come into his office in the morning for a mental status examination; he has Latoya coming in as well. He explains that the Mental Status Exam is done when there is reason to believe an employee is cognitively altered during a crisis or emergency situation. I agreed so that I could get back to the conversation with my mother, but then there was a knock at the door. Dr. Shelton was going on and on about how a person’s emotional state should be evaluated in conjunction with all other findings within the examination and with facts obtained in their history, this would be essential for the detection of emotions which some people try to conceal. As I’m listening, and trying to inform Dr. Shelton that my mom was on the other line, walking towards the front door I open and its Andre?!?Want to read more? Buy the book on Amazon or Kindle.....
Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KXIJ474/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_awdm_rIlNtb0HPKN1H
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