The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley

Author:Jim Grimsley [Grimsley, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781646141319
Publisher: Levine Querido
Published: 2022-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

Long Distance

MAYBE IT WAS BEN’S ABSENCE THAT brought all those memories hurtling back. Now in May with the first edge of summer heat in the air, after many of his doubts were resolved, it was easy for Ronny to think about that uncertainty. Later on Sunday at the appointed time he called Ben’s number and Mrs. Nickelsen answered. For the first moment she sounded surprisingly strong, her voice clear, the tone of a bell in her speech. “Hello, young man. I hear you’re coming to see us.”

“I sure hope so.”

“We’ll be glad to have you here. I know Ben will be.”

“I hear you’re not doing so good,” Ronny said.

She tried to laugh and ended up coughing a bit. She took a moment to continue, and he could hear then the labored quality of her breath. “I’ve been better, I know that. I know you’ve been mighty good to Ben through all this. He tells me.” She spoke more slowly as a sentence went on, and had to stop in the middle. Now Ronny was hearing more of her weakness.

“He’s a good friend.”

There was still the noise of television in the background. She asked, “So when are we going to have you up our way?”

“Soon, I hope. If everything works out.”

She chuckled. “Well, it better. Ben’s already driving to you.”

“What?”

“He told me you would call.” She faded away for a moment.

“Take your time,” Ronny said, when he knew she was listening again. “I’m not in any hurry.”

“He just had to get out of here. Dad driving him crazy. And this morning was awful. So I sent him to you early.”

“He sounded like he was feeling it yesterday.”

“He’ll tell you about it.” She took a breath. “I can’t talk much longer, it’s good to hear from you though.”

“I’ll see you when I get there.”

But there was a sound he heard, something beyond the long-distance connection. He could feel her anguish through the line and turned toward the phone, leaned into the partition there, and sadness came over him. “He really needs somebody to talk to,” she said. “I’m worried about him.” She made a sound like a sob, and then another. She could not stop herself. He waited. She said, “I didn’t mean to do this but it’s been a hard day. Let me go.”

“Take care of yourself.”

He put the phone receiver on the hook when it started to buzz and stood and walked around the student union lobby, went in the bathroom, and splashed his face with water.

At the boardinghouse he opened the door to his room and a shadow turned on the bed. Ben sat up, backlit by the twilight. Shorts and a tee shirt, barefoot. Not the same feeling, though; something had made him smaller, more lonely. “I booked it,” he said. “I thought I might get here before you made the call.”

“I talked to your mom. She told me you were on the way.”

That broken expression, anger and hurt. “She answer the phone?”

“Yes.”

He made a sound of disgust, getting off the bed.

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