By the time I got back home, it was a good hour past my usual curfew. But instead of the usual lecture, I received a rare embrace from my mother. “Were you able to get her out?” she asked. I sighed and said that everything had gone just fine and that Barb was safe at Sharilynn’s house.
The evening’s ordeal had begun nearly four hours earlier. As was pretty typical on a school night toward the end of a semester, I went home after work, changed my clothes, and then drove over to Sharilynn’s. We were first semester sophomores at the local community college where we took several classes together. Exams were approaching, papers were due, and Sharilynn and I found that we could keep one another from getting distracted by studying together. Her mom, Louann, always had southern comfort food readily available, and I could smoke at her house—something my parents didn’t even know I did.
Sharilynn and I were in the midst of taking long drags off our Virginia Slims when the phone rang. “Sharilynn!” Louann yelled down the hall. Sharilynn picked up the extension in her room and said, “Hello.” After several uh-huhs, I-understands, and finally an I’ll-call-you-right-back, Sharilynn hung up the phone and said to me, “C’mon.” I followed her to the kitchen where Louann sat smoking a Winston. Sharilynn then launched into a story.
Our friend, Barb, lived with her mom, a younger brother, and her mom’s boyfriend in a nice apartment on the other side of town. Barb was estranged from her father because: “Mom says he’s a terrible son of a bitch who doesn’t care about anyone but himself. But, I hardly know him because Mom and he divorced when I was only six.” Sharilynn went on to explain that Barb had just called, was sobbing, and sounded really scared. Her mom’s boyfriend had been coming on to her for several months at this point, but, fortunately, it so far had only been talk. But today after school, he sat down on the couch next to her and put his arm around her. He said he was just being affectionate. Barb didn’t know what to do so continued to sit on the couch with him. Barb’s mom then came home from work and all hell broke loose. Her mom started yelling… at Barb! She called her a little whore, said she knew all along that she’d been trying to steal her boyfriend from her, and now had caught her in the act. Barb attempted to defend herself, but the boyfriend fueled the fire saying that Barb was just too beautiful. At some point Barb’s brother came into the apartment and their mom accused him of knowing about this and being a disloyal prick just like their father. Barb’s brother took refuge in his bedroom as the tirade against Barb continued. Then Barb’s mom said the unthinkable: “I want you out of here. Tonight!!”
Louann took another drag off her Winston, blew out the smoke, and said in her drawl, “Well, you’ll just have to go pick her up and bring her over here.” Sharilynn looked at me. I read her mind and said, “Of course. I can drive my car.”
Sharilynn called Barb back. Barb’s mom picked up the phone, sweetly answering, “Hello, Tanner residence.” Sharilynn was momentarily taken aback but managed to ask for and get Barb on the line. “Laura’s going to drive over there with me, and we’ll come get you. Make sure you have all your books for school, and clothes for a week. Might take us half an hour because we have to stop by Laura’s to explain to her mother what we’re doing.” The plan was in motion.
I was usually spot on when it came to predicting my mother’s reactions, but every once in a while she would completely take me by surprise. And one of those surprise times was about to happen. After explaining to her what was going on and stating the plan, I watched my mother pace around the kitchen like a caged lion. I had no idea what was going through her head. I was prepared for her to tell me that I’d be doing no such thing, that it was a school night, that I’d be out too late, that it was none of my business, just about a hundred other things than what she ultimately said. After a full minute of pacing, she turned to me, pointed her signature finger in my face, and said, “I want you to know something.” I braced myself. “There is nothing! Do you hear me? Nothing, that you could ever do that would cause me to throw you out of the house.” She was so close to me I felt the need to take a step back. I simply said, “OK.” Mother went on to give me permission to do what needed to be done, warned me to be careful, and stated that she’d wait up until I got home.
Sharilynn and I arrived at Barb’s a short time later. We walked up the steps to the second floor apartment, and knocked on the door. Barb’s mom opened it and said, “Hello girls! So great to see you. C’mon in.” It’s hard to explain how weird this all seemed at the time. We were invited to have a seat on the couch where Barb’s brother sat watching TV. He waved a little greeting to us. Barb’s mom asked us if we wanted anything to drink. We said we didn’t, thank you. A few minutes went by before Barb came out of her bedroom with a large suitcase and a duffle bag. “I’m ready,” she said to us. Her eyes and nose were red, her hair definitely needed to be brushed, and she generally looked like hell. We helped her with the bags, she picked up a stack of books, and we headed to the door. Her mom sang out, “Thanks, girls, take care!”
The three of us walked down to the car in silence, loaded the bags in the trunk, and then got in my car. Barb started crying again. Sharilynn got out of the passenger seat and climbed in the back to put her arms around Barb. When we arrived at Sharilynn’s, Louann was waiting with open arms to take Barb into her ample bosom for a big warm welcome. “The guest room is all ready for you, darlin’, with clean sheets. I put a bath towel on the end of the bed for you. Now you just don’t worry about a thing. We’ll sort everything out. No matter how long it takes, you are living here with us all safe and sound.”
It was another hour before I went home to fill my mother in on the rest of the evening’s story.
Over the next several weeks, Barb thrived at Sharilynn’s. Louann talked Barb into getting in touch with her father. He was so happy to hear from his daughter. Now remarried and living in North Carolina, he told her that she could come live with him after she finished her sophomore year. They started talking several times a week so that they could get to know one another, he flew into town for a long weekend visit, and then drove down to get her in the early part of the summer. He paid for her to attend the University of North Carolina to finish her undergraduate degree.
I can’t for sure say that everyone lived happily ever after, but it kind of feels like I should.
Copyright DJ Anderson, 2019
