Is That You?

“Joleen, honey, is that you?” 

Jack watched her swiveling hips as she turned the corner at Walgreens. He hurried to catch her, but by the time he turned the corner, she had disappeared. 

He just could not catch up with her these days. That afternoon, he called her. “Joleen, honey is that you?” he said when she answered.  

“On another call, gotta go…” she said, then hung up. 

He called later and left a message to call him back. He muted the phone and went to sleep. The next morning, he saw that she had left a message at 1:42 am. “Sorry, important call. Um, maybe. Anyway…” The next few words were indistinct before the message ended. He threw a wadded tissue in the waste basket. 

The next day, he went to the municipal court to pay a traffic fine. When he entered, he saw her just as she stepped into an elevator. He hurried to catch up. She was looking at her nails as the doors closed. Aw, Joleen. 

A couple of days later, he rode the bus to work. He saw her walking along the street, just like a summer breeze, talking on the phone, her blonde ponytail flipping with each step. He waved frantically and yelled “Honey! Honey!” She just kept walking, eyes down. 

He was getting anxious. He had to talk to her. He drove his red Fiesta to her apartment only to see her driving away in her BMW x5 as he pulled up. He followed her only to see her accelerate through a yellow light as it turned red. He gunned the Fiesta but it just sputtered in place. “Joleen,” he muttered. 

The next week, he was her in a posh downtown café talking – laughing? – with a man as he rolled past them on his courier bike to make a delivery.  Probably a business lunch. When you’re a courier biker, you can’t stop until the delivery is made. He hurriedly dropped off the package and sped back to the café. She was gone. 

At night, Jack drank cheap beer in his cheap apartment and went on imaginary dates with Joleen, watching her laugh at his jokes, making sweet love to her, falling asleep with her in his arms, waking up with her. He usually just woke up alone with a hangover. 

The week after that, he went to court after having been indicted on a petty larceny charge. 

It had been just another mistake with a forgotten delivery, but this time, that envelope must have been more important than he could possibly imagine, some important deal being held up or something. Anyway, he had made the delivery – a day late. So surely, he could get off this time. 

He heard heels clicking up the hallway. He looked up. 

“Joleen, honey, is that you?” 

“It is.” She looked radiant as ever.  

“Seems like every time I see you darlin, you got something else to do.” 

“I do.” 

“Why can’t you be true? You’ve started back doing the things you used to do.” 

“I have.” 

“Why?” 

“Jack, it’s been three years.” 

“Then why are you standing right here in fronting of me, looking beautiful like a dream come true?” 

“I’m your Pro Bono lawyer. I got you a deal. Six months’ probation and two hundred hours community service. I strongly recommend you take it. 

“Aw, now …” 

“And another thing. I got a restraining order against you. You know the drill, two hundred yards separation, etc.” 

“Again?” 

She left, her ponytail flipping with each click of her heels. 

Copyright © Johnny Clack 2022

___  

The inspiration for this is piece is Chuck Berry’s Nadine.