The False Exit Read online

  “You kick him as hard as you can; right between the legs!”

  “Oh!” The little girl’s face lit up. “You mean, kick him in the nuts?”

  “I do!” she said. “If you can’t get your foot up there quick enough bang him really hard with your knee!”

  The little girl laughed. “Okay!”

  “I’m serious!” Anna Marie said. She watched the little girl go into deep thought as she chewed on a bite of food.

  Neither of them spoke for a moment. Suddenly the girl said, “I know that you love someone.”

  Anna Marie set down her spoon. “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know.” she said. “Who do you love?”

  “Bill.” Anna Marie said quietly to herself. She didn’t think little Annie heard her.

  “Who is Bill?” the girl asked. “Was he my dad’s friend?”

  “Not really,” Anna Marie grinned, “he is someone I know.”

  “Do you love him?” she asked.

  “I think so,” Anna Marie said.

  “You should tell him.”

  “Why?” Anna Marie asked.

  “I don’t know, I just think that I know that you should. Maybe my dad wants you to tell him. Why don’t you just tell him?”

  Anna Marie paused. She wasn’t sure what to say. “I guess it’s because I am not ready to tell him.”

  “Well if he tries to kiss you; kick him in the nuts!” she said loudly and began to laugh.

  “Hey, remember, I told you that was a secret, right? And, it goes for little girls. Little girls are not supposed to be kissed until they are big girls.”

  “What if big girls don’t want to be kissed? Can they kick them in the nuts?” she asked.

  “Yes, even big girls can kick boys like that. Listen to me carefully.” She pulled her face closer the girl, “Only do it if the boy is hurting or upsetting you. You should never do that to be mean, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said. She thought for moment. “How old are the big girls? I mean, how old are the ones who want to be kissed?”

  “About eighteen,” Anna Marie said. “Maybe seventeen. Well, let’s just say definitely no kisses before sixteen years old. Anybody tries before that—”

  “Kick them in the nuts!” she said.

  Anna Marie looked around nervously. Annie was enjoying the word ‘nuts’ a little too much. She worried that she’d said too much. She quickly changed her mind. This was a child that was in the system. The boy in the house was also a child in the system. She might not have said enough.

  After they finished eating, Anna Marie walked her over to the woman.

  “Can I talk with you?” Anna Marie asked her.

  “Sure,” the woman said.

  “Privately?”

  The woman looked uncomfortable. “Do you want to walk out with us?”

  Anna Marie followed them to the car. The little girl hopped into the passenger seat. The woman waited for her to close the door. She turned to Anna Marie and waited for her to talk.

  “I just wanted to let you know that Annie is afraid of a boy at the house. His name is Jeremey. I wasn’t sure if she expressed her concern to you.”

  “Listen, lady. I know you are new at this and I understand that you mean well. I’ve been keeping kids in my home for several years now. I know what I'm doing. I’ve never had an incident. I’m not going to have one now. The girl is safe with me.”

  “Of course she is,” Anna Marie said. “I didn’t mean to suggest that you weren’t doing a great job. I really appreciate all that you do. I just thought I would let you know because sometimes children don’t always communicate well. It was something that she expressed to me.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said abruptly. She turned and opened the car door.

  “She said he tried to kiss her,” Anna Marie threw in quickly.

  “Thank you!” the woman said again. She seemed more irritated by the second piece of information.

  Anna Marie glanced at Annie. She hoped that she hadn’t heard what she’d said. She didn’t want to lose her trust. She stepped up on the curb and watched the truck pull away. The little girl waved at her. Anna Marie pulled her knee up in a gesture to remind her of their conversation. The little girl held up a fist at the window.

  Anna Marie climbed in her car. She spoke into the air, “My God Kevin—that child is incredible. What have you done?” She thought about her lunch order and what the girl said about her loving someone and telling him so. Was it possible that Kevin was getting messages to her? Was he giving his blessing for her to be with Bill? Could he be making his peace from the other side? A deep sense of hope lingered until her verve suddenly dropped to fear again. What about the boy at the house? Anna Marie spoke out loud, but this time she was not speaking to Kevin, “Watch over that little girl. Let no harm come to her. Get her to me. Lord, just get her to me. In the meantime keep her safe.”

  She pulled up to the house. It was almost an hour earlier than she’d anticipated. She couldn’t wait to step inside and tell Claire and Jonny about her visit with Annie. She opened the front door and inhaled the air. What was that smell? She hoped it was not what she thought it was.

  “Claire?” she called. She walked into the living room.

  “Anna, you’re home early,” Claire said. She leaped up. “Are you smoking in the house?” She watched Claire smash a small cigarette into a saucer with a tiny bit of water at the bottom. “Wait! WHAT are you smoking?” she asked.

  Jonny sat up. He was in his underwear. “Okay, Sorry. It’s my fault.” His speech was slow and slurred.

  “Anna, I’m sorry. We didn’t expect you back this soon.”

  “Oh really. You didn’t expect me back? So as long as you are done smoking in my house by the time I get home—it’s okay?”

  “I’ll take all the blame. Sorry, Sugar. We’re just having a little early afternoon fun. We shouldn’t smoke in the house. We can go out back,” Jonny said.

  “You can just go! Get out! Get out of my house!”

  “Now, now slow down there, Sweet Sister,” Jonny said.

  Anna Marie glared at Claire. It was obvious that Jonny had been drinking as well. He was wasted, but Claire was sober.

  “You need to gather your things and your boy-child and get out of my house!”

  “Anna Marie? I’m sorry,” Claire said.

  “No, ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t going to cut it this time! I’m trying to get custody of a little girl that could very well be in great danger. At any moment, a social worker could drop by to inspect this house and the people who occupy it! What were you thinking? You need to clean up and go. Don’t you dare leave a speck of that crap in my house!”

  She picked up her keys and rushed out the door.

  “Anna!” she heard her sister call from the porch. She kept going.

  37

  The day went by quickly for Bill. He had to cover for Diane but managed to get done early. He headed home to relax before the evening rehearsal. When he drove past Clifford’s house, he caught a glimpse of Mary’s shadow in the window. “As it should be,” Bill said out loud as he pulled into his own driveway. He opened his door to let Motley out and they walked next door. Mary answered.

  “Hello, Bill.”

  “Mary!” Bill said. “How nice to see you here. I was just stopping by to check on Cliff. It looks like he is in good hands. Do you two need anything?”

  “Come in for a visit,” she said.

  “No, no, I’m just checking in.”

  “Hey Bill,” Clifford called from the couch, “come on in.”

  Motley rushed through the door as soon as he heard Clifford’s voice.

  “Oh goodness!” Mary grinned as the dog pushed passed her.

  “You’ll have to forgive Motley,” Bill explained to Mary. “He favors Clifford.” The dog jumped up on the couch.

  “Get down!” Bill commanded as he stepped into the living room.

  “Poor little guy gets over excited from mis
sing me! Don’t you, Boy?” Clifford said.

  Bill snapped his fingers at Motley, “Come on, get down!” Motley found his way to Clifford’s feet.

  “It smells like cakes in here,” Bill said. “Have you been baking, Mary?”

  “I have. I’m trying to make heart-healthy treats. It’s quite the challenge. I’ve never been one to cut back on the good stuff, if you know what I mean.”

  “I certainly do!” Bill said.

  “Have a seat, I’ll grab you a muffin. They’re made with applesauce instead of oil. I’ll throw a pound of butter on it for you.”

  Mary disappeared into the kitchen.

  “I like everything she makes. I don’t care what’s in it as long as she makes it,” Clifford said.

  “I see,” Bill grinned. He leaned into Clifford. “That’s strange.”

  “What?” Clifford asked?

  “You know, the center of your eyes have changed. They look different.”

  Clifford sat up and leaned toward him. “What do you mean?”

  “They aren’t round anymore.”

  “Not round?”

  “Nope they have taken on the shape of two hearts. You look like a regular Pepe’ Le Pew!”

  “Hmmm,” Clifford said, “yours are still brown as ever.”

  “Are you suggesting that I’m full of crap?”

  “I didn’t suggest anything. I’m just wondering when I’m going to see the hearts in your eyes. What’s happening with you and Anna Marie?”

  Mary walked back in the room. She set a muffin in front of him. She only caught the end of Clifford’s question. “Yes, how is Anna Marie? I know all the volunteers at the theatre miss her terribly. Poor Liz; she can hardly stand the place without her.”

  “We all feel the same, Mary. We just don’t say it at work. To answer your question about my eyes, Bill, I can’t do anything at this point. I just have to wait and see what happens.”

  “That’s where you are wrong,” Cliff replied. “Life is short, and it requires you to take action.”

  “This time it’s different.”

  Motley started to growl toward the same corner of the room.

  “Kevin is messing with Motley again,” Clifford said.

  Bill sighed, “You’re still seeing Kevin?”

  Clifford shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “For God’s sakes, Bill! Do you have to say it that way? You make it sound like I’m dating the man. There isn’t anything I can do about it. He doesn’t exactly ring the doorbell, you know.”

  “I don’t know, Cliff. Life sometimes requires you to take action. I think you should make him go away.”

  “I don’t think so,” Mary said. “I don’t mean to butt in, but I’ve been watching this.” She gave Bill a look that cast off a gentle warning. “I think we just have to wait it out. He’s going to go when he’s ready to go. As long as he isn’t causing Clifford any trouble. I don’t think we have to worry about it.”

  “She does this,” Clifford said.

  “Does what?” Mary asked.

  He looked at Bill, “She talks about me and over me as if I’m not in the room.” He turned to Mary. “That’s what you do. It’s a good thing Jesus told me I was going to marry you. It makes me tolerate every part of you. Even the things I should get upset about just make me love you more.”

  “Do you hear this crazy talk?” Mary asked Bill. “Keep it up and I will let them take you away,” she joked.

  “You two already sound like a married couple,” Bill said as he finished off the muffin.

  “Oh, dear,” Mary mumbled.

  “Mary, this muffin is fantastic. Thank you! Cliff, you’re a lucky man to have this woman looking after you the way she does.”

  Motley began to growl again. Clifford looked over at him. “Did you happen to tell Anna Marie that she needs to get Kevin’s little girl out of that house?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t,” Bill said in as gentle of a tone as he could muster.

  “That might help,” Mary said. “If we are going to get Kevin to stop hanging around here, we have to help him get things done so that he can move on.”

  “With all due respect, Mary,” Bill said, “I have a very different opinion. I think Kevin needs to work on things for himself. It’s probably best for everyone if Clifford gets him completely out of his mind.”

  Motley was still growling at the corner. “Let’s go boy! Come on!” he called. “Thank you for the muffin, Mary. Cliff, if you need anything tonight, give me a call. I’ll be home again after rehearsal. I can stop and pick up anything you might need.”

  “Thank you, but I think Mary has me all stocked up. Between what she brought over and your groceries from the other night, I have enough food here to last a month!”

  Bill spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the sofa with Motley curled up by his feet. As he was getting ready to head out for rehearsal, his phone chimed with a text from Anna Marie.

  Will you be home tonight? Can I come by after rehearsal?

  Sure. Is everything okay? He asked.

  It will be. She texted back

  Oh, boy. I know what that means. What happened?

  Claire!!! Claire happened!!!

  Can I call you? He asked.

  No, you have to get to rehearsal. I’ll come by later, Okay?

  Okay. I’ll see you later. After he set his phone down he had a second thought. Come by the theatre if you like.

  No, I’m fine. I’ll wait. She texted back immediately.

  When Bill pulled up to the parking lot, there were several actors already waiting at the door. He unlocked the theatre and headed to his office. He was determined to answer a few emails before the rest of his stage crew arrived. By the time he finished and walked back out to the stage, Gary was warming up the actors. “Have you heard from Diane?” he asked.

  “Not yet,” Gary answered.

  “Okay, send someone back to let me know when she gets here.”

  “Will do.”

  Gary finished with the actors and directed them to the piano to work with Mark. Liz shuffled herself into the crowd of singers, but Mark called her forward.

  “I need you down here leading the sopranos, Liz,” he called over the piano. He continued to lead the cast in scales as Liz stepped forward. He gave her a nod of approval. “Thank you!” he said with a smile.

  Liz smiled back. Mark dug his head into the piano. Shayla’s back straightened. She immediately repositioned herself at the piano on the other side of Mark.

  “Margaret!” Mark called without taking his eyes off of the keys, “get down here and lead the altos please.” Shayla turned red. Mark had bypassed her. She’d already positioned herself to lead the altos. She stepped back awkwardly and glared at Margaret as they switched spots.

  “Damion,” Mark called, “I need you for the men!”

  “On my way,” Damion replied.

  Liz watched Shayla continue to scowl at Margaret. Mark still hadn’t looked up. He was concentrating on the sounds.

  “Come on gentleman, more energy! I want to hear you tonight! I’m tired of the girls drowning you out. Don’t make me pull the girl’s sound back. You guys need to step it up!” The men sang louder. “There it is! Let’s hold on to that balance tonight!”

  Diane arrived just as they were finishing up at the piano. “Gary, where is my table?” she asked. “Why isn’t my table here?”

  “Sorry, Diane. Eddie is using it in the shop. He said it was all he could find to hold up the store flat for the set. He is painting the backside tonight.”

  “Why didn’t he use the saw horses? That’s a prop table. It doesn’t belong in the shop.”

  “I’m sorry. I tried to get it ready for you,” Gary explained, “but Eddie said that Bill told him he could use it.”

  “Did he?”

  “Yes Ma’am. I’m sorry, I tried to find another table. They’re all too large. I didn’t think you’d want a table that cut into the playing space. I have the podium ready
. Would you like me to drag it out here?”

  “I would like you to drag my table out here.”

  “Would you like the podium?” Gary said. He looked at Liz. Her eyes were wide.

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll work on my feet tonight. You can come get this chair. It isn’t going to do me any good without the table.” She raised her voice to the rest of the cast. “I’m feeling a little under the weather. I’m going to suggest you all steer clear of my direction. I don’t want this cold to run through the cast. There is a lot going around. Everyone needs to drink plenty of water and get as much rest as possible this week. I don’t need any of you getting sick! Okay, let’s start with Act One Scene Six. Places!”

  The actors shuffled to their places. Gary grabbed an ensemble member who wasn’t in the scene. “Could you go tell Bill that Diane flew in on her broom?” The girl grinned and started toward the shop. “No, wait. I’m joking. Don’t you dare tell him I said that. I shouldn’t have said that!”

  “I don’t blame you,” the girl said. “I’ll let him know that the wicked witch is here.” Gary’s eyes got wide. “I’m just kidding,” she laughed.

  “I hope so,” Gary said. “I don’t want to get fired.”

  “Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me!” She winked.

  “Thanks,” Gary said. He watched her walk away. He’d noticed her in the crowd before, but he hadn’t noticed how cute she was. He paused, surprised at himself. Why was he noticing now? It was nothing. Just because he had a girlfriend didn’t mean that he would never take notice of a pretty girl again.

  “Come on people!” he heard Diane holler.

  Gary left his post to peek out from the side of the curtain. Diane was pacing the front of the stage. She continued to yell over the first musical number.

  “Come On! Men, where are you tonight? Let me hear you! Stop, stop, STOP!” she called. Mark stopped playing and the cast directed their attention to Diane. “People, this is the big show stopping number! This thing has to pop. I can’t have actors calling it in on this number. Where will we go from here if you start this thing out flat? You do realize that this is a comedy, right? I only ask because right now the whole thing is becoming tragic! You need to step it up as a cast. To be honest, I’m disgusted by what I’m seeing tonight!”