36. Drake yells at his father.
1378 Words
Drake stayed near the hospital in a hotel that had two rooms. Kira stayed in the spare room.
He dropped her off at the gym as he continued to the hospital.
He got a call from his mother, Beth.
" Hey mom, how is the cruise?" He asked her.
" Oh, so nice. I've been having so much fun, I should have done this so long ago.
Hey, would you be mad if I...I..met a new guy.
He's a bit younger than me, but he is a doctor. His parents dragged him along on this cruise as a sort of graduation gift to him.
He said that I was his gift." She giggled.
He did not mention to her that his father was sick.
He couldn't. This woman deserved so much happiness, he decided he would not tell her about Stewart having cancer.
His father had been like a cancer to his mother Beth for so many years.
"Mom have fun. Don't worry, I will water your plants for you."
She hung up. He smiled. Go get em Beth. He thought.
He walked into the hospital room. His father was yelling at the nurse. He tried to pinch her butt.
" Dad, you can't do that, they will kick you out." He said sternly.
Stewart folded his hands together. " I have my needs son. When is Beth coming, did you call her. She can't be still mad at me about our anniversary."
Drake looked at this pitiful man. His mother Beth was never enough for him.
She never would be, he made no excuses to her for his womanizing.
" Well son?" He asked," Your mother, can you tell her to bring me my glasses, the good ones she bought me, not these old ones."
"Dad, she's not coming." He said.
" Why, she's being a frigid b***h again then." He sneered.
Drake stood up, he yelled at his father.
" Don't you dare, don't you dare speak about Beth that way.
She has done nothing to deserve your hateful words. If you must know, she bought and paid for, with her own money...mind you, a cruise for you both as a surprise for your anniversary.
I insisted that she go without you, she's on that damn cruise and know what else?
She's happy. So, no... I'm not going to call her to ruin her happiness.
You, old man will die alone, she's not going to get you your good glasses, nor take your s**t anymore, she's gone, you pushed her away.
You deserve to face your maker all alone!"
Drake threw down the news paper he had been gripping and turned to go.
"Son wait, did she say she was never coming back to me?" he asked.
Drake turned back to him. He took a deep breath and counted a full ten seconds before responding.
"Dad, she's gone. She's dead to you, go celebrate with a whore." He walked away. He would be never get it.
Stewart started to cry. He said,
"Son, son wait."
Drake had never, ever seen his dad cry.
He sat down and held his hand.
"Want me to call an escort service for you?"
Stewart frowned. "That's what you think of me then, just a womanizing empty person?"
Drake nodded," That's how you raised me. You said it was a secret men's club. Take what you want, you deserve it."
Stewart looked away. "I have regrets son. I didn't.. I mean I couldn't be the person a wife would ever want. Your mother, she knew about it all. She never left me, I wonder why?"
Drake said,"Dad she loves you. She told me she has so much love for you, maybe even enough for both of you, for our whole family.
She is quite an amazing person. You took that for granite pops.
She needs you to free her, she will never divorce you, you know that she can't. It's not in her DNA."
He thought of Stella then.
He looked out the window.
He was doing the same to his Stella.
He pushed her away so hard, making it impossible for her to see the real him, to love him.
Oh, he pretended it was for the damn money. He really told himself that.
Just find her, seduce her back and get her money.
Then, then...what?... die alone filthy rich with a list of women on his belt notch.
He told Stella that once...that she wasn't a notch. She was the whole belt.
Drake looked at this older version of himself lying alone in his death bed.
He kissed his father's forhead.
" I'll be back for dinner, want anything special?"
Stewart shook his head, thinking about Beth. He had to somehow tell her he really did love her, she was a very good wife to him.
He picked up his phone. He made a video message to her. He saved it. Later that afternoon he made another.
He was working on his dead marraige before he died.
He made 25 messages for her, one for each year that they were married.
He called and made arrangements with a florist to have flowers sent to her every year on their anniversary going forward.
He tried to think of ways to tell her...she was enough. It was him that was never enough for her. He cried as he mourned the loss of his wife.
Drake entered his hotel room. Kira was still gone.
He picked up his phone. He called Cash. " I need to speak to Stella, I promise I won't harass her, please cousin...can you give me her number?"
Cash didn't pick up, so he left a voice mail.
A few moments later his phone pinged with her number. "Don't screw her over, if you do I will make you pay, cousin."
It was night time over in India. He knew she wouldn't pick the phone up.
Drake phoned her anyway.
" Hello?" She said groggily, looking at the callers name.
" Oh, Drake? Sorry about your daddy." She said.
She sat up and got a drink of water. Ash was sleeping next to her. He was snoring.
" Not good, but don't talk, please. I just need to say something to you." He said.
She was silent. Her mind was foggy from the pain pills.
" I want to say that I was a jerk to you, worse than that.
I never treated you ..with the respect or...or love that you deserved. I never took our engagement seriously.
I know now, that was a huge mistake. I'm sorry Stella." He said, tears were forming, he had to stop to compose himself.
Stella said,"I'm good. I know all that, that's why I gave you one more chance to come with me.
I see the real you, sounds like you are seeing him now too."
He smiled. " I will try to be who you need me to be, no...I won't try..I will be that man Stella." He vowed.
Ash rolled over and coughed.
"Oh, who you..are you on the phone Stella?" He asked.
" Go back to sleep Ash, it's just your cousin Drake." She rubbed his shoulder.
He said," Oh, Drake. Can I talk to him?"
Stella handed the phone to her bed mate.
" Hey, it's Ash. How's uncle Stew? I'm sorry I can't be there. Cash has me watching over Stella, she's so needy." He grinned at her.
She kissed his arm, then bit him.
" Oww! That hurts!" He said.
Drake told Ash thanks for his concern.
" Can I speak to Stella again?"
He got up to go to the bathroom and gave her the phone.
" You are sleeping with Ash now?" He asked.
She was quiet. " And Cash sometimes, I would sleep with Sam too...but he's not here." She wanted him to understand that he pushed her to this, to needing a man always around, loving her.
" Would you...ever sleep with me?" He asked.
" I did that, it was fun for a while, but to tell you the truth, I won't let myself fall in love like that again. It took me a long time to get over you...I am over you now Drake." She told him, she lied.
- Writer
