Читать книгу My Dear Bitch. V#2 An Unwelcome Person - Margie Fillin - Страница 5

The weather was fine. We were walking in the local park getting impressed by the works of art of not yet well-known, young American painters. It was really fine exhibition under a clear sky.

And I listened to Dan’s story with an interest.

– I’m very close with Nick, Stacy, and Diane however. I consider Diane my second mom and take care of her; I can’t refuse any request from Nick’s mom. They all are my second family. By the way, I saw how Stacy was giving a birth of her twins. I was with Nick and Stacy from the very beginning of the entire long process of labor till the happy end. I’m proud of this, as I could see with my own eyes how the girls were delivered one by one. I was a great emotional supporter for my friends at such an intimate and significant moment of their life.

– And did Nick have any objections?

– No. He was so scared during Stacy’s labor that he fainted; so he was very grateful to me that I didn’t refuse to be with them.

– What about Stacy?

– Stacy didn’t care at all. She was sure she would be able to stand the labor at home without doctor’s assistance, and since it was her second labor, they decided to save money. But suddenly Stacy felt bad. Nick was in panic, he couldn’t help his wife. “I’m not a doctor,” – he screamed out and started to call 911. He did it at the right moment because Stacy was on the verge of life and death, and Nick could lose her and the twins.

– Are your friends happy in their marriage? – I was curious. However, my question embarrassed my fiancé.

– Are they happy? – he re-asked me. – Hmm. I think so. I’m sure they are true testaments of what it is like to risk and love. They had a varied life but now rest in good company with comfort and love.

– “You cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live or love without risks!” or “The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing…” – Almost everyone knows these inspirational sayings and many others to remind one what it is to live, – I said.

– And my favorite saying is: “The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing,” – Dan smiled. – Yes, all sorts of things took place in their so long mutual relationship and marriage. You know how much they were fighting? They have been fighting during all the marriage, especially when they were young. And Nick says they are still arguing and fighting from time to time.

– I can see.

– Moreover, Stacy could put Nick in prison several times, but she didn’t do this. Maybe because of their children, maybe because of Diane. Or maybe because of her great love to her husband. Nick always said “I’m sorry” to Stacy, and these magic words helped him. – Dan became serious. – And Stacy was Nick’s magic wand. She saved his life several times.

– How?

– They are both into sports, and their favorite is kayaking. They like to take risks rafting the high mountain rivers. Nick used to say, “It takes your breath away! Join us, Dan”. Once Nick was overturned in his canoe and broke both of his legs. He was in shock and couldn’t understand what happened to him. It was a miracle that Stacy could catch him and pulled him out from the cold water to the big rocks in the middle of the river before he was carried away by the stream.

– Unbelievable! Stacy is a fearless courageous woman.

– True story, dear. And one time she pulled him out from the burning truck. Nick was pig-drunk, parked his truck near the house and fell asleep inside. When Stacy came back home and parked her car, she felt the smell of smoke going from somewhere. There was nobody at home, and she immediately returned to Nick’s truck to check it. Nick was there. Stacy saved his life! I tell the story as I heard it.

– She is a real hero.

– And when his son was perished in the war, – Dan coughed and stared at me. – Have I ever told you about that?

– No, dear. I haven’t heard a word about this tragedy.

– Nick wasn’t a perfect father for his son. He was very jealous of Stacy and considered that she treated and loved Andrew much more than him. Nick was too strict and fussy to his boy and thought that Andrew was too arrogant and didn’t respect him, Nick, at all. So, somehow Nick encouraged Andrew to join the Army. “He’ll know what the real life could be far away from his mommy!” – Nick was so proud of his own plan. When Andrew followed his advice, Nick was in high spirits. But later, in a year or so, when Nick saw Andrew’s body in the coffin, he had the only one wish – to kill himself. Nick didn’t want to live anymore and volunteered as a firefighter. In a few weeks he was almost burnt, and again it was Stacy, who nursed him, her husband. Her great care and big love to him helped again.

– Oh, God. So tragic destiny of Andrew! I can’t believe, I don’t want to believe, – I said.

Dan sighed and brushed off the tears from his cheeks.

– Soon after all those tragic events Diane had a heart attack. Her favorite grandson passed away and the only son was on the verge of death for several months. One day, when cutting the lemon tree in my mom’s garden, I suddenly noticed Diane lying on the grass in her backyard. It seemed very strange to me, so I jumped up out of the fence into her backyard. She didn’t move and her face was absolutely pale. I called the paramedics at once.

– I’m so sorry. Poor Diane… Stacy. They both are such strong women. And you, Danny, have done well also! If not for you in the garden that right moment…

I looked at my fiancé. He was ready to cry, so I decided to dispel his so gloomy recollections and asked him:

– Dan, and how do your friends earn money for the life? I do not mean the trading though.

– They do not need to earn or make money; they have it and spend it. – Dan laughed. – You know, dear, the half of the US population enjoy life spending money and not working at all in order to earn it, and my friends are not exclusion. They have a perfect opportunity to live in such way. They’ve inherited a lot of money from Nick’s auntie, his Father’s sister. They’ve got it pretty soon after Andrew’s birth and turned millionaires at once.

Daniel bought some bottles of water and suggested me an ice-cream.

– By the way, Diane also became a multi-millionaire few years after her lucky Nick. Diane always was a very prosperous woman, but nobody could imagine her being a multi-millionaire.

– How did she become one? Lottery? Inheritance?

– Her husband. Easy! You can do it as well in the future, Vika. If you like, – Daniel giggled. – And this is the easiest way to become a millionaire in America; you know, don’t you?

– Hmm. Are you sure? – I didn’t take seriously those Dan’s words.

– Of course, I am. I’ll tell you more, Vika, that is not a big secret; everyone in America knows it. – Dan shook his head and smiled. – This is a lottery of a type, if you like, and Diane won it. But she had to divorce her third husband to get it. Edward was a multi-millionaire and the co-owner of a very prosperous American publishing house, where Diane worked for many years, too. She had no idea that her husband had an affair with a young journalist, one of Diane’s colleagues and subordinates. Since Nick and Stacy traveled a lot, once they unexpectedly met face to face with the happy lovers – Nick’s step-father and a young lady – at one of the bohemian New York restaurants. Diane’s husband pretended he didn’t recognize Nick or Stacy. Nick was furious. He called his mom, Diane couldn’t believe in adultery. She rapidly stopped the conversation with her son, and did it in a very impolite form. She was so angry with… Nick, but later on hired a detective to check if her husband really had an affair. And to her disappointment, in a while she gathered a lot of compromising information and documentation, confirming that Edward was unfaithful to her and shared much more money with his lover than with her, his wife, at least for the last two years of their marriage. The great scandal has been started by Diane on one occasion, and her husband was so much scared that he accepted all Diane’s demands. He compromised and at last decided to share his own millions with her, and soon after the shameful and complicated divorce Diane got millions of dollars from her ex and the new higher position in the publishing house. It was created specially for her as a bonus for her emotional damage. The never-ending scandal was hushed up at last, just in an effort to save face. Diane’s ex-husband had to marry his lover though he didn’t want to; he loved Diane and his millions.

– Wow, what a story! – I exclaimed.

– You will hardly believe, Vika, but Nick’s father – Diane’s first husband Eric – was her lawyer during the long trial process. He won the case and, hence, got a lot of money from Edward, too, but Diane had no wish to share the money between her formers. But on the other hand, Eric did the great mercy for her when he agreed to help in such a delicate issue as divorce. Somehow she trusted him. She knew that he was an intelligent and smart person, and Eric really was the professional. Diane and Eric married in their student years because of Diane’s pregnancy. They tried to live together since the baby was born, but, unfortunately, they couldn’t stand each other more than several months. They decided that divorce would be the best solution for both of them and for their little son Nicky. Later on, they tried to live together again and again because of Nick, but it didn’t work though they always had affection to each other.

– Wow, Nick’s Father is a lawyer and his mom is a journalist by profession. And what is Nick? – I wanted to know.

I was curious.

– Neither Nick, nor Stacy has any profession. They finished high school and married, as you know. Then they travelled a lot across the States. Oh, I forgot: Nick was crazy for racing cars since his childhood. Car racing, yes, it was his hobby for many years. He participated in many competitions and is still keeping a lot of prizes – a very attention-grabbing collection, you know… Yes, he has become a professional race car driver but for a short time. Somewhat terrible and unexpected happened once on the racing track, and another pilot, Nick’s friend, was badly hurt and passed away in the racing car in a few minutes. His wife blamed Nick and suspected him guilty in her husband’s death. She started real hunting against Nick, Nick started to drink. In a year or so he became an alcoholic. Stacy treated him for alcoholism. He was so grateful to her for taking such a care of him. Then he worked as a taxi-driver for a while, quit and started to play sports just for his pleasure. Stacy followed him, her naughty spoilt hubby, everywhere and raised their children. I’m sure Vika, you’ll like them! They are very interesting people.

Dan finished his story.

It was time for a dinner, and, as we were hungry as well, we drove to the nearest Chinese restaurant on our way back home from the Supreme Court of Los Angeles.