Marie
(I swear, if she went
to upset Erik one more time, I was going to hurt her. Anyone wanna help? Put
your hands down, for the third time!
What is wrong with you people?
For Heaven’s sake… I’m probably in Astronomy class or something while
you sit at your computer with your hand raised, thinking I can see you. Yeesh…)
Devoid of anything else to do that was constructive, I slipped over to Erik’s apartment to see what exactly had happened. Lisa had apparently not shut the door all the way, for it was halfway open, revealing Erik at the opposite window. He leaned on the sill heavily, his head bent and his posture strained.
I bit my bottom lip… he probably didn’t want to be bothered after what appeared to be a nasty fight. Then again… he might want a friendly ear or shoulder. I knocked lightly on the doorframe, inching over the threshold.
“Erik?” I called softly, trying to alert him to my presence. He didn’t move except for a slight shake to his shoulders and a deep exhale of breath. Perhaps he’d hoped that I was Lisa coming back.
“Erik?” I repeated once I was directly behind him, laying a hand on his back gently. “You okay?”
He jumped a little, turning to face me with brief panic in his eyes. “Marie…” he finally acknowledged me. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
His eyes were glassy and rimmed with red, his breathing slightly labored… Good Lord, he’d been crying!
“I… Lisa came back in a huff and stalked off on one of her walks. She only said that you two had a fight over whether or not to invite her mother to the wedding. I thought… I thought maybe… I could help you out.” I looked up at him, suddenly afraid. Damn… I knew as well as anyone that one does not like to be observed while crying! “But, I can see I was wrong… I’ll leave… if you want…”
“No… don’t leave.” He sighed, catching hold of my arm when I would’ve beat a hasty retreat back to my own hole in the ground.
“Do you want to tell me what happened? Lisa wasn’t exactly descriptive.”
“It all started while we were making up the guest list.”
“I gathered… I mean after you suggested that her mother come.”
“Well, I insisted… she rather strenuously refused and… basically said that her mother could come or she could come.”
“Hold it, stop right there… correct me if I’m wrong… but was that a threat to break off the engagement?”
“So it would seem…” he sighed.
“Oh man… that would explain why you’re… upset.” I chewed on my lip again, placing both of my hands on his shoulders in what I hoped was merely a comforting motion.
“You’ve known her longer than I have, Marie… do you really think she would do this?” he asked, worry plain in his tone.
“I honestly can’t say. The subject of her mother is quite a sensitive one… you know that. I know she feels quite strongly about it… hell, I’ve seen her go on a five-hour walk and be angry for the rest of the week just because her mother called out of the blue. She really just does not take kindly to the woman. That would certainly point to a vehement yes. But I also know that she loves you and I can’t imagine her passing up this chance because you want to invite her mother to the wedding. It’s really difficult to say.” I shrugged, hugging him from behind.
“But, I don’t understand… I merely suggested that it would be better for her mother to find out such news from us and not from another member of the family and then find that she’s not even invited. If I had a child… I would certainly be very… hurt… no matter what rows took place… if that were to happen to me.” He turned, looking to me for answers.
“I know… I can understand your point. Lisa just holds grudges very seriously. I would give her some time to cool off… then let her come to you. It’ll do you no good to approach her while she’s in this state. You might find several large objects aimed at your head.” I suggested.
“If I recall… that’s what I did last time and it didn’t work very well.” he commented.
It was my turn to sigh. “Well, that’s all I can think of. I can’t help it if Lisa’s being a… jerk.”
“Perhaps you… could try to… talk to her?” he asked hopefully.
“I could try… but I don’t know how well that’ll go over. She usually takes out her bad moods on whoever’s closest… you know, being unresponsive and a little catty?”
I acceded, figuring that Erik didn’t need another person being mean to him.
“Yes, I’ve had that experience.” He nodded wryly.
“Listen… I’ve got to get back to work. Deadlines, you know. If you need anything, you call me, okay? I know how you get too.” I demanded.
“Yes, yes… I know. And I appreciate your kindness.”
“Don’t mention it.” I shook my head on my way out the door. I walked the half-dozen steps back to the apartment and flopped on the couch once inside. Those two were going to drive me crazy… or at least crazier than I already was if such a thing were possible. Every time I turned around, one of them was coming to me for relationship advice or some such desperate cause. Like I knew what I was talking about! Hell, I was one of those people who took Cosmopolitan quizzes and cheated on them just so I wouldn’t find out that I was a complete loser.
Hours later, Lisa finally reappeared looking every bit as angry as she had when she left. I paused in the act of making a grilled cheese sandwich and called her. “Hey, Lise… want some dinner?”
“I think I’ll skip it.” She growled, dropping her jacket vengefully on the floor and stalking off to her room.
“Hey!” I called again. “You can’t hide from him forever… go talk to Erik, please!”
She stopped abruptly, slowly swiveling her head around to face me, her expression unreadable. Oh shit… bad move, Marie…I took a step back instinctively.
“If you could refrain from offering me unsolicited advice, Marie… I’d appreciate it.” She seethed, her eyes narrowing before she continued her trek to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The resulting tremors managed to knock a framed picture off of the wall, breaking the glass audibly. I quickly flipped my now-burned sandwich onto a plate and went to inspect the damage.
It was the picture I had drawn during my freshman year of college; a twenty-four by eighteen pencil drawing of Erik listening to Raoul and Christine on the roof of the Opera, the All I Ask Of You scene. The paper itself wasn’t damaged, but the black wooden framed had splintered a little and several large cracks fractured the pane of glass over top. I noted with a sick heart that all of the lines cut over Erik’s likeness, leaving Christine and Raoul unobscured.
A shiver of foreboding ran up my spine, but I was never given the chance to examine it. The phone rang in that same instant, startling me. I left the broken picture where it was and ran to catch it before the third ring.
“Hello?” I asked, trying to calm my voice.
“Marie?” I heard Erik’s voice on the other end ask uncertainly.
“That would be me… something wrong, Erik?” Dumb question on my part!
“I was wondering if Lisa was back yet.” His voice was noticeably strained, as though he had been or was crying.
“Yes. She announced her presence to the whole building with that last resounding slam of the door.” I mumbled, glancing at my ruined frame.
“Did she say anything?”
“Not really. And when I tried to talk to her, she told me to mind my own business… well… more or less.” I choked, both upset and angry.
“You think she really intends to go through with it then?” he asked softly.
“At this point, I couldn’t say. Right now, I wouldn’t go within ten feet of her without a bullet proof vest on.” I tried to make light.
“That doesn’t sound promising.”
“No… I don’t know how serious she is, Erik. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve either stayed out until she calmed down or at least let me talk to her.” I explained with a sigh.
“What am I going to do, Marie? If she won’t talk to you… she certainly won’t talk to me.” He pleaded.
“I know… I know… just let me think. There has to be some way to straighten this out.” I began to pace around the couch.
“Last time, she at least stopped to talk to you. Why am I even holding out hope?” He said, more to himself than to me.
“Because you love her… and she loves you.” I reminded him.
“Damn funny way of showing it.”
“Yes… I know.”
“So what do I do now?”
“My only idea is to wait… let her cool down and then let her come to you. There’s no way to her at the moment.”
“Capital plan with such a high probability for success.” He muttered sarcastically.
“Hey… I’m not the one hurting you here… so don’t take it out on me, Erik.” I growled, sounding more wounded than actually angry.
There was a long pause before he finally spoke again. “Forgive me, Marie…you’re right… I shouldn’t take it out on you. Although it is easier. I mean, she’s in her room… else I’d take it out on her.”
I smiled. “Just calm down, okay? We’ll think of something.”
“Ever the optimist?”
“Only where you two are concerned.”
“I do have another reason for calling.” His tone changed.
“What’s that?”
“Talk me out of this.”
“Erik… don’t.” Good God… was he saying what I thought he was saying?!
“I could jump out the window… or something equally dramatic.” I could tell he was shrugging nonchalantly.
“Erik… we live on the third floor… at worst, you’d twist an ankle and get a slight concussion.” I reminded him.
“That’s true… wouldn’t be very Phantomesque would it?” he agreed. “Too bad I don’t have a revolver…”
“Erik… you can’t do that. You kill yourself and I will bring you back from the dead and kill you.” I threatened.
“That would be quite the feat.”
“Hey… I’m stubborn… I’d figure it out eventually. Now listen… do you want me to come over there and keep you company?” I asked.
“No… I’ll be all right. I just needed to remind myself that… someone… cares. I’ll call you again if I need you, yes?” he refused, the sound of tears still evident in his voice.
“You can call me anytime you want. I’ll be here for you.” I agreed.
“Thank you, Marie. You’re a true friend.” He whispered softly before hanging up the phone. I took a deep breath and hung up the cordless, feeling a bit near tears myself. As I turned around to set the phone back on its base, I caught sight of Lisa edging from her room to the kitchen. Still hurt by her harsh words earlier, I said nothing, content to sit quietly on the couch and stare at my lap… like a child afraid of inadvertently angering a parent.
I could hear the telltale sounds of Lisa getting herself a glass of water, although she didn’t bang the cabinets and glasses like I expected. Shortly after, she re-entered the living room and stood aimlessly next to the blank TV. I noticed that she had two, rather than one glass of water. Timidly (if one could ever call Lisa timid) she approached me and held out the second glass towards me.
“You look like you could use one too.” She offered.
I took the proffered drink as she sat on the couch as well, albeit as far away from me as she could get without being on the floor. There she stayed, contemplating the deeper meanings of Plexiglas at the bottom of her cup, furtively glancing over at me as though she expected me to pounce on her at any moment and rip her larynx out.
“Well…” she began. “I was gonna say something, but I have this horrible feeling that you’re going to rip off one of my limbs and beat me about the head with it.”
I looked at her incredulously. “I’d have to catch you first… and then I’d have to be angry with you… neither of which has or will happen.”
“Oh.” She commented, looking at the now blank wall. “Sorry about the picture… I’ll get you a new frame.”
“It’s no biggie… it’s not like it was expensive or anything… only like twenty bucks.” I shrugged.
“Yeah… but you can’t put a price on the picture. How can you not be mad at me? I’m mad at me, dammit!”
“Well… the picture isn’t damaged… that little rip was already there.” I remembered the slight tear in the picture that I had made while framing the thing the first time around.
“Well… that’s good.” She breathed. A long pause followed. “How’s Erik?”
“Not in the best frame of mind… I just talked to him on the phone. He’s very upset from what I can tell.” I admitted.
“Well, gee… if I haven’t managed to piss you off at least I got to him.” She said wryly.
“He’s not angry… just worried that he’s lost you. From what I hear, you all but broke off the engagement.” I explained.
“What?” she asked. “Jeez… me and my big mouth.”
“Do you not want to marry him anymore?”
“I never said that.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him several times that my mother wasn’t coming.”
“So I gathered.”
“He insisted that she was and I told him that he could either have me at the wedding or her… pick one.”
“Jesus… Lisa. Listen to that sentence from his point of view.”
“Oh… shit.”
“That’s descriptive.”
She laughed ruefully. “Oh man…”
“Is getting back at your mother really worth hurting the man you love, Lise?” I asked point blank.
“I don’t want her there. Just because Erik insists, I play along with the dutiful wife routine?” she countered.
“What if I do my damndest to keep her away from you? Besides, if it’s some form of revenge you want… what better way than to flaunt your happiness about?” I suggested.
“It’s not a revenge issue.”
“Then what is it? Lise… all I see is you being stubborn over a little detail. It’s your wedding and your day… no one… not even your mother can ruin that for you… whether she’s here or in Guam. If it’ll make Erik happy, then why not?”
“I just don’t know why he’s so damn insistent about it. Why can’t he leave well enough alone?” she asked.
“Do you want my honest, amateur-psychologist opinion?”
“I suppose… as long as it doesn’t involve Freud and the anal stage.”
“I don’t think it does, but here goes… Erik lost his mother at a very early age and didn’t have all that good a relationship with her in the first place. I think that subconsciously, he’s trying to patch things up between you and your mother to make himself feel a little better. Maybe he just doesn’t want you to have that rift in your life the way he does.” I took a breath before continuing. “Think about it… in a few years, when you’re pregnant with your first kid… aren’t you going to want your mother around for advice or some such? Maybe, he’s looking ahead to that and knowing that you’re going to missing something there. Am I making any sense at all to you?”
“Yes… entirely too much… stop it.”
“The defense rests, Your Honor.” I smiled.
Lisa groaned. “No more Judge Judy for you.”
“Agreed… but only if your schlep your ass over to Erik’s and tell him that the wedding’s still on… before he figures out that there is a tenth floor he could jump from?” I pushed her out of her seat and towards the door.
“Jesus… as long as I’m schleping my ass…”
“And the rest of you too… now git.” I shoved her out the door.
Brava, Marie…crisis
number twelve-hundred and eleven has been solved.