Sellevision - Augusten Burroughs [74]
“Hello?” a woman’s voice said. Had she dialed the wrong number? Peggy Jean disconnected the call and dialed again.
“Hello?” said the same woman, this time slightly irritated.
“Yes, who is this, please?” Peggy Jean asked.
“You’ve reached the Smythe residence,” the woman told her.
“Well, this is Peggy Jean Smythe calling for my husband. Who is this?”
“Oh, hi Mrs. Smythe, it’s Nikki from next door.”
Peggy Jean filled with relief. “Oh, Nikki, how are you? What are you doing at our house?”
Nikki covered the mouthpiece of the telephone with her hand, moved John’s head up from her crotch and mouthed the words, “It’s your wife.”
He frowned.
“Oh, I’m over here helping your husband take care of things, laundry and cooking and stuff. But how are you?”
It was all Peggy Jean could do not to burst into tears, right there on the telephone. That sweet girl from next door was taking care of her family; making sure they had clean things. “Nikki, you don’t have to do that. John and the boys are capable of taking care of themselves.”
Nikki smiled at John, winked, and tickled his penis with her big toe. “Oh no, I enjoy it, Mrs. Smythe. I like helping out. I did volunteer work at the hospital last year and, well, not that this is like that or anything, but I just like to feel like I’m helping.”
Peggy Jean closed her eyes and smiled. She made a mental note to purchase Nikki the Double Heart of Friendship rose and yellow fourteen-karat-gold pendant with the sixteen-inch chain from Sellevision, the very day she returned home. Given her employee discount, the pendant would cost less than forty dollars, and yet she would have paid twice that. “Is my husband there, Nikki?” Peggy Jean asked.
“I think he’s doing something with the plumbing, let me go see if I can find him.” Nikki again cupped her hand over the mouthpiece and laughed. “She wants you,” she whispered.
John took the phone from Nikki and gave her a wink. “Peggy Jean?” he said, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his rugby shirt.
“Hello, darling! I’m calling from the clinic. I haven’t been allowed phone privileges until now. I hope you haven’t been too worried about me.”
John watched as Nikki went into the bathroom, returning with a bottle of baby oil. “Uh, no, that’s fine, I mean sure I’ve been worried, but I figured you were in good hands.”
Nikki stood in the doorway of the bathroom and tipped the open bottle of baby oil over her chest. She massaged the oil into her breasts until they glistened.
“The boys? How are my babies? Please make sure they eat, I don’t want the trauma to wear them down.”
“The boys are fine, keeping busy with their studies.”
“Thank God. Recovery is so difficult, John, but I believe I had my first breakthrough today. I’m a sunflower with a cracked petal.”
Nikki massaged John’s toes with baby oil. “That’s, uh, great, Peggy Jean, but I shouldn’t keep you on the phone, so I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” He hung up.
Peggy Jean held the payphone receiver in her hand for a moment.
“Hey, give somebody else a chance, lady,” a patient said to her.
She hung up and felt a sudden rush of guilt. It was obviously very difficult for her husband to speak with her right now, his pain so great. How confused he must be. How lost without her. It was because of her own weakness that her family was in turmoil, staying afloat only thanks to the help of a thoughtful neighborhood girl.
“My name is Peggy Jean Smythe, and I’m a . . .” She tried to say the words out loud, but couldn’t. Instead, she went to her room and prayed.
“H
ello, this is Leigh. I’m not here to take your call right now, so please leave a message after the beep. Thanks.” Leigh stood next to the answering machine, screening.
“Please, Leigh, please, I’m begging you. Oh, Leigh, I love you so much, you don’t understand. Why won’t you call me back? I need to . . .” Leigh picked up the phone.
“Stop calling me, Howard,” she