Part 53: The Ties that Bind Part 1
Mandy sat by herself near the water. The waves gently brushed up against her bare feet, then left as quickly as it arrived. She felt ashamed. She wanted to be alone but she was also smart enough to know, there was no way she could really be alone. She learned forward, hugging her legs, and resting her head on her knees. Closing her eyes, she wished she was far away from this island. Back in California, with Taylor and her other college friends. Mandy knew that wasn’t going to happen yet.
Then she paused in her thinking as she heard the shifting of the sand behind her. Mandy smiled as she knew it could only be one person who would check on her. “Are you all right?” Taylor asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Mandy whispered.
Taylor walked over and sat next to her best friend. They huddled together against the wind created by the ocean waves. Taylor waited to hear what her friend was going to say, if anything. Mandy looked out into the ocean, marveling at how far she was able to see and what she couldn’t see. Taylor finally broke the silence, “Mandy, why didn’t you push him away or cry out for help?”
The blonde sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. “It. . . .it excited me.” She confessed.
“Oh, God, Mandy,” Taylor sighed, “I know you have your fantasties but this . .”
“I know, I know, “ she said, wiping her tears, “It took me a while to calm down. I thought . . .I never thought that Cecil would be just another dirty old man. I thought . . .he was coming onto me . . .for what I did.”
“No, Mandy,” Taylor said, placing her arm around her friend, “That was a long time ago. There is no way in hell he would know. You were young and naïve. You’re smarter now and I know you’ll never make that same mistake again.”
“Of course I won’t.” she cried, leaning into her friend, “ But why . ..why must I always be punished for that one thing?”
“Stop this. You are not being punished. It was a one time deal, nothing more.”
Mandy sniffed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “You’ll never tell anyone, will you, Taylor?”
“I promised you, didn’t I?”
“Not even McKay?”
Taylor paused for a second and gently rubbed her friend’s hair. “No, I won’t tell, McKay but I think you should.”
Mandy gasped, “Why?”
“Because he is a good man and there should be no secrets between us.”
“NO!” Mandy covered her face in her hands, “I can’t tell him! He’ll think I am a whore!”
“Oh, c’mon. I don’t think McKay would think that,” Taylor smiled, “Mandy? After all I went through with my last relationship, do you think I was hook again with another scumbag?”
Mandy stopped crying and then laughed through her tears. She knew her friend all too well. She wouldn’t even be talking to McKay if she didn’t think he held the ideals she wanted in a man. The blonde sniffed again, then leaned back into her friend’s arms. Taylor started rocking side to side, holding her friend and humming a tune as the waves continued to crash against the beach.
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Inside the main tent, Eddie was playing with his Kangaroo pal. Tony was sipping on water, trying to stay hydrated. His stomach felt a little queasy due to the strong antibiotic he was taking but the coconut milk he drank earlier should even it out. Marita was reading through another item they found in the Nerd Box, as everybody was calling it. It was a trivia desk calendar, the one with tear off pages. Marita and Tony were using it to pass the time away. After she got done, she would rip off the page and toss it into the fire. “What bird has the greatest number of feathers?” she asked.
“Hmm,” Tony rubbed his chin, “A peacock?”
“Yeah, a peacock!” Eddie laughed.
“Actually, it says it’s the Whistling Swan, with more than 25,000 in winter.”
“That’s interesting,” Tony smiled, “I never even knew there was more than one type of swan.”
“Okay, try this;” Marita laughed, “Which of the main characters on the TV sitcom Seinfield was not in the original script for the show but was added at the behest of the network executives?”
“I would have to say . . .the Julia Dreyfus character, Elaine.”
Marita ripped off the page and looked at the answer. “Hey, good job, Tony! Did you know or where you guessing?”
“Just guessing. What is the next question?”
“How do diamonds, which are deep inside the earth, get up to the surface?” Marita asked.
“I would assume that would be volcanos.” Tony smirked.
“It says volcano eruptions,” the Latina giggled.
“It practically gave it away when it said deep inside the Earth’s core.”
“Tony?” Eddie came up to him.
“Yeah, buddy?” he said, turning toward the sound of his voice.
“Is it okay if I go play by the water?” he asked.
“Sure but do you remember what I said about the ocean water?”
“Don’t drink it.” Eddie said proudly.
“And what happens if a boar shows up?” Tony grinned.
“Run toward you and don’t stop screaming.”
“Good boy, “ Tony said, patting him on the arm, “Go have fun.”
Eddie laughed in joy as he and Mr. Kangaroo ran off to have fun near the water. Marita leaned up, bracing her head on her hand. She watched the little boy run through the sand toward the ocean. She leaned over, gently rubbing Tony’s knee. “You’ll make a good father some day, Tony.” She whispered.
Tony took her hand and held it, “I only hope I am not completely blind by that time.”
“You’ll be okay. We’ll get off this island and you’ll have the surgery you need.”
“God, I hope so.” Tony sighed, “You gonna come live with me?”
Marita blushed, “Are you seriously asking me to come live with you?”
“You didn’t think I was serious last time?” the blind doctor laughed.
“Tony, you were near dying. I thought you were just delierious or something.”
“Oh, I was. But I was still serious.”
She then got up and sat next to him. She interlocked her arm with his, and rested her head on his shoulder. “I would love to come live with you, Tony.” She confessed.
“We’ve come a long way in a short time, you and me.” He whispered.
“You had mentioned the other day, that John needed a friend and here you are,” she said, rubbing his hand, “I think . ..I needed you too.”
“I guess I needed you as well,” he said, kissing her head.
“Tony, tell me something,” she giggled.
“Tell you what?” He chuckled, wondering about such an opened ended question.
“Anything. Just . .something I don’t know about you.”
“Okay, let me think,” He said, holding his chin, “Okay, I know. You know how in the military, sooner or later, everybody gets a nickname?”
“Yeah,” she smiled, “Did you have one?”
“Yeah. The boys called me Key Man.” He said proudly.
“Key Man?” she giggled, “Where you the designated driver all the time or something?”
“Not something as trusting,” he laughed, “No, think of that nickname and my last name, and you’ll understand.”
“Your last . .” Marita then laughed, hitting his arm, “KEY LARGO! I get it now.”
Tony laughed, glad it made her smile. “Now it’s my turn, “ he said, coyly,” Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”
“Okay,” she said, lowering her head, “I don’t know what it is about it but Stetson drives me wild.”
“Stetson?” Tony smiled, “The cologne?”
“OH, yeah. My last boyfriend, I met him in a bar and when he asked me to dance, holding me close. I smelled the Stetson and just melted. I immediately asked for his phone number after we were done dancing.”
“Hmmm,” The blind doctor grinned, “Stetson . .I’ll have to remember that.”
She playfully slapped him in the chest, “Hey, Tony. Behave. I was just telling you this. You better not have a Stetson bottle somewhere.”
“Darling, nothing up my sleeves, I swear.” He said, holding out his wrists.
Then she paused in her thinking as she heard the shifting of the sand behind her. Mandy smiled as she knew it could only be one person who would check on her. “Are you all right?” Taylor asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Mandy whispered.
Taylor walked over and sat next to her best friend. They huddled together against the wind created by the ocean waves. Taylor waited to hear what her friend was going to say, if anything. Mandy looked out into the ocean, marveling at how far she was able to see and what she couldn’t see. Taylor finally broke the silence, “Mandy, why didn’t you push him away or cry out for help?”
The blonde sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. “It. . . .it excited me.” She confessed.
“Oh, God, Mandy,” Taylor sighed, “I know you have your fantasties but this . .”
“I know, I know, “ she said, wiping her tears, “It took me a while to calm down. I thought . . .I never thought that Cecil would be just another dirty old man. I thought . . .he was coming onto me . . .for what I did.”
“No, Mandy,” Taylor said, placing her arm around her friend, “That was a long time ago. There is no way in hell he would know. You were young and naïve. You’re smarter now and I know you’ll never make that same mistake again.”
“Of course I won’t.” she cried, leaning into her friend, “ But why . ..why must I always be punished for that one thing?”
“Stop this. You are not being punished. It was a one time deal, nothing more.”
Mandy sniffed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “You’ll never tell anyone, will you, Taylor?”
“I promised you, didn’t I?”
“Not even McKay?”
Taylor paused for a second and gently rubbed her friend’s hair. “No, I won’t tell, McKay but I think you should.”
Mandy gasped, “Why?”
“Because he is a good man and there should be no secrets between us.”
“NO!” Mandy covered her face in her hands, “I can’t tell him! He’ll think I am a whore!”
“Oh, c’mon. I don’t think McKay would think that,” Taylor smiled, “Mandy? After all I went through with my last relationship, do you think I was hook again with another scumbag?”
Mandy stopped crying and then laughed through her tears. She knew her friend all too well. She wouldn’t even be talking to McKay if she didn’t think he held the ideals she wanted in a man. The blonde sniffed again, then leaned back into her friend’s arms. Taylor started rocking side to side, holding her friend and humming a tune as the waves continued to crash against the beach.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------,
Inside the main tent, Eddie was playing with his Kangaroo pal. Tony was sipping on water, trying to stay hydrated. His stomach felt a little queasy due to the strong antibiotic he was taking but the coconut milk he drank earlier should even it out. Marita was reading through another item they found in the Nerd Box, as everybody was calling it. It was a trivia desk calendar, the one with tear off pages. Marita and Tony were using it to pass the time away. After she got done, she would rip off the page and toss it into the fire. “What bird has the greatest number of feathers?” she asked.
“Hmm,” Tony rubbed his chin, “A peacock?”
“Yeah, a peacock!” Eddie laughed.
“Actually, it says it’s the Whistling Swan, with more than 25,000 in winter.”
“That’s interesting,” Tony smiled, “I never even knew there was more than one type of swan.”
“Okay, try this;” Marita laughed, “Which of the main characters on the TV sitcom Seinfield was not in the original script for the show but was added at the behest of the network executives?”
“I would have to say . . .the Julia Dreyfus character, Elaine.”
Marita ripped off the page and looked at the answer. “Hey, good job, Tony! Did you know or where you guessing?”
“Just guessing. What is the next question?”
“How do diamonds, which are deep inside the earth, get up to the surface?” Marita asked.
“I would assume that would be volcanos.” Tony smirked.
“It says volcano eruptions,” the Latina giggled.
“It practically gave it away when it said deep inside the Earth’s core.”
“Tony?” Eddie came up to him.
“Yeah, buddy?” he said, turning toward the sound of his voice.
“Is it okay if I go play by the water?” he asked.
“Sure but do you remember what I said about the ocean water?”
“Don’t drink it.” Eddie said proudly.
“And what happens if a boar shows up?” Tony grinned.
“Run toward you and don’t stop screaming.”
“Good boy, “ Tony said, patting him on the arm, “Go have fun.”
Eddie laughed in joy as he and Mr. Kangaroo ran off to have fun near the water. Marita leaned up, bracing her head on her hand. She watched the little boy run through the sand toward the ocean. She leaned over, gently rubbing Tony’s knee. “You’ll make a good father some day, Tony.” She whispered.
Tony took her hand and held it, “I only hope I am not completely blind by that time.”
“You’ll be okay. We’ll get off this island and you’ll have the surgery you need.”
“God, I hope so.” Tony sighed, “You gonna come live with me?”
Marita blushed, “Are you seriously asking me to come live with you?”
“You didn’t think I was serious last time?” the blind doctor laughed.
“Tony, you were near dying. I thought you were just delierious or something.”
“Oh, I was. But I was still serious.”
She then got up and sat next to him. She interlocked her arm with his, and rested her head on his shoulder. “I would love to come live with you, Tony.” She confessed.
“We’ve come a long way in a short time, you and me.” He whispered.
“You had mentioned the other day, that John needed a friend and here you are,” she said, rubbing his hand, “I think . ..I needed you too.”
“I guess I needed you as well,” he said, kissing her head.
“Tony, tell me something,” she giggled.
“Tell you what?” He chuckled, wondering about such an opened ended question.
“Anything. Just . .something I don’t know about you.”
“Okay, let me think,” He said, holding his chin, “Okay, I know. You know how in the military, sooner or later, everybody gets a nickname?”
“Yeah,” she smiled, “Did you have one?”
“Yeah. The boys called me Key Man.” He said proudly.
“Key Man?” she giggled, “Where you the designated driver all the time or something?”
“Not something as trusting,” he laughed, “No, think of that nickname and my last name, and you’ll understand.”
“Your last . .” Marita then laughed, hitting his arm, “KEY LARGO! I get it now.”
Tony laughed, glad it made her smile. “Now it’s my turn, “ he said, coyly,” Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”
“Okay,” she said, lowering her head, “I don’t know what it is about it but Stetson drives me wild.”
“Stetson?” Tony smiled, “The cologne?”
“OH, yeah. My last boyfriend, I met him in a bar and when he asked me to dance, holding me close. I smelled the Stetson and just melted. I immediately asked for his phone number after we were done dancing.”
“Hmmm,” The blind doctor grinned, “Stetson . .I’ll have to remember that.”
She playfully slapped him in the chest, “Hey, Tony. Behave. I was just telling you this. You better not have a Stetson bottle somewhere.”
“Darling, nothing up my sleeves, I swear.” He said, holding out his wrists.
posted by Jason | 8:02 AM
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