The Luck Charm Chapter 7

The loud bang of the door caused Jedidiah’s head to pound as he groaned and rolled to the side. His mouth felt like cotton and his shoulder hurt like hell. He slowly opened his eyes and realized he was lying in an S position on the ground of the den. The pillows were thrown on the ground and the coffee table moved to the other end. What the hell happened here? He pushed himself up from the ground and tried to remember what happened last night, but all thoughts were blurry. His head was spinning as he stumbled into the kitchen. Frightened by his sudden appearance, Judy dropped the pan on the ground and his head felt like it had split in half.

     “Judy, can you please…be a little more careful? I’ve got a headache,” he said.

     “I’m sorry. You scared me.”

     He moved to the living room and plopped on the one of the couches. He reached over and massaged his shoulder. He must have slammed it into the table or something because it hurt. He massaged his temples and closed his eyes. He hadn’t had a hangover this bad for a long time and he regretted drinking.

     “How are you feeling?” Rose asked as she came down the stairs.

     He opened up one eye and then closed it again. “Like a train wreck.”

     “I’m surprised you didn’t die last night from the alcohol you consumed.”

     He laughed. “It’s going to take a lot more than a little Grey Goose to kill me, grandma.”

     Rose, dressed in a blue pant suit, sat down and folded her hands together. “How is Vivi taking it? Is she as bad as you too?”
     “Grandma, can we not get into this right away? Vivi knew that I wasn’t going to marry her. She knew it, but she kept avoiding the truth. She was such an immature woman. Just because I said I wouldn’t marry her, she decides to hash out my broken past to me.”

     “Is that why you turned to the bottle? Did you honestly think drinking that whole bottle was going to make you feel better?”

     He groaned. “I don’t need this, not at eight in the morning.”

     “It’s four in the afternoon.”

     Jedidiah swallowed hard. “So I slept in.”

     “You should stop doing this to yourself, Jedidiah. Vivi is a good girl. She likes you. You hurt her so she did what she could. The only way to make you feel is to bring out your past. She’s smart enough to figure that out. But you have to stop doing this to yourself. You’ll end up alone. You need someone to help you through this.”

     “Judy!” he yelled. “Give me a glass of water!”

     Rose sighed, impatient. “You’re such a kid! Grow up, would you?”

     “Did I do a karate show in the den last night?”

Judy entered and set a glass of water on the table. “You should ask Anna. She was here, taking care of you last night.”

Jedidiah looked up at Judy and then frowned. “What?”

“I saw a car drive up late last night and thought it might have been a guest. But it was just Thomas returning Anna home. I saw her trying to drag you out from behind the couch.”

Rose lifted her eyebrows. “Seriously, you create so much unneeded trouble for everyone.”

“She didn’t have to do anything.”

“She doesn’t, but she had to because you were such an idiot.”

Jedidiah winced. “Grandma, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

Rose shook her head. “Why? So I can be an idiot like you too? Sorry, my grandson, but I don’t like to be treated like I’m an imbecile. Obviously, you like that because you act like one.”

Judy turned to go, but Rose stopped her. “Yes?”

“Where is Anna?”

“Oh, she asked me to tell you that she went out and would be back soon.”

“Thank you.”

Judy left and Rose turned to Jedidiah, who was holding his head while drinking water. When he set the glass of water down, his shirt shifted and she saw the teeth marks on his shoulder. She sighed and shook her head. Jedidiah noticed and straightened.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Go shower and dress, please.”

 

Jedidiah unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off his shoulders, wincing at the pain. He tossed the shirt into the basket and took his pants off. He turned on the water, twisted it to hot, and got underneath it. He let it pound away the hangover.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Jedidiah stood in front of the mirror and ran his hands through his hair. He reached for the brush when something caught his eye. He stopped and stared in the mirror. He leaned in closer and shifted his shoulder into view. Teeth marks were visible on his skin. So that was why it hurt! He frowned and ran his fingers over it, wincing as the fragile skin was almost torn.

“What the hell?” he asked out loud.  

Dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans, he came rushing down the stairs. His mind was running with a thousand hate words as he searched for her. He ignored his mother’s concerned look and walked outside. He found her sitting by the patio table working on a project. Anger seared through him and he raced to her, grabbed her by the arm, and yanked her up.

“How dare you sink your damn teeth in me!” he barked.

She pulled her arm free. “Good afternoon to you too, Jedidiah. How’s the hangover?”

He ignored the question. “Is that your idea of taking care of a drunk? If you didn’t want to help me, you didn’t have to. I’d have cared less.”

Anna laughed and put the glue on the table. “Is that what you think happened? That I suddenly had a desire for Jedidiah flesh and took a chunk out of you? For your information, you’re not that tasty and second, you really don’t want me to talk about what happened last night.”

He laughed and leaned in closer to her. “Why not? Are you afraid you’ll be forced to remember what a witch you were? You were taking advantage of a man who was drunk. That’s lower than anything I’ve ever known before. I thought you were quite a skilled actress when you pretended to care when you killed my brother. But I was wrong. You aren’t the skilled actress. You’re the Broadway show opener.”

Anna pushed him away from her. “Be careful, Jedidiah. I won’t spare you if you insult me again.”

He crossed his arms. “Is that a threat? Am I supposed to shake in my pants and ask for forgiveness? I’m not a little boy anymore, Anna. I’m a man and I’m not scared of anything, especially you.”

He turned to go when what she said next stopped him dead in his tracks. “A man like you who doesn’t know who he’s trying to rape isn’t a man at all.”

Jedidiah turned around and narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”

“You want to know why you have my teeth marks on you? You, drunk as hell, tried to stick your snake where it didn’t belong. It’s a good thing your snake didn’t escape its cage. Otherwise today it’d be headless.”

He swallowed, walked to her, and grabbed her arm. “You lying witch!”

She jerked her hand free. “Don’t think so highly of yourself, Jedidiah! You’re not all the man a woman would want. I protected myself when you tried to force me. You’re lucky I didn’t make you bleed. But I swear, if you ever try that again, I’ll make you wake up covered in blood, that is, if you can wake up at all.”

“You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you?”

“I sure do when I am the victim. Just remember one thing, Jedidiah, I am not someone you should mess with. If memory serves correct, I am a killer, am I not?”

He smiled. “You sure are. And it’d be wise if you kept your dirty hands of blood off of me.”

 

Anna took the blood pressure cuff of Rose and set it aside. Then she took out the pills and handed them to her. She took them and Anna made a few notes in the chart. Then she set it aside.

“How’s my numbers?” Rose asked.

“The same, nothing has changed yet, I’m afraid. How do you feel?”

“I feel fine.”

“Tomorrow is your appointment with Dr. Chang. I’ll talk to him about perhaps increasing your milligrams.”

She nodded. “I feel fine, but on some days, I feel as if I’m exhausted beyond anything.”

Anna made a note of that. Then she reached over to feel Rose’s head. “You’re warm. Let me take your temperature.”

“I feel fine.”

“Just let me make sure.”

Anna took out the thermometer and stuck it underneath Rose’s tongue. A few seconds later, it beeped and she took it out. She looked up at Rose and then sat down on the bed.

“It’s 100 degrees. You’re not feeling sick?”

Shaking her head, she said, “No, I feel fine.”

“I’m not going to give you anything because you just took some medicine. I don’t want to mix those up. But as a precaution, I’m going to sleep in here tonight. You’re a little pale, your blood pressure is high, and you’re getting a fever.”

Rose sighed. “I probably did a little too much today.”

“Your activities are as usual, Rose. Let me go get a warm towel to wipe you up. I’ll be right back.”

Filling the bowl with warm water, she threw the towel over her shoulder and returned to Rose’s room to find her on the ground. She dropped the bowl and screamed for Jedidiah. She raced to pick up Rose’s limp body. Her eyes were half open with white foam coming out of her mouth.

“What is it?” Jedidiah asked.

“Hurry! Dial 911!” she cried.

 

“She’s stable,” Thomas said.

Anna let out a breath of relief and sat down in the waiting room. She swallowed hard and felt the lump finally disappear from the base of her throat. She heard Jedidiah let out a long sigh and knew he felt the same way.

“I’ll be keeping her overnight for observation. Her blood pressure has gone down and she’s breathing normally.”

“What happened?” Jedidiah asked.

Thomas turned to him. “Her blood pressure is getting worse and I’m afraid it’s starting to affect her organs.”

He shook his head. “What? No!”

Thomas sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Anna cleared her throat. “What are you going to do?”

Thomas turned to her. “I want you to put her on a low sodium diet, also a DASH diet, and keep her active with brisk walks. I’m going to prescribe her Aldactone and Blocadren.”

“What is that?” Jedidiah asked.

“Aldactone is a Diurectic, a water pill, it helps the kidney removes salt and water from the body. And Blocadren is a Beta-Blocker, which makes the heart beat slower.”

“And what the heck is a DASH diet?” Jedidiah asked.

“It’s an acronym,” Anna said. “It stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, which basically includes fruits, vegetables, and less oil and fatty foods.”

“Right,” Thomas chimed in. “I know that since Anna started, she has changed Rose’s diet. But from now on, we’ll need to be extra careful of what she eats. Lower her stress and do not give her too much to worry about.”

“Can I see her?”

“Actually, she has asked to see Anna.”

 

Anna walked in and heard the machines beeping. Rose was lying on her side with her eyes closed. She closed the door and walked in. She pulled out a chair and sat down next to Rose’s bedside. The older woman opened her eyes and she reached out to hold her hand.

“How are you feeling?” Anna asked.

Rose sighed and a soft smile spread over her lips. “I’m fine, healthy as a horse.”

“You’re a fighting machine, Rose.”

“I haven’t given up yet.”

“Did Dr. Chang tell you?”

She nodded. “I knew it was just moments before it would catch up to my organs. I’m not afraid. I’m ready to face it. But I’m afraid for Jedidiah.”

Anna swallowed hard. “Dr. Chang said you wanted to see me.”

“I do. I do because I am afraid that Jedidiah won’t ever learn to live. He’s a good man, Anna, he is. But he’s trapped in the past. It started with his parents, but losing his brother opened the chapter again. He doesn’t hate you, he doesn’t. But he’s so lost that without his brother, he’s gone on a one way train to hell.”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

Rose reached out and touched her cheek. “I thought Vivi was the one to save him, but I was wrong. The only one who can save him is you.”

Anna frowned. “No, he hates me!”

“No, he only thinks he does. Ask yourself, why is he wearing your necklace?”

She gasped. “You know?”

“Yes, I do. He once told me he wears it because he hated you. But honestly, I think he wears it because he couldn’t get over you. He wears it to remind him of someone who was something close to him. All the women in his life, they’re weak and you’re the first woman to stand up to him. He needs a strong woman in his life to help him live.”

Anna shook her head. “I can’t. He won’t let me close.”

“He will. You just have to prove it.”

“How? By letting him shower me with his cruel words and just sitting like a mute?”

“Yes. He has never been shown love. I tried to show it to him, but I’m his grandma. He needs to know there are still innocent people like you out there. He needs to know that there is still goodness. He grew up with violence all his life. He doesn’t know love and what he thinks he knows is a lie. You have to show him. Do it for me. I’m scared that if I am gone, he’ll never be able to move on. I don’t want him stuck in the past.”

She felt tears enter her eyes. “Rose, I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll do this…for me.”

Anna sighed and wiped her tears. “Ok. I’ll do it for you.”

 

Anna heard the cry in the middle of the night. She rushed out of bed and hurried to Jedidiah’s room. When she switched on the lights, she found him thrashing and clawing on the ground. She rushed to his side and grabbed his arms. He jerked free and threw a punch. She ducked and grabbed his arms again.

“Jedidiah! Wake up!” she cried.

“Don’t hurt my mother!” he cried. “Stop it!”

Tears filled her eyes when she heard the gut wrenching cry. She wrestled with him until she pinned him down. He jerked his head back and connected it with her lips. She tasted blood as he struggled against her. She shut her eyes and held him.

“I’m here. No one is going to hurt you,” she whispered. “You’re going to be ok.”

“Why? Why don’t you love me, dad?” he cried.

Anna felt her heart break as he began to cry. Then his shoulders shook and he sunk into her arms. She held him as he cried and sobbed, calling out to his mother. She ran her hands down his back and drew circles with her fingers. Remembering the lullaby Laurie sang to her, she now sang it to him. A while later, he fell asleep deeply in her arms. When she tried to move herself, he tightened his grip on her waist. Sighing, she let herself lean against the bed pole and closed her eyes.

The fingers brushing her hair woke her up and she jerked back. She was staring at Jedidiah before her and she gasped. He was staring at her with his dark eyes. She looked toward the window and saw it was light out. When she turned back to look at him, he was silent and still staring.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

He didn’t answer. Then he reached over and brushed his finger over her bruised lip. “I hurt you.”

She moved away from his touch. “It’s ok. It wasn’t on purpose.”

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “What happened?”

Swallowing, she said, “You had a nightmare.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s ok.”

He cleared his throat, got up, and walked away. She sat there, numb and speechless. Then he returned with a warm cloth and held it out to her. She took it and he pointed to his lips.

“For your injury,” he said.

She put the towel to her lip and winced. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “I…uh…I’ll…,”

She stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy to change.”

She had just made it out the door when she heard a soft mumbling of “thank you.”

 

Anna set the dish of salad in front of Rose and she made a face. The dinner table was set with baked potatoes, steak, and corn. But what Rose was having was plain salad with light ranch dressing and a bowl of fruit. She sat down beside Rose and picked up her fork. It had been three days since Rose had been released and two days since she held Jedidiah in her arms and since then, he’d stayed overnight at the office. She hadn’t seen him since the morning she left his room.

“Why must I have this?” Rose asked as she stabbed her fork into the salad.

“It’s healthy for you.”

“Healthy…huh, more like punishment.”

“Just eat it,” Anna said. “Then you can take your pills.”

Rose sighed and ate some as Anna pushed the pills toward her. She took them and washed it down with some water. Anna smiled and took a bite out of her steak. The juice rolled in her mouth and she swore she was in heaven. She took a drink of her white wine when the door opened and Jedidiah walked in wearing a pair of black pants and a wrinkled white shirt with his black blazer hanging over his arm. Rose turned and called out his name. He stopped and turned toward her, his eyes were tired and his face sad.

“Yes, grandma?” he asked.

“Come eat, dear. We need to talk about business.”

He sighed and walked to sit beside her. But he ignored Anna. “How are you feeling?”

Rose smiled, not aware of what was going on. “I’m feeling better. How’s business? Did you take the Prescott account?”

He nodded. “Yes. I spent the afternoon talking to the owner and I convinced him to sell his business to us. I’m going to break up his shares and sell them off tomorrow.”

Rose smiled. “Great. You look tired. Eat.”

He stood up. “I’ll just go shower and eat later. Excuse me.”

 

Anna was sitting in the den going through Rose’s chart when Jedidiah walked in. She looked up as he entered wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. He was showered, but he still looked tired. She set aside the chart and ran her hands through her hair. He had his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. Then suddenly he stared at the piano and she turned her attention toward it. She swallowed, knowing what he wanted. She walked over to the piano, pulled out the chair, and began to play. The notes echoed through her fingers and bounced off the walls. She felt the bones in her body chatter along with each note she played. When she ended the song, she felt him behind her. Then suddenly, his hands were on her arms and brushing her skin. She swallowed; her breath shallow. When he laid his head down on her back, she turned around and he knelt down before her with tears in his eyes. The tears caught her by surprise and she reached out to wipe them away.

“Jedidiah,” she whispered.

He shook his head and sobbed. “Why is this happening to me? I’m supposed to hate you. I’m supposed to not want you. Why is this happening?”

Anna sucked in a breath and slowly reached out to touch his head. He looked up and caught her hands in his. Then he brought them to his lips and kissed the knuckles. When he started crying, she grabbed him and pulled him close to her. Tears filled her own eyes as she listened to him.

“I’ve loved my brother, I’ve loved my grandmother, and I’ve loved my mother. But I have never learned to love those who have brought hatred to me. Why do I feel this way? Why do I want to feel you close to me? Since that night you held me, I’ve become tortured by your smell. Tell me, what am I going to do?”

She pulled her hands free from his hold and then reached up to his neck. Then her hands found themselves inside his shirt and pulled out her necklace. She fingered it and swallowed hard.

“Why do you wear this?” she asked.

He sniffed and took the cross in his hands. He looked up at her. “At first, I wore it to keep it as a reminder of what you did. I told myself that I needed to hate you because you took my brother away, even though I knew it wasn’t really you. And then after, I found that I felt safe, lucky, when I kept it close to my heart. I found I had confidence because it felt as if you were there with me. I don’t know how to explain it. I just felt close to you. It was as if your cross brought me luck. And then you came back into my life and everything I had stored away blew out. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know what to do or say. I was just lost. I spent 12 years trying to rebuild my world and then you came back to crash it.

“But that night when your voice called out to me in the dark, I knew that you were and always would be the voice to bring me home. You brought me back home and I have been fighting with myself on how to deal with it.”

Anna looked away from him. “You don’t know what I’ve had to live with these past 12 years, Jedidiah. You hated me with all your might and it followed me everywhere I went. You had that much power. When I found you here, I almost couldn’t believe it. I kept recounting in my head why I was being sent here with you. But each time, the answer confused me more.

“And then that night…when you were drunk and tried to…I wasn’t sure if I liked it or hated it.”

Jedidiah grabbed both sides of her cheeks. “I want to do that again, but I want to remember it. Will you give me another chance?”

She pushed his hands away from her. “Jedidiah, I’ll help you move on past your hatred. But I’m not going to sleep with you. You’re in pain and you’re using me to release it. I don’t want to be a mistake in the morning.”