Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2014 18:50:04 GMT -6
Chapter one
Setting: Fall, 1990, Knots Landing Community Center, Knots Landing, California
Frank Williams sat and listened as, one by one, each of the room's occupants came to the front and told their story. It brought him some measure of comfort to know that he wasn't alone; others were going through the same thing as him. The lives of every one of these people had, in one way or another, been changed forever by the actions of a drunk driver. Telling his own story hadn't been easy, but he'd made it a point to say the name of the man who'd taken his wife from him loud and clear so everyone all the way to the back would hear - Danny Waleska.
After sitting and listening for about half an hour to one story after another, a man who Frank judged to be in his late twenties got up to speak. He had wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. Because he was on crutches, he didn't try to go the front of the room. He just spoke where he stood.
"Hi," he said to the group. "My name is Mickey Trotter." He had a very subtle, but unmistakable, twang in his accent. "About seven and a half years ago I was living in Texas, and was paralyzed when I tried to stop a lady who'd had too much to drink from driving. I jumped into the passenger seat and tried to pull the keys out of the ignition, but she kept pushing me away. and just kept goin'.” He paused a moment to take a breath. Reliving this clearly wasn’t easy for him. “And then this other car hit us...then we were flipping over and over… I don't remember any more until I woke up at Dallas Memorial Hospital. I couldn't feel anything below my neck. The docs told me I'd be a quadriplegic for the rest of my life. That was the most depressed I’ve ever been. I broke up with my girlfriend, even though she'd come every day to see me. She was angry and hurt, but I just couldn't stand the thought of her being tied down to me. It's all kind of a blur after that. I woke up at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, musta been weeks later. I couldn’t even talk. I had to learn everything all over again. The doctors and nurses were good to me. I could tell they really cared. I finally told myself I was gonna beat this thing, and now here I am. I still got a ways to go. But hey, the docs never thought I'd get this far. My ma just moved out here to LA to be with family, and I came with her."
"Thank you for telling us, Mickey" said the lady who ran the group. "Would you like to tell us the name of the driver?"
Mickey hesitated. "Sue Ellen Ewing," he said slowly, obviously not comfortable sharing that information..
The name Ewing caught Frank's attention. Did this guy say he was from Texas? That's where Gary's from, isn't it? I wonder if there's a connection.
"But the accident wasn’t Mrs. Ewing’s fault. The way I heard it, another fella rammed into us on purpose, thinkin' her husband was driving. Still, I guess if Mrs. Ewing hadn’t been drunk, I wouldn't of been in the car to begin with, and wouldn't be in this mess. At least Mr. Ewing helped pay for my treatment at the Mayo Clinic. He even came to see me once. He was real good to me and my mom, but she didn't trust him. She said he was just trying to avoid a lawsuit. Seems the guy who tried to run him down had been double-crossed by him in some business deal. And if that wasn’t enough, a couple days before the accident, Mrs. Ewing caught her husband with another woman, and that's why she was drinking that night. So either way ya look at it, I guess the accident was partly his fault.” Mickey had the attention of everyone in the room. This was not your typicle DUI story.
As the meeting was breaking up, Frank stopped Mickey at the door.
"It was nice meeting you Mickey," he said. Obviously Mickey couldn't shake hands, so Frank kinda slapped him on the shoulder.
"Uh..yeah, same here. Frank, right?" replied Mickey.
"Right."
"I'm sorry about your wife," said Mickey.
"Thank you," said Frank with effort, looking down at the floor and fighting the tears welling up inside. "Say Mickey," he tried to say in a lighter tone, though his voice was still shaky, "this lady who was driving the night you were injured...You say her name last name was Ewing?"
"Yeah," Mickey answered hesitantly. “Sue Ellen Ewing.”
"Do you know if she's any relation to Gary and Valene Ewing? They're good friends of mine, and I think they moved here from Texas."
When Mickey heard those two names, a change came over his face, as if old memories had been stirred up. "Yeah..I think Sue Ellen is Gary's sister-in-law. I never actually met them--Gary or Valene--but..." Frank wondered why Mickey was reluctant to say much.
"...I know who they are." Mickey finally finished. "You won't tell them you saw me here, will you?" he asked with sudden concern.
"Hey listen man," Frank assured him, "whatever you say in here stays in here. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm glad to listen." The truth was, Frank needed a friend to talk to as well, but he was also curious exactly what connection this Mickey Trotter guy had to Gary and Valene Ewing…
Chapter 2
Mickey parked in the handicapped space in front of the UCLA medical center. His pickup was specially equipped with hand-operated brakes and gas pedal.
Being wheelchair bound for several years had changed his outlook on life. He would never forget those grueling exercises they made him perform at the Mayo Clinic, day after day, hour after hour. There was one small consolation – the nurse whose job it was to massage his muscles after every workout. had been rather pretty.
Mickey remembered his sense of accomplishment that day when he was actually able to move one toe. After that, he swore he was going to live up to his full potential, no matter how challenging it might be. So he’d decided to go back to school.
He got out of his truck, and was reaching for his crutches in the back of his pickup, when he slipped and fell. Momentarily, an attractive young lady in a tennis outfit came walking by.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said, “but I was trying to get my crutches outta the backa this pickup and had a little accident. Think you could give me a hand?"
The lady looked hesitant, but then she saw the handicapped decal on Mickey's truck.
"Uh...sure," she said, Slowly, she proceed to help Mickey up.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
Mickey sensed the lady's discomfort. "It's all right," he said. "You don't have to be afraid." Just then Mickey had a memory flash---he was in the front seat of a car with another girl (the girl with long golden hair and blue eyes who'd haunted his dreams the past seven years), and sayin the exact same thing to her. He couldn't remember much else about the occasion, except that the skin beneath his right eye was very tender and sore.
"No," the lady said now, bringing Mickey's mind back to the present. "I'm not. Just cautious."
"I understand," Mickey said to her. He began to look at her flirtingly. “I'm Mickey, by the way. Mickey Trotter."
"Kate," she answered, glancing at her watch. "Kate Whitaker."
"I'd shake your hand," said Mickey, "but..."
Kate still looked a little uncomfortable, but after a moment, laughed.
Half an hour later, Mickey and Kate were seated in the UCLA medical center cafe. Not bad, Mickey thought as he looked across the table at Kate. In contrast to the girl in his dreams, Kate’s hair was silky black, and she had very expressive brown eyes. The only problem was she looked kind of young. And right now she looked upset.
"So, how’s your uncle doin’?" asked Mickey
"Not, good," she replied. "He needs a liver transplant.
"I’m sorry," said Mickey. He was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Well, I hope everything works out okay."
"Thanks," said Kate. "So, how were you injured (if you don’t mind my asking)?"
"Car accident," said Mickey. "Drunk driver. Been seven years, now. Things’ve been pretty rough for me ever since."
"Yeah, I’ll bet, " said Kate. "Well, I’m really sorry that happened to you."
Mickey nodded. "Thanks. Definitely not the wildcat I was."
Kate laughed. "You don’t sound like you’re from around here," she said.
"No. Kansas, originally. You?"
"Philadelphia—up until just a few months ago, actually. I moved out here with my mom when my uncle got sick.
"
"Well…now there’s a coincindence.," Mickey began. "I came out here with my ma, too…"
Just then Mickey was distracted by a song on the radio …Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds… For a moment, he was quiet, off in his own world...
Later that evening, Mickey sat in his bedroom holding a piece of paper. Written on it was a phone number which Frank Williams had given him. Above the number was written, ‘Gary Ewing’.
Slowly, Mickey picked up the phone and dialed. After about the third ring a man answered, Mickey could hear children’s voices in the background.
“Hi, could I speak to Gary Ewing?” Mickey began.
“This is Gary,” said the man, not trying very hard to hide his impatience. “Bobby,” he shouted to someone in the background , “not in the house. Take the ball outside.”
“Are you there, Mr. Ewing?” asked Mickey.
“Yeah, I’m here,” answered Gary. “Sorry, I’m having to play umpire here.”
“No problem,” said Mickey. “Anyway, the reason I’m calling is…Mr. Ewing…you don’t know me…” Mickey began stammering, “but I know who you are. I’d really like to talk to you if you can spare a little time.”
“Okay, talk,” answered Gary bluntly. He didn’t always come across as friendly, but that was just his mannerism.
“In person,” said Mickey.
"Ok," sighed Gary, sounding a bit put out. "Can you meet me at my house tomorrow, say around four? I can't leave. I'm watching the kids."
"Yes sir, I'll be there," answered Mickey.
"I didn't catch your name," said Gary, a bit skeptically.
"Oh yeah...It's Mickey. Mickey Trotter."
"Ok, here's the address..."
After writing down the address, Mickey hung up the receiver, then looked at his wallet, lying next to the phone. It was open to a somewhat faded photo of a girl who looked to be about twenty. She had long golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. Mickey sat in the lamplight and studied the photo longingly.
Chapter 3
Driving his pickup truck with these special handicap controls was kind of a hassle, but Mickey was interested to see what Westfork Ranch looked like. Certainly nothing like Southfork, he thought as he drove down the winding road. That must be Gary now, standing out in front of the white-pillared house, wearing a tan leather jacket and blue jeans. Gary looked younger than Mickey'd envisioned – certainly still in his forties. But then Mickey remembered Lucy telling him her parents were only teenagers when they had her.
Two small children were playing in the yard nearby as Mickey got out of the truck; a boy and a girl. The boy was climbing an enormous live-oak. Mickey hoped the boy wouldn't fall - he knew all too well the consequences if the boy landed the wrong way.
Gary stood at the gate with a somewhat guarded expression, but when he saw Mickey and got a feel for him, his face softened.
“Mickey?” he asked as Mickey approached.
"Yessir," answered Mickey. "Mickey Trotter."
"Gary Ewing."
Mickey put all his weight on one crutch, reached out, and shook Gary's hand. "Glad you got a chance to talk to Frank."
“Yeah...well, I was curious," said Gary. "So what can I do for you?”
“Well, sir,” said Mickey. “It’s like this... I’m a friend of your daughter, or used to be.”
Gary said nothing; he just stood there looking a bit puzzled.
“Lucy,” Mickey said after a moment. “You are her daddy, right?”
Gary seemed to come out of a brief trance. “Oh, yeah," he said. "Right.”
“I hope ya' didn’t think I meant your younger daughter,” laughed Mickey nervously.
Gary laughed. "No," he answered. "I just haven't heard Lucy's name for a while."
“Well, anyway,” said Mickey, “I called your folks' place in Texas but they told me Lucy no longer lives there. Is she here?” Mickey looked hopeful.
Gary sighed and looked down at his boots. His expression was a bit hard for Mickey to read. He couldn’t tell what Gary was feeling: guilt, regret, resentment? “No, she’s not here,” answered Gary finally. “We haven’t really kept in touch. She’s somewhere in Europe now, I think. It's been about a year since we spoke. "
“How was she, last time you spoke ?” asked Mickey
“Well, let me see,” said Gary, looking thoughtful. “She remarried Mitch Cooper, of course.” When Gary saw the look of disappointment in Mickey’s eyes, he quickly added...”But they split up again. I guess good marriages just don’t run in my family." He shook his head and laughed cynically.
Gary had the impression now that Mickey had been a serious boyfriend of Lucy’s, though it didn’t surprise him that Lucy’d never mentioned Mickey to him. He studied Trotter more closely. He was actually getting a pretty good feeling from him. Mickey had a humbleness about him that reminded Gary a little of himself .
“You know, I’m not sure if I ever really liked Mitch that much,” Gary said. “But who am I to judge? I walked out on Valene when Lucy was just a baby.”
“So, did you and Valene go to their second wedding?” Mickey asked, shifting the subject slightly; he didn't want to comment on Gary's fitness as a parent. He wanted to stay on Gary’s good side.
“No,” answered Gary, again with a slight look of guilt. “Of course, we received only wedding announcements. I think it was a spur of the moment thing, so Lucy probably figured we couldn't make it. Besides, Val was right in the middle of all that mess with the twins .” Gary had been half-talking to himself, but looking up at Mickey, he clarified. "See, right after the twins were born..."
"Yeah, I heard about that," said Mickey. "My ma read to me from the newspaper when I was in the hospital. She also bought that book of Mrs. Ewing's, um..." he snapped his fingers, trying to think of the title.
"Nashville Junction?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Just then, the boy jumped down from a lower branch and ran over to where Gary was standing.
“What happened to you?” he asked Mickey, noticing Mickey was on crutches.
“Bobby...” Gary said, turning to the boy. Turning back to Mickey, he said, “Sorry.
"It's ok” said Mickey. The kid sure has his sister's blond hair and blue eyes. “I was in a car accident, champ," he told Bobby.
"Oh," Bobby replied.
"So anyway, Mr. Ewing...." Mickey continued.
“Gary.”
“Gary, do you have a phone number for Lucy? Or even just an address I can write her at.”
“No,” answered Gary, clearly not proud to admit it, “but tell you what I’ll do. My mama called me from Japan, or someplace like that, the other day. Seems my whole family’s got a case of wanderlust these days. I’ll bet she has Lucy’s number. She and Lucy are pretty close. I’ll ask her the next time I talk to her.”
“Thank you, sir, that’d be great” said Mickey.
Gary laughed. “Please don’t call me ‘sir’. It makes me feel old.”
“Oh, well then thanks, Gary,” said Mickey. “So do you know when that’ll be?”
“If I don’t hear from her in the next week or so I’ll try to find out where she's staying."
“Well...I won’t take up any more of your time," said Mickey. "Thanks again.” There was another awkward silence, then Mickey turned and walked back toward his pickup. Gary watched him for a moment, still looking a bit reflective, then turned to go back to the house.
As Mickey was getting back into his truck, he saw Bobby still standing there, watching him with interest. He winked at Bobby. The boy laughed, then turned and ran to catch up to his father.
Driving home in his pickup, Mickey had alot to think about. His meeting with Gary would be on his mind for days. Absentmindedly, he flipped on the radio. As fate would have it, the song that was playing eerily reflected how he was feeling. He listened to the words..
The lonesome Texas sun was setting slow…
Mickey’s mind drifted back to memories of him and Lucy together at Southfork; spending time with her in the late Texas afternoon sun when he was supposed to be working. These memories made him a bit sad. He tried to push them out of his mind, without success. The song was nearing its end...
Did I wait too long, or can I make it right? The bluest eyes in Texas are haunting me tonight.
And that’s exactly what Mickey was wondering. Had too much time passed, or could he still make things right between him & Lucy?
To be continued…
Setting: Fall, 1990, Knots Landing Community Center, Knots Landing, California
Frank Williams sat and listened as, one by one, each of the room's occupants came to the front and told their story. It brought him some measure of comfort to know that he wasn't alone; others were going through the same thing as him. The lives of every one of these people had, in one way or another, been changed forever by the actions of a drunk driver. Telling his own story hadn't been easy, but he'd made it a point to say the name of the man who'd taken his wife from him loud and clear so everyone all the way to the back would hear - Danny Waleska.
After sitting and listening for about half an hour to one story after another, a man who Frank judged to be in his late twenties got up to speak. He had wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. Because he was on crutches, he didn't try to go the front of the room. He just spoke where he stood.
"Hi," he said to the group. "My name is Mickey Trotter." He had a very subtle, but unmistakable, twang in his accent. "About seven and a half years ago I was living in Texas, and was paralyzed when I tried to stop a lady who'd had too much to drink from driving. I jumped into the passenger seat and tried to pull the keys out of the ignition, but she kept pushing me away. and just kept goin'.” He paused a moment to take a breath. Reliving this clearly wasn’t easy for him. “And then this other car hit us...then we were flipping over and over… I don't remember any more until I woke up at Dallas Memorial Hospital. I couldn't feel anything below my neck. The docs told me I'd be a quadriplegic for the rest of my life. That was the most depressed I’ve ever been. I broke up with my girlfriend, even though she'd come every day to see me. She was angry and hurt, but I just couldn't stand the thought of her being tied down to me. It's all kind of a blur after that. I woke up at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, musta been weeks later. I couldn’t even talk. I had to learn everything all over again. The doctors and nurses were good to me. I could tell they really cared. I finally told myself I was gonna beat this thing, and now here I am. I still got a ways to go. But hey, the docs never thought I'd get this far. My ma just moved out here to LA to be with family, and I came with her."
"Thank you for telling us, Mickey" said the lady who ran the group. "Would you like to tell us the name of the driver?"
Mickey hesitated. "Sue Ellen Ewing," he said slowly, obviously not comfortable sharing that information..
The name Ewing caught Frank's attention. Did this guy say he was from Texas? That's where Gary's from, isn't it? I wonder if there's a connection.
"But the accident wasn’t Mrs. Ewing’s fault. The way I heard it, another fella rammed into us on purpose, thinkin' her husband was driving. Still, I guess if Mrs. Ewing hadn’t been drunk, I wouldn't of been in the car to begin with, and wouldn't be in this mess. At least Mr. Ewing helped pay for my treatment at the Mayo Clinic. He even came to see me once. He was real good to me and my mom, but she didn't trust him. She said he was just trying to avoid a lawsuit. Seems the guy who tried to run him down had been double-crossed by him in some business deal. And if that wasn’t enough, a couple days before the accident, Mrs. Ewing caught her husband with another woman, and that's why she was drinking that night. So either way ya look at it, I guess the accident was partly his fault.” Mickey had the attention of everyone in the room. This was not your typicle DUI story.
As the meeting was breaking up, Frank stopped Mickey at the door.
"It was nice meeting you Mickey," he said. Obviously Mickey couldn't shake hands, so Frank kinda slapped him on the shoulder.
"Uh..yeah, same here. Frank, right?" replied Mickey.
"Right."
"I'm sorry about your wife," said Mickey.
"Thank you," said Frank with effort, looking down at the floor and fighting the tears welling up inside. "Say Mickey," he tried to say in a lighter tone, though his voice was still shaky, "this lady who was driving the night you were injured...You say her name last name was Ewing?"
"Yeah," Mickey answered hesitantly. “Sue Ellen Ewing.”
"Do you know if she's any relation to Gary and Valene Ewing? They're good friends of mine, and I think they moved here from Texas."
When Mickey heard those two names, a change came over his face, as if old memories had been stirred up. "Yeah..I think Sue Ellen is Gary's sister-in-law. I never actually met them--Gary or Valene--but..." Frank wondered why Mickey was reluctant to say much.
"...I know who they are." Mickey finally finished. "You won't tell them you saw me here, will you?" he asked with sudden concern.
"Hey listen man," Frank assured him, "whatever you say in here stays in here. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm glad to listen." The truth was, Frank needed a friend to talk to as well, but he was also curious exactly what connection this Mickey Trotter guy had to Gary and Valene Ewing…
Chapter 2
Mickey parked in the handicapped space in front of the UCLA medical center. His pickup was specially equipped with hand-operated brakes and gas pedal.
Being wheelchair bound for several years had changed his outlook on life. He would never forget those grueling exercises they made him perform at the Mayo Clinic, day after day, hour after hour. There was one small consolation – the nurse whose job it was to massage his muscles after every workout. had been rather pretty.
Mickey remembered his sense of accomplishment that day when he was actually able to move one toe. After that, he swore he was going to live up to his full potential, no matter how challenging it might be. So he’d decided to go back to school.
He got out of his truck, and was reaching for his crutches in the back of his pickup, when he slipped and fell. Momentarily, an attractive young lady in a tennis outfit came walking by.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said, “but I was trying to get my crutches outta the backa this pickup and had a little accident. Think you could give me a hand?"
The lady looked hesitant, but then she saw the handicapped decal on Mickey's truck.
"Uh...sure," she said, Slowly, she proceed to help Mickey up.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said.
Mickey sensed the lady's discomfort. "It's all right," he said. "You don't have to be afraid." Just then Mickey had a memory flash---he was in the front seat of a car with another girl (the girl with long golden hair and blue eyes who'd haunted his dreams the past seven years), and sayin the exact same thing to her. He couldn't remember much else about the occasion, except that the skin beneath his right eye was very tender and sore.
"No," the lady said now, bringing Mickey's mind back to the present. "I'm not. Just cautious."
"I understand," Mickey said to her. He began to look at her flirtingly. “I'm Mickey, by the way. Mickey Trotter."
"Kate," she answered, glancing at her watch. "Kate Whitaker."
"I'd shake your hand," said Mickey, "but..."
Kate still looked a little uncomfortable, but after a moment, laughed.
Half an hour later, Mickey and Kate were seated in the UCLA medical center cafe. Not bad, Mickey thought as he looked across the table at Kate. In contrast to the girl in his dreams, Kate’s hair was silky black, and she had very expressive brown eyes. The only problem was she looked kind of young. And right now she looked upset.
"So, how’s your uncle doin’?" asked Mickey
"Not, good," she replied. "He needs a liver transplant.
"I’m sorry," said Mickey. He was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Well, I hope everything works out okay."
"Thanks," said Kate. "So, how were you injured (if you don’t mind my asking)?"
"Car accident," said Mickey. "Drunk driver. Been seven years, now. Things’ve been pretty rough for me ever since."
"Yeah, I’ll bet, " said Kate. "Well, I’m really sorry that happened to you."
Mickey nodded. "Thanks. Definitely not the wildcat I was."
Kate laughed. "You don’t sound like you’re from around here," she said.
"No. Kansas, originally. You?"
"Philadelphia—up until just a few months ago, actually. I moved out here with my mom when my uncle got sick.
"
"Well…now there’s a coincindence.," Mickey began. "I came out here with my ma, too…"
Just then Mickey was distracted by a song on the radio …Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds… For a moment, he was quiet, off in his own world...
Later that evening, Mickey sat in his bedroom holding a piece of paper. Written on it was a phone number which Frank Williams had given him. Above the number was written, ‘Gary Ewing’.
Slowly, Mickey picked up the phone and dialed. After about the third ring a man answered, Mickey could hear children’s voices in the background.
“Hi, could I speak to Gary Ewing?” Mickey began.
“This is Gary,” said the man, not trying very hard to hide his impatience. “Bobby,” he shouted to someone in the background , “not in the house. Take the ball outside.”
“Are you there, Mr. Ewing?” asked Mickey.
“Yeah, I’m here,” answered Gary. “Sorry, I’m having to play umpire here.”
“No problem,” said Mickey. “Anyway, the reason I’m calling is…Mr. Ewing…you don’t know me…” Mickey began stammering, “but I know who you are. I’d really like to talk to you if you can spare a little time.”
“Okay, talk,” answered Gary bluntly. He didn’t always come across as friendly, but that was just his mannerism.
“In person,” said Mickey.
"Ok," sighed Gary, sounding a bit put out. "Can you meet me at my house tomorrow, say around four? I can't leave. I'm watching the kids."
"Yes sir, I'll be there," answered Mickey.
"I didn't catch your name," said Gary, a bit skeptically.
"Oh yeah...It's Mickey. Mickey Trotter."
"Ok, here's the address..."
After writing down the address, Mickey hung up the receiver, then looked at his wallet, lying next to the phone. It was open to a somewhat faded photo of a girl who looked to be about twenty. She had long golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. Mickey sat in the lamplight and studied the photo longingly.
Chapter 3
Driving his pickup truck with these special handicap controls was kind of a hassle, but Mickey was interested to see what Westfork Ranch looked like. Certainly nothing like Southfork, he thought as he drove down the winding road. That must be Gary now, standing out in front of the white-pillared house, wearing a tan leather jacket and blue jeans. Gary looked younger than Mickey'd envisioned – certainly still in his forties. But then Mickey remembered Lucy telling him her parents were only teenagers when they had her.
Two small children were playing in the yard nearby as Mickey got out of the truck; a boy and a girl. The boy was climbing an enormous live-oak. Mickey hoped the boy wouldn't fall - he knew all too well the consequences if the boy landed the wrong way.
Gary stood at the gate with a somewhat guarded expression, but when he saw Mickey and got a feel for him, his face softened.
“Mickey?” he asked as Mickey approached.
"Yessir," answered Mickey. "Mickey Trotter."
"Gary Ewing."
Mickey put all his weight on one crutch, reached out, and shook Gary's hand. "Glad you got a chance to talk to Frank."
“Yeah...well, I was curious," said Gary. "So what can I do for you?”
“Well, sir,” said Mickey. “It’s like this... I’m a friend of your daughter, or used to be.”
Gary said nothing; he just stood there looking a bit puzzled.
“Lucy,” Mickey said after a moment. “You are her daddy, right?”
Gary seemed to come out of a brief trance. “Oh, yeah," he said. "Right.”
“I hope ya' didn’t think I meant your younger daughter,” laughed Mickey nervously.
Gary laughed. "No," he answered. "I just haven't heard Lucy's name for a while."
“Well, anyway,” said Mickey, “I called your folks' place in Texas but they told me Lucy no longer lives there. Is she here?” Mickey looked hopeful.
Gary sighed and looked down at his boots. His expression was a bit hard for Mickey to read. He couldn’t tell what Gary was feeling: guilt, regret, resentment? “No, she’s not here,” answered Gary finally. “We haven’t really kept in touch. She’s somewhere in Europe now, I think. It's been about a year since we spoke. "
“How was she, last time you spoke ?” asked Mickey
“Well, let me see,” said Gary, looking thoughtful. “She remarried Mitch Cooper, of course.” When Gary saw the look of disappointment in Mickey’s eyes, he quickly added...”But they split up again. I guess good marriages just don’t run in my family." He shook his head and laughed cynically.
Gary had the impression now that Mickey had been a serious boyfriend of Lucy’s, though it didn’t surprise him that Lucy’d never mentioned Mickey to him. He studied Trotter more closely. He was actually getting a pretty good feeling from him. Mickey had a humbleness about him that reminded Gary a little of himself .
“You know, I’m not sure if I ever really liked Mitch that much,” Gary said. “But who am I to judge? I walked out on Valene when Lucy was just a baby.”
“So, did you and Valene go to their second wedding?” Mickey asked, shifting the subject slightly; he didn't want to comment on Gary's fitness as a parent. He wanted to stay on Gary’s good side.
“No,” answered Gary, again with a slight look of guilt. “Of course, we received only wedding announcements. I think it was a spur of the moment thing, so Lucy probably figured we couldn't make it. Besides, Val was right in the middle of all that mess with the twins .” Gary had been half-talking to himself, but looking up at Mickey, he clarified. "See, right after the twins were born..."
"Yeah, I heard about that," said Mickey. "My ma read to me from the newspaper when I was in the hospital. She also bought that book of Mrs. Ewing's, um..." he snapped his fingers, trying to think of the title.
"Nashville Junction?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Just then, the boy jumped down from a lower branch and ran over to where Gary was standing.
“What happened to you?” he asked Mickey, noticing Mickey was on crutches.
“Bobby...” Gary said, turning to the boy. Turning back to Mickey, he said, “Sorry.
"It's ok” said Mickey. The kid sure has his sister's blond hair and blue eyes. “I was in a car accident, champ," he told Bobby.
"Oh," Bobby replied.
"So anyway, Mr. Ewing...." Mickey continued.
“Gary.”
“Gary, do you have a phone number for Lucy? Or even just an address I can write her at.”
“No,” answered Gary, clearly not proud to admit it, “but tell you what I’ll do. My mama called me from Japan, or someplace like that, the other day. Seems my whole family’s got a case of wanderlust these days. I’ll bet she has Lucy’s number. She and Lucy are pretty close. I’ll ask her the next time I talk to her.”
“Thank you, sir, that’d be great” said Mickey.
Gary laughed. “Please don’t call me ‘sir’. It makes me feel old.”
“Oh, well then thanks, Gary,” said Mickey. “So do you know when that’ll be?”
“If I don’t hear from her in the next week or so I’ll try to find out where she's staying."
“Well...I won’t take up any more of your time," said Mickey. "Thanks again.” There was another awkward silence, then Mickey turned and walked back toward his pickup. Gary watched him for a moment, still looking a bit reflective, then turned to go back to the house.
As Mickey was getting back into his truck, he saw Bobby still standing there, watching him with interest. He winked at Bobby. The boy laughed, then turned and ran to catch up to his father.
Driving home in his pickup, Mickey had alot to think about. His meeting with Gary would be on his mind for days. Absentmindedly, he flipped on the radio. As fate would have it, the song that was playing eerily reflected how he was feeling. He listened to the words..
The lonesome Texas sun was setting slow…
Mickey’s mind drifted back to memories of him and Lucy together at Southfork; spending time with her in the late Texas afternoon sun when he was supposed to be working. These memories made him a bit sad. He tried to push them out of his mind, without success. The song was nearing its end...
Did I wait too long, or can I make it right? The bluest eyes in Texas are haunting me tonight.
And that’s exactly what Mickey was wondering. Had too much time passed, or could he still make things right between him & Lucy?
To be continued…
