I'll Follow the Sun

Sunday morning found Jim up early again. He ate breakfast at IHOP again and then went for a long walk in the park. It was a cold, peaceful November morning. He enjoyed the brisk breeze in his face, mostly because he knew he wouldn't have to experience the cold once he moved to Florida.

He returned home shortly before noon with a six pack. He turned on the TV, popped open a beer, and began to watch all of the pregame bullshit while he waited for the Eagles game to be broadcast. Helen made a point of ignoring him for the first hour, but then she stomped into the garage and drove off.

Helen came home at six thirty and the second game ended a little after seven. Noticing there was no sign of dinner; Jim switched the TV off and left the house. Twenty minutes later, he was once again eating ribs and watching the football in the local sports bar. The Eagles had defeated the Giants, so he found himself smiling much of the evening. They were playing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day and Jim looked forward to watching them annihilate The 'Crygirls'!

"Dad's been acting a little strange lately, wouldn't you say?" questioned Emily as she and her mother sat in the living room. "He usually watches the game on Sunday nights. Did you guys have a fight?"

"We've hardly spoken," replied her mother. "I told him he'd have to apologize for missing your match and drinking too much before he'd be allowed back in my bed. Before that I told him I wouldn't be cooking anything for him until his attitude improved. He'll miss my cooking, as well as my loving, soon enough. He'll apologize before long."

Emily and Helen were watching a movie when Jim came home. The football game had become quite one-sided by halftime, so he left the bar. He walked past his wife and daughter and into the spare bedroom. Closing the door, Jim peeled down to his underwear and slid between the sheets.

The next several days were stressful for Helen. Jim maintained his silence, which drove home the point that he wasn't about to apologize. She had never seen him act so defiantly toward her and it caused her concern. To top it off, she had another flat tire at the motel when she met Frank Tuesday afternoon. She decided that two flat tires were no coincidence and she would never use that motel again. Luckily she had taken the time and effort on Monday to have her spare tire repaired and once again Frank changed it for her.

Jim spent Monday packing the clothes he wanted to take with him. Tuesday morning he gathered all of his personal items and tools and packed them in his truck. He moved his remaining clothes around in the closet so it still looked quite full. He wondered if Helen would notice that he didn't take his cold weather clothes with him.

On both Monday and Tuesday afternoon, Jim drove to the Home Depot and watched for his wife to leave. On Monday, she left at her normal time and drove to the nearby grocery store to shop. He followed her until he was sure that she was going home before he turned his truck into the lot of his now favorite bar for dinner and Monday Night Football.

"Dad's not coming home tonight?" asked Emily as she joined her mother at the dinner table.

"Who knows? He doesn't speak to me and he's still sleeping in the guest room," replied Helen. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Is it possible he found out what's gotten into you?" asked Emily. "You told him he couldn't sleep with you, and you wouldn't cook for him, so what reason does he have to come home? Maybe you should just forgive him and cook a nice dinner for him tomorrow night."

"I can't. I'm meeting Frank tomorrow. You'll have to have leftovers. I'll be home a little late."

"So much for only giving Frank what Dad can't handle, huh Mom? You're skipping dinner and treating Dad like shit, but you'll bang Frank's brains out? Somehow it sounds like Frank is getting the better of the deal."

"At least Frank's not being an ass!" insisted Helen. "He treats me with respect and doesn't get drunk or hang up on me."

"Could it be because he's getting into your panties on a regular basis that he's being a nice guy?" asked Emily. "Does he take out the garbage for us, mow the lawn, paint the house, or pay our mortgage?"

"Of course not! What's your point?" demanded Helen.

"Frank doesn't have to do anything but show up with a hard on, and if he doesn't have one, you'll probably help remedy that problem," answered Emily. "Dad does all of those things, and a lot more. Frank plays hide the weenie and you think he's a great guy for that. You don't expect him to help around the house in any way. He doesn't have to escort you to your social activities, or sit in the hospital waiting room while you're having you leg set after falling down the stairs. You expect a lot from Dad and withhold what you should be gladly giving him while giving it to Frank, and he's done nothing to earn it besides squeezing your ass and telling you how sexy you look."

"Your attitude is not acceptable!" snapped Helen. "I'm your mother and I expect you to show me some respect."

"And Dad expects you to treat him with respect and be faithful to him, but it sure isn't happening," retorted Emily with heat. "Maybe respect is earned and not demanded."

Emily made a point of stopping her father that evening as he passed through the living room on his way to the stairs. "Our district championship game is tomorrow at the gym at State. We play at four. Think you'll be able to make it?"

"I'll check my schedule and see what I can do," responded Jim noncommittally before he continued up the stairs.

"I think he's upset with me, too," lamented Emily. "I haven't done anything to piss him off, but he sure doesn't seem interested in anything I have to say."

"I'm telling you that he's in a weird mood," soothed Helen. "He's unhappy about something and lacks the communication skills to tell us. He'll be there tomorrow."

"Look, his truck is in the garage," sobbed Emily the next evening. "He could have come to my match. He just didn't feel like it. Why is he angry at me?"

"That's a very reasonable question," agreed Helen sadly as she listened to her daughter cry. "Let's find out what's going on right now."

Once again, they discovered an emptied six pack on the kitchen table with no Jim in sight. "It's only eight o'clock. He can't be in bed already," stated Helen with concern. Once again, they were unable to rouse Jim from a deep sleep in the guest room.

Defeated, the two women returned to the living room. "Tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day. Are you going to let Dad eat with us?"

"Of course. His parents are coming, as are mine. It's his house. I would never try to keep him away. He knows that. I hope he's acting better by then. I invited company to drop in around four."

"Who did you invite, Mom? Please tell me it isn't Frank!"

"Frank and his wife are coming over. I think he and Jim will get along great. They both love football and hunting. They have a lot of things in common," reasoned Helen.

"The problem is that one of the things they have in common is between your legs," pointed out Emily. "Husbands don't normally like sharing that with hunting buddies or fellow football fans. You're showing classic signs of guilt and subconsciously wanting to be caught. This is a really bad idea."

"I just think that they'll get along fine. Jim needs more friends. Frank would be good for him."

"You've really gone off the deep end. There's no world where having those two in the same room could ever be a good thing," insisted Emily.

"We'll see," replied Helen. "I think you're in for a surprise."

Jim rose early Thanksgiving morning. He drove to a small diner that was open until noon and had a quiet breakfast. He walked back into the house at nine AM. His senses were assaulted by the smells of turkey, potatoes, gravy, pie, and numerous other foods being prepared.

"We'll be sitting down at noon," greeted Helen. "Our parents will be here a little before then. Would you like a drink or anything?"

Jim shook his head and moved to the living room where he sat down and turned on the TV. He knew that Helen was trying to offer an olive branch, but he no longer had much interest in anything she had to say. He greeted her parents warmly when they arrived. They were gracious people that had always treated Jim well. His parents pulled in a few minutes later.

"I have an announcement to make," proclaimed Jim as the family passed food around the table. "I'm being transferred to the company's other plant. I'll be driving out tomorrow morning. The assignment will last at least until spring, and maybe longer.

Helen was stunned. Why hadn't he mentioned this sooner? She could never be able to leave that quickly. And if she was, would she be willing to move to Michigan? That was probably why Jim had been acting so strangely the last week. He knew Helen would never agree to moving away from her job to freeze her ass off.

"This is awfully sudden," observed Helen's mother. "Helen never mentioned it. Will she be going with you, or will you wait to see how permanent it is?"

"I'll be going alone," replied Jim. "It wouldn't be fair to ask Emily to switch schools and Helen to give up her job. I'll just have to suffer alone for a few months."

Both sets of grandparents began discussing the weather in Michigan and how cold it would be, while Helen and Emily shared a glance. Both were thinking the same thing. Jim was upset about leaving his family and heading for a frozen wasteland. No wonder he had been out of sorts!

After dinner, Jim, his father, and Helen's father settled in front of the TV to watch the second half of the Eagle game. The Cowboys had a 17-0 lead at half and it only got worse from there. All three were disgusted with the lack of effort from their favorite team.

They were watching the pregame show for the second football game when the doorbell rang. Jim wasn't paying much attention until Helen cleared her throat from the foyer.

"Hey, everyone! I want you meet a couple of friends. This is Nancy and her husband Frank. She then proceeded to name each person in the room. Jim was the last one to be introduced.

Jim was on his feet by the time Frank reached him. Frank was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He wore a Dallas Cowboy jersey with 'Romo' in big letters across the back.

His grin increased as he stepped up to Jim and stuck his hand out. "Hello, Jimmy. I've heard a lot about you."

Jim had done a masterful job of keeping things bottled up, but this was simply too much. Frank was showing as much disrespect as he possibly could, especially since he was in Jim's home. He was laughing at Jim, laughing at his favorite football team, but mostly at his inability to keep his wife. Jim suddenly reached his limit!

With no warning, Jim kicked Frank between the legs hard enough to lift the man off his feet. When he bent over to clutch his throbbing groin, Jim's knee met Frank's face with a sickening sound. Frank dropped to the floor in the classic fetal position as blood spurted from his smashed nose.

No one else moved for several seconds. Then Nancy screamed and dropped down next to her husband. Helen raced to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet while Emily collected some ice in a cloth. She handed it to Nancy who gently applied it to Frank's face.

Jim was as stunned as everyone else by his actions. Not knowing what else to do, and feeling the disapproval from the others, he grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

Jim didn't stop for the night until he left Route 81 and had traveled for a while on Route 77 in Virginia. He rented a room in Hillsville and fell asleep within minutes. When he woke in the morning, he turned his phone back on. His mailbox was full which did not surprise him. He listened to a few messages before he decided to delete all of them. His mother, Helen, and Emily had all called, demanding to know where he was and what he thought he was doing.

Jim decided to maintain his schedule and pointed his car southward on Route 77. As he drove, he kept replaying his actions of the previous day. That prick Frank had it coming, but what would the ramifications be? Would he be pulled over by the highway patrol and arrested? Would he lose his job before he even reached Daytona? Would Helen divorce him now?

He realized that he should have listened to his messages to get a feel for the situation. He decided to leave his phone turned on, but not answer any calls. He would check the messages after the caller gave up. He hadn't been on the road for half an hour when his cell rang. He checked the ID and saw that it was Helen. He waited a couple of minutes and then checked his messages.

"Jim, please call me. I know the transfer upset you a great deal, but you've got to get control. Frank is going to be okay, but he needs surgery on his nose. He won't press charges. Please call me."

Jim drove through the morning and into the afternoon. He arrived at the condo at five PM. As promised there was a lockbox attached to an outdoor water faucet. He had been given the combination via email a few days prior. He was able to open the box, remove the key to the front door and move in.

It was well after seven by the time he had his clothes unpacked and his personal belongings unloaded. He parked his truck in the garage, made the bed up and went to sleep. Since it was Friday evening, he'd have two days off before reporting for work. While moving in, he had noticed several minor issues with the condo, so he decided that Saturday would be a good time to get the condo into better repair.

Jim began to worry about Helen calling his work and finding out about the Daytona plant and then deciding that she should join him. That was the last thing he wanted, so he made plans to call her Saturday morning.

"Hello, Helen? This is Jim, I..."

"Where the hell are you? We've been calling you all night. Your phone was turned off. What is wrong with you? Frank has a broken nose and a slight concussion, all because he cheers for a different football team! Have you lost your mind? When will..."

Jim pushed the 'end call' button, turned the phone off, and began making a list of things he would need from the local Home Depot. An hour later he was back at the condo with washers for the kitchen faucet, a lockset for the front door, a filter for the A/C unit, various cleaning supplies, and a thirty pack of beer.

At noon, he called Emily's cell. "Hey, Dad! I'm glad you called. All hell broke loose around here after you decked Frank. The ambulance came and dragged his sorry ass to the hospital. Both sets of grandparents worried that you'd lost your mind. Mom was afraid we'd be sued. I had to clean up the blood on the floor while Mom took Nancy to the hospital. I think she apologized to her a hundred times."

"Other than that, anything interesting happen?" asked Jim.

"No, it's been pretty quiet. Oh, there's one other thing," added Emily. "Mom is livid that you hung up on her again. She was just getting warmed up when you disconnected.

"Yeah, I could tell," replied Frank. "That's why I called you this time. I've settled in at my new digs and I'll be reporting for work Monday morning, just in case anyone wonders where I am, like the police."

"Don't worry about that," chuckled Emily. "Frank isn't pressing charges, although I think his wife wanted to. The cops won't be looking for you. So why the secrecy about your transfer? Is that why you've been acting different the past week or so?"

"The day I was told about the transfer was very revealing for me. I started thinking about where I was in my life and where I needed to be. One conclusion I came to was not to take any more shit from people, including family. No one's going to respect me if I don't respect myself," answered Jim thoughtfully. "I kind of lost my way over the years, but I getting back on track."

"Hanging up on Mom and laying Frank out are two examples of not taking any shit?" asked Emily. "They're pretty radical departures from your normal behavior."

"I guess so, but I feel a lot better than I have in some time, so I guess it's working."

"Are you okay, Dad? Is your health okay? Are you having any problems we should know about?" asked Emily with concern.

"Not really. You and your mother know my problems. I'm sure of that," responded Jim dejectedly. "Just tell your mother I've settled in and to not worry about me, if that was even a possibility."

"Okay, Dad. I'm going to call you now and then. Will you accept my calls," questioned Emily.

Jim found it extremely hard to maintain his anger at his daughter. He loved her without reservation, but her lack of respect for him was difficult to accept. He knew he didn't want to cut her out of his life entirely. He had already mellowed some compared to his original anger the day he learned his wife and daughter had teamed up to deceive him in the worst possible manner.

"As long as you don't call while I'm working, I'll answer your calls," replied Jim after a little thought.

"What about Mom? Can she call you?" pushed Emily. "Will you answer her calls now?"

"If she wants to call to tell me what an asshole I am, she can save herself the trouble," retorted Jim immediately. "If there's an issue with the house or the family that I need to know about, she should call. Is that fair enough?"

"It'll have to be, won't it? I'll let her know. Good luck in your new job and stay warm. Is it really cold there now?"

"Actually, it's better than I had dared hope," replied Jim. "I'll do fine here, so don't worry about the weather. Goodbye, Em."

Once Emily placed her phone in her lap, Helen began asking questions. "What did he say? Did he apologize? Is he afraid to come home? What did he say about me?"

"He doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. He said he's decided that he's not going to take any more shit from anyone. That's why he laid out Frank and why he keeps hanging up on you. If you ever want to have a conversation with him, it looks like you'll have to be more respectful and considerate," summed up Emily.

"Respectful? He's the one that beat up a guest in our home just because he wore the wrong football team jersey! He's the one that keeps hanging up on me! I'll give him a piece of my mind the next time I talk to him," promised Helen.

"That's exactly what he was talking about. You won't give him a piece of your mind, because he won't listen. He'll just hang up on you. Frank's the only one that'll be getting a piece of anything from you, unless you get another boyfriend or two."

"Why do you persist in making such crude, demeaning comments?" demanded Helen.

"Mostly because your behavior is crude, demeaning, and extremely disrespectful," retorted Emily. "Frank was grinning at Dad like crazy. I know it was more than about the Cowboys beating the Eagles. He was laughing at Dad because he's tapping Dad's woman. That's enough to make any normal man go ballistic."

"But Jim doesn't know about Frank and me, so he couldn't have felt that Frank was trying to rub that in," reasoned Helen.

"Well, he sure knew that Frank was being a total asshole and put him in his place. You don't walk into a man's house and laugh and disrespect him. Any man would get angry, even if he didn't know his wife was the other guy's personal slut."

"I'm not going to listen to that kind of talk anymore!" yelled Helen. "You're living under my roof and you'll show me the respect I deserve, whether you think I deserve it or not!"

Jim was relaxing by the pool Wednesday evening when his phone rang. Glancing at the ID, he saw it was Helen and let it go to voicemail. A few minutes later, he checked for a message.

"Jim, I know you're screening my calls. Please call me back. We need to decide a few things about the house. Who's going to clear the driveway when it snows? Should I sign a contract for fuel oil delivery? What company do we use? Please call me."