Angelhair

© 2004 by Joseph A. Noga. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 04/26/04

ISBN: 978-1-4184-7310-5 (e-book)

ISBN: 978-1-4184-4537-9 (Paperback)

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!!

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!!

Damn phone! grumbled Eric to himself. Why is it that everytime you get busy...

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!!

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!!

Yeah Yeah Hold on! I’m coming! he yelled as if the phone could hear him.

What? he screamed into the telephone.

Hi Daddy! I’m home from school. he heard.

Oh, Hi Baby! he replied as a smile from his heart quickly reached his face. Sorry for yelling so loud. You caught me in the middle of some work here.

And so Miss Stephanie, Eric asked how was everything in the 5th grade today?

Ok Dad. It’s school you know. she answered. And what are you doing?

I’m putting the last of the new kitchen floor tile down. I just have to clean up and I’ll be done here for today.

Did you get any homework for tonight if I may ask? he joked lovingly.

Yes you may. And yes I did. she replied. Spelling and Math.

Oh and in your two favorite subjects huh! he said.

Yeah right Dad! Stephanie answered.

Eric smiled as the sarcastic tone of her voice brought out a small laugh to himself. How in so many ways the similarities in them were there.

What’s so funny Dad? she quizically asked of him.

Nothing Steph he said. Sometimes you just make me laugh.

Is your mother there? he asked her.

No, she’s not home from work yet Dad. She should be here soon. Do you want me to have her call you then? she added.

No, that’s Ok dear. I was just curious if she was there yet. he answered her hoping that neither the anxiety or anger which he was beginning to feel was showing in his voice. He wanted neither of them to upset his daughter.

Ok! she said not skipping a beat. Bye Dad! I’ll talk to you soon! The quickness of his daughter’s remark caught Eric by surprise.

Whoa! Wait a minute! he just as quickly added. Are you still coming for supper tonight?

Yeah Dad. Steph replied.

Just making sure hon. said Eric. Call me when you’re ready and I’ll pick you up, Ok?

Ok Dad. she answered.

Oh Steph, he added in. If it takes me longer than expected to finish up here we’ll just order pizza. Ok?

Alright Dad!! her voice beamed as she heard these plans. You know how much I love pizza! she boasted.

Yes I do Steph. Eric replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. You kid!

Bye Dad. she said.

Steph! said Eric.

What Dad? she answered him.

If you need anything before your mother get’s home, you call. Ok? Eric noted in that parental tone. And Steph, he quickly added in.

What Dad? she replied just a quickly.

Now remember to call me when your...

I KNOW DAD!!! Steph’s remarks almost screamed as they cut him off in mid-sentence. You don’t have to remind me again and again you know! she replied assuringly. I am in the 5th grade now!

Oh, and Steph, Eric again quickly added on.

What Dad? Steph replied with a now noticable tone of annoyance in her voice.

I love you kid. he softly said.

I love you too Dad. Steph answered back. Bye Dad!

The click of the telephone and the sound of the dial tone beat Eric to any response. I love that kid! he said to himself. He always did have such a hard time saying goodbye to her.

The past weeks had brought a major change into not only Eric’s lifestyle, his way of life, but his being also. Was it the change of his reality or the reality of his change he so often wondered. But there was change.

Here he was now at 41 years of age; after 10 years of marriage, with a young daughter whom he loved more than life itself, with a nice house, steady employment-19 years in the same job; divorced and alone.

The divorce did not have the same shock to Eric that the separation had. He had already come to the understanding within himself where he knew in actuality that one was just a short step from the other. The moving from the larger house into the much smaller apartment was just a matter of adjustment. No big deal he thought. He still had his work.

But oh how he missed his daughter, his little Stephanie. She truly was, as they say, the apple of his eye. At any time, any thought of her put such a smile on his face, a lump in his throat, a warmth to his heart, a glow to his soul that was unique and only created by such love shared. He missed her constant presence in his life. This was his hardest change to cope with.

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!

R-R-R-R-Ring!!!

Eric’s return to finish the handiwork of retiling his apartments kitchen floor was again interrupted by the ringing of his telephone. He quickly reached out and answered its ring.

Hello. he said quite matter-of-factly.

Dad? he heard in response.

Daddy? quickly followed.

Yeah Steph, is something wrong? Eric asked as he seemed to sense some underlying tremor, some deviation from that normal youthful bouyancy which she always seemed to exude.

Daddy? he again heard but only this time in a deep, male, mocking tone of voice.

What the. Eric began to say in response, in surprise, in fear, only to have his words cut off as short as they had begun.

Shut up! said the voice.

What the. again Eric began to say.

SHUT UP!!! he heard again, but this time said with a much more demanding tone, order, to the voice.

Eric said nothing. He was quite confused of the event which was happening now. Several long seconds passed before he once again heard that voice which would bring him out of this confusion and back into reality.

Shut up! Be quiet! And listen! he heard in a stern, commanding, yet businesslike tone.

Eric said nothing.

Very good! the voice said.

You will listen! You will ask NO questions! You will only say Yes Sir or No Sir!

Is this clear to you Dad dy? the voice asked.

Yeah. Eric replied in quick response. He was becoming adept at manuvering thru obstacles confronting him. Adept at reacting to unexpected changes in his life.

What did you say? the voice ordered, not questioned him.

Yes Sir. Eric answered.

That’s good! Very good! the voice said. I have your Miss Stephanie.

A lump formed in Eric’s dry throat as this one-sided conversation continued.

First, and most important the voice continued, is at all times you must be COMPLETELY obedient. You will listen! You will ask no questions! You will say only Yes Sir or No Sir. I will repeat no instructions twice.

Do-you-un-der-stand? the voice slowly asked of Eric.

Yes Sir. Eric answered, his response instantaneous.

Good! Very good! Eric heard answered back.

Now, the voice continued, there is a bowling alley—the Coco Lanes, I believe, just a few blocks from your apartment. In its lobby is a payphone. That phone will ring and you will answer it. You will at that point be given futher instructions. I will only call that phone once.

I will give you sa y, the voice hesitated, startingnow, this very second, 5 no 4 minutes to be at that phone.

A pause of a few seconds followed these last words. Eric’s heart was now pounding as fast as he hoped his feet would be soon moving.

I suggest, the voice continued that you remember and obey ALL of my instructions to you. There will be NO, I repeat, NO second chances!

And I’m sure I need not remind you to involve no one else. This concerns only us.

Always ask yourself, again there was a slight pause in the voices sentence.

Where is this guy?

Can he see me now?

Is he near?

Is that him?

Well I assure you, Eric heard the voice say in an almost warning way, maybe I can and maybe I can’t. But I would take no chances if I were you.

Remember, the life you lose will NOT be your own!

Now, you go and play the game well Dad dy!

The telephones dial tone was the next sound to permeate Eric’s brain. With this he immediately dropped the phone and began his run. A run, a race, in which there would be no second place to finish. A run in which he could not lose. A run in which he would not lose. This he knew.

After quickly exiting his apartments door Eric turned left and began his run down the street. To others he would pass he must just look like another person out for an early evening jog. To himself he knew he was a man running on a mission.

The bowling alley and the payphone in its lobby were but a few blocks from his apartment. Eric could already see this goal within his sight. He knew he would arrive there before his alloted 4 minutes would be up. He was now praying to himself that the phone there would not be in use when he reached it.

Eric arrived at the lanes and found it to be as of yet uncrowded. League play occured nightly but would not begin for another hour or so. As he sped past an early arriving bowler and into the lobby area Eric was already aware of the site of the payphone. He would not have to spend precious time searching for it and he was quite relieved for this. His Stephanie bowled on Saturday mornings here in the youth league and he knew this place well.

Slowing his pace to a normal walk, as not to attract attention to himself or his behavior, Eric exchanged pleasantries with those there he knew as he passed by them. He noticed at once that the payphone, which was located across the room from the lobby’s entrance, was not being used and with this discovery he felt a hugh sigh of relief exit his body. Eric looked at his watch as he stood by the telephone awaiting its ring. He believed he was here on time or even early. Suddenly he realized that in his haste he had not looked a his watch when he had left his apartment. He had just run.

Am I early?

Am I late?

Did the phone already ring?

Will it ring soon?

All these questions only added to his inner hysteria.

Ring phone!

Ring damn you! Eric said to himself.

Ring you son-of-a-bitch!! he almost yelled aloud at the top of his voice.

RING!!!! RING!!!!

Even before the telephone had finished its ringing Eric had its receiver to his ear.

Hello! he said.

Hello. he heard in reply. It was the voice, that voice. He was here on time Eric now knew.

Eric the voice said.

May I call you Eric? the voice added. Your daughter has told me so much about you. I feel like we’re old friends. She is such a good girl. And she sure does love her Dad——dy. But I guess you know that, huh? he asked Eric, again in that mocking tone.

Yes Sir. Eric replied.

Good answer! Very good answer! Eric heard the voice tell him. I’m so glad that you’ve remembered the rules of our litle game here. Now., after a short pause the voice continued.

You will proceed north on Walmut Street to the Post Office. Once there you will stand beside the large blue mail drop-off boxes and await my further instructions. You will have 5 minutes to be there.

Oh! And one more thing, the voice added. Stephanie sends you her love."

Now RUN my little rabbit, RUN!!!

With this dial tone Eric simply hung up the telephone and calmly walked through the lobby and out the bowling alley’s doors. Once outside he did exactly as the voice instructed. He ran.

The street from Coco Lanes led Eric directly onto Walnut Street. Turning left here would lead him in the direction of the downtown area where the Post Office, his new destination, lie.

Walnut Street was a main thouroughfare in this small town. Because it was now in the early evening hours traffic was busy. Without realizing it Eric’s current thoughts were not on his run, or even on his Stephanie, but on how life’s strange events had led him to be running down the street of a town which was not even the town of his birth.

His marriage had led him to be living now in Blairsville. This was his ex-wives hometown. As he looked about the houses as he ran down Walnut Street Eric realized to himself that he did like living here. Blairsville was your typical, small, quaint, all-american town. With a population of only a few thousand people and complete with everything from schools, churchs, to a community center and swimming pool, to pizza parlors, bars, to the Little League field, this little Pennsylvania town was quite Norman Rockwellish. It even had its own newspaper The Dispatch. And in the 10 years since Stephanie’s birth this town had become not just a place to live, he now realized it had become home.

BEEP!!! BEEP!!!

The loud blast of a passing cars horn rang in Erics ear. His mental meandering had caused him to wander to close into the path of traffic. This car horn was like a loud alarm clock which had just gone off in his head.

Steph! Eric yelled aloud. He was once again in touch with his reality. First looking at his watch then looking about him Eric knew that only a short time had elapsed since he had began his run from the bowling alley but still hequickened his pace. Even though Blairsville was a small town population wise it was a rather expansive little town. He estimated the distance from the bowling lanes to the Post Office to be about 1 mile.

5 minutes to run to the Post Office. Eric heard himself say talking to himself as he ran.

I can do this! No problem. Nothing to it. It’s easy! I’m still in good shape.

Eric always liked physical activities. He still now managed to set aside time to workout during the week. He even took his weigth bench and exercise bike to the apartment. But these he knew were actually to keep him occupied and used to consume time more than anything else. He had even taken Karate classes with Steph. She dropped out quickly as her interest waned but he continued with them for several years. He even attained the ranking of brown belt.

As the Post Office loomed in sight just a few blocks ahead Eric found himself beginning to gasp for air.

Damn cigarrettes! he said.

This was one bad habit he had picked up in his youth and after seemingly hundreds of attempts to quit them he still could not. He now felt the toll they were taking on him. His side ached, his lungs seemed to be yelling out for more air, his legs felt as it they were turning into concrete blocks,