Sleepless Nights in the Hills by Ausin Mitchell - HTML preview

Chapter Three

 

Mark was at his house when Leta called him. It was raining very heavily.

“Mark, where are Nadene and Madge? Have you spoken to them since you’ve been back?

“They’re still around. I haven’t spoken to either of them since I returned home. I’m not dealing with them.”

“But you’re still supporting Nadene’s child, though?”

“Yes, I claimed the child. He’s about ten years now.”

“Well at least you’re acting responsibly. I registered Debra in David’s name. Would you like me to do a deed poll to change it to your surname?”

“No, that’s all right. I don’t think he would be all that pleased if we did something like that. I know that she regards him as her real father, so why change that? It might even affect her too.”

“Okay, have it your way,” she said and ended the call.

***

Leta wasn’t off the phone ten minutes before Madge called him.

“I heard that you’re back on the island again. Is it for good or are you going away again?”

“You can call me a returning resident. I’ve returned to stay. So how are you doing?”

“I’m okay, and my little girl is doing fine. She’s four years old and attending basic school. Her father and I are no longer in a relationship. We broke up about six months ago. You should see me now. It’s now, I look fat and sexy.”

“Gosh, I can just imagine how you look. Send me a picture of yourself.”

“I’ll do that. I’m living in Portmore and working at a pharmacy over there. If you stay away too long another man might get it all. Is it true that two women are fighting over you?”

“That’s just a rumor. I’m seeing them, but they’re not fighting over me.”

“Is it true that Leta has left David and is seeing you again?”

“That’s another wild rumor. As far as I know she’s still along with him. I’ll come and look for you one day next week and we can talk some more.”

“You make sure you come to look for me. Do you remember the sexy weekends we used to spend between the Hill View and the River Road hotels. I’m ready to start that again.”

He burst out laughing.

“Look out for me then,” he told her and ended the call.

***

The next day, Nadene called him.

“I’m glad for the money you’re giving me for Chad. Did you see the pictures of me and him that I sent you?”

“Yes, I got them, he’s a very handsome youth and he resembles me very much. You look so hot I have to come and look for you.”

“I hope you do it very soon. My latest boyfriend and I broke up three months now, so there is nobody standing in your way.”

“I didn’t know that. I’ll be there very soon then.”

“I can’t forget those sexy weekends at the Hill View and the River Road hotels. Oh, I wish for them again.”

“We can make them happen again. I’m still a young man and very virile.”

“You must be, if those two women are fighting over you.”

“They can’t stop anything between us.”

“I just hope so, I don’t want to be in any fuss with any girls over you,” she told him and ended the call.

***

On Thursday, Mark went to look for Nadene at her house in Bog Walk. He had sent money to her through his bank account. Chad was inside watching television. She was a medium sized girl. She was copper coloured and in her late twenties.

“You don’t have to worry about me going out with you. My next-door neighbour, Miss Vanny, will keep Chad for me.”

“You look even better than in the photographs.”

She laughed.

“And you are looking so handsome and well groomed.”

It was his turn to laugh.

“I’m not really interested in Hazel or Rhea. I just go out with them.”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t go to bed with them.”

“We do go to bed, but it’s nothing like what we had.”

“What about Leta?”

“I stood by what I told you over the phone. She and David are having a happy marriage compared to a lot of people. She even asked me if I wanted to change Debra’s name and I told her to let it stay as it is.”

“So have you heard from Madge?”

“Since I returned, I must have spoken to her once, but that was all.”

They went out that night and ended up at the Links hotel.

***

The next night he was at Madge’s house in Bridgeport, Portmore. He was surprised at the transformation in her body. She had put on a few pounds, but all in the right places. She was a tall, brown complexioned woman, with medium sized breasts, a thin waist and broad hips. She was in her late twenties. They shared a short embrace before pulling apart.

“Madge, you’re looking so good. You’ve gained weight, but all in the right places. You’re really looking good, girl.”

“Mark, it’s so good to see you again. I’ve heard so many things about you. I won’t bother going into some of them. If you want to take me out, my daughter can stay with my aunt, who lives next door. Whenever I’m going out, I always let her stay with Aunt Mona.”

So, they went to the Bamboo night club in Linstead before going to Jack’s hotel in that town. He dropped her home in the early hours of the morning.

***

Hazel was ready to explode. She hadn’t seen him for two days now.

“Rhea, what do you have keeping him at your house for so long?”

“I was about to call you. All my calls to him are just going to his voice mail. I think he’s with you, but you’re hiding it.”

“Go to hell and leave me alone, Rhea. Why would I be hiding him from you?”

***

Friday, Mark returned to his house.

“Mark, where were you yesterday and the day before that?”

“I’ve told you before that I’m a big man and I’m free to do as I please.”

“Rhea said you were at her house the whole time, making love to her.”

“I wasn’t at her house.”

“I know she was lying because friends of mine told me that they saw you coming out of Jack’s and the Links hotels in the late hours of the morning with two different women.”

“I took those two women dining and dancing. They were friends of mine before I went away. We just renewed our acquaintance, but that was all.”

“You can save your explanations. I wasn’t born yesterday. You went to the hotels to sleep with those women.”

He shrugged his shoulders, then got into his vehicle and drove away.

***

Later, he was driving to the country when Rhea called him.

“I knew that the other day when you went missing in action it wasn’t because of Hazel, but two women, Madge and Nadene. I know that Nadene has a son for you. I want to know if you’re rekindling your relationship with both of them.”

“What I do with those two girls shouldn’t worry you. I don’t have a serious relationship with either of them. My relationship with Hazel despite her living with me sometimes isn’t a serious one either. The only woman I’m serious about is you.”

“If you mean what you just said, she should soon be out of our lives then.”

“It might happen sooner than you think,” he told her and ended the call.

***

Nadene was at her house when Hazel called her.

“Is it true that you’re seeing Mark again?”

“Yes, Hazel, if you must know, I’m seeing my baby father again. It was he who requested that we start over again.”

“I want you to leave him alone. During the whole time he was abroad what were you doing? Now he comes out and you run into his arms. You can’t fool me, you might fool him. I think you’re looking money from him. The money he had, he used it to build his house.”

“You should tell him to leave me alone. I’m not looking any money from him. I work my own money. It was because he missed me and the good stuff, he knew he could get from me.”

“He doesn’t need you. I give him everything he would ever need from a woman and he has never complained.”

“The fact that he had to come to me meant that he isn’t getting it right from you.”

“I practically live with him. He’s just using you.”

“You got it all wrong. I’m back in his life again,” Nadene said and ended the call.

***

Nadene was there thirty minutes later when Rhea called her. It had started drizzling now.

“Nadene, are you seeing Mark again?

“It’s none of your business, Rhea. I’m returning to my baby father because he has been very good to me.”

“He’s only using you. Whenever Hazel or I are vexed with him, he seeks you out.”

“You have to be fighting Hazel for him. He’s using both of you. He came back to me because I can give him the good loving that he’s not getting from either of you.”

“You can go to hell,” Rhea told her and ended the call.

***

Madge was home when Hazel called her.

“Madge, this is Hazel, is Mark with you?”

“He has finished whatever business he had with me and has gone back home. I’m surprised that you should be asking me for him.”

“I’m along with him. I want to know what business he was transacting with you.”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t know what business men and women do?”

“Can I call you a call girl or a prostitute?”

“Go to hell, Hazel,” she told her and cut off the call.