The Last Day, chapter 3
"Is this Mrs. Armstrong?" the voice on the other line asked. Adrienne's eyes opened wide and she prayed that nothing was wrong. "Yes," Adrienne said slowly. "Is it my husband?"
The man on the phone cleared his throat. "My name is Officer Randal and I have some unfortunate news about your husband, Mr. Armstrong."
Adrienne stayed silent. She didn't know what to do. What could she say? She decided on something simple. "Okay. What happened?"
Officer Randal cleared his throat again. It was rough and scratchy sounding. Adrienne hated it. "It seems that Mr. Armstrong has had too much to drink this morning. When the bartender tried to stop him from drinking, Mr. Armstrong got verbal. There was yelling and shouting. Then, it became physical. Your husband has been rushed to the hospital and so has the bar tender, Mr. Sanchez."
Adrienne was speechless. How could Billie do this to her? Several years ago, he had been arrested for a DUI. He had promised her nothing like that would ever happen again. He lied, but that didn't surprise Adrienne. Billie Joe lied all the time.
Yet again, Adrienne said nothing. "Hello?" Officer Randal said. "Are you still there Mrs. Armstrong?"
Adrienne's voice cracked as she answered the officer. "Yes. I'm still here. What can I do?"
"Well," Officer Randal said. "You can come to the hospital as soon as possible. When we were taking Mr. Armstrong to the hospital, he was asking for you."
Sittin' on the hood of a camaro
Walkin' shooting stars across the earth
Counting all the bites from the mosquitoes
There goes my Minnesota girl
Lazy days
Gone without notice
In a daze... with faraway eyes
Driving to a closed spot Wednesday afternoon
There goes my Minnesota girl
In a daze
Go without notice
Lazy days... with faraway eyes
Countin' from the pieces we have been through
Here comes my Minnesota girl...
Adrienne sat in Billie Joe's hospital room. He was lying in the hospital bed, a sheet pulled up to his chest. His green eyes were closed and his hair was messed up. Adrienne could see scratches on his face and a lump over his right eye. That was gong to be a scar.
She reached under the sheet and took his rough hand in her smooth one. She played with his fingers and thought. How could they ever make this work? Joey couldn't grow up with a father like this, and she couldn't grow up with a husband like this. Adrienne shook her head as hot tears fell. She placed a stray dreadlock behind her ear and let go of Billie's hand.
Adrienne searched through her purse slowly, as if she didn't want to find what she was looking for.
She pulled out her wedding ring. When Billie had given it to her on their wedding day, she thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world, but now it was just a bringer of bad memories. She had promised him she would never take it off. She had broken that promise. Adrienne had removed it from her finger the day Billie had hit her.
She placed the ring on the table next to her and looked around the room for a spare piece of paper and a pen. She spotted one on the counter by the sink. She got up and retrieved it. Adrienne neatly wrote a note to Billie. In the note, she told him everything, everything she had been thinking for many years.
Adrienne placed the note next to her ring and walked slowly to the door. She retrieved her son from the play area and took his hand. Together, they walked out the hospital doors and toward a new life.
There goes my Minnesota girl...
The man on the phone cleared his throat. "My name is Officer Randal and I have some unfortunate news about your husband, Mr. Armstrong."
Adrienne stayed silent. She didn't know what to do. What could she say? She decided on something simple. "Okay. What happened?"
Officer Randal cleared his throat again. It was rough and scratchy sounding. Adrienne hated it. "It seems that Mr. Armstrong has had too much to drink this morning. When the bartender tried to stop him from drinking, Mr. Armstrong got verbal. There was yelling and shouting. Then, it became physical. Your husband has been rushed to the hospital and so has the bar tender, Mr. Sanchez."
Adrienne was speechless. How could Billie do this to her? Several years ago, he had been arrested for a DUI. He had promised her nothing like that would ever happen again. He lied, but that didn't surprise Adrienne. Billie Joe lied all the time.
Yet again, Adrienne said nothing. "Hello?" Officer Randal said. "Are you still there Mrs. Armstrong?"
Adrienne's voice cracked as she answered the officer. "Yes. I'm still here. What can I do?"
"Well," Officer Randal said. "You can come to the hospital as soon as possible. When we were taking Mr. Armstrong to the hospital, he was asking for you."
Sittin' on the hood of a camaro
Walkin' shooting stars across the earth
Counting all the bites from the mosquitoes
There goes my Minnesota girl
Lazy days
Gone without notice
In a daze... with faraway eyes
Driving to a closed spot Wednesday afternoon
There goes my Minnesota girl
In a daze
Go without notice
Lazy days... with faraway eyes
Countin' from the pieces we have been through
Here comes my Minnesota girl...
Adrienne sat in Billie Joe's hospital room. He was lying in the hospital bed, a sheet pulled up to his chest. His green eyes were closed and his hair was messed up. Adrienne could see scratches on his face and a lump over his right eye. That was gong to be a scar.
She reached under the sheet and took his rough hand in her smooth one. She played with his fingers and thought. How could they ever make this work? Joey couldn't grow up with a father like this, and she couldn't grow up with a husband like this. Adrienne shook her head as hot tears fell. She placed a stray dreadlock behind her ear and let go of Billie's hand.
Adrienne searched through her purse slowly, as if she didn't want to find what she was looking for.
She pulled out her wedding ring. When Billie had given it to her on their wedding day, she thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world, but now it was just a bringer of bad memories. She had promised him she would never take it off. She had broken that promise. Adrienne had removed it from her finger the day Billie had hit her.
She placed the ring on the table next to her and looked around the room for a spare piece of paper and a pen. She spotted one on the counter by the sink. She got up and retrieved it. Adrienne neatly wrote a note to Billie. In the note, she told him everything, everything she had been thinking for many years.
Adrienne placed the note next to her ring and walked slowly to the door. She retrieved her son from the play area and took his hand. Together, they walked out the hospital doors and toward a new life.
There goes my Minnesota girl...
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