CHAPTER FOUR: CONTROL

While I was at work checking out customers, at Hobby Lobby, I couldn't help but think about my morning. It was so disturbing and eyeopening. Everything went into a blur as I thought. I didn't look at the customers, I just scanned and told them how much they owed. Did Blair really find out about Mr. Benson's love affair? Or was it just the need to pass the blame for un-answered questions towards Mr. Benson. Maybe Mrs. Benson blames him, because while he was commiting adultery their daughter was putting a gun to her head, getting ready to pull the trigger.
"Excuse me......He-hello?" I shook out of my thoughtful transe and looked up at the customer in line.
"Umm, sorry, I was just thinking about something." The bald-headed, twenty-pound over weight, football coach looking, man stared at me with witty blue eyes, and a straight face.
"I don't care." I looked back at him and scanned all his items.
"$150.75." I glared at him and held my hand out.
"All right ,Miss Priss, just wait one second. I know what I just bought does not cost no 150 buckaroos, okay. So you get your little price gun and try it again. Please don't make me go off on you, I really don't like to hurt little girls." Now usually at work, I let remarks like his go because of the whole slogan that everyone seems to have these days, The customer is always right, so I had to control myself before I said anything back.
"Sir, none of these items were on sale."
"Then, why in all God's graces were they on the sale rack and shelf? Why in the heck would I have purchased them?" His country voice annoyed me, I wanted to grab him by his shirt.
"Sir, please just calm down. I will check them again, and we will see whose right this time, is that alright?" I smiled even though he was frowning.
"Yeah, lets see, Sugar Plum." I scanned the items again, and again, and they still came out to the same price. The line was getting longer and longer.
"Listen, I don't know what kind of conspiracy ya'll have going on down here but I am done with this store. Now, I am sure there is something you could do for me that would change my mind?" His voice grew sweeter, but with everyword a fire built up in my patience. I was running very low on annoyance to,
"What do you mean?" If he said anything inappropriate to me, I had a whole lot to say to this man.
"Oh, I don't know don't ya'll have like a employee discount? Or maybe you and I could go have drinks, later?" That did it.
"Excuse me? I am too young for your old soggy butt! Who the heck do you think you are? I let the Sugar Plum nick name slide and I let all of the other annoying country remarks go too; but to heck with this! You need to leave right now! Before I get security to put a boot up your redneck butt, do we have an understanding?" He grew quiet, but his face was red. He glared at me and put his wallet back in his faded pants, and started to sluggishly stomp away. My face was red and pounding, I felt as if I could rant on for days! Sick man! All of the customers in my line were half gone, but the rest grew very quiet. It was a small town, so everyone kind of new eachother.. but I never had seen that old man in my life.
"Ma'am, I just witnessed what happened... Are you okay?" My smart ass comments were coming to my head as she spoke. I felt like saying, Oh really and you did nothing?
"Yes, I am fine. Now lets get your stuff scanned, shall we?" She smiled, She was a very small petite lady, with a red leather purse. As I got through all of my customers, and left the building, I noticed a rather dashing, handsome brunette boy waiting by my car. I was rather paranoid searching for that old creep that I had an altercation with little earlier.
"Do I know you?" He looked surprised and a little familiar.
"Yes, you do! Remember me, Levi Marcinelli?" Oh my gosh, he looked so different and more muscular!
I ran to him and gave him a hug, how could I forget my ninth grade best friend?
"Oh my gosh, you look amazing!"
"Yeah, I just got back from Italy. I am in the Army." Oh, a man in uniform, how awesome! I wonder if he knew about Blair? Levi and Blair were close, I think a little too close... but that was in tenth grade. That's why I stopped being his friend. He would come over to my house just to go to Blair's... it made me infuriated everytime he did it.
"Wow, that is amazing. Umm, you know about Blair right?" His head dipped down and he scanned the crooked gravel, and then put his hands on my car as he bent over.
"Uh, yeah I do.. That's why I came down. Carlson, her sister that is in the Peace Corp yeah she emailed me.. I still can't believe it that girl was.... everything." No tears came out but he looked in grave pain, emotionally that is. I felt a cold rain drop fall on my shoulder, and then thunder roll all around us in the sky.
"Umm, sorry to ruin the moment.. but I don't like driving in the rain, so can we continue this at my house? Hey how did you know I was at work?"
He chuckled and hugged me.
"Yes, and I didn't I just pulled in to see if your car was still here. How long have you been working here like two years?"
"Something like that.." He followed me to my house and we sat in my diningroom. My brother, Dane, was in the kitchen talking to my parents.. and Mrs. Benson was laying down in the guest house across the yard with ice on her face.
"Levi (Ticker) Marcinelli, how the heck are you guy?" My brother was leaning over the island and holding his hand out. My mom was smiling even though I know she didn't want to. Well my dad was being my dad and just said, yapp good to see ya. Levi had a football name in highschool, it was ticker. It all came about because as he made the touch downs, Coach Budroe would yell: "Clocks Ticking, Ticker!" So, that's how that name came about.
"Man, I am good I just got back from Italy; im in the service." My brother still had his gun belt on and I could tell that leaning over the counter made it stab him a bit. So he took it off and threw it on the sofa.
"That is great! Ticker, man, I missed you so much! I was thinking about you the other day. So, I am guessing you heard what happened to the poor Benson's right?" Levi looked at everyone, except my dad he was watching the ball game, I guess he didn't want to get to emotionally involved.
"Uh, yeah Blair's sister told me about it she is coming down in a few days or so, I think. She is in the Peace Corp, so I don't know how that stuff works. Anyways, um how is Mr. and Mrs. Benson holding up?" My mom, just looked at him with a half of a frown and said very quietly.
"Well, Mrs. Benson is a train wreck and Mr. Benson, well I don't really care to know."
"I see well-" Before Levi could finish his sentence the door bell rang.
"Honey, will you get the door." I rolled my eyes and walked to the door, but as I pulled the door open, I slammed it right back.
"Honey, Honey what is wrong, who was that?" My mom was staggering towards me, I guess she had a charlie horse.
"Mom, why is that old man here?"
"What old man? Oh, Oh that is Mrs. Benson's brother." My head filled with rage as I locked the door.
"What are you doing? Open that door, he needs to see his sister! What is wrong with you?" Levi pulled me to the diningroom table and then opened the door.
"Our apologies sir, come on in." Levi let him walk in and then pulled me to the family room, as the Old Creep got acquainted with everyone, he stared at me in disbelief, but tried to play it cool. He had a twenty-four pack of beer with him and the redneck looking old clothes he had on before, were now drenched in water.
"What the heck is wrong with you? I remember you being so... I don't know, not so bold to just shut a door on someone's face? There must be a good reason, right?" Levi's facial features were intoxicating.
"That old man, basically picked a fight with me at the store, and then wanted to go have drinks with me. I told him that I would get security to put a boot up his redneck butt, if he didn't leave."
"Wow, bold and beautiful now all you need is to be on the show. That creep! Are you going to tell your parents?"
"I don't know yet, I should! But, that is the last thing for Mrs. Benson to have to worry about..." Levi looked at me with his green eyes.
"How about this, I tell him to leave you alone.."
"What are you my bouncer? I don't know I will tell you later. How long are you staying for?"
"Okay, and til they call me back." Happiness fluttered in my stomach. Suddenly, all of that changed when we heard Mrs. Benson's screams coming from the Guest House! All of the men ran to see what happened! My mom and I looked at eachother, knowing that both of our perceptions on life, and people that we knew would change.