Chapter VIII - Call to a Friend and Picking Up

Sam tries to call on a friend of her sister's for help and continues to look for Cassie.

I decided that Monday to not be worried about Jenji.  Not any more than usual, anyway.  I told myself that Dad was probably right, and she would turn up when the drugs or clean underwear ran out.  I went about my business; checking some inventory, restocking, the damn books.  I kept my cell in sight, though, and occasionally I tried her number just to hear the electronic voice tell me that the voicemail hadn't been set up yet. 

 

When I woke up at 11:00 on Tuesday to find the rest of the apartment empty, I started calling friends.  This was tricky, though, because Jenji didn't really have any.  Cassie had had lots of friends, but had cut them all loose one way or another between the time Kayleigh died and the emergence of Jenji.  Only Kelly was still hanging on by a precarious thread, Cass's best friend from college.

 

She picked up on the second ring, sounding hurried and distracted.

 

"H'lo?"

 

"Hey, Kelly, it' Sam."

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Nothing yet, I just haven't heard from Cass since Friday.  You seen her?"

 

Kelly snorted. "The last time I saw Cass was many moons ago, sweetie, you know that."

 

"Well, ok then, have you seen Jenji?"

 

"Not in a few weeks.  I ran into her at Dunkin' Donuts but she tried to act like she didn't know me."  Kelly sounded sad when she said this, and I felt a pang for her. 

 

I sighed.  "I'm sorry, Kel, it's...it's just..."

 

"It's just that your sister needs some help, Sam, and no one has made her get it yet."

 

"I know."

 

"Don't tell me you know, I know you know.  Tell me what you're doing about it!"

 

"What am I supposed to do, Kelly?  Tie her up and make her go to a therapist?  Knock her over the head and drag her to rehab?"

 

"I don't know, something.  Something other that going along with this f*****g Jenji s**t and letting her further f**k her life up."

 

"I gotta go, Kel.  If you hear from Cass, please let me know, ok?"

 

"Yup.  If you hear from Cass, ever again, you let me know."

 

God what a s****y situation.

 

I took a shower and threw on some clothes, stopping for coffee on the way to the first bar that opened early to see if I could pick up Cass/Jenji's trail.

 

Many more beers than hours later, near midnight, I stumbled home having ended the night within walking distance of my apartment.  While I puked in the bushes it occurred to me that my sister was truly lost to me, one way or another.

 

The next morning around 11:00 found me driving into Hartford for my weekly appointment with Clay, who was not only my best friend, Raina's cousin but my long time pot connect.

I always marvelled at the contrast as I drove down Garden Street past the abandoned buildings and weedy lots between the neighborhood and what I would find when I got to Clay's place.  I parked behind the three story apartment building that was covered in brown paint flaking from a dismal attempt to cover up flaking green paint.  I rapped on the double bolted door from between the bars of the steel gate that stood guarding it. 

When Clay's wife opened the door I was greeted simotaneously by her large, warm smile and the scent of something delicious coming from behind her.

 

As I followed Nan into the kitchen my boots made loud progression on the highly polished natural wood floors.  The hallway, painted sage and decorated with Nan's black and white photography, opened up into a large kitchen with a stove built into the island that dominated the room.  There stood Clay, spatula in hand, tending to what looked like scrambled eggs but smelled like heaven.

 

"What the hell is in that and why is my nose having an organsm?"  I leaned on the counter space part of the island and crossed my leather clad arms.

 

Clay just smiled and kept moving the eggs around with the spatula, never giving up his secrets as usual. 

 

After that I watched him cook in silence, just trying to absorb the peace of the scene a little.  I hadn't realized I was so uptight with such a knot in my stomach until walking in to see Clay and Nan smiling barefoot and listening to soft jazz.

 

A while later, after a scrumptious meal, Clay and I sat sprawled on opposite couches each lighting up one of the blunts he had just rolled for us on the glass and steel coffee table.  We chatted about nothing for a bit, gossipped about his and Raina's crazy family and people we both knew. 

 

"So...." Clay sat up a little straighter and cocked his head at me a little. 

 

I tried harder to sink in to the couch and closed my eyes, knowing exactly where he was going without having to hear another word.

 

"F**k off, Clay."  I turned my head and leaned my face into my arm, inhaling leather like it would save me from the conversation.  I really needed to find a new connect.

 

"You work up the balls yet to read that letter the man left you?"

 

"Didn't I just say to f**k off, Clay?"  My voice came out muffled against my sleeve.

 

"I'm just sayin'..."