ARROW - 93. Chapter 93

I thought about what Colin said that night. My sleep wasn’t normal, for me. I tossed and turned until Colin wrapped me in his arms. I fell asleep but it wasn’t my normal deep sleep. GG didn’t visit and I felt alone. I have never felt that way and I couldn’t understand why. I felt Colin’s arms around me.

I awoke in the morning when Colin shook me offering me a cup of coffee. He sat on the edge of the bed.

“Armand, what is wrong? You tossed and turned all night, mumbling something.”

“I don’t know, I felt alone and I tried to get to you, but I couldn’t. I would reach for you. It seemed that you were close enough but I couldn’t touch you.”

“Did you have a visitor?”

“No, she didn’t come. I looked for her, but I couldn’t find her either. Colin, I don’t know what this means. I have never had a problem sleeping before. I’m scared that something is going happen to you or the boys.”

“You had a nightmare. What is on your mind? Think about yesterday, something must have triggered your dream. Drink your coffee, then get dressed. I’m going to stay home today.”

I finished my coffee, showered and got ready for the day. I had a feeling something was going to happen. James came and got the boys to drive them to school. “James, be careful today.”

Colin and I went to the kitchen for breakfast, Colin had eaten but I hadn’t. To be honest I wasn’t hungry. I did have a cup of coffee. I kept watching the clock in the kitchen. “What’s the matter?”

“James, should have been back my now. Marcel, was James going to shop this morning?”

“No, he said he would be right back. He needed to grind more peanuts for the boys’ lunch.”

I waited until it was way past the time when James had to be here to start lunches. “Colin, something has happened to James. I need to see if I can find him.” I got up from the table and headed outside to my car. Colin followed me, open the rider’s side, “I’ll drive.”

I told him the route James would have taken. Driving toward the boys’ school, we saw several police cars and an ambulance. “Colin, stop. That’s James’s car.”

Colin pulled over, he was on the phone as I left the car. Approaching the wreckage, I saw James sitting in the back of the ambulance. I rushed over to him, the ambulance attendees tried to stop me. “I’m his brother. Let me go, I want to see if he is alright.”

James was crying, “I’m sorry Armand. The car…” He started to cry. I pulled him into my arms, holding him as he cried on my shirt.

Carl, our off-duty police from the club, was with him. “How is he?”

“He’s okay.”

Colin went to talk to the police, I sat with James. “It wasn’t my fault.” He kept saying this over and over. I pulled him into me, holding him.

Colin came over, “Carl is reviewing what happened with the police. From what I heard, the other car ran a stop light. The guy driving was drunk.”

“Where is the driver of the other car?”

“He’s sitting in the police car.”

I wanted to see this man. “Sit here with James, I want to see that driver.” Walking to the police car, the man was a young man. Later Carl said he was 21 and was at a party the night before. Besides drinking too much he also had some drugs on him. Looking at him, he looked familiar. Then it hit me, he worked for our carpenter and I remembered him when he worked at the club.

He looked at me, and started to cry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit that car.”

I felt sorry for him. “Carl, what’s going to happen?”

“He will be arrested for drunk driving and causing an accident.”

He was so young and now he will have a police record. I saw a man who started to take photos, I went back to Colin. “Take James to our car, that photographer is from the newspaper.”

I went to check the car, how James didn’t get hurt was a miracle. The front of the car on the driver side was completely smashed. If he would have hit the driver’s door, James would have been killed. I stood there shaking and then I threw up. The thought of losing James, was too much for me, I had to leave.

Colin went to talk to Carl, then we all drove home. “Carl will keep us informed.”

Arriving home, walking into the kitchen, “James, what happened?”

He started to speak and then more tears. “He had an accident. A driver under the influence of alcohol ran a red light smashing into James. He is okay just a little shook up.”

It was Marcel who brought James back to reality. “James, we need to prepare lunches. Those children will be hungry.” That seemed to snap him out of what ever he was thinking. I went to find Colin.

He was in his office talking to someone. “Yes, I’ll have a police report in a day or two.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“Insurance company. I need to get him another car. Maybe a tank.” Then he laughed. “I’ll see you later.” A kiss and he was gone.

Going back to the kitchen, “I’ll help you James. We’ll take my car to deliver those lunches.”

The rest of the morning, we made lunches for the boys. Every once in a while, James would look at me. He had tears in his eyes, I’d smile back and do something stupid with the sandwich, like put the wrong side on the sandwich. James would correct it and then it became a game. By the time the lunches were ready, he was smiling. I helped him load the lunches in my car, I gave him the keys.

“No, you drive.”

“No, you need to get behind the wheel again. I’ll go with you.” He was reluctant but I got into the front right seat, leaving the left seat for him.

He started the car, and moved very slowly. I think he drove at 20 miles per hour. Every cross walk or intersection we came to, he stopped and waited a few minutes before proceeding.

“James, if you don’t drive a little faster, we will get there for when school leaves out for the day.” He sped up a little, we got to school about 20 minutes late. The boys were hungry as well as the teachers. I explained that there was an accident this morning and James was driving very cautiously. The teachers commented that was the right thing to do. There are a lot of crazy people on the road. I saw a smile creep on James’s face.

Driving home we had to stop at the trailer park and drop off a few lunches. Ivan’s grandfather was glad to see James. I watched as the old man shook James’s hand, I knew he said something to James and James nodded his head. Driving home was almost normal.

Pulling into our parking space behind the club, there was Colin. He had a set of keys in his hands, jiggling them. Then I saw it. James would be driving a Jeep. I started to laugh, I knew James must have thought I had lost it. Getting out of the car, Colin put his arm around James and led him to a spot behind his car. There was a Jeep. He handed James the key. James looked at the Jeep, then looked at the keys, then looked at Colin. Finally everything merged in his head. He grabbed Colin and started to cry. I watched.

After he got everything under control. “Colin, I can’t accept this.”

“Yes you can. Your old car was insured. I took that money and bought you this.” Colin opened the driver’s door, and made James sit in it.

James looked all around. He was confused, on the ceiling was what appeared to be reinforcement. I looked at the driver’s door, it was reenforced as well.

James went to get Marcel. “Colin, reinforced?”

“Yes, a friend of mine owned this. He said he had it reinforced when he was driving in New York City. He has retired and didn’t need this anymore.”

“Why would he have it reinforced in New York City. I didn’t think it was a problem driving there.”

“Not driving but there were certain neighborhoods that required special precautions.”

“What was his profession that would require him to go into these neighborhoods.”

“He was a policeman.”

Colin’s connections among the police always surprises me. We have three policemen working for us and now he has friends in the New York Police Department. My husband has secrets. I thought about that the rest of the day. I came to the conclusion it didn’t matter, I knew he loved me and our family. That was all that matter. Of course, I rode with James when he went to pick up the kids. I had to have a ride in that Jeep.