"American Hangover"

Chapter Ten




“GO! GO!” Lydia screamed banging her hands against the field’s fence. Lydia watched Kiral run from first base to second and slide onto third untouched. It had been two months since the wedding and since then Kiral, Zhi, and Danny joined a baseball team together. It was late July and it was one hot summer day. They were in the eighth inning and Kiral’s team was winning by one point and the stress was getting stronger. Lydia stepped away from the fence and walked toward the bleachers. In the bleachers sat Chrissy fanning her self and a pregnant Jolene applying sun block.

“Jo enough with the sun block please.” Lydia said annoyed with the heat.

“Lyde you know my skin. You know I get sun burned fast and besides it cools my skin off.” Jolene said rubbing more into her neck.

Lydia climbed up onto the bleacher and sat next to Chrissy. She reached behind her and pulled out a fan she bought a couple days ago. The fan was not only a fan but could sprinkle water onto your body in a refreshing mist. Lydia sprayed Chrissy and Chrissy sighed in relief. She sprayed herself and sat and enjoyed the feeling.

“What about me?” Jolene said.

“Oh, I wasn’t sure if your sun block was water proof.” Lydia taunted. Jolene stuck her tongue out and snatched the fan from Lydia hands. She sprayed herself some and her body relaxed.

“Can you guys stop the bickering? We’re here to cheer our men on. They need our support. You know they’re hot out there too! But they aren’t quitting or fighting over a fan.” Chrissy said pointing at the men who seemed so determined to win the game. Lydia and Jolene stood quiet and watched the game.

“You know,” Lydia said “when I was younger, we used to go to the Puerto Rican day parade. It would get so hot we would buy these fans. My cousin and I would each get one… The funny thing is we barely used the fan because we were much more satisfied when we turned the fan off and kept squirting each other.”

Lydia smiled out onto the field not really getting a response from anyone. Just then water was squirted onto her face and Jolene busted out laughing. “You’re right Lyd, it is much more fun with out the fan.”

Lydia shook her head but did nothing. Jolene was round and pregnant and there was nothing Lydia could do. The inning came to an end and they were at the top of the ninth inning.

“Hey babe!” Kiral called to Lydia from behind the fence.

“What!” Lydia said.

“Give me my water please?” he said to her with a smile.

Lydia reached into Kiral’s bag and grabbed his water. She climbed down the bleacher and onto the dirt ground. She stepped to the fence and slid his water through the small holes in the fence.

“Thanks” he said sipping some water. “If I could I’d give you a kiss through these openings.” He teased.

“Shut up and go end this game.” She said to him. He nodded his head and winked then turned back to the game. Lydia turned back to the bleachers and looked at the two eyes that watched her. She shrugged and began to go to her seat on next to Chrissy. Lydia settled down and watched the next ten minutes of the game with out interruption until something caught her attention at the corner of her eye.

When Lydia turned to look she spotted Ahmet. One hand was waving at her while the other one held the hand of another woman.

“Wow…” Chrissy said looking at Ahmet also.

“People move on…” Lydia said with a smile. The image was shocking but it didn’t hurt her. She smiled more and gave him a wave back. He turned around and wrapped an arm around her waist. Together they walked away.

“That was weird.” Chrissy said.

“Not so much, I’ve always knew the day would come. They looked happy… I’m glad for them.” Lydia said. Chrissy gave her an unbelieving look but Lydia ignored it. She watched as the men continued their game and ended it, Kiral’s team winning by one point. It was a close and long game that almost extended to ten innings but Lydia was happy that they won and it was over.

Lydia jumped up for joy and gathered her things. Kiral showed up at the bleachers and began grabbing his things. He pulled a towel from his bag and wiped away sweat and dirt from his face and neck. Lydia threw her bag over her should and watched as the other couples hugged and celebrated their winning.

“You going to show me some love or what?” Kiral said to her with a smile. “Look at them over there. They’re hugging their sweaty men.” He told her his lip pouting.

“Aww, poor Kiral. His girlfriend hasn’t hugged him yet.” Lydia mocked.

Kiral shook his head and mumbled “get over here” before embracing Lydia in a hug she never asked for but a hug she enjoyed. His body was hot and sticky but Lydia in some way didn’t mind. She loved him far too much to care.

Ten minutes later every one was ready to leave. Jolene had little Adyli in a carriage sleeping with the built in shade provider protecting her from the sun and Danny held the rest of the things. Chrissy carried her purse and Zhi carried his baseball bag and the small lunch bag they brought with liquids in it for the dehydrated players.

“We should get pizza” Lydia suggested spraying Kiral with her fan.

“Mmmmm, pizza sounds good.” Jolene said rubbing her stomach.

“Oh boy…” Lydia said with a smile.

An hour and a half later Kiral and Lydia were walking into Lydia’s apartment. They closed the door behind them and threw their things to the side.

“I’m so tired and I need a shower.” Kiral said. The house was empty and quiet. When you looked around you could tell not much happened in this apartment. Since Chrissy had moved into Zhi’s apartment Lydia had lived on her own. Her living room didn’t much look very welcoming or much like it was used. Her kitchen had few dishes and her cabinets didn’t have much in them. She was living alone and living small.

“So then shower…” Lydia said.

“Okay… it won’t take me long. My draw is the bottom one right?” Kiral asked. Lydia nodded and he turned away and left for Lydia’s room. Lydia decided she couldn’t move in with Kiral and he couldn’t move in with her. She just wasn’t ready but in the end she offered to give him a key to her apartment and a drawer in her bedroom. It was definitely a move in the relationship but it wasn’t too much.

*******************************

The three men sat in stools at the bar each with a glass of beer in front of them. Zhi and Kiral watched one TV that gave the baseball game while Danny’s attention was focused on the TV opposite to the other one that showed a basketball game. Kiral took a sip of his beer and sighed.

“Man this feels good.” Danny said his tone relaxed.

“I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have a family… wife, kids, and another one coming. You needed this night.” Kiral said to him.

“The wife thing isn’t too hard.” Zhi said flashing his wedding band around.

“Well, I guess I wouldn’t know.” Kiral said with a shrug. The bar was quite empty and it seemed they had the place and the TVs to themselves.

“Which isn’t to say you’ll never know. When you going to consider popping the question to Lydia?” Zhi asked.

“Probably no time soon… You did not see her face when I suggested it at your wedding. Then when she caught the bouquet…. Asking is like asking for her to leave me.” Kiral said. Zhi drank some of his drink and pealed his face away from the screen.

“You really think she won’t marry you?” Zhi asked. Kiral sat between Zhi and Danny. Danny pulled his attention away from the basketball game and Kiral found both men staring at him.

“Not one bit…” Kiral said.

“I’ve known Peaches for a VERY long time. Marriage isn’t her thing but I think if you are the right man… she’d go for it. No matter how much she says she will never get married I’ve always understood that that was a cover up. Marriage is scary she’ll come along.” Danny said patting Kiral on the shoulder.

“What the hell is so scary about marriage?” Kiral asked.

“Lydia’s parents and family didn’t exactly do to well with marriage. She thinks it’s impossible to have happy marriage. Consider her life her evidence.” Danny laughed.

“I think you should ask anyway.” Zhi said.

Kiral shrugged and focused on the glass in front of him. Awkward silence filled the atmosphere and nobody said anything. Kiral pushed his glass away and stood up. He threw some money on the counter and turned around. “Well guys,” he said to them “I think I’ll call it a night. I have an empty house to return to.”

The guys waved him along and with that he was out the door. He walked through the parking lot and directly to his car. He jumped in and started the engine. For moments he sat in his car just letting the sound of silence sooth him. Finally he sat up and pulled out of the parking spot. He drove out of the parking lot and began straight to his house.

With in twenty minutes he was pulling into his driveway. Kiral turned off his car and smiled at what sat on his porch. Lydia looked at him from the front steps and smiled. This was the best thing that could happen to him. He loved coming home to Lydia. Kiral got out of his car and shut the door. He walked toward her and looked down at her. He smiled and shook his head.

“I must be addicted or something because I got in my car just to take a drive because I was feeling uneasy and some how I ended up here.” Lydia said looking out beyond him. Kiral took a seat next to her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Well I’m glad you’re addicted. I’ll never get sick of seeing you.” He said to her turning his head and kissing her forehead.

“That’s good to know because likely I’ll end up here a lot.” She said nodding her head.

“I don’t think you really understand it Lydia.” He told her his tone soft.

“What am I not understanding?” she asked.

“That I love you Lydia. I don’t think you understand how much I love you. I don’t want you to doubt for one second that I don’t mean it. I do, I love you.” he said grabbing her hand and holding it in his.

“I get it, I do. Love is scary Kiral. Love means so much to me it scares me. The people I love… I’d do anything for them and sometimes that scares me. Don’t misinterpret my fear. I love you probably just as much as you love me.” Lydia said.

Kiral felt comfort in her words and he was happy to hear them. “You know, sometimes a guy needs to hear that Lydia.”

“I know, I’m not exactly the best when it comes to saying how I feel… although I do think I’m pretty good at showing it.” She smiled.

“Stop it you tease.” Kiral said. Lydia shrugged and smiled up at him. Kiral shook his head but couldn’t prevent the kiss that was bound to happen.