© Copyright 2007 by Charlotte Ann Zuzak

Why is the wireless company refusing to answer questions these days when I call? Can I help it if I’m having a problem? If I can understand this setup I won’t have to call them any more. Ellen sighed and wondered what had ever happened to Ma Bell. She made it so much easier. Ellen worked out of her home with her writing, and desperately wanted help. All this cellular confusion was not helping. What was texting anyway? Why did she need to take pictures when all she wanted to do was talk to someone?

She looked out the window of her living room as people walked down the street with a phone to their ear, but this did not help her. One more call to the company, and if they did not want to help her, she would have to figure out something else. What was his name? She had talked to a Lew Carlson last time. She punched in his number and waited.

“Lew Carlson here,” came a rich, masculine voice.

“Hi, this is Ellen Bowers again. I know I’m being a real pain, but I don’t understand everything about this wireless business, and I do need some help. I can understand your company’s impatience with people like myself, but some of us just want a telephone, not a toy.”

A deep sigh came through with a long pause. “Miss Bowers, what is your job that no one in your office can help you?”

“You don’t understand. I’m a journalist and work out of my home. I write for three newspapers.”

“Look, I have some time after work before my date. How would it be if I dropped over where you live and just try to explain wireless to you?” He was polite, but at the same time sounded exasperated.

“You’d do that? You’re an angel! Do you like dogs?”

“I love dogs, why?”

“I have a golden retriever named Rosie.”

“Okay. I’ll see you and Rosie between 4:30 and 5:00.”

“Thank you so much!”

Thirty years old and a beautiful blond, Ellen wondered what she should wear for this appointment. He sounded as if he were about her age, but probably thought she was a little old lady who didn’t have her act together. Something professional was definitely called for.

Ellen worked at her computer for the rest of the afternoon with Rosie lying beside her. She managed to feed the dog and get her out in the yard to take care of her business. Didn’t need to be disrupted when Lew came. After all he was taking the time to help her figure out this stupid phone or whatever you called them these days. Whatever happened to the days when you enjoyed a conversation face to face with a friend?

She picked out a pant suit that she had bought the previous week. She was not going to put on a dress yet. In front of her bedroom mirror she arranged her hair on top of her head twisting her ponytail into a more formal appearance. Thank goodness her small house was only one floor.

The doorbell rang at 4:45; Rosie barked and ran to greet whoever was on the other side. Ellen reached the doorknob and pulled, swinging the door open to greet a tall, good-looking young man whose brown eyes registered astonishment when he saw her. Yeah, thought Ellen. He wasn’t figuring on a woman in a wheel chair missing a leg.

Lew looked away and pulled himself together. “Hi. I’m the answer to your prayers—Lew Carlson, technician.”

“Nice to meet you,” she smiled. “This is Rosie my companion dog. She’s been assigned to help me.”

Ellen noticed as Lew took in the whole situation. Woman in wheel chair with a companion dog.

“You are a journalist?”

“Yes. That’s how I lost my leg, and almost my life. I was in Iraq covering the war for a news station when a grenade went off near me. I spent months in a hospital in Germany before being sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital. I was also in the military.”

Lew was at a loss for words. His feelings were visible about how he felt about the war. “What about your leg? Can you do crutches?”

“Not well. But I’m waiting for a leg to be made that will look very real. The leg may be gone, but the brain and the fingers still work!” She laughed bitterly.

“You are amazing,” said Lew. “Now listen. You can operate a computer so therefore you can operate a cell phone.”

“I let my assistant operate the cellular when I was abroad so that I could concentrate on doing my job. I had to observe so that I could report. This assistant was killed helping me.”

“Hey,” said Lew with feeling, patting her arm. “I apologize. Let’s get started. I didn’t realize what the situation was.”

They worked for two hours as Lew guided her through the manual with her cellular, and punched in numbers she used all the time. Ellen realized that she had probably refused to pick up the phone to avoid contact with people. Lew took Rosie for a walk before he left. “What a beautiful dog. Retrievers are the greatest.”

“Thanks so much, Lew. I won’t bother you any more.” Ellen smiled and extended her hand.

“Ellen, suppose I check up with you next week and see how you’re doing.” Lew hesitated. “Maybe next week we could go out to dinner and I can answer any more questions you have about the cellular.”

Ellen’s smile faded. She looked very uncomfortable in spite of the fact that she liked Lew very much. He had done so much for her, giving of his time. She knew that he had not expected someone in a wheel chair missing a leg.

“I’m sure that there is someone in your life, Lew. You don’t need to feel sorry for me.” After all, she thought to herself, you’re a good looking guy who doesn’t need to baby-sit a cripple.

Lew looked at her and hesitated. “Ellen, if there’s anyone I don’t feel sorry for, it’s you. I want to go out with you. I’m sorry about what happened, but it seems as if you’re doing just fine. I recognize your name now that I think about it. I’ve seen you on TV, right? “

She nodded. “Yes, I was on my way to an anchor job when my life blew up. They couldn’t wait for me to recuperate, but the newspapers have used my columns with human interest stories. All based on situations coming out of the war.”

“They’re very well written. I’ve read them and got some new insight as to what is really happening. We need more human caring. Are you making a good living? Enough to support you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Do you see friends?”

She squirmed in her chair. “I’m too busy at the moment.”

“What? Too busy thinking you have to prove yourself so that no one will look at your missing leg?”

Ellen’s eyes watered and got bright. She was lonely and talking to Lew was reminding her of moments she’d thought she could forget.

“Dinner? Next week?” he whispered. “Please? For a lonely bachelor?”

She laughed and wiped her eyes.

“There, that’s better.” He patted her shoulder. “I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll set up a date. And I’ll have my mother call you and explain that I’m not a pervert, but a nice guy.”

He seemed to leave reluctantly. Ellen did not realize that he had chosen that evening to break off with the high powered lawyer he was dating. A little too high powered, not the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

The next day Ellen was in the midst of meeting deadlines when her cell phone rang. The last thing I need are interruptions right now, she sighed.

“Hello, Ellen here.”

“Hi, it’s Lew. Hope I’m not calling at a bad time. You did say that it was deadline time.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, rolling her eyes with the fib. “What’s up?”

“Do you like Italian? There’s that new Italian restaurant in town, not a pizza joint. Called Tuscany. Thought maybe you’d like to try it tomorrow night.”

“Well, it sounds nice,” she stalled.

“Do you get out? Do you let your lack of a leg stop you from doing things”? Lew sounded irritated.

“Lew, my prosthetic is in and tomorrow I have to go and try it out. I don’t know if I’ll be in any mood to socialize.”

“Well,” he scoffed, “sounds like a good reason to get out afterwards. I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Will you be at the hospital tomorrow, and what time?”

She hesitated. “Tomorrow at 1 PM. I’m nervous, Lew.”

“Of course you are. But it’s going to work. Wait and see.”

Ellen’s stomach roiled as he encouraged her to be patient.

Ellen made herself concentrate on her articles so that she could give them to Artie, the mailman who helped her.

The next day she arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes before her appointment. She was fitted and taken to the bars where she could practice walking. She felt dizzy; she hadn’t stood her full height in quite awhile. She was sitting down to rest when Dr. Burton looked up as someone else walked into the room. It was Lew.

“How are you doing?” he asked as he patted her back.

“I’m scared, I’m dizzy.”

“Come on. I want to see.”

Ellen groaned as he helped her up and walked her over to the bars. When she started to slip he put his arm around her to steady her.

“Well,” said Dr. Burton. “I didn’t realize that you brought your own coach with you. I know that Lew is a good person to work with. I think that the leg is as you need it, just a case of practicing. Some rehab will do it.” He got up and left the room.

“What did he mean when he said that you were a good person to work with?” asked Ellen.

Lew was quiet, pensive before he answered her. “I had a friend who lost both legs in Iraq. Managed to be fitted and walk again, but I helped him when he threatened to take his life.”

Ellen said nothing at first. “How awful. But there are many who react that way to what has happened.”

“I think you’ve done enough today. More tomorrow. You’ve got a project now. Maybe you ought to write about your experience and the rehab.”

She’d think about it.

Lew wheeled her down to his car and helped her in. She had arrived by taxi. “Are you hungry enough for an early dinner?”

“I didn’t eat lunch,” she confessed.

“Okay, it’s Italian time.”

“I’m not dressed right!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, but you are!”

The atmosphere of the restaurant reminded Ellen of all the trips she had taken to Italy and the food she missed. Lew knew the chef whom he called out to meet Ellen. Emilio was charmed by Ellen, and if she was missing a leg, he really didn’t notice.

Both Lew and Ellen groaned later at all they had eaten. Lew got in the car and turned towards her. “Hey, you know it’s the Christmas season and all the decorations are lit up. Let’s drive around.”

He refused to hear her protests. They drove past stores with beautifully decorated windows, and through neighborhoods known for their Christmas displays.

“I didn’t even think about it being Christmas. It’s my first holiday since the explosion.”

“Don’t you have shopping to do?” Lew asked.

“My parents were killed in a car wreck and I only have a sister and her husband and their two kids. We’re not close. And you?”

“I come from a big family right here in town. Every Christmas is a zoo, but fun.”

“I haven’t seen my sister in a couple of years,” she said wistfully. “But then, we were never close.”

She felt his hand on hers. “You need a family and Christmas. Do you go to church?”

“I belong to St. Ann’s, but haven’t been there in a long time, not since my parents’ funeral and the falling out I had with my sister. What’s the use?”

“My family belongs there. I thought I had seen you there some time ago.”

“War turns you off. I told that to Father Ennis when he visited me in the hospital. My family didn’t even come around when I was brought home.”

“Maybe they thought you didn’t want them.”

“I’ll buy some gifts through catalogs and see that they’re sent.”

“Church. It’s Advent. This Sunday I’ll pick you up for mass. There’s an 8 AM and a 10:30AM. Your choice. Refusals not accepted.”

“I have to go to rehab this week. It might be too much.”

“No excuses. By Sunday you will probably be wearing that leg.”

“I won’t be walking correctly.”

“We’ll use the wheel chair if necessary.”

She smiled. “You won’t let me get out of this, will you?”

“No, ma’am. The church even has a ramp.”

Ellen regarded Lew as a taskmaster. Asking him how he could get off work to be with her at the hospital that week. It turned out that he owned the company. Why did he answer his phone? His secretary had been at lunch.

“The Chorale Society is presenting “The Messiah” at our church next week. How about it? Father Ennis just happened to have tickets.”

She grinned at him. “Right. With all he has to do at Christmas!”

They were sitting in his apartment with the gas log brightly shining in the fire place.

“Okay. I’ll probably have that new leg and fall flat on my face.”

“I’ll catch you.”

His arm went around her as they sat on the sofa. He brought his other arm around. “Just like that,” he whispered as he leaned over to kiss her.

Ellen felt a warmth that had been missing in her life. Her eyes welled up as she started to cry.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lew looked concerned.

“It’s been a long time since anyone was concerned about what was happening to me,” she said softly.

He hugged her and handed her his handkerchief. “Your eyes and nose are dripping.”

Lew continued to help her with her new leg and kept his word about taking her to church. Father Ennis smiled as they walked in and chose a pew for them that would be easy for Ellen to cope with.

At the beginning of December, Lew took her to pick out a Christmas tree and decorations, something she had never done. As they decorated the tree at her house Lew pulled out some CDs of Christmas music. They had enjoyed The Messiah and Ellen had bought a rendition on CD of the group they had heard.

Ellen was getting out to the offices of the newspapers she wrote for, surprising her publishers who were delighted to see her in person. They encouraged her in her rehabilitation and offered to run errands if she found herself in a difficult situation.

In spite of Christmas, Ellen was still depressed at times. Lew encouraged her and she received an invitation from his family for Christmas Day. This, however, was even more depressing since she felt she should take something as a gift, but didn’t know what since she didn’t know his family.

They were at her house one Sunday after mass discussing what Ellen saw as a problem.

Lew put his arms around her reassuringly and told her that the only thing his family wanted was for her to turn up and spend the day with them. “They want to see the new woman in my life!” he grinned.

“Lew,” she moaned. “They don’t want to see you with a cripple.”

He shook his head. “I’ve already told them about what you’ve been through and they look forward to meeting the courageous young woman in my life. But be prepared, they have us engaged!”

She looked at him in shock. “What! I couldn’t think of marriage now!”

“Why not?”

“Lew, I’m in no shape physically or mentally to move in that direction.”

“Do you love me even a little bit? Because I fell for you the first time I saw you,”

He kissed her and she did not draw away. She felt herself responding and warming up to him as time moved along and he became more a part of her life.

Rosie nudged between them for attention. She thought Lew was very nice. He laughed. “Now see! Even your dog approves!”

Ellen put her arms around Lew and looked up at him. “Can we take this slowly? I don’t have to set a date this moment or even have one planned on Christmas Day, do I? Yes, I do love you, Lew. I’ve come to want you as a part of my life.” She reached up and kissed him on the chin. He was so tall!

In the next few moments they just held each other saying nothing. As he pulled away from her, Ellen looked up realizing he wanted to say something. He cleared his throat and looked her in the eye. “Ellen, I want you to know that I tried to contact your sister.”

She started to protest, but he put a finger to her mouth to quiet her. “Let me finish... She’s not ready to see you. I don’t know what happened; maybe someday you’ll want to talk about it. She said that after Christmas she would give some thought to meeting with you. I wanted to invite her and her family to join us Christmas Day, but she said no. I want you to know that my mother is disappointed and hurts for you.”

Ellen’s eyes welled up. She nodded, but said nothing. “That’s okay. I was going to try to call. I’m glad I didn’t.”

“You and I will celebrate a real Christmas and I want you to think about what kind of a ring you want! Be fussy!”

Ellen laughed and hugged him. Life was great, love was wonderful. There was Christmas to celebrate and a special date to choose.


HEY! and don't forget to e-mail Charlotte Ann Zuzak if you have a comment!


zuz@zoominternet.net





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