Sweet Revenge
Enclosed spaces. That
claustrophobic feeling. Don't get too clingy. Keep your eyes focused on
anything else. Feel crushed beneath buildings, the stare of passers-by.
Watch cars flash past you.
Remember that he, that she is your only link to survival. Do not make this
synonymous with any type of attraction, and/or warm feeling. Love and
such.
Don't gaze too long. Ignore the beauty of the chaos. Don't let yourself
get lost in it......or you just might fall again...........
Forgive the writer for obscure intro. Maybe I should start with how it all
began..............
"I love you, Ricardo."
Then why are you washing me like a countertop?
Ricardo cringed as Gabi swabbed his chest with a soggy sponge one
sultry summer night.
Well, wife of mine, if you're gonna keep the loft as clean as you're
keepin' me, this place'll be condemned.
Gabi: I don't want to be anywhere else but here, Ricardo.
Right. Let's see, scrubbing my chest hairs, putting your hands all
over Antonio...hmm....decisions, decisions.....
The doorbell chime distracted him from his brooding thoughts.... only to
pull him back into them all over again........
Gabi: I wonder who that could be?
(((((((((( The door flies open........and Antonio bursts in wearing a
leather jacket over his uniform, with a troupe of dancing nuns!
(((((((((( Gabi: Why it's Priest Lightnin'!!!
(((((((((( Antonio: *I just came over to see how you're doin', and I'm
lyin', oh yeah!*
(((((((((( Nun: *Priest talkin', my Priest's talkin'!*
(((((((((( Antonio: *We're gonna run outside and talk about our shady
affair!*
(((((((((( Nun: *He's a phony! His name is Father Phony!
(((((((((( Antonio: (picks up grinning Gabi) *So when my brother gets a
bore, I'll be waitin' at the door, I'll take you for a ride, we'll pretend we're
gonna die, Priest Lightnin'!* )))))))))))))))
Gabi: Ricardo? Ahem... Ricardo? Should I see who it is?
Ricardo:(Nods and rolls his eyes) What IS this, Mr. Rogers??? Just
let him in....like you don't know who it is, anyway! It's Mr. Touchy McFeeley
with a speedy delivery!
Just as his gloomy brother suspected, Antonio appeared at the door,
scratching the back of his neck, clearing his throat nervously. He felt a
feverish blush take over his face when he saw her in a tiny tank top. The
veil of his gaze blanketed her in heat.
Antonio: Oh....I'm sorry.....it's awfully late...I came at a bad time.....?
Gabi: No, no, of course not, Antonio! I was just.......cleaning... the living
room.
Antonio: Hey, Ricardo... (takes off his jacket and sets it down on the
table) How're you doin'?
Ricardo: (fake smile) Your favorite big brother "Living Room Torres"
is feelin' just fine, you bastard.
Antonio: Um...Gabi, could I talk to you outside for a second?
She felt her lips curving into a smile. Even now, he still had a gravity
she couldn't escape....she was always a fallen comet pulled into his orbit.
Maybe....just maybe, it was because part of her knew that there were no lies
beyond this door....she could sigh and shake off the tension that clutched her
heart for most of the day...in this little house...where the love between a
husband and wife was tainted with fabrications.
Gabi: .....Sure. I'll be right back, baby. (smiles at Ricardo)
Ricardo: Thanks for the warning......snookums....
She walked out the door, oblivious to his burning sarcasm. Sometimes
Ricardo wondered if they'd get the message if he held up a giant neon
billboard!
His mind filled with thoughts of his revenge. Man, something had to be
done! His furious fantasies were featuring musical numbers, for God's sake!
This current approach definitely wasn't working. A few mind games here, a
few hints there, blah, blah, blah. And they still stared back at him with their
4000 watt smiles, in their safe little world. His own twisted voice-overs rang
in his head as he watched them through the window.
((((( "Oh, Antonio.....last night was the single most
incredible erotic experience of my life...."
Gabi: So I think you should go with the Moody Blue.
(((((( "Gabi, you were amazing...."
Antonio: Really? I kinda opted for the Geloso Green.
Gabi: Come on, Antonio, don't get yourself so stressed out over
something as trivial as wallpaper! You're gonna be the best Pre-Caina priest
at the new counseling center... I know you will.
Antonio: Yeah, I hope so. (Sure. You'll be an absolute joy to be around
after working with happy couples in love all day.)
Gabi: You...um....didn't come here just to show me wallpaper samples,
did you?
Antonio: (nervous laughter) What....what else do you think I...wanted?
Gabi: To see me?
Antonio: (eyes widen)What??
Gabi: I know you miss spending time alone together, Antonio. You're
just afraid of the whole awkward thing, or whether the timing's right, or
whatever. You don't have to be ashamed....I understand.
Antonio:(eyes darting around) Well.... I.... uh....(Look at the trees,
Antonio, concentrate on the trees!)
Gabi: It's alright. We're friends, and that's the bottom line. (I think...)
No matter what happened in the past, we have the right to spend time alone
together if we want. (More would be better.) Really, I mean it, there's no
need for sneaking around, Antonio. (But what exactly would we call
this ??) How about tomorrow? Coffee? (Like we really
need to throw caffeine into the mix.)
Antonio: I....I really can't Gabi, that sounds great, but....I'm gonna
be......busy. (Watching Tabitha and Timmy on my teeny tiny TV. Yup,
completely booked.)
Gabi: (frowns) Oh. Alright....
She couldn't explain why, but her heart felt like a plane shot down from
the sky at that moment.
Gabi: Antonio?
Antonio: (turned away from her) What?
Gabi: I'm worried about you...............
Ricardo: It's just a tad too obvious, "Mrs." Torres. You claim to love
me so much, but then you run to him in a New York
minute!!
Oh my God.....that's it........
Antonio: (faces her) Worried about me ? What for?
Gabi: I feel like my marriage to Ricardo is....hurting you. You don't
seem right. I'm receptive to those kinda things, you know.
Antonio: Don't be ridiculous, Gabi! (Oh, great line, Balki! How 'bout you do
the Dance of Joy for her?) I'm fine. Just fine.....(Just disregard that heavy
sigh.)......
Ricardo: Oh man...it's perfect. Absolutely perfect. You like
forbidden apples, kids? Well how 'bout this apple?........
His head filled with snapshots of the setting.
Ricardo: Oh, you'll both think you're gonna die, alright.
Only there won't be anywhere for you to go to make another little
video......and no one to save you this time......
You'll turn on each other like snakes.
Gabi: It's just....lately...you're like this freight train in my head, Antonio.
You....you just come crashing through sometimes....I think about you, I can't
help it.
Antonio: Gabi, if I'm in your thoughts....it's because I insinuated myself
into them! I'm always barging into your life, constantly! (Paces around)
"Who's at the door?" "Oh, it's Antonio again!" "What does he want?", "Um, to
return a Van Halen 1984 record he borrowed from Ricardo
in...1984! Oh, yeah, and to ever-so-conveniently steal a moment with his
wife for the 84th time!"
Gabi: We were looking at wallpaper samples!--
Antonio: I want a lot more than your interior decorating touch, Gabi!!!
His brows slanted back in absolute horror at what he'd said. Their eye
contact during the resonant silence after he blurted out those words was like
glue. She remembered to breathe again after seeing a flash of his soul, like
a shower curtain that had flown open.
Ricardo peered out the window to make sure he wasn't being watched.
He pulled himself to the wheelchair beside the bed and inched into it. He
grabbed Gabi's purse off the nightstand, and slowly wheeled himself to
Antonio's jacket slumped on the kitchen table.
The wallets opened, one by one. He hid the cash underneath the
mattress....and clutched the Platinums, the Visas, like a poker hand, grinning
devilishly.
Ricardo: Just gotta make sure I play my cards right.
She moved closer to him, staring plaintively into the two melted
Goobers his eyes had become. He felt like he'd just sputtered out classified
military information....he wanted to crawl under something and never come
out.
Gabi: Antonio.......
Her hand drifted to his shoulder, but it slipped from her grasp as he
jerked away.
Antonio: I....I've gotta go....
He rushed inside.....Ricardo sleeping in his bed. He looked at him
despairingly as he gathered up his jacket.
Antonio: (sighs) See you around, Ricardo.
He moped sadly out the door....as Ricardo opened one eye in
satisfaction.
Ricardo: No....you won't. Sleep well, little brother....you've got a
big day tomorrow...
Gabi: Antonio. Wait, please don't go.......
She reached for him with a flailing arm, but all at once, he was gone.
Just out of her reach.
She went back inside. The sound of the door creaking shut marked the
return to her fantasy world. Where Mr. and Mrs. Torres lived. They lived
happily.
She saw him asleep, and sat on her separate little futon with her head in
her hands for a moment. She thought of love, and all its hopes and
promises, and nodded off to sleep.
He clutched the phone the next morning, quietly, as not to wake his
bride.
Ricardo: Antonio? It's me, man.
Antonio rubbed his eyes, trying to swallow the fit of yawning that
threatened to run amuck. He never slept this late. Only when he was
depressed, of course.....
Antonio: Ricardo? You alright? What's the matter, bro'?
Ricardo: It's Gabi...she's....gone....
Antonio: What??!!!
He whacked his foot on the corner of the bed, and stifled a shriek of
pain.
Ricardo: (smiling) She....she left me, bro.' Now....now I know for
sure that I'm too much of a (sniffs) burden!
Antonio: Did she leave a note, anything, Ricardo??
Ricardo tried to hold back laughter that filled him.
Ricardo: It's...it's a Dear John letter. Says she's catching a plane at LAX
this mornin'....to where....for the love of God, it doesn't say!
Antonio: Don't you worry, Ricardo! I'm gonna go there, talk some sense
into her, and bring her back! Hang in there, I'll be in touch!!
Ricardo: I don't think so........
Gabi suddenly stirred awake.
Gabi: ....Ricardo, who was on the phone?
Ricardo: (winces) No, man...oh no!
Gabi: (gets up) What's the matter?? Who was it, honey?
Ricardo: It was T......he's leavin', Gab....oh, God! Now I'm
sure I'm too much of a (sniffs) burden!
Gabi: What??! Leaving where??!!
She whacked her foot on the corner of the hospital bed and stifled a
shriek of pain.
Ricardo: Said he's transferring, effective immediately. He's at LAX right
now. I tried to get him to tell me where he's goin....but for the love of God,
he didn't say! You've gotta go talk some sense into him, Gab. You're so
intune to his....senses! I called Maria to come look after me. Don't worry
about me....just tell him to come home to us, for God's sake!
Gabi: (pats his shoulder) Don't worry, OK, baby? I'm gonna do just that,
alright? Don't you worry about a thing. I'm gonna get him back for you.
Ricardo: Uh huh.........right. For me.
After she'd flown through the house like a tornado, brushing her teeth
while tugging her shoes on and combing her hair, all in a whirl of
conciousness.....she shut the door behind her cautiously, and blew a kiss to
him.
Ricardo: Bon voyage, "baby".....
He picked up the cordless again in sheer delight.
Ricardo: Hello? Airport security? This is Detective Torres of the Sunset
Beach PD, department h8u-T? I'm calling in regards to an inmate pickup
that's going to take place today. Yes, two dangerous criminals are being
transferred from L.A. County to the New York City Correctional Facility. Their
names are Antonio and Gabi Torres. A regular Bonnie and Clyde. Just look
for two people bickering loudly, and get them on the first non-stop flight to
NYC, an escorting officer will be waiting for them on the plane....
They'll probably need to be restrained and sedated. Yes. Uh-huh. Thank
you for your cooperation.
He clicked off the phone, grinining from ear to ear...whispering the tune
of an old Sinatra favorite......
Ricardo: *Start spreadin' the news....they're leavin'.... today.......*
Gabi raced around the corner, and collided with an attractive man....sans uniform....minus collar.
Gabi: Antonio???
Antonio: Gabi???
Gabi: Antonio, what the hell are you doing?!
Antonio: Me?? No, no, I really think that's what I should be asking YOU.
Gabi: Oh, right. Just run away from me, Antonio, that'll solve
everything!!
Antonio: What?? You're the one who's running away from
me! Is it because of last night, Gabi? Is it because of that stupid
thing I inadvertently said??
Gabi: The interior decorating comment, Antonio? Oh, that was a
classic!! You just lie and lie, and then it all just spills out
eventually, doesn't it??!
Security Guard: Excuse me?
Gabi & Antonio: WHAT??!!!
Security Guard: Are you Antonio and Gabi Torres?
Gabi & Antonio: (huffy) Yes!!
They heard a clicking sound, and their wrists were joined together by
two shiny silver cuffs.
Gabi: (gasps) A-Are you crazy?? What IS this??
Security Guard: It's boarding time, travelers.......
To Be Continued......
