Dear Abby
Part Three
By Carolina
super_carolina1@yahoo.com

Did you get the second part of my Dear Abby? I'm gonna send you all the stories in different emails. You can post them whenever you want to, take your time. I also have other stories, which I'll send you as well. Here's the 3rd part of Dear Abby

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me and until I get a PhD. in genetics, Goran Visnjic belongs to his wife. Any comments, criticisms, or donations can be made to: super_carolina1@yahoo.com. Hope you enjoy this one, more to come.



After ordering their respective ice creams, Abby and Luka found a table on the back, far away from the group of kids that apparently just came back from a baseball game. Luka's attention was first on the kids, then he seemed to be concentrated on the way his spoon was making the ice cream melt. Abby looked at him at first without saying a word, then she broke the ice.

Abby: Ice cream tastes better with a smile, you know.

Luka smiled and took a big gulp of his chocolate ice cream

Abby: Penny for your thoughts?

Luka: My daughter loved chocolate ice cream. One time, when she was still a baby, I took her to the park to see the ducks and she made me buy her a cone. After five minutes she was all covered in ice cream, from head to toe. She had people stopping to take pictures, she always attracted a crowd

Abby: What was her name?

Luka: Eva

Abby smiled. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes and smile shined when he mentioned his daughter's name. He had a beautiful smile. Abby was destroyed when she found out her baby was dead, she couldn't even try to know what itfelt like to loose your family the way he did. She grabbed his hand from across the table and gave it a squeeze, a gesture he returned.

Abby: You know Luka, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm more than willing to listen

Luka thought about it. He really needed to let it all out, he wanted to. He still loved his family so much he couldn't even find words to describe his emotions, but he was ready to move on. He hadn't talked to anyone about what had happened that day yet. Sure he told Kerri and Carol two different stories, but none of them were real. He didn't do it on purpose, he wanted to tell them the truth, but something inside of him wouldn't let him, so he lied. It was also the reason why he left Croatia. What was left from his family and friends were constantly trying to make him talk about what happened, to help him move on. But he just wasn't ready and they couldn't understand that. Everyone is so though on Eastern Europe, you have to be, but he wasn't. It was the reason why he became a doctor, to stop the loss of lives or even try. At least here people would leave him alone. Alone. Now that's a word he had started to hate. Seeing Abby earlier, opening up to him, made him realize how much he needed that sense of closure. He was glad she chose him. He didn't know much about her, but observing her at work, always quiet and always wanting to do more than she could, he knew he could trust her. He looked up and gave her another smile.

Luka: Maybe some other time, this day has been depressing enough as it is.

Abby: Ok

Luka: So how did you meet Chris?

Abby: Ah, talk about depressing! (they both smiled) It was nothing special really, we were introduced by some friends. We started talking about our friends behind their back. It was hypocrisy at first sight. We started going out and got married on May 11, 1996, a day which will live in infamy. How did you meet your wife?

Luka: Girl next door. We grew up together. When we reached adolescence we started, you know, to explore. I went to college and when I came back, we got married. We were very young, but we really loved each other, so it all worked out. It was all better when we had children. Budget was tight, but we managed.

He looked at Abby, who was listening with interest to his story. He looked around and wanting to change the subject added:

Luka: So, have you decided if you're going to press charges?

Abby: Oh. I don't know. I think I'm just gonna put up a restraining order, see how that goes. If it doesn't work out then... I don't know.

Luka: Do you want me to go with you?

Abby: You know, I really don't want to do this alone, but I think I should. It's something I have to do by and for myself.

Luka: I understand.

He really did. Some things you just have to get over by yourself. It's like an achievement. They finished their ice creams and after saying their respective good byes, parted their ways. Abby decided to walk since the night was still beautiful. She figured it would also give her some time to think. But she also realized that for the first time, she did not want to think. She had made a decision, and she was going to stick to it. She reached the police station faster than she expected. For being in the middle of Chicago, it was really empty inside. A few women dressed inappropriately handcuffed in the chairs, and a few policemen walking in and out. She identified herself in the front desk and they motioned her to the chairs.

Prostitute: So, what did you do?

Abby: I married a jackass

Prostitute: Didn't we all, sister.

After waiting forever and making a few friends, they called out her name. It wasn't as bad as she though, for one she didn't have to see her ex. A police woman took her case and after complaining about her also drunken ex husband and trying to convince Abby to "Get his ass in jail" she gave her all the papers she needed to sign. Took her more than an hour, and after signing paper after paper, she finally got out of there. She took the train to get home, it was late and she was too tired to walk. After a long shower she slipped into her PJs and went to bed. Her whole body ached and she could barely lift her arm to turn the lamp off. Why is it that after you take a shower all the soreness comes out? Is it something in the water?

But she couldn't sleep. Typical. Her mind drifted back to the earlier events. She thought of Chris and tried to find an explanation as to why of all marriages, hers had to go that way. She prayed today was the last she saw of him. She also found herself thinking of Luka. He looked so simple on the outside and yet he was so complicated. She appreciated so much what he did for her today, his attentiveness, his friendship, just being there for her. They both could use a friend right now. Abby didn't know much about him or his past, just enough to know it wasn't all that pleasant. After Carol left he looked even more lost, he rarely smiled and always had a sleeplesness expression on his face. She remembered being really worried about him in those days. Abby had heard something from the nurses about him liking Carol and her giving him "the shaft", as Chuny put it, but she tried to stay away from other people's business. He was a good man and he deserved so much more. She thought about the stories he told her earlier, about his daughter and wife. He looked so found when he talked about his family, as if they were still together. She couldn't help but thinking how his life would have been if his family was still alive. One could only imagine. After thinking, tossing, and turning a while longer, Abby fell asleep, thinking about her baby.

After driving around for a while, Luka finally got home. He wasn't hungry, or sleepy, or even tired, yet he knew that if he didn't go to bed his next shift would be a living hell. He turned off the lights and went to bed and for the first time that day he felt a little pain in his right hand. Bastard, he thought. After years of dealing with all kinds of violence he still could not understand how a man could hit his wife. Even more, how could someone hit Abby? He thought of her earlier story, how she lost her baby. She looked so found when she talked about her. Her eyes and smiled both shined. She was a good woman, and she deserved so much more. He was glad she shared her pain with him. He prayed that her ex husband would stay away from her this time. If he ever hurts her again, I'll kill him. Well, at least hurt him bad. He thought about what her life would have been if her baby would not have died. One could only imagine. After thinking, tossing, and turning, a while longer he fell asleep, thinking about his kids.

'Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh I believe in Yesterday'
(The Beatles- Yesterday)

To be continued...