The macabre smell Of Calomine

                                       
                            The Macabre Smell Of Calomine

            I never in a million years would have dreamed that a smell could embed itself into your mind so deeply that it could forever remind me of the most horrifying day of my life.I seemed to be moving in slow motion while following the screaming ambulence to the emergency room."Please God,tell me this is just a nightmare, that I will wake up soon and find myself safe in my appartment,still covered in calomine lotion.Little did I know that having a bout with poison ivy might save my life. Well, I guess I need to start at the beginning.
            I met my best friend Cindy when I was 36 and she was 27. Even though there were years dividing us,it never seemed to matter.It wasnt long after our meeting that we could litterally finish each others sentences.There was never a better day than one spent with Cindy.She was funny,beautiful,sweet, and thoughtful.She was always doing something for me or one of my children.I was going through a hideous divorce.Cindy held my hand and never left my side.Her husband ,Randy,was also very supportive and they saw to it that I was not alone very often to dwell on my grief.
August the 19th was coming up and it was my daughter Natalie's birthday. Cindy created kind of a twelve days of your birthday thing. She just kept buying her gifts but could not wait til her birthday to give them to her.She bought her a sewing kit and taught her a little about sewing. A couple of days later she bought her a fish aquarium and put fish in it. Then she bought her an electrical piano keyboard. Then she took me and Natalie to the Tyler zoo. I knew what she was doing. She was just trying to keep our minds off of everything that was going on at the time. I loved her so much.
            Cindy and Randy had a beautiful daughter named Michelle with gorgeous dark hair and big brown eyes.She could melt your heart and control you with just a glance.She was one her dad always called a strong willed child and at the age of 2 was extremely smarter than her years.I had three children. My sons were identical twins, Bryan and Micheal.Now you might ask why I didnt give them twin names. Up until the age of 13 Bryan went by his first name ,which was Marvin.He never did like the name and when the "Messy Marvin" comercial came out he put his foot down. "From this day forward my name is Bryan" he said" He had gotten so much teasing at school that he said," NEVER AGAIN!" I reluctantly gave into his request, but it took me  at least two years for it to feel right calling him by that name.My daughter, Natalie, was six years younger than her brothers.She was to me everything a little girl should be. I had wanted a little girl after having twin sons more than I could ever say. All of my children were very blonde with sky blue eyes and very smart as well. Cindy was just as drawn to my kids as I was to hers. Together we had a bunch of good looking kids and were very proud of them. We had become kind of like one family. Randy owned a skating rink and my boys worked for him. My boys were now 17 and everyone except me could skate like pros.Of course they enjoyed all the attention from the girls that practically lived at the place.
            Cindy had a younger sister who had always been kind of a wild child so when she announced that she was moving to town Cindy had hopes of really helping her. LeAnne took an appartment next door to me so that she wouldnt have to be in a place where she knew no one. She, like her sister was very beautiful and only 19. When she moved her boyfriend in with her we were really surprised. The main thing that surprised us was that this man was 50 years old. We were all quite concerned but they seemed to be very happy together and maybe this is what LeAnne might need.Within a short while he seemed to be very charming and fit right in usually.
            Things went well for several months. Winter had come and gone but by the time spring came around we all had noticed seeing changes in Clarence that did not set well with us. He had become moody and possessive of LeAnne.He was sometimes weepy and wrote poems to her all the time. Some of them were kind of dark and disturbing.We went days without seeing her at times. Finally it became apparent to us that she was sleeping a lot and seemed to be drugged. LeAnne had used drugs before but had gone through rehab and was clean. After not seeing her and not being able to reach her by phone,Cindy was very worried.We walked around to the front of her appartment and noticed that her cat was in the front window sill acting rather frantic,clawing as though trying desperately to get out. This was LeAnne's baby. She never left her without food or water which is how the cat was acting. LeAnne's car was gone and no one answered the door. Cindy and I looked at each other at about the same time and said," we've just got to know she's alright."We
decided to climb through the front window which was ajar. Just about the time we got it open,LeAnne and Clarence drove up behind us.We were embarrassed at having been caught ,but when I saw LeAnne I knew it was the right thing to do.She looked like she had lost ten pounds and she was a little tiny girl to begin with. Her jaws looked sunken in. She had hints of dark circles around her eyes. She seemed as though she had been crying and her eyes looked to me as though they were dialated. She seemed to be quite happy to see us and didnt want us to go. While we were standing in the driveway talking, even though it was a warm day in the latter part of July, LeAnne was having chills and shivered all over.
              The next month proved to be very challengeing  for all of us.We just had no idea the events that were about to play out in our lives.Leanne had become like my little sister,and I was so afraid for her. I had such a strong gut feeling that there was something really wrong with Clarence. Even her grandparents were now concerned about her welfare.One stormy day around the first of August, LeAnne came tearing into my front door crying. She said," I have some phone numbers here I want to give you. These are numbers of some of Clarences family. His Ex -wife,one of his brothers and a sister.I can't stay long. He'll be coming in from work soon. Ive heard several bad rumours about him and I'm starting to get scared.OH NO!  I think he's pulling into the driveway." She bolted out with sheer terror in her eyes,without even saying goodbye and left me with a gut feeling of fear and dread that washed over my whole body.
              Cindy and I called her mother that night and told her that we were not sure yet what was going on but that we needed her to get LeAnne to come home and visit for awhile.This was our opportunity to get her away from him. Her mother agreed.
                Soon the curiosity got the better of me and I called the numbers she had given me. I talked to his wife and found out that they had never divorced. They had 8 children together.This spoke volumes to me as to why I did not trust him. When I called his brother in Florida and he told me that Clarence had charges filed against him in Albuquercue for child molestation. A warrant was out on him for the molestation of all his own children. That's when I realized LeAnne was the victim of a pedophile. He had picked her up walking home from work in the snow one evening and had just never let her go. Her ride did not show so she decided to walk home. After all ,she thought, it's not that far. But it was snowing by this time fairly big and as the chilling wind swept around her small body she was glad to see the headlights come up behind her and stop. She accepted his ride.
                The next day her grandmother who lived close by me flew to Albuquercue to visit her daughter and see to it that LeAnne got home.No sooner had she gotten out of the driveway when Clarence went into motion. He sold their refrigerator and their dining set and headed for Albuquercue. He was getting scarier by the moment. I had also found out from his sister-in-law that when his wife left him he had tried to commit suicide. I had a gut feeling that we were all in danger. If he would kill himself, he would have nothing to lose but to take us all with him. He was angry with all of us for taking his LeAnne away.
                I called LeAnne's mother to let them know that he was probably there and all the other stuff I had found out. I told her I felt that we were all in danger and not to let LeAnne come back to Texas. I also called the Albuquercue Police trying to get some information but they would not tell me anything over the phone. I ask LeAnnes mother to do some inquireing since she lived there,but she did not feel it was necessary.
                The next few days were like a breath of fresh air for all of us. For the first time in awhile we all felt safe knowing he was not there. I decided to give myself a break from all the trama and take my kids to Six Flags.The next two days were such a joy.Oh how we laughed and played. I think we rode everything in that park at least twice. By the time we got to the motel room that evening I noticed I was breaking out in a rash all over. Oh....Yea.. Poison Ivy! I lavished on the Calomine lotion but got very little sleep from not being in my own bed and itching like a son-of -a-gun. PINK PINK,I just love PINK and the smell of calomine wafting through my car for the next 120 miles home.We reached home about 8:00 pm and I went straight to bed exhausted from our mini vaccation.
                At 9:am I was awakened by a surprise knock at my door. It was Cindy and LeAnne. I said,Girl,what are you doing here? I asked you not to come back after this stuff. It's just not worth the risk." Neither Cindy nor LeAnne seemed to be able to grasp the danger they could be in, or the danger that they could be putting my family in. I had told her I would collect her things and she could get them later, but she said, "No,I'm here now to do this. I'm ready to move on with my life now. I signed up for a Delta Airlines  job position that I'm quite excited about. I'll be starting next month." I was so happy for her and let her know I'd be rooting her on. I showed them my pink covered body and told them I was not able to help them today but I volunteered Michael to help them since Bryan was working at his job at Dairy Queen all day. I thought to myself how beautiful they were as the three of them took off for LeAnne's appartment and Cindy left Michelle with me.Natalie loved taking care of Michelle like a little sister and I always enjoyed having her there too. I was not feeling very well so I had planned a kind -of laid back day of recooperation. Not long after I thought that Cindy came in my back door, pale as a ghost and over excited. She told me that when they got to the front of the appartment LeAnne remembered that she no longer had the key. She had left it with Clarence. They decided to break the diningroom window and fix it later. When they got into the appartment,there sat Clarence on the sofa. He kept saying they all needed to come in and sit down because he had something to say. Cindy told him they were busy and didnt have time.This gave me cold chills and flash backs to the day Cindy and I tried to get in the front window and had gotten caught. If looks could kill ,like they say, I was 6 feet under already. I told Cindy that this was a bad omen and to stay forever alert and watch what he is doing. Dont do anything to provoke him. We could all be in serious trouble. She said"Oh you know i'd never let anything happen to Michael." I thought to myself. She still doesnt get it. Then she took off to get more boxes.
            As soon as Cindy left,I got on the phone to Albuquercue. I told them that this time I was not asking for information but needed to give them information.I said that I believed that a man by the name of Clarence Davis was wanted there for child molestation or endangerment or something to that effect. If they wanted him they needed to move fast because I know where he is at this moment but he is moving out and I have no idea where he will go next. I told them the situation concerning Cindy's sister and that I was afraid we were all in danger. They said ok they would look into it and if possible they would indict him from there.
            About every 45 minutes Cindy would come over with little things that LeAnne wanted to give me. Pot plants, goldfish,and food items mostly. She would report  how he was acting and when she said he was just sitting on the couch sobbing I said,"Ok. Im going to get dressed and all of us are going to lunch and get out of here. Cindy he's showing signs of suicide or worse. Go see if you can get LeAnne and Michael to come over here.
            Still in denial myself that he would really do anything, I went into my bedroom, added some more calomine lotion ,and rolled my hair on hot rollers.I slipped my clothes on and just as I was taking the rollers out of my hair I heard the sound I had been dreading all day. My son Michael came screaming out the back door,"HE'S GOT A GUN. HE'S GOT A GUN!" as soon as I heard his voice I dialed 911 while the shots were being fired. I put the girls in the back of my closet and covered them up with clothes as Michael came scrambling in the back door. I locked the front door knowing that if he wanted in this would be no deterent. I thought we were all about to die. Michelle looked into my eyes and said,"He shot my mommy." Still on the phone with 911 I heard him crunching through the leaves near my front door. I had never felt such fear for my children and myself in my whole life. I guess he realized he was out of bullets and went back to reload. As soon as he entered His appartment a police officer yelled FREEZE! They were at the front door to arrest him on the Albuquercue charges and were stunned to find two bodies lying in the floor. The police I had called for the shooting and ambulances came screaming up behind them and they had no idea what was going on. I told 911 they were there and hung up the phone. I then slipped around the front of the building to see what was going on. When I peeped around I saw that they had Clarence handcuffed and in a cruiser. I went up to the window and asked him why. He stared at me with a blank exspression, showing no remorse and didnt answer.
            I knew someone had been shot but I was  not accepting the idea that they would not survive. I sneaked back to the back of the appartment and went in the back door. There lay Cindy in a pool of her own blood and the emts doing cpr on her. I could tell that she was not responding much. They put her on a gurny and chased me away because by this time I was sobbing loudly. I got back around front just in time to meet up with Randy as they were rolling LeAnne out. She was completely covered so I knew we had lost her. Then they rolled Cindy passed us. She was white . Her eyes were glazy looking and her little hand fell off the gurny as if to tell me goodbye. Randy went in the ambulance with her and I drove my car close behind. By the time we got to the hospital, she was gone. Cindy had several family members that were nurses and doctors at that hospital. She herself was a pediatric nurse there. Everyone recognized her and were all in shock. The caos was all about us as people cried ,some screamed, And all worked feverishly to try and save her.
            The next days to follow were grueling. Randy did not know what to do with himself and Michelle would now spend her whole life without this lady who adored her. Certain details were given to us later. They were both shot twice with a 357 magnum. Their wounds were almost identical in the kneck and shoulder. LeAnne had been trying to climb out the front window. That same window where her cat was so scared several days before. Cindy had saved Mike's life by telling him to run as soon as she saw the gun and drawing Clarence's attention away from him and onto herself. Clarence had Cindy's keys in his pocket and a map of how to get to her grandparents house. I think he had even bigger plans for that day. Clarence had found out from his sister that I had been calling so he was probably the angriest with me. I'm sure if I had gone over there I probably would have been the first one he shot.
              About two weeks later  I helped Randy, Michael, and Bryan clean out LeAnns appartment. I went to clean the bathroom and got deathly sick at my stomach.Even though I knew that this stuff may have saved my life, the first thing I pulled out of the medicine cabinet was a broken bottle of  Calomine Lotion.