My girlfriend Kelly and I had just spent the summer in Alaska. First living in a 12’X12’ log cabin which was two miles from the nearest road that we had to walk through deep forest to get to. It was like being in fairyland because the cabin was surrounded by a spruce forest and a carpet of grass that was dotted all over with Amanita Muscaria. We liked it there a lot but it had a bear problem, and being terrorized by a 400 pound Alaskan Brown Bear is no fun. So it was either kill the bear or leave. Since the bear was there first we left. Summer was getting on anyway and we had to make some bread so we wouldn't be stuck there for the winter, which would start in mid September. We moved into a driftwood shack on the beach in Homer where I got a job at a fishery and Kelly became a waitress. As soon as we collected enough scooties to leave, we quit our horrible jobs, hitched to Anchorage, flew to Seattle then hitched south.
On our way to Mexico, where we were planning to spend the winter laying on a beach under a tropical sun, we passed within 60 miles of where Lindsey, Spider and my daughter now 8, were living. We thought we'd drop in to say "Hi" and visit them before continuing south. We got a ride almost to the door by a traveling salesman who told us that he would be in the area all day then would be heading back to the City in the evening so if we wanted a ride to be on the same road about sun down. We thanked him but told him we were planning to spend the night. We got out of his car and walked up the road until we came to Lindsey’s driveway.
Lindsey and Spider had a small house in the country with no neighbors for miles, it was a nice little place. When we got to the door there was Spider who was happy to see us and said he hoped we'd spend the night. My daughter was visiting her grandma that week so I wouldn't get to see her this time. Oh well, it would still seeing and visiting with Lindsey again because we were still good friends. We had shared and been through a lot together. Spider told me that Lindsey had a job as a secretary and would be home around 4 p.m. at which time he would go to work. He had a job at a gas station in town where he worked until midnight.
Wow, Lindsey and Spider both working! Spider then told me that other than a little grass and a few beers they had both quit doing drugs and they had gotten legally married. They had decided to go straight for awhile to see what it was like. He said he was even thinking of cutting his hair and shaving off his beard. These were both party hardy people, I just couldn't believe it and hopped this little perversion wouldn't last too long.
Spider laughed and said, "Well you never know."
We chatted and smoked a joint waiting for Lindsey to come home.
It had been almost a year since I had last seen her and she still looked good to me. She hugged and kissed me hello then smiled and said she was glad to see Kelly and me again. We all chatted for a bit then Spider said he had to go to work. As soon as he was down the driveway Lindsey’s attitude drastically changed. It was complete just like Jeckell and Hyde.
She told me that I was no longer welcome in her home! That Spider and her had finally gotten their act together, and that they did not need or want me in it to mess it up. She then told me that the last time I was there it upset my daughter so bad that it took her a week to calm back down. And that she, Lindsey, did not want me ever to contact her or my daughter ever again. However, she was glad that I was there and would spend the night because in the morning she wanted me to go with her to see the DA about getting me to pay her some child support.
I sat there stunned in utter disbelief thinking, 'she's got to be joking.' I asked if she was kidding. She looked at me with real loathing and said she wasn't.
I got pissed off. I told her that it was in the divorce papers which she had filed since I didn't care whether I was "legally" married or not, that I got reasonable visitation rights and that I did not have to pay her any alimony or child support.
Lindsey said, "It says that now, but I talked to a lawyer and he says I can get that changed anytime I want."
I said, "What about our past? All we went through together, our love for each other and our daughter?"
Lindsey glared at me and said, "I was young and stupid when I married you. And I realize now I must have been insane to have ever participated in your filthy perverted lifestyle. You are crazy and dangerous and I don't know how Kelly can stand to be with you. I want you out of my life forever! And if you ever come around here again I will sic the cops on you."
I told her that she was the one who was out of her mind, and that I would come around to see my daughter any time I wanted to.
Kelly was saying, "Fuck this shit Tai. Let's just go. This ain't worth the hassle."
I should have listened to her but I was angry. Lindsey asked me, "Are you going to pay me child support?" I answered, "With what? You know I'm always broke."
Lindsey said, "Then you leave me no choice. I'm having you arrested for non-support." She picked up the phone and dialed "0". Then said, "Give me the sheriffs please."
I reached over and jerked the phone cord out of the wall. Lindsey smiled evilly at me and said, "You've really fucked up now, bucko." then ran for the kitchen phone.
But I got there first and ripped it off the wall. Lindsey started screaming, "You crazy son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" and grabbed the .22 off the wall above where the phone had been. She pointed it right at my chest then chambered a round.
Now I smiled madly at her as I grabbed the barrel and before she squeezed the trigger, ripped the rifle out of her hands. Then still smiling at her, I roughly shoved Lindsey to the floor. I took the bolt out of the .22 then smashed the rifle down on the floor besides her. Lindsey was now screaming incoherently.
She had turned red and was frothing at the mouth. I was really angry but I just stood there smiling at her because she was right, I was crazy. And if she wanted to play this sick little game then I was more than willing to play it to the all the way to it’s horrible conclusion. Then she would see how truly dangerous I truly was.
Kelly was yelling at me that we should leave there and NOW! before something extremely bad happened.
Lindsey got up and ran for her bedroom where I knew Spider kept his 4-10. I also knew that Lindsey was a good shot so there was no way I was letting her get her hands on that shotgun. We got to the shotgun at the same time.
I shoved Lindsey to the floor again and grabbed the gun, which I then smashed against the doorframe. I told Lindsey that if she got up again I would knock her back down, and this time she would not be getting back up. I would be hurting her real BAD! Lindsey wisely stayed down but continued to scream at me to, “GET OUT!” But I just stood there smiling down at her waiting for the next move in this twisted little dance.
Luckily, Kelly grabbed my arm and made me look into her eyes. She said in a reasonable voice, "Tai, we have to leave right now. Do you understand me? We have to leave."
I nodded, then turned to Lindsey and looking her right in the eyes told her that we were leaving but she had better stay right where she was. If she came out of the bedroom before we left, then I was going to very seriously hurt her.
Kelly tugged at me and said, "Come on Tai, let's just go."
I left the bedroom watching Lindsey to see what she would do. She just sat on the floor sobbing. It was the last time I ever saw her. I took the broken shotgun with me and unloaded it just in case. Then I picked up the .22 bolt off the floor and pocketed it. I got Lindsey’s purse and took her car keys out, pocketing those too. Kelly and I then hurriedly packed up our stuff and got the hell out of there. As we were passing Lindsey’s car I opened the trunk and threw her keys, the bolt and the gun into it then slammed it shut. We hotfooted it out to and down the road.
A car was coming down the road. I stuck out me thumb and it stopped. It was the traveling salesman but I was too shaken to appreciate the serendipity. We got in and he said, "Decided not to spend the night I see. Going all the way to the City?"
We said, “Yeah.” We had changed our minds. We rode with the salesman to the City then spent the night at the 25th St. commune where we told no one about what had happened.
After Kelly and I had gotten back from Mexico the next spring, my Mother told me that the sheriff had come looking for me. Lindsey had put out an arrest warrant on me for failure to pay child support and that I had better take care of it or the next time I was stopped by the cops it would be right off to jail for me.
I called Spider who said that he was sorry about the whole mess but there was nothing he could do about it seeing as Lindsey really hated me now. I told Spyder to tell Lindsey how I would do a deal with her. Either A: She could drop all charges against me and I would stay out of her life but would still stay in contact with our daughter through the mail and by phone. Or B: I would get my own lawyer and we could fight it out in open court, which would mean seeing a lot of each other in the process. Plus, since I was poor I would be eligible for a free legal aid lawyer, while since was working, she would have to pay for one. Also, she could be assured that I, having absolutely nothing to lose, would bring up every single gory detail in court of our life of sex, drugs and welfare fraud that Lindsey had ever engaged in. She might even be declared as an unfit mother losing everything she had. I would be totally ruthless.
Spider said that he would tell her and would call me back tomorrow. Spider called the next day and said that Lindsey, though still mad at me, had picked one from column A.
I told him that was a very wise choice since I was also very pissed at the way she acted and was more than willing to fight it out with her if she ever tried anything with me again.
Spider assured me that all would be cool from now on.
I have never spoken to or seen Lindsey or Spider again but I did stay in contact with my daughter who I did not see again until she was 16 when she had run away from home because she said, of the constant bickering and fighting. Her grandmother put her in a private school so she could finish school and not have to live with her parents. She graduated and is now in college as a straight A student and is a well adjusted nice young woman. She refuses to see Lindsey any more saying it just isn't worth the hassle.
So what's left to say. The years have mellowed me and I now try to think of only of the good times we shared with one another instead of the especially nasty last time. After thinking about it, I think that Lindsey might have planned the whole scene just to get me out of her life because she got pretty much what she wanted in the end. She’s also lucky that Kelly was there with me. Because if Kelly hadn’t been then I’m sure things would have turned out much more badly for the both of us. Oh well, that's life. Good Luck Lindsey.