Chapter 4: Oliver
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Leah got up and went to take a shower. She had her job interview today and didn't want to smell. She dressed in her nicest clothes and did her hair and make-up. She dug out her shoes. She was to skip breakfast otherwise it will come back up. She's nervous, but she's had interviews before. It just means she may be staying in Nappanee for awhile. She walked out of her apartment and went downstairs. She unlocked her car and got in. Her interview was at ten. She knew the town was small, but she decided to drive. She didn't want to step in anything gross or have something gross splashed on her nice clothes. She pulls out of he tenant parking lot and turns onto main street.
"Thank you sir. " Leah said standing. They had just finished their interview. Leah left the office and walked out of the building.
"Hey Leah!" Ethan yelled as he tried to run up to her. She turned around and saw him
"Hi Ethan." She said. She dug in her purse.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked.
"I just had an interview for job I probably won't even get." Leah said finding her keys. She pushes her unlock button.
"Have you had lunch yet?" He asked.
"No, I haven't even had breakfast yet." She replied.
"Have lunch with me. I don't have to have to be to work until one." He said.
"Sure." She said and asked "Do we need to drive there?" She referred to her car.
"No, it's right across the street." He said. Leah locked her car once again and walked across the street to the restaurant. The hostess lead them to a booth and gave them their menus. She took their drink order and left. "Charity might come visit you."
"Sure. I don't mind." Leah replied not looking up.
"Leah, could you help me with something?" He asked.
"With what?" Leah asked.
"I need to buy a present for my mother. He birthday is coming up and I have no idea what to get her." Ethan explained. He picked up his menu and started to look at it.
"Ok, I'll help." Leah said. The waitress gave them their drinks. Leah couldn't decide what to have and Ethan always eats here.
"What's good?" Leah asked.
"Just about everything." Ethan replied and "Except the fried chicken steak." Leah nodded.
"So like the chicken strips ok?" She asked.
"Yes." Ethan said. Leah continued to look at her menu. She finally decided when their waitress came back. Ethan ordered the bacon cheese burger and Leah ordered the French dip.
"So how did Martha take the news when you told her?" Leah asked. She's been curious about Ethan's decision about leaving the Amish community.
"She yelled and screamed. She almost slapped me, but I stopped her. Her brother Joseph called me a few names and demanded me to stay. Charity was the only one who actually took it the best." Ethan explained.
"I hope my mom doesn't give Ken my number." Leah said.
"Why?" Ethan asked.
"I don't want to talk to him. He wants to try to get back together and I have no plans too." Leah said.
"For what he did, you shouldn't give him a second thought." Ethan said.
Leah went back to her apartment and checked her answering machine. She had nothing. She was surprised that her mother didn't call to see how she was doing. Leah went to her fridge and decided what to do for the rest of the afternoon until she was to go to Ethan's, but when she went into her bathroom. Her door bell rang. She went to answer it and found an Amish girl standing there. It was Charity.
"Oh Leah, it is so good to see you again." Charity said as she wrapped her arms around her old friend.
"Charity. It's nice to see you too." Leah said. She shut the door.
Charity looked around. Leah had her inflatable bed on the living room floor and it wasn't made. Her TV sat on a crate and had her VCR on top.
"Oh my. I am so very sorry about your divorce." Charity said. She hugged Leah once again.
"I take it that Ethan told you." Leah said crossing her arms.
"Yes, and I am truly sorry." Charity said and "Why are you getting one?"
"I found my husband in bed with someone else." Leah said. Charity looked shocked.
"Oh my. Are you doing alright?" Charity asked.
"Yes. I just had an interview for a job and I still have money from before. Me and my husband still have a joint account until I call the bank and tell them, which I should make note of. Plus I have my own money. After I have my own account here and put some money in, I won't be getting furniture." Leah explained and asked "How have you been?"
"Fine, me and Joseph are getting baptized soon and will soon be married." Charity said.
"Oh, that's wonderful." Leah said.
Leah and Charity talked for awhile until she said she had to go. Leah walked her to the door and said bye. She was about to shut her door when she heard
"Leah." Someone said. She looked over and saw Ken.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. She didn't want to let him in. She was somewhat embarrassed about her living quarters.
"I've come to talk to you." He said.
"We're not getting back together." Leah said right away.
"Can't we at least talk about it?" He asked.
"There's nothing to talk about." Leah said shutting her door.
"Leah, be rational. All I want to do is talk." Ken said stopping the door.
"Fine, but as soon as we are done, you are leaving." She said.
"Okay." He said. Leah let him and shut her door. "I brought you something."
"What?" She asked. He opens the cage and Oliver runs out. "Oliver. Hi sweetie. Thank you. I missed you so much, Oliver." She kneels down and pets him. "I'm sorry I forgot about you when I left." She continues to pet the cat and then picks him up and sits on the bed.
"I've come to explain about Pippi." He said sitting next to her. He reaches over and pets the cat. He's a purring away as Leah pets and scratches his light orange fur.
"What about her? Was it her idea?" She asked. She never plans on getting back with him.
"Yes and no." He said and " No, because I was complaining about our love life and yes, because she was the one who listened to me."
"You were telling people about our love life? The most personal thing in a marriage?" Leah asked. Oliver jumped from her lap and went to check out his new digs.
"I'm sorry, but we didn't have much of one and when we did, it was pretty boring." He said.
"I'm sorry that I didn't put sex as my number priority as a wife. I thought a wife takes care of her husband in different ways." Leah said.
"How did you ever expect to have children if you didn't?" He asked.
"Did it ever occur to you that I'm not ready to have children. My job wasn't paying enough to help support another person, plus you are working nights and I was waiting until we had the same schedule." Leah explained.
"A matter of fact, I'm no longer working nights." Ken said.
"Ken, I'm not getting back together with you. No matter how much you try, I'm not changing my mind. You hurt me, Ken. When somebody hurts me, it takes me awhile to forgive them." Leah said standing up. She walked to the kitchen to give Oliver some water, she would pick up some food for him later. Also some litter and a litter box. She walked back to the living room.
"Why are you living in this dinking little town?" Ken asked
"I know some people here." She said.
"Like that Amish girl I saw walk out of here?" He asked.
"Yes. A few years ago I met this Amish family and we became very fond of each other. They are still living here and know I'm back so we starting communicating again." She said. Ken made a move and kissed her. She pushed him away. "Kenneth, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Leah, I can't stop loving you. I want you back so much. Please came back to me. I promise I won't cheat on you again. Leah, please?" He begs getting down on his knees. He gave her a sad look. One that used to make her forgive him.
"No, No, No! Ken, There's nothing in this world that you can do to make me come back to you. I have standards. If you cheat on my once, that's it. I'm leaving you Ken. I'm not about to think that the next time you get into bed with me, you could've been with someone else, or the next time you call to say you have to work late, does he really have to or is just going to a cheap motel with some young puppy. You hurt me to bad. You must leave and never try this again. It's just no use. Anything you do or say is not going to change my mind. Now leave and get on with your life. I have." Leah explained. She crossed her arms and he stood up. He finally realized that she was serious. She just didn't move here to clear her mind. She moved here to get on with her life. She's not ever coming back and probably once this divorce is over, she will never think of him again.
"Okay." He simply said. He walked towards the door. He saw Oliver and knew this was forever. Leah watched him cuddle the cat before leaving. He never used to do this. Oliver was Leah's cat. He knew she would take better care of him than he would. He will still miss this cat that he gave her when they first met. He left and shut the door.
Leah got to Ethan's right away. She gave some scraps to Oliver and left. She pounds on the door. Soon Ethan opens the door.
"Leah? What's wrong?" He asked.
"Can I come in?" Leah replied.
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What do you think? I'm sorry I didn't update, but I haven't been feeling well, and have been laying on couch the past couple of days.