The Douglas Farm
Lisa put the last of her belongings in one of the two suitcases she planned to take in her desperate flee from her current situation. But as she closed the lid, she began having second thoughts. She turned to Eb, who was sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for her.
"Eb, what if this isn't such a good idea," she said.
"It is a good idea, mom," he insisted as he stood up and faced her.
"But what if he…" she began to say, but Eb cut her off.
"Mom, you can't concern yourself with Mr. Douglas right now. He's not in his right mind. What you need to think about is you. If you stay here, either his temper will get worse or you'll get sicker, and I won't let the happen. Believe me, this is for the best," he said with a reassuring smile. Lisa managed a small smile in return.
"Oh Eb, I just love him so," she said as a fresh batch of tears spilled over her eyes. Eb enveloped her in a hug.
"I know," was all he could manage to say. "I know…"
Meanwhile, on top of the pole, Oliver commanded Sara, the town receptionist, to ring for the sheriff again and again, but it was to no avail. The sheriff refused to answer.
"Where's that stupid sheriff when you need him," he muttered as he made an angry decent down the pole.
"Well if the sheriff won't help me, I'll just have to take the law into my own hands," Oliver resolved as he burst into the bedroom.
"Alright Eb," he yelled before anyone could say anything, "I've told you time and time again to get off this property and you still keep coming back. Well, now I'm going to make sure you get out and stay out once and for all!"
Oliver then proceeded to storm over to Eb and grab him violently by his forearm. Then without hesitation he pulled him out of the closet door and around to the front of the house. Lisa quickly followed with her suitcases in her hands.
"Now get out," Oliver demanded as he roughly let go of Eb's arm. Eb stumbled for a second or two, but quickly regained his footing and planted his feet firmly on the ground.
"No," Eb bit back.
"What," Oliver exclaimed in disbelief.
"I said no! I'm not leaving you here alone with Mrs. Douglas just so you can hurt her some more," he retorted. Lisa gave him a smile of gratitude.
"Eb, this is my property and I said get off," Oliver yelled.
"No," Eb replied once again. "Either I stay or both Mrs. Douglas and I leave!"
"That's ridiculous! My wife would never leave with you," Oliver cried.
"Think again, Olivah," Lisa chimed in as she picked up her suitcases and joined Eb's side.
"Lisa, stop being foolish and get back here this instant," Oliver commanded. He attempted to grab her arm and pull her back, but Lisa retracted her arm away from his grasp forcefully.
"No Olivah, I won't. I've told you I can't live this way any longer. I have to go," she said in a steady voice. "Come on, Eb," she said as she turned around with her suitcases in her hand. Then without so much as a look behind her, Lisa loaded her suitcases next to Eb's and climbed into the passenger's side of the truck.
"Lisa! Lisa, you get back here, right now!" Oliver demanded. He took a step forward towards the truck, but Eb blocked his way.
"No Mr. Douglas, you had your chance. Now she's doing what's best for her, for the both of you," he said. He then turned around and walked to the truck.
"Lisa," Oliver continued to call.
"I warned you, Mr. Douglas," Eb said over his shoulders as he climbed into the truck and started up the engine. Then, before Oliver had a chance to go after Lisa again, Eb pulled out and drove away. Oliver just stood alone in front of the house, not able to believe what just took place.
Downtown Pixley, the very next day
Lisa sat at the window sill in the hotel she and Eb were currently staying at, looking forlornly at the view she had of downtown Pixley. It would only be a couple of more days until Eb took his new position as a hired hand on another farm and she would be on a plane heading back to New York to stay with her mother-in-law. She couldn't believe that things had had to go so far.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, but Lisa quickly wiped it away. She resolved that she was done crying. She had done nothing wrong and she knew it. Therefore, there was no reason to cry.
Except for the loss of your love, Lisa heard her heart say. Despite her best effort, another tear slipped slowly down her cheek.
Suddenly she heard a soft knock at her door. "Come in," she called out as she quickly wiped the tear away. She heard the door open and turned just in time to see Eb slip through it and quietly close it behind him.
"How you doing, Mrs. Douglas," he asked gently.
"Just fine Eb, thank you. The room is very comfortable," she said as she gave him a weak smile.
"I don't mean the room, Mrs. Douglas," he said as he sat down on a nearby chair. "How are you doing," he asked pointedly, his eyes full of concern.
"I've been better," she said sadly. Another tear came rolling down her cheek.
"Oh mom, please don't cry. I've told you, you have nothing to cry about," Eb said.
"I let him go," Lisa said into the window, as if she hadn't heard a word Eb said.
"You didn't let him go," Eb retorted.
"I pushed him avay," Lisa said once more into the window.
"Now Mrs. Douglas, you stop that," Eb said as he jumped up from his chair and knelt down beside her. He took her hand and forced her to look into his eyes.
"You're not to blame. It's your husband who let things get this far. He's just not in his right mind right now. Give it some time and he'll come back to you. But right now, all you need to worry about is yourself."
Lisa smiled tenderly at him. "I know Eb. I know, but it's just so hard…"
Her words trailed off as she fixed her gaze at something out the window. Eb followed her gaze and saw Oliver walking down the busy streets of Pixley with a sour look on his face.
"I have to go to him," Lisa said suddenly as she leapt up from the window sill, nearly knocking Eb over in the process.
"But Mrs. Douglas…" Eb began to say, but she cut him off.
"Eb, I know I shouldn't, but I just can't leave vithout talking to him at least vone more time. I just can't," she said as she quickly put on her shoes and coat.
"But Mrs. Douglas…" Eb tried again, but Lisa wouldn't listen.
"I promise I'll only give him vone more chance and if he doesn't except it, I'll leave. Just vone more chance," she repeated. And with that, Lisa was out the door, leaving a stunned Eb behind.
Auto Parts Shop, a couple of blocks away
Lisa followed her husband a few blocks before she was finally able to corner him in an auto parts store. She paused a few steps away and took a deep breathe.
"Give me strength," she whispered into the air. She then put on a look of determination and headed straight for her husband.
"Olivah," she called out just before she reached his side, causing Oliver to turn around. His eyes turned as wide as saucers when he caught sight of her.
"Lisa! What are you doing…" he began to ask, but she cut him off.
"Olivah, we need to talk," she announced. "Follow me." She turned around and headed toward a more secluded corner in the store, with Oliver closely at her heels.
"Lisa, what's this about," he asked, sounded irritated as usual.
"Olivah, I've tried again and again to talk to you about us and you just cut me off! Vell, now you're going to listen! I'm leaving, Olivah. I'm going back to New York to stay with your mother."
"You can't just…" Oliver began to say, but Lisa quickly cut him off again.
"I said you vere going to listen," she said forcefully. Oliver's mouth stayed agape in shock for a few seconds more, but he soon closed it and stayed silent.
"Olivah, these past few months vith you have been unbearable. You've been cruel to others around you, you've neglected me, and you've abused both Eb and me. I can't stand it anymore. I'm tired of lying for you to our friends, making excuses for your behavior, and fooling myself by saying that you'll change. So it's time you made a decision. Unless you promise me that you'll make a serious commitment to changing back to the vay you used to be, I'm going back to New York and I may never come back." She concluded this statement by crossing her arms and giving him a determined glare.
Oliver was stunned. He had never seen his wife so abrupt and forceful before. He was about to open his mouth and try to calm her down, but he looked about him and saw several people giving him odd looks. Embarrassment flowed through him, so instead of apologizing, he let his pride do the talking.
"Lisa, please, you're embarrassing me," was all he managed to say. Lisa's eyes grew wide with shock.
"Is that all you have to say," she asked incredulously. "Didn't you hear me? I'm leaving," she said with extra emphasis.
"Lisa, for goodness sake, lower your voice! Everybody's staring," he snapped at her.
"I can't believe that's all your concerned about," Lisa said in a disappointed voice.
"Come on, we can talk about this somewhere else," Oliver continued as if he hadn't heard her. He put his hand on her arm to lead her outside, but Lisa quickly yanked it away.
"No Olivah! This time this really vas the last straw. If all you care about is your stupid pride, then I'm leaving," she said as she looked his straight in the eye.
"You can't be serious," he said as he searched her eyes for some clue that she was bluffing, but all he saw in them was determination.
"Goodbye, Olivah," she said. She then spun on her heel and began to stalk out of the store.
"Lisa! Lisa, come back here," Oliver called after her, but she didn't turn around. He had to think of something quick. "But Lisa, don't you love me anymore," he cried. To his relief, this stopped Lisa dead in her tracks. She slowly turned around and looked at him with a watery yet resolved look.
"I do love you," she said in a slightly shaky voice, "but I don't want to hurt anymore." And with that final word, she walked out of the store and out of his life.
It wasn't until she was clearly out of the store that Lisa let the tears fall from her eyes. Apparently leaving would prove more painful than she thought, but she knew it had to be done. Still, tears fell from her eyes as if they would never stop. With her head hung low, she began making her way back to her hotel.
Lisa was so blinded by tears that she didn't notice that she hadn't even bothered to make sure no cars were coming before she crossed the street until it was too late. She heard a great commotion and looked up just in time to see a giant delivery truck barreling towards her at full speed. Panic flooded through her as she realized that there was no way she would be able to run fast enough to elude the truck's impact. Lisa could do nothing but shut her eyes and wait.
Meanwhile, Oliver stood frozen to his spot in the auto parts store, still not believing what had taken place. All the things Lisa had said to him still rang in his ears. He tried hard to push them aside, but deep down something was telling him that all she said was true.
Suddenly Eb's words rang in Oliver's ears like a warning bell. Mark my words, if you don't change back to your old ways soon you're going to lose her, one way or another, he heard him say. Oliver knew he couldn't let that happen. He dropped whatever he was holding in his hand and ran out the store in pursuit of Lisa, praying that he wasn't too late.
Oliver stepped out of the store just in time to see his wife standing in the middle of the road seemingly frozen.
What is she doing, he wondered, but he didn't have to wonder for long. Oliver's heart nearly stopped when he followed Lisa's terrified gaze to a large truck heading straight for her.
"Lisa," he called out in fear. He began running as fast as his legs would carry him towards her, but with the crowd and the distance between them, he knew he would never make it in time to save her. The most fear Oliver had ever felt in his life gripped his heart when he realized he could only stand by and watch his own wife's death.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall figure he recognized as Eb came out of the opposite side of the street and ran right across the path of the truck. He grabbed Lisa by the hand and pulled her away just before the truck ran over the spot she once stood at. Both of them slammed into the sidewalk on the other side.
Oliver let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and ran over to their sides. He kneeled down beside Lisa and helped her sit up a bit.
"Lisa, are you alright," he asked.
"I think so," she replied. She winced, however, when she tried to lean on her right hand to support herself. "My wrist," she said as she held it up with her left hand gently. Oliver could see that it was swelling up to twice its normal size already.
"Come on Lisa, we have to get you to a hospital," Oliver said as he began to help her up, but as she was getting up, she spotted Eb lying unconscious a few feet away from her.
"Eb," she cried as she hobbled over to his side. She gently shook him to wake him up, but he refused to open his eyes.
"Eb! Eb, please vake up! Eb, speak to me! Eb," Lisa said as tears of fear welled up in her eyes. "Olivah, he's not vaking up," she said to him in a shaky voice.
"He must have hit his head when he fell. We have to get him to a hospital fast," Oliver said, his eyes full of concern. Then, with the help of a few concerned citizens that had gathered around after the accident, Oliver carried Eb over to his car and gently laid him in back seat. After helping Lisa in the car, he sped off to the Pixley emergency hospital, all the while praying that the person who saved his wife would be alright.