Julia
Chapter 3The day of Gloria's phone call Julia had been ready to leave the hotel and look for a job. Talking to her next-door neighbor stopped her in her tracks. She sat in what passed for the living room for almost an hour before she could gather her wits about her and decide what to do next. After a while it came to her – get up and do exactly what she was going to do before talking to Gloria. If she let Harvey control what she did or where she went any longer, she might as well have stayed in the little house on Summerset.
She went to the bathroom to check her makeup and hair. After a few touch-ups here and there, she headed for the front door. She walked over to the grocery store, where there was a payphone, and she called a cab to pick her up.
The first place she went was a doctor's office – Dr. George K. Murphy, M.D. He would have been very interested but he'd just hired someone that morning. Two blocks down the street was a woman's dress shop. They were looking for a bookkeeper. She had all the right qualifications but they had three more applicants to interview. They'd call her when they made a decision. She stopped at a luncheonette and got a roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee.
The last place she intended to go that day was a camera store, and if she'd be willing to work part-time behind the counter and part-time handling the bookwork, she could begin tomorrow. That would be fine as far as she was concerned, so the owner told her starting time was nine o'clock and they shook hands. She'd given her name as Julia Benson.
She caught a bus that let her off at the grocery store. She walked back to the motel and got a bottle of pop from the refrigerator. She opened it and took it into the bedroom, where she changed out of her business clothes and into a housedress. She took a swallow of the soda and went back to the living room. The newspaper was on the couch and she sat down to read it. After a while she found herself getting sleepy again, so she stretched out on the small couch and fell asleep.
Julia woke with a scream in her throat and her heart pounding. It took a minute or two to realize she'd been dreaming and Harvey wasn't really chasing her down the street with a meat clever in his hand. She was awake now, and even though she knew the scenario had been a dream, she still wondered just what Harvey was capable of. She'd never known him to have a temper that went beyond the arguments they'd been having, but he beat up Jim Thomas for no reason and slapped Gloria. Maybe he was capable of violence like she'd feared earlier. That realization resuscitated the fear she'd felt yesterday.
She picked up the phone and dialed Gloria's number. Jim Thomas answered it on the second ring with a muffled sounding, "Hello?"
Before Julia could say anything she heard Gloria's voice. "Give me the phone, honey. It's probably for me anyway." There was some noise Julia couldn't identify and then Gloria's voice, "Yes, hello?"
"Gloria, its Julia."
"Oh, hi, Shirley. What's up?"
It took Julia all of two seconds to figure out that Jim was still in the room. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I can take next Wednesday." A pause and then, "Julia? Jim went back to bed."
"My gosh, Gloria, did Harvey hurt him that bad?"
"He did, Julia. Jim's got a black eye and a bruised jaw, and the doctor said he probably had a concussion."
Julia's panic ratcheted back up. "Are you alright?"
"Well, I have a bright red hand imprint on my cheek, but other than that I'm alright."
"I'm so sorry. If I'd known what was going to happen I never would have gotten you involved."
"I'm glad you did, Julia. At least I know you're safe. How are you doing?" Gloria sounded more like herself. The 'hysterical wife' was gone from her voice.
"I'm doing better now that I know you and Jim are alright."
"Any luck with a job yet?"
Julia actually chuckled a little. "Got one on my third interview, working at a camera store. I'm going to do sales part-time and bookkeeping part-time."
"Good for you, sweetie. When do you start the job?"
"Tomorrow, actually. No more stay-at-home housewife, I'm afraid. But I'm glad for that. It'll keep my mind off things."
"Can you get there without a car?" Gloria asked.
"Yes, I was lucky. A bus goes right past the store and the bus stop is in front of that grocery store two doors up from me. I'm going to start looking for an apartment as soon as I get a paycheck."
"Alright, I better get off the phone before Jim comes out of the bedroom. You take good care of yourself and let me know how everything's going, you hear?"
"I will, I promise. Gloria, thanks for helping me."
"You're welcome, sweetie. Bye."
"Bye," Julia told her. She couldn't get over what Harvey had done to Jim. A black eye, bruised jaw and a concussion. To say nothing of slapping Gloria. One thing her friend was right about. It was a good thing Julia had left Harvey, before he showed the violent side of his personality to her.
The next morning Julia got up at seven o'clock and got ready for her first day at the new job. She was excited and scared at the same time. When the day was over she was actually surprised by how well it had gone. On her bus ride home she reflected on what a nice couple Mr. and Mrs. Orlofsky were. They were kind and patient, and didn't expect Julia to catch on to everything the first day. They even had lunch for all three of them delivered from the little sandwich shop down the street. She didn't think she could have found sweeter people to work for.
When she got her first paycheck she went out looking for an apartment, just as she had promised Gloria. After looking at several that were the right size but too far away she found one that was just perfect. It was closer to work than the motel she'd been living in and was only a block away from a bus stop, plus there was a corner grocery close by. And it came furnished, so all she had to move were her clothes and makeup. When she told Mrs. Orlofsky about the place, her boss offered the use of the Orlofsky car on Saturday to move her personal belongings.
Julia settled into her little apartment nicely. She hung curtains on the kitchen window, bought a set of dishes and a few glasses, some silverware and a frying pan. The Orlofsky's gave her a set of sheets and two sets of towels. She was so overjoyed that she gave them each a kiss on the cheek and a hug. She didn't think she could have found a better pair of people to work for.
She'd been in her new apartment for about two weeks when Gloria came down to see her. They hugged until it seemed their arms would fall off and she gave her friend the grand tour, which took about five minutes. Gloria brought her a plant and a set of dishtowels and they went to lunch together, just like old times. They were almost done eating when Julia asked, "Have you or Jim seen any more of Harvey?"
"Not the way you mean," Gloria replied. "Jim sees him sometimes when he's leaving for work in the mornings, and once or twice at night. Harvey comes home between five and six o'clock almost every night. Your husband acts like nothing ever happened, calling 'Good morning' and waving."
"What does Jim do?" Julia questioned.
"Ignores him," came Gloria's quick answer.
"Too bad he couldn't have been dependable like that when we were together."
"Julia, now that you've had some time to think, would you ever go back to Harvey?"
Julia shook her head vehemently. "Not for anything in the world. He's not trustworthy and he's violent. And I still think he was having an affair."
"Good to know. When you're ready, I have a friend whose husband is an attorney. He told her he would handle your divorce for no charge. But not until you're ready."
"Thanks, Gloria, and tell her I appreciate it. I want to wait a little while, get myself better established and make sure Harvey isn't looking for me. I'll let you know when I am."
When they'd finished they went back to Julia's apartment. They sat and talked for almost an hour before Gloria stood up and stretched. "Well, honey, I have to go. My husband gets cranky when I burn dinner, which I usually do. Oh, I almost forgot. I need your new phone number."
"That's easy," Julia answered. "Thomas 2-3479." The women hugged before Julia told her friend, "Thank you for everything. I'll never be able to repay you. You know if there's ever anything I can do . . . "
"You'll be the first one I call." They both laughed, and Julia watched as her friend got in her car and drove away. She went back inside and looked around her new home. She was, at that exact moment, blissfully happy.