Page 36 of Blue Umbrella Sky
“In a hurry? Got someplace you need to be?”
The jig was up. There was no reason to create some story to try to bargain his way out of this mess. One thing he’d learned from the program was that you were honest, and when you saw where you did wrong, you promptly corrected it. In fact, that was pretty much the tenth step.
Billy had yet to work all the steps, but he knew them by heart. They repeated them at every meeting.
He blew out a sigh. “Nah. Just wanted to get to bed. I am so tired.”
The officer nodded. Her smile had morphed into a little smirk, and he wondered what was next. Walk a straight line? Touch his finger to his nose? Breathalyzer? Whatever the test, Billy knew his goose was cooked—all of them would have only one result, drunk as a skunk.
People sometimes brought court cards to the meetings so the group secretary could sign and validate that someone was doing his court-ordered recovery work.
Billy thought he might soon be one of those folks. What a shame. Worse, though, would be the shame of walking into the next meeting and raising his hand when the leader asked if anyone had less than thirty days. Did they want a welcome chip and a hug? Billy thought of the year chip he had in his pocket, earned so very recently.
Damn.
He didn’t even think it would be worth it to ask the officer to cut him a break. He’d been driving drunk, bad enough. But he’d also evaded arrest, leading Chicago’s finest on a merry chase. He’d be lucky to get out of this with only a DUI.
Voices squawked from the walkie-talkie strapped to her shoulder. She nodded to his building. “You live here?”
Billy nodded eagerly. “Yes, ma’am. I guess I was just a little too eager to get home and hit the hay.”
“And you’re done for the night?”
“Oh yeah, for more than the night, actually.”
He chuckled. She didn’t.
“Hang on.” She left him to consult with the other officers, who’d stood around, arms crossed.
She returned in a minute. She was smiling. “Okay. I’m going to let you off with a warning.” She pointed to the wooden stairs at the back of the building. “You just get your butt inside. And in the future, please watch your speed and your observance of traffic signs.” She looked at him, and her eyes said so much more than her lips. They were saying something likeBuddy, you escaped a world of trouble tonight. By the skin of your drunk-ass teeth.“Okay?”
“You got it, Officer. And thank you so much.”
“As I said, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid to call a cab.”
And she walked away. Billy watched them all get back in their cars and, one by one, speed away. He surmised something had probably come up on those squawking walkie-talkie voices, something more important than his transgression tonight.
Either that or he really did have a guardian angel. Who got out of hot water like this with only a warning?Dude, don’t even ask. Just be grateful.
He had to sit down on the bottom step outside his building because he was trembling so violently. For a minute he thought he was going to puke, even tasted the hot acidic bile at the back of his throat, but he was able to keep it down.
After a while he got up and went inside.
NOW BILLYremembered the slip and was glad to know he’d never taken another drink since that night. Now he could enjoy this brilliant morning sun as it was meant to be enjoyed, without wincing at its brilliance or feeling nauseous and wanting to pull a blanket over his head. Now he had an appetite for breakfast when he got up. Hair of the dog was just that, the literal stuff that Ruby shed when she and Milt stopped by. He no longer got the shakes.
Best of all, the urge to drink had all but disappeared.
Everyone deserved a second chance, even a third or a forth. And if we want something bad enough, and if it’s good and right, we don’t give up.
We believe in it. We set our intentions. We don’t make it happen, but we doletit.
Billy looked outside just in time to see Milt and Ruby emerge into the morning.
He smiled.
He’d open the door to possibility. But first, he needed to make himself some breakfast.
Chapter 13
