EXIT

Lee pulled her bed covers tightly around her body. She would have liked to lounge in bed all day, but this morning, she wanted to cook her husband, Sam, his favorite, pancakes, for breakfast. He and his band would be leaving on a two-month European musical tour.

As Lee lay in bed, resting her back against several pillows, she glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Realizing she had over-slept, she quickly threw on her robe and slippers before rushing downstairs to learn that her maid, Mrs. Mabel Hemphill, had already prepared Sam’s breakfast, and to not disturb his sleeping wife he had eaten and left. As Lee looked out of her kitchen window, she caught the tail end of their red truck as it exited the driveway.

Although Lee wanted to say goodbye to her husband before he left, she was somewhat relieved that she had not. That was largely because she was keeping a secret from Sam that, if discovered, could possibly destroy their marriage.

After returning to her bedroom, she opened her nightstand drawer and removed a letter that she was hiding. The letter was from her first love and lover, a famous singer, Johnny Overtree, who headlined some of the biggest concerts and tours. He had recently sent the letter through Lee’s publicist to give to her. Johnny wanted Lee to meet him in the same town where they met many years ago. Lee sat on the edge of her bed and reread the letter.

Lee had advised her publicist to let Johnny know that, within four days, she would, once again, meet him. He sent word that he would be eagerly awaiting her arrival and if she did not show, he would never bother her again.

As Lee read his letter, she reminisced about the love they once shared. Was her anxiousness to see that Johnny was overshadowing the bitterness of their years together in the past? So many times, she had needed Johnny emotionally and physically, but he would always conveniently disappear at her most vulnerable times. Now that she was a semi-successful singer, married to an equally established recording artist her lost love had suddenly reappeared, seeking Lee to be at his beckoning call. But what about her husband, Sam, who had always been there when she needed him? Did he deserve such betrayal? Was seeing Johnny again worth jeopardizing her marriage?

Sam had been faithful to Lee ever since she first met him. He comforted her after the death of her brother, mother, and stepfather. Sam even encouraged Lee to vigorously pursue her singing career, giving her the courage not to abandon her dream of becoming a successful musical artist. He also helped to keep her grounded, persuading her to live in Ohio in lieu of the flashy lights and facade of Beverly Hills.

Nevertheless, Lee could not escape the insatiable desire to see Johnny one more time. Sure, she could pick up any gossip magazine from a supermarket and read all about the women he had dated, the mansions that he had purchased, or the luxury sports cars he drove. But Lee knew Johnny before his fame. It was the small-town, country boy in him that made her fall in love. Although never reaching the height of his celebrity status—Lee knew all too well how the music business could bring fake friends into your life. What she and Johnny shared was real, or so she would have liked to think. But was it possible to love two men at the same time? Or was one true love and the other mere fantasy?

As Lee put the letter back into its hiding place, her eyes were drawn to the small picture frame on the top of her nightstand. The frame held a photo of, Shug, her mother. She suddenly remembered one of her mother’s words of advice: “Your past stays on your ass; be sure your ass has the room to bear the burden.”

Lee picked up the small picture and kissed her mother’s face, envisioning if her mother were alive what would be her advice to help her sort out the tangled web Lee was beginning to weave. As she pondered her mother’s advice, Lee heard Mabel, down the hall, humming a tune as she dusted Sam’s office.

Mabel and her husband, Jed, have been working for Lee and Sam for many years. Although Mabel was only a few years older, Lee considered her like a second mother. Lee decided to ask Mable for her advice. She gently set her mother’s picture back on the nightstand before walking down the hall to Sam’s office.

“Mabel,” Lee called.

“I’m in here, Mrs. Lee,” Mabel replied as she polished Sam’s mahogany desk. If you’re looking for Mr. Sam, Jed drove him to the airport about forty minutes ago.”

“I know. I saw them as they drove away. I overslept as usual.”

“I cooked Mr. Sam’s breakfast and left yours in the oven.”

“Thanks, Mabel.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll be in my room if you need me,” Lee said, turning to go before hesitating.

“Mrs. Lee, is there something you want to ask me?”

“Yes, there is.”

Leaving the oily cloth on top of the desk, Mabel sat down in Sam’s leather chair, giving Lee her undivided attention.

“Well, Lee began, “has a male lover, from your past, ever asked to see you just one more time?” Lee asked, getting to the point before she changed her mind. “Once, but I kept putting it off until it was too late,” Mabel responded, with no hesitation.

“What happened?”

“He eventually died before we could.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mabel.”

“That’s life. If you don’t make the decision, death will.”

“So true,” Lee said, softly.

Mabel left the comfort of Sam’s chair and walked over to a window. She stared outside where she noticed that Jed had returned from driving Sam to the airport. Now, he was on his knees, pulling weeds from the rose garden.

“Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right choice,” Mabel said in a somber voice. “Or was the choice made for me? Since the other man is dead now, I’ll never know the answer to those questions.”

Lee went to the window and stood beside Mabel. They both watched the unassuming Jed, who rarely smiled or held a conversation with anyone, except Sam. When he did smile, his mouth turned into a thin line under his nose. Lee could not remember Mr. Jed ever being dressed in anything, but overalls.

“Now… if I may be so bold, when are we going to see a little Lee or Sam running around this huge house?” Mabel asked as they continued to watch Mr. Jed.

“Sam and I are doing our best,” Lee lied, blushing as she rubbed her flat stomach. “We put off having children to pursue our musical careers.”

Lee felt guilty lying to Mabel. She knew in her heart that she was not doing her best to conceive. In fact, against Sam’s knowledge, she was taking great precautions not to get pregnant. This was due to certain things in her past that made her fearful to bring a child into the world.

“Why didn’t you and Mr. Jed ever have any children?”

“Jed said that fatherhood was not for him. When I asked him why, he would never give me an answer. So, we just stayed childless.”

“Sometimes the answer lies in our past,” Lee said in a whisper.

“What did you say?” Mabel asked.

“Nothing,” Lee answered quickly.

Lee had suddenly made her decision. There would be no more pondering. She decided that she would take that journey to see her old boyfriend. Lee’s decision was motivated by one reason. She wanted to know if their old flames still burned.

“While I am gone, would you and Mr. Jed take care of the house? I decided to travel down south for a few days.”

“Don’t worry; we always do.”

“I knew that I could depend on you and Mr. Jed.”

“When will you be leaving?”

“Early tomorrow morning.”

“Do you want me to help you pack?”

“No, thanks. I can manage by myself.”

“Do you have your house keys?”

“Right here,” Mabel said, jingling the keys in her dress pocket.

“Thanks, Mabel. I’ll be in my room.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“No, Mabel. As a matter of fact, you and Mr. Jed can take the rest of the day off.”

“Thanks!”

“I’ll see y’all when I get back from my trip.”

Lee returned to her bedroom. She was excited and filled with anticipation, looking forward to beginning her journey in the early morning.

She thought, “It’s going to be nice to drive the nearly five hundred miles down south to Alabama from Cincinnati. The leaves on the trees will be green and the roadsides will be covered with wildflowers. I’ll stay a night at one of those small-town inns and eat dinner in one of those country diners.”

Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted by the sound of the front door closing followed by Mabel and Jed backing out of the driveway.

As she began to pack her luggage, Lee began to feel dizzy and unsteady. She held onto the bedpost until her head stopped spinning and was confident that she would not fall. Realizing that she had not eaten, and it was way past breakfast, and being a diabetic she reasoned that her blood sugar must have dropped. Lee decided that she would quickly finish packing and then go downstairs to eat the food that Mabel had left for her.

The rows of clothes and shelves of shoes in her walk-in closet were overwhelming. She suddenly wished she had accepted Mabel’s help, but it was too late.

Finally, Lee mustered up enough energy to finish packing her suitcase, leaving her bedroom in shambles. The dresser drawers hung open, clothes were strewn across her bed, and shoes covered the floor. Lee hated to leave her bedroom untidy, but she was certain that Mabel would have it back in order by the time she returned.

Again, Lee felt faint, and her hands began to tremble. She was too unsteady to walk downstairs. She laid across the pile of garments on the bed. She searched in the bedside table’s drawer for one of her chocolate candies to boost her energy. She found one and ate it before instantly falling asleep.

When she awakened, she was surprised to learn that she had slept throughout the evening into the next morning. Although still dizzy, she was eager to begin her journey.

The sun had just risen and was shining brightly through her bedroom window. She could hear the birds chirping as butterflies and bumblebees fed from the honeysuckles and morning glory vines that were growing near the small pond. There was not a cloud in the sky.

Lee took precautions getting off the bed and carefully placing her feet on the floor. Then the telephone rang. Hoping that it was Sam, Lee quickly answered. To her delight, it was Sam.

He told her that he and his band members had arrived safely in Europe. He also told her that he loved her, he missed her, and that he was looking forward to coming back home.

When Sam inquired about her plans for the weekend, Lee did not tell him about her trip to see her ex-lover. Instead, she claimed that she would be spending time with some girlfriends, shopping, and going to the spa. If Sam called while she was gone, she would simply claim the phone lines were down. Besides, Lee knew Sam’s pattern. He would only call every few days while he was touring overseas. Anyway, she planned to return home before he grew suspicious. And Lee trusted Mabel to cover for her.

Lee was dressed in a pair of ragged blue jeans, a white shirt, and tennis shoes. She then dragged her two suitcases to the top of the stairs, pushing each piece down the steps.

With her luggage in the trunk, the top down on her convertible, and a tank full of gasoline—Lee began her journey back into her past.

Would seeing her past lover offer the closure she needed? Was it simply all a dream that might turn into a nightmare? Or was this just another chapter in a long story of what could, should, or might have been?

A dirty and disheveled person was walking down the busy highway. Lee believed the person, wearing a dirty blue faded cap, white tee shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, was a boy. That was until she had driven past and realized it was a young girl. Lee thought to herself, “She reminds me of myself when I was much younger. Where could she be going?” Lee wanted to stop and offer the girl a ride, but she had promised Sam she would never stop to give a ride to a stranger. A mile farther, Lee decided to take the EXIT to Roanoke when she read the sign in bold black letters, one-fourth mile to WILMA’S DINER & INN, which had the best food and sleep in town. This was where Lee decided to eat and stay for the night. Lee took the EXIT.

Lee parked her car next to the only other car in Wilma’s parking lot. She got out of her car and walked to the diner’s front door. She opened the door and went inside. There were only two customers, a woman with ash-blonde hair and a man seated at a table. Lee sat at a table nearest a window. An obese woman, with thick, kinky, graying hair and wearing a stained apron, came from the kitchen. The woman had a large bowl of cornflakes with milk and a spoon. She took the bowl of cereal over to the man and set it on the table in front of him. She positioned the spoon in his hand. The man began to eat the cereal while the milk and cornflakes ran down his chin and onto his red plaid shirt. The woman with the ash-blonde hair stared glassy-eyed at him. Her face was wrinkled and her hand trembled.

One after another, she lit and puffed on a cigarette from one of her three packs that lay on the table. After every puff, she would lick her chapped, tobacco-stained lips. Already filled with butts, her dirty dinner plate was her ashtray.

“Welcome to Wilma’s,” the obese woman said, coming over to Lee's table and giving her a stained menu to read. “The apple pie is very good. I made it myself.”

“A cup of coffee, please,” Lee responded, taking the menu, but not ordering from it. The appearance of the three people had spoiled her appetite. Nevertheless, Lee did not want to be rude. She gave the menu back to the woman, “Just coffee, please.”

“A first-timer?” the woman asked.

“Yes, my first time,” Lee answered. “I'm just passing through.”

“We all are,” said the woman. “I'm Wilma.”

“Glad to meet you, Wilma. My name is Lee.”

“Be right back with your coffee,” Wilma said, nodding, as she returned to the kitchen.

Lee continued to observe the man and woman while she waited for Wilma to bring her coffee. Lee heard the diner door opening, so she looked to see who was entering. It was the young girl she had passed earlier. The girl removed her backpack off her shoulder and stood by the table nearest to the door, as if necessary to flee quickly. Wilma returned with Lee's coffee and a slice of apple pie.

“I only ordered coffee!” Lee said.

“The pie is free,” Wilma said, setting the coffee and pie on the table. “I greet all my new customers with a slice of apple pie.”

“Thanks,” Lee said, while noticing the juicy apples falling from the it’s crust.

“You’re welcome,” Wilma said, before turning her attention to the young girl. “Be right with you Miss. Have a seat.”

“I just want a glass of water, please,” a girlish voice answered, not moving from her space.

“A glass of water is not enough for a growing teen. I’ll bring you a slice of my homemade apple pie.”

“I don’t have any money for pie.”

“It’s free. Have a seat!" Wilma demanded. “I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.”

“Wilma, I changed my mind. Bring two plates of your dinner specials. One for me and one for her.” Lee said, nodding toward the young girl.

“I’ll be right back,” Wilma repeated.

“My name is Lee,” Lee said to the young girl. “What's your name?”

“I’m called “Sister.”

“Sister, you’re welcome to share my food. I ordered plenty. Come and sit with me.”

Leaving her backpack sitting near the door, Sister sat down with Lee. She removed her blue cap and placed it on her lap, exposing her short, black, curly hair. Her brown eyes were expressionless and sunken deep into her pale bony face, and her bosom was as flat as a boy’s chest.

“Thanks for sharing your food,” Sister said shyly.

“You’re welcome. I saw you walking a while back and wanted to give you a ride,” Lee lied, “But the traffic was too heavy for me to stop.”

“There are always other rides to take you where you think you want to go,” Sister responded.

The woman with the ash-blonde hair collected her remaining pack of cigarettes and put them in her old green purse. She seemed unsteady in her wash-out dress and run-down shoes. When she stood the sunlight coming in through the diner’s window gave a view of the woman’s bony legs beneath her fading dress. The woman took a pair of sunglasses from her purse and put them over the man’s eyes. She wiped the cereal and milk from his face and shirt with his napkin before helping him to stand and guiding him to the EXIT.

“Wilma, me and the old man are leaving,” the woman called. “We'll see you tomorrow!”

“I’ll be here!”

On a large tray, Wilma brought two plates of food over to where Lee and Sister sat. Sister began to eat as soon as Wilma set the plates down. There was fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, string beans, cornbread, and another slice of pie, along with pint jars of tea.

“That man and woman are Mary Youngblood and her blind husband John,” Wilma said. “They’ve been coming here to eat for as long as I can remember.”

“Why do they seem so…”

“Desolate?” Wilma said, finishing Lee’s question.

“Yes,” Lee said. “I did wonder.”

“If you want to know,” Wilma answers, “you’ll have to ask them.”

“It’s the road chosen,” Sister said, forcing the words through her food-filled mouth.

“What do you mean, Sister?” Lee asked, puzzled.

“If you change roads, you get lost,” Sister replied. “No matter how hard you try, you can’t find your way back to where you began.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” Wilma said, puzzled.

“Sister,” Lee asked, “how far is your journey taking you?”

“Back to where I began. How far are you going?”

“I’m going to Alabaster, Georgia.”

“I was there once. You keep telling yourself to go back one more time and everything will correct itself, but it never does. You become like a compulsive gambler waiting to win back all the money you lost, but you never do. You can never go back,” Sister said, looking at the EXIT sign over the door that entered. “When I walk out that door, I’m turning around and going back.”

Lee asked, “Back where?”

“Back to where I came from.”

“Then why come this far to turn around?”

Sister answered, “To find the courage to turn back. To stop walking over the same old skeletons I left behind so many times before. The bones are dry and brittle. They continued to crumble under my feet. Go back before it’s too late for you, too.”

Lee had listened long enough to Sister’s morbid predictions. Nothing was going to happen on her trip that she could not handle. Besides, Sister was a whacked-out teenager whose brainwaves had been destroyed by drugs. Lee forced herself to taste Wilma’s food. It was delicious! Lee and Sister ate every morsel on their plate, including the apple pie.

“A storm is coming!” Wilma cried, emerging from the kitchen as she wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m closing the diner, locking the doors, and hiding under one of these tables. What are you two going to do?”

“Doesn’t look stormy to me,” Lee thought as she looked out the window at a perfectly clear sky. “Wilma is unhinged, too!”

“Well,” Wilma asked, "are you two staying in the diner until the storm is over?”

“I’m going to continue on,” Lee said. “What about you, Sister?”

“I’m leaving, too,” Sister said, “but going back the way I came.”

“But you’re walking!” Lee responded.

“Child,” Wilma repeated, "a storm is coming! You can’t leave now! Stay here in the diner and sleep upstairs for a day or two.”

“I’m not asking for charity!” Sister said.

“You can help me in the kitchen,” Wilma responded.

“In a few days, I’ll return,” Lee said, “and you can ride back the way you came with me.”

“You better stay here, too!” Wilma said, “Until the storm has passed.”

“Wilma, I’m on a schedule. I must be going. How much do I owe you for that delicious food?”

“Pay me when you return.”

“You trust me to return with your money?”

“Everyone deserves to be trusted once,” Wilma answered, “and you will return.”

Lee left the two women in the diner gathering candles to burn if the electricity went off. Lee did not see one sign of a forthcoming storm, but just in case Wilma was correct, Lee closed the sunroof on her convertible before driving away.

As Lee made her way toward the highway, she noticed that she was the only car on the road. The weather was still clear, but very hot. Lee began to perspire and felt tense, so she turned up the air conditioner to let the cool air blow against her face. Finally, Lee relaxed when she saw the two large yellow signs ahead. One sign let Lee know which route to Alabaster, Georgia. The other sign said EXIT.

In a matter of minutes, the weather changed. Sunlight turned to darkness. Lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds rocked Lee’s car and heavy rain blinded her view. Lee turned on the headlights and wipers. If not for the lightning’s help, Lee could not see the road. She decided to return to the diner. She took the road marked EXIT.

Finally, Lee made her way back to the candlelit diner. With a sigh of relief, she looked for her umbrella before remembering she did not bring one. She decided to wait until the rain ceased. Anyway, she was not ready to face Wilma and hear her say, “I told you.”

As the storm worsened, Lee decided it was time to swallow her pride and hurry into the diner. Lee opened the car door but quickly slammed it closed when she saw approaching headlights. Two cars, one on each side of Lee, came to a sudden stop and turned off their headlights. Shadowy images of frantic people scrambled from both cars. Hurrying to the diner, they went inside. Realizing the worst of the storm was yet to come, Lee decided to get inside to safety immediately.

Against the strong wind, Lee got out of the car into the pouring rain, strong wind, and flying debris. She made her way to the entrance of the diner. She banged against the locked door, hoping someone would hear and let her inside. Finally, a very tall and expressionless man, dressed in a gray suit and tie, opened the door. Without saying a word to Lee, the man shut the door behind her and walked away.

Lee, dripping rainwater on the diner’s floor, wiped her face with her hands to get a better look. She saw two men and two women sitting at a table in a dark corner of the room. They chatted quietly among themselves while the expressionless man began to walk in a circle. A little boy and girl dressed in white clothing ran amuck among the tables and chairs. Wilma, coming from the kitchen, with towels across her shoulder, carried a large tray of food to the strangers. They began to eat, leaving the expressionless man to continue walking in a circle while the children continued playing.

Lee expected Wilma to come to her aid and bring her one of the

towels, but Wilma ignored Lee and returned to the kitchen. Feeling rejected, Lee, her clothes dripping with water, searched among the room for “Sister”. She found her sitting at a table, lit by a small candle. Sister took a book out of her backpack, opened it, and began to read.

“Sister,” Lee called.

“Sister” looked at Lee before continuing reading.

“I had to return to the diner. Wilma was right about the storm. I'll wait here until the storm is over before continuing my journey…. Why are you reading in this dim light? You'll ruin your eyesight.” When Lee realized that Sister had no interest in what she was saying. She left her to her solitude and went to talk to Wilma.

“Wilma, you were right about the storm,” Lee said swallowing her pride.

“I know,” Wilma said, continuing to wash large pots and pans in the huge sink.

“Were you glad to see your friends?”

“What friends?” Lee asked.

“Your friends in the diner,” Wilma said, annoyed.

“I don’t know those people,” Lee said, becoming annoyed, “They're all strangers to me!”

“They’re not strangers! They're your folks and mine!” Wilma said, angrily.

“They’re the relatives we left behind and the relatives that went before us.”

“If you say so,” Lee said to appease Wilma.

“How much is my bill? I want to pay you and be ready to leave as soon as the storm is over.”

“I told you to pay me when you returned.”

“I've decided to take another EXIT home.”

“You can’t. This is the only way back.”

Lee smiled at Wilma’s foolishness. She saw no reason to get into a debate with Wilma. Lee’s main concern was to get the hell out of Wilma’s Diner and away from all those weirdoes. She looked around the kitchen for another EXIT, but there was not one. She would have to leave out of the door that she entered. Lee left Wilma to do her chores and went to search for “Sister.”

The strangers began to argue, loudly, among themselves. They were trying to decide, once the storm was over, whether they should turn back or continue their journey. The children began to cry, and the expressionless man continued to walk even faster in a circle. Sister left her dark corner with her backpack strapped across her shoulder, her blue cap on her head, and a book in her hand. Sister walked to the middle of the room and waited while Wilma left her chores and joined her. The men and the women stopped their bickering and became quiet. The expressionless man stopped circling; the children stopped crying and sat together at a table. With everyone's undivided attention, Sister began to read aloud from the book.

“Sister,” Lee said, interrupting before Sister got too far into her story, “When the storm is over, I’ll be leaving. Do you want to leave with me?”

“I’ve been to the same place you're going many times,” Sister said, stopping her reading to answer Lee. “Nothing is there for me or you, but the past. Too many skeletons lay along the roadside.”

Sister began to read her story from the beginning, again.

Lee wanted to get away from the diner and the lunatics, even though the storm was getting worse and her clothes were still wet, so she decided to wait out the rest of the storm by sitting in her car. She went toward the only EXIT. When the man, who had been walking in circles, saw Lee leaving, he jumped up from his seat and stopped her by sitting on the floor with his back against the door. Lee noticed that the man's eyes were lifeless and sunken deep into his pale complexion.

“You can’t leave until I finish reading my story,” Sister insisted.

“Sister,” Lee interrupted, “What’s the title of your book?”

“Why?” Sister asked.

“So, I can buy a copy and read it later,”

“It has no title,” Sister answered.

“Come,” Wilma said, taking Lee’s hand. “Let’s take a seat. The storm will be over soon, and you can be on your way. Listen to Sister read her story. Maybe we can help her give it a name.”

Feeling helpless, Lee sat with Wilma. Sister began to read her story from the beginning, again.

One of the women interrupted. She said that the children had to use the bathroom. The woman took the children to the bathroom. When they returned, Sister began to read her story from the beginning, again.

One of the men interrupted. He asked when the story would end, and he didn’t like some of the language. He said the words were too vulgar for the small children’s ears. Sister told the man that the words belonged in her story and that her story would end at the end. As the storm continued to rage outside, holding everyone hostage inside, Sister began to read her story from the beginning, again.