Chapter 8

It was way in the hours of the morning, around six o'clock, before Abraham Churchill left the peacefulness and solitude of the creeks and then made his way back to his house with sadness written all over his face.

He had been at the edge of the creek from little before mid-night trying hard rid himself of the heartache he was experiencing. After being stood-up by Tracy Hepburn, another beautiful woman he was falling head-over-heels with and had taken her out on a date to a fancy restaurant. Only to learn that she had lied to him about being a single woman and that she had no children after a tall Indian man showed up at their table and declared otherwise.

That she wasn't only married to him, but she had two children and was expecting a third child at that very moment.

Causing his entire demeanor to now totally change and his entire features were that of only gloom and doom!

Even that manly appetite that he usually has every single morning was totally gone and now all he wanted to do was stand under the shower and was this embarrassment away then get into his bed and go to sleep. And so he did, with the thoughts of being and feeling stupid still resting on his mind.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Why had she told me such a vicious lie?"

Were the questions he repeatedly asked himself!

Katharine Chapman turned out to be a transvestite and now Tracy Hepburn is a married women with two children and a third one on the way. And unbeknown to him was dragging him into her marital squabbles because she presumed her husband was having an affair with someone else and telling her, he was out on business meetings. So now she had him showing upon a date with her at the same spot where she heard, he was seeing this other woman just so she could catch him in the act.

But later in his thinking, Abraham concluded that he wasn't the one with the problem... he wasn't doing anything wrong. It was those very persons whom he had met, deciding he wanted to go on a date with, get to know them better, and possible share the rest of his life with them were the ones with the problem; and not him.

All were persons with deceptive minds for one reason or another.

Satisfying himself with that conclusion, Abraham fell asleep still trying to curtail the awful pain he was feeling, and didn't wake up again until there was a loud banging sound on his front door.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon and his friend Sheriff Warren Richards had stopped by his house to check if he was there because he saw the doors and windows shut but yet still, his truck was parked at the side of the house at its usual spot.

Sleepiness still in his eyes, Abraham made his way to the front-door and opened it, only to see his friend Sheriff Richards standing at the door dressed like he was a tourist on vacation.

"Come on in!"

Abraham demanded while still rubbing away sleep from his eyes.

"Where have you been for these past couple of days?"

Abraham asked, leaning with interest for an answer, as he motion to his friend to sit down.

"I was out of town for a little while!"

Warren Richards replied.

"Out of town where... out of the country, out of the state?"

Abraham asked bluntly still trying to get the full details of his friend where about.

"No man, I was still here; not out of the country! If I was going out of the country I definitely would have let you know!"

Warren Richards spoke with a swag and slur in his voice.

"So you took some time off from work? Because I called there at the office and they told me you weren't going to be there until Sunday. Even saying that me they still sounded as if, they weren't sure if you were going to show up at work on Sunday since the person I spoke with, told me I should call, see if you are there come Sunday before hanging up the phone!"

Abraham convey to his friend.

"Just had some business I needed to handle, so I went and handled it!"

Warren Richards expressed.

"So everything is all good now?"

Abraham questioned.

"Yeah man, everything is all good... all hunky-dory!"

The heavy-set man replied.

Removing his shades from over his eyes, Abraham could detect that there was a mark around his friend's eyes which looked darker than the usual.

"What happen to your face man, it looks like you have been in some serious altercation with some of those criminals in the pen?"

Abraham asked with an air of surprise in his voice.

"Not those in the pen, you mean those on the streets!"

The overweight sheriff fired back.

"Tell me about it... what happened?"

Abraham asked, with his facial expressions and body language saying he was quite ready for the details.

But instead of revealing to his friend who was practically a loner, Sheriff Richards asked.

"What do you have here that I can drink?"

"I have sodas, red-bull, few bottles of beer, and also water!"

Abraham responded chuckling.

"Man, don't tell me about any water! I need something to fire me up right now!"

Sheriff Richards responded laughingly.

"So you want a red-bull then!"

Abraham spoke out teasingly.

"A red-bull is good; hand me two of them!"

Warren Richards casually spoke.

Making his way to the refrigerator, Abraham took the two cans of energy drink and brought them over to his friend sitting on the couch and placed them on the side-table next to him.

With gratitude, he hoisted one can of the red-bull drink in the air as though he was giving a salute to his friend, brought the can to his mouth and then made his first sip which was half of the entire can of drink. While Abraham returned to where he was sitting and began indulging the sheriff with whatever he had learnt on the news broadcast about the transvestite who had him locked away inside the asylum for over three months.

"Can you really believed, someone really beat that poor transvestite half to death sending her to the intensive care unit... the same one who had me sent to the nut-house amongst the crazies? It was all over the news, probably still running on every television channel now!"

Abraham exclaimed with much excitement in his voice.

"Yes, I heard about it! Serve it right!"

Warren Richards expressed with very little pity in his voice.

"Come on Warren, don't tell me that you don't sympathize with her!

Abraham exclaimed.

"Sympathize with her for what? Supposed you were still locked up in the nut-house for the rest of your life just because of what she had done to you; I bet you wouldn't be feeling any bloody sympathy for her?"

Warren Richards lashed out.

"I'm not saying she shouldn't be punished for what she had done to me, and I have called the dating agency and made a complain about her already; so they wouldn't send her out on anymore dates with her straight fellows. But she was very beautiful and has a nice body! Whomever had beaten her could have used their discretion and just rough her up a bit, instead of smashing her face in, messing up her entire mouth and braking her legs and ribs! Those are some awful blows to give to a person that size, especially if that person was a very big guy!"

Abraham remorsefully expressed.

"Don't sit here, telling me you are having feelings for this 'female want to be' who recently had you in the loony-den for such a long time without calling the facility and telling them that she had made a mistake?"

Warren Richards spoke vexingly.

"I didn't say that; all I'm saying that whoever had done this to her shouldn't have gone that far with her, that's all I'm saying!"

Abraham lashed out.

Pulling back the lid from off the other can of red-bull to put it to his mouth, Warren Richards stated harshly to his friend.

"Probably, you should just jump into your truck, rush over to the hospital and then take care of her like you are her personal nurse!"

"Who to tell, I might just do that!"

Abraham spoke teasingly.

But Warren Richards wasn't laughing, and turned his head towards Abraham, giving him a very mean and ghastly stare, telling him he was no way playing with him about this matter. And with that look, Abraham returned to his bedroom, got dress for the barn and went outside to feed his animals dwelling in the barns.

It was in the barn while throwing food to his animals that Abraham felt that sudden nudge inside his spirit - in the sub-consciousness of his mind, in that place where intuitions ring wild to the human senses. And suddenly came to terms within himself that Sheriff Warren Richards must have had something to do with that vicious and cruel beating of the transvestite he had unknowingly taken out on a date with him couple months aback.

Now he began pondering in his main if his friend was a dirty-cop... a man with a will to commit murder?

Was he having a murderer sitting in his living room at this very moment?

Abraham repeatedly wondered to himself as he hastily poured out the heavy bag of grains into the chicken pans!

But the only way for him to find that out was to visit Carvel Mucky in the hospital and find out from him if he knew who is attacker was when and if his health improves.

"Then again, he had spitefully sent him off to the nut-house, and what if going to see him in the hospital, he pointed fingers at him this time around, and started accusing him as his attacker, when he wasn't anywhere close by his apartment building?"

Where Abraham thoughts.

Now his mind was working overtime!

His heart was racing at a speed which his heavy breathing couldn't contain its pounding in his chest!

He was now feeling self-assured - confident that Warren Richards had something to do with this transvestite tragedy!

Soon there was a voice behind him asking.

"Do you need any help with that?"

Abraham hearing the questions, remained in his position caring for the chickens, pretending that he hadn't heard anything he had just said. Fearing, him seeing the expression on his face, possible read his mind and somehow realize that he was seriously thinking of him being the suspect who had beaten the transvestite he had went out to dinner with.

Clearing away his facial demeanor, Abraham turned around facing him and laughingly ask.

"What are you doing in here? Nothing good on the television?"

"I just thought that you might want some help!"

Fat-so replied.

"No I'm good! I'm almost done anyways!"

Abraham responded as he heaped four of the water containers for the chickens and brought them over to the pipe, housed them down and them filled them up with water. Soon, he was heading towards the doors of the barns and motioning with his head for Sheriff Richards to come along with him, which he did, as he hauled the pants over his gigantic belly.

Upon entering the house, Abraham did his routine of entering the shower and when he had done gotten dressed, he told his friend, he had to head out to the feed store and get some pills to drop in the chicken's water. With that information the sheriff asked.

"Do you want me to ride along with you?"

"That won't be necessary! Get home, get some rest, because I'm also going somewhere else to see someone, before they leave work!"

Abraham explained as he made his way to the side of the house and get inside of his truck and went in the direction of where the Feed Store was located.

But Abraham had no intention of going to the feed store he wanted to go and see Ms. Baily at the dating agency to find out from her if they at the agency had gotten any word from the hospital about how Carvel Mucky was holding up.

Or if he was ever going to make it out of this tragedy he had recently experience!

Driving around three miles from where he was living, Abraham glanced through his rear view mirror and came to realize that his friend, Sheriff Richards was still trailing behind his vehicle.

"Where is he going?"

Abraham asked himself.

"Is he following me?"

Was the other question, he asked himself.

That's what it looked like to him and so Abraham swung his truck inside the parking lot of the feeding store, waited there for a while before exiting his truck and entering the animal feed store in the little plaza off the main road.

He had to move in a hurry because he wanted to make at the agency before Ms. Baily left from work for the day, so he grabbed a bag of chicken feed along with some pill for the chickens, paid for them and then brought them to his truck. Loading the bag of chicken pellets onto the passenger's seat of his truck Abraham notice Sheriff Richards suddenly, pulling up beside his truck, staring in his eyes like a crazed dog and began giving him a stern warning.

"I hope you have no intention of going to see that queer laid up in the hospital!"

Abraham wanted to ask him what it was to him but he didn't want to bring any suspicions to his covert actions so instead he unpleasant asked.

"What did I tell you before I left the house?"

"Stop following me and acting like that damn transvestite lying up in the hospital bed; like a pain in the ass!"

Abraham went on with much wrangling in his tone.

"Once you're not going to see him everything with you and me, is good!"

The Sheriff spoke stating Abraham dead in the eyes.

"What are you doing, threatening me?"

Abraham lashed out.

Hands off the staring wheels, and pointing up in the air as though, he was surrendering to a robbery stick-up, the sheriff responded with concerns in his voice.

"Man, I'm not threatening you, you are my friend!"

"All I'm saying don't go by that hospital to see him, or else, you will have to face the consequences!"

"Face the consequences! Face the consequences for what? I haven't done anything to him or been close by his apartment building since you and I been there to ask about the rental car!"

Abraham lashed out with a shocking surprise written all over his face and a stare that said he sense trouble.

Jumping inside his big pick-up truck Abraham pushed the key for his truck inside the ignition, started his vehicle and sped out of the farm store parking lot and hastily continued on his journey to see Ms. Shirley Baily at the office of the dating agency. And on his way driving there Abraham was very convince that his friend, the sheriff had something to do with Carvel Mucky beatings. Now he began wondering if he had proposed sex to him or what were the scenarios that had brought about this vicious and dreadful altercation.

He was now beside himself and began contemplating if his friend and made mention of him when throwing punches at this man who had all the characteristics of a female, gorgeous looking, and didn't weigh no more than one hundred and thirty pounds. He certainly was no match for him who was weighing at least three hundred and fifty ponds. And the thought of what he probably had done to poor transvestite made him felt terrible sick inside. Since he had vividly recalled him unbuckling his pants belt and teasing or tempting him to get down on his knees, giving him a blow-job because the folks in his own community were seriously accusing him of being gay and also being involved in bestiality.

Gathering in front his door-steps, constantly harassing him at every move he made, and ganging up to bring on the onslaught when he totally had ignored them and focused on his business. Causing him and many of his neighbors not to be on speaking terms, still up to this day!

Reaching the address of the dating agency, Abraham parked in front of the large brick building and cautiously entered through the larges doors and up the narrow staircase after reading the sign saying dating agency this way and seeing the large arrow pointing to upstairs of the building.

The door to dating agency was close causing Abraham to check his watch to see the time and if he had arrive there too late. It was five o'clock and the sign on the door said they closed at fife-thirty sharp. So he rapped on the door to get a response.

Thankfully, a female voice said.

"Come on in!"

Pushing the door open Abraham was greeted by a large and bright smile which made his heart melt within him. Now he found himself smiling even though he was there about a very serious matter.

"Hello, may I help you?"

The receptionist asked politely.

Still smiling, he replied.

"Yes you may!"

Knowing very well that she didn't recognized that it was him she was speaking with, he politely uttered.

"I'm Abraham, Abraham Churchill who has being calling you about that bizarre date you guys sent me on couple months ago with that guy who has been all over the news and now in the hospital!"

"Ho, Mr. Churchill, it's so nice to finally meet you!"

Ms. Baily spoke, as she slide the glass windows open and stretched forth her hands to courteously greet him.

"I'm glad you came in the office to finally see us! We're so sorry about that occurrence you had experienced some months back with our client Katharine Chapman. And now this, this awful thing that has happened and we have no clue who could have done this to her. But certainly, I don't believe, it could be anyone from this agency, because you were the last person from this agency that she has went out with that we are aware of! And that much we know for sure!"

Ms. Baily expressed with much uneasiness in her voice.

But Abraham had some positive inclination of where it could have stem from and who the culprit was, but right now was certainly not the time for him to open his mouth and say anything about his suspicions of his friend, Sheriff Warren Richards doing the cruel deed.

"I just stopped by here to find out if you guys had heard any word from the hospital about his recovery process and if he was going to make it out of that there, and if anything was being done to assist him if he should ever make it out of there!"

Abraham spoke with much compassion.

"My boss is in her office around the back there, she has gone to the hospital to see him and spoken to the police officers investigating the case, she can give you more details about his situation, and if or not, he showed any signs of improvement."

Ms. Baily expressed while pointing down the hallway to where her employer was looking through her files.

"Would you like, speaking with her?"

Ms. Baily asked.

Not foreseeing anything incriminating about speaking with Ms. Baily's employer, Abraham told her yes, and so, she opened the small door and directed him to walk down the hallway and knock on the door on the left. But having second thoughts, she thought that she should have accompanied him there and introduced him to her boss. So she made her way down the hall with him following quickly behind her as she walked towards the shiny brown door, stood there and gave it three sharp raping.

"Come on in!"

Ms. Baily's boss replied right away.

Pushing the office door and smiling, Ms. Baily the business owner and the patron.

"Ms. Bennett, this his Mr. Churchill, he is the last patron who went out with Katharine Chapman and is concerned about how she is doing or if she is ever going to recover from her injuries and he is also the one who wants his refund the agency has for him, to go towards her care."

Stepping forward, Abraham shook Ms. Bennett hand, afterwards she offering him a seat around the grand conference table in her office while Ms. Baily made her way back to the front desk to close off her office for the day.

"How is he doing, I mean how is she doing?"

With a sense of confusion.

"He is a she because she has a breast transplant already done to make her transition."

Ms. Bennett explained.

"She is not doing very well at the moment, however, the doctors believe since she is quite very young, she might just recover from most of the injuries. And her mouth; that will have to be fitted with dentures soon after the swelling has subsided from those areas of her mouth and face!"

Ms. Bennett went on to explained.

"Anyone knows her family... any of her next of kin so they could reach out to them and start some contribution going for her! Or does anyone knows if she has a legitimate job that they can call and let them know about her dilemma?"

Abraham inquired.

"All we know is what is on the information forms she filled out with us! Away from that we have very little to go on! But I personally will do what I can to help her through this!"

Ms. Bennett expressed.

"Count me in!"

Abraham announced.

With those words, Abraham expressed to Ms. Bennett that he wouldn't keep up anymore of her time and would be on his way. And before he could position himself from the chair to get up out of it, Ms. Bennett asked.

"Is there anyone else you would like to escort out on a date? We have some new clients, talk to Ms. Baily and she will show you our brand new catalogue of beautiful women!

Looking at her with a puzzled look on his face, and Abraham shook his head, and soon the thoughts of his last two dates went through his mind. And before he could make his way through her office door, Ms. Bennett called out for Ms. Bailey, telling her to please give Mr. Churchill the new catalogue so he can see if there is any of the gorgeous women in it that he would like to go out with.

Responding to her employer's request, Ms. Baily took the large album from the shelved and handed it to Abraham as he made his way towards the front door. But right then and there, he certainly wasn't interested in any of the women in the photo album, who he was interested in was standing right in front of him with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

Glancing through the photo album with very little interest and nonchalantly for a brief moment, he turned to Ms. Baily and quietly ask; not wanting her boss in her office down the hall to hear what he was saying to her.

"What about you... are you seeing anyone?"

Like a naughty child, she put her hands to her hips, rolled her eyes and firmly whispered back.

"You want me to lose my job or what?"

"Of course not!"

He boyishly replied.

Staring at her like a love-struck teenager he whispered to her for her to call him, but instead of responding whether she would or not; she asked out loudly.

"Have you seen anyone in the catalogue who has caught your eyes?"

Getting her drift he replied back.

"There is this brown-hair young lady, she has an honest face and nice bright eyes! Maybe, I should go out with her and give her a chance!"

Hearing his response to her from all the way down the hall, Ms. Bennett shouted for Ms. Baily to bring the catalogue to her so she could see who Abraham Churchill had chosen from the photo album. Under the same breath, Ms. Baily boss told her to give this potential date a call, so she could prepare herself for meeting and going out with this handsome bachelor.

And without any hesitancy Ms. Baily followed the instructions of her superior, went straight ahead and dialed the phone number of the female he had his finger pointing on in the photo album a call. Letting her know that she had suitor at the agency who seemed to be fascinated by her picture and wanted to take her out on a date. She then went ahead and left Abraham's number on her answering service for her to call him when she was available to do so. Further informing her that her suitor, Abraham Churchill, is a very caring and loving man who was looking for a long term relationship, therefore, if she was interested in such she should give him a ring.

But as soon as Ms. Baily was finish giving that information to one of their female escorts, Abraham slipped Shirley the receptionist, a piece of paper with his address attached to it informing her to come by his house Sunday evening, and have dinner with him.

Unfolding the piece of paper and reading its content, Ms. Baily stubbornly shook her head indicating to him that there was no way she would defy the company's rules and regulation and do such a thing! But Abraham, kept on nodded his head at her, indicating to her that she must come by his house and see him.

He now had two women he considered very close to heart that he would drop anything he was doing and move heaven and earth for them; they were Roxanna Richards and Shirley Baily.

He was completely clueless, Shirley Baily was so damn gorgeous... that she was so absorbingly attractive!

And now he was regretting that he hadn't have the courage to come by the agency in person from the very beginning; from he made that very first call after seeing the ads in the newspaper and decided that he would give them a call, giving him the opportunity to have met her way back then.

But the horse had already gone through the gates and there were no need for him to be crying over spill milk!

With his hands folded across his chest, Abraham secretly expressed to her that he loved her and needed for her to give him a chance. And before leaving the dating agency, Abraham beckon to her to open the windows to her office and when she did, he whispered in her ear.

"Give me a chance and I'll make sure that you'll never regret it!"

As he blew her a friendly kiss and made his way back through the tiny door from where he once came, separating the office from the common areas of the upstairs lobby of the building.

Would Abraham's second date from the dating agency made his life as miserable as the first?

Or, would Shirley Baily see Abraham as a very good catch and break all of the company's policy just so she could snatch him away from all the other lady escorts?