The Boiling of the Bones

26. Total Upheaval

It was early spring. The first weekend in April. On the first morning of the festival, Soph texted me totally out of the blue. I hadn't seen or heard from her in months. Nine to be exact—since the wedding.

Oliver, u there?

Yeah, how've you been?

Terrible.

What's up?

Really need to see you.

OK

I'm in Rochester.

I could come up next week.

Can you make it sooner?

Yeah, you, OK?

No, not really.

I'm playing at a music festival in the Catskills. I'm about to go on stage. I play at one. Is it an emergency?

Sort of...yeah

I dialed her number. She picked right up.

"Hey stranger, long time no see."

Her spoke sarcastically and her voice was very slurred. Then she immediately started bawling.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to see you."

"Of course."

"I'm in Avalon right now."

"OK, I'll jump in my truck and leave immediately. It'll take me four hours to get there. Hang tight, I'm on my way."

I had this ominous foreboding sensation. It was the first time she'd ever called or texted me drunk. Something bad happened. There was a haunting edge in her voice. It scared me the way she wouldn't discuss it over the phone. I quickly excused myself and apologized to the festival organizers, I loaded up my gear in my truck and ran. She sounded incredibly upset. I jumped into my truck and hurried there as fast as I could. I pushed about eighty on the freeway.

I went straight to Mendon Ponds. I pulled into the parking area and shut the engine off but left the keys in the car. I started running down the trail to Avalon. I got a hundred yards then stopped. As an afterthought, I returned to the truck, grabbed my acoustic guitar to bring with me to play something to lift her spirits.

When I got there, she was already there sitting on the stone bench. She didn't look good. Her skin was pale with a pallid demeanor. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She picked up a bottle and took a swig, nearly falling over in the process.

I ran to her.

"It's OK. I'm here now."

She shook her head.

"No, it isn't."

"What's wrong?"

"Everything."

Her voice was sickly slurred.

"Brad?"

"Yeah. But let's not talk about him. I want to talk about you. I just wanted you to know I always loved you. Through it all. I loved you more than I've ever loved anyone, and I screwed it up. I ruined everything."

"It's never too late Soph. I love you too. I've always loved you, more than life itself. If things aren't right with Brad, you could always get a divorce. We could still end up together if that's what you want. It's not too late. We still have a date on the Empire State Building. Right?"

She looked momentarily confused, then smiled.

"Oh yeah, on my birthday."

She paused in momentary contemplation.