Alisa Is Coming Home. 1.3k. (standard:romance, 1322 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jun 16 2020	Views/Reads: 1252/906	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
I first noticed her in the second grade, when she wanted to borrow my red crayon. Well, borrow wouldn't be the right word. She came over and grabbed it. When I tried to get the crayon back, she kicked me in the crotch.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

The job gave me plenty of free time and much more money. The factory
sent me to night school in a nearby city, where I earned a college 
degree in the field. 

I still thought of Alisa, constantly. I dreamed of being a success, if
only to impress her when she returned to town -- if she ever would. 

Strapped for cash, Ralph eventually lost his store.  Largely because of
his wife and daughter, he had no savings.  As it turned out, her father 
was forced to get a position on an assembly line at my factory. Without 
the store, and its former income, his wife left him for another -- 
wealthier -- man. 

“Since you helped me when I needed it, I can help you, Ralph,” I told
him. “I'll take out a loan for you to open another, smaller, store. You 
can pay me back later.” 

Sure, I liked the man, but my prime reason -- in sort of a roundabout
way – was to help Alisa.  I thought it might impress her and get her to 
notice me. I also hoped that my success might sway her to me. She was 
still the only woman I cared about, those grade school eyes still 
enchanting me. 

“How is your daughter doing?” I asked him years later, heart beating
wildly at the effrontery and knowing my face had changed shades in 
color from the impetuous question. I had never mentioned her directly 
to him before, and still couldn't bring myself to use her name. 

“Oh, okay I guess.  Since her mother and I broke up, she never calls.”
He looked at me sadly. “Last I heard, she was married to a bus driver.” 
He sighed. “She had to drop out of college, you know? I couldn't afford 
to keep her there and her grades were too bad for a scholarship. I hear 
she spent most of her time having fun and not much of it studying. 
She's had two kids, last I heard." He sighed again, looking off into 
space. "Here I am, a grandfather, and she hasn't even bothered to tell 
me their names.” 

*** 

As he finally built his business back up from almost scratch, Ralph
gained in self-confidence.  A government contract to manufacture 
specialized arctic clothing made both of us wealthy. 

With the success of the business, we leased our own computer and I quit
my job to run it for him. By that time we had built our own factory and 
were making even more money by manufacturing the army clothing 
ourselves.  It was a long-term contract with good options. I could only 
hope Alisa would return. 

Occasionally, I asked Ralph about her.  After the first time, the act
was easier.  Now that he was  successful again, I heard his former wife 
wanted to make up and the damn fool would probably take her back. 

“Guess what Joey?” he asked me this morning. “Alisa has filed for
divorce. She's coming back to stay.” 

It was a good thing I was sitting down or I would have fallen over. I
knew I should forget the woman. I'm both happy and sad for Ralph.  On 
one hand, he will finally see and get to know his grandchildren. On the 
other, his wife will almost certainly drive him out of business again 
-- me with him this time. 

And Alisa, darling Alisa. She gets back tomorrow. The thought is driving
me crazy. In all these years, her rejection has been filed away in my 
mind, almost forgotten. 

All I tend to remember is that winning smile in the gym, the one at my
anguish.  Like all men, I forget about those dead eyes combined with 
the kick in the crotch. 

The End.


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