CHAPTER 37 Bugs and Mrs. Jensen


    Joy


    I heard Jack call out to me, but I ignored him and hurriedly walked away. I was in need of some fresh


    air. The Undersheriff had horrible breath.


    Before Cristos left my housest night, he gave me a small ck case identical to the one Sebastian


    gave me and asked if I could ce the bug in the diner for him. I thought it would be tricky, but it was


    pretty simple. I was even seated beside the Undersheriff when I secretly.


    ced the bug underneath the counter.


    Unfortunately, I had to suck it up and endure Jack undressing me with his eyes.


    Ugh! How I wanted to use the dinner knife and poke his eyes out!


    After picking up my car, I drove home, took a shower and got ready for the day. I decided to wear a


    sleeveless light blue floral maxi dress. I used a thin brown belt and a beaded ne. to essorize,


    then I paired everything with brown boots. I fixed my hair into a half ponytail, allowing the curled ends


    of my hair to drape my shoulders, then I inserted my beloved ded hairb essory to hold it all


    in ce.


    ed everything I needed in a brown leather tote bag. Then I took a box of donuts from


    r and walked straight to Noah’s house.


    I waved at Old Man Tucket as I walked to Noah’s house. He was a grumpy and nosy old man who lived


    in the house directly across from mine giving him an unobstructed view. He could


    keep an eye on my house until Lou arrives to install my security system.


    I stood on the porch, in front of the Jensen’s doorway, inhaling and exhaling deeply. I needed to nt a


    bug in Noah’s house. Hopefully, we could get some useful information out of him, so we could n


    ordingly.


    I rang the doorbell and a young brte in her early thirties wearing a nurse’s uniform opened the


    door. I smiled at her sweetly.


    “Good morning! I’m Virtue Sullivan and I just moved into that house over there,” I said, pointing to my


    house with my thumb. I’m actually a client of Noah’s and I was wondering if he’s ready to go into town


    so we could purchase construction material.” She gave me a small smile, but I noticed the


    apprehension in her light blue eyes.


    “I-I’m Carol, Mrs. Jensen’s private nurse. I’ll go and check if Noah’s ready. If you c-could just


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    CHAPTER 37 Bugs and Mrs. Jensen


    wait-”


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    I had a feeling I wouldn’t be allowed in the house.


    “I brought some donuts from the diner,” I said, quickly walking into the foyer. “You can share them for


    breakfast or have them as a snackter” I ced the paper bag on the entry table. near the door. “How


    about if I wait in the living room for Noah?”


    I looked around and noticed not much has changed, although there was a dank smell of urine.


    “O-okay,” Carol stuttered. If she looked worried earlier, right now, she looked afraid. She led me into the


    living room where I found Mrs. Jensen seated in a wheel chair, so thin and frail, wearing an oversized


    pink nightgown. Her once beautiful light brown hair was now all white and willowy and her skin was


    pale and wrinkled.


    “Hello, Mrs. Jensen. I’m Virtue, your new neighbor,” 1 announced, hoping I could get a reaction. I heard


    a buzzing sound and the wheel chair turned automatically to face me. Mrs. Jensen was seated


    comfortably in a power wheelchair with a mechanical respirator attached,


    “I’ll leave you


    you two, so I can check on Noah. I’ll only be gone a minute,” Carol assured Noah’s mother. Mrs.


    Jensen didn’t do anything; she just continued to stare at me. She looked old


    ickly, but her brown eyes had that same vibrance.


    er Carol went up the stairs to tell Noah I was here, Mrs. Jensen blinked her eyes. Judging by the


    venttor, she couldn’t speak and used her eyes to talk.


    “I just moved into the old Taylor house,” I said, trying to make small talk. “I hired Noah to help me open


    a small boutique in town.”


    She blinked her eyes rapidly and I noticed a tear fall from the corner of her eye. I rushed forward and


    took a tissue from my tote bag to wipe her tears.


    Poor thing.


    “I cane visit you more often if you want, Mrs. Jensen. I cane read to you. What do you say?” I


    smiled at her tenderly..


    She blinked once. I guess one meant yes and two for no. I sighed. It was such a shame to see


    her like this.


    Mrs. Jensen was like a second mom to me. She was the previous owner of the small


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    CHAPTER 37 Bugs and Mrs. Jensen


    bookstore in town and she was one voracious reader. She just loved books. When Noah and I were


    kids, she was always seen reading a book on their porch. During my freshman and sophomore year in


    high school, I would sometimes join her on their porch and read as an escape from this cruel world.


    After I was assaulted, she came to visit me in the hospital and left a book for me to read. Since both of


    my eyes were swollen shut from the beatings I got from the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’, my


    mother read to me, which helped me fixate my emotions on the heroine. of the novel rather than wallow


    in self-pity.


    When my father decided to leave New Salem after having a heart to heart talk with Old Man Eugene,


    Mrs. Jensen asked my mother where we nned to move. My mother told her, “Wherever the wind


    takes us, Laura.”


    “Maggie…you’ll give me a call, right? Or maybe send me a postcard?” Mrs. Jensen asked.


    “I will,” my mother answered, lying to her. We had agreed we wouldn’t contact anyone from New Salem


    except for Old Man Eugene.


    We left during the dead of the night, not a soul was on the streets. We went straight to Bismarck where


    we changed cars, then drove to Wyoming where we traded in our car for another second-hand car.


    From Wyoming, we went to Nevada. My father loved ying ckjack, so my parents thought they could


    probably pocket some extra cash from the


    inos. After waiting for them for four hours at the motel, they came back with their pockets full.


    Since they won some money, my dad traded in our car for an SUV to my utter relief. The smallpact


    car we got in Wyoming was quite ufortable.


    My parents liked California so much, they decided we should live there. With the got from the grocery


    store, they were able to purchase a townhouse. It was smaller than what we were used to and there


    were people all around us. But none of them knew us which


    worked well for us.


    money


    they


    After a couple of years, my dad called Old Man Eugene to see how things were back in New Salem.


    That’s when my dad found out about Noah’s parents.


    Earlier, when I rang the doorbell, I noticed the porch needed some repairs. Having a private nurse is


    expensive and I know Noah must be struggling to give his mom proper care.


    “How about Ie by the day after tomorrow? I’ll pick up a good mystery novel at the bookstore and


    we can start reading. I’ll even get you a thick nket so we can read on the


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    CHAPTER 37 Bugs and Mrs. Jensen


    porch,” I said, bending down and taking her hand in mine. She answered me again by blinking once.


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    “Virtue?” Noah was right behind me and he sounded angry. I turned my head to look at him. and


    noticed his puffy eyes and unshaven face.


    Of course. He was uptest night… drunk. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    “I was just promising your mother I’de by and read to her. I noticed all the books on the shelves,” I


    exined, standing up and walking towards the shelves of books which covered a portion of the main


    wall of the living room. I picked out a book and noticed how dusty it was. Perfect.


    “My mom’s too sick to be entertaining guests, Virtue,” Noah scolded me. “She needs to rest. Reading


    to her will only get her excited and it’ll put a strain on her heart.”


    Sadly, I wouldn’t be spending some time with Mrs. Jensen after all. Well, I could get that


    porch done, so I can see her from time to time.


    Noah bent down to talk to his mother. “Mom, Virtue and I need to go to town. Carol will give you a


    sponge bath and change what needs changing. I love you.” Noah gave his mother a quick kiss on the


    cheek. She blinked rapidly and a tear fell again. This time, Carol took over.


    y, Mrs. Jensen. Let’s get you cleaned up and changed,” she said. Carol quickly turned the eel hubs of


    the wheelchair to manual and pushed Mrs. Jensen out of the living room.


    “Come on, Virtue. Let’s get going,” Noah said gruffly.


    I quickly ced the book back on the shelf and we exited the house.


    “Since we need to purchase construction material for my shop, let’s buy some material for your porch.


    It needs some paint and the floorboards need changing,” I told Noah once we


    were outside of his house.


    “I’m not your charity case, Virture,” Noah snapped angrily.


    Touchy, touchy…


    “But your mom would appreciate it. She cane outside, get some fresh air and watch the


    neighbors,” I reasoned politely.


    “I’ll think about it,” he mumbled like a petulent child, then pointed to his pick-up truck. “I


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    CHAPTER 37 Bugs and Mrs. Jensen


    need to use my truck. We can meet up at Dom’s.


    “Alright. Let’s meet at Dom’s. I still need to swing by Lisa’s office.” I waved at him then walked to my


    car.


    This Noah reminded me of the Noah during our sophomore year…dismissive, arrogant and apathetic.


    He obviously didn’t like thepassion I showed his mother. Well, I hated the indifference he showed


    me while Iid in the hospital.


    I entered my car, fastened my seat belt and turned on the ignition. I waited for him to drive by before


    exiting my driveway.


    Sure, Noah was an as shole.


    But now, he was an as shole with a bug in his house.


    Chapter Comments


    Emy Duvey


    good job!