It's The Thought That Counts

IT’S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS

         Jack McCauliff had to laugh. Her picture was staring back at him from the latest issue of the East End Press.

“Happy 18th Birthday Caroline! Love Mom, and Dad!”
“ Anyone stopping at the Handy Pantry in Moriches today
wish Caroline a Happy Birthday!

         Jack leaned forward, putting his cigarette out in the beer bottle cap on the dresser.
“ How nice. Mom and Dad took an ad out for their little angel. I never got no ad. I never got shit, unless it went with a beatin.”
She looked real cute though, in the picture: young, happy, her whole future in front of her. “ You’re 18 and Mommy and Daddy love you. How nice.”
He never got along with his parents. They were always bustin his balls about something. His sister was the only one who ever stuck up for him, but what could she do? Well at least she cared enough to try.
“ I should surprise the birthday girl. I’ll surprise her with flowers at her job. I know where that Handy Pantry is. Yeah, I’ll find out what time she gets off and surprise her. Perfect! Mom and Dad will shit their pants when they hear,”
Lighting a clippie from the ashtray, he stared in the mirror. Then he left.
He headed for the pay phone in the parking lot. Directory assistance gave him the number.
“ Handy Pantry, may I help you?”
“ Yeah, hi. I’m Caroline’s brother. What time does she get off?”
“ She normally gets off at five but we’re letting her go early for her birthday, so today it’s four.”
Jack looked at his watch. “ Cool. Thanks a lot.”
He bounded the apartment steps back to his room, ripped her picture out of the paper, and hit the road.
………………………………………………………………………….
At one o’clock Caroline walked into her job at Handy Pantry: the neighborhood combination deli grocery store.
“Here comes the birthday girl!” Ben yelled. Everyone came to the front singing
Happy birthday. Blushing, she made a deep sigh. “ You guys are the greatest!”
The whole day went like that, people wishing her happy birthday and being extra nice.
It was nice to see. Small towns like Moriches could be petty at times, but they could also be very warm and welcoming.
She had dreams of world travel, yet deep down she knew she would end up here.
It was home.




“So Caroline, what’s your plans for tonight?” Ben asked. Ben was a good guy. He really needed someone to work full time, but because Caroline begged him to let her do mornings volunteering at the animal shelter, he said ok. “ No fleas!” he had joked.
“Well when I leave here I gotta do the family thing and stop home.The folks and my nana want to have cake. After that I’m meeting Tommy and were gonna hang out.”
Ben rolled his eyes. He was so funny. “Hang out, eh?”
“ Don’t worry Ben, I’m a good girl.”
He pinched her cheek. “ I know sweetie, I know.”
…………………………………………………….
The florist was too expensive. Jack didn’t have thirty dollars for flowers.
The supermarket was two miles up, and he had seen flowers there. He tried to hitch a ride but ended up walking the whole way.
They wanted ten bucks there. Even that was too much. “ Damn if I still lived at home I’d have the cash.”
Jack’s father had caught him smoking pot and threw him out. “You’re a disgrace. Get out!”
Jack did. And now he was living hand to mouth. He had tried once to go back and work it out, but his dad didn’t want to know nothing.
Treated him like he had killed someone or something. Asshole, ashamed of his son.
I’m useless, but your daughter is the apple of your eye. Whatever. It was getting late.
He needed flowers.
They treated Caroline to lunch. Ben ordered pizza and put eighteen candles on it.
“ Make a wish kiddo, and make it good!” Ellen yelled.
Caroline closed her eyes and made her wish. If it came true,they would all live happily ever after.
The pizza was delicious. Connor, the delivery boy, ate four slices.
“ You fatty,” Caroline kidded him. Everyone laughed.

………………………………………………….

Jack squeezed through the gates. He and Frankie Cora used to cut school and go there to drink ,smoke pot, and talk about the girls they would like to do.
He found Frankie’s grave. The asshole wouldn’t listen to Jack that night. They were supposed to stay behind the high school and just trip out, but Frankie started freakin, talking crazy shit and dancing fish. Jumped in his car and drove it off the dock. Next time Jack saw him, Frankie was lying in a baggy suit with powder all over his face. Never paid for the acid either.
Frankie’s mother left flowers every day for him. Jack stared at the grave and felt obligated to feel something, but, he didn’t. He bent down for the grave bouquet. “ Thanks for the flowers dude,” he said, walking away.
…………………………………………………………
Caroline gathered her presents. “Ben I’m just gonna bring these out to my car.”
“ Okey,dokey,” Ben answered.

Ben was on the phone, calling Caroline’s folks to tell them she would be leaving soon.
Since getting her license Caroline drove everywhere, even the two blocks from the store to her house. She felt cool when people saw her cruising. The ride home would take less than sixty seconds. It was that close.
……………………………………………….
Jack was psyched to surprise Caroline. He had flowers, and the joint gave him a good buzz. He felt a strange excitement.
He passed the Methodist church. Handy Pantry was within sight.
…………………………………………………..
Ben had his hand over the phone when Caroline came back in.
“Thanks for everything Ben.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“ You’re welcome,” Ben said.
Ellen came up from the back. Caroline thanked her for the gifts.
Connor was standing nearby. “Come on squirt, walk me to my car.”
Ben held the phone to his ear watching them walk out. “ She’s out. Get ready.”
……………………………………………………..
Jack was halfway through the parking lot when he saw them come out. He put the bouquet up to cover his face.
Caroline handed Connor her gifts and opened her car door. She took the packages from Connor and jumped up to give him a kiss. “Hey none of that,” he yelled backing away. Caroline laughed. “Oh stop trying to be so cool, squirt,” she said. Someone was yelling.
Jack was singing Happy birthday.
Caroline was smiling, a look of surprise on her face. “Who is that,” she asked.
“You’re asking me?” Connor replied.
Walking up, his face hidden by the flowers, Jack stopped in front of Caroline. In a sing song falsetto voice he said: “ Happy eighteenth birthday, Miss Caroline.”
“ Who is that?” she asked.
Jack squealed in that high, squeaky voice.“ You gotta guess.”
Caroline looked at Connor who was off to the side smiling.
She looked back at Jack. “Ok, I’ll play, but you gotta talk in your normal voice.”
Just like my sister, Jack thought, always likes a good guessing game. Girls are so easy, aren’t they? “Okay big girl,” Jack bellowed in a deep voice, from between the flowers. “Come a little closer ,if you dare.”
Caroline smiled. This was fun. She stepped forward leaning her face toward the flowers. “ Mmm, sweet.” She raised her hands to lower the bouquet mask. “ Now, who are you?”
Jack swung hard. The knife hidden behind the flowers hit Caroline in the neck with such force; it stuck out the other side. Everything froze. Caroline stood there: an odd, smile on her face. Connor was laughing, not realizing. Jack could hear only a loud pounding in his head.
A scream unfroze the frame, sending it into fast forward.
The blood spurted, from her neck, arcing high, and then down, splattering the blacktop. Caroline’s eyes rolled. She went down. The young kid was screaming “no, no.” Jack watched Caroline convulse.
Then the kid was charging, crashing into Jack’s side, taking him down. People were coming out of stores screaming. The fat kid on top of him yelling, “ Help me please, somebody help me! Oh God!”
Jack didn’t struggle. He was done. He thought of his parents’ faces when they heard. Now they had something to be ashamed of. His sister crossed his mind. He hoped she wouldn’t be to upset by this. She really loved him. But she was away in college, so maybe it wouldn’t be so hard on her.
As for the birthday girl, she would stop at eighteen.
…………………………………………………………….

There’s a house on Bartley Lane in Moriches where twenty-two people are waiting. Family and friends, hiding in rooms and behind couches. In hushed tones and nervous giggles they wait for the surprise. It will only be a minute. Any second. “ Shhh. Quiet.”