Excerpts from Hearthville Serial: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
Victor turned to Jack and they continued walking to the edge of the lake. They then stepped knee deep into the cold, clear water. Victor sprawled down like a dead man floating to bathe the sand from his youthful body. Then he quickly sprang back into a standing position. Victor said, “This dihydrogen oxide is freezing.” Victor folded his arms and shivered.
Jack said, “Yeah. You did good in chemistry. Look. Victor. I know we are the kind of friends who can go bowling and barely say three words to each other. I like that we don’t have to entertain one another with brilliant conversation. I like that. But man, you should have told me about Jossette. Mom and I were visiting with Bert’s mom at the hospital when Bert and I started talking. He told me.”
Victor said, “My father knows. The rest of my family does not know.”
Excerpts from Hearthville Serial: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
Jack said, “And that is when you took the overdose of pills two years ago.”
Victor said, “That was an accident.”
Jack said, “After I talked to Bert, I talked to Sam. You had a nervous breakdown when Jossette died and I didn’t even know it. What kind of friend am I?”
“You are a good friend.” Victor began to tear up. “I loved Jossette. I still love her, and talking about her is difficult.”
Neither Jack nor Victor had noticed when Jerry walked into the water next to them. He had joined them to give Victor the comb that Victor had lost. It had fallen from Victor’s swimsuit pocket when he had tripped.
Jerry cleared his throat to let them know that he was standing with them. They looked at him and he handed Victor the lime green comb. Victor took the comb and rubbed it between his fingers as he placed it into his back pocket.
Jerry said, “I know it is none of my business but I am going to ask anyway. Am I understanding what the two of you are talking about correctly?”
Jack said, “Jossette Ogleby died.”
Excerpts from Hearthville Serial: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
Jerry said, “Fuck. How?”
Victor pictured Jossette as he had held her close. He remembered all the equipment in the hospital room. He wished for the feel of her in his arms again.
Victor grabbed his head. He said, “Man. I can’t talk about it. Please don’t have me break down crying here in public.”
Jerry saw the tears streaming down Victor’s face. He looked at Jack.
For a moment Victor relived being in the hospital room. He saw Jossette laying in that awful bed surrounded by equipment and with the oxygen hose in Jossette’s nose. He thought how she had begun to cough and struggled to breathe. Still, she had kissed him and it was a kiss he would always remember with love. He touched his finger to his lips.
Jack said, “I am sorry.”
Jack saw that Victor was starting to tremble.
Victor remembered Jossette’s words. “I love you so much. Why did I ever believe that you had stopped loving me? I am so sorry.”
Excerpts from Hearthville Serial: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
Victor said, “I don’t want to think. I’ve got to swim. I’ve got to get out of here.”
Victor remembered Jossette’s last breath. He remembered their last kiss. He remembered the look of death in her eyes.
Victor shrieked and moaned in tears as he dove into the water and started swimming. At times he swam above the water. At times he splashed the water hard with his feet as he dived into the depths of the lake. Jack and Jerry could see that Victor was swimming farther away from the shoreline and toward the more deadly clutches of the lake’s deep center.
Jerry said, “This is not good. He is upset and he is swimming toward the middle of the lake. Is he planning on drowning himself?”
Jack screamed, “Oh shit. Go get Victor’s father to get his boat. I am going to swim after Victor. Try not to alarm anyone else. This does not need to be on the 6 o’clock news.”
Excerpts from Hearthville Serial: Envy Is A Terrible Thing
Jerry ran to Elliot. He whispered in Elliot’s ear. “We need to get your boat and go after Victor.”