Joni and Me III

Joni was the girl who lived next door
I've known her I guess 10 years or more
Joni wrote me a note one day

“Well, hello. How has it been?” I looked at the lady seated behind the desk with the stethoscope around her neck, dressed in the pale-yellow shade blouse beneath the medical coat. Her blonde hair was tied to the rear in a ponytail like when she was fifteen when I heard her voice. I was twenty-one then, older and none the wiser. I did come back five years later to find out she married John my best friend. Well, I did not send the Christmas cards to John since then; maybe Halloween greetings like ‘aren’t you dead yet?’ or ‘living a dead life, huh?’.

“No… “I stammered. “I meant no I have no new illness since I came under your treatment.”

“Yes, your annual medical checks. Hmmm… I have your folder here.” Doctor Joni was her name then on the wooden nameplate on the desk but I still recalled her as Joni. She still looked great at …. was it twenty-five years then; fifteen plus five when she told she married arty-John; I was polite to call him that and not those other cruder names? As it was soon after I left town and back twenty years ago, I met her and became her patient for five. Wow! The years flew by when you …. Alone.

Joni still looked great; the slim frame attributed to good diet and medical eye to the intake. I won’t think of what John may have fed her; it’s utterly disgusting to dwell on. At that age, fine she had some wrinkles and probably sagged but I was not peeking. For myself, I was still in my great shape, my hours at the gym ogling at the sweet younger ladies who made funny gestures at me while my female peers were salivating at the mouth. That was why I decided to come back to the place I used to live. It had changed from the sleepy hollow to the bustling township and the hospital was where Joni worked her hours there.

“How long have I treated you?” Joni had to ask it as if I was another patient.

“Four or no…this is the fifth year,” I replied.

“Five…Huh… And you could do these tests in the city? Newer equipment and faster reports. We do take about a week to get the reports out.” Joni reached for my right arm to wrap the pressure gauge cloth over the forearm. “Clench your fingers.”

“Not there.” She looked hard at me.

“I am sorry.” I let go of her left arm. If it was three decades ago, I would have reached for her breast then but times have changed. I released my left fingers and she moved her chair to sit before me. I was seated on the side of her table then. It was then I saw her legs. Wow! I recalled those legs. They are still slim and …. She wore a skirt. It had crept up the thighs. I knew those too. Even at fifteen, fine it was unacceptable then, but we were in love. She used to lay her right legs over mine. She will be nudging me and giggle.

“And stop holding my thigh.”

“Oops!” I took my right hands off her left thigh. “Old habits…”

Wrong mouthful to say then but she smiled then. I could have sworn I would have gone on my knees if she asked me. I won’t be responsible for the follow up move.

“We were a pair, huh?” Joni smiled. I loved that smile. Her lips pout when she is upset but when it’s the smile, it widens and the part of those white teeth could be seen. I am telling you it was an ‘O” to although she did not do the ‘O’ on me.

“Yes.” I mumbled. I decided to move the subject. “I heard about John.”

“Yes, he died of a heart attack. It was sudden and we were at home.” Joni had moved on too. “Your pressure looked okay. Now we …”

“Was it last year?” I probed. I got to know only last week. Joni nodded and then pulled my left arm forward to look for the elusive blood vein. I should be throbbing then for my left fingers was at the crack opening of the coat and millimeters towards her cleavage.

“May the Force be with….” I mumbled and was stunned by the other momentum.

“I got you to know.” Joni voiced out and then tapped the bloody vein she found. “Your veins are difficult to find.”

“I know.” I recalled my last visit to the clinic and the nurse insisted I do a blood test. She had a long time trying to find the correct one, and I had a hard time declining myself to look at her open legs. It was instinctive but I was more concerned about the splatter.

Joni took the syringe in her right hand. I disliked syringes of any size. It there was any pricking it was to be by me. She pricked it in and then started drawing my blood.  

“How did you know of John? I did not tell you. I don’t have your number.” Joni looked at me with a

 puzzled look.

“Oh, I read it at the obituary.” Actually, the other old friend, Matt at the Press Room in the town called me. “Hey. Jimmy. The prick died.” I had to admit I celebrated with a bottle of wine. Red wine with German sauerkrauts.

“Okay. He was a good man.” Joni continued on. Prick he was to me. Stole my girl and kept quiet. “He told me soon after we got married, he was in love with me but he respected you. He stayed away.”

So, John the Prick could lie to her too. I knew he was balling Madge but that was known to Joni too.

“What happened to …..”

“Madge? She left town soon after you did. I thought she went to look for you.” That was below the belt from Joni. I smiled and replied.

“No, I did not know. I told no one.” It hurt then the memories. “Madge was not my girl.”

“And I was but too young?” Madge was eighteen then and by the legal fraternity, able to say yes.

“I…” I was lost for words. Joni then changed the subject matter.

“I read you reported of a boil. Can I see it?” That was the embarrassing item on my visit. I whispered to her.

“It's on my butt. I can’t see it but its there.” Joni offered me the examination couch. I lowered my pants and laid face down.

“Don’t be shy. I have seen yours before. In fact, I have seen more than my share of them as a doctor.” I blushed at her words. I cannot gloat that I had seen many unless you included in the pinups.

“Well, I have never examined you here before.” Darn, I could not see her but she was putting something on. I felt as if I was the mare waiting for the stud.

“It’s on the cheek.” I wanted to be specific.

“I see it. Hmmm… looks inflamed.” Joni pressed her finger at it. “What did you do?”

I was stumped by her question. How would I know? It was not that I have a long neck or stared at my butt on the bathroom mirror.

“Scratched it?” I muttered. “It's painful.”

“You have not changed much.” Joni replied while doing what the Greek God, Asclepius taught them before in the medical journals. She applied pressure onto it. I wanted to scream out but what would I say; rape?

“Nice complexion.” I doubt she has seen my butt at all. I was always on top and at times, at her rear. I may remember her’ like the apricot fruit. And I was dry humping. She was a ‘no, no, I am a good girl’. And she gave it to John the Prick.

Prick….

“You were always afraid of pain.” Joni did not mince her words for she definitely minced my boil. “There it is done. Apply the ointment I will be giving.”

I remembered putting on my pants facing from her. It was not that I was anywhere aroused but actually deflated I was.

“Are you on any medicines? Supplements? Like Viagra.” Joni almost tore my ego off at the head. I shook my head.

“Just asking. Just in case of any medical prescription conflict.” Joni wrote my prescription and soon I was standing on the street. My car pulled overdriven by my staff. I got in slowly and sat there with care. We drove off to the parking lot nearby.

“Boss, I got the field readings. I have your blood pressure, heartbeats and also the others. Wow! This equipment worked with remote sensing. Its better than any lab test with volunteers.” That was my technology aide in next-gen product development. We were testing the prototype of the new sensing product for medical prognosis.

“Tell me, Boss. What happened in there? The readings were all in spikes.”

“Raphael, I was spiked.” And I come back annually for it. If only I have a camera installed in Joni’s room. I would have read her notes she wrote on her personal diary.

“I wished Jimmy would have been more responsive. I am unattached and I know he still loves me but he is too arrogant to admit it. I guess we will just go on without knowing how our love could have blossomed.” Joni then heard her phone tone.

Jimmy please say you'll wait for me

I'll grow up someday you'll see
Savin' all my kisses just for you
Signed with love forever true

Joni did not pick up the call. She was to attend to another patient.

“Well, hello Mark. I am sorry to hear about your wife. My condolences.” It’s a small town and everyone needs a shoulder some times.