Gerty (XI) in gerty

Fritz was relieved to have escaped the hotel without any apparent suspicion from the guests and staff. How Gerty had found her way back into her room was a mystery and a miracle. Fritz had gone to check on Gerty around eleven and found her room vacant. He sat in the dark until he heard the electronic key entry beep and the door slowly swing open.

Not a word was spoken as Gerty entered the room. She seemed satisfied to stand in the dark motionless once inside. It was clear Gerty was in one of her familiar states of wonder. Fritz turned on a small desktop reading light and surveyed the damage. Gerty had blood splatter on her hoody which was thankfully dark and her hands were covered in dried blood. A knife was still in her hand but the long sleeves kept it concealed. Fritz grabbed his young charge and slowly led her to the bathroom where she was cleaned up, showered off and her clothes disposed. Fritz got Gerty dressed and it was time to be on their way. Gerty never spoke a word.

Fritz noticed Gerty back to her childlike self as they drove out of the city. Fritz knew east was where Gerty wished to go so north to Connecticut and then back towards the rising sun.

Gerty popped her head through the privacy window and stuck her nose in Fritz ear.

“Is Fritzy mad at me? No he is not. Fritzy loves Gerty. Say Fritzy loves Gerty or Gerty will pop goes the weasel…say it Fritzy…say it.....”

Fritz was not mad at Gerty at all. He could never be mad at her. Fritz was worried about her reckless abandon when she struck down the men who offended her. He knew it would be the death of them both or atleast for him. There will be no prison for Fritz.

The sun roof slid open and Fritz had waited to long. Gerty had pulled her shirt off and was popping up and down out the sun roof naked to the waist. Gerty was singing,

Laudy de da da
a laudy de da da
la la
la la
la la, la
laudy de da da
a laudy de da da

Pop goes the weasel..

Each time at the refrain Gerty would pop out the window with her arms reaching to the sky for all the world to see.

” Gerty, I love you. I love you ok. Get in the car.”

Fritz would did not close the sun roof. He had only one task and that was to make sure Gerty was happy and safe as possible. Gerty was talking and happy so Fritz would have to just take whatever came. He looked to his left as a car passed with a couple who was easily in their sixties and possibly offended by such behavior. His fears were relieved when the senior woman flashed him her breasts with both laughing and enjoying the frivolity of the moment. Fritz remembered that most grandparents came from the hippie-shit 60’s generation.

In an attempt to redirect Gerty to other forms of entertainment he asked her where she would like to go next and this got Gerty back in the car although she somersaulted through the privacy window and into the passenger seat. Gerty shouted

“Shotgun!”

“I have it right here. I wrote it down the day we left the fa-cil-a-tee.”

Gerty gave Fritz a wink and waived a slip of paper with an address scribbled on it.

” We will be visiting my dearest of friends Charlotte. Her mother was kind enough to invite us and I am sure my darling Charlotte will be delighted to see us both.”

Fritz had his doubts about the accuracy of the statement. Atleast Charlotte was female and there was a better chance that Gerty was not thinking homicide. Some sort of torment may be on the agenda. GPS was eventually punched in and Gerty sat on her knees still half dressed as she watched cars go by delighted to wave to passerbys, oblivious of her nudity and unconcerned the attention it may bring.