Todays Words: music, corn, postman

Tommy hung over the fence waiting for the mailman.

From inside he could hear his sister playing that new music Miss Becky had given her. To him it sounded like two dogs chasing a cat.

Across the road the Wilsons were harvesting their corn.

“Hi Anthony!” he waved when the boy came into view. But Anthony was too busy being scolded by his father.

Tommy let his arm fall and hummed along with the piano music.

In his head he sang “Come mailman! Come! Bring my letter from my father – so far away from home!”

11/18/09: Arabic, flamethrower,Thanksgiving

It was Thanksgiving again. His Mom would be pulling the turkey from the oven – his wife and son would be smiling across from his brother. His brother would be smiling back. The smells would be mingling everywhere – and Becky would be bouncing around like a mutant – teleporting dishes in with a cheery phrase every time.

Terry rubbed his arms – it was the only time he was greatful for the layers and layers of army gear. It was cold. Two Arabic men were cooking a goat – using a flamethrower like device – but much smaller. You could hear the blood sizzling from the fresh kill.

Terry blew into his hands and rubbed them together. Next year -hopefully – he’d be home for the holidays. . . he thought as he watched the sun sink behind the sand dunes.

 

Todays Words: pregnant, fashion, travel

There were no words to explain traveling comfort. There were no fashions to meet the needs. It was pregnant clothing period. No fashion, no comfort.

Elastic. Who’d come up with elastic? It was scratchy and left worm like crawl marks on your skin. It stuck – and sometimes left little white crumbles. Ug!

Jamie took another look in the mirror and made three adgusting tuggs that made her feel even more uncomfortable and moved away grabbing her duffle bag.

Being married, being pregnant, being grown up – was not all it was cut out to be. Its not that she wasn’t happy. She was; sort of. Not that one could be emotionally happy with the feeling of constant constipation that kicked  – and bloaty like clothes that gave the feel of a permanent wedgy.

But Brad was worth it. And she was sure the little creature – once it came out – was going to be worth it too.

She hoped.

Todays Words: tuna, chocolate, full

He trudged over to the fence and sat down.

It had been a day and a half now.

Why hadn’t he listed to his father? He’d told him the gas tank meter was broken. After all logic stated it couldn’t have been full all week. Not after all the places he’d been. Again his father had been right. He’d just been a fool. A blamd fool.

Now there was civilization but he was too hungery to go on. He opened his backpack. There was half a bar of chocolate and a can of tuna left.

How tastey, he thought as he cracked open the can.

11/15/09: chihuahua, wired, Tucker

“So if he like runs away or something I can just press this and it will like give me the GPS location on my cell phone?”

“Yes maam. Your dog is now wired!”

The man with the “Tucker” name tag handed her chihuahua back across the counter.

“Great. Well, thanks a lot. Don’t know when my little snubkins is gonna feel indipendant and all. I mean he’s real smart and everything – but he does like to climb outta my purse now and then.” She smiled.

“Yes, I’m sure he does. Thanks for your business maam. Call if you have anymore questions.” Tucker turned away and pulled his Marlboros from his chest pocket. He needed a smoke after an hour and a half with that bleached broad.

11/14/09: cord, files, Terry

It was the cord again. Terry screwed his face into exhasperation. Already this morning he’d ran into Cheri coming out of the break room. He’d gotten her straight from the file room and her files had gone everywhere. Not just everywhere but splattered with his coffee. The files, her, him, the walls. . .

It was his review day too.

Now he was under review and here he was in front of the men in imaculate Armani suits crawling under the desk to plug in the projector.

He swore under his breath – widened the spokes and wiggled them back into the holes. Backing out he slammed his head against the bottom of the table. He heard his lazer pointer fall to the floor. He clutched his head – with another whispered exclaimation and crawled out.

“Gets loose, you know,” he  said as he got to his feet grinning at the men who stared back unimpressed.

11/13/09: banging, tower, Joshua

 

Joshua flipped the page – and closed the door with his foot.

He was glad he’d ordered the pizza. It was the banging of the arrival that had woken him – otherwise he might have slept right through the night. Then in the morning Proffessor Gayling  would have stopped at his desk and. . .UG! Why did he always wait till the last minute to do these ten page projects?!

He placed the pizza box on top of the tower of research books he’d gotten from the library earlier that day and flipped it open.

The sound of “He Stopped Loving Her Today”  jangled from beneath something. He stuck the end of a slice in his mouth and rummaged around with his free hand. Finding it he flipped it open and clamped it between his cheek and shoulder.

“Ya, whats up?” he said between the pizza.

“Josh, did you still want me to come over and help with that project you called me about.”

“Oh – yeah I did call you haw. Last Monday. Wow. Maybe I do have a little initiative!”

Sigh, “Do you or don’t you?”

He took another large bite, and chewed it a couple of times. ” Ya. That’d be stupendous. I’ll save you some pizza.”

“Alright. See you in twenty,” her phone clicked shut.

Joshua tossed his phone on the couch. He’d forgotten he’d called.

Todays Words: sick, dizzy, throwup (for you Jay!)

It was supposed to be a good night.

Her favorite team playing, the promised rain postponed, and at halftime I’d propose.

But I was having vertigo.

I knew I shouldnt have eated the hotdog Greg had given me earlier for lunch.

“No, comeone take it. You’re hungry and I have this extra one and – ” I’d specifically asked him how long it had been in his car. I had asked, and he’d said not more than 15 minutes.

Now the vertigo told me I had food poisoning. Why, WHY! had I taken the hotdog?! Yea, I’d been hungry. My stomach at that point had been cramping terribly. I’d wanted to get the project done before this evening though; gotten to the office at 4:30 this morning and had worked strait through till 3. It had been 2:30 when I’d taken the hotdog. I should have just waited the 30 minutes till I got home. I could have even stopped at the cafeteria on my  way out and picked up a slice of fresh pizza.

The thought of the pizza sent dizzy shivers through me. Shivers of sick nausia. Oh, why’d I think of pizza. Even now the smells from the upper food stands waffed down on the warm air.

Then suddenly I became still. Iknew it. Knew it like a child knows it must come up off the bottom of the pool for air.

I was going to throw up - I was going to…!

Todays Words: cupcake, earphones, Rock

 

Stacie glanced at the boy again.

All she’d wanted to do was come here, get some tea and a cupcake, and study. That wasnt too much to ask.

Then this guy had come in. This little punk kid with his big earphones listening to Rock as loud as he probably could.

It was like – put a fly in my ear will you! It was soooo annoying. She couldnt  concentrate at all – couldnt even pretend to enjoy the cupcake.

She glanced again and saw a tear tremble for a second at his eyelashes and then spill over and tumble down his cheek – right before he quickly brushed it away.

Todays Words: knife, mouse, wheat

The little mouse nibbled at the wheat in his hand.

Justin slowly and carefully stroked its back.

He loved coming out to the barn and spending time with the mice.

They were so fragile and small – so delicate and beautiful.

After the mouse was done it flicked its ears – scrubbed its face and scampered off his hand into a crack without a backwards glance.

Justin sighed, picked up his knife, and stood.

Time to finish his chores.