It was the night before he went back to Korea. Well, maybe two nights before, but Cindy distinctly remembers Jimmy saying,"I'll be right back, hon. Just gonna go see Auggie a bit."By "a bit" he meant he was going to the corner tavern for a few beers. Being that she wasn't done cooking, Cindy figured the extra time would come in handy and he could say goodbye to his bar buddies.
When he didn't come home until after midnight, she regretted the gamble she she took on loving a gambler and all that went with along with it.
###
"How much did you lose?" she asked.
He lifted his sleeve. "It's not like that, Cindy. Look..."
She started sobbing.
"I got your name on my arm," he said. "Doesn't that mean anything."
"Not when the meat loaf and mashed potatoes have become as cold as the Löwenbräu in the icebox," she said, whipping the dishrag his way.
"I don't get you," he said, half-laughing. "I figured you'd be over the moon. This is forever."
Cindy reached for the camera and quickly took Jimmy's picture to remind herself of his smug smile. It needed to be captured right there. In the moment.
###
About three months later on a rainy Saturday night, she read Jimmy's letter and it said that he was safe and dry. For the time being at least. He also wrote that canned beans kept him full and between the smokes and scotch, he was more than warm at night.
"I bet..." she said to herself.
Minutes later, Cindy fetched his photo out of the junk drawer and there it was again, that smug smile -- both infuriating and intoxicating. It was the very Achilles heel of their love. The cute one-liners that once worked on her at the automat weren't going to fly now. And certainly not getting a damn tattoo. Playing soldier boy on furlough just seemed cheap and young. She was his wife, not his port of call pussycat.
She stared at it some more, the smile that left her stranded for a tattoo. The one that left her barefoot, pregnant and cooking for him.
She took a slow drag of her Winston before ripping the picture in half. Just then, her stomach and back began to ache. It was time.
All throughout the painful delivery she hoped just one thing -- that her baby boy wouldn't have his father's smug smile.
She took a slow drag of her Winston before ripping the picture in half. Just then, her stomach and back began to ache. It was time.
All throughout the painful delivery she hoped just one thing -- that her baby boy wouldn't have his father's smug smile.
Anthony, another fine piece of flash. I really like her conflicting emotions until she makes that final decision and rips up the pic.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece!!
such genuine americana with this one. great sweater too!
ReplyDeleteGreat story, Ant. I felt for her. I think a lot of women have been there. You really nailed that inner conflict.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your stories every week and you've come up trumps agian with this one, Anthony. Great writing, great imagery and a great "smug smile".
ReplyDelete"She was his wife, not his port of call pussycat." Loved that line. And answer me this: why do men think it is the ultimate in undying devotion to get a tattoo?
ReplyDeleteAgain, you wrote a story that aches inside the B side--less refined, more gritty, the reason to buy the hit--of reality.
Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI can't put my finger on it, but "It was the night before he went back to Korea." is one of the best opening sentences I've read in a long while.
ReplyDeleteThe tension between longing and resentment is well captured
ReplyDeleteThis was a great piece, a slice of life. The ending sentence was great, hoping the baby boy wouldn't have his Father's smug smile. Just great. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding Ant! You really have a gift! ... also, I hear the kid did inherit that smile. But he uses it much differently. ; )
ReplyDelete"she regretted the gamble she she took on loving a gambler..." This says so very much. Great snapshot piece.
ReplyDeleteBetcha ten bucks that the baby does have the smug smile.
ReplyDeleteAnt, entertainning as usual. So many women wcould relate to this. Especially, during the Korean War.
ReplyDeleteYou have some great one-liners.
I like the irony in this: how he blows the money and misses dinner she has prepared for him when he has such little time left to spend with her...and he thinks getting her name on his arm is supposed to make her happy. My father was a military guy and we've lived on many a base. This story captures the all too common scene where the wife falls for the charm of a young man who is ultimately rarely home and tends to be irresponsible when he is there. She's forced to grow up and raise his children virtually alone and all those charming things she once adored grate her last nerve. Wonderful work, Anthony. I like the way the smug smile came full circle.
ReplyDeletePoignant. I like the ripped photo as she made her decision.
ReplyDeleteIt's the little things that fuel love and conflict. This is a cold, sad piece and you leave us wondering...
ReplyDeleteI also agree with John, fantastic opening line.
Always look forward to your work, Ant.
Really strong voice, and I'm with Michael about the genuine Americana.
ReplyDeleteYou expressed a raw disconnect between male pride and female desire. Cooking dinner for her husband showed her husband how much she loved him. Having her tattooed on his arm showed him how much he loved her. Very valid and believable. Mars/Venus.
ReplyDeleteI love the voice of this, too. You have a great talent for capturing an era, as well as those universal emotions.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, and superb writing.
Gritty, remorseful. Realistic. You are superior in writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for reading... Truly appreciate it.
ReplyDelete@pegjet: I dunno... Great question. We men sometimes just don't "get" it... Genuine notions of love to us are just plain plumb-dumb sentiments.
I think Susan hit the nail so perfectly on the head. It's funny how different each gender sees love...
Good little story. Don't know how much I can say about her either-- smoking when pregnant? The story is a whole lot about the crappy choices people make and the resulting crappy consequences.
ReplyDeleteLee
May 3rd A to Z Challenge Reflections Mega Post
Another great story. Why is it I always hear Tom Waits songs playing in the background when I read your work? :)
ReplyDeleteAnthony, that was outstanding! Love the writing, love the photo (is that your father?), love everything about it. But you know what? I've never had a guy tattoo my name on his arm... I think that would put me over the moon!
ReplyDelete@Cathy: No, Cathy... Not my dad. It's a pic of my buddy's father. One that I was always taken with. It's also odd because my buddy looks EXACTLY like his dad. Cool and eerie at the same time...
ReplyDelete