Norris
"That's why I like watching it so much,"
Chuck.
Chuck’s
exhale sent a thin tuff of smoke out and up into the atmosphere of his
apartment. His shoes were untied but
still on and she had not stopped cleaning dishes since they made love. The room was divided by an island of vinyl
counter top about waist-height, which was a few inches too high for Nancy’s
preference. The smoke disappeared but
seemed to be everywhere: the kitchen, the bathroom, and it was even the first
thing she smelled after they had sex. But
she would forget about it as they just lay and listen to their breath or joke
about work. She knew that one day Chuck
would not bother himself with this old pencil pusher. A younger lady would
catch his eye and he would chase after her like some cat after a mouse in a
cartoon. It would not be the worst thing
though because that would mean she would have to care enough for the breakup to
hurt. Caring changes people, Nancy
thought cleaning the dishes. Caring makes
people scared and bitter . Survival doesn’t come from caring but rather only
to those who can carry the weight.
The
news colored the silence between them with updates about murders, robberies,
and natural disasters. “It’s all negative,” she said trying to prod her
boyfriend into an undirected conversation. Chuck switched his feet around and
locked back half-way and smirked, “That’s why I like watching it so much.” There was broccoli stuck inside of a cup as
if plastered to the bottom with spaghetti as the mortar. How did broccoli and spaghetti get in his cup? Steam rose from
the sink and her hands sunk into it to grab another dish. Chuck laughed at a
particularly light-hearted joke in a carpet commercial. There was still some of the laugh in his
voice when he asked, “Don’t you have work today?”
She
nodded without looking up at him, “Yea, I’m just finishing up here.” Norris had
in fact forgotten that she had been asked to work today, for overtime. They said their ‘good byes’ and Norris left in a concealed rush.
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| Section of Lone by Steve Roll at www.steverollart.com |
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