Rick’s Kitchen
NOTE: Today ONLY, Jan 9th, you can download the Kindle ebook The Divorce and Doom of Simon Pastor for FREE. Enjoy!
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“Aunt Jess, why is my mom crying?”
“Just go back to the living room, RJ. Watch some tv or something.” Jess said, pushing the boy out of sight.
“Mary, don’t get so upset. He’s not going to be in trouble. Didn’t he just call to say that they’re finally releasing him after all these weeks?”
Just then the two women heard the garage door motor hum. Mary started bawling again. RJ slunk deeper into the couch. A car door slammed and the door to the laundry room opened cautiously.
“HOW COULD YOU!” Mary screamed, running up to Rick. “How could you?”
Rick put up no defense to the slap that shocked him with its violence. Eyes closed and head unmoving, he left his cheek exposed as he waited with uncertainty for her next move.
After what seemed like an eternity without noise, he first peeked out of his left eye before opening them both. He watched her run off in tears back to the kitchen with Jess. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Jess pull back from her embrace with the crying Mary and join RJ in the living room.
Mary turned to the cabinets and began to open them as if searching for something. She balked and then straightened up. Next she pulled a stack of plates out and dropped them to the ground. And another. Then she just reached her entire left arm in and swept the bowls out. And the salad plates. Another cabinet open, another set of dishes dashed against the tile. Rick pursed his lips as he tried not to cry.
Finally, he said, “Mary. Oh Mary.” Emotion overcame him and he looked away.
Unable to speak, he bent down and began to pick up the pieces.
Captain’s Log 
Interesting piece. Thanks for the freebie, Pete! 🙂 Looking forward to reading it.
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I love feedback, so please don’t be shy either way. You’re welcome.
Pete
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I’ll keep that in mind. 🙂
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This is the kind of stuff that happened almost every day in the house where I grew up. Not fun to read about now.
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Good to know. I will refrain from it in the future.
Pete
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I just downloaded it! Thanks!
Elouise
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You’re welcome.
Pete
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Love that last line: it’s literal and figurative!
Diana xo
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Thanks. And thanks for thinking about it.
Pete
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Nice one, Pete. I had to read that ending twice. The first time through it seemed abrupt and incomplete but Diana is correct, on second reading it’s a great ending. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you.
Pete
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Thanks for stopping by my blog and ‘liking’ my stuff! Happy New Year!
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You’re welcome.
Pete
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You write really well. You’ve got the talent for sure!
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This is vivid, and really gets the reader right in the room. Thanks for the read, and thanks for the like on my posts. I’ll be back to read more soon.
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Thank you. It’s a continuation of Buried Within and Talk, if you’d like to see where this started. Have a good one.
Pete
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I’ll check that out. Thanks, Pete.
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Dang. I missed out by two days!
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No worries. First, it’s only four bones. Second, if you’re really on a budget, I’ll probably make it free again by the end of the month. I just haven’t decided yet. What I am excited about is tomorrow I’m learning how to go audiobook on it. So expect that option by the end of the week. 🙂
Pete
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