readers & writers, welcome. hope your weekend brought you some time to rest and play. our weekend was pretty kind to us; in between study sessions (i'm back in school now) and loads of laundry (i'm back to work now, too!) we had some good fun.
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speaking of good fun... howsabout a writing exercise? take a look at my photo above and see what short story, poem or creative non-fiction response bubbles up in you... then simply write it down and share it with us by clicking on comments below! i love to read your work. here's my spin on the photo:
"We want to eat on the patio," she said with a shiver. "Really?" I said. She stared me down. "Patio." Her boyfriend or husband or whatever shrugged, so I led them outside, grabbing a wet cloth from the bar on the way. After wiping down the table and laying out their silverware and menus, I told them Cindy would be right out. They were still standing. He made an effort to pull out her chair for her, but she grabbed it and yanked it out of his hand. When she sat down, her chair was a couple of feet from the table. He hesitated a moment, then sat down at his place and thanked me. I walked away, shivering myself. I heard her chair scrape forward a couple of inches at a time across the concrete.
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"What's it gonna be?" she said, just as I reached the door. I paused.
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"Um, salsa or queso do you mean?" he asked.
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"No," she said. "I mean her or me?" -
I really, really wanted to stay and hear his answer. I was dying to. But there wasn't a way to do it without being super obvious. And anyway it was freezing out. So I opened the door and went back to my hostess stand, wondering what other adventures Valentine's Day might bring.
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Fabulous! I want to hear more of that story. I would play, but I am sick! Just wanted to say hi and happy V-Day!
ReplyDelete"Surprise!"
ReplyDeleteThe premise of the show was that I would trade spaces with my neighbor, they would redecorate one of my spaces with the help of a professional decorator.
"What the hell!"
The words escaped my lips before I could even think about it.
"What do you think?" the spunky host with too much perfume, too much hairspray and too little mouthwash, leaned in and put her arm on my shoulder turning me towards the camera.
I turned to look for my supposed friends, wanting to strangle someone, but trying to keep myself undercontrol while they were taping.
"Who designed this, a preschooler?" I mumbled, thank god, because as I said it a burly lumberjack of a man walked out from behind the shed.
"James!" shreiked the cheerleader hostess with the mostest. "This is our fabulous new exterior/ interior decorator everyone, James. James has his degree from Florida State in landscape architecture and graduated first in his class. He took this drab backyard rock garden and transformed it into a Fiesta Wear of Fun!"
"You like fiesta wear right Fiona?"
"uh yeah, i collect it. I like a little pop of color." I swallow my sobs as I look again for my friends who I know are hiding behind the corner waiting to come out.
"Let's see what your friends think of the work you did on their Serene Sun Room!" why does she shriek when she talks, she knows we were all up all night working on our respective "homework assignments". "Salome and Pedro, come on out."
I grab Salome and hug her close grumbling, "Guess what we are redoing next weekend?" I let her go and turn to the camera giving a smile and wave as I hear that perky bitch saying "Looks like an other successful episode of trading spaces."
As soon as the cameras turned off I pull down the christmas lights screaming "You moron we live in Vancouver, why didn't you redo my living room?"
He had a dark look in his eyes. Others would later describe him as average height, average weight, dark hair. He sat in the same chair for two weeks talking to no one. Just ordered a bottled water and waited. But those that got close and looked him in the eye. They say they say death. It was unnerving. And they left him alone.
ReplyDeleteOn the start of the third week a young lady in a brightly flowered dress came in and solemnly approached the man. She came to his table and with a trembling hand presented him with a folder note. He stared at her as her hand hung in the air in front of him. She could barely breath. She dashed out, almost running. And the man read the note. He resumed his cold even stare into nothing. After ten minutes he rose and left... taking death with him.
Maria smiled as she saw the sun peek through the window. There was something special about this day, she could just feel it. The cantina had been her dream, ever since she was a little girl. Many nights were spent designing the layout of the small outdoor restaurant in her dreams. After college, she was finally ready to do it.
ReplyDelete“Surprise, Mom,” she said one morning, “I’m moving to Ecuador!”
Mom was hard pressed to disguise her emotions. “While I think you’re crazy for moving there, you know I only want you to be happy. You’ve wanted this for a long time, I can tell, and I know I won’t be able to stop you now that you’ve put your mind to it.”
Maria smiled excitedly as she squeezed her mother in an almost-too-tight bear hug. “You know you can come visit whenever you want to.”
Her mother just stood in the doorway as Maria ran to the car with her two over-packed suitcases. Maria returned to the door for one last peck on the cheek before jumping into the driver’s seat of a rental car to head to the airport. “Don’t forget to call,” Mom said as Maria drove away to follow her dreams.
~~~~~
The cantina was beautiful. Brightly colored furniture filled the patio, lots of bright paints filled the walls, and several potted plants filled the corners. She was finally open for business. Today was the day!
While remodeling the cantina, Maria had gotten to know several of the people in the town. Unfortunately, most of them were older people who stuck mostly to themselves outside a smile and a wave. Maria put some balloons next to the open front door of the cantina and waited with a nervous smile for her first customer.
It seemed like forever when Maria heard someone approaching. She greeted him warmly at the door even though she had never seen him before.
“Bienvenidos,” she said. “Welcome to the cantina!”
The young man spoke English, “Thank you. I am visiting my abuela and she told me that you were opening today.”
She liked what she saw. He was tall, well built, and had a cute accent. “Your abuela was right. I just opened the doors about an hour ago. Can I get you something to eat?”
The man made no move for a table. He liked what he saw in Maria, too. “My name is Mateo. Would you share some empanadas with me?”
As Maria went to prepare the empanadas, Mateo took his time looking around the cantina at all the decorations. “You’re not from here, are you?” he asked.
“No, I’m not,” Maria said, “and you’re one of the first people to engage me in conversation. My Spanish isn’t the greatest.”
“That’s alright, don’t worry about it!” Mateo smiled. “You’ll pick it up fast.”
“If I get a good tutor,” Maria added.
Mateo laughed, “Are you hinting at something?”
Maria smiled back at him and sat down at the table. “Quizas... maybe!” They shared their empanadas and talked for several hours on the patio of the cantina. Nobody else came to Maria’s cantina all day, but she didn’t care at all. Now that she had met Mateo, she had nothing else to worry about, not a care in the world. Everything was going to be fine.
The street was narrow and full of shadows. Too many shadows. Light crept in from across the rooftops and a few alleyways. But the trash bins and parked cars, the doorways and fences... the man he sought could be anywhere. Watching him. Sizing him up and measuring exactly when to kill him. Timing was everything in a good hit.
ReplyDeleteMoving with a burst of speed, the man with death in his eyes slid behind a car. Bullets sprayed the bricks and road behind him. Flecks of stone and mortar bit into his right cheek and arm, blood welling up in tiny grazes.
Silence now. They both knew the game.
Lena - Thank you as always for stopping by, and for your kind words! I hope by now that you're feeling better :)
ReplyDeletekrowles1981 - Thank you for writing with me. I always enjoy your stories. Love the trading spaces twist on this one!
FilmGuy - Thank you for writing with me, too! And a two parter nonetheless. Can't wait to see all your pieces of this spy novel come together one day.
Alissa - Welcome to Write Away Every Day! I love a good love story :) Please come back soon and write with me again.