Post by TealBox on Jan 25, 2005 19:39:37 GMT -5
All of my e-mails stopped working at the same time, so since I can't submit this to Algonquin right now I'm just going to post it here like we used to. Um, I wrote this about a month ago and it is a symbolization of every feeling I've ever felt about my friend, Caitlin.
A Story for Those Who Fade to the Background
By Ben Holladay
George was not a happy man. There was nothing wrong with his life but that fact only served to confuse him more. George had lived without any pain of his own. He had a good childhood, good family, many friends, few enemies, and a lot of passion for life. He suffered the worst kind of pain, the kind only known by those who have nigh perfect lives; George suffered the pain of others. All the people of Earth scurry in search of that which will bring them their peace. George knew the truth; no one person will ever live a perfect life until every person lives a perfect life.
George finished his coffee, ignoring the voice in the back of his head lecturing him on how unhealthy coffee is. He left a tip on the table, one dollar bill and two quarters.
Molly never expected to be working at a coffee place for three years. She had grown up in a small town; she moved to the city to go to college and stayed in hope of becoming a journalist. Molly didn’t really care about the news, she believed most people couldn’t handle it, but she had curiosity. When something like that is in your blood it stops mattering why you do what you do, it just matters that you do it. Molly picked up the tip and saw the year 1978 printed in the metal of the quarter.
Molly hurried to the back room and began crying. She picked up the phone; she had to talk to Melinda.
Melinda did not answer. She watched the phone ring and wanted to smash it, but didn’t want to be bothered to buy a new phone. Harry hadn’t even been gone an hour. Melinda had been gone much longer than that. Ever since the wedding Melinda was no longer there for Harry. She barely listened and her eyes stared deadly. Somehow a piece of paper changed everything. Just because she married Harry didn’t mean things had to be different, but she believed it did. Melinda was just a tool of the world; Harry wanted more than a tool, but all he found was a younger woman.
The phone stopped ringing.
Molly finally dried her eyes and gave up on the phone. She was off work in five minutes. She took off her apron and left early.
The waitress bumped into Mr. Brock as he entered the building. She did not have her apron on, but she wore the same striped shirt as all the waitresses. Mr. Brock realized this but he did not notice it. All he noticed was her eyes. They were brown and big, much larger seeming than normal human eyes. Though her hair, body, and face were very plain her eyes made her beautiful.
Mr. Brock got his coffee to go and returned to his car. He had to drive 30 minutes to get to work. He picked up his cell phone and called Tina. He worried about her a lot more now that she was in Britain; it was so foreign to him; he didn’t even realize it was called Great Britain actually.
Tina picked up her phone; she knew it was her father before he even spoke. He called every day; she didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop. They talked about the weather and the news and were bored long before the conversation was over. Tina’s father finally made himself hang up but before he did he made Tina promise to not mess around with European boys as he did every time. Tina told him she would as she signaled to Billy to stop make her laughing. She found her pants on the floor and put them on; she hadn’t been able to find her underwear which had wound up hanging from the ceiling fan in her rush to remove them the night before.
Mr. Brock pulled into work. He had a six o’ clock meeting with the family of a couple who had died in a car wreck. At 6:15 PM a man and a woman showed up. They asked him to wait ten minutes for their sister. At 6:24 PM a second woman entered the room. She had big, brown eyes that made her beautiful. Mr. Brock had already seen her once today. He realized this but he did not notice it.
Molly stared at the small man. He seemed to not fit in the world. He was something she knew inside she had entirely never seen before. He read her parents’ will but Molly had no idea what happened during that hour of her life. Her memories stopped with the little man and didn’t start again until she was walking to her car. Before she left she hugged Nina.
Nina got in her car and drove away. There was only one place on Earth she wanted to be. She was in love with Harry. She knew she should feel guilty for having an affair with her sister’s bestfriend’s husband, but Melinda was the one who ended the marriage first and everyone knew it. Harry was staying at his friend’s house now that Melinda had kicked him out. She got out of her car and went to the front door. The door opened before she knocked.
Harry looked at Nina. She absolutely disgusted him. She was the effigy of his every sin and evil. Her skin burned him but he couldn’t pull away. Having her gave him one big wrong to blame himself for. It was easier than counting all the little things he’d done. Harry was tired of right and wrong, he wanted out and the only way for him was to know that he was 100 percent one or the other.
Nina and Harry could feel John’s eyes watching them. John didn’t approve of Harry’s affair or want Harry to be there, but he felt he was obligated to help out the man who was once his friend.
Nina and Harry went to the kitchen where John could not see them. John made chicken noodles and the two ate in awkward silence. Afterward they went to the guest room and began kissing. Nina couldn’t stop thinking of John down stairs judging her. She pulled away from Harry, put her coat back on, and left.
On her way home Nina began feeling the evils of her actions. She knew now Harry did not love her, she’d known that all along. She didn’t want to go home. That’s where her and Harry first committed adultery almost six months ago. She drove to her brother’s house.
David opened his door after hearing a loud banging on it and saw his little sister crying. He invited her in and made her some tea. David had always hated tea but as a child his parents had always given it to his sisters to comfort them. He felt the kitchen would be under stocked with no tea. David handed Nina a quarter with 1978 stamped into the metal. His older sister had given it to him earlier that day. 1978 was the year their parents got married. David’s older sister told him the coin had been bugging her all day, mocking her. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t escape the evidence that the past had happened. Just because her parents died didn’t change the fact she had parents. Nina slept on David’s couch that night.
In the morning Nina and David went to the coffee shop where Molly worked. They sat at the table next to the window and stayed there all day. Every chance she got Molly broke away to speak with her brother and sister. The three remembered their childhood together and laughed though it was obvious each of them would be crying later that day.
Molly remembered how she had felt on the day last year when she had discovered she was adopted. She was angry at her parents for keeping the secret for 26 years and angry at herself for not noticing it earlier. How did she have two siblings and not a single picture or memory of her mother pregnant? Molly had curiosity in her bloody, to miss such a big question for over two and a half decades irked her more than it should have. But her mother’s eyes were big and brown like hers. Why would she ever question it?
At 3:30 PM George entered the same coffee shop he did every day, but today was different. The table by the window where he had sat every day for over a year had people at it. George took a different table but it didn’t feel right. It was a small bother but George had never had any pain of his own. He had to live with all the little things. George had reached the borderline of perfection; he now had to deal with the pain of others.
A Story for Those Who Fade to the Background
By Ben Holladay
George was not a happy man. There was nothing wrong with his life but that fact only served to confuse him more. George had lived without any pain of his own. He had a good childhood, good family, many friends, few enemies, and a lot of passion for life. He suffered the worst kind of pain, the kind only known by those who have nigh perfect lives; George suffered the pain of others. All the people of Earth scurry in search of that which will bring them their peace. George knew the truth; no one person will ever live a perfect life until every person lives a perfect life.
George finished his coffee, ignoring the voice in the back of his head lecturing him on how unhealthy coffee is. He left a tip on the table, one dollar bill and two quarters.
Molly never expected to be working at a coffee place for three years. She had grown up in a small town; she moved to the city to go to college and stayed in hope of becoming a journalist. Molly didn’t really care about the news, she believed most people couldn’t handle it, but she had curiosity. When something like that is in your blood it stops mattering why you do what you do, it just matters that you do it. Molly picked up the tip and saw the year 1978 printed in the metal of the quarter.
Molly hurried to the back room and began crying. She picked up the phone; she had to talk to Melinda.
Melinda did not answer. She watched the phone ring and wanted to smash it, but didn’t want to be bothered to buy a new phone. Harry hadn’t even been gone an hour. Melinda had been gone much longer than that. Ever since the wedding Melinda was no longer there for Harry. She barely listened and her eyes stared deadly. Somehow a piece of paper changed everything. Just because she married Harry didn’t mean things had to be different, but she believed it did. Melinda was just a tool of the world; Harry wanted more than a tool, but all he found was a younger woman.
The phone stopped ringing.
Molly finally dried her eyes and gave up on the phone. She was off work in five minutes. She took off her apron and left early.
The waitress bumped into Mr. Brock as he entered the building. She did not have her apron on, but she wore the same striped shirt as all the waitresses. Mr. Brock realized this but he did not notice it. All he noticed was her eyes. They were brown and big, much larger seeming than normal human eyes. Though her hair, body, and face were very plain her eyes made her beautiful.
Mr. Brock got his coffee to go and returned to his car. He had to drive 30 minutes to get to work. He picked up his cell phone and called Tina. He worried about her a lot more now that she was in Britain; it was so foreign to him; he didn’t even realize it was called Great Britain actually.
Tina picked up her phone; she knew it was her father before he even spoke. He called every day; she didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop. They talked about the weather and the news and were bored long before the conversation was over. Tina’s father finally made himself hang up but before he did he made Tina promise to not mess around with European boys as he did every time. Tina told him she would as she signaled to Billy to stop make her laughing. She found her pants on the floor and put them on; she hadn’t been able to find her underwear which had wound up hanging from the ceiling fan in her rush to remove them the night before.
Mr. Brock pulled into work. He had a six o’ clock meeting with the family of a couple who had died in a car wreck. At 6:15 PM a man and a woman showed up. They asked him to wait ten minutes for their sister. At 6:24 PM a second woman entered the room. She had big, brown eyes that made her beautiful. Mr. Brock had already seen her once today. He realized this but he did not notice it.
Molly stared at the small man. He seemed to not fit in the world. He was something she knew inside she had entirely never seen before. He read her parents’ will but Molly had no idea what happened during that hour of her life. Her memories stopped with the little man and didn’t start again until she was walking to her car. Before she left she hugged Nina.
Nina got in her car and drove away. There was only one place on Earth she wanted to be. She was in love with Harry. She knew she should feel guilty for having an affair with her sister’s bestfriend’s husband, but Melinda was the one who ended the marriage first and everyone knew it. Harry was staying at his friend’s house now that Melinda had kicked him out. She got out of her car and went to the front door. The door opened before she knocked.
Harry looked at Nina. She absolutely disgusted him. She was the effigy of his every sin and evil. Her skin burned him but he couldn’t pull away. Having her gave him one big wrong to blame himself for. It was easier than counting all the little things he’d done. Harry was tired of right and wrong, he wanted out and the only way for him was to know that he was 100 percent one or the other.
Nina and Harry could feel John’s eyes watching them. John didn’t approve of Harry’s affair or want Harry to be there, but he felt he was obligated to help out the man who was once his friend.
Nina and Harry went to the kitchen where John could not see them. John made chicken noodles and the two ate in awkward silence. Afterward they went to the guest room and began kissing. Nina couldn’t stop thinking of John down stairs judging her. She pulled away from Harry, put her coat back on, and left.
On her way home Nina began feeling the evils of her actions. She knew now Harry did not love her, she’d known that all along. She didn’t want to go home. That’s where her and Harry first committed adultery almost six months ago. She drove to her brother’s house.
David opened his door after hearing a loud banging on it and saw his little sister crying. He invited her in and made her some tea. David had always hated tea but as a child his parents had always given it to his sisters to comfort them. He felt the kitchen would be under stocked with no tea. David handed Nina a quarter with 1978 stamped into the metal. His older sister had given it to him earlier that day. 1978 was the year their parents got married. David’s older sister told him the coin had been bugging her all day, mocking her. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t escape the evidence that the past had happened. Just because her parents died didn’t change the fact she had parents. Nina slept on David’s couch that night.
In the morning Nina and David went to the coffee shop where Molly worked. They sat at the table next to the window and stayed there all day. Every chance she got Molly broke away to speak with her brother and sister. The three remembered their childhood together and laughed though it was obvious each of them would be crying later that day.
Molly remembered how she had felt on the day last year when she had discovered she was adopted. She was angry at her parents for keeping the secret for 26 years and angry at herself for not noticing it earlier. How did she have two siblings and not a single picture or memory of her mother pregnant? Molly had curiosity in her bloody, to miss such a big question for over two and a half decades irked her more than it should have. But her mother’s eyes were big and brown like hers. Why would she ever question it?
At 3:30 PM George entered the same coffee shop he did every day, but today was different. The table by the window where he had sat every day for over a year had people at it. George took a different table but it didn’t feel right. It was a small bother but George had never had any pain of his own. He had to live with all the little things. George had reached the borderline of perfection; he now had to deal with the pain of others.
