Dinner party. Of three.
‘Mary, Elizabeth, Anita. Party of three.’
‘Of course. Right this way.’
They sit in the middle of most of the tables. It was an expensive dinner. $20 total for everything. A lot of cash all at once in that day and age.
The chairs were pulled out all at once from three butlers. Bruce, Gerard, and Greg. They met here every three months at the turn of the season.
‘What are we discussing today Mary?’ Anita asked.
‘Oh, just the usual.’ She looked cautiously toward Elizabeth. ‘What is keeping us busy? Do tell.’
Elizabeth started. ‘My home, is clean. But could be cleaner. My room, the decor is validating my hopes and dreams. Bed is used for rest. Nightstand has my books. All is in place.’ She looks at Anita.
Anita begins. ‘Ah. Good to hear. A desk now. No more reading in bed, no. A bed left for rest is a restful bed. How quaint.’ She sips water. ‘ But I’ll be the first to say, my couch. It only holds three people and I had four people home at a time, last month. Not a problem. I sit across, then ask one to join me, to even up to two, but who would join? Of course the one in the middle yes? No. It was one from the outside then the other felt obliged to move seats. It was an event.’
Mary spoke. ‘I let the dishes pile up. Then I walked my pup. I had to get out of the house. Unprepared, it rained. No umbrella, I turned back home. Washed the dishes to keep hands warm. If I’d not been so ansy, I could have not had a wet dog home. I had to wait an hour until he was dry from kennel.’
The food arrived.
All was quiet.
Sounds of silverware. Smiled when glanced upon, but eyes mainly stayed on food.
The night wore on. They finished and enjoyed quietly.
Elizabeth spoke. ‘Well, that’s what two couches are for, yes?’ Laughing into her hands.
Anita laughs. ‘Yes dear. Yes. And Mary, sometimes we must cleanse ourselves in the rain before we wash our plates?’
Mary gets quiet. Tension fills the table. She thinks on the occasion with her dog. That long hour. ‘I’m not so sure. I had to walk, yes. What do you think Elizabeth?’
Elizabeth’s heart is steady and in the right place. ‘ Do you not keep an umbrella by the door?’
Mary pictures her doorway. ‘That’ s the ticket! It remains in my closet after Spring! I knew something was amiss.’
Dessert came. Ice cream and cake. They eat two bites, call it a night, then hug each other and look forward to January.
Short Stories
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I found this line hilarious (honestly, I probably found it way more funny than I should have, but it was great):
“I sit across, then ask one to join me, to even up to two, but who would join? Of course the one in the middle yes? No. It was one from the outside then the other felt obliged to move seats. It was an event.’”
It’s such a small thing, not even a problem, yet to them it’s considered an event. Great line.
I am curious though, why did you decide to write your sentences like, “Smiled when glanced upon, but eyes mainly stayed on food” instead of “They smiled when glanced upon, but their eyes mainly stayed on their food”?
Good question. I think as I was writing that line, I meant it to sound very inclusive toward the food being eaten. Their eyes might not have met all at once on one occasion. Writing they, would to me, assume that they all looked at each other often enough all together. Smiled when looked upon indicates that the moment may have risen, but only subtlety, and for a moment.