Two Halves of a Whole

"I'm serious, Jimmy.  Give it to me.  Now."

The slight tremors have become more like quakes.  Not slight.  More like unslight quakes leading to whatever is bigger than an earthquake.

"Nah, man, I won it.  Only thing I've won.  Ever.  I ain't givin' it up.  You give."  Jimmy juts out his chin and holds his hands over it against his chest, creating a cage of possession.

The quakes rock the rocks.  The rocks start to crumble.  It's like being in the ending an Indiana Jones movie, only it's not a movie, though it could very well be the end.

"No way.  I'm closer.  Throw it to me.  This has nothing to do with nostalgia, Jimmy.  If we die, no one's going to care who won and who lost what."

Jimmy pulls his hands away from his chest enough to see his prize.  It glows golden.  He covers it up as the pebbles fall.  The only positive of the falling pebbles?  More light.  The more the rock cracks and breaks, the more light comes through from above.

"I care.  I'll care when I die."

"What do you mean when?"

Actual rock-sized rocks fall.  The brown sludge of centuries melts down through the tunnels.  It is thick.  It smells like ash.

"It's not an if, Roy. It's a when.  We all gotta die."

"Yes, but not all of us have to die right now.  Not if you give me the other half of the

Last Day On The Islands

The sun rises

s  l  o  w  l  y 

over the head of diamond-

shaped mountains,

a volcano put to sleep

against a sky stained

blazing orange to blue.

A final hot cup

filled with Kona coffee.

A final mango smoothie

made to order on the veranda.

A final glance at the surfers,

backs glistening, dripping,

salty and muscled—their boards

jamming through waves

so clear, like glass, like crystal,

like sweet ice before it's shaved

into a cone—one last taste

before the gravity of the mainland

bears down and pulls.

 

In The Jungles of the DR

Lush, green trees keep out the light over the cavernous, craggly curves and dips of the rocks, so smooth like marble and slick with algae, carved out from centuries of waterflow that has grown stronger every year.  Each vine hangs at different levels, some close enough to the bottom pool so that the tourists in their life jackets can reach up with daring fingers.  They don't dare, though; the guide, all lean muscle and tan skin, swoops in and over, water dripping from his limbs, and leaps, arms splaying and chest pumped, finally splashing into the shallow pool in front of them.

Confession: This picture is not exactly of the DR....but it's close

The shoe no longer has laces; it's a Keds, circa 1980-something, one of the rare styles with flair, brightly colored as if spattered with paint.  The stream has not washed out the color.  The water leads up the bend and back around the trees, disappearing.  Anything can disappear in those warm hills even though they are interlaced with light from the high noon sun, when above the temperatures reach three digits.

Love Seat

CHARLIE and KATHY sit on opposite ends of the couch. A phone is ringing, but neither of them budge. CHARLIE slumps down to reach into the pockets of his jeans with both hands. KATHY sits up straighter and begins to flick dust off the arm of the couch. CHARLIE pulls his hands out and wipes them on the cushion, reaching as far as he can towards KATHY while looking at the floor. KATHY glares for a few beats and then pulls up the center cushion and throws it on the floor. CHARLIE pops up from his seat and jumps to sit in the now empty space where the cushion was. KATHY pulls the couch pillow from behind her and puts it between herself and CHARLIE.

Caught

“Do you want to tell me anything about the last assignment you handed in?”

Eyes down at the floor, body quickly following in a slump. Not even a nod. Not even a slight raise or lower in her chest to show a sign of life.

 “Do you want to say anything to me about your assignment?”

 This time, the eyes flutter. Still can't tell the color; the lashes are too long, most likely fake.

"Can you explain to me who Katie Chopping is?”

 Her head snaps up, causing her ponytail to flop to the side, one thick tail all shaking from the stun. Her lips disappear, sucking in through her teeth.

 "Fine. Then maybe you can explain how your paper is an exact replica of the one I found online, the one that misspells the name Kate Chopin."

She turns her face away from me once more, leans her torso to the left, and vomits in one strong whoooosh and splat.

The Apologizer

I've become a different person since yesterday.  Honest.  I know yesterday was only three hours ago, and I'm probably wakin you up, but I hadta get this out.  I couldn't sleep.  My sheets are all twisted around my waist and. . . you know what, hon?  I'm gonna wash these sheets.  Just like you said.  You know, start takin care of things around here.  The ceilin.  I'll paint it first thing tomorrow.  Today.  Today later in a few hours.  Or maybe I should get that job you were, I mean we were, talkin about.  Not to take credit for your idea or nothin but I knew I shoulda had a job way before you eva brought it up.  I mean, no self-respectin man doesn't have a way to earn some cash, but you know, since I am now a way different person, I can share the credit withya.  So here's the deal, swee'pea: Numba one: get a job. Nubma two: paint the ceilin. Numba three: wash the sheets.  I figure I'll wash 'em after I paint so if any of the paint gets on 'em it'll come right out in the machine.  I can feel it already, sweetheart.  Can you?  No, don't answer that.  I know it; you do.

The Contents Of Kim's Purse

(In The Order She Empties It To Find A Pen To Sign An Autograph)

1 tampon, because it always comes out first even if it’s been purposely buried.

2 tissues, ripped and crumpled but not used

1 tube lip gloss, copper tint, CVS—trying something new

1 tube lipstick, pink, Stila

3 quarters

1 cell phone, containing the numbers of (a rough estimate) 984 celebrities, her top five being all relatives, about 800 never used more than once

5 pieces of Trident gum, Original

1 mini-bar sized bottle of Chambourd with a blue satin ribbon around the neck

1 pill box containing four Advil, one green tea supplement, and a red Tic Tac

2 Snickers’ wrappers

1 flashlight keychain, sans keys

2 to-do lists, items crossed off

3 receipts, La Petite Coquette, Hermes, CVS ( lip gloss and the condoms)

5 condoms, lubricated, large, in one long shiny strip

1 powder compact, Chanel

1 set of keys, five in total with a tiny rubber ducky hanging between them

3 jelly pens, pastel green, pastel yellow, pastel lilac running low

1 clicky pen, blue ink

** obviously, instead of going through her garbage, I went through something else that's personal.  Same kind of idea, right?