These are a series of short pieces written for one of my assignments in a writing class, November 1996.
He was mortified. How was he going to support Beth and the kids with no job? He hurriedly packed up the things on his desk, wanting to cry at everything that reminded him of how happy he had been working for Calavicci & Associates. Sam Stockman left his office, feeling very down. A middle-agned man, with wonderful credentials, should be able to find another job quickly . . . or could he? He had worked for Calavicci & Associates since he graduated from college. His college buddy had gotten him the job and that's the only place he had ever worked. Moving up from the mail room to a coveted loan approval associate job had taken him 25 years. Sure, he had experience, but hadn't Professor Beckett said that people who work one job for decades usually have a difficult time finding a new one. These pessimistic thoughts swirled around his mind as he drove home. How was he going to break it to Beth? And what about the kids? Ruthie was old enough to understand, and Theresa might understand a little, but Maxine was just the baby in the family, and wouldn't understand why Santa would bring so few gifts this year. The tall, dark-haired British man stepped out of the car, and walked into his house under a cloud of doom and despair.
What would Scott think? He was waiting for this shirt, his favorite shirt . . . he would be so mad! Janna thought back to all the times in the past that she hadn't done her job just right for him. She tenderly felt the large bruise on her cheek, a fresh bruise from yesterday, when she had burnt the dinner. Scott had gone and ate at his men's club. But this was no burnt dinner. This was a burnt shirt, and he was waiting out there for it. She thought back to the time they met. She had seen his lean, muscular body from across the school gym at the turnabout dance her sophomore year. He had swept her off her feet, and they were going steady within a few weeks. They married just one week after her high school graduation, and his college graduation. They honeymooned in Vegas, but he wouldn't let her gamble, and slapped her hand whenever she asked for money to get a drink, or some candy from a vending machine, or anything. She should have seen it coming then. His abuses became progressively worse. After their first year of marriage, she had to stop going out with her friends because Scott didn't want them asking questions about the bruises he gave her every night. How could she now tell him about his burnt shirt? He would kill her. She made her decision. Tossing the shirt in the trash, she walked up to him and said, "Scott, I want a divorce. I'm going to my mother's and I will send my little brother over later today to get my things. I don't love you anymore, and I will no longer take your abuses." With that, she walked out the door and out of his life forever.
"Tina, why would you lie to me?" Tina cowered in fear. Albert Stockwell, her father, could be very scary when he got mad. She thought that maybe it was 'cause he had been in the Navy so long, and he was an Admiral now. She figured that if he wasn't mean, the other soldiers wouldn't do their work right. But he didn't have to be so mean and scary with her. It wasn't fair. Especially since it had been just a little white lie, nothing that would "sink ships" like Daddy always said. She had meant to tell him about the broken display case soon, after she fixed it and he couldn't yell about it being broken. She hadn't meant to drop it, she just wanted to look real close at the little Navy ribbons in it. They were all so pretty, and Daddy had earned them all by himself. He had the big part of each ribbon in the display case, a little box with a glass top so everyone could see but not touch. The little part of each one lined up in six rows on his uniform. "But, I only wanted to look close at the pretty ribbons. I didn't mean to drop it. I was gonna fix it for ya," she said softly, almost whispering. "If you want to take a close look, you should have asked me honey. That case is very heavy, and you're too little to lift it by yourself. Next time, ask. I don't mind you looking at my medals, as long as you ask first, okay?" She nodded, staring at her toes. "And I'll fix the case. You shouldn't try to put together broken glass. You can help me, though." Tina looked up. It was always fun to help Daddy! She skipped off with him to the garage to fix the display case.
Sam Conway walked out to the mailbox early Saturday morning. He didn't expect anything for him, but it was always nice to watch Jessical Will, from across the street, walking out to get her letters. He loved to watch her, but she never noticed him, and he was too shy to ask her out on a date. He reached the mailbox and pulled out the pile of letters. Sifting through them, one with his name on it caught his eye. He looked at the return address. It was from Indiana State! It had finally come! He let out a large whoop, which caused Jessica to finally notice him, and he ran in the house, flinging all the other letters on the kitchen table. He was so excited he could barely open the letter. When he did, the wonderful words seemed to jump out at him, "You have been accepted to Indiana State University." Sam ran to tell everybody else in the family.
Last updated 05 JUL 98
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