Staring at the blocks and blocks of sugar cubes scattered on the dining room table, Jenna wondered if she would be feeling the grit of broken cubes under her foot for weeks to come. Why did Reese have to pick sugar cubes to construct her Mission project? One more mission and she was done. Dominic had done his required fourth grade California Mission building two years ago in only 5 weeks, Reese was on week 8 and the six foot round wooden dining room table had not been seen for most of that time, buried under green and tan construction paper, sheets of white foam board and various forms for Elmer’s glue that now collected as puddles on the old table top. I wonder if I’ll be able to get it clean before Thanksgiving?
The Merlot warmed the back of her throat as she stood in the kitchen alternating her view from three war zone areas screaming her name. What do other women do after the kids go to bed whose husbands are real men and stick around? She still can feel the pain in her center of her chest when she thought back to Roger politely telling her that he had a new life he wanted to follow, Destiny? Soul mate? My ass. That’s what he thought about us 15 years ago. The next sip of wine brought her back to the crisis all calling her name.
To her left was the darken laundry room; Jenna closed her eyes and saw clearly the three piles of clothes that the kids had collected from their rooms today. Dominic needs his uniform clean for tomorrow’s game. To her right, she heard the hum of the computer whispering her name in a seductive gesture. The online bank statements and bills stood behind the taunting whisper always crushing her into a helpless blubber and filling her with her ever present companions Ms. Uncertainty and Mistress Doubt. Dead ahead were the ten bags of groceries and supplies from the Costco run in between practice and take-out. At least the kids got the frozen and refrig things away already. If I start now I might get it all done before midnight. I’ll set the alarm for five and finish my presentation in the morning. I can do this. Jenna, I know you can do all this! I can do this one more day. I can make this work.
Reese filled her glass of wine and started towards the laundry room.
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You capture an entire world here. All the small details, i.e. the sugar on the floor, the uniform that has to be ready, put us in the moment of the character, lets us feel the way that she is feeling. Really nicely done!
ReplyDeletethis is a great piece! really captures a reality that seldom gets down on paper without sounding whiney. I was able to picture it all - so many worlds all under one roof.
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