1980
“I don’t know if I can do it
anymore.” Louella said to her sister. The two middle-aged women sat on the
wooden deck attached to the second story of Louise’s house and looked down at
the lake. A gin and tonic rested on the table between Louella and her sister.
Louella sipped from a tall glass of sweet tea.
“I don’t see why not,” Louise said.
Three years younger than her famous sister, Louise and her husband had two
grown children. Louise had worked as a reporter for many years, but had
recently retired. Her husband, Brewer, worked as a contractor.
“I can’t get to the truth of the
thing,” Louella said. “I hear one story from one person and I hear the opposite
from someone else. Everybody has their own agenda and I can’t trust anyone.”
“I believe that’s a cardinal,”
Louise said, pointing to a little red bird perched in one of the trees on the
side of the yard.
“From a writer’s standpoint, I just
don’t know what to do about it.”
“Why don’t you make something up?
No one will know the difference.”
“This is coming from a journalist.”
“Former journalist,” Louise
corrected. “I never made anything up, but I knew some that did not mind cutting
corners when they found themselves up against a deadline. As a fiction writer,
however, I don’t think anyone will hold it against you.”
“Accept those that do,” Louella answered
sourly.
“You can’t please everyone.”
“I’d like to be able to please
myself,” Louella said. “The only way I can do that is if I stick to the truth.”
“I’m sure it will all work out,”
Louise said. “Do you see the Blue Jay?”
“I need another drink.” Louella
picked up her glass and swirled the ice.
“Pace yourself, Louella. It’s not
even four o’clock.”
“Louise, I’m a grown woman. I’ll
have a drink if I want one.”
“Well, I expect you feel you are
under some pressure, but don’t take it out on me.”
“I’m not taking anything out on
you,” Louella said as she drained the last bit of gin-flavored water. “You
don’t know what it’s like to be in my position.”
“Oh, pooh.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you have everything and
yet you’re still feeling sorry for yourself. You don’t even have to work if you
don’t want to. You have all the money in the world. Do you know how many people
would trade places with you in about ten seconds if they could?”
“Well, I might trade with them
too.”
“You’d be a fool.”
“Oh, you don’t know what you’re
talking about.” Louella slammed her glass down on the table.
“Only the smartest person I know,
Louella. The person whose shadow I’ve been living in for most of my adult
life.”
“So that’s what this is about?
You’re jealous?”
“Who wouldn’t be jealous of you?
You won the sweepstakes of life, and you don’t even have the good sense to
recognize or enjoy it.”
“That’s it. I’m done with you.”
“You can’t be done with me. I’m
your sister. You’re stuck with me for life.”
“I am done with you.” Louella stood
up and began looking for her purse.
“Go on. Go for one of your walks.
You can walk away from me, but you can’t walk away from yourself.”
“I would if I could,” Louella said.
She disappeared into the house through a sliding glass door. Within a few
moments, she would leave the house. She wouldn’t look back.
Go to Chapter 33.
About
This Novel; Chapter
1 ; Chapter
2;
Chapter
3; Chapter
4;
Chapter
5; Chapter
6; Chapter
7;
Chapter
8; Chapter
9; Chapter
10; Chapter
11;
Chapter
12;
Chapter
13; Chapter
14; Chapter
15; Chapter
16;
Chapter
17; Chapter
18; Chapter
19; Chapter
20; Chapter
21;
Blood
Cries at the Half-Way Point; Chapter
22;
Chapter
23; Chapter
24;
Chapter
25; Chapter
26;
Chapter
27; Chapter
28;
Chapter
29; Chapter
30; Chapter
31
No comments:
Post a Comment