Lucky Lemon #10
Lying on the floor of our empty tan living room, I couldn’t discern whether the fan was spinning or was it me that was spinning. After watching a few big burly men lift my furniture into a truck, I’d decided that Jack Daniels was the only man I needed in my life. I was hoping the liquor would make me forget, the truth is it helped me remember. The last time the house was this empty, we’d made love on every surface of the place.
I failed. In every aspect of my life I’d failed. There was a day when I was an up-and-comer. Academically envied by all my peers, my sights set high. When I said yes to the ring and household, my sisters all told me it was a bad idea. I’d never wanted anything more than a home and a family. Greg loved me. We’d been an awkward match from the start; me the head-strong business type, him the leisure-world playboy type. How’d that silly boy wrangle her and manage to tie her down? But I enjoyed furnishing our new home, hosting parties, and raising our children.
How beautiful they were. So tiny and scrawny, so helpless and innocent, my children were gorgeous from the day they were born. Gemma matured in the same manner I did, and soon she was the winner of the relay on field day, gifted student, high school graduate. Her little brother, Aiden, grew up even faster and much more in the shadow of his father. Watching him walk the aisle in that regal navy gown, I sobbed in the stands. I sobbed, almost as hard as the night almost two weeks later when Greg professed his undying love.
----
It’s 6:45am and I am running late. First day on the job, what a great impression. I draped my cardigan over the back of the office chair and slipped on the head set. As I took my seat, I took my first phone call “Anthony, Anthony, St. John and Randolph, this is Julie, how can I help you?” I transferred the call and put the two pictures I’d brought on my empty desk. Thank God Dad’s Attourney’s law firm was in need of a new secretary. Who else would hire a woman who’d been fired from her last job: wife and mother?”
I failed. In every aspect of my life I’d failed. There was a day when I was an up-and-comer. Academically envied by all my peers, my sights set high. When I said yes to the ring and household, my sisters all told me it was a bad idea. I’d never wanted anything more than a home and a family. Greg loved me. We’d been an awkward match from the start; me the head-strong business type, him the leisure-world playboy type. How’d that silly boy wrangle her and manage to tie her down? But I enjoyed furnishing our new home, hosting parties, and raising our children.
How beautiful they were. So tiny and scrawny, so helpless and innocent, my children were gorgeous from the day they were born. Gemma matured in the same manner I did, and soon she was the winner of the relay on field day, gifted student, high school graduate. Her little brother, Aiden, grew up even faster and much more in the shadow of his father. Watching him walk the aisle in that regal navy gown, I sobbed in the stands. I sobbed, almost as hard as the night almost two weeks later when Greg professed his undying love.
----
It’s 6:45am and I am running late. First day on the job, what a great impression. I draped my cardigan over the back of the office chair and slipped on the head set. As I took my seat, I took my first phone call “Anthony, Anthony, St. John and Randolph, this is Julie, how can I help you?” I transferred the call and put the two pictures I’d brought on my empty desk. Thank God Dad’s Attourney’s law firm was in need of a new secretary. Who else would hire a woman who’d been fired from her last job: wife and mother?”
posted by Anonymous at 12:01 AM
1 Comments:
Oh. So clever. I love this turn to the wife/mom job.
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