Training Matthew Part 1

“Tell me everything, Matthew.”

Louisiana summer Saturday nights are hot. So hot, in fact, that Maggie would draw a bath around four o’clock, right after she got off work at the Piggly Wiggly. She would bring home a six-pack from the filling station to forget and a bag of ice from the freezer to forgive. Usually, as the bath ran, she would polish off the first can while holding a chunk of ice against her neck and against her lips to suck off the cold drips. The window was open in the bathroom, at least. She could feel nothing, but she could hear everything outside. The evening birds sang their songs, and crickets chirped their words. The evening was slowly coming.

The fans were on in the house near the other open windows, which were bringing a light breeze into the house, but it wasn’t strong enough for the bathroom. That old window fan quit working years ago. She reached under the claw foot tub, found a dirty tube sock, and tossed it in the hamper. It was off-white with age and wear but had a large, bright-red ring on the top.

She would be doing his laundry later at the washeteria. Matthew’s. He wasn’t really her stepson, but she’d known him since he was ten. He had no other family, and she’d wanted him to stick with her after his dad died over there. They told her it was training exercises, but she never got any checks because they were never officially married. Sure, they’d had a little wedding at Woodstock. They were poor, but they were poor together.

He graduated from high school, but he wasn’t smart. He was smart enough on paper but his looks, they were going to take him places. He’d worked his ass off at any odd job he could get, from lawn mowing to cart pushing at the market. He was thrifty and knew that by the end of summer, he was going to get Mr. Alvin’s 1968 Skylark. It was all he talked about anymore. Getting that damn car and driving it to California.

He wanted to go out west like some ignoramus. She’d never admit to him that she would do anything to get out of this town. She was always on the road with her friends before she met John. He was tame for a hippie, and she saw a stability in him that she knew she never would have gotten anywhere else. They were both broken when he was drafted so late in the war. They really thought the war would be over at any time.

Related posts:

Affiliate marketing has emerged as a lucrative way for individuals and businesses to generate income online. It offers the opportunity to earn commissions by promoting and selling products or…

Rebranding is the process of giving a new look and feels to a company’s brand to reflect its current values, personality, and mission. Successful rebranding can help a business create a lasting…

Kalea sedang menyiapkan dirinya untuk berangkat ke sekolah bersama Wina , Setelah selesai menyiapkan dirinya ia menuju ke motor kesayangannya dan menuju ke rumah calon kekasihnya itu . Akhirnya…