Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Begining

I got a new book with writing prompts a little while back. It consists of pictures with prompts go get you to write something about the picture. The picture that prompted this story was of a card sized envelope with no post mark. It's pretty much as described in the story I like to think.
I sent it to Connie at work because I know she tends to be bored lately and she liked the story and told me I should post it in my journal. She understands my writing and the way my mind works. For those who may read this and do not I will include the standard disclaimer to most fiction that this IS a work of fiction and the people and events in the story are fictional. Any resemblance to any people is coincidental. Also locations may not be represented faithfully but may be modifed to fit the needs of the story, or may not exist at all.
I hope you enjoy the story...if you do let me know and maybe I will write more of it because this is but the beginning. I need encouragement to keep going and I'm not above begging to get it :)
 
Tricia heard Matt come in from the garage as she finished putting Matthew Jr, known as Matty, to bed. “Daddy will be in to tell you good night sweetie. Mommy loves you, sleep well.”
By the time she got to the family room Matt was already in his recliner with a beer and had buzzed the TV on. So much, Tricia thought, for yet another night. He would sit there for the next couple of hours, falling asleep somewhere along the way and then at 11:00 she would wake him up and he would fall into bed. She knew if she tried to get him to go to bed sooner he would resist. Even the promise of sex was no longer enough it seemed.
He looked around as she came into the room. “I brought the mail up from the mailbox. You forgot it I guess. It’s on the kitchen table.”
“Was there anything interesting in it?”Tricia asked, biting back a desire to tell him that she’d been occupied taking care of his son and his house while also doing the book keeping for his business and that the mail man had been late and she just didn’t have the time or energy to run down and check for the mail every half hour or so.
“Didn’t look like it, “Matt said distractedly as he channel surfed. “Nothing for me anyway. Might be some bills and stuff for you.”
“You should go tell Matty good night,” Tricia told him. “I promised him you would. Are you going to be working this late every night now I guess?”
“Don’t start on me Tricia,” Matt growled. “You know how it is sometimes.”
She bit back an angry reply and with a sigh went into the kitchen to look at the mail as much to avoid the same old argument as anything. She did know how it was. When it suited his purpose he could take lots of time off and would arrange his schedule to suit himself. The time seemed to have past now that his schedule would be arranged to make time for her or Matty. Lately it seemed like he worked late to avoid having to deal with them. He did, she noted, manage to make time to go on fishing and hunting trips with his buddies.
Standing at the table she began to sort the mail. Most was junk and went right to the garbage can. She no longer even looked at it, there was no time to bother. There were some bills and a couple of checks, Those went into a neat pile that she would move to her desk. Near the bottom of the stack she came to an envelope. It was cream colored, not quite letter sized. She thought it looked like a card. It was addressed to her but there was no return address. It wasn’t her birthday and there was no holiday close. She looked at the envelope closer. The post mark was not really readable. The envelope looked like it had been carried around a bit or hadhad rough handling in the mail.
Curious she ripped it open. It was a card and she nearly dropped it when she saw the front. Tricia felt her heart jolt in her chest. She immediately looked toward the family room. Matt was engrossed in some TV show already.
Her heart pounding she looked at the card. Without opening it she knew who it was from although she had difficulty believing it. Her hands were shaking as she opened it. Something slid out and fell to the table. She grabbed for it and missed.
A quick look at the inside of the card revealed that it was blank. She sighed with relief and looked at what had fallen out.
It turned out to be a business card sized printed schedule of World Series of Poker Circuit Events. The event in Indiana taking place in a little over a month was highlighted with a yellow marker.
She quickly picked it up and stuffed it into her pocket. She was breathing hard and sweating like she’d run a marathon. Trembling hands took the envelope and card and pushed them deep down into the trash can.
“Tricia?” Her head snapped around in a panic. She’d expected to see Matt standing in the doorway angry. She realized he had called her from the family room. She put a hand to her chest and told herself to calm down.
“Yes Matt?” She called, hoping her voice sounded normal.
“Would you bring me another beer please?”
More deep breathing to calm down and she answered. “Sure! Be right there dear.”
She took the can out of the fridge and nearly dropped it. Willing herself to calm down she managed to finally pop it open. She took a big swig from it and, trying to act perfectly normal, took it out to Matt.
She was watching him for any reaction but he just took the beer from her without a glance. He muttered a half hearted ‘thank you’ without ever really taking his attention from the TV.
She went back to the kitchen and sank into a chair.
Then she quickly got up, dug the card and envelope out of the garbage with a few nervous looks toward the family room. She looked at it again. No doubt at all who it was from.
Why, after all these years, had it come? Why had he broken his promise? Eight years it had been since they’d been caught in their affair. It had been seven years now since she’d finally severed the last of their contact. She’d made no attempt after that to contact him just as she’d promised Matt.
She thought guiltily of how she’d kept tabs on him. It wasn’t that hard. He, unlike her, made no attempt to hide his online presence. In fact she’d been reading his online journal for several years. She knew he still thought of her of course, every now and then he would write an entry that was blatantly aimed at her.
She knew he had developed an interest in poker and had even, apparently, become somewhat successful at it. She knew that was part of why she had taken up playing online and more recently in casinos when Matt had been willing to go on a weekend excursion. He would not play poker despite her trying to interest him but didn’t seem to mind her playing. She had times when she felt guilty because she knew she was interested in it at least in part because of HIM.
Tricia took a deep breath. Now, she thought, he sends this card seemingly out of the blue.She knew from his journal that he played primarily in Tunica and Biloxi in Mississippi and had just started traveling to Vegas. He had never mentioned thinking about attending the event in Indiana.
She looked again and sure enough that was the event that was highlighted. How the hell could he know she had plans to go there for that event? That she had gotten Matt to agree to it? She’d expected more trouble from him. She’d spent so many years knowing he didn’t trust her. She had wondered why he agreed with so few snide remarks. In part it was because her parents were taking Matty for two weeks so Matt would not have to deal with being a parent. Also she was paying for it out of what she had made playing online and in a tournament she had won on their last trip to Matt’s favorite Canadian casino. He had insisted on making the hotel reservations and promised he would check on her regularly but he’d let her arrange to go.
How could HE have found out about these plans? It was truly spooky. She thought she heard Matt and jerked her head around guiltily. Then she realized that what she’d heard was Matt snoring in his chair.
Tricia took one more look at the card and the schedule and then went into the office and fed them all into the shredder. She then emptied the shredder and took the contents out to the garbage can.
Matt was still sleeping when she came back in. She stood looking at him. Then she heard Matty call out. She sighed and went to settle him back down. The shock she had received in the form of that card were pushed to the back of her mind for the time being as she was once again resigned to telling Matty that his father loved him but that he was very tired and would see him tomorrow. She hoped it was not yet another lie.

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