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“Would it be so fucking tragic if he tore
it down?” Will Lennox asked his sister.
She stopped stirring the stew and faced
him.
“It would be to me.”
Will put out two plates on the kitchen
table, then opened the utensil drawer.
“Really? So what? It’s not like you’re
ever gonna have that house.”
“How do you know?” she asked, resting her
hands on her hips.
“Get real, Jess. We can barely make the
rent. You gonna buy that old broken-down piece of crap? With what money?” he
asked, placing forks next to each plate.
“I don’t know. But it could happen.
Stranger things have happened.”
“Yeah, right. Dream on.” He folded two
paper towels and placed them under the forks.
She grabbed his arm, turning him toward
her. “It’s my dream. Don’t take that away from me. It’s all I have.”
“Maybe it’s about time you gave that up.
Maybe it’s time you found a guy and got married. So we could live like normal
people.”
“Normal people?” she asked, placing a glass of iced tea by his place.
“Yeah. Instead of watching every penny. I
work my butt off and you do, too, and yet we don’t even have enough to buy an
ice cream cone. Why is that?”
She shrugged and returned to the stove.
“Because we’re cursed here.”
“People hire you. They buy my pies. It’s
all we can do now.”
“I get hired to change the screen in a
window, to nail a chair back together. Not to do the work dad trained me to do.”
“I can’t help that.”
“We need to move. Forget that house. Let’s
pack up and go. Get a fresh start somewhere else.”
He sat down at the table. Jess carried a
pot of stew over and ladled out some on her brother’s plate.
“I don’t want to leave.”
“Because of that stupid house?”
“Maybe. Everyone should have a dream.”
Will grabbed her forearm. “Let that
asshole tear it down, Jess. Let it go. Move on.”
“No.” She filled her plate and sat down.
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I feel so sorry for them. While she has a right to dream, he's also got a right to a normal life. Great scene.
ReplyDeleteWhat deep emotion and tension as they each strive to express their needs. I hope their hardship takes an upturn and her dream can be realized. I keep wanting to tell her to "hang on" and "don't give up." Great excerpt!
ReplyDeleteWhy does he think she should get married so HE can live a normal life? I don't like that he thinks she's his ticket out of poverty. AND don't take away her dreams in the process. I want to smack him. :) - Good writing- it got me riled up! LOL!
ReplyDeleteMy heart breaks for both of them. It seems so unfair they have to live that way. Hoping the guy with the house changes their fortunes. Great job!
ReplyDelete