A Coin In the Fountain

A Coin In the Fountain



 

Jack stood at the fountain and sighed. He was over his divorce from his cheating wife and he felt lonely. He had tried asking out women from church but the only ones available were at least ten years older than he was. He didn't have the smooth way of picking up women that most guys seemed to have. All he needed was a break.










 Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. In his hand lay two pennies, one tarnished and the other shiny, a dime, and a quarter.










 "I don't want to be cheap and get a cheap woman so I'll use the quarter" he thought, somewhat amusing himself.










 Jack took the quarter in between his left index finger and thumb then returned the rest of the change to his pocket. He then placed the quarter in his right hand, made a fist around the quarter, and whispered his wish into his fist.








 "I wish for an intelligent, charming, beautiful woman with whom I can share this lovely day."




 He tossed the quarter into the fountain, visualizing the woman he would like to meet. The splash of the quarter in the water brought him out of his visualization.






 Jack looked to his left and saw nothing then turns to the right and started walking to the fence to stare aimlessly at the pond. Just as he took his third step, a woman ran right into him. They both paused, startled. The woman began to speak.






 "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. I beg your pardon."






 "It's no problem at all. I should have been more careful as well."






 They had grabbed each other instinctively to keep from falling and were still holding on. Suddenly their eyes met. It was instant attraction. It was as if their souls had been ripped apart at birth and they finally found each other but both were too shy to be forward about it. Still, the eyes said more than the words ever could have. All at once they noticed that they were still holding each other and slowly and awkwardly let go.






 Jack spoke.


 "I haven't seen you around here before, have I, Ms...?"






 "Jill. My name is Jill. No, I don't believe so. I just came in on a flight from out of town."






 "There's a concert in the park over to the left in a couple hours. Would you like to get something to eat and watch it with me, Jill?"






Jack quickly glanced toward her ring finger.


 "No, I'm not married. What about you? I know that guys sometimes don't wear rings."


 "No, I got divorced a few years ago. Shall we?"

Jack reached out his hand and she put her hand in hers. They started to walk to a nearby restaurant.






 At the restaurant, Jack pulled out Jill's chair for her then seated himself. Jack motioned for a waiter and they ordered. Jack had a confession to make.






 "Jill, you may not believe this but just before we bumped into each other I made a wish at the fountain. I don't normally believe in such things and didn't see anyone around so I started moping over to the pond when we ran into each other. Maybe there's a little magic in that old fountain after all?"






 Jill laughed, "Maybe."






 "Do you believe in fate?"






 "Not really but stranger things have happened. By the way, which group is playing in the park?"






 "Blood, Sweat, and Tears. They're from my high school years but a free concert is a free concert."






 "That's true. Besides, I like them."






 "Wonderful! We should enjoy it then. It's an early concert. It starts at six and will probably end at eight."






 "That will work great for me. If things go well, I might have something we can do afterwards."


 "Such as" asked Jack with his eyebrows raising and lowering.






 "Not that. Haha You'll see."






 Jack and Jill received their orders and began to eat.






 They finished their dinner then headed over to the concert area. Jack walked up behind the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out a styrofoam blanket and a quilt.






 "We're here early enough to get a good spot. I know the best place to set up."






 Jill followed him to the top of a man-made hill and watched as Jack selected the spot. She then helped him lay out the large quilt.






 "Isn't this a bit far back" asked Jill.






 "No, really... this is just the right distance. You'll see when the annoying people in their lawn chairs start to set up and block most peoples' views. This is just far enough back to see over the lawn chairs and just the right location for the best sound."






 "Okay. You're the boss."






 Jack opened up the ice chest and pulled out a can of Sterno and a strange contraption made of a twisted coat hanger. He lit the Sterno and placed the contraption over it. He then pulled out a small aluminum pot and placed a cake of brie in it and set the pot on the homemade pot stand. As the brie started warming, he pulled out a bottle of chardonnay and a wine opener. He produced two wine glasses and handed them to Jill. He then opened the wine and poured. The last item he pulled out of the chest was a box of fancy crackers. Soon the brie would be warm enough to eat.






 The band came on and played hit after hit as Jack and Jill sat on the hill eating their crackers and brie. By the end of the concert, the brie and wine were gone and they stopped for a long, romantic kiss. Afterward, Jack turned to Jill and spake.






 "That was a nice concert, wasn't it?"






 "Oh, wonderful! The refreshments and kissing weren't bad either."






 Jill gave Jack a wink.






 "Well then, Jill. What was this thing that you wanted to do afterwards?"






 "It's a surprise. Get in the car and drive us to the planetarium."






 "The planetarium? That seems an odd surprise."






 They loaded the trunk with the quilt and ice chest and Jack shut the trunk. He then went to the passenger door and let Jill in then went around to the driver's side, got in, and started the car.






 "Off to the planetarium" exclaimed Jack. He really didn't see why they couldn't have walked since it was just a block over.






 "Off to the planetarium!"






 They arrived and Jack parked the car then went around and opened Jill's door for her.




 "So, what's the surprise" asked Jack as he locked and closed her door behind her.




 Jill reached into her purse and pulled out two tickets. Jack still had no idea what they were doing there.






 "Let's get in line" said Jill.






 When they got to the door, the doorman tore the tickets and gave each one of them a ticket. Jack looked at his stub.






 "The Pink Floyd laser light show" Jack exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see this but never took the time!"






 The show was a dazzling set of laser effects set to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. By the time the show was over it was getting late.






 Jack turned to Jill and invited her to his place for the night. She agreed.






 It was a thirty minute drive to his place once they got out of downtown Houston. Jill sat next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders as they drove. They had conversations about their hopes and dreams and found so many things they agreed on.
 When they finally reached Jack's house, they went inside. Jack put on some romantic music and sat down on the couch beside Jill. After about thirty minutes of making out, Jack stood up, took Jill by the hand, and led her to the bedroom where they made passionate love. When it was over, Jill turned to Jack and spoke softly to him.






 "That was a wonderful fantasy, wasn't it, darling? What are we going to do for our next anniversary?"

The Swing

The Swing



 The chores were finally finished. The cows were milked, the chickens were fed, the garden had been tended and watered, and the pastures had been brush hogged. The once overgrown mess was now a beautiful pasture where the cows could roam and take a trip to the pond to drink without fear of being struck by snakes hidden in deep brush.
 It looked as if it might rain. That would be good for the crops. It had been awhile since we had decent rain. I asked my grandmother permission to swing since the chores were done. She said okay but come back in if it started raining.
 I got on the swing and let my cares drift away. There wasn't much to do on a farm so I used my imagination. I swung as high as I could, imagining that I was Superman in the comic books I read. I was far away from the big city problems of Houston and my parental discord. I would fly up to the heavens, land on a cloud, and talk with Jesus. I would hear the angels singing in perfect harmony with overtones so clear that you could hear the pronunciation of each word. I would swing and fly, swing and fly. One day I would reach those heavenly clouds but tomorrow was another day of chores.

 I swung and daydreamed until it began to sprinkle then I ran into the house, lay on the bed, listens to my uncle's classical music, and grabbed another Superman comic book to read as I heard the rain splattering on the tin roof. It had been a good day and the crops would get fresh rain. Perhaps tomorrow the sun would shine and we could go swimming in the Mulberry River.

The Betrayal - Creative Riters Challenge #11

Creative Riters Corner # 11












You have reached a point in life where you're throwing the old debris out, your way of preparing to start over and restarting your life. As you rummage through old stuff, you find something which you received earlier in the year which meant a great deal to you then, but which only causes pain now.








Tell us about it by showing us who gave it to you, where it's been, and what has caused it to fall out of favor. Write in the voice of your opposite gender for this challenge -- if you're female, write as a man, if male, as a woman.




No word limit.

The Betrayal

She was to have been my lesbian wife. She had been following me on the Internet ever since I had my live show on LiveVideo but had stayed mostly hidden in the background since the site closed.









About four months ago she came to me and confessed how much she needed me. I was fed up with women and I certainly didn't want any of those foul men. Men are dirty and disgusting. I tried to discourage her at first because my heart had been broken so many times before by lesbians who just wanted to use me. I guess they saw my Supergirl outfit and thought that I was just crazy and could be easily used.









Margaret pled and pled with me to give her a chance. Our personalities seemed to be a match made in heaven. She was the most wonderful butch I had ever met. We lived in separate areas of the UK. I lived in London and she lived in Houghton Regis. I didn't care that we lived a distance apart. I was more than willing to travel to her or have her travel to me.  Even though I didn't have much money left over each month I had secretly started saving the moment I met her because she was the one.  I simply quit eating some days and suffered rather than taking my pharmaceuticals just so we could be together one day.




She was so thin and handsome.  Everything a fluff like me could want.  She was MY Princess Charming, nay, my queen to whom I would devote my life and services.










I always loved the way she teased me and ordered me about, sending me to the step when I was naughty.  When she started sending me to the pink fluffy step, I knew that her feelings had deepened.  One day, she finally admitted that she had feelings for me.
I was so happy that she finally admitted it that I was overjoyed.  She, like I, was afraid of love because we had been hurt so many times before but she finally said that she loved me.  I had to do something special.










I started writing her a song and she wanted to hear what I had written.  She had put on a Superman shirt for me to match my Supergirl outfit.  When I saw it, I became so hot and wet that I almost slipped off of my chair.


I told her that for me to be able to let her hear it, I would need a picture so that I could put the song in a YouTube video to send to her.  She gave me permission to take a screenshot picture of her in the Superman shirt to use for the song.  She got out of her chair and posed and I snapped the shot.  It was the only thing that she ever really gave me.





She got scared and blocked me.  I knew that she feared her feelings so I wrote her a letter.  Finally, she unblocked me but told me never to post on her wall.  I found that strange but I was so in love that I obeyed her wishes.  She was so forceful and strict that it really thrilled me.










The next day, she showed me the wedding outfit that she wanted and chose the ring that she wanted.  Knowing that she was sick and broke, I was ready to buy anything she wanted.
She told me that she wanted to get married in a castle so I found the best castle which used to allow wedding ceremonies.  They said that they no longer allowed weddings there so I showed her a few other castles but I was secretly going to make a large donation to their restoration fund if they would allow our wedding.  I wanted it to be a surprise.  She said that she wanted to come visit so I secretly started saving for her ticket as well.  By stopping all of my pharmaceuticals and eating only once every other day, I was able to save more quickly than I realized.









We continued to talk and one day, because she had started being stand offish, I told her I was going to start dating someone else if she couldn't commit.  Every time I told her I loved her, she would send me to the step because she was afraid of love.  I told her I was afraid of marriage and thought that she rushed it a little.  It hurt her feelings and she didn't talk to me for a few days.










The third day, she wanted to Skype again, so we did.  After we talked and laughed awhile, she told me that she had to tell me something.  I was all ears.











"I don't want to tell you this... but... I love you with all of my heart and soul and I'm afraid of losing you."










I was overjoyed!  I was finally loved by another woman and I'm sure that my face lit bright enough to light a thousand lighthouses.  I gave her my reply.










"I love you with all of my heart and mind and soul as well.  I can't wait for us to be in a large, pink , fluffy bed with satin sheets and please one another sensually.  I can't wait to be your wife!"










"I'M NOT GETTING MARRIED!"










"You're the one who brought it up."










"STEP!"










"Look, darling.  Don't be afraid of your feelings.  You know that we love each other and can't stand to be without each other."










She looked angry and went silent and logged off.










I knew that something wasn't right.  When she came back on a few days later though, she explained that a friend of hers died.  She said that she wished that she still had her care bear but someone stole it.










We continued to talk for awhile and I listened to her feelings about her friend passing.  I talked with her about her feelings and when she started crying, it pulled my heart strings.
I knew I had to do something to help her past this so I found the kind of care bear of which she was so fond and posted it to her.  It came to almost triple the price with the postage and handling but I didn't care.  I knew that she needed its comfort.










It arrived a few days before my birthday.  She seemed so happy to receive it.  It filled me with joy that I was able to make my foxy little queen angel mistress so happy.  I KNEW that we were going to be happy together. I found it strange later that she didn't tell me so much as "Happy Birthday " but she kept talking tenderly and lovingly.










She started letting me say that I love her on occasion but sometimes reminded me that she didn't like that word.  We grew closer and closer and one day I offered to buy some Super special friendship rings that were more than just friendship.  SHE SAID YES!










I started to order the expensive rings but something about her telling me that she didn't want to use the word love bothered me.  I bought a set of rings that would bond us but I bought the cheapest set of rings I could find to see whether or not she would send me my ring.  It was a test.










We continued to talk and she finally got the rings just before Valentine's Day.  Since it was a set, she was to send mine back to me.  She said that she loved it and was sending my ring the next day.  She asked for my address again to be sure that she got it right, which seemed strange, but I figured that since she asked she truly intended to send it. 










I surprised her on Valentine's Day posting the picture of the ring she sent me and tagged her so she would have a copy of the picture on her page.  I also posted a couple special Valentine's Day cards on her page to make her day special.  I told her that I had the money to get her to London and she said, "Don't make any plans."  She became angry that I posted something on her page.  I explained to her that I was just trying to make her Valentine's Day special since we were so far apart.  I started crying and told her and screamed at her that she couldn't let me enjoy even one moment.










"Oh, good grief.  Okay."










"Thank you" I whimpered.










People started making comments on the post and some were jealous and others had to try to make it about themselves, telling her how much better THEIR rings were.  I defended her and she told them that it was the most wonderful ring in the world.










The picture had posted twice on her page because of a facebook error so we left that post and started flirting with each other on the other post.  Some MAN jumped in and had to make a smart ass comment.










"This is all bullshit."










"You're bullshit!"  I was pissed that some MAN would try to ruin our wonderful moment.








Margaret jumped in.








"Not on MY page!"








She then blocked ME and I never heard from her again.  I never received my ring and I was glad that I had tested her with the cheaper rings first.  That wanker.  That cunt!  She gave me up for a fucking MAN!










I know it won't last as big of a lesbian that she really is.  I know that he's just using him for his money.  That trollop!  I'll never speak to her again!










The only problem is that picture is still on my song.  Everytime I see it, it breaks my heart.  I would have treated her so well and given her everything she wanted and he was probably going to beat the shit out of her like the last MAN did!  Good!  I hope he breaks her fucking NECK!  Still, I miss all of those sweet moments of laughter and fun we had, revealing our bodies to one another and running to the bedroom after to give ourselves release. 


Even though I removed the pictures of her from my favorites, they still come up on my cell phone.  Everytime I see that picture, my heart breaks again and tears flow from my eyes.  I so longed to kiss her tender lips and fondle her sweet breasts as she fondled mine.  I know that will never happen now and it tears me apart... EVERY TIME I SEE THAT PICTURE!  Fucking men!  Daft fucking cunt!

The Release

The Release


It had finally happened.  For all of her prior threats and attempts, she had finally done it. 
He was tired of her always running back to the abuse and using again and told her it was over.  He just didn't care anymore.  He was tired of having his emotions jacked with.  This time he was through and he let her know in no uncertain terms.  Her lies and attempts to drag him into her drama were going to end whether or not she liked it.




"Susan, it's over.  I can't take anymore.  I'm tired of the bullshit.  You've fucked me over and fucked around on me one too many times."



"I'll cut myself.  I'll take all of my pain meds if you do this to me.  I'll drink alcohol with them and you'll never see me again, Bob!  I'll kill myself!"




"Yeah, yeah, yeah.  How many times have you told me that and how many times have you tried?  You end up in rehab, call me, tell me that you're going to get yourself straightened out, then go right back to drinking and doing drugs and fucking every Tom's hairy dick you see!  I'm DONE!"




"No Bob!  You can't!  I love you.  Those other guys didn't mean anything!"




"Yeah, well evidently I didn't mean anything to you either.  They got way more of your pussy than I ever did.  All I wanted to do was love you and male love to you and you slept around like a hairy little TRAMP!  If they turned you inside out, you'd look like a pin cushion.  How much did THEY love you?  How much did THEY sacrifice for you?  A man can only take so much and you pushed me WAY beyond that point.  I MEAN it!  This time it's OVER!"




"I'll kill myself this time!  I really will!"
"Fine!  Kill yourself!"




Bob slammed down the phone and went out to drown his troubles and forget.




Susan started to cut herself but decided on another course of action.  Instead of just taking her sleeping pills this time she would mix all of her pills and wash them down with a bottle of vodka.




As she sat on her bed, she opened the drawer on her bedside table.  She took out each bottle of her meds and unscrewed the tops.  She unscrewed the top from her bottle of vodka and started deciding which pills to take first.




"I'll start with the Dilaudid and let is start making me drowsy then I'll take my antidepressants and my heart medications" she thought.




She took the remaining held bottle of Dilaudid, washing it down with a big gulp of vodka.  Next, she grabbed the antidepressants and slugged them down.  She was starting to feel really drowsy now and was afraid that she might pass out before she got the red of the meds down.




Susan summoned her will and grabbed her blood pressure medications which had just been filled and started gulping them down with large shots of vodka.  It took her a few handfuls to get them all down but she managed to swallow them down.  Once they were down, she put the bottles back in the drawer so no one could see them and finished off the vodka and hid the bottle under the bed. 




She lay in bed for a few minutes and the phone rang.  The called ID showed that it was Bob.




"He must be calling to apologize" she drowsily thought."




She reached for the phone and had massive heart failure.  Yes, she had done it this time.  The blood pressure medications had done the trick.  Her lifeless body lay on the bed, her arm loosely hanging off of the bed.




When she didn't answer, Bob called back.  No answer.  He tried again.  Still no answer.  After the third time he called the paramedics.




When they got there, rigor mortis had started setting in.  Bob was 1,800 miles away so there was no way he could be there but he had instructed the paramedics to call him and let him know.




The phone rang.  It was the paramedics.
"Hello," said Bob.  "How is she."




"I'm sorry to tell you this.  Are you sitting down."




"Yes."




He already knew what they were going to say.




"She's dead."




"I'm sorry.  I knew it had to happen soon or later."




"We're sorry too, Mr..."




"Bob is fine."




"We're sorry too, Bob."




"Alright.  Thank you.  Goodbye."




Bob hung up the phone, let out a long sigh, then felt a sensation different than what he thought he would feel.  He had been released from the constant worry and torment of her whining and crying about her problems.  What was this sensation coming over him?




For the first time in a very, very long time he felt... relief.



Fairytale Ending

Fairytale Ending




Lucy finally came over from England and filled my life with love.  Besides adopting her son, we had two children of our own.




I went on to complete the WORLDstock project and it was enough to make the world leaders take notice because of the massive amount of participation in the project.  Each major city in the world was overrun with people wanting to live together in peace rather than continue the never-ending wars.




People started looking on others as their neighbors and there was a new level of cooperation in the world.  Whenever there was a problem, people banded together to find a solution.  The air and waters became clean again and the greedy were put out to pasture.
Lucy and I both had illnesses that plagued us from time to time but in the glow of each others' love, they seemed trivial. 




I had lived much longer than I had expected and had now become old and somewhat wrinkled.  Lucy was older too, something she hadn't anticipated at our first meeting, and her medical problems had taken a toll on her as well.




One night after making love, we lay in each others arms and passed from this world into the next.  Our kids, now grown and on their own, got together for their last goodbye and, as we had instructed, threw a party with video clips of the fun and silly moments from our life.  It wasn't a grieving of our deaths but a celebration of our lives and what we had accomplished.




Having been the only true love of my life, Lucy and I were as one in heaven.  We walked the streets of gold, praised God in song, and would stop by ponds to skip rocks across them.  We lived all of eternity living and laughing with one another in our heavenly form and were an inspiration to all who saw us.

Final Chapter

Final Chapter



My life has become dull and boring compared to my younger days.  I wish that I could still go chase down bad guys, go play guitar or cornet and sing at bait camps along the Gulf of Mexico, go dancing and eating at the most exclusive clubs in Houston, and date the most beautiful women in the city but those days are over for me.  Now I lie in bed watching TV, reading facebook, and writing stories and music wishing that my days would soon be over.  Without love in my life nothing seems worthwhile. 






Diane died thirteen years ago on December 19, 2001.  It left a huge hole in my life.  Although I've done some great things in my life since then, nothing even filled the void temporarily except the short periods of love I thought I had found again.  Sadly, every one of those moments were very temporary.  Not one of them really lasted for more than a year.  To have another "'til death do us part" relationship would be wonderful but I don't see it happening again in this lifetime.  Women are too dishonest and greedy these days.  As much as it hurts, I guess it's better to just fade away as I reflect on my former glory... of days spent making love, on days exploring Mayan ruins, of days spent snorkeling in Cancun and Jamaica, of days apprehending criminals, and on days of trying to help the less fortunate, the addicted, and those with psychological problems.  My heart is no longer up to doing those things again without love.

The Pink Pussycat

The dark gray clouds billowed over the seedy part of Houston.  It was Prairie St. which houses various strip clubs, the most obviously named one being The Pink Pussycat.  As a kid I thought it had a pink cat.  As an eighteen year old I learned that it was a strip club.  I had always wanted to go there to find out why they called it The Pink Pussycat. There was also a very old movie theater whose attendants were 98% African American and a few old warehouses.


I had come to the strip to see a double feature of Bruce Lee movies.  I hadn't expected to be the only white martial artist there and was uneasy at first but nobody bothered me.  A huge black man came down the aisle dressed in some type of martial arts armor acting "bad" and stopped a second to stare at me.  I glared back, showing no fear and he moved on.
The movies were great but when they were over I was pumped up and wanted to see what kind of nonviolent entertainment I could find. 
I walked down the street past a few musty buildings with shady businesses and a black woman came out from across the street yelling to me.


"Do you want to get laid?"


"Uh, no thanks."


Being eighteen and having my hormones pumping, I might have considered it but she was a very hefty, ugly black woman.  I just looked forward and kept walking hearing her scream, "Are you queer?"


A few sprinkles started coming down and I came upon a strip club.  Never having been in one, decided to go in and see what they were all about.


I sat down at the bar in the musty old place and ordered a drink.  Soon a barely dressed woman came out and started dancing.  She was wearing pasties but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her stomach.


I couldn't figure out if she had stretch marks or had been slashed across the stomach several times by a knife.  She looked hideous.  I couldn't figure out what the appeal was to men to come to such a strip club.  It turned my stomach.


I finished my drink and ordered another which I gulped down to forget what I had seen.  I tipped the bartender and started making my way back to my car.


When I got to the movie theater, three black men tried to mug me.  I let out a flurry of punches and kicks and they quickly fled.  I then made my way to the back of the building to my car, got in, and left.


I went back several times to watch other martial arts movies but never made it to the end of the block to The Pink Pussycat.  That one experience had been enough for me.