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Before Actually

She was determined in her eye.
"You just go on and get. Do what you got to do, Sir," she said, looking up at him; feeling the dust from the dry, empty road, as it swirled around her ankles and up into her skirt.
"Why you gonna be saying that? You want to forget my name already?"
She looked down at her arms; straight and folded hands, before she looked back up to him.
Soft. "I really should be going, too. I said to Esther-."
"What is wrong with you, Woman?" he demanded, throwing his hands to his thighs. “Dob says all is good. He is ready for me.”
"So, then, you have just gone and given-up, have you, William?"
"Aw, Helen, that place ain't opening back up; I have been telling you this," William shook his head. "Damn. You never listen."
"Oh, I listen just fine," she snapped back at him; curling in her nails, barely. Catching dust and air. The trees rustled behind her; up in her ears. She wanted to go before she started crying.
"You can't listen when you are all nattered; talking stupid to me-"
"Oh," she began, then straightened her back sharp; smoothed down the light purple skirt.
"Like I said, Sir, we both best get going."
She took a step forward, before she could think about not doing so again, then she put another foot in front of that one. There was no choice. It was that or feel foolish.
She felt foolish, anyway.
"I want you to come with me. You never heard that yet, Helen. You never heard that yet because I ain't even said it yet. Are you listening, now? Are you listening to me now, Woman?"
He paused.
"I know you want to go there. You always said you wanted to go there. Oh, come on, Helen. Look at me."
Her white toe on a sharp, jagged rock; fought up from the earth. Digging hard, feeling it through the sole of her shoe, she turned.
"You know that I can hear you about as well as you hear me. Same goes for sight. I was enjoying my view when I was walking this way," and she pointed down the road, and then pointed behind him. "You should look out behind you, William."
"What is your problem? What is going on, Helen?” he asked of her.
She looked at him; hand to hip, then arm back down.
"I ain't going with you, Sir," she whispered. "You know I can't."
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Comments

cbeck said…
I like this.

and have you heard the song and watched the video where the little squirell goes Weeeeeeeee!!
Wednesday, 8 December 2004 at 16:37:00 GMT-5
Jennifer said…
I was determined to make a mental picture of this story. And I did. I think I followed along. It was a little difficult but I did it. Thank you Q for giving us such wonderful stories :)
Friday, 10 December 2004 at 09:49:00 GMT-5
Queenie said…
Sometimes, it is all about 5 minutes in time.

Q
Friday, 10 December 2004 at 14:26:00 GMT-5
Anonymous said…
i loved the dialogue. i ran it through in my head, sort of like wandering through a museum of movie cliché clips. quite cool, and totally dean martin. the characters talk stiff, though. doesn't sound natural, sometimes: "So, then, you have just gone and given-up, have you, William?" "so, william, you just gone an' given up, ain'tcha?" i make that contrast because the first line reads "You just go on and get. Do what you got to do, Sir." it reminds me of a friend's relative from the midwest.
Tuesday, 14 December 2004 at 21:03:00 GMT-5
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