Friday, May 21, 2010

141. Don't move the urn


Bill was Marjorie’s second husband, but few people knew this, certainly not their five children, or their many grandchildren. Even Marjorie frequently failed to remember. Bill, on the other hand, never forgot. Because, you see, Howard was still with them. Their marriage was now, and always had been, a threesome.

They had removed themselves to their boatshed, when the big house on the rise, overlooking the bend in the river, became too much for them. Not too much to tend, it had always been thus, but too much to contemplate, to rattle around in. They offered the house to whomsoever of the children was prepared to have ‘them’ living at the bottom of the garden. A few eyebrows were raised, and breaths sucked in, but eventually Eleanor, the girl in the midst of all that rowdy testosterone, agreed to the pact.

This way, Howard did not have to move either.

A member of the Weekend Writer's Retreat.

7 comments:

corticoWhat said...

I love it!

Joan Elizabeth said...

First of all what a wonderful photo but the story outshines even that ...simply terrific.

Alice Audrey said...

Excellent! You really nailed this one.

Janet said...

Because, you see, Howard was still with them. Their marriage was now, and always had been, a threesome.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, and I sure didn't see it coming in the 4th line, but I almost spewed my tea through my nose at this line!

Marvelous, simply marvelous, Julie :)

And, BTW, great new profile picture.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Clever. I could see this one getting picked up by one of the nano/micro e-pubs.

Mary Ann said...

Nicely done, making Howard a real character even though he has no lines, is not described really.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

*applause*