Chapter 1-2
2018 Words
Dusty seemed unimpressed by the story. “I got stuff to do.”
“Set a timer on your phone. Spend fifteen minutes pulling out gnomes and then stop.”
Dusty gave her a doubtful look. “An’ that’ll be enough?”
“Absolutely.”
There was more muttering of a dire nature from Dusty, but he seemed to acquiesce.
“Now let’s get back to our show,” said Myrtle. “And I certainly hope there are no further interruptions.”
But five more minutes into an intriguing and rather confusing scene involving a character who’d been cloned, Myrtle’s phone rang.
“For heaven’s sake,” hissed Myrtle. She hit the pause button again. “At this rate, we’ll never figure out what’s going on with this show.”
“I’m not sure if I could figure it out even without interruptions,” said Miles.
“Hello?” inquired Myrtle impatiently.
“Myrtle. It’s Georgia.”
Georgia was not usually one of the people who interrupted Myrtle’s day. That honor ordinarily went to Red or Tippy Chambers. Myrtle’s interest was piqued.
“Georgia? Is everything okay?”
Miles lifted his eyebrows in surprise. He also knew Georgia didn’t often call on Myrtle. Additionally, he was rather fascinated by Georgia. With all her tattoos and her loud and gruff demeanor, she reminded him of someone he’d been in service with.
Georgia said, “Sure everything is okay. You know me! I can handle just about everything you throw at me.”
This was true. Georgia was, overall, a very matter-of-fact person.
“But you’re probably wondering why I’m calling. I’m having a yard sale tomorrow. I wanted to try to publicize it a little. I wondered if you were still doing the newspaper’s social media stuff.”
Myrtle was a columnist for the Bradley Bugle. But she also fondly considered herself a crime reporter. Bradley had become something of a hotbed for crime. She was beginning to think something might be in the water.
Bradley Bugle“Actually, Elaine has been doing the social media for the paper for a little while. You know she has that interest in photography.”
“Mm.” Georgia’s tone was noncommittal.
Myrtle understood. Although Elaine was always very enthusiastic about her hobbies and devoted to learning the craft behind them, they rarely ended up well. Her photography for the newspaper often included bits of Elaine’s thumb.
Myrtle said, “But she’s really good at putting up a little graphic design.”
“Got it. I figured that might be the best way to advertise it, you know? Is it free to have it listed on the newspaper’s social?”
“Sure it is. But it’s already the middle of the day. If you want to make sure people see it, you should go ahead to call Elaine and let her know. It should be a good time for her—Jack takes his nap around now,” said Myrtle.
“Will do. Do you think you might come around? I’m going to have all kinds of great stuff out there. You need to come and shop.”
The only problem with that was that Georgia and Myrtle didn’t exactly share the same taste. Myrtle reflected on the time she’d gone to Georgia’s house to see she’d repurposed a coffin as a coffee table. And Georgia was very fond of her angel collection. Myrtle’s tastes ran more to obnoxious gnomes. Although, she remembered, Georgia had actually been the one who’d found the giant gnome in the first place.
“What kinds of things are you selling?” asked Myrtle cautiously.
“Oh, all kinds of stuff! Tell Miles to come, too. I know he’s probably sitting there with you now.”
Miles blushed as if Georgia could see him through the phone.
“I’ll have a drumkit there. And some furniture. I gotta make more room for my angel collection.”
“At the expense of your furniture?” asked Myrtle.
“Why not? I live by myself, so it’s not like I need a million places to sit. And the angels make me feel . . . serene.”
It was an interesting choice of words for the gruff Georgia.
“But I am going to sell a few of my angels. I gotta make space for more of them. So a few of my least-favorites will go up for sale. Maybe you’d even like one. I could visit my angels, if you do.”
am“We’ll be there,” promised Myrtle.
“Miles, too?”
“I’ll be sure to bring him along.”
Myrtle hung up and Miles looked a little uncomfortable. “What’s wrong now?” asked Myrtle.
“I always feel a certain level of discomfort attending yard sales. Don’t you?”
Myrtle crinkled her brow. “No. Should I?”
“It’s hard, isn’t it? You’re walking around passing judgment on everyone’s most prized possessions.”
Myrtle shook her head. “No. If they were their most prized possessions, they wouldn’t be on sale in their front yard.”
“Regardless, it’s tough. I’ll feel pressure to get something. Otherwise, it’s almost as if I was only their to gawk at Georgia’s personal things. It feels almost prurient.”
somethingMyrtle said, “Don’t be so sensitive, Miles. Heavens. We’re just going to pop by and say hi to Georgia. I’ll glance around. We won’t get anything. We’ll ask how it’s going. Then we’ll go to breakfast at the diner.”
Miles sighed. “And when are we making this expedition?”
“Early. You know how it is with yard sales. All the good stuff is gone by eight o’clock.”
“You just said we weren’t going to get anything!” said Miles.
“And we won’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see what she has out there. After all, she uses a coffin for a coffee table.” Myrtle picked up the remote. “Now where were we?”
“Samantha was about to implant a microchip into someone and use them as a robot,” said Miles glumly.
“Very strange storyline. Okay.”
They continued watching the show which veered between the various topics so quickly that their heads fairly spun. There was one other interruption when Dusty stuck his head back in the door to collect money from Myrtle for the yard work and the gnome work. But aside from that, they were able to finish it.
Miles stretched. “I think I should head back home now. I’ve got to mull over that episode.”
“Yes, me too. I might have nightmares about that alien a*******n tonight. Poor Shawna. See you later, Miles.”
Myrtle had just finished tidying up the boiled peanut bowl and their plates and cups when there was another tap at her front door.
“Mercy,” muttered Myrtle. She’d been planning to start work on her crossword and wondered if her puzzle time was going to be as incessantly interrupted as her soap opera time had been.
It was Miles. He looked a little confused.
Myrtle stepped aside to let him in. “Did you forget your phone again?”
He shook his head. He was holding a letter. “I just checked my mail and got something.”
Myrtle waved him to the sofa. “What is it? Usually, you and I only get junk mail and bills.”
“A letter from my daughter,” Miles said slowly as he absently sat on the sofa.
“Really? She sends letters? I thought the younger folks didn’t even know how to do that anymore. I’m not even sure I know how to do that anymore.”
IMiles smiled. “Well, she’s a bit of an old soul. Anyway, she and her kids are coming to visit.”
This was also very surprising. Myrtle hadn’t known them to visit before. Miles had made the visit out there once or twice. But it definitely wasn’t an everyday thing. “When are they coming?”
“Tomorrow, I think.”
“Tomorrow?”
Tomorrow?Miles said, “The letter must have taken a long while to get here.”
“Well, they live on the other side of the country, don’t they? Mercy. She’s lucky you didn’t have any plans.” Myrtle paused. “I’m meeting them, of course.”
“Of course you are.”
Myrtle thought some more about this. “I should perhaps host them here.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” demurred Miles. “Thank you.”
“Your place is too small for a daughter and two teenagers.”
Miles nodded. “They’re planning on staying at that hotel that’s on the lake.”
“Mm. Okay. Then you’ll need activities. Things to entertain them while they’re here. I could host a dinner party.”
Miles hastily said, “No. I don’t want you going to the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all, Miles. It’s what friends do for each other when they have family coming from Washington state.”
all“California, actually. But I think we should just play everything by ear. A dinner party might make them feel a bit awkward. You know.”
Myrtle didn’t know. But she did want to be agreeable since this was such an unusual occurrence. “Maybe we’ll go out to eat, then.”
Now Miles looked a bit gloomy. “There really aren’t any nice restaurants in town.”
“What? The diner is perfectly nice. What’s more, it has character.”
characterMiles said, “It has signs on the walls reminding patrons not to use profanity.”
“Local color,” said Myrtle with a shrug. “Besides, your family is here to see you and all your haunts. That way they can picture what you’re doing here in Bradley. Did they come see you when you lived in Atlanta?”
“They did. But it’s easier to get to Atlanta, obviously. They have a major airport. Now they’ll have to fly into Charlotte and drive over. It’s going to be more of a trip.”
Myrtle said, “One they’re clearly happy to make.”
Miles looked rather conflicted, which bothered Myrtle. To keep him from worrying about whatever he was worrying about, she said, “Tell me more about your family. I don’t really know anything about them.”
“It’s been such a while that I’m not sure I know anything about them either.” Miles sighed.
“Nonsense. You know all about them! You’re clearly proud of them. What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Dana.”
Myrtle said, “It’s like pulling teeth getting information from you, Miles. Tell me about Dana. I’m curious.” She sat down across from Miles in her armchair and tapped her fingers impatiently as she waited for Miles to gather his thoughts.
“She was our only child. Anna’s and mine.” His voice was still tender when he said his wife’s name, although it was many years since she’d passed away.
“What was Anna like?” asked Myrtle, sensing an open. She’d been curious for years about Miles’s wife but she’d always felt he’d walled off Anna in his memories.
“Fun-loving. Zany.”
Myrtle raised her eyebrows. “Opposites attracted, clearly.”
“We were happy,” he said simply. “She made everything better. We were very absorbed with each other, I think. Dana knew she was loved, but she knew her mom and I came first with each other.”
“No other children?”
“We wanted others, but it wasn’t to be. So we focused on Dana, when we weren’t focusing on ourselves. Activities, support, all of those things you do for only children.”
Myrtle said, “And Dana ditched it all to join a commune.”
“What? No. She thrived on the attention she got. Learned three languages, studied abroad, went to law school.”
- Writer
