A.G.E's Joint

The shack was a weathered gray stack of sticks overlooking the wide tidal flat. A getaway from the real world. Jimmy and the kids fished the marshes during the day while she spent most of her time on the porch reading trashy novels and getting pleasantly buzzed. Like right now. The white Adirondacks contrasted with the dark green paint of the screened in porch. The box of wine on the table next to her. Outside, a shelf cloud storm had blown in, the wind tossing her still full curls.  Emmy came out to check out the weather, carrying her smoothie.  "Mom?"  "Yes, Sweetie." "You and Daddy have been together for a long time." Emily took a small pull and looked out at the approaching rain. "Were there any other boys besides him?" Kathy poured another glass of wine and was quiet for a moment. She'd never lied to her daughter, but this was a little personal.  "Not really. A couple tried back in high school. But they never got anywhere." ...

  The trip was her idea, a way to get some "we time" between work and kids' stuff.  Jimmy's mom not only offered to take the kids, but she had paid for the reservation. Everything was going to be perfect. Kathy had found the perfect place in the mountains where they didn't have to worry about being quiet.  The drive up had been easy, with no traffic on the way in. The only problem was missing the turn to the Inn. But that was quickly fixed and they turned off the small sidestreet. The driveway was lined with wildflowers and the turning trees indicated summer's end.  They got out of the car and looked at the building. They knew it was going to be special.  Behind the desk was a small, blonde woman.  "You must be the Morris', we've been expecting you."  She handed them the key and pointed toward the stairs. "The Millhouse Suite is at the top of the stairs. Enjoy your stay."   Running up like a couple of kids, they started laughing whe...

 Kathy and Emily are cleaning up the kitchen after supper.  "Mommy?"  "Yes, Sweetie." Kathy was struggling with some burnt-on grease on a fry pan. "Why do you call Daddy 'Cowboy'? Kathy stopped washing the dishes and looked out at her husband and son playing in the backyard. Little Charlie was riding circles around his Dad on a stick horse while he tried to reach the bridle. The memory made her smile. "It was a pet name I came up with when we first started dating." Kathy handed her daughter a dish to dry. "Like, 'Whoa, Cowboy' when he got too mushy? Emily smirked. Kathy laughed and splashed her daughter. She was too smart for her own good. "Yes. That IS where it came from."  "Thought so." Putting the dried dish on the counter. "How did it happen?" "We were sitting at the picnic table in Grandma's backyard." Kathy looked wistful as she thought back. "It was the week after his 14th  b...

What a morning.  Jimmy had won a trip to the beach at the dealership. But it wasn't a Kingdom by the sea and a big yacht. Instead, it was a small four-room cabin and a flat-bottomed barge designed to troll the marshes. Jimmy smiled when he saw it.  "Ooh, fresh seafood." As he put the car in park. "And who do you think is going to clean it, Cowboy?" The kids giggled in the backseat.  "I'll help you. Uncle Chuck taught me." Kathy wasn't sure about that. Chuck might have been who their son was named after, but he was about as useless as a fish on a bicycle. That was going to be her job. She didn't mind, though. It didn't take long to offload everything and set up the cabin for the night.  The next morning the four of them stood in silence when the Captain, a tall thin black man, introduced himself and walked them around the rusty craft. Emily spoke up.   "So, how do you make it go?"  The man laughed. " Hop aboard and I'l...

The squeal made Kathy wince.  She had just put Charlie to bed and she hoped the girls didn't wake him up. Kathy checked her watch. 9:30. Yeah, it was time to bring the show to a close. Charlie was sound asleep, oblivious to the noise in the next room. Good.  Sticking her head into Emily's room, she saw Maddie trying to braid her hair while looking at the small screen in Emily's hand. The friendship bracelet they made earlier kept getting tangled in the lace of her nightgown and she was getting frustrated.  Kathy peeked over her shoulder. The image was of a girl about their age giving beauty tips. Some things don't change. She could remember being with Becky and Sarah flipping through magazines and trying to figure out how to tame her curls into something.  "OK, Girls." She said. "Light's out. Let me have the phone." "Oh, Mom!" Emily whined. "We aren't going to look. We promise." "Right.", Kathy smiled. "I wa...

Emily noticed the house was empty when they came in from the yard. Pulling a twig out her ponytail, she asked "Where's Grandma?" "She took Charlie to the store with her so we could work." "Oh, OK." They were sweaty, dirty, and deliriously happy after their morning work. Kathy was proud of her yard and looked forward to each spring. When she was a little girl, she followed her Mom around to the nurseries. The acrid smell of fertilizer thrilled her. Putting her apron of cuttings on the table, she admired them. Everything was blooming early this year. She had expected it, though. The winter had been warm and wet. Emily circled behind her and squealed in delight. "Momma! They're so pretty." "Yes, Emmy, they are." Her eyes scrunched as she kissed the dirty forehead. It smelled like manure. Her mom had said you can't have pretty without some ugly and bad smells turn sweet. She couldn't disagree, but this child...

It was hot for early spring. Kathy mopped the sweat off her face with a paper towel as she pushed the broom toward the edge of the carport. Stopping, she rolled her wedding band around her finger to air it out. Why didn't she get a fan out before she started this? The thought irritated her as much as when she found out Jimmy had forgotten the trash again. How could one person be so absentminded? You should be able to remember every week. At least she got it to the street before the truck came. She kept the line of dirt moving. Friday was her normal cleaning day. But it was also his birthday and her Mom was coming. she wanted the house to look extra nice for it. Emily got out of school early and sort of helping, picking up trash in a way only a kid would. Each piece was a new gift. She would turn it from side to side, seeing what it was, then threw it in the can. It was a slow process and there were a couple of times Kathy had to count to herself to keep from yelling. Charlie ...

Wouldn’t you like to ride in my beautiful balloooooon? Emily sang the song again as she got ready for bed. Grandma always played it when she was her house. They would dance around the fireplace and sing along with the record. She kept dancing in the car when Mommy picked her up and now as she put on her pajamas. They had pictures of balloons on them, too. It seemed like such fun, climbing into a big basket and floating over the ground. Tomorrow was Christmas. Daddy had asked her what she wanted and she said she wanted live at Grandma’s house. Why? So she could sing the balloon song over and over again. It was better than listening to Mommy trying to get Charlie quiet. He would grab at her necklace or hair and pull. That wasn’t all. Every time Emily wanted to cuddle with them on the sofa, he would poop or do something else gross. One time they were at the doctor’s office and he peed right in the lady’s face. Laughing, the doctor told Emilyall boys do that. She wondered when the pi...

Walking slowly in the dark room, the wall felt weird, kind pebbly and wrinkly. Something was wrong, no light switch. Where was I going? Fear rose inside. A light appears in the doorway. Soft music surrounds her. It was some band she had heard on the radio in Mommy’s car. “I don’t want this night to end…” Relaxing, she floats on the melody, while the harmony colors the surrounding air. “ It’s closing time, leave with me again” “Ooh, Jimmy!” Emily sat straight up in bed. It sounded like the cat next door. Wonder what time it is? Crawling out of bed, she went to her window to see. It was cold. Looking down, she found her pajama top had scrunched up over her tummy. Oops. Had anyone seen it? It didn't matter, tummies were fine to show. The waistband on the pants were loose, and she pulled them up. The rest of her wasn’t, though. “Owww!!” That wasn’t a cat, it was Mommy. Quietly, she made her way down the hall, running her hands along the wall to guide her in the dark. T...

Traffic on 400 was light and the orange sunrise matched his mood. The long expanse of concrete dulled Jimmy’s senses. This thoughts drifted to this morning. In a soft voice he began to sing. “ I've got you under my skin. I have got you, deep in the heart of me...” Her stepping out of the shower, flashing what he’d seen so many times before. “So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me. I've got you under my skin.” The firm hand ran along his chin, sending a thrill where it shouldn’t. It wasn’t smooth any more, which made it more ticklish and fun. Their little dance played in in the mirror as she swayed from side to side. The hand drifted across his chest, across his round belly. “I'd sacrifice anything come what might for the sake of having you near” Wet hair tucked into his shoulder and she purred. “Jimmy Morris, do I dazzle you ?” “Forever, Kathy Simpson.” The sound of his shout rattled around the car and a silly grin spread across his face...

“Mommy. Are we there, yet?” The voice had just a bit of a whine to it. “Not yet. We still have a little bit to go.” Kathy reached into the bag at her feet. Out came a bottle of water. She offered it to Emily. “Thirsty?” Brushing a fly off the pale arm, the little girl replied, “No, thanks.” Kathy opened it up and took a swallow, then offered it to Jimmy behind the wheel, who finished it in one long glug. Emily looked out the window. These country roads were boring. Miles and miles of grass fields with cows here and there. Some of them had ponies, but even then they just stood and ate. They probably pooped, too. But the car was moving too fast to see that. It also meant they couldn’t smell it, either. Good. She remembered the school field trip to the zoo. It stunk bad. Cows and ponies probably smell bad, too. Around a curve, an abandoned log cabin stood next to the road. The windows were all broken and the door was missing, which made it look like had a face. It looked ...