Mabel swept up the shards of the glass peroculator top from the floor, she counted the money she would be spending before she even walked out the door. she had 22 dollars. Mabel would need a new peroculator that would cost 4.00 and another buck and half for breakfast. Mable would have left than 17 dollars for the month until she received a paycheck. Mabel needed another 2 dollars to get her hair done. Now that she was leaving the house again. In the destruction of motherhood and marriage, she was coming to life again. The invasive thoughts about harm coming to the baby had never really left they simply became dull whispers.
Mable thought about sending the clothing out to be washed at 15 cents a load. She decided to do so. She bagged it all up. It was then, Mabel felt pangs of guilt, the sour smell of dirty clothing that she knew was all over Becky's soiled clothing and diapers that she had brought to her mother. "No matter, she thought out load, I ahve to work through this chapter of my life, there will be time to reflect upon all of it later".
Mable put Fredrick's key in her hand bag and The Great Gatsby. Mable hoisted the laundry bag on her arm. She hoped to to avoid the other mothers, but no, she ran into all the mothers venturing out. Mabel was bombarded with "Good morning, where is Becky? " Mabel flatly replied, " Mother has her at the farm to build up her health, you know th city isn't good for chilren with all the immigrants and their ethnic cooking smells. " Mabel finally hit the front stoop. She walked 35 feet and dropped off her laundry which would be ready on Monday evening.
Mabel walked down Congress Street, and turned onto 4th street. Mabel stopped every so often to look at the dresses in the windows. Mabel entered The Blue Plate diner. The special of the day was the full country breakfast with toast and coffee for a dollar and quarter. It waas not the nicest place in the world, the waitress were grim-faced women aged before their time. Rough women of both skin and heart with abbreviated names to match their shortened feminine charms.
Mabel was finally asked what she would have. Mabel ordered the full- breakfast. The waitress Millie was curt, but at least she brought the coffee with her. Mabel liked her coffe black and strong. This was truck stop strength. Mable drank her coffee, and read her book. A husky voice boomed in her left ear. " Can I sit with you, Miss, You are a deadringer for Veronia Lake." Mabel didn't even look up from her book. "Suit, yourself."
"What are you reading there, Miss" Mable flashed him the cover on her book. "Ah , Fitzgerald, my sisters down in Tennessee love him, it drives the folks insane." Mable turned to her left, Mabel's eyes met a piercing green eyes, a sculpting chin, and thick jet-black hair under a Stetson Hat. Mabel smiled to herself when she looked down and saw hand-tooled cowboys.
"Miss, My name is Clyde. I just moved up here to these parts from Tennessee. Clyde looked at her ring finger which was bare, she had stopped wearing her wedding band three months after Fredrick disappeared.
Mabel smiled that smile that charmed man after man." My name is Mabel."
Copyright India Marque 2022
My thoughts on Mabel. Mabel is finding her place in the world and her voice. Don't think that the chapter is closed on Mabel and Fredrick just yet. We don't know the depth of her character.
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