May 16, 2020
Review, Edit and Update:
The prologue, written on April 04, made me smile. According to that writing, I had already fixed any errors or typos in the previous episodes. I certainly missed a lot. I also found other missed details. I have repaired some sentence structure without losing the intent. Sometimes clarifying the intent. Thank goodness for the April 04 post! With that post, I recognized and fixed a ‘little white lie' regarding Dez' jail experience. ‘For this writer, keeping up with the details so this story doesn’t completely fall apart, is quite a challenge.’ I've started a log for many of these details as I find them. My entry for today is the childhood address of my two main characters.
April 04, 2020
Prologue:
Before I wrote Episode Eleven of Situationally Theirs, I decided to go back over the previous 10 episodes to see where any glitches are. I am aware that this story is definitely no great literary effort, but I’ve tried to keep it together. However, after reading through the whole story, I found and corrected quite few errors and typos. I also found that Desperanza has some explaining to do. In the Episode Ten, Desperanza told her sister Emelina only part of the truth about her reason for being in jail. Emmie had to pick her up so she wouldn’t get moved to an even less hospitable environment. So in this episode, that little white lie of omission will have to get rectified. Even if it damages their fragile but budding relationship. For this writer, keeping up with the details so this story doesn’t completely fall apart, is quite a challenge. I am determined to see this story to its natural end. What started as an attempt to kick my muse in its imagination, it has rather mushroomed. Continuing with the story and with my usual writing exercises, this entire story has become a writing exercise! I am so appreciative of all who read this little saga. Here is the next instalment of Situationally Theirs: 'Middling'
Middling
Time moved so very slowly, unless the sisters explored their enforced solitude and their sudden reunion. Desperanza and her older sister, Emelina thought that they were just fine. Until the atmosphere in their kitchen ‘home’ started to thicken like Cook’s soups. Not as delicious though. In fact not delicious at all. They had become snappy with each other, as though they were teenagers and back in their old bedroom on 65 Penhurst St. Dez had taken to go out on walks. Emmie retreated to Digby’s room.
Their self imposed two week semi-isolation was over. They still hadn’t contacted the Housekeeper, Martha or the butler, Digby. They had found all the staff’s email addresses, eaten supper, then set up both the Skype program and the Zoom program on the kitchen computer. That was two days prior to the confession that Dez had to make to Emmie. Since telling Emmie about why she had been in jail, she had gotten quieter and quieter. Despite her withdrawal, she had been very comforting that evening. Dez realized that Emmie had her own worries. Worries about her staff and her finances. However, Emmie shelved her personal concerns. It was unlike her sister to be that quiet for that long. Now Emmie was worried about how Dez was taking in all of their situation and what would happen when things go back to normal. Normal. There would be no going back, merely shaping this new normal they were in. Together.
“Emmie, can I talk to you?” Dez felt shy and far too young. So young she pull3e on her left earlobe the same way as her ten year old self. She did tell Emmie about jail, but it wasn’t quite the whole truth. She had tried to convince herself that it didn’t really matter. She had really just made it sound more innocent that it really was. She almost managed to believe it herself. But she couldn’t sleep very much, tossing and turning. Punching her pillow. Even crying at night. Earlier, it was her situation, being a guest in her sister’s home, not knowing whether her apartment would still be her own, where she would go…where her car was…..all of those things swirled in her head constantly. Until she neglected to tell Emmie she was a bank robber and a failed bank robber, at that. So there she was, in their kitchen home base, pulling on her left earlobe and waiting for Emmie to answer her.
“Of course Dez. What is it? You look really worried.”
“Well. There’s actually two things.”
“Two things?”
“Well…..the tape has to go.”
“The tape?” Why is Dez worried about the horrid green tape that was on the floor and long servants table? This is very strange.
“Yes. The tape. The two weeks are up and we can take the tape off of everything. We still have to keep our distance but we just don’t need the tape anymore.”
“Ok, we can do that before lunch. You said two things. What is the second thing?”
“I kind of told you a fib about why I was in jail. I was in Seattle that same day and a border guard did ask me where I was going. And I did say ‘to my sister’s’. And he did try to phone you. But the part about being taken into Hartley to jail and my car being impounded didn’t happen. Well, my car did get impounded but that was by the Hartley police after they arrested me at the bank.”
“The bank? Why would they impound your car because you were at the bank?”
“Well. I kind of was trying to rob the bank. But the money was just lying there. There was nobody there and I just thought…….if I hurried and just took some, Miss Prudhomme wouldn’t notice. Then there were these two weird security guards with strings of handcuffs and I was handcuffed to the desk and they sprayed me with Lysol. Why are you laughing!? This is serious. I’m a bank robber and I told you a lie to cover it up!”
Emelina had tried to stifle her laughter, but watching her younger sister become her little sister right before her eyes was just too much. Her iron control just melted away. If she could have hugged Desperanza then and there she would have.
“Have you no idea how hilarious you sound? I’m sorry. You are serious, but you are not a bank robber and you’ve told me tons of stories since you were old enough to talk. And I’ve told you at least as many stories until our lives took different directions. Do I have to worry that the police will arrive to cart you away to a maximum security prison?”
Dez visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “No. Miss Prudhomme, she’s the bank manager, didn’t press any charges. She said being sprayed with Lysol by the two goofy bank guards was enough punishment.”
“Are you finished your tale of adventure, Dez? I want to get back to that horrid green tape. It clashes with my beautiful blue cupboards. Which do you want? The tape on the floor or on the table. Maybe we should both pick up the tape on the floor ~ you start at one end, and I’ll start at the other.”
“Courage is found in unlikely places.”
~ J.R.R.Tolkien
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