Molliewk4
Muriel slipped past the living room and waded into Paul and Clara’s bedroom, feeling
a little embarrassed to be in there with everything so pink, silky and plush. Lovely
trio of description Clara’s expertise as head of the furniture department at Macy’s
great, because it tells us so much about Clara, was lost on her, not being a shopper
herself, but Muriel imagined it must be nice for Paul to live so comfortably. She
hoped he felt loved and pampered by Clara in this bedroom, even if it was a
nauseating cotton candy color. And Muriel had to admit the big pile of cushions on
the bed did look tempting -- she’d suggest a pillow fight here soon to Peter.
The master bathroom had two sinks and two mirrored medicine cabinets, the
closest one being Paul’s. It was filled with prescription medications, white pills that
looked like aspirin but weren’t – Prosac, Xanax, Ambien, Vicodin. Quite a line up! Paul
seemed happier married than he did alone, but, clearly, he still had demons lurking
behind that professional grin.
After her divorce, Paul threw himself into studying, and she imagined that he
had been wounded more than she could ever know by his father. His father wasn’t
mean or abusive, just negligent -- which makes it harder to get angry because there
aren’t any cuts or bruises left from chronic not caring. Great way to put this! Physical
wounds are easier to squawk about. Just the sort of word Muriel would use! And
Muriel thought that if you were angry, you should let it out, but not Paul. He was a
stuffer like his father, and since he died before Paul was out of high school, he’d never
had a chance to work things out with him.
Muriel had been proud of her studious son, but dental school was a shock. If
he could choose anything, why would he pick digging around in people’s gums all
day? That’s probably why he had so many parties -- to make up for causing pain in
others. Of course, Clara knew how to throw an elegant affair, and even make it look
easy. Pretty, petite and talkative, she had plenty of friends, and seemed to know what
to say at the right time. Not like Muriel. And well, if Clara was often controlling
maybe Paul thrived on her sense of order and efficiency, and, of course, they had
Peter, the peach, the silver lining, the real prize. Muriel loved living with the boy and
hoped he won’t become a stuffer, too. Great word, never heard that oneThat’s
partially why she sent him up to speak to that poor girl, to learn the power of talking
things through, how it saves lives. Paul never really got the hang of that.
As Muriel opened Clara’s cabinet, she heard movement in the bedroom.
“It isn’t working,” said Clara grimly.
“She’ll settle in,” said Paul.
“She already has. That’s the problem.”
Muriel considered flushing the toilet so they would know she was in there, but
she was curious, too. Maybe it was the prescriptions, afterall, and not the pampering
that kept Paul happy.
“Why would she mention bird flu just as I served the poultry? I spent days
preparing that meal.”Ha!
“She’s awkward.”
“It was sabotage.”
“Don’t take it personally. She’s not used to formal parties. She’s more casual.”
Muriel wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what was coming next, so she ripped
off a few squares of toilet paper and stuffed them in her ears. Egrets, sandpipers,
snowy plovers.
“You call shouting at rodents casual behavior?” Clara was sounding pretty
screechy herself, even through the toilet paper.
“Ok, she’s excitable, eccentric, whatever . . . she’s not out to hurt anyone. Have
a little compassion, Claire, she’s just had a stroke.”
Muriel peered into Clara’s cabinet. Her shelves were stocked with expensive
containers from Whole Foods -- vitamins, calcium tablets, fish oil capsules, medicinal
herbs, and, finally, a large bottle of aspirin.
“She’s moved into our house, so don’t lecture me about compassion.”
“Give her time.”
“Enough time, say, for Peter to slip off a bridge to his death? She’s more than
eccentric, Paul, she’s dangerous.”
Muriel steadied herself with her hand on the sink.
“You’re overreacting.”
“Why do you always defend her?”
“She’s old and sick. And she’s my mother. ”
Grackles, loons, albatross. Muriel’s heart thudded. She’d announce she’d be
moving back into her bungalow just as soon as the doctors ok’d it. San Francisco was
too cold for her, she’d say, and, in truth, it brought up some hard memories from
living in the city with Paul as a small boy with a complicated husband. Muriel never
fit in with the city’s social set, felt snubbed, misunderstood, sidelined. She preferred
the East Bay where everything was more relaxed and missed her Wednesday
Hilarious! Great! group that met near Telegraph Avenue, missed her daily walks by
the bay with the sea air whipping through her hair as she watched pelicans dive for
fish or herons stalking gophers just love all your very specific details of her life in the
grass. And although she hated to leave Peter, she knew, ultimately, he was Clara’s job,
and she didn’t want to strain their marriage. Muriel put her hand on the doorknob,
resolved to face them, but stopped suddenly when she heard another voice in the
room -- Clara’s best friend, Sharon.
“Sorry to interrupt – your guests want to say goodbye.”
“Thanks, Sharon,” said Paul. “I’m just going to them.”
As the bedroom door closed, Clara burst into tears.
“What did Muriel do now?” Sharon asked as Clara wept.
“Did she buy another scorpion or runaway tarantula for Peter?”
Peter loved that scorpion, Muriel thought. Every child deserved a pet. It’s not
like it stung him very often. And how could she know it was the jumping, escaping
kind of tarantula? Clara continued to sniffle.
“Let me guess,” said Sharon, “a trip to Telegraph for . . . blue hair dye? a tattoo?
Maybe she picked up a baby-sized bong?”
Clara chuckled despite her tears.
“Bunch of freaks and nuts living over there . . .” Sharon said as Clara blew her
nose. Can't wait to hear specifically what it is that Muriel did that tipped her over the
edge as the scorpion and the rest would do it for most people. I just love every specific
example you give of how each of them lives, I can see the both of them so clearly esp
as Clara loves the pink cushiony look.
The pacing is great as it goes through the pills and the hiding and the beats of the
conversations are perfect.