Rumble, Tumble Nights

I never went to sleep tonight. The deal with Mike and his blog, Carolyn’s misfortunes, and my own misgivings kept me up. I am far too sensitive for my own good. The night has been a night fueled with emotion, diet cokes, packs of cigarettes, and immitigable worry.

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“Good morning,” I said as I looked down upon her lying in my bed. “You were quite the tempest last night.”

She smiled sleepily reaching out for my hand to hold it.

“Is that coffee I smell,” She asked as she yawned and stretched her arms wide.

I fixed us both two ample mugs and sat at my kitchen table underneath the stark glow of the lights in my dining room. Carolyn came walking in with my Peanuts t-shirt on and her panties to sit with me.

“I am in so much trouble,” She replied. “I think I might have lost my job.”

“Oh, hell,” I said. “They are not going to fire you for one night. They couldn’t find someone else who works like you do and puts up with so much crap. Everybody bowls a gutter ball sometimes.”

“Have you ever shirked off of work?” Carolyn asked looking at me intently.

I laughed as I took another sip of scalding hot coffee.

“Gal, one time, when I worked for the university, I took a whole week off and just didn’t show up. I was addicted to this game called Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. I spent the whole week playing video games, drinking beer, and smoking copious amounts of cigarettes. I said to hell with it all. I wanted to get fired. I would have made the Protestants with their work ethic howl with fury. I had the time of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.”

“Did you lose your job?” She asked intrigued.

“No, I played the “mentally ill” card and the university work environment is especially forgiving of disability. I begged Dr. Carey to keep my job. That poor sod got killed in a car wreck last year bless his deluded soul.”

“That’s fucked up,” Carolyn replied as she laughed and drank more of her coffee. “Not about the guy dying though. That was sad.”

“I know,” I said. “But I got a paid week off of bliss from wage slavery. There was nothing like waking up in the morning to crack open a beer, light a cigarette, and to not have to drive an hour to work to sit in front of a computer entering research data all day.”

“Do you ever want to go back to work?” She asked me.

“Sometimes,” I replied. “But I want to make a difference in other people’s lives. I don’t want to spend eight hours a day entering data into some computer or driving a big rig a thousand miles a day with my commercial driver’s license; all that is bullshit and for the faint of heart.”

“Well, I need to head home and check on the animals,” She said as she got up and kissed me setting her coffee mug upon the table. “I know they are hungry.”

I watched as Carolyn took off my t-shirt and put back on her clothes from yesterday.

“I think I am just going to quit my job and come live with you,” She said walking back into my dining room. “We will be one happy, frugal couple. Besides, the kitchen at your new house rocks!”

“Come here,” I said as I pulled her towards me smiling. “I and you are going to be okay.”

“You think so?” She asked as I held her close.

“I know so,” I replied.

She gave me one of the most affectionate hugs I have ever experienced. She kissed me on the forehead and I listened intently as she slipped out of my door to walk down to the vaunted Fat Albert’s to get her car. Good morning gentle soul and don’t let those lottery fuckers get to you tonight.