Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (3)

DECISION TIME

Challenge No.44 - Pick Six.

Open a book or magazine in your reading pile to a page of your choice. Pick six words from the page that sound interesting to you. Write a piece that uses all six of those words...

RESULT: traffic, money, drunk, charity, divorce, soup

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It had taken Delores a long time to make the decision and two seconds to make the decision - if that made any sense. They were stuck in traffic, as usual, Delores was driving, for Errol was too inebriated to know what year it was, much less where he was. He lay passed out on the back seat. It seemed like all his money just went down into the black hole that was the bottle. It was his money, not hers or theirs because she'd taken steps to separate their accounts. It seemed of late though, like he was more often drunk than sober.

The traffic hasn't moved in five minutes. Delores' mind wondered. They didn't even go out anymore. They used to. They'd go to the movies, Poetry Slams, Errol liked those. They'd look forward to the Jazz Festival, discussing the nuances of each performance. Carnival was their Festival. He loved calypso, she adored pan-o-rama and they would always be in a band. Chipping down de road on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

All that was gone. Swallowed up by alcohol.

The car in front rolled forward, then stopped. She did the same and like a chain reaction so did the vehicles behind her.

She recalled when he fell face-first into the bowl of soup. She was tired of warning him to not drink on an empty stomach. But increasingly he just didn't care. As time went by, any feelings of charity she had dried up. The love had flown long ago.

There was still the proverbial silver lining. They had no children and, in his state, and condition, there never would be. He wasn't physically violent either for which she constantly thanked the prophets and ancestors.

The alcohol did however bring out his foul mouth and insulting nature, which was as bad as any physical beating. Even that was waning as Erol was often too drunk to speak, much less verbally assault her.

With no warning the traffic was suddenly emancipated and so was Delores. The vehicles moved with purpose and so did she. Everyone headed for their destination and so did she.

They weren't far from his mother's home. Delores drove there.

She parked the SUV in the driveway and began the military manoeuvres of getting Errol out.

"Come on." She urged throughout the whole operation.

When he slid onto one of the steps, curled into a ball and refused to move, Delores gave up.

"Leave him there." Errol's mother instructed.

"Okay."

"When're you coming back for him?"

"I'm not. I'm getting a divorce."

"Was about time." Her mother-in-law replied.

© 13 April 2022

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