Starlings Pagan

January 18

January 18, 1950

Infidelity wasn't scarce in a town, especially the one Ivar was deprived of for years, so her little mind was confused when she saw Josephine Maisie kiss James goodbye because then another woman, Greta Blanche, would kiss him hello.
Nighttime was approaching, and Ivar stayed glued to the sandbags with only one loaf of bread left. She had been drinking water from a puddle on the ground, but the water was diminishing. Ivar knew little about survival, but she did know water was something that kept you alive. If she had no water, how in the world could she live?
Don't let them see you.
Her mother's words echoed in her mind. Surely, there had to be a lake in this town. Tomorrow morning, Ivar was going to go to a lake to wash herself and drink water.
Now, the night was freezing and even colder than yesterday. Ivar had a jacket, but she had no shoes, and at this point in time she couldn't feel them anymore. The sandbags weighted down her feet, which warmed them a little bit, but she still felt like ice was running down her veins. The incandescent light from James Maisie's bakery beamed out the window, which kept the alleyway aglow at this time of night. Josephine's voice bellowed from inside the window. Incoherent yelling was tossed between the married couple.
Maybe Josephine found out about Greta Blanche.
Greta Blanche was the town's hot commodity; her walk was as if she invented it. She had skinny long legs, and her stride was never humble; her face was never serious. When she stood, she stood tall like the top temple of a church building.
Many people would soon discover James' infidelity, and they would soon discover Greta Blanche, a widow when her husband died, was unfaithful, despite the fact that at her husband's funeral she declared she'd never fall in love with another man again.
Greta Blanche was a publisher for the newspaper company in town, but those days were going to come to an end, and of course she'd be prosecuted. James, though, who declared his fidelity to his wife on their wedding day wouldn't be ridiculed or mocked for his bittersweet dalliance with Greta Blanche simply because he was a man.