Anastasios

ANASTASIOS

By

Michael G. Smith III

Stasios and his wife Anna were sharing a pleasant silence in their backyard, which was not dissimilar to a massive wide open field. They had a table and chairs set up close to the fence that surrounded their backyard and inevitably, their home. It seemed like the weather was always beautiful enough to spend all hours of the day across from each other at that table.

They had been happily married for over 50 years. Aside from a few small qualms, they always got along. Stasios thinks back on that day and all the other days that were almost identical...

I hated how much Anna loved technology. I didn't get it. Here we were like every other Sunday sitting in a wide open field of green. She was glued to every electronic device under the sun. I sat and tapped my thigh to the rhythm of ol' King Cole's "Route 66." Yes. The open road. Now THAT's enthralling.

I started humming and Anna began to sway. She loved music just as much as I did. Every so often she would glance at me with a smile; when she wasn't totally consumed by her scattered machines. I loved her.

During one of these moments a loud grinding noise came from behind her. As I slooshied the growl that came over us, I saw our neighbor edging the lines of grass around her gardens. Her Labrador Sam was barking madly in her wake. Savannah was a botanist. She was truly a sweet woman, but a menacing gardener. She was ruthless.

Stasios' narration is interrupted when he begins to cause a scene.

"Savannah! Cut that crap out!" yelled Stasios.

He waved his arms as if he was lost on a deserted island, flagging down a plane. Anna jumped at this. Though, the initial noise made by their neighbor, Savannah McKay, didn't seem to faze her at all. She was more shocked by her husband shouting across the way. He was usually so quiet! Both Anna & Stasios were quiet people. You can imagine the forgiving frustration they had with their wacky neighbor Savannah with her young and playful pup, Sam and her rather loud gardening. Bending under the top rail of the fence that divided the two properties, Savannah made her way over to Anna and Stasios.

"I never know whether or not you lovebirds are out here with how quiet you two can be" said Savannah, "you look thirsty!"

Sam immediately followed suit with Savannah, only he honed in on Stasios' ankles, determined to drool, bark, and make the interaction even more frustrating. Once Stasios managed to fend him off, Sam jumped up to put two paws on Anna's leg and was suddenly calmed. He was always gentle with Anna for some reason. Poor Stasios got the brunt of the force every time.

"I MUST share my new raspberry lemonade today. You two hardly ever try my new concoctions, and I think this might blow the tea I made out of the water!" Savannah suggested, as Anna typed away on her tablet. Stasios shrugged and shook his head, but before he could say anything, Savannah began to walk off.

"Three raspberry lemonades coming right up!" she yelled towards her own house.

Stasios looked half worried and half content that the dog and the noise had left their atmosphere, only to have to welcome them back with beverages neither him nor Anna asked for.

Stasios thought to himself: It was common knowledge in our neighborhood that Jake had been sleeping with other women. Jake, that is, Savannah's husband. He was only around for the birthdays of the children across the way or 4th of July celebrations at the house on the corner. Savannah neglected this fact and would shrug it off whenever some of the other couples in the neighborhood would begin to pry. What was not common knowledge, was that he died of a brain aneurysm not two weeks after Savannah found out about everything. Anna and I had overheard them arguing one evening while out in the field. Their solarium had windows that would roll out to reveal screens, so the sound traveled out effortlessly and carried across our field. It was a pleasant room where the four of us had shared wonderful, drunken nights. The sad part is, Savannah had become half a person after the death of her husband. She was still exuberant and fun, but she had an impulsive side to her that was not there before. I gave Anna a look when I noticed that Savannah had been returning with a tray and three glasses. A 'here we go' look."