"Fanny? Fanny Mae!!! Open up this damn door right now!" The violent knocking persisted. "I'm not kidding woman, you know who this is. OPEN UP!!"
Fanny Mae curled up in a corner in her cold, dark kitchen. The knocking and yelling continued, but she remained still and silent.
The knocking eventually weakened and then there was silence for a minute. She started to get up to check the doorway. Maybe he finally got tired and left, she thought. But she was startled by a quiet plea from the other side of the door. "Baby, just let me in, I was real worried when you wasn't there one morning, I just want to talk. C'mon baby."
It sound like he's calmed down...maybe it won't hurt to talk this out. She opened the door slowly, and looked up into the eyes she had always found so irresistible. Wow...she thought. He's a lot taller than I remember.
"Hey," he said.
"Bert."
"Sorry about earlier... I just want to talk about this like grown ups now."
"Ok."
"Why'd ya leave baby? You know I love you, I came all this way to find you. Now come back with me."
"You know why I left," her eyes moved down to her bruised arms, "I'm not coming back."
"Look, I'm sorry baby, I was just drunk. It won't never happen again, I'm gonna try to quit drinking. I don't wanna hurt you no more, all I want is for you to come back to me."
Fanny Mae momentarily got lost in the sea of his beautiful blue eyes, but snapped back. "No! I can't, I don't wanna. I- I like it here," she lied. "Besides, I have a new job at this place called The Jaguar."
"You can't possibly like it here! This place is a dump, you're coming back with me!" Fanny Mae could sense that rage coming, the rage she had experienced several times before. She backed slowly into the counter. He approached her angrily,
"Get in the fuckin' car, woman! Don't think I'm playin', you're my wife and you best do what I say!" Fanny Mae backed further into the counter with her hand behind her back, positioned on a kitchen knife. Bert lunged at her, she whipped out the knife and stabbed him right in the shoulder. He fell to the ground in pain and she ran past him into the hallway. Outside of the room, she ran into a man in a track suit.
"Are you alright lady? I was passing by and I heard screaming and-" He looked into the apartment and saw Bert lying on the floor passed out and bleeding. "Oh, oh ok. Um, I'll call the police." Fanny Mae leaned against the wall and slid down, listening to the man talk to the police.
"Yes, Hi. My name is Jeremiah Taylor, I'm in the Jupiter Apartments and there's been a man stabbed...Yes, there is a woman here. She hasn't left so I assume it was a case of self defense...Yes...No...I'm not sure....Apartment 556C...Yes, ok thank you." He hung up the phone and turned to Fanny Mae, "Are you alright? I assume that you knew this guy, yeah? Well the police and an ambulance are on their way. Do you need something?" Fanny Mae didn't say a word, she just buried her head in her knees, sobbing as a crowd began to form outside of apartment 556C.
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Fanny Mae Lewis is an inspiration. She acted on her impulses, and she made a stand. I never knew this woman existed until last night, when even I crowded around her apartment to see a man lying on her floor, freshly stabbed. Through everyone's raucous murmurs, I arrived at the conclusion that he was some sort of lover, boyfriend, or as I heard someone say, her "booty call." Not quite sure what that one means, but I got the gist.
ReplyDeleteThe next morning I decided I would make my stand, expect mine would not be nearly as gruesome. Mine would give me a reason for living here and give me the satisfaction I had deprived myself of for too long. I went to the market and bought the menu for today's meal. It was something more piquant than I was used to. More confident.
The meal was ready, I was ready. I packaged it up and put it in a satchel I found in my closet. I would not need the assistance of my segway today. I pulled my hair out of a bun and walked out the door, making sure to leave the boy's meal. He'd be in for a spicy surprise. It was 1:07. Oh well.
I walked into Lu's somewhat regretting my decision to wear my hair down, due to the humid weather. I slowly pushed it behind my ears. Lu walked up to me.
"Herro, Su."
I pulled out the meal and prepared it for him. Handing him the fork and knife, we both stared intently at my attempt to make a stand. I still could not look him in the eye as the fork pierced the meat, and the knife tore it. Though when he put the fork to his mouth, I would not allow myself to miss his reaction.
"Kung Pao!" Lu exclaimed.
At that moment I quickly reached my hand to his, like it was a reflex. I kept it there, and our eyes finally met.