General Fiction posted July 14, 2018 |
A woman deals with a cheater.
Cold as Ice
by Beck Fenton
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
It's another hot day as I go out to the front porch to have my mornin' coffee. The heat and humidity is almost unbearable to my old bones. Almost as bad as the cold in the winter. I gets up early so's I can meet Larry, my postman, as he makes his way down the road. He's close to retirement and appreciates a bit of a rest. I keep a big bucket of ice by my chair so's I can give him a cold drink of my spring water. He always stays a few minutes and fills me in on all the gossip that can't be printed in the town paper. Drinks every drop of water before he picks up his sack and finishes his route.
I graduated school with Larry's pa, Teddy, who married my best friend, Ethel, on my birthday in 1940. I never held a grudge towards neither of 'em for going and fallin' in love behind my back. I was even Ethel's maid of honor and danced one last dance with Teddy before putting those dreams to rest. He kissed me on my cheek and whispered he was awful sorry for hurtin' me but I just laughed at him. Shame on him.
I even went to their house back in the day. We used to get together to play cards before they started having kids. My second-best friend, Martha Grant, and I would hike over to Teddy's house every Saturday and we'd play penny poker. I ain't no card shark, but I used to win more than I lost most times. There was one time though... I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was late into November and Teddy had a friend visitin' him from New York or New Jersey or someplace like that. He said his name was Johnny Golden, but I doubted that was his real name. Turns out he wasn't much of a friend. More like a sneaky bastard-pardon my French- that drank Teddy's liquor, smoked his Camels and cheated me out of almost fifty dollars. Nowadays that don't seem so much, but back then it was a lot of moola. That was all the money I had. I shouldn't have taken all that money to the game, but I'd wanted to impress Ethel.
At first, I had a good time. Johnny was flirting with me and Martha and even teasin' Ethel 'til Teddy put an end to it. Johnny started out the night win-a-little-lose-a-little. Just like we all do. But then he started winning. A lot. I tried to beat him and get some of my money back, but he always bested me for it. Teddy almost lost his automobile but Ethel made him pull out before he signed any IOU. I weren't quite so smart. I lost every bit of money I'd been stupid enough to bring.
I quit playin' cards and I led him on a little and he asked to walk me home. He grabbed me and kissed me at the front door, but I told him I needed to get some ice for the ice-box first. We walked around back to the ice house. I had my ice cut from our pond every winter and right now the barn was pretty empty.
There was maybe two tall rows of two-foot-square blocks stacked up. Johnny played the big strong man and chipped off a huge chunk of ice and carried it into the house with the big ice tongs. I thanked him with a peck on the cheek and a wish for one more hunk. We went back out and as soon as he opened the doors I dashed in front and grabbed the tongs away from him. I smashed him right across the side of his head and he dropped like an apple in a strong wind. I bashed him one more time just to make sure I did the job right.
I emptied his pockets of all the money he'd stolen. There was quite a bit more than what he'd cheated from all of us. Close to three hundred smackeroos. I dragged his sorry ass to the back of the ice and used the tongs to move the blocks of ice around. By the time I was finished nobody would'a knowed he was there even if'n they looked. I hated a cheater and figured God might even thank me for sendin' his worthless soul up for judgment.
Ethel stopped in the next mornin' for coffee she said, but she asked me if I'd let Johnny Golden into my drawers. I put on a good show then, I tell ya. I acted so insulted that she'd even think such a thing! I told her I'd sent him on his way and watched as he went down the road 'til the darkness claimed him. I told her that if'n she didn't know that I was a good girl by now, being as how she used ta be my best friend, she could just go home and not be botherin' with me anymore.
Ethel got a little hot-headed herself and we parted on barely civil terms. She told Teddy I wasn't welcome at their house no more and that suited me just fine. I bought me a television and Martha started comin' over to watch wrestlin' on Saturdays nights. I don't know what Teddy and Ethel did when left to their own selves. They had eight kids so I can guess what they found to do, but that's none of my business.
Winter froze the pond and I filled the ice-house. I never let it get that low again. Nowadays I donate a lot of the blocks to the winter carnival. I always keep a few rows of ice all year, though. I gave up playing poker altogether. Nobody ever reported Johnny missin' and I wasn't sayin' nothin' to nobody. I did enjoy that television for years though.
It's another hot day as I go out to the front porch to have my mornin' coffee. The heat and humidity is almost unbearable to my old bones. Almost as bad as the cold in the winter. I gets up early so's I can meet Larry, my postman, as he makes his way down the road. He's close to retirement and appreciates a bit of a rest. I keep a big bucket of ice by my chair so's I can give him a cold drink of my spring water. He always stays a few minutes and fills me in on all the gossip that can't be printed in the town paper. Drinks every drop of water before he picks up his sack and finishes his route.
I graduated school with Larry's pa, Teddy, who married my best friend, Ethel, on my birthday in 1940. I never held a grudge towards neither of 'em for going and fallin' in love behind my back. I was even Ethel's maid of honor and danced one last dance with Teddy before putting those dreams to rest. He kissed me on my cheek and whispered he was awful sorry for hurtin' me but I just laughed at him. Shame on him.
I even went to their house back in the day. We used to get together to play cards before they started having kids. My second-best friend, Martha Grant, and I would hike over to Teddy's house every Saturday and we'd play penny poker. I ain't no card shark, but I used to win more than I lost most times. There was one time though... I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was late into November and Teddy had a friend visitin' him from New York or New Jersey or someplace like that. He said his name was Johnny Golden, but I doubted that was his real name. Turns out he wasn't much of a friend. More like a sneaky bastard-pardon my French- that drank Teddy's liquor, smoked his Camels and cheated me out of almost fifty dollars. Nowadays that don't seem so much, but back then it was a lot of moola. That was all the money I had. I shouldn't have taken all that money to the game, but I'd wanted to impress Ethel.
At first, I had a good time. Johnny was flirting with me and Martha and even teasin' Ethel 'til Teddy put an end to it. Johnny started out the night win-a-little-lose-a-little. Just like we all do. But then he started winning. A lot. I tried to beat him and get some of my money back, but he always bested me for it. Teddy almost lost his automobile but Ethel made him pull out before he signed any IOU. I weren't quite so smart. I lost every bit of money I'd been stupid enough to bring.
I quit playin' cards and I led him on a little and he asked to walk me home. He grabbed me and kissed me at the front door, but I told him I needed to get some ice for the ice-box first. We walked around back to the ice house. I had my ice cut from our pond every winter and right now the barn was pretty empty.
There was maybe two tall rows of two-foot-square blocks stacked up. Johnny played the big strong man and chipped off a huge chunk of ice and carried it into the house with the big ice tongs. I thanked him with a peck on the cheek and a wish for one more hunk. We went back out and as soon as he opened the doors I dashed in front and grabbed the tongs away from him. I smashed him right across the side of his head and he dropped like an apple in a strong wind. I bashed him one more time just to make sure I did the job right.
I emptied his pockets of all the money he'd stolen. There was quite a bit more than what he'd cheated from all of us. Close to three hundred smackeroos. I dragged his sorry ass to the back of the ice and used the tongs to move the blocks of ice around. By the time I was finished nobody would'a knowed he was there even if'n they looked. I hated a cheater and figured God might even thank me for sendin' his worthless soul up for judgment.
Ethel stopped in the next mornin' for coffee she said, but she asked me if I'd let Johnny Golden into my drawers. I put on a good show then, I tell ya. I acted so insulted that she'd even think such a thing! I told her I'd sent him on his way and watched as he went down the road 'til the darkness claimed him. I told her that if'n she didn't know that I was a good girl by now, being as how she used ta be my best friend, she could just go home and not be botherin' with me anymore.
Ethel got a little hot-headed herself and we parted on barely civil terms. She told Teddy I wasn't welcome at their house no more and that suited me just fine. I bought me a television and Martha started comin' over to watch wrestlin' on Saturdays nights. I don't know what Teddy and Ethel did when left to their own selves. They had eight kids so I can guess what they found to do, but that's none of my business.
Winter froze the pond and I filled the ice-house. I never let it get that low again. Nowadays I donate a lot of the blocks to the winter carnival. I always keep a few rows of ice all year, though. I gave up playing poker altogether. Nobody ever reported Johnny missin' and I wasn't sayin' nothin' to nobody. I did enjoy that television for years though.
I graduated school with Larry's pa, Teddy, who married my best friend, Ethel, on my birthday in 1940. I never held a grudge towards neither of 'em for going and fallin' in love behind my back. I was even Ethel's maid of honor and danced one last dance with Teddy before putting those dreams to rest. He kissed me on my cheek and whispered he was awful sorry for hurtin' me but I just laughed at him. Shame on him.
I even went to their house back in the day. We used to get together to play cards before they started having kids. My second-best friend, Martha Grant, and I would hike over to Teddy's house every Saturday and we'd play penny poker. I ain't no card shark, but I used to win more than I lost most times. There was one time though... I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was late into November and Teddy had a friend visitin' him from New York or New Jersey or someplace like that. He said his name was Johnny Golden, but I doubted that was his real name. Turns out he wasn't much of a friend. More like a sneaky bastard-pardon my French- that drank Teddy's liquor, smoked his Camels and cheated me out of almost fifty dollars. Nowadays that don't seem so much, but back then it was a lot of moola. That was all the money I had. I shouldn't have taken all that money to the game, but I'd wanted to impress Ethel.
At first, I had a good time. Johnny was flirting with me and Martha and even teasin' Ethel 'til Teddy put an end to it. Johnny started out the night win-a-little-lose-a-little. Just like we all do. But then he started winning. A lot. I tried to beat him and get some of my money back, but he always bested me for it. Teddy almost lost his automobile but Ethel made him pull out before he signed any IOU. I weren't quite so smart. I lost every bit of money I'd been stupid enough to bring.
I quit playin' cards and I led him on a little and he asked to walk me home. He grabbed me and kissed me at the front door, but I told him I needed to get some ice for the ice-box first. We walked around back to the ice house. I had my ice cut from our pond every winter and right now the barn was pretty empty.
There was maybe two tall rows of two-foot-square blocks stacked up. Johnny played the big strong man and chipped off a huge chunk of ice and carried it into the house with the big ice tongs. I thanked him with a peck on the cheek and a wish for one more hunk. We went back out and as soon as he opened the doors I dashed in front and grabbed the tongs away from him. I smashed him right across the side of his head and he dropped like an apple in a strong wind. I bashed him one more time just to make sure I did the job right.
I emptied his pockets of all the money he'd stolen. There was quite a bit more than what he'd cheated from all of us. Close to three hundred smackeroos. I dragged his sorry ass to the back of the ice and used the tongs to move the blocks of ice around. By the time I was finished nobody would'a knowed he was there even if'n they looked. I hated a cheater and figured God might even thank me for sendin' his worthless soul up for judgment.
Ethel stopped in the next mornin' for coffee she said, but she asked me if I'd let Johnny Golden into my drawers. I put on a good show then, I tell ya. I acted so insulted that she'd even think such a thing! I told her I'd sent him on his way and watched as he went down the road 'til the darkness claimed him. I told her that if'n she didn't know that I was a good girl by now, being as how she used ta be my best friend, she could just go home and not be botherin' with me anymore.
Ethel got a little hot-headed herself and we parted on barely civil terms. She told Teddy I wasn't welcome at their house no more and that suited me just fine. I bought me a television and Martha started comin' over to watch wrestlin' on Saturdays nights. I don't know what Teddy and Ethel did when left to their own selves. They had eight kids so I can guess what they found to do, but that's none of my business.
Winter froze the pond and I filled the ice-house. I never let it get that low again. Nowadays I donate a lot of the blocks to the winter carnival. I always keep a few rows of ice all year, though. I gave up playing poker altogether. Nobody ever reported Johnny missin' and I wasn't sayin' nothin' to nobody. I did enjoy that television for years though.
Writing for the prompt... a mystery involving a poker game and tongs. Please give an honest critique!
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