love stories

Being with Georgette #2

Rick Mallery17 Comments

Being with Georgette #2

Georgette said, “What’s this ribbon for?”

I said, “I once took seventh place in a sheep-judging contest.”

“Sheep-judging?”

“I was just along for the ride.”

“They gave ribbons for seventh place?”

“They gave ribbons down to thirteenth.”

“How many people were there?”

“Many more than thirteen.”

“How did you know so much about sheep?”

“I listened to what the grown-ups said to look for, and I looked for it. I didn’t know as much as six other kids, though.”

***

Georgette picked up my plate and took it to the kitchen.

When she returned she said, “You should smoke a leg of lamb more often.”

I said, “Once a year for your birthday is enough.”

“Today’s not my birthday.”

“I know.”

***

As she turned off the light, Georgette said, “You were much better at judging the quality of sheep than girls. That’s one ribbon you never earned.

“No one told me what to look for.”

“Would you still make the same choice?”

“It was never a choice.”

***

Georgette started counting sheep, and I fell asleep before she reached thirteen.

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Originally published March 24, 2020

More about the author, Rick Mallery.

Being with Georgette #1

Rick Mallery45 Comments
1-bwg

Being with Georgette #1

I tried not to disturb her when I got out of bed, but Georgette was already awake.

Without turning, she said, “I’m sorry I woke you.”

I said, “I’ve been awake half an hour. I thought I woke you.”

Georgette said nothing.

“Breakfast?” I asked.

“Yes.”

***

An hour later, the tray was still next to her side of the bed, the food untouched.

“Your eggs are cold,” I said.

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Reading Ulysses in Montana #489

Delving Yardbarker2 Comments

Winking, splashing, stamping, the brigade of lofty zebras belted out the third stanza of the zebra national anthem, but no one could remember the words, so they just sang “watermelon”.

Blights of the round table cast funny aspersions on the gleam in Andrea’s eyes. I went to see her but she wasn’t there, said the seventh zebra on the left. She wasn’t there so I waited–three days I waited. The sixth and eighth zebras on the left brayed at the temerity of the seventh zebra. Gone are the days of yesteryear gone by, and a hounds tooth for a jigsaw puzzle.

A zigzag puzzle taught them how to sing, but it couldn’t teach them the words to the third stanza of the zebra national anthem. But these theys were water buffalo after all, so they didn’t care about the words to the zebra national anthem. But they liked how you could stomp four hooves at a time to the carnival rhythm of the music.

Andrea, the kudu, could only admire from afar the fifth water buffalo on the right, eating his juicy watermelon with splendor in the grass.

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