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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Two Fingers and a Thumb

     Dedicado, de nuevo, a la invencible Cristina Fallarás (@fallaras). Leed A la puta calle  (http://www.sigueleyendo.es/a-la-puta-calle-2/)

“It’s all about threes.” Luisa tapped the pen against Cath’s wrist. “It’s the third bounced check that’ll nail you.”
“Third time lucky.” Cath smiled. “I always loved the number three.”
“Three on a match,” said Luisa. “You remember that? We thought we’d get pregnant.”
“Worrying about getting pregnant, then worrying about not,” Cath said. “Seems like all we did by growing up was change one worry for another.” She fanned the pile of bills due and letters from the bank and hit the panic button. “They’re gonna take the house, aren’t they, Lu?”
“It’s the third month’s unpaid rent that lets them evict you, the third defaulted mortgage payment that forecloses your home,” Luisa quoted. She put the pen down and stroked Cath’s hand until she stilled it. “Third on a match,” she repeated. “Remember how we used to go bowling, and there was that team that practiced in the last lane?”
“They were so good.”
“Remember how they teased us about getting a turkey, and we thought it had something to do with getting pregnant, that they were a bunch of pervs?”
Cath nodded. “And Holly’s mother wouldn’t let her come for a whole month.”
Luisa took up the pen and pulled the scratch pad toward her. “Well, sometimes your luck turns and you get three strikes in a row. Almost nobody knows how or why. You just get lucky.” She began going over the sums one more time, determined to find a way out.
“Three strikes in a row for a turkey,” Cath said. “But in baseball, it’s three strikes, you’re out.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I already owe everyone and their brother money.”
Luisa stood and stretched. “You know what my Abuelita used to say? ‘Donde comen dos, comen tres’.” She gave Cat’s shoulder a squeeze. “There’s always room for one more.”
Cat leaned her head onto her friend’s sharp hipbone. “I know, Lu, and I’m grateful.” She looked up to head off a hiccup. “But for how long?”






29 comments:

  1. Beautifully rendered, kymm. How many scenes like this are playing out in the wake of all those austerity measures while the banks returned to reap profits? Not a single banker was evicted from their home, I would venture to guess. A dystopian world.. Thoughtful, insightful, lovely writing. I love your work.

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    1. Wow, Steph, thanks for all the love!
      This is the second story dedicated to a friend of mine, a prize-winning crime novelist and journalist whose book I mention chronicles her fall: from being fired from her position as managing editor of one of Barcelona's free newspapers when she was 8 mos pregnant, to the resulting odyssey of being evicted from her home, along with her 10 year old and 4 year old, as it is being repossessed by the bank for defaulting on mortgage payments.
      No paycuts for bankers over here, anyway!

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  3. All those beautiful threes. You know the way to our heart:)

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    1. Well, I had to suck up a bit after abandoning you this past month!

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  4. This is great work with the prompt. I think you get extra credit for all of the three references haha

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    1. Thanks, Draug! You may not believe all the threes I ended up cutting!

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  5. I want three to be a lucky number for these two! Life is just so hard and unfair for some people.

    And when I have the hiccups, if I can swallow three times without taking a breath they go away.

    Great piece of writing Kymm! I always love coming here to see what you've come up with:)

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    1. Three seems to be a toss-up as far as luck is concerned (maybe even moreso in Spanish!)
      *swallows ten times*
      Thank you so much, Valerie! I love that you always come here < 3

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  6. Third time's the charm, they say. I loved Luisa's optimism, even in the face of reality.

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    1. Let's hope so. But optimism should get them even farther than luck might. Thanks, Tina!

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  7. I love how you give us glimpses into their long history together. Their friendship is a beautiful contrast to the current struggles. Another great piece!

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    1. Thanks, Ivy! I wanted to reflect how the small bonds can resist the large disasters. Glad their history came across.

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  8. Things come in threes! “Seems like all we did by growing up was change one worry for another.” this line s so true. I like their friendship!

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    1. Things come in threes... Except when the other shoe drops... haha
      Thanks so much, Gina!

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  9. What a touching story this is with so much wisdom woven in. And the line about changing one worry for another. That's all adulthood really is when you look at it that way! Just a wonderful story as usual, Kymm!

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    1. I find adulthood is often not all it's cracked up to be!
      Thank you so much, Linda! I'm glad you liked it.

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  10. I agree that this was a wonderful tapestry of threes and the relationship between these two was so strong, making those last two lines especially tender.

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    1. Oh sure, you like the threes, but then all you talk about are twos!!! lol
      Glad the strength of their relationship came through.
      Thank you for your lovely comment, Jennifer!

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  11. Ouch, a painful story, for sure. But very real. Great little piece, Kymm!

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    1. Painful not to feel able to do anything about it!
      Thank you so much, Christine!

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  12. So tenderly written - a tale of true friendship. Lovely use of three.

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    1. Haha - a bit overboard with the threes... Thank you, Sarah!

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  13. "It's all about threes." Great opener. Things really do come in threes a lot. :)

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  14. That's a sign of a great friendship. We all need someone to look on the bright side when everything looks bleak.

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    1. Everything´s a little easier when it's shared. Thanks, Janna!

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