Bruised Fruit
an excerpt

The couple next to me that can’t keep their hands off one another, and I think about Larry and I earlier today at our regular meeting at the lake.
“How’s the tomatoes coming along?.” Larry asked remembering from our last conversation about my green tomatoes.
“Still green, I’ve had a few red ones but not enough to make a good salad. I don’t know why they grow so big yet don‘t ripen. It’s the first time that has happened. I am really envious that yours are doing so well” I replied sounding as frustrated as I felt about the plants.
“I told you, build a greenhouse.” He said with his devilish grin.
“It’s a little late for that don’t you think?”

“Well not for next year. I built mine in four hours. It’s fairly easy if you can find some old windows.”

“Finding old windows are easy, but getting Owen to do it is the hard part.” I immediately regretted mentioning Owen to Larry.
“Well do it yourself. You’re a talented person. You can do it.”
“I can do a lot of things, but a greenhouse is just a bit out of my talent range.”
“Want to take a hop up the road to see mine?”
“I don’t know. How far away do you live? “ I said while wondering what his house looked like.
“Less than two minutes from here. Is that close enough for you?”
“Sure, but I’ll follow you in my car, it’s getting late and I’ll just leave to for home afterwards.” I countered offered.
“Fine with me.” He said as he walked towards his truck. “I’ll wait for you at the end of the exit.”
“Okay” I said as I gathered my beach towel and blanket and headed toward my car.
I’m nervous as I drive to the exit of the beach and wonder why I was doing this. Am I really going to build a greenhouse? Or do I really want to be alone with Larry. Well semi alone, he takes care of his mother who has had some slight health problems. He reminds of Ethan so much, except for the brown eyes. They could be twins.

Larry turns into the driveway of a neo gothic house, the structure is breathtaking but in need of a new coat of paint and minor repairs. Scaffolding is set up on the back of the house and it looks as if Larry or someone has started the scraping and repainting. I get out of my car and gaze at the tall steeple it’s beautiful.
“I told you it was only two minutes away.”
“You were right, like always. So where is the famous greenhouse?”
“It’s around back, follow me.” Larry said and quickly headed around the side of the house.
“Is your mom here?”
“No she’s at the hairdressers. A friend of hers takes her every week, she is real fussy about her hair believe it or not.”
“Oh…”
Just then I saw the magic greenhouse that has been giving Larry red tomatoes since May. It wasn’t pretty, but appeared to be functional.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when you be holding red tomatoes it’s beautiful” Larry said and laughed at his own pun.
“You’re right again.” I said smiling.

“I have a copy of the instructions if you want them.”

“I don’t know. I really don’t think I would be able to be construct something even that simple. “.
“Okay it’s up to you. But don’t come begging to me for tomatoes.” He said and then winked.
“I promise I won’t beg,”
Larry gave me a funny look and said “Be careful of your words Trish, they may come back to haunt you. You want something cold to drink?”
“Sure what do you have?”
“Lemonade, water, soda, diet soda, ice tea,?”
“ Lemonade sounds good.” The summer sun has made me extremely thirsty.
“Come in I’ll show you the house and get you that lemonade.”
As I entered the kitchen I was surprised that the sink, oven, and refridgerator were so old, but pristine. It was stepping back into the 40’s.
“My mother doesn’t believe in remodeling, she wants to keep it the house the same way it was when my dad was living. Look in the living room, she still has an old pipe stand by the fireplace. I think she feels that if she remodels her memories will be gone, even though I told her memories stay in your mind no matter what. Isn’t that right Trish?” Larry asked while he finished pouring the lemonade.
“Well I guess so, I never really thought about it until now.” I said and began to feel uneasy .
Larry handed me the lemonade and our hands touched briefly but enough to know there were sparks between us. I find myself becoming uneasy. Am I afraid that he is Ethan? Or am I afraid because he’s not? Or am I just uneasy being alone with a man other than my husband.
“ So are things any better between you and Owen?” Larry asked cautiously.
“Nothing’s changed since we first talked about it a couple months ago. Why do ask?”
“I just thought you would do something like I told you before, scream at him. Get his attention I know you know what to do.” Larry said in a tone unfamiliar to me.
“You don’t understand. “
“B.S. I do understand all too well. In fact you can take that to the bank! Are you going to just sit silently while your life passes? You’re stressed, and that affects your health. And Trish, you don’t need me to tell you that, you’re an intelligent woman, you must physically feel the stress of your relationship with Owen. Why don’t you tell him to shit or get off the pot?”
A tear is flowing down my check and I ask Larry “What difference is any of this to you.? I’m not on your insurance, and you are not responsible for my health.”
“I work with people with this type of problem everyday, and I see what happens. I just don’t want it to happen to you.”
“What’s going to happen to me Larry? I am not going to end up in a psycho ward. And if I do I ‘ll tell whoever it is not to take me to your hospital. Okay? You’re not at work so you don’t need to be a pseudo shrink. So stop.”
“No I’m not stopping. Not until you tell Owen good bye or go home and make him pay attention to you. It’ your choice. You need to do something soon. Not for me, but for you!”
I don’t like arguing with Owen and I certainly don’t like word tossing with Larry. I feel uneasy and decide I should go.
I set down my glass and say” Larry, I am leaving.”
“No you are running away.” He said in a matter of fact tone.
“ I am not running away, I am afraid I don’t have anymore to say, except good-bye and thanks for the lemonade.”
“Well I know what you can say. It is two words.” Larry’s voice said in a calmer tone.
“Okay, Fuck You! Are you happy now?” I shouted at him.
“Those weren’t the words.” Larry was still calm but very serious.
“What words are you talking about?” I said truly puzzled.
“Gee Whiz”
The rest is a blur, I can’t remember who kissed who first no matter how hard I try but I do remember the lovemaking in detail. It is burnt in my memory and will be til the day I die, no matter how many times I remodel.

I take a bite of the pineapple upside down cake, and then I take a bite of the caramel nut brownie. A great ending to a very sinful day.

“

Chapter 2.
I get up and start Owen’s coffee and then try waking him. “Wake up” it’s after 7 a.m. “
Owen hardly stirs, and I give him another gentle tug. “Come on Owen, it’s late.”
Finally he gets up and asks “ What time did you come home?”
“About 10.00 p.m. you were sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you. Although the dogs were barking like mad. I think they thought they weren’t going to be fed. I didn’t intend to come home so late, I just got carried away window shopping. I did get a new sweater. What did you have for dinner?”
“Subway” Owen said still half asleep. “Are we doing anything tonight?”
“Nothing as far as I know. Why?”
“ I’m going to go look at a new truck.”
“I didn’t know you were thinking of getting a new truck”
“Well now you do.”
“ Your truck is only a year old. Why do you need a new truck?”
“Because I don’t want it to break down when I plow this winter.”
“I thought we were going to trade in the car? It’s eight years old .”
“I’ll get you a new car later.”
“Yeah, it’s always later for me. You come first in everything.” I say recalling Larry’s words to me. It is as if they give me strength and I continue. “ When are you going to put me first? Just once I would like for that to happen. Last year you said I could get a new car after Christmas, and Christmas was 9 months ago.”
“Stop your bitching, you get everything you want.” Owen said angrily.
“No, I am not going to stop. Tell me what is it that I get. We have a broken refrigerator, doors with holes in them, and a washer and dryer I got from recycle. Yeah I am a real spoiled brat.”
Owen gets up and goes into the bathroom and I am left fuming and upset. I am screaming and yelling like Larry suggested, but it is not doing anything good. Any guilt that I felt yesterday is gone.
Owen comes out of the bathroom, grabs his coffee and quickly leaves without the required kiss on the forehead. I go to my office and work on the article that my editor expects today.
As I check my email messages I realize that I don’t even know if Larry has a computer or an email address. No emails from Dawn. So now I must get serious about my article “Recipes For Valentines Day.” I can’t help but to think about some recipes I would like to use on Owen right now.
1 C. Flour
1 Egg
¼ C. oil
½ C. Sugar
1 tbsp. Baking soda
And a pinch of arsenic
Beat the egg with the oil, add dry ingredients and bake for 45 minutes in a fast oven 375 degrees. Top with whip cream and serve. Makes one serving.

I throw the idea of cooking such a desert for Owen out the window. I decide to try to find a divorce lawyer.

“