The Message from Ruben
A stranger accidentally text-messaged me. Usually I’d press delete before reading any of the content. I’m quick that way, unless it’s a familiar name. I don’t have time for bullshit. But then, I read the beginning:
Hey sexy,
Bet you think you never here from me again?
Sexy? That wasn’t a word I’d use to describe me. And what about the bad spelling and grammar? Still I scrolled down to see if a name was included:Ruben.
Did I know a Ruben? It’s not like Bob or Tom. I stared out the window of the café, watched the leaves catapulting from their trees. I tried to recall him, scanned through the file of various men. It wasn’t a vast one, believe me. And then it registered. Ruben was a trainer I’d met at the Wisconsin Athletic Club. He’d spent two years in Nicaragua working for Habitat for Humanity. Before he left, we’d had a drink at Hi- Hat. The place was dark, hazy with smoke. He sat at a table with high bar stools. I sat opposite him, his grin lit up the entire room. My legs dangled in mid-air. “I feel like a doll on these seats. Or a zoo animal. I’m too short to reach the ground.” “I like you. You’re funny,” Ruben said. He sipped his cosmopolitan. He’d ordered Chardonnay for me. I wondered how he knew white wine was my preference. “Thanks for the wine,” I said. “Cheers.” We clinked glasses. I wasn’t sure he could understand me, but I didn’t care. “Really? You think I’m funny? I think I’m depressing,” I said, thinking we should have gone to my place. I wanted to tell him I was engaged to the wrong guy. Wanted to mention there was a strong possibility I was pregnant. But I didn’t. Just stared at his perfect eyebrows. Now, married with two kids, and barreling toward divorce, I sighed. The wind had picked up outside, swirling the leaves up toward their former branches. I glanced back at his text, bit the inside of my lip. Should I delete it?]]>
Hmmmm. This one has definate possibilities…
At once, both feelings of excited possibility of passion and the reality of life-choice despair! Go with this one, I want to know more.
You have this uncanny ability to create protagonists who are in the throes of transitions, changes that might affect their lives with great consequences. Yet, you so casually create them they seem all the more real. Wow, how do you do it?
A great contrast between the back story and the present conflicts in this woman’s life. And Ruben, can you send one of him my way? In all seriousness…I would like to see you develop this one more. Has great potential.
As always I love your dialogue, but I’m noticing a pattern: “Man reappears from the past, I’m now involved with someone else, is it too late for us” storyline. The best part was the “mystery text”.
more please
cheers buddy!
love this….sitting on the barstools…..
Completely transported by these few lines.
I was sitting in the cafe wondering if I should
delete the message as well 🙂
Love being plugged in to your art, sir.
Love you too.
@
Your writing reflects your knowledge of “life’s twists and turns.” I like it!