Centenary Book Two: Gene -- Stories 26 - 30
Speed Dating at Living Well Towers. Today's collection of 100-word stories.
☕️ Speed-dating seniors would surely speed-tip their writer 🍷
26: STEVE and WOMAN4
- Why do they call you Four, not your name?
- Oh, that’s a boring story. Let’s talk about your music. Everyone is.
- Are they?
- No one knew who you were for the longest time.
- I still am.
- Oh, I just assumed, since you’re here, with us.
- I’m working on something.
- The song -- do you call it that? -- that everyone is talking about? Pulses?
- Pulse.
- I found it, well my niece did, and somehow got it on my phone.
- It might not sound the best on a phone.
- Oh, I loved it! I wondered, could you write me a song? About me?
27: DEE and STEVE
- I found your music online. I played it on the speakers hooked to my TV.
- And it-it-it sounded, how?
- Better loud. At first I had it turned down. But I went back, 18 Marimbas I think it’s called?
- Something like that.
- I turned it up, loud. Louder. Oh boy, that’s some powerful magic you make. I felt it deep in me. Not just sexy deep. That, but more, inside my chest, my gut, pressing me, trying to think what is this and then just realizing, let go, let go, let go.
- Where did you go?
- I’m right here, Steve. Here.
28: RUTH, WOMAN4, DEE, ANNE, and TOWERS RESIDENTS
- Alright, everyone. Time’s up. That’s it for this month’s speed dating. Everyone has two drink tickets. The bar is open.
- Play some music, Ruth.
- Hey, how about Steve’s music?
- No, no, no ladies.
- Why not? We’ve all been talking about it. Some of us have been listening to it.
- No, not until they’ve had their second drink.
- Oh Steve don’t be so modest. What could it hurt?
- Listen, ladies. I know, in my head, that it’s not for everyone. But seeing my neighbors, my acquaintances, some of you walk away, flee it? My heart is never prepared for that breaking.
29: ANNE, WOMAN4, RUTH, DEE, and STEVE
- Steve, why doesn’t Gene come to speed dating?
- Doesn’t he drink?
- Be serious, Four. Everyone drinks. Everyone here, at least.
- We’d like to get to know all about Gene.
- Ladies, “speed” doesn’t really work for Gene.
- Oh, no? Have you seen him roaring down the halls?
- And dating would be -- hard for him.
- It’s only talking.
- Talking is hard. He doesn’t. Can’t. Talk. He writes. He’s not speedy.
- We’ve talked about having him in for Happy Hour. That’s nice and slow.
- But we can never catch him.
- To invite him. Will you, Steve? Ask him?
- Happy hour? When is that?
30: GENE
Gene writes, How did I let myself get here?
Gene stubbed his toe transitioning from bed to chair like they taught Gene, grabbing the grab bars, dragging the useless legs down and around and over like they taught Gene.
Gene stubbed his god damned toe on the motor chair’s front left wheel, pulled back the nail Gene should have trimmed two weeks ago, now it’s bleeding, leaking blood, leaking onto the floor, where someone – Gene knows who -- will have to clean it up.
Gene stubbed his big toe, it’s leaking, it’s bleeding, and Gene can’t feel a god damned thing.
☕️ It’s OK to speed-tip your writer 🍷
⏮ Read all of Book Two’s free 100-word stories here, from newest to oldest
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⏮ Paid subscribers can also read the full Book 1: Go On Down
ℹ️ All about Centenary, my serial novel unfolding in 100-word stories from Living Well Towers
🆗 ps - You might like Spilled at the Wine Bar, documenting what I see, hear, and overhear pouring for customers.