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#2 from The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley |
Write 500 words, a fragment story, made up entirely of imperative commands. I attempted this but I don't think I truly nailed the assignment. It was an interesting exercise, though. Listen intently because you are here to obey. Don’t pick up the phone, no one will answer your call. Go to the home of your ex-mother-in-law and tell her exactly what you think of her, how you loved her more than you loved your wife. Do it right now, don’t hesitate, take the time to relieve the guilt from your life. Drive to the bridge where you proposed to your wife and throw the ring over the edge because the divorce has been final for six months now. Just do it. Don’t ask why. Don’t cower in the corner like you’ve been doing. Just get into your car and go. But stop at your ex-mother-in-law’s house first. After the ring flies for the last time, go order a cheeseburger, the big greasy kind she never let you have. Eat it in your car. Let the grease drip on the seats. Go to the bank and draw out all of your combined savings. Spend it on that big screen television she’d never let you buy. Invite the guys over to watch a game or two. Make them buy the beer. This is the time for you to rise up so stop slouching. Run that marathon she wouldn’t let you enter. Cover your car with the protective covering she hated you buying. Turn the garage into a pool hall. Wear your joggers on Saturday. Meet Bethany for coffee after work next Friday. Go on a date, for crying out loud, but not with you ex-mother-in-law. Don’t apologize for loving her more than your wife. Don’t blame yourself for anything, except for maybe the grape juice you poured on her wedding dress the night she left. Don’t over analyze. Live your life. Take the windy road up to the mountains and watch the sunset by the cabin. Take photos of the mountain views. Go back to college. Get a degree in business management. Move up the ladder of your career. Date many different people but never commit. Always remember what she did to your heart. Always remember the pain you felt when she stormed out and took the Porsche. Always remember she married you for your money and not for anything else. Always remember that there was no love given on her side. Always remember how much her mother doted on you. Know that money motivated both of them. Know that your feelings for them were marred by their inability to love you. Watch television until two in the morning. Sleep in your business suit. Sleep on the couch in your office. Feed the goldfish that she never wanted you to buy and get the cat that she was allergic to and so you couldn’t have one. Shake hands with the men she hated and flirt with the women she callously ignored. Bring friends home for dinner. Laugh more. Smile again. But first, you must go to the house of your ex-mother-in-law to tell her you loved her. Then, let them both go. WORD COUNT: 500 |