Categotry Archives: Suzie’s House
Suzie’s House 351 : The Decomposing Composure of a Gaunt Connection
“Gene?” Suzie could not have been more surprised. Instead of finding Drew on the stairs creeping up to her room, she found Gene trying to slip into his room in the dead of night. “Where have you been?” “No where.” He sounded grudging as he hunched over, his dark silhouette hulking. “This late at night?” Her voice rose despite her intentions. She shoved past him to reach the light switch.
Suzie’s House 350 : Pillow Thoughts
Suzie lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. A car drove slowly past, casting light-shadows across the dark ceiling like ghosts flowing through a sea of doubt. Like her thoughts, they kept flickering before going out with the low hiss of tires on pavement.
Suzie’s House 349 : Catching Up Over Potato Salad
Drew couldn’t stop laughing. It felt so good to be here with Suzie and everyone else. He and the rest sat on the patio, “Seriously,” Vin said. “When you first walked into the kitchen I thought she’d deck you the same way she did Sean O’Connor. “Oh! Oh! I remember that!” Ben could hardly sit still. “She hit him with that really big cast iron pan. You know, the one that looks like something out of a cartoon. It was […]
Suzie’s House 348 : A Casual Meal
There was something weird going on in the house. Around six o’clock Ben went down stairs to see what happened to supper. He’d just reached the front hall when someone knocked on the door. He opened the door for Lisa and Tracy, who walked right in.
Suzie’s House 347 : Hardly Credible
Why had she done it? Suzie shoved a tray of chocolate chip cookie dough into the oven. In eight minutes they should come out. Surely in that time she could get over her own stupidity. Why had she tried to prove to an interviewer offering a job she didn’t even want that she could use the new version of Quickbooks? More to the point, why couldn’t she? Why had she fumbled so badly through a program she used to know […]
Suzie’s House 346: The Forgotten Man
Vin had steak in mind when he walked into the kitchen. That or maybe he’d grill up some ribs. He was pretty sure one or the other would the thawed because it was his turn to cook and everyone in the house knew he didn’t aspire to any French cooking. So the complete disaster that confronted him wasn’t particularly welcome.
Suzie’s House 345 : Drew Comes To on State Street
Shreds of golden sunlight splashed on the glass and brick fronts of the historic buildings on State Street. Maybe a few dozen people per block wandered along it. Stores were closing here and there while the day trade gave way to night. Drew guessed he had been out of it for a couple of hours. He had no idea what made the hallucinations pass, only that once he could actually see out of his eyes, he found Trent sitting on […]
Suzie’s House 344 : The Ghastly Results of an Unkempt Life
Trent liked it here. Some of the people got uncomfortable when you lent them a hand, but a lot were fine with it. Much better than places like New York City where he’d be treated like a total lunatic. But still not as nice as Missoula where folks might well lend you a hand in any kind of harmless tom foolery.
Suzie’s House 343 : The Accelerated Program
“We’ve had so many people who passed those computer tests down at Job Service but couldn’t do anything once we hired them. That’s why we’re going to have to ask you to show us you know how to be an accountant.” The interviewer smiled oh-so-sweetly while standing over the chair she wanted Suzie to sit in. “Right. It’s got nothing to do with free labor.” Suzie smiled back before glancing at the open door to her right. Was there really […]
Suzie’s House 342 : Affable As Always
By the time they’d crossed the long bridge across the Mississippi which marked the change from Minnesota to Wisconsin, Drew was feeling good about this trip. They passed through the lush green hills, under the increasingly frequent underpasses, and off the interstate on the North side of town while Trent cracked jokes.
Suzie’s House 341 : The Latest Interview Technique
Suzie had always found people with a certain hang-dog expression repulsive. The droopy eyes, heavy jowls and general air of depression annoyed her. She knew better than to take it seriously, but still found it hard muster a smile at her next potential employer.
Suzie’s House 340 : Looking For a Complication
A roll of toilet paper came flying over the partition into Drew’s stall. “Are you trying to tell me to hurry up, old man?” “Thought you might be stuck in there. It’s been half an hour.” Drew blinked. Half an hour in a rest area toilet? He was pretty sure that was a personal record. It wasn’t generally a place he felt compelled to sit and ruminate. But that’s exactly what he’d been doing.
Suzie’s House 339 : On the Road Again, Dudut-du-du-doooo-du duu du-du
“Thanks.” Drew took the keys from Trent. “I owe you one.” “You owe me more than one, but who’s counting?” Trent grinned. Drew could hardly argue. If not for Trent and Sonoma’s faithful care, he would have ended up in some back alley feeling isolated in his insanity and scrutinizing every little dust speck of self recrimination that fell past. In a way, he could say he owed the couple his life.
Suzie’s House 338 : How to Define Yourself
“I can’t seem to get my feet under me.” Drew sat at the battered kitchen table and turned his cup of tea around and around. The delicate handle rubbed his thumb raw every time it came around. “I think I’ve got a hold of the hallucinations, but it seems like I just never feel like ME anymore.” “It takes more than a cup of tea and a straight head to define us.” Trent eased into a chair across the table, […]
Suzie’s House 337 : In a Sluggish Economy
The woman behind the counter probably didn’t mean to come off as combative. She squeezed off a hard, polite smile as she said, “It’s all done on computer now. We have several available in the room over there.” She pointed to the room to the right. “Oh.” Suzie hadn’t been in Job Service in so long that she might as well have no experience at all. Everything had changed in the intervening years. “Um…”
