 |
| Stories Bingo’s Home Bingo’s Lair |
|
|
|
|
Part One, Chapter 10 Bring had her breakfast a while later. She was listless and impatient. She wanted to be anywhere else but in the motel room. She had to be in the room, had to be with Peter to keep on playing the game. She wanted to get the game over and done with. She did not want to play the game any more. Bring went to the bathroom and had another shower, the second that morning. She dried herself. She could not figure out if she felt better dressed or undressed, could not decide if it mattered. She dried her hair, let the towel fall to the floor. She went back into the room and sat on the bed. Peter was on the floor by the desk trying to read. Bring got off the bed, went over to the desk and selected a book. She was careful not to touch Peter. She got back on the bed and tried to read. She decided she wanted a nap instead and slept. Bring had bad dreams. Peter could hear her moving about on the bed. He wanted to do something for her but thought she was best if he just sat where he was. Peter realized around noon that Bring was quiet. Peter carefully got up; he saw that she was awake, staring at the ceiling. Peter sat back down. Around one o'clock Bring got up and went into the bathroom. It was quiet in there for a long while, then Bring came out. She walked to the television, picked up the remote, and sat back down on the bed. After a couple of minutes, Peter realized she was having problems. Bring said to him, "I want to watch the television. How do you work this thing?" Peter got up off the floor, walked over to her side of the bed and looked down. She was pushing buttons and nothing was happening. He held his hand next to hers. "May I?" Bring nodded. Peter took the remote. He held it where she could see it and pushed the Power button. "This one turns it on." He pushed the button again. "And off." He pushed the button. He turned the end of the remote toward her. "When you push a button, this light is picked up by the TV. You have to point it at the TV at the right spot. See?" He pushed the button. Peter glanced at Bring, looked back at the remote. "This button changes the channels. This button changes the sound - makes it softer or louder. There is no cable here so you'll probably only have four or five channels across the range possible." Peter handed the remote to Bring. "Let's see you do it now." Bring nodded, turned the television on, went back and forth across the channels, up and down in volume. Bring gave a quick nod. Peter sat down by the dresser, gave up all hope of reading. He listened to her switch to a station, then another, watch for a little while, switch to another. Peter shut his eyes and remembered Bring and Alice and him sitting here yesterday, eating pizza, talking and having fun, sharing wine. Jimmy was right, orange was hard. He could not think of any reason why it had to be so hard. Others knew what was happening in the room and they had let it happen. Peter could not imagine why Alice and he had done what they had done. Peter also realized he did not know everything. He liked Alice, he loved Alice and Bring. He liked Martha and Jimmy, even Larry somehow. But it had been hard. It was hard now seeing Bring and realizing that what she and he had together before the dice were thrown for orange was gone. Peter shifted his weight and leaned his head against the desk leg. At about two o'clock Peter decided he was going out. If that was okay with Bring. He could not imagine her wanting to be in the same room with him. He stood and said, "Bring, I was going out for a walk." "All right." Bring did not shift her eyes from the television. She was watching a televangelist. "So you don't want to come, too?" He paused. "I was going to bring back something to eat. Want anything special?" "Anything." She smiled to herself when the choir started to sing and sway. "Are you still intending to go onto red?" "In a bit. This is funny." Bring glanced sideways at him. "Later." She turned back to the television. "Have a good walk." "Thanks," Peter said. He started to go to the bed to kiss her, then decided not.
Martha's grocery was closed. Mary was not in the antique store. He suspected Alice was not at the pizza place either. He checked anyway; she was not. The young man behind the counter, Dave, said she was sick. Peter decided to walk in the town off the main street. He walked for a couple of hours. People were friendly. There were families in their yards eating and watching pets or young children play. There were people working in gardens. People were painting a house; it looked like neighbors pitching in. Peter decided to try a buggy. He asked the driver if they could just go around, the young woman nodded, and they went down the street. Peter realized he wanted to see the school, so he asked to go there. It appeared like any other, except the playing field had no diamond or goal posts. He asked the driver to give him a tour of what she thought was important. He was taken to a pond with adjoining gardens and picnic area. He was taken to a bridge. It was important to her for a reason. It was a small wooden footbridge across a stream; then Peter saw the house beyond in the trees. He asked her who lived there. She turned and smiled at him. "That's the day care center. I loved spending time there with my friends when I was little." She glanced down, then up again. "Belinda is doing the game with you, isn't she?" Peter nodded slowly. "How is she?" Peter said that orange was hard. She nodded. He asked her where a good place to pick up a meal was. She laughed, "I'll take you there." The buggy stopped in front of a house. "I've always thought my house is the best place to eat." She hopped off her seat. "One of my dads will fix something for you and Belinda." Peter nodded and smiled to himself. Heaven. Jimmy was right. She dropped Peter off two blocks from the motel. He had a large bag of food in his hand. He thanked her, asked her name. "Ruth," she said. "I'll tell Belinda you asked about her," he said. He went in the room. He could hear the television outside so he knew Bring was still watching. It was cartoons now. She had a faintly shocked look on her face. "I feel the same way," Peter said, closing the door. "I met Ruth who was driving a buggy. She gave me a tour. Her dad made us a meal." Peter set the bag on the bed. Bring glanced up at him. She nodded briefly and returned to the television, changing the channel several times. "I'll eat mine on the floor," he said. "All right," she said. Bring decided to nap after she ate. Peter heard the television go off, a rustle of sheets. Then she was quiet. She seemed to sleep better this time. After a while, Peter lay on the floor and napped. His sleep was filled with strange dreams, tense and unresolved. Their colors were harsh. Peter heard footsteps at his head, opened his eyes and saw Bring's bare feet. He glanced up, she was getting her bag of game things from the desk. She looked down at him. "I'm ready now," she said. "Okay, I'll be ready in just a minute," Peter said after she stepped away, turned and went back to the bed. Peter went into the bathroom, peed. He stared into the mirror, winced, splashed water on his face, dried it off. When he came out, the game materials were spread out on the bed. Peter walked around the bed and sat on the other side. "Okay?" he asked. "Sure. Sit where you want to." Bring moved the cards toward him. "Red has a difference from the other suits." Peter looked warily at her. "We have to use the cards there are. No replacements." She gave him a tight lipped smile. "They are shuffled already. My turn to roll." She threw the dice onto the sheet. Peter prayed the dice would pick an easy card. They came up an eight. The card for eight said: "He and she go to Screwy Louie's. She has sex with every person there. He can have sex with any woman there. End of game." Peter looked at the card, shook his head. "No," he said. He stared at Bring. "No." She looked down at the sheet. "Okay. You throw." She pushed the dice toward him, withdrew her hand. Peter picked up the dice. He threw a two. The card for two said: "He and she go to Screwy Louie's. She has sex with every person there. He can have sex with any woman there. End of game." Peter gaped at Bring. She turned over all of the red suit of cards. They said the same thing. She turned them back over. "This is crazy," he said. "We have to do it." Bring gathered her game materials. "I want to finish the game. I have to do it." Bring stood, placed the black canvas bag on the desk, picked it up again, put it on the bed. "I'll need the condoms," she said.
Go
to next chapter of Bring
|
|
