The Lie Behind the Postcard - Madame Calculator
Lureen Newsome was born and raised in Texas, she was the daughter of L.D. Newsome, an important men who sold equipment, she was used to get everything she wanted, but there was something that no matter how much she fought to get and was unable to get.
It was the winter of 1981, when Bobby was fourteen, and she got a visit from a small dark hair woman who called herself Alma Beers. She wanted to talk to her about her husband “fishing trips” with her ex-husband Ennis.
“The secretary tol’ me that ya’ were waitin’ for me!” Lureen said, as she entered to her office in her usual style with a smoke on her right hand.
“Yes, I was waitin' for ya’” said Alma standing up, offering her hand to Lureen who looked at her and then shake her hand with a fake smile.
“Lureen Twist used to be Lureen Newsome but when Jack and I got married, changin’ names was good for me” said Lureen trying to sound special and looking at Alma..
“Alma Beers used to be Alma Del Mar until yer husband and mine started seeing each other” said Alma looking straight to Lureen whose eyes were widely open.
“What’ya said?” Lureen said looking at Alma enraged for her comment.
“What ya’ just listened, your husband and mine have an affair! They have being seeing each other since 1967, they had never gone to any fishing or hunting trips they only said that to hide the fact they go and have se...se...x nasty things to each other” she tried to say sex but it was repulsive to her think that Ennis and Jack were together.
“What did ya’ just said? Don’t you dare to speak ‘bout my husband in that way! Jack is a real man!” Lureen replied slapping on Alma’s face
“My husband ain’t a queer! It can’t be! We do things we are together! We!” Lureen said she was extremely upset. How that Alma Beers dare to said that her husband was a queer and that her ex-husband and Jack were together.
“You are just upset! Because that husband of yers dumped ya’!” Lureen yelled.
“I didn’t say this because I’m upset! I’m telling ya’ these because I want ya’ to open yer eyes. He didn’t dump me I dumped him, and I married with a real man but ya’ are still married with Jack and he is lying to ya’. He and Ennis are a couple and they do the things that a men and it wife do” she coldly told Lureen who slapped her again.
“Out! Get out of my sight! Don’t wanna see ya’ anymore!” Lureen yelled opening the door using her hand to show Alma the way out.
“I’ll be going now; I said what I came to say! My job here is done I would recommend you to check your husband fishing equipment or leave him a note and when he came back ya’ll find the note there! It worked for me and I realized that there were no fishing trips. Plus I saw them kissing on their first meeting back in 1967 when your baby was only 8 months. I’ll go now but here is my number when you open yer eyes into the truth drop me a call we need to fix this situation” Alma said as she left the office.
When Lureen saw Alma leaving the office and she was enraged, but then remembered all those times that she tried to convince Jack to bring his friend and he refused to introduce Ennis to her. She thought on her the last words “fix this situation” she hurried herself to go to chase Alma who was walking to the bus stop.
“Ya’ wait there!” Lureen yelled and Alma who looked back and just smile evil smile.
“Why did you call me back? I thought that ya just make clear that ya’ wante to be blindfolded” said Alma looking at Lureen.
“Tell me everything ya’ know about them” Lureen said a part of her heart she always knew that Jack didn’t loved her and loved someone else but she never thought it could be a him not a her.
“Sure, Enough” Alma said and told “everything” to Lureen adding some things and changing others. When she ended the story she left Lureen crying worst than widow. She indeed was a widow her beautiful marriage shattered because of what Alma told her.
“Why ya’ telling me these?” said Lureen trying to clean hear tears with a handkerchief.
“Why? Revenge! Just because of that, they destroyed me and make me feel less than a woman!” said full of rage.
“And also….because I want to save them” Alma continued looking at the street.
“Saved them from what?” asked Lureen.
“From themselves, Ennis doesn’t know but his brother and sister already knows about this situation! K.E. found it out when he went to ask fer a Job to their old boss Joe Aguirre, he told him that he won’t hired him because he probably was like his little brother when K.E. forced Aguirre to tell him everything and then he called me. At the beginning he wanted to kill him but I convinced him that there was another way to fix this. And here is where ya’ enter!” Alma said looking at Lureen who kept crying.
“In what exactly I enter?” Lureen asked trying to talk but the pain was not letting her to do it.
“Thank to Lord that Aguirre haven’t said a word about that! But imagine if someone finds them?” We both would be the shame of the states!” Alma said, Lureen noticed that in Alma’s eyes were no light at all she almost look the she soulless.
“Don’t Understand ya’! Why you want to save them? If ya’ told they hurt you!” Lureen asked
“Because I still love Ennis and don’t want him killed, so I need divide them. But we need to make sure that they never see them again!” said Alma
“What you are thinking?” said Lureen
“You’ll see, this would take some time of planning, but we would end this forever” said Alma.
So they did as they planned, but the things didn’t worked for Lureen, she tried as hard as she can to get Jack but he was always looking to the sky or lost in his memories. She loved Jack and tried year after year with no success. Jack didn’t reacted to her tries.
“If ya’ discover it” she used to think, and one day in 1990 she did it she send a letter to Alma.
Alma,
I think that I should not write to you but I don’t know what to do. I can’t keep this lie any longer. He is so depressed and I can’t stand this anymore he keeps asking for him! If he knows he is alive and all of this is a lie I’ll be death!
Lureen Twist
She later received a call from Alma telling her to keep the secret they both swore that none of them would reveal the truth. She even threatened her that if she told something she was going to deny all and would say that she planned everything from the beginning.
Lureen tried to escape from reality; she started drinking and getting deeply involved with her job. She was ashamed of herself, she betrayed her husband and now was suffering the results of her bad choice.
"What I hav' done to Jack? I’m worst than her! She used me and I believed her and what I got now? Nothing! I only have this numbers I loose Jack lon' time ago and I don't even know my son now! Bobby keeps calling me Madame Calculator maybe, maybe I am that!" Said Lureen crying letting her thirst disappear on a bottle of Whiskey Old Par.