LJ Idol Week 3: A Moment of Bliss
"Then we'll go to Paris," he said. She kept eating; the hot sauce was perfect.
"Teach me enough French that we can go to Paris," he said. She tells him you don't really need to know French to go to Paris.
"You do if you move there," he said. She kept eating; the hot sauce was more than perfect.
"We'll move to Paris. No, I'm serious. Fuck your education." She asked him what they would do.
"My dad has connections. I'll work in a diplomat's office." She asked him what she would do.
"You'll wait tables. We'll pinch pennies. Get an apartment." He got this look in his eyes and she decided to let him keep going. She ate. The restaurant was loud.
"We won't be able to afford birth control, so you'll get knocked up."
Eat.
"We keep the baby. It's absolutely beautiful. She has your eyes."
Eat.
"I lose my job."
Eat.
"You have to fuck your boss to get enough money to raise the baby."
Eat.
"You're a wreck. But we're in love, crazy in love, and the baby is so beautiful," he looked into her eyes and she smiled briefly. "I love you too much to see this happen to you every day: I start gambling."
She took a long, slow sip of her red bean bubble tea.
"You've never seen this side of me. I'm a terrible drunk. Violent, cruel. I have a lucky streak and I make good money, so we get our beautiful daughter some nice clothes and you have enough to take care of yourself a little better. Your boss doesn't want you any more."
The bowl was half empty, the cup was half full. She kept eating.
"You're unemployed and our daughter's starting school. I'm gambling, still making a profit, though you're beginning to wonder how. I beat you a lot, but you know I still love you. And it's never in front of her."
She nodded.
"I keep it secret for a while, but eventually the loan sharks start threatening you two. Despite my recent problems with responsibility, I'm fiercely protective of you. We move to Cairo."
She asked why Cairo.
"I have a friend there. We've always wanted to visit."
She nodded, and finished her red bean bubble tea.
"I get a good job there. Things are going pretty -- until you find out I'm having an affair. I don't know why I did it; I still love you more. You know this, but you can't handle it. You tell me I'm a different person than I was when we moved to Paris. You tell me you're sick of me being drunk and hitting you and then disappearing for weeks. You're afraid I'll hit our daughter. She's eight now. You tell me to go to hell with that Egyptian hussy."
She stirred the bottom of the bowl. The noodles were soupy and getting cold. She stared at him intently and asked what she does next.
"You were going to move back to Paris and live with a friend of yours, but our daughter gets sick. Terrible asthma. You blame me for bringing her to Cairo."
She said she would. She asked what she would do then.
"You move back to the States to live with your mother. She has a friend who's a doctor and can get our daughter treatment for cheap or under the table."
She shuddered, but her mood lightened when she remembered her mother would be in Hawaii by then.
"You tell me you're damn glad you'll be half the world away. You take our daughter and go, crying. I kiss your forehead good bye. I'm not angry. I never drink again."
She asked what happens next. He shrugged.
They pay and leave, holding hands. She keeps teaching him French.
"Jusqu'à ce que ces moments de bonheur fin..."
-----
Written for LJ Idol Week 3: A Moment of Bliss. Sorry if the French is bad, I haven't taken classes for two years.
"Teach me enough French that we can go to Paris," he said. She tells him you don't really need to know French to go to Paris.
"You do if you move there," he said. She kept eating; the hot sauce was more than perfect.
"We'll move to Paris. No, I'm serious. Fuck your education." She asked him what they would do.
"My dad has connections. I'll work in a diplomat's office." She asked him what she would do.
"You'll wait tables. We'll pinch pennies. Get an apartment." He got this look in his eyes and she decided to let him keep going. She ate. The restaurant was loud.
"We won't be able to afford birth control, so you'll get knocked up."
Eat.
"We keep the baby. It's absolutely beautiful. She has your eyes."
Eat.
"I lose my job."
Eat.
"You have to fuck your boss to get enough money to raise the baby."
Eat.
"You're a wreck. But we're in love, crazy in love, and the baby is so beautiful," he looked into her eyes and she smiled briefly. "I love you too much to see this happen to you every day: I start gambling."
She took a long, slow sip of her red bean bubble tea.
"You've never seen this side of me. I'm a terrible drunk. Violent, cruel. I have a lucky streak and I make good money, so we get our beautiful daughter some nice clothes and you have enough to take care of yourself a little better. Your boss doesn't want you any more."
The bowl was half empty, the cup was half full. She kept eating.
"You're unemployed and our daughter's starting school. I'm gambling, still making a profit, though you're beginning to wonder how. I beat you a lot, but you know I still love you. And it's never in front of her."
She nodded.
"I keep it secret for a while, but eventually the loan sharks start threatening you two. Despite my recent problems with responsibility, I'm fiercely protective of you. We move to Cairo."
She asked why Cairo.
"I have a friend there. We've always wanted to visit."
She nodded, and finished her red bean bubble tea.
"I get a good job there. Things are going pretty -- until you find out I'm having an affair. I don't know why I did it; I still love you more. You know this, but you can't handle it. You tell me I'm a different person than I was when we moved to Paris. You tell me you're sick of me being drunk and hitting you and then disappearing for weeks. You're afraid I'll hit our daughter. She's eight now. You tell me to go to hell with that Egyptian hussy."
She stirred the bottom of the bowl. The noodles were soupy and getting cold. She stared at him intently and asked what she does next.
"You were going to move back to Paris and live with a friend of yours, but our daughter gets sick. Terrible asthma. You blame me for bringing her to Cairo."
She said she would. She asked what she would do then.
"You move back to the States to live with your mother. She has a friend who's a doctor and can get our daughter treatment for cheap or under the table."
She shuddered, but her mood lightened when she remembered her mother would be in Hawaii by then.
"You tell me you're damn glad you'll be half the world away. You take our daughter and go, crying. I kiss your forehead good bye. I'm not angry. I never drink again."
She asked what happens next. He shrugged.
They pay and leave, holding hands. She keeps teaching him French.
"Jusqu'à ce que ces moments de bonheur fin..."
-----
Written for LJ Idol Week 3: A Moment of Bliss. Sorry if the French is bad, I haven't taken classes for two years.