Short Story: Bed And Board.

Short Story: Bed And Board.

Oh yes if you want to stay here you’re going to have to take the room at the top of the house the one the maid had years back and you’ll have to have your meals on time none of this I’ll be down soon and not come until ages after no if you’re going to come to stay here you’ll have to knuckle down with the rest of us Mr Shuckle said and so you took the room at the top of the house with its bed and chest with two drawers and window looking out on the big garden and gazing out now you see Mr Shuckle and that wife of his walking down the path between the flower beds hand in hand and you can’t imagine them together somehow it doesn’t seem real it’s as if they’re playing a game of being a couple and probably you think he’s having it away the young woman they have to help about the house that slim dozy looking one with her big bosom and large brown cow eyes and there he is walking with his wife all Mr Innocent having her hand in his and she dumb bitch knows nothing of what he’s up to knows only what she wants to believe and now they stop at the pond with the fishes and he’s telling her some yarn and she smiles and he pats her behind playfully and she likes it and you guess they play that kind of game at bedtime and you wonder he still has the strength for that after what he maybe gets up to and you wonder what he has in mind for you once his wife’s away and the kitchen helps gone home and his kids are asleep and he said Sure I can fine you work here for a room and food and such and you think now what he meant by (and such) and you look away from them in the garden and look around the room at the chest with its two drawers and the bed and wonder who slept here with the maid years back or did she sleep alone or did she not and maybe the bed has seen action has moved with the motion of the master and maid and Mother used to say Molly you have such a vivid imagination you think such thoughts that other people would never even entertain inside their heads and maybe she was right after all she was right about a lot of things and at times too right and even at the end when you suffocated her with the pillow you had the thought that maybe she knew you were going to do that knew deep down that you were going to put her out of her misery were going snuff her out like you said you would well you said so to her behind her back never to her face and yet she seemed to know and looking down at the garden again Mrs Shuckle stands alone by the pond her fixation on the fishes and Mr Shuckle is nowhere to be seen and is probably trying it on with the kitchen help making it with her on the big table unless (you pause and look around at the door opening sound) he has come for you and he’s there standing there gazing at you sitting on the bed in your jeans and tee shirt with the afternoon sun entering the window by your head.