Anderson Cooper is telling me that I should go through with it. Not literally, but it’s in his eyes. I watch his show to keep up with the world. Some people say too much news can hurt you, though I do like Anderson’s calm manner and the way he doesn’t club you over the head with it all. He eases you into the disasters around the globe, like when he reported during Katrina, impeccably dressed and knee deep in water. You believed he felt sorry for all the chaos floating around him. He knows about loss.
I was watching his show, waiting for Mary Catherine to come home and wondering whether I should tell her the truth about the burglary. The truth being that there hadn’t been one. I’d only made it look that way, had smashed a window from the fire escape when she was at work and when I was supposed to be. The police filled out a report, in their casual way, as if they had more important things to do, which I guess they did.
I had taken Mary Catherine’s watch and jewelry from her bureau, including her ruby high school graduation ring and the pearl necklace from her grandmother and sold all of it to a guy I knew from the restaurant where I worked who was into all sorts of shit. I got enough money for the tickets to London, where we’ll be spending the summer. Mary Catherine’s cousin lives there, but she’s going to Spain and that’s why her apartment is available. This cousin, whose actual real life name is Frederika, is a semi-successful singer and actress and in photographs I have seen has the sad and emaciated look of an aging runway model. When she called Mary Catherine a few weeks ago and offered the use of her place, I could see my girlfriend calculate how much we’d need to cover our transportation, our rent here in Boston and the UK living expenses. She tried to be optimistic because Mary Catherine has often pined for overseas adventures. She even asked her British cousin to give her some time to work it out, but I knew we’d come up short.
I settled on my plan after that, though it didn’t take any real planning. I only had to make sure no one saw me break the window. When I came home with the tickets a few days later, I told her a distant relative had died and left me the money. Mary Catherine didn’t question this, only hugged me in a mixture of condolence and relief, but I know eventually she will get around to asking, maybe even while we are on the final approach to Heathrow.
The guilt I feel must mean I’m serious about Mary Catherine, more so than I have been about anyone else, and I have had more than my share of romantic interludes and semi-permanent attachments in this somewhat stormy life. If it’s true that Mary Catherine is different, then how can I not tell her about my lies. I was back and forth on this until just a few minutes ago, when I suddenly pictured her forgiving me for the whole deal. It was my very own miracle, like when you read about some farmer who claims to see the image of Jesus in a head of lettuce.
This epiphany came as a direct result of my watching Anderson Cooper and all that forgiveness bubbling up in his weird blue eyes, staring back at me from the tube, wooing me to do the right thing. It was absolution, I believe — enough for me, enough for everyone, and it makes it so much easier to sit here, recognizing my newfound faith in the world, while I listen carefully for Mary Catherine’s key in the door.
Bill Gaythwaite’s stories have appeared in Alligator Juniper, Lynx Eye, Boston Literary Magazine and Word Riot. His work has also been included in Mudville Diaries, an anthology of baseball essays published by Avon Books. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
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16 Responses to “ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE • by Bill Gaythwaite”
Comments
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February 7th, 2009 at 12:36 am
I got a bit sidetracked by the overuse of ‘it’ in this piece and couldn’t really see how Anderson Cooper fitted in. However, the meat of the story was very engaging.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Loved it, Bill! What a great voice. Gave it a five.
February 7th, 2009 at 3:34 am
A wonderful economy of words and yet you stroked the canvas in vivid colors. Bravo.
February 7th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Pulled me right in.
February 7th, 2009 at 5:44 am
I really enjoyed the story. Everyone has done things they are not proud of in a relationship (sometimes the act may in fact be criminal), and redemption, sadly, often comes with a heavy price. The main character felt very “real” to me.
February 7th, 2009 at 6:04 am
The writer places us at the very inception of infringement, first, a relatively minor one calmly enacted and because by himself forgiven, probably to be followed by greater and worse, preying calmly and invincibly upon the close and trusting.
February 7th, 2009 at 6:15 am
There are far too many stories where there is a little twist at the end to redeem the rest of the action. This story starts off well and continues that way to the very end — no twist required. Just some very good writing. I gave it a four.
February 7th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Great writing, Bill!
February 7th, 2009 at 7:58 am
The payoff in this story comes in the last two paragraphs, but it’s buried in too many words. I liked the conceit that “Anderson Cooper has forgiven me, therefore so will Mary Catherine”, when we all know she probably won’t. The sense of impending doom is covered in exposition, though, when it should be crystal clear.
It’s a good story, a clever plot device; it just needs a little more pruning to bring it all out.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:23 am
I quite liked the references to Anderson Cooper and I *almost* feel sorry for the poor man who has to tell his girlfriend the truth.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I gave this a four. I liked the almost pathological ‘rationality’ of the character, the feeling of a personal link to the celebrity, and the firm belief of selflessness (but note he only pawned *her* belongings). I actually had a slight chill wondering what he might do if (when) she freaks out upon hearing the truth. The only part that didn’t ring true to me was the mundaneness of the second-to-the-last paragraph. While its possible that someone this screwed up would have romantic interludes and semi-permanent attachments, more plausible(based on how I viewed the character) is a string of obsessions and restraining orders. Then again, its from his POV, so it’s not impossible, just feel it would’ve been more tension-filled if he was remember others who ‘misunderstood’ him there. Still really liked this and felt it worked really well and told a lot in a small space.
February 7th, 2009 at 9:17 am
A ’slice of life story’, for sure. A rootless character sponging off the kindness and gullibility of others. I hope Mary Catherine hits him over the head with an iron skillet!
And that realness is what makes this a great story!
–dj
February 7th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Nice one. The title didn’t do it for me though and I suspect Anderson Cooper will only make sense to North American TV viewers. A good one nevertheless.
February 7th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I loved this – it was gripping and very powerful. The ending is perfect.
Axxx
February 8th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Interesting point of view character. So deluded and so sure of himself.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:28 am
“It was my very own miracle, like when you read about some farmer who claims to see the image of Jesus in a head of lettuce.”
I love this as an example of a “miracle”. Says a lot about either the character or the writer, depending on whether it was intentional or not.
Bob’s comments did a good job of clarifying my feelings about this one:
“The sense of impending doom is covered in exposition, though, when it should be crystal clear.”
Spot on!
Overall I didn’t hate this story.