The Monitor (short story)

Love the way you lie…

(EMINEM)

Part I. Patty and Sam

It was a terrible quarrel. They've never been crying that hard at each other. She even began to cry. But he wouldn't stop yelling at her. Earlier when he saw that she was even going to begin to cry he always stopped the quarrel and tried to come to a common conclusion. But not this time.

"You never listen to me! You're always stuck with your computer or hang out with the guys. You never have time for me", - Patty continued crying. "Even if I told you that I'm pregnant you wouldn't stay this night with me", - she went on.

"Are you?", - Sam asked immediately. "No-o-o", - she sobbed and fell on a bed. "So if everything is alright I can go at my meeting", - concluded he and said "See you" being already at the door. "Go to hell!", - she threw a pillow at his back but instead it reached the closing door…

Part II. Anna and Gilbert

"You're never paying attention when I'm talking to you", - said Gilbert, sounding quite annoyed. He was looking at his wife sitting totally absorbed at a monitor of their computer. "Anna, I'm talking to you! We must solve out this problem. It concerns not only me", - Gilbert began to speak in a louder tone. "Not now, honey. Don't you see, I'm busy", - replied Anna without even turning her head at Gilbert.

"You cannot be busy unless we're sure that our daughter will go to school. Right now she "hangs" between two schools and will attend none of them if we don't decide anything", - said Gilbert angrily. Anna didn't answer anything.

"At least look at me! I'm talking to you!", - he put an arm on her shoulder trying to turn her around. "Take your hands off me!", - she grabbed his hand. "Son of a bitch", - with her other hand she tried to hit him at his face.

"Fucking bitch! Here goes your fucked up computer!", - Gilbert pushed her aside and grabbed the monitor of a computer. He took it into the arms, turned left and with all his strength threw it out of the window.

Part III. Tears and laughter

Sam was going back home from his meeting. He felt a little bit guilty after today's talk with Patty. Maybe she's right and they have to spend more time together. Since they've moved together they talk only during the supper. In the morning both of them have to get ready for work and during the weekends Patty usually goes to see her parents. Having all these thoughts buzzing in his head Sam turned round the corner and in the next moment he saw something flying just above his head.

He jumped aside and saw that that something was a monitor screen. And it crashed with a horrible sound just a couple of meters from him. Sam looked up and saw a blowsy head of a man looking down. Then he heard bloodcurdling scream: "You, bastard! How could you!".

The next second his cell phone began to ring. It was Patty. He didn't know why but he was so much glad to see that she's calling. They both had lots of things to say to each other. After they talked on the phone Sam felt so much better. Everything's alright. Patty is at home waiting for him to come. They will talk and drink ice tea till the latest night.

Jane Polevaya