I think I will start by posting an excerpt from a book I''m working on. It's called Goodnight Irene. I hope this is the proper place to post it. If not, admin can let me know,
I started this when Dad was in the nursing homes. I saw so much abuse and people in the higher places that shouldn't be there. They didn't care about those people. It was all about status. I took two very memorable ones and made a composite main character. This book isn't done yet but it's one that I love writing...
Irene walked over to the stoop and sat down, keeping an eye on Ruby from a distance. As she watched Ruby play with the other dogs, Irene thought about her day at work. It had been a slow one. They hadn't gotten any new residents in the past few weeks. Secretly, she was glad. Irene really wasn't too fond of people outside of her social circle, especially sick elderly people. But, she did need the job and the paycheck that went with it. Especially now with three kids to feed. Then, they had reopened The Meadows and she had applied for a social work position. She had pasted on a smile, pleaded patients' rights and they had bought it. She laughed wryly to herself. If they knew how I truly felt about them, they'd probably cry. Some of them already did. She knew Carly Neise saw right through her. That was aggravating. So was that bratty grandson of Carly's. Never behaved. always running around. Furthermore, his mother was even worse. Her mouth was like a trash can. No wonder the kid acted up. Lack of stability usually had that effect on kids. The sun was already going down when she called for Ruby to come home. Ruby resisted but Irene finally got her leash fastened on her collar. At a slower pace than before, they walked toward home. The lights were on when they got there. Irene led Ruby briskly up the stone path to the back door. She opened the screen door and walked into the kitchen. Matt was still there, doing homework. She walked over to the kitchen table where he was setting. "Still not finished?" "Not yet. I have three more problems to go." "Well, just keep at it, Matt." Irene sighed and went into the living room. Marie Clare was on the couch watching television. "Did you finish your homework, Marie?" Marie looked at her mother with a vague expression on her face. "Hours ago, mother." Irene ignored the sarcasm. "Where is your brother?" "He's at the club with Dad" Marie didn't look up this time. Irene sighed with resignation and walked over to the recliner and pulled her shoes off. Oh, what a relief. She had been waiting all day to take them off. She wiggled her toes freely in the air, enjoying the freedom. She leaned back into the recliner, her body weary from a full day's work and a long walk in the park. She was dozing there when she felt something tap the sole of her foot. She jumped in alarm. She opened her eyes to see Mikey standing above her, grinning. "Need some help there, Darlin?" She smiled and looked around. Marie Clare was no longer on the sofa. Irene looked up at him in confusion. "She went to bed an hour ago." "What time is it now?" "Ten-thirty." "Wow. I must have really been out." She looked up in confusion at Mikey. He was grinning and there was a gleam in his eye. "Wanna mess around?" Irene laughed then and lowered the recliner. She rose to her feet and looked again at Mikey. "Well?" They went upstairs to the bedroom and fell back on the ivory bedspread. Irene grinned and looked at Mikey, who was already undressing at the foot of the bed. She watched in rapture as, inch by inch, he revealed himself to her. At five-eleven, his tan torso was broad but firm and his six-pack abs glistened with sweat. He was forty-one now, his once jet black hair a dignified silver gray. His legs, muscular and lean, looked like golden sunbeams. She smiled with satisfaction as she threw off her own robe and shoved it aside. She wiggled her toes in anticipation. He leaped on the bed and wriggled on top of her. She beckoned him in with her eyes. All sense of time was forgotten as their bodies merged in a tangled web of desire and fury. Afterward, they laid side by side on the bed, sated. Irene was spread across the bed, her head resting lightly on Mikey's shoulder, her fingers playing absentmindedly with the hairs on his chest. He was dozing lightly, his right arm lightly entwined around Irene's waist. The sun was out in its blazing glory when Irene awoke the next morning. She reached her arm out and rubbed Mikey's side of the bed. It was empty but warm. He hadn't been up for long. She stretched, yawning and turned her face toward the clock. It's red letters blared eight-fifteen. She wasn't surprised. Mikey had always been a morning person. During the week, he had to be up by seven o'clock for work. He didn't sleep much later on the weekends. As she laid in bed, she listened for house sounds. She could vaguely make out the sound of the television coming from the living room. Ruby was barking somewhere in the house. Might as well get out of bed. Sounds like everyone else is up, she thought to herself as she rose. She put on her robe, ivory satin with silk ribbons, and headed out the door to greet a new day. She headed straight to the kitchen where Marie Clare was standing at the stove and Michael and Matthew Luke were seated at the table. "Where's your father?" Three anxious faces looked back at her. "He went out to the club with Mr. Palazzo," Marie Clare stated, almost apologetically. "He said he didn't want to wake you." Her daughter's eyes were avoiding her, she could tell. Was her irritation really that easy for them to see. Because she tried to hide it, she really did. "Wonder if I should get his old sleeping bag out of the attic. He could probably rent a room over there," she attempted lightheartedly. Michael chuckled as he heaved more syrup on his French toast. He was so much like his father, she mused. Growing taller everyday, too. He was already taller than both his parents at six foot one. He was expected to grow more during the next few years. This was a good time to get involved in her son's daily life. "How is school going?" "Fine." That was his usual answer. "How about football practice?" "It's fine too." This wasn't going well. She was going to try another strategy. "Who are you dating these days? Katie still?" He made a face. "No. Katie and I are through. She's with Brad Conner now. It's Christina now." Irene smiled then. He was like his father in that way, too. She remembered when her and Mikey were dating in college. It pained her so to see him dating other women besides her. It was nearly a year after they had both graduated college that he had looked her up again. She was casually dating a Harvard grad then. However, after one phone conversation with Mikey, Irene knew that she would never love another man as she loved Michael Stevenson. She was sure of that. They dated exclusively for two years before Mikey got down on one knee in front of the Rockefeller Center Tree and asked her to marry him. Jubilantly, she had said yes and they had ran to the nearest phone to inform their parents. Her parents were thrilled. Her father, a factory worker from lower Brooklyn, had always wanted the best for his little girl. He could see that Michael Stevenson was loyal, hardworking and not afraid to do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. As for her mother Ilene, she was obviously beside herself, calling every known relative in New York and even long-distance to Italy to boast of her daughter's engagement to "a nice law student named Michael." Before too long, the news of the engagement was widespread all throughout Brooklyn. Little Irene Jenkins, the granddaughter of Italian immigrants and Irish indentured servants, was surely moving up in the world. "Earth to Reny, a voice called behind her. Before she could answer, she felt a heaviness around her waist. As her eyes looked up, they caught sight of Mikey standing behind her with his arms around her. She basked in the warmth of his body. "What have you been doing, darling?" "Oh, I was just standing here, lost in thought, she allowed her head to rest against his shoulder. "Where were you?" "On the golf course with Azarrello and some of the other lawyers. We're getting ready to take on a big case." "Ah, I see. Anything interesting?" "Nursing home neglect, elder abuse, that sort of thing. It's long and complicated." "It usually is." Mikey rewarded her comment with a big tickle in her sides. She yelped and ran across the kitchen. "Hey!" She grabbed a pillow that laid on the bench in the breakfast nook and threw it in his direction. "Take that!" Mikey grinned and caught it in his hands. "Nice try, he bellowed in his best coaching voice. "Next time, aim higher. Of course, I must punish you for this infraction, small though it may be." He moved toward her and reached for her waist. His strong arms pulled her against him as he ran his fingers along her hipbone. She shrieked and tried vainly to pull away. In a matter of minutes, he had her pinned to the kitchen table, while his tongure devoured her body, trailing along her waistline. When he had her worn down, he climbed on top of her and hurriedly threw off her robe. It went flying across the room. Next, he peeled off her ivory satin chemise with the ease of peeling an orange. She was moaning now, her skin alive with new sensations as the air from the open window above the sink fluttered over her skin like a butterfly taking wing. It took him moments to enter her core as their bodies blended on the kitchen table. "Eww gross. Get a room, will you?" Marie Clare's voice interrupted their actions. Mikey and Irene stole a look at each other and burst into helpless giggling. Still laughing, Mikey eased himself off of Irene and got to his feet. "Sorry about that, Clare. Guess we got carried away." He grinned at his wife. "Gross. We eat on that table or did you forget?" She was looking at him with that "Duh" stare. "Aww, well we'll take some cleaner to it and you'll never know." "But I will. I watched it. Ewww!" Disgusted, she walked sullenly out of the room. Mikey and Irene stood side by side, looking each other in the eye. "Well, Mikey broke in hastily, shall we take her advice and get a room?" She nodded and they hastily went up the stairs to their room. The moon was out when they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.
I started this when Dad was in the nursing homes. I saw so much abuse and people in the higher places that shouldn't be there. They didn't care about those people. It was all about status. I took two very memorable ones and made a composite main character. This book isn't done yet but it's one that I love writing...
Irene walked over to the stoop and sat down, keeping an eye on Ruby from a distance. As she watched Ruby play with the other dogs, Irene thought about her day at work. It had been a slow one. They hadn't gotten any new residents in the past few weeks. Secretly, she was glad. Irene really wasn't too fond of people outside of her social circle, especially sick elderly people. But, she did need the job and the paycheck that went with it. Especially now with three kids to feed. Then, they had reopened The Meadows and she had applied for a social work position. She had pasted on a smile, pleaded patients' rights and they had bought it. She laughed wryly to herself. If they knew how I truly felt about them, they'd probably cry. Some of them already did. She knew Carly Neise saw right through her. That was aggravating. So was that bratty grandson of Carly's. Never behaved. always running around. Furthermore, his mother was even worse. Her mouth was like a trash can. No wonder the kid acted up. Lack of stability usually had that effect on kids. The sun was already going down when she called for Ruby to come home. Ruby resisted but Irene finally got her leash fastened on her collar. At a slower pace than before, they walked toward home.
The lights were on when they got there. Irene led Ruby briskly up the stone path to the back door. She opened the screen door and walked into the kitchen. Matt was still there, doing homework. She walked over to the kitchen table where he was setting. "Still not finished?"
"Not yet. I have three more problems to go."
"Well, just keep at it, Matt." Irene sighed and went into the living room. Marie Clare was on the couch watching television. "Did you finish your homework, Marie?"
Marie looked at her mother with a vague expression on her face. "Hours ago, mother."
Irene ignored the sarcasm. "Where is your brother?"
"He's at the club with Dad" Marie didn't look up this time.
Irene sighed with resignation and walked over to the recliner and pulled her shoes off. Oh, what a relief. She had been waiting all day to take them off. She wiggled her toes freely in the air, enjoying the freedom. She leaned back into the recliner, her body weary from a full day's work and a long walk in the park. She was dozing there when she felt something tap the sole of her foot. She jumped in alarm. She opened her eyes to see Mikey standing above her, grinning. "Need some help there, Darlin?"
She smiled and looked around. Marie Clare was no longer on the sofa. Irene looked up at him in confusion.
"She went to bed an hour ago."
"What time is it now?"
"Ten-thirty."
"Wow. I must have really been out." She looked up in confusion at Mikey.
He was grinning and there was a gleam in his eye. "Wanna mess around?"
Irene laughed then and lowered the recliner. She rose to her feet and looked again at Mikey. "Well?"
They went upstairs to the bedroom and fell back on the ivory bedspread. Irene grinned and looked at Mikey, who was already undressing at the foot of the bed. She watched in rapture as, inch by inch, he revealed himself to her. At five-eleven, his tan torso was broad but firm and his six-pack abs glistened with sweat. He was forty-one now, his once jet black hair a dignified silver gray. His legs, muscular and lean, looked like golden sunbeams. She smiled with satisfaction as she threw off her own robe and shoved it aside. She wiggled her toes in anticipation. He leaped on the bed and wriggled on top of her. She beckoned him in with her eyes. All sense of time was forgotten as their bodies merged in a tangled web of desire and fury. Afterward, they laid side by side on the bed, sated. Irene was spread across the bed, her head resting lightly on Mikey's shoulder, her fingers playing absentmindedly with the hairs on his chest. He was dozing lightly, his right arm lightly entwined around Irene's waist.
The sun was out in its blazing glory when Irene awoke the next morning. She reached her arm out and rubbed Mikey's side of the bed. It was empty but warm. He hadn't been up for long. She stretched, yawning and turned her face toward the clock. It's red letters blared eight-fifteen. She wasn't surprised. Mikey had always been a morning person. During the week, he had to be up by seven o'clock for work. He didn't sleep much later on the weekends. As she laid in bed, she listened for house sounds. She could vaguely make out the sound of the television coming from the living room. Ruby was barking somewhere in the house. Might as well get out of bed. Sounds like everyone else is up, she thought to herself as she rose. She put on her robe, ivory satin with silk ribbons, and headed out the door to greet a new day.
She headed straight to the kitchen where Marie Clare was standing at the stove and Michael and Matthew Luke were seated at the table. "Where's your father?" Three anxious faces looked back at her. "He went out to the club with Mr. Palazzo," Marie Clare stated, almost apologetically. "He said he didn't want to wake you." Her daughter's eyes were avoiding her, she could tell. Was her irritation really that easy for them to see. Because she tried to hide it, she really did. "Wonder if I should get his old sleeping bag out of the attic. He could probably rent a room over there," she attempted lightheartedly.
Michael chuckled as he heaved more syrup on his French toast. He was so much like his father, she mused. Growing taller everyday, too. He was already taller than both his parents at six foot one. He was expected to grow more during the next few years. This was a good time to get involved in her son's daily life. "How is school going?"
"Fine." That was his usual answer.
"How about football practice?"
"It's fine too."
This wasn't going well. She was going to try another strategy. "Who are you dating these days? Katie still?"
He made a face. "No. Katie and I are through. She's with Brad Conner now. It's Christina now."
Irene smiled then. He was like his father in that way, too. She remembered when her and Mikey were dating in college. It pained her so to see him dating other women besides her. It was nearly a year after they had both graduated college that he had looked her up again. She was casually dating a Harvard grad then. However, after one phone conversation with Mikey, Irene knew that she would never love another man as she loved Michael Stevenson. She was sure of that. They dated exclusively for two years before Mikey got down on one knee in front of the Rockefeller Center Tree and asked her to marry him. Jubilantly, she had said yes and they had ran to the nearest phone to inform their parents.
Her parents were thrilled. Her father, a factory worker from lower Brooklyn, had always wanted the best for his little girl. He could see that Michael Stevenson was loyal, hardworking and not afraid to do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. As for her mother Ilene, she was obviously beside herself, calling every known relative in New York and even long-distance to Italy to boast of her daughter's engagement to "a nice law student named Michael." Before too long, the news of the engagement was widespread all throughout Brooklyn. Little Irene Jenkins, the granddaughter of Italian immigrants and Irish indentured servants, was surely moving up in the world.
"Earth to Reny, a voice called behind her. Before she could answer, she felt a heaviness around her waist. As her eyes looked up, they caught sight of Mikey standing behind her with his arms around her. She basked in the warmth of his body.
"What have you been doing, darling?"
"Oh, I was just standing here, lost in thought, she allowed her head to rest against his shoulder. "Where were you?"
"On the golf course with Azarrello and some of the other lawyers. We're getting ready to take on a big case."
"Ah, I see. Anything interesting?"
"Nursing home neglect, elder abuse, that sort of thing. It's long and complicated."
"It usually is."
Mikey rewarded her comment with a big tickle in her sides. She yelped and ran across the kitchen. "Hey!" She grabbed a pillow that laid on the bench in the breakfast nook and threw it in his direction. "Take that!"
Mikey grinned and caught it in his hands. "Nice try, he bellowed in his best coaching voice. "Next time, aim higher. Of course, I must punish you for this infraction, small though it may be." He moved toward her and reached for her waist. His strong arms pulled her against him as he ran his fingers along her hipbone. She shrieked and tried vainly to pull away. In a matter of minutes, he had her pinned to the kitchen table, while his tongure devoured her body, trailing along her waistline. When he had her worn down, he climbed on top of her and hurriedly threw off her robe. It went flying across the room. Next, he peeled off her ivory satin chemise with the ease of peeling an orange. She was moaning now, her skin alive with new sensations as the air from the open window above the sink fluttered over her skin like a butterfly taking wing. It took him moments to enter her core as their bodies blended on the kitchen table.
"Eww gross. Get a room, will you?" Marie Clare's voice interrupted their actions.
Mikey and Irene stole a look at each other and burst into helpless giggling. Still laughing, Mikey eased himself off of Irene and got to his feet. "Sorry about that, Clare. Guess we got carried away." He grinned at his wife.
"Gross. We eat on that table or did you forget?" She was looking at him with that "Duh" stare.
"Aww, well we'll take some cleaner to it and you'll never know."
"But I will. I watched it. Ewww!" Disgusted, she walked sullenly out of the room.
Mikey and Irene stood side by side, looking each other in the eye. "Well, Mikey broke in hastily, shall we take her advice and get a room?" She nodded and they hastily went up the stairs to their room. The moon was out when they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.