Brief Annals

You keep being young long enough the floor drops out from under you.
Bobby learned nothing now from Myra he didn’t know already.
She had too much sorrow, he had all these questions, they would go
their own way but each time he saw her at the New Congress
he knew he would have to keep drinking to forget his questions.
Melindra tried to be with Bobby. She took time off from the hospital.
She listened to him talk about how he planned to talk to Myra’s dad
before he died, ask him all he knew about the man he killed. Melindra
asked, What were you going to do, Bobby? Exhume him and kill him
again?

Myra Jacobs moved in with Doug Harper. Rose and Dave Cole healed
slowly, but healed. Sanchez went on playing pool every afternoon.
Clark listened to more Mingus now. Dupree was off running numbers.
Jim and Marge were vacationing, they called it, now that he had money.
Cathleen kept writing to Bobby and he read her letters when he was
sober, which, as long as Melindra was with him was all the time. So far.
Paul and Anna let him stay in the bungalow after Melindra assured
them he would be okay. She couldn’t help but love them like in-laws.
The music still poured out of the house into the back yard and Anna
brought over something to her every week she generously prepared
two of . . .

Tony sympathized with Bobby’s drinking: Laurie is an angel, she set
me straight. Christina talked with Melindra at the hotel, offering her
anything she needed: Just call. Rose managed the Black and Tan.
The new bartender did a good job. She sang every night. Dave chose
her favorites. She was the blues, the blues were her. the room hushed
and when she was through nothing was the same until she started
singing and never stopped. Except between sets, when she stepped
outside to smoke a joint. She had beautiful eyes, they worked a spell
with the music. Dave helped her take care of Lu Ann. His mother
was fading, he would prepare himself by asking Rose ahead of time
to marry him, how to say it? She didn’t want to marry anybody,
she said.

(23 March 2012)

copyright 2012 by Floyce Alexander