Tom Allan awoke one morning to the sound of screeching tires. And he found that his tin can wife had left him. She had taken her dresses and things. She had only left him a note on a pillow case. It read:
“I am leaving you Tom. You do not appreciate me as you once did and I never was really in love with you. I took all my things and left you all yours. I hope you will be happy. –Carmen.”
All he could do was sit, for he never loved her either. He sat up on the bed and looked you the window as the snow fell. The two drivers outside his windows were arguing loudly but he truly felt nothing towards it.
Tom Allan ran and owned the Briarsburg Hardware and Supply shop. It was on the town’s Main Street and was 2 stories. It sat between the local bank and the ice cram parlor, that was only open during winter. He had inherited the store from his father, who had inherited it from his own father. He handcrafted the nails he sold, and offered help on any projects his customers may have been doing. This offer was rarely taken though, as his customers were leaving his business. They thought his prices were too high and that the drive to the big-box department store was well worth their time.
Tom lived in apartment above the store. There was a small, skeletal stairway that led up to it at the back of the store. It appeared as though it were a broom closet. Tom had to turn sideways to get through it.
He was profoundly lonely and spent the entirety of his nights alone, watching television or making nails. The blue light of the TV screen made his windows glow.
He was a hater of women. He found flaws in each and every one that he saw.
“Her eyes are too big.”
“Her hands are too small.”
“Her boobs aren’t even.”
Not as if he had the courage to ask anyhow.
“Her eyes are too big.”
“Her hands are too small.”
“Her boobs aren’t even.”
Not as if he had the courage to ask anyhow.
One night after he had closed shop, he went to the town’s grocery store. He bought a dozen cans of baked beans.
“You taking advantage of the deals aren’t you?”
“That’s none of your business.”
He went to his small apartment and wedged himself upstairs with the bags of cans in his hands. After 5 minutes of squeezing he made it up the stairs and into his apartment. He took the cans of beans and opened each and every one. He dumped the beans into the sink. He washed out the cans and took them into his living area, where a pile of sheet metal and scarp laid.
He made his tin-can wife in 14 hours stretched over two weeks of work. Except for one Sunday, when he decided to go to the movies instead of working.
He made his tin-can wife in 14 hours stretched over two weeks of work. Except for one Sunday, when he decided to go to the movies instead of working.
On the day he was done with her he sat back and looked. She was 6 feet tall and shined and buffed. He put a head of hair made of copper wiring. He was no professional artist so her face was simplistic and crudely done. He came up with the name of Carmen from a book of names he bought from the grocery store magazine shelf.
He went behind his wife and pulled the leaf blower engine and the engine ran after a couple of tugs.
“Hello.”
Carmen said nothing.
“My name is Tom.”
She still said nothing.
“I love you.”
She puffed smoke.
“Hey honey. I’m home.”
“My darling! You are home!”
“Yes ma’am.”
“How was your day, my sweet? Were there any customers, my love?”
“Yeah. There was a couple.”
“Is the business picking back upwards, my love?”
“A little. Mr. Garret came in.”
“He did, my love? What did he say, my husband?”
“He asked to buy the store again.”
“What did you say, my dear?”
“I told him to shove off. That the store has been in my family since this town was founded and that I’d die in it.”
“I do love you, my love.”
“I love you too, Carmen.”
“Would you like something to eat, my sugar?”
“Yeah. Did you make anything?”
“I made your favorite, my loving husband. I made you noodles, my heart.”
“You’re the best wife ever, Carmen.”
“Thank you, husband. You too are the best husband I could ever hope for, my love.”
They embraced.
Tom never let Carmen outside of the house. Whenever she was done with cleaning their apartment, and cooking food for her husband, she sat looking out the window. She saw the world pass and the seasons pass as leaves in the breeze. She saw the riders in their wagons pull back their reigns of their horses. She saw men and women jog with their dogs on leashes. She saw the leaves leave their branches to fall on the streets and sidewalks below. She saw business close due to leaving partners. She saw children and teens on skateboards and bicycles. She saw the women passing with their babies and children on their shoulders, in carriages, in their arms, on leashes, or holding their hands.
“Why must they bind them as though they shall leave them? Why would one leave the place they love so much?”
She asked herself that daily until she thought she had found an answer.
Tom sat with his immobile wife eating dinner in the candle light. He had bought the candles the other day from the grocery store and thought he would use them tonight for their anniversary. Tom lifted his glass at his puffing wife. Hr motor ran and he said:
“Happy anniversary, my love.”
She said nothing but her engine hummed. She vibrated in her chair and her painted face moved along with the rest of her body. Tom returned to eating his noodles.
“You want me to give you your gift now, baby?”
She puffed smoke.
“Ok. I’ll show it to you now.”
He dug into his pocket and took out a box. In it was a ring that shined gold in the candle light. He smiled as he showed it to her. She looked at him with her immobile face. He walked over to her side of the table and got down on one knee.
“Will you marry me, Carmen?”
She puffed smoke and he put the ring on her finger.
“My loving husband?”
“Yes, Carmen?”
“May we please have a child, my love?”
“What?”
“May we have a child, schnookems? I would very much like one, dear.”
“I don’t think that’d be best, baby.”
“Why not, darling?”
“Babies are loud and expensive creatures. All they would do is make a bigger mess for you to clean up every day. And they would keep us up at night. I don’t think you’d like a baby very much.”
“But the women on the street appear happy with their babies, my love.”
“They are lying, Carmen. They have to love them because they’re stuck with them.”
“I am saddened by this, husband.”
“I am too, babe. But hey. We have each other.”
“Yes I am happy with that, love.”
They embraced.
“My husband?”
“Yes?”
“Why can’t I go down the stairway, my love?”
“Because it’s too small. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“But I can make it, my darling.”
“No. You wouldn’t. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Yes, my dear.”
She returned to cooking.
Tom and Carmen lay on the bed touching each other as she puffed smoke and he breathed heavy. He looked in her painted face and she into his eyes. He smiled at her and said:
“I love you, Mrs. Allan.”
She puffed smoke and said nothing.
He smiled and went to sleep in her arms.
Each and every night after Tom went to sleep; Carmen would wedge herself in the stairs. She tried to get downstairs. The first few nights she could only reach the third step. After 2 months se could reach the fifth. After 6 months she could reach the 9th. 3 months after that she could reach the curve in the stairs. And after 2 ears of trying she reached the bottom of the steps. She touched the knob on the closet door But she did not open it. She glowed with an inner light. It was joy. She waked up the stairs and laid herself in the bed, next to her husband.
“Tom?”
Carmen walked in the living area as Tom was watching the television. He had closed the shop because he did not feel like working that day.
“Tom?”
“Mmmm? I’m not hungry. Thanks though, baby.”
“Ok.”
She walked back towards the kitchen. She stopped and turned around again. Tom looked at her.
“You need something, Carmen?”
“Can I run the store today?”
“Why you want to do that, Carmen?”
“Well…you took the day off…”
“Because I feel flu-ish.”
“Because you feel flu-ish. But I feel fine…and we need the money so… I thought why don’t I run the store today?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He was shocked.
“Because I said so.”
“That’s no reason.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. It isn’t, my husband.”
“Well even if you could run the store you’d never fit in the stairs.”
“Yes I can.”
“What?”
“I can fit through those stairs. I can make it to the bottom.”
“How do you know that?”
“I trained myself to do it.”
“When?”
“When you were sleeping. I can make it to the bottom of those stairs with no problem.”
“You did this at night?”
“Yes.”
“Without my knowing?”
“Umm…”
“Did you plan to leave me?”
“No, Tom. I wasn’t…”
“You were planning on leaving me weren’t you?”
“No. I wasn’t. I just…”
“After all I did for you?? You planned to leave me??”
He slapped her. She fell to the floor crying.
“You ungrateful bitch! After all I’ve done!”
He kicked her. She cried more.
“That wasn’t what I was trying to do at all. I love you, Tom.”
“Don’t even say that!”
She sat and looked out the window.
Should things be brought into this world if they are to be bound and gagged? Should they be seen and shown to all others? I wished I could be. I wished I could be shown. I wish my name could held on my loves tongue instead of held in silence. Let it be shown to the world. Why yes. I am Mrs. Allan. Yes we do live in the apartment above the store. Business is fine but it could be better. Oh. We would love to come to dinner. We would love to babysit your children. Oh. Who is this? This is our daughter. Her name is Astrid. I named her after a name from the place I come from. She’ll be 4 this year. No. we don’t have her in preschool yet. She’s a little shy. Say hi Astrid. She’s a little shy. Oh yes. I think a play date would be good for both of them. How old is your daughter? She’s 4 as well? Well that would be perfect. Would we love to go to dinner? Why yes we would. Oh. This ring on my finger? Tom bought it for me just because he wanted to. He just felt in the mood to buy me something. Just because it was Wednesday. I love him very much. Excuse me sir but I am married. You can clearly tell that from the ring upon my finger. Welcome to Briarsburg hardware and Supply. My name is Carmen, and how may I help you? Yes. The weather is odd for this time of year.”
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