Just Kidding Around, Right?
Shauna, a
short black woman with long flowing hair, entered the dark room lit only by the
blaring T.V. A musty odor permeated through the living room. A man laid still
half-asleep on a brown chair with a footrest jutting out from its bottom. Shauna
walked around his chair picking up the three empty Heineken bottles and the
half-empty Lays bag. Upon hearing the ruffling of the bag, the man nearly jumped
out of his chair. He took a quick glance at the fluorescent green alarm clock
hanging on the wall. It read
“Do you know what time it is?” He said in a gruff voice.
“Yes, Sam I do,” said Shauna with her frustration growing ever so rapidly. “In fact I told you that’d I would be coming home late today. And for some reason you seemed to have forgot.”
“I don’t wanna hear it. There’s no way you could’ve been studying for this long. I could never,” he said while slurring his words.
“Well, then again you weren’t the most hard-working student. After all I have a big test coming up and I think I’d like to pass it,” said Shauna as she walked into the kitchen and threw away the trash in her hands. “Why is it that you only take an interest in what I do when I come back late but never any other time?” Sam shrugged and grunted. He nestled himself back further into his leather seat and placed his feet on the footrest as he let his heavy eyelids slowly fall back down.
****************************
The door creaked open letting in a sliver of light and a tall slender man. The man slowly closed the door in the hopes of leaving the house undisturbed. However, as soon as he turned towards the living room, a light flashed on, revealing a furious woman wearing a robe and slippers with her hair in a bundle. Her eyebrows furrowed so tightly that they almost began twitching while her arms laid tense folded over each other. She raised one eyebrow.
“Again? What’s your excuse this time? Did the tires blow out? Did a friend need help moving some boxes?” said the tall blonde as she became more hysterical.
“Calm down, Janet. I didn’t do anything. I was kept late at work because my boss dumped his load of work on me for the day. If you don’t believe me just call my work and ask. I’m sure someone will vouch for me,” assured John.
“Well, we’ll see about that but for now—.” She turned her head towards the kitchen where the phone began to ring with a loud high-pitched sound. She walked over to kitchen and picked up the phone on the counter next to the sink. “Hello?” she answered wondering who could be calling this late.
“Hello. Is John there?” said the sultry voice.
“Umm…yeah, who’s calling for him?”
“Just tell him it’s a friend. I think he’ll know who.”
Startled by this response Janet walked hesitantly over to John and stared at him. “Who’s your friend? She seems to know you. I think you’re going to have to explain this. Who could be calling at this hour?” she demanded.
“It’s like she said. It’s a friend,” he said nonchalantly. He grabbed the phone before she had a chance to block him. Janet angrily stormed off to another room.
*********************
Janet, dressed
in a white button-up shirt and black skirt, walked into Sam’s Café, a little
coffee shop on W 20th and
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” said Janet as she clicked her way to a table for some napkins. She gave a few to Shauna and crouched to the floor with a fist full.
“I didn’t believe this day could get worse, but it always does,” sobbed Shauna now sitting on her knees.
“The least I can do is buy you another cup of coffee. How do you like it?” pleaded Janet with a small wavering smile.
“What?” said Shauna as she tried to pull herself together. “ You really don’t have to. I’ll just deal with it.”
“Are you kidding me it’s the least I can do. So how do you like your coffee?” demanded Janet.
“Ok…I guess. I usually get a double shot of espresso. By the way I didn’t happen to catch your name.”
“Oh. My name is Janet Anderson. And yours?”
“My name’s Shauna Jackson.”
“Well, I’ll be right back with your coffee.” She walked to the counter, ordered, and sat next to Shauna. “Are you ok?”
“Well,” said Shauna as she let the floodgates open. “Sam, my husband is barely ever around and when he is, never fully. He’s always drunk with an empty bottle in his hand. Sam’s got a short fuse especially when he’s drunk.” Shauna pulled up her long flowing hair to reveal a bruise on the side of her head. As Janet caught a glimpse, she winced in pain as if she had felt the blow herself. “Sam’s been going downhill ever since he got laid off from his job as an advertiser for Pepsi.” Shauna turned her head towards the window and glared at her reflection up against the cloudy sky. I’m sorry to be dumping my personal life on you like this but I’ve got no one else to talk to.” Shauna picked up a napkin and began to dab at her eyes.
“ That’s ok. I’m having marital issues with John, my husband. He isn’t exactly the most faithful man, especially with that wandering eye. I think he’s cheating whenever he goes on his “nightly runs.” I’m just not sure what to do,” said Janet with a disgusted smile. “I just hate thinking about it.”
“Well, lets change subject. It’s just too hard to talk about for too long. What do you do for a living?” asked Shauna as she removed the firmly placed lid from the coffee cup and began to take a sip.
“I just recently passed the bar exam and found a job assisting a big-time lawyer. It’s dreadful work and John always complains about my late nights at work,” said Janet throwing her hands up in frustration. “How about you?”
“Well, I’m working part-time as a receptionist at a dentistry. I’m trying to get my PhD in sociology. And I completely understand, Sam’s the same way with my late night study sessions.” Shauna took a look at her watch and she was shocked. “Oh, wow. It’s time for me to leave. My lunch break is almost over.” Shauna hurriedly pushed the chair out with her thighs and gathered her things.
“Hey, I’ve got two tickets to watch My Husband’s Killer and I know that John will never go. How would you like to go? It’s at seven on this Saturday on the corner of Hazelwood and 8th.”
“Sure. I’d love to. I’ll see you then Janet,” said Shauna in a singsong manner. She waved and bounced off. Janet sat in her chair mulling over thoughts of her new friend.
************************
Both women exited through the theater doors after sitting through two and half hours of twist after twist wrapped up with a shocking end. “I can’t believe those women actually went through with their plans. I have to say that sure took a lot of guts,” said Janet.
“I think that they were right in taking control of their own situations. They finally liberated themselves from such a depressing life,” said Shauna. Both women continued through the lobby and to the parking lot up the block. They entered Janet’s black Lexus and continued talking.
“I agree. It would be so nice if I could escape the constant lies of my husband. I just can’t believe some of the stuff he does. Life would be easier if it turned out like this movie,” said Janet while placing her hand on her forehead and messaging her temples.
“Well, I think this movie could be some inspiration for us,” said Shauna with a smirk. “I mean what’s keeping us from giving it a shot? After all we’ve done for them, look at how they treat us.”
“I don’t know. Killing them seems a little extreme. How could we possibly do it? I’m not sure I could just kill the man that I’ve shared a bed with for the last three years,” said Janet. She shuddered at the thought.
“I’ll kill John as long as you get Sam,” said Shauna. “This way we can both get rid of our own problems without really implicating ourselves. No one is going to think you killed John and I’ll make it seem as if I was never there. And with that they won’t have any connections between us seeing as we’ve just met. It’ll be the perfect crime.” “I guess so,” said Janet reluctantly. “I just hope this works.” Janet turned on the engine, pulled out of the parking lot, and the duo head for Janet’s house.
As they arrived at the doorstep, the motion detecting light flickered on and shone brightly on the pair. Janet fumbled with her keys and dropped them to the floor. Shauna bent over, picked up the keys with her leather-covered hands and handed them to Janet. “Wow it’s freezing out here. I can’t wait to get inside. Didn’t you say you had a fireplace?” said Shauna. She began to quiver more and more with each successive visible breath.
Yes,” said Shauna as they entered the house and immediately lit the fireplace with the flick of a button. Both women entered the kitchen and began preparing some snacks. Meanwhile John came down stairs to the fireplace and sat on the couch. He began to read the latest edition of The New Yorker. Both women walked in with an assortment of treats and utensils, including a large knife, which seemed to needed for the cantaloupe. They placed the tray on small table behind John.
“John would you like some cantaloupe? Oh and by the way this is Shauna,” she said pointing at Shauna.
“Hello,” mumbled John as he turned around to greet her. “Can you hurry with the cantaloupe dear?
“Oh. I’ve got this,” said Shauna waving off Janet. Shauna walked over to the tray and cut the cantaloupe with the knife. She brought the cantaloupe with a plate to John. He grabbed the plate with both hands. In that same instant, Shauna pulled back John’s head and let the knife glide across his neck. Immediately, John turned around and looked at Shauna standing there with a knife dripping with his blood and cantaloupe juice. He tried to shout for help, but it was useless. He couldn’t make a sound. He quickly got up and wandered a few steps looking for the phone, but before he could find it he dropped to his knees and fell over.
“There,” said Shauna. “I’ve kept up my end of the deal and now it’s your turn,” she said pointing the pulpy knife at Janet.
“I…I…I can’t believe you did that. I’m not sure I’m even seeing this. No. What were we ever thinking?” replied Janet in state of half shock and half fear. “I didn’t think you were capable of doing that.” Janet walked towards John’s still body and touched it. He was still warm but lifeless.
“Are you telling me that you’re not going to kill Sam? That would’ve been helpful before I killed your husband. No. Now it’s too late. You have to kill Sam so that we’re even. You’ve got this death on me and I’m going to make sure you kill Sam,” said Shauna with adrenaline running through her veins. She walked over to Janet. “You have to kill him. No ifs ands or buts.”
“I’m sorry but I just can’t. I’m not a killer. It isn’t worth it at all,” said Janet as she burst into tears. “I can’t. I just can’t”
“Well, we need some way of resolving this and I think I just may have found a way,” said Shauna. As soon as she finished her sentence she pierced Janet in the stomach with the knife and twisted it. Janet fell to her knees and looked up at Shauna.
“Why?” grunted Janet.
“If I hadn’t done it, I just couldn’t risk you telling the police. Trust me. It’s just easier this way,” said Shauna smirking. Janet fell over and laid across John’s body. Shauna placed each of Janet’s fingers on the knife and positioned the blade so that the blade was facing down. Murder-Suicide, a domestic dispute she hoped. Shauna looked at the two bodies and calmly walked out of back door and into the darkness.