Living With a Popped Balloon

Leroy, my cousin, used me as a sounding board. He was always giving me information, too much information, about his marriage. When his wife Sumaye was expecting their second child, she found it necessary to sleep alone. For the baby she said. Leroy was moved into the guest bedroom and that became his sleeping quarters for the duration of his life. After the baby came and Sumaye had made what should have been a complete recovery she complained of tenderness because the birth, according to her was a hard one, and gave in only occasionally to Leroy's needs. Then, according to Leroy, she spoke only one word during the passion of the act, "Hurry." Soon Leroy gave up on that part of marriage. But he stuck it out. Leroy was set up for life by his strict upbringing and deserting a family was on a par with mass homicide as far as he was concerned. He loved his children and stayed with them till the end. Sumaye enjoyed all the part of matrimony that she wanted. She drove a Cadillac, wore fine clothes, and talked Leroy into building a larger, finer house; for the children, of course. This is the way Leroy lived out his life and until he was dead and buried that was all we knew of his doings. Then a side of Leroy no one suspected came to light.
Tomorrow: Leroy's Other World

Tales of Harper, short stories and poems about the fictional town of Harper, Mississippi is available on Amazon Kindle