Gak

Man, is it a dreary day. Bleh. All cloudy and drizzly. I'm very glad I'm not driving off to someone's house for Thanksgiving after work tonight. I focused this afternoon so that I've got my words for the day all written and already posted, so that I get to go to a knitting thing at The Attic cafe and used books after work. I would have gone right home if I hadn't gotten my word quota filled before closing time. Really I would have. Cross my heart. Want to see a bit of today's chapter? Okay, here it is:

I sent Dane and Elizabeth off to their room to unpack and clean up before supper while I went into my room for a shower and a little time to think before we met again to go to the Barrel Stay for supper. I knew Mrs. O’Neill would have fresh local fish for supper and that Elizabeth and she would get along like old friends. I poured myself a little glass of fruit juice and rum first and picked up my phone. On a hunch I dialed Marie, listened to it ring at her house in Kentucky, at least I hoped it was ringing at her house. I was relieved when she answered. “Oh good, you are home, are you not?” I could hear the strain in my voice. Her voice was bright. “Yep, here I am at home.” Oh mercy, I knew what came next. “Why would I not be?” I recognized that ‘little innocent me’ tone of voice. I firmed up my own tone of voice. “Okay, Marie, the game is up. What time do you arrive and what day?” There was a longish pause and then she said, “You are mad.” It took a lot of self control not to shout but shouting had never done anything but make Marie cry. “You bet I am mad. Dane shows up here unannounced expecting that I have been lying to you all, that I would have a room for them to stay in, in a hotel with running water and electricity and everything, well, I was not lying and I do not have an empty room for them to stay in.” When I paused I realized that I was holding the phone so tightly that it was in danger of breaking and that I was panting like I had just chased a bus down the block. “Mom?” Marie was saying, “Mom, calm down.” That was totally the wrong thing for her to say. “Calm down? Calm down! Your buttinski brother and his blameless wife barged into the Seaview’s kitchen when I was playing tonsil hockey with Iggy, thinking of having my way with him right there and then. Embarrassed? Not so much.” I laughed a harsh laugh not too far from the laugh an old movie villain would give. Then I got control of myself. “So, Marie, what time does your plane arrive, or are you in Marigot waiting for the last ferry to Blowing Point?” “Mom!” “Do not try to snow or mollify me, Marie, just tell me the truth. When do you get here?” I heard the sound of cars and lilting Caribbean accents through the phone. She sighed. “I will be on the next ferry. Sorry, Mom, Dane made me promise not to tell.” I had just about had it with my adult children who were acting a lot more like children these days. “And you always do what Dane tells you to, right?” I drained my drink and set the empty glass in the sink. “Okay, I will shower and we will be at the ferry dock to pick you up…” I checked the time, “in just about an hour. We can have supper at the Ferryboat Inn since it is right there and I am sure you are hungry.” Her voice was very small. “Okay, Mom, see you soon.”

I like writing dialogue.

Daily count: 1892 words
Total count: 43,786 words

A week from today NaNoWriMo 2009 will be history. And I will be to The End in this story. (fingers crossed)
--Barbara