So I made it to the second round of the Creative Writing Championships! Whoo hoo! I wrote this story in like an hour. Ugh, and I went through a half a bottle of wine...so I really don't know how it is. We'll see when I'm sober! But for right now you can read it! Hooray exclamation points!
Jeanette and Kevin DeLaney seemed like the perfect couple. Kevin’s incredible golfing career provided his family with a million dollar home, a pair of Mercedes Benz, and a comfortable cottage conveniently located far from any prying eyes of the media. The pair spent their summers comfortably in the Hamptons with their son Nicholas.
Nicholas was nearly two years old, with every syllable he attempted to speak, and every step he attempted to walk; Jeanette was mesmerized with love and encouragement. Kevin had always wanted a little boy, but he wasn’t willing to trade his lineage for his wife’s affection.
On this particular afternoon Kevin and Jeanette were sitting on their private pier overlooking the bay. The breeze off of the quiet horizon swept past Jeanette’s cheeks and tossed her hair about. Nicolas sat quietly between Kevin’s legs as he stood prominently trying to catch the night’s dinner.
“Did you polish Roger this morning?” Kevin didn’t even turn to look at his wife while asking what he thought was a perfectly normal question. Roger, was the first golf club Kevin ever owned. He kept it in a glass case and traveled with it wherever he went. It was Jeanette’s daily chore to polish the old rusty 9 iron.
“I’m on vacation, Kevin.” Jeanette pressed a slim cigarette between her lips and slowly inhaled. Here eyes, likewise, did not meet Kevin’s. She stretched back and let the sun soak over her body.
“Foot! Foot!” Nicolas taped on Kevin’s big toe, and laughed at the sound of his own voice. Kevin looked down at the creature that was invading his toenail.
“Why are you being a bitch?” Kevin shooed Nicolas away from his foot, but Nicolas proceeded to use his appendage as a toy.
“I don’t have time for this shit, Kevin.” Jeanette turned her face away from him. “I’m here to forget about my problems, not be reminded of them.”
Nicolas continued to tap on Kevin’s big toe. His laughing echoed through Kevin’s ears, which made his stomach turn. Kevin moved his foot again, but Nicolas wouldn’t stop laughing and playing. “Jeanette, why does he keep playing with my foot?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to play with his father? You know, learn a thing or two?” Jeanette turned back to face Kevin. “Isn’t that what a father does? Plays with his children?”
Nicolas laughed and looked over to his mother. Jeanette smiled and waved to her son, and began to laugh as well. The sight of Jeanette’s laughter sent Nicolas into a hysterical fit of laughter. He slammed his fists down onto Kevin’s feet, and with every laugh his fists slammed down harder and harder onto his toes.
“Learn something?” Kevin looked down, and rolled his foot around Nicolas’ head. Nicolas giggled and stretched his hands forward, trying to catch Kevin’s big toe. Kevin smiled, then placed the flat of his foot directly onto Nicolas’ face. Nicolas’ muffled laughter could be heard from beneath Kevin’s foot. Before committing the most heinous act, Kevin glanced over at Jeanette. Here eyes were planted on Nicolas, and she didn’t even notice that Kevin was trying to get her attention.
With that, Kevin took a deep breath, braced his foot…and pushed Nicolas off of the pier and into the water. Fragments of the splash dripped onto Kevin’s face, and he gently wiped them way. Thinking nothing of the act that he just committed.
Nicolas went under, his arms occasionally flailing to the surface trying to grab onto something that would bring him out of the water. Jeanette jumped up from he seat, but her legs were caught in her lounge chair. She nearly fell into the wooden pier. Her arms reaching for her son who was struggling in the water. She took off her shoes, sunglasses, and hat and prepared to dive into the water. Kevin’s hand reached for her elbow, and his form grip stopped her from diving off the edge.
“Don’t.” Kevin’s stern eyes met Jeanette’s this time. Her mouth hung upon in disbelief. She was frozen and unable to move. The single word that came from Kevin’s lips seemed to have shot right through her heart, and took away her mobile ability. “He needs to learn.”
“What are you talking about?” All of the senses seemed to jump into Jeanette’s body at the same time, and she began to struggle from Kevin’s grip. “Let me go!” With every movement, Kevin’s grasp got stronger. He wasn’t going to let her go. “Help! Someone help my baby!”
“What good is that going to do?” Kevin looked down at Nicolas’ struggling body bobbing up and down from the water. “We bought this place so we could have complete solitude from the outside world. Remember?”
“He can’t swim!”
“He’ll learn!” Kevin’s scream shocked Jeanette. “Think about it, Jeanette. We were so happy at one point.”
Jeanette froze once again. “What?”
“Before Nicolas was born. You and I would make love every night. I loved being with you. I loved you so much. But…. When he came here… you loved him.”
“Kevin, that isn’t true.”
“You loved him more than me!” Kevin pulled her towards him. “If he’s gone we can be the way we were.” Kevin’s arms wrapped around Jeanette’s small body. Nicolas continued to struggle, and Jeanette struggled to be set free.
“Please, let me go!” The terror in Jeanette’s voice convinced Kevin’s arms to let go. She jumped into the water and pulled Nicolas from under. Nicolas’ body flung onto the pier. Kevin stepped back and let Jeanette tend to her little bundle of joy. “Nicolas! Nicolas talk to mommy!” Nicolas’s head turned on the pier and he began to cry. Jeanette’s face quickly jolted to stare at Kevin. “I want a divorce.”
“Well, it was fun while it lasted.” Kevin laughed and turned to walk back to the cottage.
