Cold Turkey

Jingle jangle goes the door’s bell as a man stumbles and shuffles in from the rain.

“Dark, dank and gloomy; my kinda day.” Fred says sarcastically as he is met with silence from the staff and other single patron.

Fred has a love hate relationship with these days and chooses to come into this diner at the acute corner of a busy city street. He sits at the corner booth in the corner of the acute angle of the diner and watches the rain.

“For as long as it takes,” Fred thinks to himself.

From the counter opposite the kitchen; Marg stares at Fred shuffling over to bring him a, “steaming hot cup of shit this coffee is.” Marg murmurs to herself as she pours the coffee. Spilling some on the counter and shrugging the mess off as she walks to Fred.

“How’ya doin’ Fred?” Marg breaks the ice handing over the hot coffee.

“Thanks Marg…” Fred takes a sip, grunts and says, “this is a steaming hot cup of shit.”

“… steaming cup of shit.” Marg says with him cracking a small smile and walking off.

Watching the rain Fred sips his mug and lets out a heavy, labored breath. Like a pit bull being held down giving up and relaxing, Fred sinking into the crunchy booth.

Marg then appears like a witch out of nowhere…

Clicking then tapping her pen atop her note pad Marg clears her throat of her last cigarette, “what am I gettin’ yous today?”

Slurping the mug of shit making as much noise as possible to annoy ol’ Marg Fred lets out a refreshing “ahhhh…. Hmmmmm let’ssss seeeeee.” Dragging all the words to test Marg’s patients as she continue to tap her pen on top of her pad.

“A turkey sandwich will ya.” Fred decides.

“Very well you dingus.” Marg clicks her pen retracting the tip and shuffles off leaving an almost visible trail of smoke scent.

Fred looses time staring at the rain. “I hate the rain,” Fred murmurs to himself as Marg approaches with the sandwich.

“Here’ya go hun. Eat up.” Marg states placing the plate down and turning.

Fred clears his throat, “Marg would you join me?”

“Eh sure Fred, Tom over there won’t need more coffee or whiskey in a few minutes.” Marg sits down across from Fred and pulls out a metal flask from her aprons pouch. Twisting the cap open she jesters to Fred’s coffee attempting to pour it in as she does each rainy day.

Fred places his hand over his coffee and shakes his head saying, “Not today Marg.”

“What’s goin’ on wit you Fred?” Marg says confused as she pour some in her mouth, swishing and swallowing.

Fred flicks the stale bread off the top of the sandwich, picks up the lettuce and pickles placing them to the side. Picking up the, “cold turkey.” Fred shows it to Marg.

“What of it?” Marg states.

“Cold turkey is when you stop a habit right now, not tomorrow or in a few hours. Now!” Fred slams his fist on the table as everything shuffles on the surface. Marg’s eyes dilate and open wide surprised at Fred.

“Tastes like it feels, cold and dry.” Fred says putting the turkey back down, rebuilding and taking a bite from the reconstructed sandwich.

“She loved it here Marg.” Fred says.

“She loved you too, Fred.” Marg says.

“You haven’t felt pain til you have felt it sober,” says Fred as he wipes a single tear welling up in his eye. “It’s time I feel this sober.” Fred laments.

“She loved the rain.” Fred says.

“She loved that you hated it too, Fred.” Marg says.

“Yeah… I know.” Fred scoffs. “I have no idea why.”

Jingle Jangle goes the door’s bell.

“Gimmie a sec Fred…” looking back to the door Marg says.

“Hey y’all have a seat where you please and I will be right with you.” As she twists the cap of the flask open and takes another sip. Fastens it and like a revolver in the holster of a slick shooting cowboy Marg slides it into her apron.

Fred goes back to watching the rain color the window transparent.

Coming out of his foggy and hypnotized state, Marg returns after placing the new customer’s order sliding into the booth. “What were you goin’ on bout?” States Marg.

“I have had a cold turkey approach to life until meeting her. Every hobby, job, task or project I was interested I would run straight into it. Full On.” Fred laments.

“That mentality broke me down time and time again til I met her. I learned how to slow down and maybe find hobbies that weren’t action required from her.” Fred continued.

“Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse….” Fred says chuckling. “She said that was stupid. She was right.” Fred says as him and Marg laugh.

After Marg coughs away the build up of booze and cigarettes from the laughing fit she asks, “is that why you stopped the boozin’!”

“Sure is…” Fred says rubbing his head clearly annoyed at the proclamation.

“When I see her next I want to be better than I was so that she knows I didn’t fall apart the rest of my time here without her.” Fred says cracking a smile.

The rain ends and Fred gets up to head home.

Jingle Jangle goes the door’s bell.