“You need to watch the news more,” Deanne says, to no one in particular.
Lily is doing her best to ignore her mother as she stares blankly at the television set. At least that’s what Deanne sees, and wrinkles her nose as she brings the wet filter to her lips for a drag.
“You miss so much, watching those sitcoms and cop shows. The real world’s a lot scarier than anything on TV, I’ll tell you that.”
“I watch the news when I’m here,” Lily says, giving her mother first a timid, then an earnest look. “And sometimes I just want to watch telelvision to relax. The news stresses me out sometimes.”
“It should,” Deanne half-laughs, half-snarls, wringing the loose fabric of her throw pillow between her fingers. “It’s all true.”
Lily says nothing else, just watches bombs drop on some township in the desert. An earthquake shakes a village in a third-world country and men with Bibles beat their fists on golden podiums. Deanne lets the smoke out between her teeth.
“Seeing anyone?” she asks, although she already knows the answer.
Lily’s face doesn’t change, blank like a porcelain doll. “Not at the moment.”
“What happened to that investment banker — what was it — Kyle Something?”
“That was last year, Mom.”
Deanne makes a face. “How are you going to find a husband if you’re not even looking?” she all but sneers, “You’ll be alone forever, you know, at this rate. An old spinster like your Aunt Joannie. You really want that?”
“I’m not alone, I’m here watching television with you,” Lily offers, and smiles, if only just.
“Like you want to be here. You just want to make me feel better.”
“Can we just watch television?” Lily asks softly, by way of reconciliation.
Deanne purses her matte salmon lips tight around her cigarette.
“Fine.”
March 20, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Oh poor lilly!