Open Writing

The hand which pushed an undisciplined blonde curl back from her smooth perfectly made-up face, betrayed an age that surgery could not mask.

'You look wonderful darling,' her husband crooned as he helped her into her ermine trimmed cloak. 'We'll really knock the eyes out of them tonight.'

Yes, Eve was thinking, he did look handsome, and he was certainly well dressed, but it was worth every penny of it just to sail in on his arm, and to see the envy on the faces of her acquaintances, when the flash of a diamond cuff-link caught her eye. She risked a frown, but not before Carlos's quick brown eyes noticed.

'Oh! Darling, I meant to tell you about these.' He smiled as he held his cuff-links out to her. 'I knew you wouldn't mind. Remember I lost the others somewhere? Anyway these are much nicer don't you think?'

Now she did frown. She'd bought the 'lost ones' for him before they were married. Quickly Carlos realized his mistake, but for once Eve did not acquiesce to his whipped cream charm, and continued to frown.

'Carlos,' she said. 'I've had a rather unpleasant letter from my accountant. It seems that our expenses have been rising at an alarming rate, credit cards—one in particular.'

A red tide of embarrassment, or was it anger, coloured Carlos's swarthy cheeks as he spluttered, 'But Darling, I'll . . . '

She cut him off. 'Come, we'll be late for the opera. You and I will talk about this tomorrow.'

Carlos, chastened, at least outwardly, followed.

Sleep did not come easily to Eve that night. She was weary, she wanted to give into sleep but her brain would not allow it. It continued to whisper about unauthorized expenses, about Carlos's tendency to massage the truth. It dared to raise doubts about his love.

When she woke he had gone. She preferred it that way. She needed time for her toilet.

She was still sitting at the breakfast table when he burst in the door.

'Darling! I've such a surprise for you.' He took her hand and lead her out to where stood a gleaming red Mercedes sports car.

'But Carlos' . . . she started.

'But nothing. I bought it as a present for you.'

'But' . . . she tried again.

'But nothing, my love. I won the money at the Casino and this little beauty is all for you. In you get.'

Almost speechless Eve got in. It was beautiful and he had given it to her.

'Open the boot,' called Carlos. 'I'll just put my golf clubs in and you can run me up to Bert's. I'm playing with him today.'

So, she drove him up to Bert's, not a drive she really enjoyed.

Quite beautiful, but the high jagged cliff face on one side of the winding road and the seething ocean on the other, always made her feel just a bit nervous. However on this day, alone on the return journey, her mind full of thoughts of her new car, her present, her token of Carlos's love, she'd barely have had time to register the loss of braking power before the airborne flight to the tumultuous sea below.

On one of San Francisco's most exclusive golf courses Carlos played a hole in one—quite an achievement for a humble motor mechanic.

© Colleen McMillan

* Colleen writes for Bonzer! magazinbe. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au