Quentin Talbot looked up from his newspaper and squinted in the direction of his wife. “What did you say?”
“I said Mrs.
Benson is coming over later to pick up the old picture frames.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“I told her we
don’t have any use for them anyway...”
“Use for what?”
“The picture
frames! Honestly, Quentin!”
“Oh sure, the
picture frames. That’s what I thought you said.”
June Talbot
walked into the kitchen for her pills. She returned to the parlor.
When Quentin saw
her he said, “What picture frames are these?”
“What?”
“What picture
frames?”
“Those old ones
you found in the basement.”
“Oh, those.”
“Yes, we have no
use for them.”
“Yeah, I guess
not.”
“Well, of course
not!”
He raised his
newspaper then lowered it again. “Uh, June? Who are you giving them to again?”
“Mrs. Benson. Is
your hearing-aid in, Quentin?”
“Huh?”
“Put your
hearing-aid in!”
“No, don’t want
any lemonade.”
“Your
hearing-aid!”
“Oh! My
hearing-aid.”
“Yes, Quentin.”
“It is in, June.”
“Oh fuh gawd’s
sake, Quentin!”
June swallowed
two yellow pills with a sip of tepid water.
They sat in
silence for several minutes.
Then Quentin lowered
his newspaper again. “Who the hell is Mrs. Benson?”
Remember when you were a kid and repeated a word or phrase over and over until it didn't make sense anymore? I've been writing and reading so much lately, the English language is starting to fray and disintegrate into meaningless nonsense. Sentences seem wrong. Grammar incomprehensible...
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