Tuckamore Bay

Matty's night in hell with William and Jarge (2)

Matty walked to the kitchen. Bill could hear the refrigerator open and the sound of Matty opening a beer. He really wanted one and really wanted to ask for one, but he was afraid she just might throw it at him.

Matty sat back on the couch and after lighting yet another cigarette, she continued her story.

"After you went to bed I set up the dog bed by the fireplace and let Jarge out of his cage."

Bill slowly raised his hand.

"Can I ask something?"

Matty just stared.

"Who or what is Jarge?"

"Are you fucking serious," Matty snapped, turning toward the fireplace, pointing at the injured seagull.

"You honestly have not figured out that Jarge is that fucking flea bitten, white rat with wings."

Bill smiled a smile of embarrassment.

"Okay."

"Can I continue now?"

Bill nodded.

"Anyways, twenty minutes later, after chasing Jarge through every room in the house, I finally cornered him in the bathroom. He squawked and whistled and screeched at me and even took a couple lunges at me. Right at my boobs.

The third time he did so, I grabbed that bastard by the beak, stared into his beady little eyes and told him ...

'You ever snap that beak at me again, I will tie you to a light-pole and let the other gulls peck your eyes out.'

After that, me and Jarge became the best of enemies. I put him in his bed, gave him a tin of sardines and he was fine.

I decided that I should stay the night, just in case you woke up and needed any help, since I knew there was little Nanny Dove could do, besides come and get me and I didn't cherish the thought of running back here every ten minutes, so I made up a little bed here on the couch and settled down."

"Thank you?" Bill hoped.

"And that was about how long it lasted. Ten fucking minutes."

"Was more likes five, Matty me dear," Nanny Dove reminded her.

Matty drew hard on her cigarette, coughed slightly and continued.

"Now I could give you a blow by blow account of what happened here last night, but instead, I will give you the Reader's Digest version."

She dropped another cigarette butt in the beer bottle on the coffee table and immediately lit another one.

"And I don't want to hear a peep out of you."

Bill was too afraid to do little more than nod his head.

"So. You come out of the bedroom, stark naked and crying. You walk straight to Jarge and lay by his side, telling him how sorry you were. I had to take my blanket and cover you. After a few minutes, you fell asleep.