"Marion and Carolee" by Nonnie Augustine

Marion and Carolee

For 9 years I've cleaned Miss Marion's floors and dusted and polished and pampered each and every houseplant. And I've helped myself to what medicine I wanted. Who wouldn't? She just left the bottles lying around in her bathroom cabinet. But then today the mess of Xanax and Hydrocodone is gone to somewhere in this damn hidey-hole infested house. I never took more than a few pills at a time, just enough for a treat on Friday night. My own damn fault. She caught on last week when I asked outright for a painkiller, then turned down the fucking Ibuprofen she offered me. I swear to God I saw the second she clocked it. Her old eyes sparked up.

My hoard is still enough. Carolee may have filched pills from me, but I swear to God she won't be doing that anymore. One of my late husbands called me a crafty little bitch (which one was it?) and I intend to prove him right. (Gil. It must have been.) She can mope around doing her slapdash cleaning, but I'll know if she touches my pills because not only did I hide them, I arranged them just so. My stockpile is safe and ready for the day I choose to go. No doubt Carolee will be the one to find my body. Won't she complain to everyone in the whole wide world about that?

Rachna K., Apr 07, 2015

** Nonnie.

Mathew Paust, Apr 07, 2015

Crafty indeed. *

John Riley, Apr 07, 2015

Um, this hits a little close to home. Captures the twisted motives so well. Love how Carolee rationalizes her pill use. *

Gary Hardaway, Apr 08, 2015

Beautiful land, ugly, convoluted culture and legacy, down south.

Enjoyed this pas de deux.

Amanda Harris, Apr 08, 2015

Reads me, just a little, of Eugene O'Neill.*

J.A. Pak, Apr 08, 2015

They deserve each other? And what if Carolee goes first, like drops dead in the middle of cleaning because she can't find the pills or she finds them all? Gulp. ;)