Coffee House Stories  

Prompt: "Clearing"

by sloanranger

"What's a 'clearing?'"

"It's an emptying out of your garbage."

"What – like Mr. Tuffy or Glad Bags?"

"No, Hermy, an emotional clearing."

"What's that?" He repeated.

"Like letting go of all that stuff that's making you sick."

"You mean like throwing up?"

"No you idiot! I mean like that time your mother got drunk on New Year's Eve and got most of her clothes off before your Uncle Henry could stop her." She crossed her arms tightly against her chest, "And your Ma's coming, too."

"You know darn well it was exceptionally warm that winter, Maddie."

"What-ev-er."

"So we're gonna pay this clown $125 bucks to tell Ma to keep her clothes on? Why not just keep her away from the Manischewitz?"

"Dammit, Hermy, it's not about your Ma. It's about the damage it did to you – to us."

"Didn't hurt me none; I thought it was kinda funny."

"Oh, Hermy, the emotional damage - your inner scars."

"What Madelyn - you got x-ray vision or something - you Superman, now? I ain't paying no jerk who thinks he's got x-ray vision, $125 bucks."

Her husband got a thoughtful look on his face. "They gonna have food, buffet or something?"

Madelyn's head  jerked up suddenly and then she got very quiet.

"What?" Said Hermy.

"No food," Madelyn mumbled, looking funny.

"What, then?"

"An open bar, Hermy," she yelled at him. "They're having an open bar! Ya' happy now?"