Nancy Smith

Response Piece

Phyllis Weissman

Tapestries

By: Phyllis Weissman

Selena Santiago was academically gifted and creatively talented. From the young age of nine, Selena could look at a fashion magazine and reproduce the item that she liked on her mom’s sewing machine. At 16 Selena was given a full scholarship to the Florida Institute of Technology. Five years later she graduated with a Master’s degree and a thriving on-line business.

Selena had found her niche in the area of creating custom made tapestries. Her hand woven reversible wall hangs were so popular that Selena had formed a small online company: Tapestries that rapidly grew, flourished and made her a successful and well- known designer before she was 20. The intricacies of her colorfully designed patterns that told happy celebratory stories were her trademark.

Selena was now living and working in Miami. Her home and work place were in an old factory in a newly renovated area of Little Cuba. The factory had been remodeled by Selena and her parents and was the talk of the new area that boasted galleries, restaurants and businesses.

Selena was beautiful with her black curls, ebony hair and a curvy petite figure. She loved her new life and the pleasure that Tapestries brought to her customers. She enjoyed being near her parents and old brother. The only thing missing was a social life and a man she could love the way her mom Carmen loved her dad Ricardo.

A large section of Tapestries was a store on the first floor. The second floor was the factory itself with work stations and lavatories and a café for the workers. The third floor was her home. There were two in suite bedrooms, a small eat-in kitchen, a living and dining room, a workout area and Selena’s office.

No one ever came to her living quarters except her parents who had keys and so Selena was more than a little surprised when the doorbell chimed, The Rhythm is Going To Get You. Hurrying to the door in her workout clothes, Selena looked through the peephole and saw what she thought of as Adonis.  He was tall with deep blue eyes, blond hair curling at his shoulder, sporting a physique worth of a Greek god. He was carrying a huge bouquet of colorful carnations and he was smiling.

Selena opened the door and then it occurred to her that she hadn’t ordered flowers and didn’t know this man from Adam.

“Don’t be afraid, Carida. These are from a secret admirer who has worshiped you from afar for years. My name is Marcus Adonis and I own 12 of your tapestries.”

Selena remember his name just as Marcus pulled out his I.D. and stepped into her living quarters. Selena had an Aha moment when she realized that Marcus was talking about himself. He was her secret admirer.

“Please come in Marcus, the flowers are wonderful. Let me put them in water. Please sit and make yourself at home. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

Ten minutes later Selena was showered and found Marcus in the kitchen making them lunch. He turned and smiled and what a wonderful smile it was.

“Please sit Carida. I came here today to introduce myself to you. I recently moved here from Los Angeles and had to meet you. I Googled you and know that there is no man in your life even though you’re somewhat of a celebrity. I want to be that man. I will woo you, court you and win your heart. What do you say?”

“I say this omelet is fabulous and I also say that you have an excellent chance of winning my heart.” Selena said with a laugh.

It took six months of constantly being together and falling hard. Marcus and Selena knew that they had found the one.

Tapestries had brought them together. Love would keep them that way…forever.

Womb Heart

Response piece to

Inspiration Piece:

Valentina and Valentino

By: Phyllis Weissman

Valentina Love didn’t always hate February 14th. Her Bah Humbug attitude began almost two years ago when her fiancée left her at the altar with a Dear Jane note and a nice fat check to pay for everything. To make matters worse, six months after that Valentina inherited a group of love themed stores in Florida called Love Is in the Air.  The stores sold everything from cards and books to clothing and lingerie.
It was a sunny Saturday morning on February 7th. Valentina was at her Palm Beach store on prestigious Worth Avenue to institute some new ideas and procedures.  An attractive, beautifully coiffed and groomed woman in her mid-fifties had entered the establishment thirty minutes ago. She had selected several pieces of clothing and custom-made jewelry and was looking at the lingerie when Valentina walked over to talk to her.
“Hi, I’m Valentina, the owner. Call me Tina. I just brought in a new line of sexy and tasteful lingerie for the mature woman. Would you like to see some of the pieces ma’am?’
“I’m Bev Amour, dear and yes I would.  “Lowering her voice to almost a whisper, Bev continued. “My husband Jim has lost interest in me for more than a month now. We’ve been married almost 40 years and this has never ever happened to us. Jim won’t discuss it and he’s become a workaholic. I don’t know what to think.
Would you mind if we talked about it? You see all of our adopted and foster kids are coming for our anniversary party on the thirteenth and I’d like them to really enjoy themselves in a tense free and loving atmosphere. I can’t talk about this with them.”
“I’d be happy to talk with you Bev. Remember, I’m not a therapist, just a very good listener. Please have a seat and I’ll get you some things to look at, I see that you wear the cool colors. Would you like some iced tea and fruit salad while we talk?”
“That would be great, Tina, thanks so much.”
An hour later, Bev was in a much better frame of mind. Tina had been a great listener and had a few very good suggestions. Liz, one of the sales reps, was ringing up all her purchases as Tina helped another customer.
The chimes on the door sounded playing the theme from Love Boat as a tall drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a man entered. Every eye turned to look at Mr. Hottie.  Bev looked around and shouted with glee: “Val, you’re here three days early. Val opened his arms and embraced Bev saying, “I’m so glad to be home, mom…permanently home.” Bev excitedly called Tina over to meet her son.
“Valentina, I mean Tina, this is one of my son’s Valentino. We call him Val.”
Val looked at the tall gorgeous woman and held out his hand. As their hands touched Val grinned.
“Now isn’t that interesting, mom, I meet a girl name Valentina who calls herself Tina.” Val grinned broadly and continued. “You might say that Valentina meeting Valentino is no coincidence.”
Tina looked down at their still joined hands. The universe had sent her a very clear message and she knew that Val had gotten the message as well. They looked into each other’s eyes and then saw into their souls and Valentina Love’s guarded heart that she had shielded so well for almost two years cracked wide open.
Val became a permanent fixture at the store and in Tina’s life. A little over a year later on Valentine’s Day, Valentina Love and Valentino Amour were married.
Love wa
s forever in the air and they lived happily ever after.

Diana in France with Dandelions Response Piece

Inspiration Piece:

To walk
Annette McLeod

My throat feels seared, like trying to breathe in the devil’s own sauna. In the distance the road wavers as if submerged.

The children romp around me like dolphins playing beside a ship. They’re pissing me off, but I don’t have the energy to scold them. How they can be so goddamn lively in this godforsaken heat is beyond me.

John has been gone almost an hour, and I peer hopefully toward the horizon, as if willing him to appear will make him do so.

When the car packed it in, it was obvious one of us was going to have to hike back to the nearest town and I’d wanted desperately for it to be me. I was feeling courageous, like today I could actually go through with it. I didn’t think I’d even mind the heat anymore.

My youngest, Jimmy, is peeing into the ditch, and the next-up Robbie and the twins are playing tag around the car. Every time one of them brushes my leg, I bristle. I want to swat them away, like mosquitos.

John’s look caught me off-guard. I only just admitted it to myself not long ago, and I thought I was hiding it well. But John is no dummy, and he’s often said my eyes tell him everything. And we’ve been married a long time. I should have hidden it better.

I cocked my head, waiting for his reaction to this exchange. He knows, and he knows I know he knows, as they say. He shrugged, just barely, but I couldn’t quite read it.

“I’m going,” he said in that voice of his that brooks no debate.

He turned around and walked purposefully away from us. I just stood there and watched him go, my courage all gone.

Brittany and Bridget argue angrily over whose half-drunk Coke is whose. I turn towards them. “Get another fucking coke from the cooler!” My shrillness silences them. They look wounded. I look away.

Four kids, for crying out loud. Who the fuck these days has four kids?

Anyway, it doesn’t matter that he’s figured out my secret. It doesn’t change anything. He’s right. Today, if I’d gotten the chance to start walking, I would have just kept walking. But there will be other days.