Garbage Day

Garbage Day

She heard the garbage truck as it made its familiar rumble outside.

“OH FUCK”.

 You could hear her cry throughout the house. Jennifer had just settled in for the morning visit to the bathroom and was sitting on the throne.

It was raining lightly and thirty-five degrees.

Barefoot, wearing sweatpants and a light top Maura burst out the kitchen door and ran down the driveway waving her arms. Flailing her arms really like some giant air balloon outside a business trying to get the attention of the garbage man.

Can I bring my barrels down?

Can I bring my barrels down?

 A yellow raincoat covered arm and orange capped head leaned out of the truck window and nodded.

Thank you she said. She turned and ran up the driveway back to the trash barrels.

 She grabbed the tilted both up onto their wheel

and rolled them gratefully down the driveway.

She stood proudly as the truck raised the barrels.

 First the recycling then the regular garbage.

 She waived and said thank you as if she were a mother sending off her young children on the school bus.

She collected the barrels and as she turned to roll them triumphantly back up the driveway she saw Jennifer laughing in the window.

Walking into the kitchen she was greeted by the dogs and a still laughing Jennifer. “OH Fuck” said Jennifer recreating the earlier battle cry.

“Oh, my god”

Maura smiled and cuddled the dogs. “I guess it was pretty funny”.