#AtoZChallenge April 20, 2018. Recycle Wednesday
In today’s post, Recycle Wednesday, one Twilight resident learns if in doubt, throw it out.
26 posts. 26 days. And 26 letters of the alphabet, one post beginning with each letter, in April.
Follow me as we visit the not-quite-normal retirement village of Twilight, Arizona, where reality clashes with the unexplained.
Recycle Wednesday
“When is recycle day?”
Judy Frasier rolled her eyes. “Wednesday,” she shouted from the front of the house. Dear God, the man couldn’t remember anything. Birthdays, anniversaries—he’d forget Christmas if not for all the commercials.
“This Wednesday?” Russ asked, walking into the house with an empty plastic bag in his hands.
“The second and fourth Wednesday of every month, just like the HOA guidelines said when we moved in.” She would dig them out of the filing cabinet and shove them under his nose if she thought it would do any good.
He waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m too busy to keep track.”
Busy? Doing what? Golfing? Swimming in the pool at the rec center around the corner? Attending every estate sale in Twilight, Arizona and bringing home junk he either sold at a loss or she threw out?
“That’s why you have me, dear.” Judy returned to her knitting. Katie and John were due to have their second in a month, and she had yet to fail to present a baby blanket to any of her grandchildren.
“I put it out last week, and they never came,” Russ continued to grumble. He wandered into the kitchen and opened the door to the laundry room. From a hook on the wall, he removed a grocery bag where they stored empty cans and bottles.
“Last week was the first Wednesday,” Judy replied. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? Why couldn’t he remember simple things?
“If you say so, but I don’t think they’ll come tomorrow, either.” Russ ambled out to the garage.
A week later, Judy caught him putting out the cardboard box containing their recyclables.
“What are you doing?” She grabbed the box corner and tugged it out of the alley.
“Recycling. It comes tomorrow, right? See, I remembered.” Russ smiled, pleased as punch.
“What am I going to do with you?” she muttered. In a louder voice she said, “It’s next week, Russ. The fourth Wednesday of the month.”
“Not the first and third?” He nudged her out of the way and pushed the box back to the garage corner.
“No. The second and fourth Wednesday is recycle day.” Judy walked past him and into the kitchen. Where had she hidden the tequila?
On the following Tuesday, she had to remind him.
Russ forgot.
She brought home a second box to hold the overflow. And a third.
On Monday, he wandered into the kitchen as she pulled a chicken casserole from the oven.
“Whatever it is, I’m busy.” Why was she baking when the outdoor temperature hovered near the one hundred and twenty degree mark? Next time, she’d use the crockpot.
“When is the recycle day again?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Russ. Do I have to write it on the bathroom mirror in shaving cream? It’s Wednesday. This week. In two days. Don’t you dare forget, or I’ll . . .I’ll . . .”
“What, honeybunch?” He pushed his glasses further up on his nose.
He never forgets those.
“Something drastic.”
“Hmm-hmm.” He turned and walked to the garage to putter at his workbench, leaving the door open to the Arizona heat.
On Wednesday morning, Judy woke before dawn and turned to her husband asleep next to her. He hadn’t taken out the recycle box; she knew he hadn’t. He’d forgotten or missed or mistimed it for over a year. As always, the task fell to her.
She hadn’t lied when she said she’d do something drastic if he forgot one more time. A crazy thought had blossomed into a manageable plan she could no longer ignore.
With a sigh she rose, dressed and opened the garage door. Then she carried Russ to the alley and set him on top of the recycle box.
This would be one time he wouldn’t forget.
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Twilight, Arizona, stories now available on Amazon
I’ve “recycled” all twenty-six stories into one volume!
Don’t want to wait until April 30th to read all twenty-six Twilight stories. For a limited time, they are available on Amazon for 99¢. From Arizona Heat to One-Zero-Zero, read and enjoy twenty-six stories set in the strange retirement community of Twilight, Arizona.
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Tomorrow’s #AtoZChallenge April 21, 2018 Snowbirds
Year-round residents have an issue with their neighbor “snowbird”.
Until then, blessings,
Cheryl
p.s. Russ and Judy are mentioned in The Early Bird Gets the Worm
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