Sally and Norman

Sally and Norman
a short story by Diana Weeks

It was pure chance that had Sally standing at the kitchen sink looking at the apartment complex parking lot when her new husband Norm drove into their assigned spot. She smiled… studying the gray cow lick falling almost in his dark blue eyes… waiting for him to come in and hug her….

He just sat there. Norman didn’t bound out of the car which was strange because he’s always in a hurry. A frown plowed indentions across Sally’s forehead. She wanted to yell…like a cheer leader. “What are you waiting for”?

Finally Norm looked over at the passenger’s seat. “Oh, he did remember my birthday” Sally thought and felt joy rush to her brain. She lifted on her tip toes watching but he got out empty handed.

“Oh well he’s remembering this is budget night, I reminded him before he left this morning he knows we’re over our monthly bills”… Sally told herself… because since she lost her job they really had to be careful, she liked to account for every penny. All bills were paid before the tenth.

She was at the door to greet him with a juicy kiss. Norman was surprised and delighted. “Is it my birthday too”? Sally laughed. “I didn’t forget” he said proudly as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a folded note and handed it to her. “Go on read it now” Sally looked at the note blushed and read. “Let’s go to bed early, I’m hungry for you”. He gave her a tender kiss lightly touching her lips with the tiny tip of his tongue.

“Suppers ready” she told him and he went to the cabinet to get plates and suddenly yelled “Stop that” out the window. He turned to run toward the parking lot. Someone’s burglarizing cars and he’s heading toward ours.” he yelled back at her.

“I’ll call 911.” Sally ran for the phone, Norman was out the door. “Wait for help” she screamed at his back.

Norm looked over his shoulder “Damn him, he busted our window” looking at their cars’ open door. “Oh no you’re not… you’re under arrest” Norman pulls a gun from his chest holster and fires. The man falls dropping an I- pod box”..

The burglar isn’t moving. “Is he dead?” Sally cries. “There’s a lot of blood”.

“I was just going to wing him” Sally kneels down and puts her hand over the hole in the man’s chest and starts CPR. Norm kneels down and feels for the burglar’s neck pulse. “Keep going…maybe we can save him.” I was so relieved that his anger disappeared once he “caught the would be thief”.

“What’s the I-pod doing in our car; I thought we agreed that we couldn’t afford it this month”.

“It was practically given to me.”

“How much”? as she bends to blow breath into the burglars mouth.

“Let me do that. What…is this a boyfriend of yours or something?” he said and winked suggestively.

Leaning back Sally asked, “How much?”

Norm breaths in the guy’s mouth. “Damn, he’s been eating garlic.

How much did you pay for the I-pod?”

"Twenty bucks. What a bargain... Can you believe it?”

"Then it was ‘hot,’” Sally declared. "When you buy stolen things it encourages stealing."

Sirens squeal and a squad car burns rubber stopping. Suddenly the EMS folks were moving closer behind …a police Lt. in the lead spoke respectfully to Norman “Good evening Chief “an nods at Sally “And Mrs. Chief.” Sally smiled and left to go make coffee for everyone.

Norman sighs and lets the emergency nurse take over and stands scolding himself under his breath…”I just had to marry an idealistic women”.

His best friend the LT grinned. “I told you she wouldn’t understand these little mishaps.”

“But I’m retiring soon…I didn’t want to be bored!” They walk over to look at the big man on the gurney. “Maybe she’ll bring you luck. We’ve been trying to catch a guy that looks like him…who broke into 30 cars in the Galleria parking lot…last month. He waved at the security cameras.” The pal’s chuckle. Norm claps…. “I should take her to Vegas.”

THE END

-- "Sally and Norman" (c) 2009, Diana Weeks, All Rights Reserved