A HUSBAND'S SECRET
It was the first day of the school year at Edward H. White High in pottery class when a boy named Freddie saw this beautiful girl named Marie walk in late to the classroom. She was tall for a girl; she stood about five foot nine, making her a little taller than him. She had long black hair and light brown skin that had a reddish tint to it. Her eyes, almond shaped and dark brown, sat beautifully paralleled to her button nose and soft pink lips. Freddie had an athletic build and dark brown skin. His hair was black and cut low. Above his full lips sat his broad nose and circular brown eyes. There were no seats left in the class so he offered his to her. From that day on they became really good friends. They would be up on the phone every night for hours laughing and talking. Freddie would write Marie the sweetest letters about how wonderful she was and how great she made him feel. One day after school Freddie and Marie were at her locker in the back hallway talking and Freddie asked if she would be his girlfriend and of course Marie said yes.
After they graduated high school, Freddie and Marie attended the University of Florida where they earned their bachelor degrees. That night Freddie and Marie went to dinner at a restaurant called The Melting Pot located off of University Avenue. Before they ate desert Freddie got down on one knee and proposed to Marie and as she had done before she replied yes.
Marie started to plan for the wedding right away. They planned to have the wedding sometime in October so the weather would be cool and they could hold the ceremony outside. They married October 27th in Key West and settled down in Jacksonville, Florida. They moved into a two story house in a subdivision called Pine Crest. Their house was made out of stucco and surrounded by hibiscus flowers.
Marie had a job at Nemours Clinic in the hematology department as a nurse and Freddie worked in Bank of America as a finance manager. One day for Freddie’s lunch break Marie came and brought him Burger King. She sat in the chair in front of his office desk and he sat in his computer chair behind it. A young blonde woman, wearing a black pencil skirt and a white blouse, came to the door way.
Young woman: “Hey Freddie! Here goes the paper work for the Markell account.”
Freddie: “Thanks Franchesca. I’m glad I can count on you.”
Young woman: “You’re welcome.” as she smiles and leaves the room.
Marie stares at Freddie and doesn’t say anything.
Freddie: “What?”
Marie: “Who is she?”
Freddie: “She’s the clerk.”
Marie: “Oh really, well how come I’ve never seen her around before and why didn’t you introduce me?”
Freddie: “She’s new and I didn’t want her to stay any longer than she needed to. I want to enjoy my lunch with you.”
Marie: “That better be the only reason why.”
Freddie: “It is baby. You’re the only woman my heart desires.”
They continue to eat their lunch and then go back to work. The next few weeks carry on as usual.
A friend of theirs named Mike stops by one day to visit and catch up. He invites them for dinner next Tuesday and Marie replies, “We would love to” but Freddie replies, “But we can’t. I have a business meeting to attend to then.”
Marie: “What business meeting? You never told me you had a business meeting.”
Freddie: “Well next week I have a business meeting. Sorry Mike but we will have dinner some other time.”
Mike: “It is fine. We will just do it whenever you guys have time.”
Mike says good bye to them and leaves to go home.
Marie: “So what business meetings take place in the evening?”
Freddie: “It’s not really a meeting but more like a workshop. All the employees have to go for the next few weeks, every Tuesday.”
Marie: “Oh, well I wish you would inform me on these kinds of things. I’m going to miss you every Tuesday now.,” she smiles.
A few weeks later Marie was shopping at Publix and saw a lady named Mrs. Olsten from Freddie’s work.
Marie: “Hi Mrs. Olsten, how are you?”
Mrs. Olsten: “Hey Marie. I’m doing great. How are you?”
Marie: “I’m doing fine, thank you. I thought you guys had workshops to attend to at work on Tuesdays?”
Mrs. Olsten: “What workshop? I think I would lose my mind if they gave us anymore to do.”
Marie: “Oh I must have understood Freddie. Well have a nice day. Bye.”
Instantly, many thoughts came to Marie’s head. She had to think right away about what she was going to. He had lied to her and was doing something he had no business doing. Was he cheating? Maybe this could explain why he was acting so unusual that day in his office. It’s because of that new clerk! Whatever it was Marie was going to get to the bottom of it.
When Freddie got home that night she acted as usual. They had dinner, watched some television, and then went to bed. The following week it was time for Freddie to go to his “workshop” again and Marie followed him. About seven minutes in the car ride Marie realized that they weren’t headed to his job but downtown. Freddie walked up to a three story brick building and entered at a side door. Marie parked and went inside of the building. It was very dim inside and there were tables everywhere with people at them. There was a lighted up stage in the front of the room and a microphone in the middle.
A man walked up on stage and started to recite a poem about love. He was wearing a hat that covered his face and when it came to the last line of the poem and he looked up at the audience and it was Freddie. All of Marie’s fears were relieved. Freddie wasn’t cheating on her; he had been attending poetry night to improve his poetry skills and planned on surprising Marie. Freddie saw her from across the room and left the stage to walk over to her. Once they met up they both smiled at each other and started talking.
REFLECTION
The images alone the reader could interpret them as a number of things. One can tell that it has to do with a couple, a married couple at that because of the image of wedding rings. I placed the images of different places after the image of two people so the reader could assume that they are associated with the couple somehow. The images show things that could pertain to one’s life until we get to the last picture that shows that things aren’t as normal as they appear and something is going on, cheating perhaps. But when I put the images with the written text they make more sense and their meanings are clearer. The written narrative guides the readers through the images with each image tying in with a certain part of the passage. Although the last image of the lipstick stain on a man’s collar probably makes the audience think that the story involves cheating or some kind of scandal, the written text solves that mystery or question and the reader is able to put the intended connection to that image. The images alone are able to tell part of the story but we need words to fill in the missing pieces and finish it.
