Eleanor's Last Chance

Eleanor's Last Chance

Eleanor was about to lose everything. She hadn’t paid rent on her apartment for three months so the landlord gave her a grace period, but she still couldn’t afford to pay it as doomsday loomed. Embarrassment prevented her from calling her son. She never wanted to be a burden to him. So Eleanor made some preparations for the inevitable and found herself a lover-man on Meetaman dot-com.

Howard didn’t meet her expectations, in fact, she thought him rather repulsive, but he fell madly for Eleanor. He proposed on their third date at the bowling alley. At first, he danced around the subject by asking her what she was doing on Christmas Day.

Eleanor paused, “Hmmm…I haven’t really thought too much about it.” However, she was more fearful of being homeless by that time.

“Will you marry me on Christmas?” Howard blushed.

Though it wasn’t the fairy-tale proposal she dreamed about this definitely was the answer to her situation. So Eleanor did what any self-respecting sixty-five year old woman would do, she clapped her hands and spit out the word “Yes.”

In a few short days it would be Christmas. Howard would pick-up Eleanor at nine o’clock in the morning. After breakfast in the Drake Hotel, Howard’s friend, Bob, would say the nuptials, and then a short honeymoon to include a boat show at the convention center, and some skeet shooting.

So he wouldn’t lock her out before the wedding day, she notified the landlord she would be gone by Christmas. She wasn’t exactly happy to be marrying Howard, it was a convenience. After-all, she wasn’t getting any younger, she mused.

So on Christmas morning she put on her only dress. It only looked marginally better than a sack of potatoes. Her suitcase waited at the door for the honeymoon, while Eleanor paced in her loafers.

At nine o’clock sharp Howard knocked at her door. She pasted on a smile for her almost husband, gave her hair a fluffing, and with determination opened the door.

“Good morning, love.” Howard stood there in his bowling shirt. “Ready to become my missus?”

No, I’m not. Eleanor nodded her head.

“There is a slight change in plans.” Howard said with a big smile. “Instead of the hotel for breakfast, yada, yada. We’re going to a bowling tournament. Bob will come by during the banquet afterwards, and then he’ll seal the deal with us before we catch the football game at the sports bar. It’ll be more fun.”

And that was the last Howard ever saw of Eleanor after she slammed the door in his face. He knocked. He pounded. He called her name. She told him to go away and eventually he did.

After a good cry, she called her son. She told him she was sorry and explained her troubles. “I don’t want to be a burden to you, Patrick.”

“Never. I love you, mom. I’ll be there soon.”


Words: 487