Sackful of Quarters (ePub)

A SACKFUL OF QUARTERS is a collection of short stories set throughout the twelve months of the year. Eachstory is a seasonal account of one particular character'slife experience. The glue that holds them all together isthat each woman or girl originally perceives herself throughfamilial or societal eyes, and comes to a better understandingof who she really is as a result of the incidents that occur within the story. January: FRESH SLATE, USED CHALK This story recounts the liberation of the abused wifeof a prominent doctor, and how she leaves him only todiscover that she is immediately drawn to an individual who,although outwardly the complete opposite of her husband, hasthe potential to do her harm. How she deals with therevelation establishes the foundation for a new life filledwith promise. FEBRUARY: ETUDE FOR A WINTER'S AFTERNOON A fifth grade girl spends the Valentine season learning about unselfish love and class prejudice in this fiftiespiece set in Chicago neighborhood. The great melting pot is notas advertised. The reflection she sees in the mirror is not necessarily how others view her and she has miles to go beforeshe sleeps. MARCH: ERIN GO BRAUGH! A prostitute in a seedy motel considers how shecame to such an end. She recalls how she started out withhigh expectations and remembers her first real love, amechanic in the town garage. She comes to terms with her pastfinally resolving the conflicts that caused her fall. APRIL: GOT THOSE AIN'T WHERE YOU ARE, PARK BENCH BLUES Once great blues singer, Jonna Knight finds herselfpast seventy, penniless and at the bottom of the barrel,living homeless on the streets of New York City. Afterspending the night under a blanket of newspapers on aCentral Park bench, she encounters aspiring songstress Mona. The young Jewess joins her after dropping her portfolio,scattering its invaluable contents in the early morning wind. Mona vents her frustrations, almost oblivious of theold black woman who seems most interested in her diatribe. She's tired of "e;paying her dues"e;, exhausted from dailyrejections from prospective employers more concerned withher obvious ethnicity than her talent, and depressed enoughto call it quits and retreat to the comfort of her affluenthome. A morning chat with the legendary vocalist teaches heran invaluable lesson and earns her a surprise to boot. MAY: BLOSSOM TIME FOR MAUDE ROSE Maude Rose, a spinster who spent the fruitful years ofher twenties and thirties traveling the globe with herwidower father, enjoys an early summer evening on the porchwith her gentleman caller. They sip lemonade. She offershim cookies, shares gossip and makes observations about theflawlessly beautiful but barren apple tree in her frontyard. Her caller never speaks, but as Maude Rose rambleson his silence reveals some meaningful insights about herself and others in their small Southern community. JUNE: GEMINI WITH SCORPIO RISING Twins, one plain and one fair, come to terms with theirindividuality in the liberated seventies. They are bothdating the same man who is equally attracted to them fordifferent reasons. As the story unfolds, the plain sister falls deeply in love, and her beautiful counterpart learns somethingabout her own emergent sexuality that she is both frightened and eagerto share with her twin. JULY: AN ANATOMY OF THE AMERICAN DREAM GONE ASKEW A newlywed in June, pregnant in July, and far too soon for a yuppie husband who has their storybook life planneddown to the last white picket in the fence that willsurround their custom built house. But times havechanged, and she's come a long way baby, to where