My Pen-Pal Jack

His voice transcended startling Mary. She begins to pick over her cuticles. She too was frustrated, but she wouldn’t back down.

“That was not your money to spend!”

“Oh, Mary, I don’t come to you complaining whenever you run up my credit card bills. I’m not hearing it!”

Thomas, excuses himself from the kitchen table, scrapping its hind legs on the granite floor. Mary blocks his path, her lithe arm stretched before him, resting in the corner of the door sill.

“You are going to learn to listen to me Thomas. That was unfair. You didn’t even ask me before spending it.”

He grunts. Bushy eyebrows form into one thick caterpillar and saliva forms at the creases of his mouth.

“Unfair? Our entire marriage I have took care of all your financial burdens. While you stay at home enjoying the money I make, while writing your failure of scripts over and over again .”

“MY script, just made us twenty thousand and you spent majority of it behind my back!”

“That’s the only money it has made us! I have student debt Mary! I need that money to take care of that so I can save more money for our retirement! I did it for US!”

Mary scuffs and glares at him, blue eyes stare back at her.

“Us? Now, it’s about us?”

Thomas throat tightens, he brushes pass Mary, her words hit his backside.

“You rarely talk to me, you haven’t comforted me in years, hugged or kissed me in months.” Mary voices cracks. She smooths her auburn bangs back, tucking loose strands behind her ears. “Hell, you barely even sleep in the same bed as me! But now you’re doing this for us?”

Swoosh! Mary is now standing in a puddle of coffee.

“Shut it! Now! I’m going to work and will hear none of this. Clean this up,” He points at the spill, “and have that attitude gone by the time I come back.” He grunts and strokes his beard.

“Ungrateful wife.”

Thomas leaves their home.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D minor plays softly. She thought it to be fitting, melancholy and somber, matching her current state. She stares at her script, “The Lonesome Wife” recalling the early stages of her marriage. When she and Thomas’ love was new. Wine tasting, impromptu dinner dates, strolls in the park. All of it was just a memory now. Mary opens her laptop and began typing in the Google search engine, “Penpal for Writers.” After dismissing several she stumbled across “My Pen Pal Jack.”

“The friend that will never stop talking to you order now, ” she whispers. Mary is hesitant, but her longing for companionship was far more overpowering. She clicks twice, submitting her request and powers off her laptop.

The next morning Mary goes to retrieve the mail. Thomas walks past her, no acknowledgment, or apologies of yesterday ’s chaos. There she finds a packaged wrapped in black with smooth script, “My Penpal Jack.” There was a weird stick figure scribbled with a looming smile. Studying the packaging for a moment Mary decides to unwrap it. Inside is a black book. Silk embellished with golden embroidery. “Jack.” She opens it.

The first page reads, "Hi my name is Jack. Write to me and we'll be best friends forever.” Mary takes the pen and writes "Hi Jack, I'm Mary." Nothing happens. Frustrated Mary checks the box for instructions. When she discovers there are none, she puts the book away.

After cleaning and preparing for the next day Mary decides to come back to her book. It rested in the kitchen, untouched. She opens it and is instantly delighted. Underneath her massage a new one had formed.

"Hi Mary, I'm Jack. Let's be friends.” There’s a disfigured heart drawn next to it. Mary is confused. She pulls her lips in.

“Thomas?”

Mary is elated, she smiles and quickly begins to write back. Weeks have passed and with each day Mary’s in engulfed with her new penpal. Sometimes, she even wore nice dresses and fitting blouses. Her confidence began to grow, something she thought she had loss years ago. One day Jack writes, "What was the story about?" Mary writes back --

She informs Jack that her protagonist is a woman in an unhappy marriage recently finding the strength to stand up to her oblivious, ignorant, controlling, and manipulative husband. Weeks turn into months, and the pages of Jack are filling quickly.

One morning Mary is preparing breakfast. She begins to hum one of her favorite tunes, and sway to its melody. She smiles, while toasting bread and does a quick spin before scrambling eggs. A phone vibrates. It's Thomas's. She reads the text message, "See you tonight ;).” The sender is from an Elizabeth. Mary's smile disappears. Thomas appears. Mary tends to the food, and powers on the ceiling fan. Thomas retires his phone after glaring at the black book.

He walks over to the kitchen table; Mary places a plate before him.

“You've been spending a lot of time writing in this book.” He points.

“I have.”

Mary looks at Thomas eagerly and says nothing. Thomas opens the book, but nothing is there. He continues flip through empty pages. He puts the book down. Mary is confused at his lack of enthusiasm.

“Just stupid - you know I been thinking about that money I spent.”

“My money.”

“I don't regret it Mary.” He says in mid-chew. “Work has been chaotic, bills piling, and all I get to show for it from my wife is this little black empty book and ungratefulness for all I have done. Maybe if you tried more, something new to make me happy, our marriage wouldn't be so - miserable.

Thomas chomps at the food on his fork and removes himself from the table.

“There was a new scent.”

Thomas turns back, facing Mary.

“What?”

“The other night. A woman's perfume. It smelled like the Eliza brand.”

Thomas rushes over to Mary in an aggressive manner. Staring into her eyes with a fierceness. “Don't you concern yourself with what I have going on in my life. Not until you start paying bills in this house. I own you and everything about you. You would be wise to remember that.” Mary is silent, but inside she’s fuming.

Thomas leaves the kitchen.

"I'm not coming home tonight. enjoy your alone time with your little black book.” He calls from the other room, closing the door behind him.

Mary hurries over to the book and opens it. The dialogue between her and Jack is there. How was he not able to see it? She thought to herself. Jack writes in real time in a bloody-like ink, "Because you are my only friend Mary. Why does he treat you so? Why is his 'love' a toxic hatred?" Mary is flabbergasted.

She slowly writes “Who are you? ”

Jack writes back in real time, "I am Jack.”

Mary closes the book and stands up as if she's seen a ghost. She waits and then reopens it. Jack has written "You shouldn't let him talk to you that Mary. You deserve better. I can help if you want. Then we'll be together forever. Jack and Mary :) ” Mary slowly closes the book; she must’ve been going crazy. She needed to rest.

On the following day Mary is folding clothes. Abruptly, Thomas walks into the room. Thomas is hesitant. He opens his mouth when Mary faces him, but nothing comes out. He wipes his palms against his slacks and starts again. This time vocally, more calm than usual. “Mary, I want to talk.”

About?”

“Us.”

Mary stops folding clothes and looks at Thomas

“It shouldn't be this way, marriage. A wife should be respected and loved.”

Mary responds, “ I was Thomas, but things changed. You changed.”

“I know. I'm not happy anymore. I haven't been happy for a VERY long time. ’

“Thomas –"

“Let me finish. It's not fair to me. To be in a marriage - I'm not happy in.”

Thomas now shows papers and puts them down nearby Mary.

“What - what are those? ” she stammers.

“Divorce papers. I've already filed.”

“NO!” she whimpers.

“Yes, I cant do this anymore, pretending to be happy.

“What am I going to do Thomas? Where am I going to go?”

“Go back to live with your sister.” He says quickly. “Your mother, she's getting old, go help take care of her. I don't know Mary, but you can't stay here any longer. It's not healthy for either of us. ”

Mary glances at the document. The name of the lawyer shows as "Elizabeth Sterling".

“Oh my God. You've been sleeping with the lawyer that helped you filed these papers? ” she points at the papers. “Haven't you?”

Silence.

“Sign the papers.”

Thomas walks out and Mary erupts with anger and passion.

“I will NOT sign these papers Thomas!”

“Yes, you will, or we'll take it to court, and Mary we both know my money can buy way better lawyers than you ever could. Stop acting like you're happy here. I won't any longer. Go be with someone who wants to love you! Cause my love is with a different woman, and I will no longer act as if it's not.”

“This is not FAIR Thomas, it's not! ”

The two begin to yell back and forth with indistinct dialogue as the little black book opens and begins to flip its papers in reverse. Eventually, the argument stops and so does the book.

“I am leaving. I'll be back later tonight. ”

“To sleep with your little lawyer whore, huh?

“Sign the damn papers Mary so we can be done with it!”

Thomas slams the door and walks out. Mary spots the book and hesitates to go to it. She opens it and see's nothing there. She panics flipping back and forth until she reaches the first page. Written in the blood-like ink reads out, "If you want to be together forever have him sign here. ” A disfigured heart appears followed by a single line drawn in blood.

“Love, Jack.” She whispers.

That evening Thomas strolls in, reeking of alcohol. He looks at Mary, who is calm and collected. The black book is open on the table and the divorce papers are there as well.

“Do you remember when we first fell in love? We passed notes to each other in college during lecture. And eventually you asked me to be your girlfriend.”

Reluctantly he answers, “ I do. Why?

“I'll sign your papers, Jack. But I want you to write one more note for me. ” She smiled at him. Pushing her hair behind her ears.

“Just sign your name in my book.”

“Why?”, he examined her for a moment. Stroking his greying beard.

“Just a souvenir from our marriage, ” she shrugged. “I still have our old notes from before.” Thomas gives the request no additional though and signs it. Mary takes the book upstairs with her. Mary soon closes her eyes to go to sleep after putting the book down on her nightstand.

The next morning, Mary awakens with Thomas holding her. She is confused as Thomas wakes up and smiles to her.

“Thomas?”

“No,” an unrecognizable voice answered.

Mary quickly turns to her left, “ It's me Jack.”

Mary is shocked and begins to talk but Jack stops her.

“Ah- I'll explain everything over brunch. How about your favorite spot in the city? Remember? You wrote it to me a couple weeks ago about it. Go shower and we'll talk then.”

Mary slowly gets up and goes into the bathroom. Jack looks towards the book. It now says "Thomas". Jack opens the first page and it writes "Help". Jack smiles and takes the book to a fireplace in the bedroom. He turns it on and throws the book inside of it.

END