Rabbits for Brunch Pt. 1 by: M. R. Vega
Josie found comfort in hearing the neighbors squabble in the early mornings day after day while she would do her morning stretches. Timothy and Nicky were two loud and vivacious spirits who sang their worries while the hummingbirds fed at Josie’s garden sugar feeder. They’d argue outside about foods and music then would make amends inside behind the shaking blinders. Josie blushed to herself and tried with an anxious itch to hear anything but. As men, they mimicked her mother’s elegance and reflected the shine they each saw within one another, however, not only was Josie envious of what they shared she begged within, that David her busy-body man would take note and show her such care.That was merely a wish that she often shook off and tended to the bushes, roses, tulips, and daffodils. When the men sharing a wall in the backyards weren’t outside jousting with one another verbally, she’d chitter to the squirrels and whisper to the birds her deeper wishes. She’d stretch toward the sun-splashed sky and yawn in the gentle dew as it coated her lungs with an energy of a thousand blades of grass at every inhale. She’d then exhaust the grief of being lonely and having to wait til later in the night for a touch, even if it was David’s hand at her back for but a moment. Sadly, she sighed that want away and finished her yoga or tai-chi each morning. Looking off into the neighbor’s yard for but a glimpse of two that loved one another more than she could wish and vied daily for her man to burst through the doors with a want that called to her heart. Though it was only a dream, it was a dream enough that kept her waiting.Timothy and Nicky would call to Josie each morning, showing her their rabbits, and examining her fruitful garden while they’d trade spices for her peaches, tangerines, or tomatoes. They’d share recipes and stories of how they met their partners. Her story was generic, something any Hallmark movie shared but Tim and Nicky’s was explosive and a powerful storm to be jealous of. Each of the men would smile, with pity behind the crow’s feet, and caress her hand with a pat before going back in to love up on each other. Josie would exhale heavily, shaking her head, aim toward the shower after texting David wishing him home, wishing him love. But often to no avail. She’d express often in text, and usually only in text how she wanted him.
Now, sadly David was daft and nearly empty of a tenacity that wanted love and only mimicked what he’d seen in film, he’d followed the characters he had grown up seeing and tried almost effortlessly in being a carbon copy of those testosterone-fueled men. He felt that it was cruel but deeply wanted to make Josie happy, and making him an image she’d wanted was something that fueled his advances at work. Being a contractor for Florida’s biggest construction company, brought him access to being busy and keeping his profit up to par, never having to explain why he’d leave so often. In his eyes giving her all she wanted was something that filled him, and only him with satisfaction. If only he knew…
Josie unaware of who David truly was still dreamt of them frolicking in the sheets til the sun came up, still woke to an empty bed. Today though her phone was buzzing non-stop, she looked at the message handle and saw fifteen missed calls and thirty texts all from David. The window was wide open, she could feel the cool beach air wafting into the room and smell a salt all too familiar and breathed in with a smile. She didn’t look at the messages or listen to the calls, she could hear the two neighbors making their odd noises as they often did in the morning and rolled her eyes, quickly walking to the bathroom to clean up anticipating David arriving momentarily, and hurried her lather and rinse.
Once clothed in some shorts and a sweater, her hair still wet she went to the back to stretch away her worry and anxiety while she awaited the sound of David’s truck pulling up to the garage. However, there was a silence that haunted the air around her and she peered around first at the neighbor’s house, sure she’d see their blinds shaking but nothing moved. The birds didn’t flutter, traffic was lacking except for what she swore was a horn honking incessantly and called out to Timothy and Nicky. Neither of them answered, their age and them being retired, she knew this was odd and thought of maybe hopping the stone wall to knock on their sliding door but then saw Timothy stumbling past the window, he didn’t look her way as she gazed through their window. Instead, she watched in horror while she watched a rabbit of theirs tossing in the clutches of Timothy’s. She called out for an answer to what it was Tim was doing and still, neither Nicky nor Tim responded. She could feel that there was something wrong, she could hear the silence encroaching on her heart and then saw Timothy open his maw with a veracity that she’d only seen on national geographic documentaries from childhood and muffled a scream while she watched in horror Timothy clamping his teeth into a rabbit, Snooks, a rabbit she’d nicknamed Thumper and quickly hit the grass of her own yard when she realized Nicky was grabbing at the rabbits in their pens. She pulled in a breath not daring to move and prayed silently, quivering and wishing her back door was closer than the 100 feet it seemed like it was.
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