The Ballad of Grim and Lily || 2003-10-09 at 1:59 p.m.
Title: The Ballad of Grim and LilyAbout: Inspired by Bree Sharp's "The Ballad of Grim and Lily." Part one, version two.
---
Grim, let's go to the ocean!
---
The man I married what seems like a life time ago stood in front of the mirror adjusting his tie and pin stripe suit. He gave his hat a small jostling and messed with the small feather in his hat before going back to his tie and gazing at me through the mirror's reflection. He smiled faintly and nodded his head.
"You an' me, baby. You an' me. We're gonna see the ocean."
---
Grim! Grim, please listen to me!
---
"But Grim," I said flopping down on the dirty bed in the crummy little hotel room we'd rented. A cloud of dust flew around me. "How're we gonna see the ocean? In case you haven't noticed, there ain't no ocean in Colorado, and we blew the last of our dough on this hotel room. Big mistake, if ya ask me. Talk about a real hole in the wall."
"I know, baby doll." He replied sighing heavily. He stopped fixing his suit and admired the final result before turning to me. "But we had no other choice. This was all we could afford. I'll tell ya, the life'a crime just don't pay like it used to."
---
Oh, Christ!
---
"Grim..." I didn't even look at him as I leafed through a magazine from 1939. I just couldn't believe some of the things the women were wearing. They were so square. "I thought you said that people like you an' me couldn't walk the straight an' narrow. Thought you said we was bad by nature."
He had gone back to adjusting his tie (he had a big interview that he said he couldn't blow,) but now he dropped his hands to his sides, his eyes growing suddenly sad.
---
Dear God, it wasn't supposed to happen like this!
---
He crossed the room unexpectedly and got to his knees on the floor in front of where I lay on the bed. With one hand he took my own hand and placed the other on my belly. I thought I felt a flutter, but remembered that the doc said I was only in my first trimester.
Whatever that means.
All I know is that that kick was my imagination because of it.
---
Grim, please speak to me!
---
"Lil..." His eyes were sadder than I'd ever seen them. I looked deep within them, unable to look elsewhere, partly because I wanted to get lost in them, and partly because he'd taken me captive. "I don't want this baby to know of me as a bad man.... And... Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"I wanna see the ocean."
---
GRIM!
---
We'll be on an island...
Tucked away, my love....
We're almost home...