Life Waxes and Wanes

Flash Fiction 

They had married in the 1920s, both from wealthy families in New York. She was a flapper, beautiful and glamorous. He was a businessman. Their marriage was happy.They lived in a mansion in New York, and had an even bigger house in Upstate New York. They were set for life, so they thought, Mildred and John. They had two daughters who were very beautiful little girls.

But life waxes and wanes, so they say. For John and Mildred, everything went downhill in 1929. It was November and cold one evening when John came home, and seemed agitated. They had lost a lot in the Wall Street Crash, but they were making it okay, Mildred thought, so far. She thought they could stay in the house, though the house and land in Upstate New York would have to go. Life would not be a party like the ’20s but she thought they could make it.

Mildred sat down by the dinner table. They still had one servant who had prepared dinner. They had to let go of the rest. She was not sure they could afford the one that remained, but until she heard differently from John, she would keep her on. She had never lived without at least one maid in her life. John would come to dinner, Mildred thought. The little girls Pearl and Emily were asleep in the nursery. They had their dinner hours ago. John was late.

John came into the room and sat down. He looked at his wife and the expensive dinner on the table. He had not told Mildred that he’d lost nearly everything and that the mansion and servant would have to go. He did not think he could tell her. Life waxes and wanes, John thought, life waxes and wanes. With that he turned to Mildred who was growing a bit apprehensive, and showed her his solution to not wanting to tell their new circumstances. It was a gun. Mildred screamed, but before she could say anything, John shot her dead. Then, not a minute later, as he could not live without her, he put the gun to his head and fired. He was gone too, in a pool of blood. The dinner grew cold on the table. In the nursery, a four year old girl stirred. Little steps went down the stairs. Pearl knew she had heard a noise.