Julie looked over the side of the gondola, "Mark, come look! Everything looks so small, like little ants!" she shouted over the hot air balloon's burst of flame. Mark's lips drew in a thin line and he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, great."

It had been like this for the last 2 years, one or two-word answers. She had to practically drag him out here - telling him the balloon ride had a non-refundable fee - just to get him to take her somewhere.

Mark reluctantly walked over, his thin frame showing his reluctance. Everything about him, from his rounded shoulders to his unstylish clothing choices screamed accountant! He was tight-lipped and a tightwad. Nothing like Eric, the colleague from her office with whom she'd been having an A.

What did I ever see in him, she thought in disgust. She glanced over at the balloon operator who was looking out the other side, ignoring them. Good, she thought. At least he's not witnessing this.

Mark approached her, leaning forward cautiously to peek over the side of the gondola. She wished he would lean over further. As if on cue, Mark leaned a little more. Before she could change her mind, Julie reached down and flipped Mark right over the side. Her scream echoed his as he tumbled from the balloon. The operator turned at the sound, surprise and fear widening his eyes. They both leaned over the edge, watching in stunned silence as Mark tumbled to his death.

They did not actually see him land, but at some point Julie knew he'd hit. It was then she realized she should be saying or doing something. So she began to cry, blubbering about how she had tried to catch him when he had leaned too far over. The pilot held her awkwardly, muttering words of comfort, as he tried to lower the balloon to safety. Sometime during their descent, he radioed in the accident. His shaking voice made Julie smile into her hands.

She couldn't believe it - she had actually done it! It was almost a year ago that she'd first brought up the subject of divorce with Mark; he'd been adamant about not wanting one. He had even warned her that if she somehow managed to force the issue, he would make sure she got nothing. Not that she had gotten much during their marriage. Then one night, as she lay in Eric's arems, he had jokingly said, "Why don't you get rid of him?"

That had been nearly six months ago. At first she hadn't even cosidered it. But as her ardor for Eric grew, and Mark's resolve that he would not give her a divorce remained unchanged, she had started to think more seriously about it. She had brought the subject up again with Eric about two months ago, unsure of how to begin.

"You remember when we were joking about getting rid of Mark?" He had grabbed her in his arms, kissed her passionately and replied, "Who says I was joking?"

And so they'd begun making plans, discussing what to do and whether or not to hire someone. But then Julie had an idea, one that she didn't want to share with Eric until she'd seen if she could make it work. And it had worked. She couldn't wait to tell Eric what she had done. Then, after a period, she and ERic could finally bring their one-year affair out into the open.

Monday morning, against the protests of family members, Julie dressed in black and returned to work - she couldn't wait any longer to see Eric. The entire weekend had been spent dealing with the police and family - she hadn't dared to call Eric and hadn't told anyone at work what had happened. All last night, she had rehearsed what she would say to her coworkers about the incident, including her need to return back to everyday life. "Work will help me forget," she would tell them.

When she arrived at work, however, she noticed the somber atmosphere that pervaded the office. Surely they couldn't know about Mark. But as she passed several people without any word of condolence, she realized something else was wrong.

Walking up to Melissa, the office secretary, she asked, "What's going on around here?"

Melissa sniffed into a tissue, wiping her eyes. "Oh, Julie, Haven't you heard? It's awful, simply awful."

"What? You mean what happened to Mark?"

"No, what happened to Mr. Morris."

Julie swallowed. Slowly, she asked, enunciating every word carefully. "What happened to Eric, I mean Mr. Morris?"

Melissa erupted into another fit of crying. Julie waited, trying not to get annoyed with the overly emotionaly secretary. "He was driving back from his country home this weekend, when, when - oh, it's just so awful!"

"What?" She demanded, doing her best not to grab the secretary by the shoulders and shake her.

"It's just so , so bizarre. He was driving in his car, when a man came falling out of the sky. Mr. Morris never knew what hit him." Melissa wiped her eyes with the tissue. "Can you believe it? The man just fell...."

"...out of thin air," a stunned Julie finished.

author: Tammy K. Harris

lupolady,

Silly is good ... check this cacophony <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> .

I am good ... just being dump by a "female friend" couple of weeks ago <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="images/icons/blush.gif" /> but I am free and happy now <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> . I am "meeting" new prospectives <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> ... window shopping <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> . I am also busy to start a new online-biz.

This is the order of my priority right now:
1. 2 D
2. Biz
3. Window shopping

How about you ?

Email Orchid if you can ... she has family emergency and she is back at her home island. She is my other MB sis <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> .

-rh-

Thanks, rh, I'll check it out!

I sent {{{HUGGGZZZZ}}}}} to Orchid via your post.
I will email her as well. I trust all goes well.

So sorry to hear you were "dumped." But, that's kinda how we get back into the game, isn't it? A few steps forward, a few steps backward.....

As far as my priorities, nothing much changed here.....

Getting healthy, taking care of home (having new roof put on next week), work........

Read my sig line to see latest development. Several "contacts" w/alien xH........

Just taking it one day at a time. I have had numerous opportunities to "date" - errrr....NOT INERESTED Other than xH (whom I have known approx. 25 yrs.) most of the other "window dummies" don't really appeal to me.

My self-imposed celebacy is only due to my own constraints. I guess that's a GOOD place to be! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

God Bless, my brother.

<small>[ May 09, 2004, 05:39 PM: Message edited by: lupolady ]</small>

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by lupolady:
<strong>So sorry to hear you were "dumped." But, that's kinda how we get back into the game, isn't it? A few steps forward, a few steps backward.....
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Speaking like a sis <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> , yeap, I learn from it. I have few dates but social dates only, I have not found that one that is available and able to go one step further. I am not in a hurry.

New roof ... I am taking capentry class and we did that last semester, too bad that you live far otherwise I would lend my sweat.

I am glad that you are healing.

-rh-

Good story, lup.

Get out there. Unlike your story, good things can happen - I'm an example.

WAT