Here’s another excerpt from “The Catfish Enchantment”, my short story in THE CORNER CAFE, which is FREE this weekend (June 9-10, 2010).

In this scene, Cosmo (real name, Alexander) tries to give his mother something to hold onto to climb out of the pit of depression she’s in. Naturally (since I wrote it), it involves food.

The Catfish Enchantment – excerpt
by Marian Allen

“Mom?” I rapped on her door. She didn’t answer. “Mom, I’m coming in.”

She was lying on the bed, on her side, staring at the night table.

“Mom, I’m going to work. You know what I’d really like? You remember that stuff you used to make with the roast beef and noodles and goopy sauce?”

After a few seconds too long, she said, “Stroganoff?”

“Maybe.”

“We don’t have any roast beef.”

“Could you maybe roast one?”

Her mouth twitched. Before Dad left, she would have laughed out loud.

“Please, Mom? I’d really like it.”

She nodded and sat up. It looked like the hardest thing she’d ever done.

We hadn’t hugged for a couple of years, because I thought I was too big to be hugging on my mommy, but we hugged then.

“I can taste that beefy goodness now,” I said. “See you later.”

He’s a nice boy.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: What would provide a handhold for your main character to keep from falling into the pit of depression?

MA