Crazy

June 2020:
George Tang and Ethan Carter are 22
(Dorothy Hernandez is 22, Mona Wiggins is 24, Suzie Tang is 61)

After they graduated from PSU, George and Ethan moved into an apartment together. It’s not the nicest neighborhood and is pretty far from almost everything except the one seedy nightclub across the street, but it’s cheap and they’re able to afford it on the few gigs the band is getting these days. (They live in the building on the right, if you’re curious.)

George spends a lot of his time lately searching for open nights at local clubs and bars, or emailing the band’s one demo song they recorded in PSU’s music studio before graduation.

“Any luck?” Ethan asks.

George sighs and closes the laptop. “No response from anyone I’ve emailed yet.”

George joins Ethan on the couch with another frustrated sigh.

“It’ll happen,” Ethan tells him. “Our big break is coming.”

“When?” George asks.

“Stop worrying,” Ethan says. “When you least expect it, that’s when it’ll happen.”

“I kind of need money now,” George tells him.

Ethan shrugs. “So get a job.”

“The band is my job,” George says.

Actually, there’s a bigger reason George needs money. He’s been thinking a lot about Dorothy lately and about their future, and there’s something he wants to buy as soon as he can.

Ethan is happiest not thinking much about the future. He doesn’t understand why George worries so much. Ethan believes that things will always fall into place exactly as they should, and worrying about it is a waste of time.

Just look at his relationship with Mona. He would never have thought a few years ago that they would ever get together or even still be together this long. She still drives him absolutely crazy and sometimes he wonders how on earth this could ever work out. But yet, it does.

So worrying is pointless. In Ethan’s opinion, the best thing to do is invite over some friends, turn on some great music, and just have fun.

The next morning, George has made up his mind about the future and so he decides it’s time to let Ethan know.

“I’m going to ask Dorothy to marry me,” he says.

Ethan nearly chokes on his pancakes. “What?“

“You heard me,” George says.

“I don’t think I did. It sounded like you said you’re going to propose to Dorothy.”

“I am,” George says.

“Are you insane?” Ethan asks. “You’re only twenty-two. Why tie yourself down to one woman so soon?”

“You’ve tied yourself down to one woman,” George points out.

“Not permanently! I could break up with Mona anytime I want…if I wanted to. But I’m not putting a ring on her finger. I’m not that stupid.”

“I’m not stupid,” George says. “I’ve thought this over a lot and I love her. I see my future with her.”

Ethan stuffs the rest of his pancakes into his mouth and then stands. “I’ve got to get out of here before my head explodes.”

He just can’t understand it. The idea of marriage has never entered Ethan’s mind. He feels way too young and he’s not even sure what he wants for dinner that night, let alone who he wants to be with for the rest of his life. Why can’t George just keep things the way they are? What will happen to him once George and Dorothy are married? He can’t live with a married couple as the third wheel, but he can’t afford an apartment on his own. Why does George have to go and mess everything up?

George has made another decision, and so he goes to visit his mom. His dad is at work, but since his mom works from home, she takes a break from her latest novel to talk with him for a while.

“So I want to ask Dorothy to marry me,” George says. “But I need some money for a ring.”

“Hmm,” Suzie says. “It seems to me that if you’re grown up enough to think about marriage, then you’re grown up enough to get a job to get money.”

“The band is my job,” George says. “I’ve been trying to get gigs, but things are slow right now.”

“So I get the impression you’re not here just to say hello,” Suzie says.

“Could you possibly loan me the money?” George asks. “I’ll pay it back as soon as I can, I promise.”

Suzie sighs. “You know I can’t say no to you.” When George’s face brightens, she adds quickly, “But it’s a loan. You will pay it back and you will pay interest.”

George nods. “I promise.”

The idea of George getting married is still bothering Ethan that night when he goes out with Mona. “I just don’t understand,” he says again. “Why would he want to get married? Things are good the way they are.”

Mona shrugs. “Some people are insane,” she says. “You can’t understand why they do anything.”

Ethan looks at her for a moment, then asks, “Would you ever want to get married?”

“To you?” Mona snorts. “Hell, no. Marriage is for people who are too co-dependent to take care of themselves. I’m quite happy being single.”

It was the answer he wanted to hear, but something about the way Mona snorted and brushed off the idea of marrying him stings a little. He examines his reflection in the mirror that night. Is there something wrong with him that would make Mona never consider marrying him?

Maybe she doesn’t want kids with his big nose? Maybe he’s too immature? Is it because he doesn’t have a real job?

He groans, silently cursing George for making him think about marriage.

The next morning, George can’t help dancing as he starts his day. He has a date with Dorothy that night, but first he has a visit to the jewelry store to make.

“Ugh,” Ethan moans, clutching his stomach. “All of your sappiness is  making me sick.”

“Why are you so against this?” George asks. “I love Dorothy and want to be with her. It has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me!” Ethan exclaims. “Once you two get married, I’ll be out in the cold with no place to live. And don’t you know that once one girl gets married, all the other girls in her orbit immediately start thinking about settling down? I’m not ready to buy anyone a ring!”

“I thought you would be supportive of this,” George says. “You’re my best friend.”

“Then you thought wrong,” Ethan tells him.

George pushes aside Ethan’s objections later that day when he meets Dorothy at The Willow. He surprises her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

“Oh, these are beautiful!” she says, smiling as she takes them. “What’s the occasion?”

“Just because I love you,” George says.

She smiles and kisses him. “I love you too.”

Ethan is wrong, he thinks. He’s not too young and he’s not crazy. He loves Dorothy and he wants her in his life.

He had planned to wait until after they ate, but he can’t. He drops to one knee.

“What are you doing?” Dorothy asks.

He fumbles as he pulls the box from his pocket, his hands shaking. “Will you marry me?”

It’s not a huge ring, but it was the best one he could buy with the loan from his mom. One day, when the band hits it big, he’ll buy her the biggest ring she wants. But for now, he hopes that maybe he and this small ring will be enough.

Mona walks by just then and lets out a loud groan. “Oh for the love of…” She huffs and then shrugs. “Whatever. It’s your funeral.”

George and Dorothy don’t even notice her.

“Oh my…Are you…” Dorothy stammers. Then finally, she lets out a “Yes!”

He can’t make the band get its big break any time soon, but he feels better knowing that one part of his future is for certain.

————————————————–

• Not promising regular updates, but I do want to post some every now and then when I have the motivation.
• No wedding date set just yet, but they’ll start planning soon.
• Also, yesterday was the fourth anniversary of this blog! I posted my first introduction on February 26, 2008, and had started Pine Hollow a few days before I started the blog.