Behind the Eight ball

       It was the era of flappers. Of speakeasies and prohibition. Of The great Gatsby and The sun also rises.  The era Agatha Christie wrote her debut novel.

It was also the era Kitty had twins with a man she thought she loved and who loved her. 

She didn’t marry Frank for money for Kitty’s family was rolling in money. It wasn’t for status either as Kitty’s family was well off. 

She thought Frank was the bee’s knees and she told her father so

Kitty’s father, Jonathan, owned a local speakeasy, The Hideaway. The Hideaway was located in the basement of her mother and father mansion. Patrons would come for all over town just to get a drink of foot juice or even jag juice.

Kitty’s mother, Dottie, never even knew what her father did.

“Remember dear, never pry into your husbands life” she had told Kitty on her wedding day.

Mother should be prying a little into Father she thought distastefully

Her elder brother, Jaimie, was a doctor who tried to help kids with influenza. He wasn’t married, Hadn’t found the right girl or so he claimed.

Kitty thought that maybe he didn’t want to marry at all.

           Her twins came on a surprisingly snowy morning in March. Their birth took hours and she cried, cursed the nurses, and called them names a proper young lady shouldn’t be saying.

Finally, her son and daughter arrived. Her husband was happy with the prospect of two children so early in his marriage. 

“We shall name the boy after his father and the girl we shall call Zelda.” He announced before Kitty had even put her two cents in.

She was too weak to argue

           The twins were handed over to Frank’s mother, Madame Lily, and she held them for a bit.

“My my look at the girls striking red hair, must come from our side of the family.” Lily said, even thought her daughter in law knew it didn’t.

The red hair came from her grandmother, but every time she opened her mouth to say it, she was interrupted by someone saying how strapping Frank Jr. was or how beautiful Zelda would become.

“She’ll make someone a fine wife someday.”

“Must we really discuss that now?” Kitty asked, laughing uncomfortably. “She’s only a few hours old.”

Lily smiled blandly at her and nodded “I whole heartedly agree.”

She knew her mother in law was lying.

           The twins were well cared for and Kitty loved them as much as a mother could. She could see Frank adored them but there was something changed about his manner towards her.

“Darling, is something wrong?” she asked

“No.” he said curtly and left it at that.

Kitty didn’t need to question him again after that for her answer came at the charity ball at the country club the next month

           The children were home with the governess and Frank was doing his part of playing the proud husband. He let her hold his arm until they got inside. He jerked his arm from her grasp and walked away

“Frank.” She called after him but he seemed not to hear her.

           Sighing, she straightened her gloves and started making her way to the wives =…until Mrs. Tammie Wells stopped her

“Well hello Katrina.” She cooed, her bright red lipstick seen evident on her teeth.

“Hello Mrs. Wells. “she said politely back

“Oh dahling, you’re a married woman now. Call me Tammie” she suggested

“Of course”

“Tell me, how is that son of yours?”

“Frank Jr. is fine and so is Zelda.”

“Zelda?”

“Our daughter”

“you had two oh dearest how could I have forgotten? It was just like the time-“

Mrs. Wells had started a story

“Excuse me but I have to iron my shoelaces” she said rushing to the powder room

           Kitty hated the powder room. Its walls were just the right shade of pink to be welcoming but also be nauseating. She sighed ,trying not to feel sick at the color as she opened her her purse and took out her small compact and began patting her make up on when the two biggest gossips in town came in.

The Brant sisters, Ethel and Jenny.

“Hello Kitty.” Jenny said

“Hello.” Ethel echoed her sister.

Kitty tried to ignore them as she moved from her cheeks to powdering her nose. That’s when the sisters got on either side of her.

“So…I heard something interesting about you.” One sister started

“Pray tell what?” she asked, not wanting an answer.

“That you used to be a big flirt back in the day.”

“That you had to get married because you were pregnant.”

Kitty was starting to feel zozzled.

“Excuse me?” she growled

The sister laughed

“Now Kitty, it’s true…well parts of it. We didn’t think he needed to know you used to be such a canceled stamp!” Jenny said

Kitty growled

“You two obviously don’t know your onions.” She said

“Oh don’t tell us Frank is actually a cake-eater.” Ethel giggled

Kitty smacked Ethel across her face as hard as she could.

“Don’t you ever talk about my Frank that way again.”

“What about those bastards of yours?” Jenny said

“Or my darling children.” She growled at her before walking stiffly out of the powder room.

She sighed, seeing quite a crowd of women had gathered around the powder room, though she tired not to pay them any mind.

Frank she had to find Frank.

Making her way through the bustle she spotted him smoking a gasper.

She walked to him trying to blink back tears. She reached up and touched Franks sleeve.

“I want to leave.” She said too quietly to be heard. Frank looked down

“Yes?” he asked, gentle for the first time in weeks.

“I want to leave.” She repeated, tears starting to flow down her cheeks.

“Darling, what happened?” Frank

“Those things that Jenny and Ethel said. They ain’t true.”

Frank’s eyes burned with anger but Kitty knew it wasn’t at her anymore

"Where are those sisters?" he asked

"Frank, it's ok." Kitty said trying not to sniffle.

She squeaked feeling Frank's hands tighten on the top of her arms but not enough to hurt her

"Where are they Kitty?" he asked again

“Last I saw them they were in the powder room.” She said

Frank let her go and went off towards the powder room. Kitty followed as quick as she could worried what would happen.