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One evening Ken was sitting on an easy chair reading the newspaper at home, while Barbie sat nearby on the couch reading a novel. Ken’s cell phone rang; he picked it up. Becky’s number was listed. “Hello?”
“I need to talk to you,” Becky said. “Could you come over here now? I have something important to tell you. Don’t bring Barbie, and don’t tell her you’re coming to see me.”
“All right,” Ken said, mystified. To Barbie he said, “I’m going to the gym to meet a friend.”
“Uh, huh,” Barbie said, absorbed in her book.
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went out.
Later Barbie went into the bedroom to get the laundry. She noticed Ken’s gym clothes lying on a chair.
Ken arrived at Becky’s apartment. “I should have told you this a long time ago,” she said. They were standing in her living room, facing each other. The maroon curtains were drawn, darkening the room. A standing lamp stood in a corner dimly lit. There was a new white shag rug on the floor.
He was getting uneasy. “Why tell me now?”
“I can’t stand the guilt any longer. It’s been bothering me for a while.” She hesitated. “Do you remember the time we had sex?”
“Of course I remember. It was my first time.”
“I got pregnant.”
“What?” he said after a moment.
“You heard me.”
“After only one time with casual sex you got pregnant?”
“Casual! I loved you, you idiot! I loved you!” She began hitting him.
“Becky, stop it!” He tried to push her away.
“It was the best and the worst night of my life!” She struggled with him.
“That was months ago! Where’s the baby, Becky! Where’s the baby?”
“There is no baby!” she shouted. “I had an abortion.”
He pulled back. “You did what?”
“I had an abortion,” she repeated.
He was furious and heartbroken. “You killed my child?”
“Don’t say it like that! You wouldn’t have married me. You had a girlfriend. Her name was Barbie, and you were smitten with her. I couldn’t have raised a child on my own; I’m not strong enough.”
“Becky, you’re the strongest person I know. That night we were both attacked? I couldn’t have survived it without you. Besides, I would have helped you. I would have given you child support. I would have helped you raise him or her. I wouldn’t have let you do it all by yourself. You know me, Becky. I would have wanted that child!”
“You wouldn’t have married me,” she repeated. “Oh, don’t look at me like that.” She gave him a shove so that he fell down onto the carpet on his back. She fell on top of him. Her legs straddled him. She put her arms around his waist and kissed him passionately, biting into his lower lip. He made a sound in the back of his throat. Blood ran down his chin. She held onto him tightly. “We can have another child. Make love to me, Ken. Make love to me right now.”
He pushed her away, drew his arm back, and slapped her face. He slapped her with his open palm, not his fist, but he didn’t know his own strength. Her head reeled back. He pulled away and got up. She was lying on the carpet looking up at him. “By your actions, Becky, you have destroyed any feelings we once had for each other,” Ken said. He strode out.
Becky jumped up and ran to the door, realizing that she would never see him again. “Ken! Come back, Ken!”
But he was already running down the stairs to his car. He got in, turned on the ignition, and drove away. When he got home he said to Barbie, “I’m going to bed.”
She blinked. “Now? It’s early.”
“I’m tired. I had a hard day.”
“Why does your lip look like that?”
“I bit it by accident.”
She was suspicious but let it go. He went to the bedroom. When Barbie came in a long time later he pretended to be asleep.
Finally Ken drifted off. He was in a rowboat with a little five-year-old girl who looked like a much younger version of Becky. The sky was gray with black thunderclouds; it started to rain. The wind came up, and the water began to toss and turn. The boat shook. The little girl fell overboard, and the tides dragged her away. “Daddy, Daddy!” Her screams echoed. Ken jumped out of the rowboat. He tried to swim toward her, but he didn’t know how to swim. The waves dragged him underneath the water. He couldn’t breathe. He woke up, sobbing.
Barbie was bending over him, her hands on his shoulder. “It’s all right. It’s just a nightmare.”
Ken pushed her away. He managed to get his breath back.
“What’s wrong, Ken? You didn’t go to the gym. Where were you tonight?”
“I was with Becky,” he admitted.
Barbie frowned. “Did she kiss you?”
“I didn’t kiss her back.”
“What did she want?” Barbie demanded.
“She told me she’d had an abortion.”
Realization struck Barbie. “Oh.”
“She killed my child,” Ken said fiercely.
“You didn’t use birth control? You didn’t use a condom?”
“She didn’t offer me one,” he shouted.
“You’re stupid, stupid, Ken.”
“I didn’t know a woman could get pregnant after only one time.” There was nothing he hated more than being called stupid. He had been called that so many times in his life. Even when he was at the state government chambers presenting a bill he knew what people were thinking when they looked at him a certain way.
“What if that child had been born?” Barbie said. “I know you. You would have married Becky. You and I would never have gotten together.”
“I wouldn’t have married her!”
“You would have been over there all the time. Our relationship would have been ruined.”
He got up and went to the closet, dragged out a blanket, and went to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To sleep on the couch!”
Barbie did not stop him. It was the first fight of their married life. When she got up the next day, he had already gone to work.
At the furniture shop Ken went to inspect the furniture being made. He stopped by one man, furious. “What kind of sloppy work is that? I pay you to do better than that. The legs are crooked and the finish is wrong.”
“I’m sorry,” the man said. “This is my first week on the job.”
“It’s going to be your last week if you’re not careful.”
Evie grabbed hold of Ken’s arm and dragged him into his office. She shut the door. “Okay, what’s going on? It’s not like you to lose your temper like that.”
“Becky had an abortion,” Ken said. He was standing in front of his wooden desk that he was so proud of. On the wall was a newspaper article praising the shop.
Evie understood immediately. “How’s Barbie taking it?”
“Not well. She says if that child had been born I would have married Becky. I tried to tell her she was wrong, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s mad at me for not using birth control. She doesn’t understand that I’m grieving.” He hesitated. “You told me to hire that man, didn’t you?”
“We’re seeing each other. Are you jealous?”
“In some ways, Evie, you and I were very well suited for one another.”
“Go home, Ken,” Evie said. “You’re no good to anyone working here today. Go home and talk to Barbie.”
He went at her urging and found Barbie still home. “I’m so sorry about last night,” she said. “Please tell me what you’re feeling.”
“I’m mad and I’m devastated. I hit Becky. I’ve never hit a woman before.”
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you want to go over and find out?”
“No,” Ken said. “I will never forgive her. I would have wanted that child.”
“All right.” She thought for a moment. “Do you want children now?”
“You know that I do.”
“Then let’s have them. I won’t take my pill any longer.”
“You said you didn’t want children.”“I’m changing my mind. I’m allowed to change my mind, aren’t I?” Barbie said.
Ken smiled. “Yes. I don’t want to force you.”
“You’re not forcing me to do anything. You understand that it may take a while. It’s not likely to be the first time as it was with Becky.”
“I can wait,” he said. He took her hand and kissed her wrist. He picked her up. Her legs went around his waist. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her down gently on the bed. He undid the first few buttons on her blouse and kissed the hollow between her breasts. Her hands went under his shirt and stroked his abs. “Barbie, Barbie….” They made love fiercely, then softly and tenderly a second time. “I love you, Barbie.”
“I love you too,” she said.
The next day, Saturday morning, Barbie went over to Becky’s without telling Ken. Becky let her in reluctantly. Becky had a large black and blue spot on her left cheek.
“Are you all right?” Barbie said.
“I’m not going to press charges if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I wanted to thank you for getting an abortion.”
“Your husband is devastated about it.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“Does he know what a bitch he’s married to?” Becky said
.
Barbie raised her hand as if to strike her but thought better of it. “Stay away from Ken.” She went out. Four months later Barbie was pregnant.