An Arranged Marriage By Roy Dorman

He had found her in an alley he often used as a shortcut on his way home from work. Partially clad and lifeless, she was lying next to an overflowing dumpster. He had brought her home with him, cleaned her up, and bought some new clothes for her. That was three days ago; now he was following through on a promise made to her on that first night.

“It’s a symbol of my love for you; a symbol of our relationship. Now, it’s not a real diamond; we talked about that,” said Randy, slipping the ring onto her finger. “I really wanted to get you a real diamond,” he started to explain, lifting her and then positioning her to sit on a chair at the kitchen table. “But with just my income, we can’t afford a real diamond.”

He then bent her head and arm so that she would appear to be admiring the ring. “I now pronounce us man and wife. This calls for a celebration!” Randy exclaimed while rushing to the refrigerator. There was only one beer left, but that would be enough for the both of them. He poured a little beer into a glass and placed it in front of her with the flourish of a waiter in a fancy French restaurant.

The mannequin continued to admire her ring; a vacant little smile on her face. “If you don’t like it, just say so; I can always return it,” Randy said, laughing at his little joke. Randy finished his own beer, and hers, and then stood up to carry her into the bedroom. On just Randy’s income, they couldn’t afford a romantic trip to Niagara Falls.

A week later, the strength of their new relationship would be tested for the first time. Randy would be taking that same shortcut home from work this afternoon, and Randy would be performing another ceremony that night. Randy didn’t think that there would be any problems though; the two would probably have a lot in common. And because they were the same size, they could even trade off and wear each other’s clothes.

© 2014 Roy Dorman

Roy Dorman is retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Benefits Office and has been a voracious reader for 60 years. At the prompting of an old high school friend, himself a retired English teacher, Roy is now a voracious writer. He has had poetry and flash fiction published recently in Apocrypha and Abstractions, Burningword Literary Journal, Drunk Monkeys, The Screech Owl, Crack The Spine, and Lake City Lights.

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