In the continuing saga of Salem and George, we find that they seem to have wrestled their problem of a $10,000 debit, a brakeless car with damage from an accident, and no food in the refrigerator.

As you might recall in my article, “A Slick Scam?,” Salem was supposedly laid off from her new job since September 2021 – medical leave, she says – and she isn’t bringing in enough dough to make ends meet.  Boyfriend George moves in with her, but that still isn’t enough.  She asks the world for money through GiveMeMoneyNow.

Privately, though, she cries that George and her own kid work so damn hard to support her, but she needs more dough-ray-me.

Then quiet for a few weeks.

One morning, while George is busy watching cartoons, she leaves for a few hours.  Upon returning, her long hair is now blonde and cascading past her shoulders with Jheri® curls.

“Nice look,” George mumbles, his mouth filled with a huge bite of a baloney sandwich topped with cheese and Ruffles® potato chips.

“Yeah, Babe,” Salem coos.  She runs her fingers through her curls.  “I needed to glamour-up for you.”

“Nice.”

Salem walks over to the couch and plops herself down next to George.  She rubs the stubble on her chin.  “Loves you,” she purrs, and George puts down his half-eaten baloney-cheese-potato chip sandwich.

Well, that whole $60 bucks we got from donations GiveMeMoneyNow was well spent.  You gotta look good me.”

“Yes, I do.  You’re my man.”

“Too bad we didn’t get the whole bag.  Ten grand woulda been great.”

“Well,” Salem whispered.  “I’ll cast a few spells and check our horoscopes.  This isn’t over yet.”

©2022Colcannon Metropolis, excerpt from “Eye of Newt”