Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Are These Actual; Miles?

This story was short and real. I liked the way it seemed like something that someone I knew went through. It was a realistic yet sad story.
The story seems as though Leo and Toni met by fate. They seemed to at one point be in love with getting everything they wanted if not with eachother. Leo was it seems in love with Toni from the beginnning. He bought children's encyclopedia's from her without even having children.
As the story progresses, it seems so obvious that Toni doesn't have respect for her husband. She teases him in such a way would break someones' heart that is in love with them to hear. She tell's him he's nothing and that he has no money and his credit is lousy. These things would kill a mans pride to hear from a woman he loves. She tries to act as though she means it jokingly, but to me it seems as though she is mad at him for the situations she helped them to be in. She is acting as though his opinion doesn't matter and doesn't take him seriously. She puts in the time and effort to dress up to sell the car and promises to call , but fails to do so until after its been hours after she was supposed to and at that, she continuously talks over him and cuts him off. She treats him as though he doesn't matter.
Leo is left to ponder what has become of his life. He has thoughts of suicide and I believe that becuse of the constant disrespect from his beloved and the fact that he feels worthless as a provider makes this seem like an alternative. He drinks heavily it seems to mask the pain and thoughts but can dismiss them from his clouded head. He is worried about his wife, but it wasn't so clear to me at first whether he wa worried about her saftey or that she was going to leave him for someone else.
I believe though that being in the situation he was in warrants him to be worried about those things when his wife is as Toni is. A superficial, materialistic, snob it seems. She tells him that she is on her way home only to stubble in intoxicated and ignorant at dawn. Leo struggles to stay in control eventhough his emotion would be fair in this case go off on her ass. She is however "so much" to him. She is impaortant ans the fact that he will start over on Monday and make it all right keeps him hanging on.
At the end of the story when he stop the man in the convertible, i wondered why he felt the need to explain about Monday. He wanted to prove something more that defend his pride it seemed. I would've expected more drama. The man asks "are these actual miles?" as though it was maybe too good to be true. Just like the deal it seems he has just gotten. A night with Leo's wife and a car for a steal of a price.
Leo's obvious obessionwith the car though is caught at the end mostly when he strips his wife of her clothes, and traces he stretchmarks with his fingers back and forth, thinking they are like roads. He remembers then the morning after they bought the car and it gleaming in the drive way from the sun.
I wish this story had a little more to it. I liked it alot. folled it well, but was disappointed with the ending. I think a bit more passion should have been invloved.

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