HOW I CAME TO WRITE THIS STORY": Cindy Rosmus

How I Came to Write “Death Takes a Snow Day”

“Death Takes a Snow Day” was originally published in Pulp Metal Magazine:

http://pulpmetalmagazine.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/death-takes-a-snow-day-by-cindy-rosmus/#more-2006

Fans of Tina, Bar 13’s grieving, enlightened bartender, may remember her from two previous stories.

It all started with “Stickyfingers” (See Issue #11 of MediaVirus, June 7, 2010. <http://mediavirusmagazine.wordpress.com/>).

In “Stickyfingers,” Tina is a chubby kid who catches her mother . . . shoplifting! That brown corduroy coat with the deep pockets stuck out in my head, ‘cos years back, my own mother did the same thing. “This cheese costs too much,” she told me. Then, with this impish grin, slipped the cheese in her pocket! “You put that back!” I said. “What kind of example are you trying to show me?”

Yeah, right, you’re thinking. Me, the pillar of morality. But I was the geekiest kid alive, back then.

In the story, “Stickyfingers,” Tina is too shocked and horrified to accuse her mom. Instead, she recalls mean Sister Michael’s warning that all thieves will rot in hell. In her mind, Tina sees her mom decomposing right there.

“Thick as Thieves” (See Issue #15 of MediaVirus, October 4, 2010. <http://mediavirusmagazine.wordpress.com/>) was originally the second half of “Stickyfingers,” but I found both worked better as individual stories.

In “Thick as Thieves,” grown-up Tina is the new bartender at Bar 13. She mourns her jewel thief/crackhead boyfriend Felix, who was recently beaten to death in jail. Tina blames Carolyn the crack whore for that. Of course Carolyn shows up at Bar 13 to con booze, smokes, and bucks from Hank, the nicest guy going.

The twist is, Hank has another girlfriend: Patsy, Tina’s thieving mom! Neither let on that they’re mother and daughter. But after Tina cries to her about Felix, Patsy avenges Felix’s death herself, by snatching Carolyn’s purse. After all these years, Tina and Patsy finally bond.

There’s no thieving mom in “Death Takes a Snow Day,” but Carolyn is back in action, bleeding the dying Hank for all he’s got. Tina hates Carolyn even more for preying on Hank, after Carolyn helped get Felix killed.

Even more than in “Thick as Thieves,” the ghost of Felix dominates this story. Tina mourns for him, wears his beat-up leather jacket, has no kind of life. Finally, she sees a younger version of Felix shoveling snow off Hank’s driveway. By this time, we realize Hank is dead.

Have they switched places?

I based “Hank” on a wise friend, who died shortly before “Death Takes a Snow Day” was written. We all still miss him.

I based “Felix” on my ex, who split right after this story was completed. I wrote my heart into it. I wore Felix’s leather, grieved for him, myself. How ironic, that it was our relationship that died, not him. He’s still alive and kicking.

Till my next story.

Wait’ll you read that one.

Cindy is a Jersey girl who works in New York City & who talks like Anybody’s from West Side Story. She works out 5-6 days a week, so needs no excuse to drink or do whatever the hell she wants. She loves peanut butter, blood-rare meat, Jack Daniels, and Starbucks coffee (though not usually in the same meal). She’s been published in the usual places, such as Hardboiled, A Twist of Noir, Beat to a Pulp, Out of the Gutter, Mysterical-E, Media Virus, and The New Flesh. She is the editor of the ezine, Yellow Mama. And she’s still a Gemini and a Christian.