Short Story

Words Of Love

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for OLWG #404. The three prompts
for this week are shown below. This my story.
This is a work of fiction, not a political statement.

There was absolutely nothing good to be said for working the night shift at The Donut Hole ….. nothing except the coffee, which was hot, fresh and free and only because she made it herself. Everyone else had to pay.

Linda was one of three people who worked nights at The Hole; Nestor and Anita, a young, common law couple from El Salvador, were the other two. Anita was pregnant and most of the time she was the one out front, taking customer’s orders and pouring coffee, while Nestor and Linda were in the back making donuts and cleaning the huge fryers. It was messy, back-breaking work and Linda hated it.

Anita was pleasant but Nestor barely spoke two words to anyone. He was extremely handsome and brooding, one of those with a perpetual chip on his shoulder. Anita never said so but Linda got the impression they were barely making ends meet.

Linda lived in the same rent controlled apartment since her divorce; she knew the landlord was looking for a custodian to work days so she told Anita about the job. Anita was animated when she relayed the information to Nestor, patting her growing baby bump. It was obvious to Linda that Anita was saying the money from a second job would be helpful after the baby was born.

Nestor nodded in agreement and Linda promised she would talk to the landlord on their behalf. Anita whispered that now she and Nestor could get married and give the baby a proper name. The landlord, Mr. Rodriguez, needed very little convincing; Nestor was hired.

One afternoon while doing her laundry in the basement of her apartment building, Linda saw Nestor eating his lunch on a bench near the massive furnaces. She approached Nestor and, reaching down, wrapped up his lunch; in halting Spanish she said to follow her. Nestor looked at her curiously but obeyed. Getting off the elevator at the top floor, Linda took a key from her pocket and unlocked a door leading to her apartment. She motioned for Nestor to sit at the table where he ate his lunch, mumbled his thanks and left.

The next day Nestor was back, wearing a sheepish smile. Soon he was eating lunch at Linda’s every day; by the second week, they had become lovers. Linda whispered words of love in Nestor’s ear, beguiling him with tales of sex, money, opportunity, and conspiracy. Before long Linda was promoted to manager of The Donut Hole and given a raise; she and Nestor were quietly married.

And in the sleepy hours just before dawn, a very pregnant Anita was escorted from her apartment and was on her way back to El Salvador.

NAR©2025
#OLWG

Here are our three prompts: 1) died on her feet; 2) we all have a dark side; 3) the world is always changing. We can use one, we can use three or none at all. We just need to be creative.

This is “Only In America” by Jay and the Americans

OLWG#404- Unfaithful (a Haibun)

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

34 thoughts on “Words Of Love”

  5. I know you said this is not political, but… Maybe it just exposes the seamy, slimy underbelly of the type of person fueling things? She’ll likely dump Nestor when she’s drained him dry, too.

    You’re on fire with this one, Nancy.

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  8. And some of us have darker sides than others…

    Nice take on the prompts. On the shores of Monterey Bay lies a town called Castroville that bills itself as the artichoke capital of the world. There was a doughnut shop there called “The Missing Hole”.

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  9. A good story, but how can women be so cruel to each other!

    As for that song, it’s a good fit for the story but it is the kind of jingoistic claptrap that gives any country a bad name 🤣

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    1. You’ll get no argument from me…..on either point. 😎

      “Words of Love” by the Mamas & Papas crossed my mind but it’s far too lovey-dovey for this tale of mean-spiritedness. I think this song serves my purposes well.

      You have no idea the lengths some women will go to! I’ve never been the type to ‘dish with the girls’; with the exception of a couple of like-minded gals, I’m much more comfortable in the company of men. 😉

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      1. The song does do a good job, and I guess that’s why you didn’t go for Buddy Holly or The Beatles either.

        I was always more comfortable in female company – odd how we do that, isn’t it 😊

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  11. Damn!! Under the guise of a helping hand, too. That suuuuuckkkks! Ugh 😩 it’s true, no telling who was the bigger POS. Poor Anita. I hope she cursed Nestor so his tool never worked properly ever again. Then both him and Linda will live unhappily ever after!

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