Blue skies of purest azure velvet. That's what I could see from my position on the lounge. I shifted my head. One cloud was drifting over to me. It was a day full of languid, comfortable day dreams. I sipped again at my mint Julep. God, it was so refreshing. A breeze, warm, yet cooler than the surrounding air, gently tickled the hairs on my naked, tanned legs. I thought of all things tropical. The whim created a bulge in my shorts that looked remarkably comical. I sipped again at my Julep. It cooled and stung my throat. Such a wonderful, summery drink, the Julip. I watched as the cloud surfaced once more into my view amongst the branches of the overhanging tree, and thought again of that other cloud, the one only recently dissipating. It had first crossed from left to right, forming a jet stream that lingered long after passing. Ignoring it, I had lifted myself up to a better view of the pond. The ducks were paddling quietly along the far shore. The moments seemed like hours and I ate it up. This was pleasure, truly felt. But it had not always been like this. Just this morning, in fact, Hell had been on the rise. I had attempted to quelch that sickening effluence with breakfast in bed and caresses gentler than any man should ever have to cons ider possible. Again, the soft blue cloud crossed my line of sight, this time from right to left. It was a meandering question mark searching for a question to punctuate. A question that just now, slipped under the water yet again. I sipped at my drink. God, why couldn't all Men be required to have sunshine, a Julep, and the soft loving attention of a Summer's warmth? The mellow, cool sounds of "Sweet Jane" by the Cowboy Junkies swam through the air, relaxing me more and causing my eyelids to droop into a dream state of luxuriance; not unlike that produced by Heroin when mixed with Cocaine. I believe they call that a "Speedball". John Belushi's demise. "The perfect combination," I had once overheard a junkie say of it, on TV. "Sweet Jaane...[A beat, and then, another.] Sweet, sweeet Janne..." The music sweetly droned on, filling the air and bringing happiness and satiation to me. I gave a tempered draw upon the straw affixed to my mint Julep which sat cool and sweating within my hand. There had not evidently been enough room in the house for both of us on this, so finely felt morning. What was that?! Oh, never mind. Just a bit of flame attaching itself to the garden shed. No worry, it can catch nothing else on fire where it is situated. I set my Julep down on the matching white lawn table, next to my partially reclined lounge chair. Yes, there had definitely not been enough room in the house this morning for the both of us. Her drug binge of the night before had evidently left me virtual ly penniless, most probably with the law searching intently for one of us. She [that INCREDIBLE B--] had lost everything we have and will have, for the next several years to come. The results of great labors on her part in a gambling casino. She had also, evidently, hit several cars somewhere and then left the car parked in the middle of our perfectly manicured lawn. On examination this morning, I had found traces of blood and pieces of human skin along the driver's side quarter panel. The red was unmistakable against the bone white of the convertible Mercedes' paint. Not a moments rest had been mine since we had been married a year ago. One year ago, today. Yes, I had loved her. Somehow. Somehow, I had made love to her. But then her real desires had begun to come out. I tried to follow and please her tastes as long as I could, but then she had exceeded all expectations. Vermin are one thing, but other men, i n my bed with us, was simply more than my mid-western upbringing would permit me. And so she had laughed. And I had laughed, too. Then she had taken him elsewhere. I had felt relieved, until she didn't come home until the next day. Another long pull on my Julep and it was finally empty. The blue cloud crossed my line of sight again from left to right and now was nearly there. The ducks moved farther towards the not-distant-enough, far shore. I contemplated where they would go next a s a smile crossed my lips, contemptuous, loving, finally pleased for the first time in a year. "Sweeet Jane, sweet, sweeet Jane." I looked at my watch. Fully 90 seconds. I was truly impressed.