Roach Cobbler

By Franchot

Marla Stout is tired, aging and unemployed. It seems like she’s always suffering. Whether it’s the passing of her beloved older sister or her long history with untrustworthy men, now she’s battling a roach infested tenement in a slumlord run building in Chicago. What more can break Marla down? It’s not until she rolls the dice and hires a friendly exterminator named Jim that things begin to look up. Jim frees her apartment of the roaches and a unexpected kinship develops between them. Where will it go? Grateful for Jim’s help, Marla invites him to a nice Sunday dinner where he meets her fun loving, but obviously dis-functional family. While the family is having dessert, Marla’s famous peach cobbler, a shocking and embarrassing incident occurs that threatens to end the peace of mind Marla has finally found.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Franchot
• Release date: Jan 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005372590

Franchot

Storytelling is in my DNA. Having been a closet writer for many years, I favor short fiction and that's primarily what I write. Just published, 'The Lip' and soon to come is, 'Living Right' and my short story series, 'Girl's Night' and 'Romance Imperfect'. I love writing about contemporary life in an urban setting, about things that impact us emotionally whether it be love, family or crime. I was born and raised in Chicago which is where I live now, but have lived in New York City and Boston. Find out more about me and what inspires me to write the stories I write on my blog at: franchotinspired.com.

Book preview

Roach Cobbler

A Short Read

By Franchot

Copyright © 2021 Franchot

All rights reserved.

Distributed by Smashwords

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You can’t choose your family

Cast

Marla Stout

Charisse Stout Haynes

Denton (Denny) Stout

Woodrow Haynes

Chanel (Buzzi) Riley

James Philpot Jim, the exterminator

Sharkeeta Webb

Contents

Cast

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

Thank You

Girl's Night

The Author

1

You have a severe roach infestation! he said, standing there dressed in what looked like an outfit from the Ghostbusters, gripping his metal spray can tightly. He was a tall, older white man that looked halfway disinterested in exterminating, but got real good reviews on Yelp. Marla didn’t know what else to do. The other extermination company seemed good and the roaches had died down over the winter, but now that spring had arrived with warmer temperatures than usual for April, the roaches had returned with a vengeance.

Mister, Marla said, in her naturally baritone, beleaguered voice, Tell me something I don’t know!

Don’t get sassy with me ma’am…..,

I’m not getting sassy! she snapped back, placing a hand on her hip. She was still wearing her robe. He got there a little earlier than she expected. They were standing in her kitchen, 9:48am and several roaches were scurrying about the floor. Marla was disgusted and embarrassed. He looked around the kitchen and saw everything wrapped or covered in plastic; the microwave, toaster, blender, even plastic covered the cupboards and the top half of the refrigerator. He looked down at the roaches scurrying across the floor. It was disgusting, even for him. He turned to her and saw tears welling in her eyes

What is your landlord saying?

Marla’s eyes bucked at the question. Why are you asking me that?! He’s a slumlord….a fuckin’ ass!

Why don’t you move?

She balled her fists, raising them up, tears rolling down her eyes. The exterminator wasn’t sure what to do. She lunged at him with her fist coming toward his chest.

Hey!

He grabbed her hands at the wrists. She was strong, but he was stronger and stopped her from hitting him.

Lady I’m here to help you!

She dropped her fists, and then burst into full tears, collapsing her head to his chest. Help me, somebody help me these nasty bitches taking over my house Lord!

He was reluctant, but slowly put his arms around her. He’d done many exterminations in his profession, but had never seen a customer at the end of their wit like her. This poor woman, damn!

Miss, Miss, he said. I’m sorry, we can do something, we can figure this out.

She lifted her wet face up, glancing at the stitched name on his jumpsuit.

I’m sorry Jim, she said. I’m losing it. These monsters driving me crazy I’m an old lady.

No you’re not, Jim said with a smile in his voice, but not on his face.

Suddenly, Marla was self conscious about her appearance, standing there in her robe, slippers and scarf on her head that she smoothed over with her hand.

Excuse me, she said. Let me get dressed.

Jim looked around the kitchen again. Let me see what I can do. I can spray a little for these bastards on the floor until I can investigate the root of this problem.

The other company didn’t tell me much, Marla said.

I’ll check it out Jim said and actually smiled that time. He had tired, bloodshot blue eyes and dirty blonde hair mixed with silver under his cap. You sit tight, he added.

Thank you sir, Marla said with plead in her eyes. She turned around, trying to walk away with grace, but saw about eight roaches in a line running across the floor. Jesus help me!

• • •

Marla often asked herself how she got there, but she knew, if she really let herself think about it. A rundown one bedroom apartment owned by a slumlord in a part of town that used to mean something back in the day. Now the area was riddled with crime, decay, roaches and rats. Luckily she didn’t have a rodent problem, but she might as well had; the roaches were terrorizing her. Every move she made and every thought she had revolved around the roaches.

She walked into her bedroom and looked around. The infestation had gotten so out of hand that her apartment no longer looked like she lived there. Everything was wrapped in plastic; the chairs, parts of the dresser and the clothes in her closet. She walked to the closet and removed her jeans and sweater from a plastic garbage bag. Three roaches fell out. Lord Jesus! She shook the jeans and sweater out violently. Nothing else fell out. She inspected her clothes frantically and hurriedly put them on, praying nothing else was hiding inside of them. It seemed like she could always hear them, crawling everywhere, even when she didn’t see them. They’re causing me to lose it!

She kept her queen sized bed covered in plastic too, when she wasn’t in it. Roaches had started getting in her bed, crawling up the covers and falling from the ceiling. She looked at her bed, beginning