To celebrate turning forty-five, I learned to roll my own cigarettes. I’d been living healthy for four and a half decades due to childhood indoctrination, but I’d rarely been happy for more than forty-five minutes straight. Rolling smokes gave me something to do and was easier than learning to play an instrument. DIY cancer sticks led to meeting artist chicks — tattoos, heavy eye makeup, even heavier drama. Artsy babes, in turn, served as a gateway to better, stronger drugs. As long as I don’t burn through the inheritance and my new chemical friends keep working, it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out.
Smooth Sailing was first published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction on July 15, 2023.
Photo by Ander Burdain on Unsplash
If you liked this, you might like Lifelike. Honestly, Lifelike might be my best 100-word story to date.
Jim’s Taco Fund
If you’ve ever tossed change to a subway saxophonist or a juggler at a stoplight, send a few bucks my way — $5 covers a day’s worth of tacos. Or, for $3, buy me a coffee! For those of you concerned about my health, I’m not going to buy tobacco with it. This is fiction.