Speech Acts

Rayburn formed the words ‘Louise, are you ready to go,’ in his mind. Louise had been in the bathroom for, how long, Rayburn wondered. Rayburn was always ready to go before Louise. I wonder why, Rayburn wondered. He formed the words ‘which coat do you want,’ in his mind, with the idea, an image of Rayburn helping Louise into her coat, of helping Louise with her coat, so she could be ready sooner. Her coat, in the image in Rayburn’s mind, refused to settle into a stable color or size, as Rayburn thumbed through Louise’s coats hanging in the closet.

Rayburn could hear Louise in the bathroom. The clinking of condiment jars had the familiar sound, Rayburn thought, of Louise putting her makeup away. Rayburn formed the words ‘are you almost ready,’ in his mind. He began looking for Louise’s purse. He thought maybe he could help Louise to be ready to go if he could have her purse waiting for her on the table by the front door. Rayburn had a picture, in his mind, of himself, standing by the open front door, holding Louise’s coat, with the purse right there on the table. She would smile at him and say, ‘why, thank you, dear.’ The words ‘you’re welcome, dear,’ formed in Rayburn’s mind. He could see himself standing by the door, handing Louise her purse, and saying those words as he turned to follow Louise through the door.

Rayburn could hear Louise in the bedroom, opening drawers. Probably looking for the right blouse, Rayburn thought, seeing Louise, in her bra, slip, and skirt, pawing through the blouses in the drawers of her side of the dresser, in his mind. Rayburn formed the words ‘how about the blue silk one, with the beads. That would go nicely with that skirt,’ in his mind. He could see Louise, in his mind, saying ‘you’re right, dear, thank you,’ while she lifted the blue silk blouse out of the drawer. Rayburn formed the word ‘m-hmm,’ in his mind. Rayburn could hear Louise leaving the bedroom. She would be ready any minute now.

Rayburn formed the words ‘all ready now,’ in his mind. He could see, in his mind, Louise walking into the foyer, in her white skirt, and the blue beaded blouse, smiling as she came to be helped into her coat and handed her purse and ushered out the door by a smiling, chivalrous Rayburn who formed the words ‘you look lovely tonight, dear,’ in his mind.

“What are you standing around for,” Louise said. She stood at the open front door, in jeans and a ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They,’ sweat shirt, a pair of broken down running shoes on her feet. She turned and walked out, leaving Rayburn to close the door. Rayburn formed the words ‘you look lovely tonight, dear,’ in his mind. They looked lovely.