The Evening News by Tony Ardizzone

video-game systemsbecause only Intellivision offers the total destruction of a planet. So their gravest fear is now a feature on a video game? The glass of red wine falls from Maria’s hand. It shatters on the linoleum like a destructing planet. Paul rushes into the kitchen. And that’s the way it is—
    Later that evening, the television off, Paul sits on the couch with Maria. Her head rests against his chest. His arm hangs over her shoulder. They have sat like this since the room began to darken. Neither has wanted to disturb the other, to get up and turn on a light. The open window next to the sofa flutters the thin curtains that hang over it. From the even way he is breathing, Maria thinks Paul is asleep.
    â€œAre you sleeping?” she whispers.
    Paul’s breathing stops, then starts again. “No.”
    â€œYou never told me why you came home early today.”
    He lets out a long breath. “My three o’clock didn’t read the assignment, so I told them to go to the registrar and withdraw from school.”
    â€œWhy?” Maria asks.
    â€œSometimes the best way to get people’s attention is to exaggerate.”
    Maria thinks about exaggeration. Then she swallows. “I can’t tell you how much I want to get high.”
    â€œLet me give you a backrub.”
    â€œI don’t want a backrub.”
    â€œHave a glass of wine.”
    â€œI’m sick of wine.”
    â€œI’m sorry.” Paul doesn’t know what else to say.
    Her hand clutches his arm. The strength surprises him. “Are you sure having the baby is the right thing?”
    â€œYes,” Paul says, too quickly. He isn’t sure.
    â€œI wouldn’t do this for anyone else, you know.”
    â€œI know.” His hand pats her hand. “It’s the right thing,Maria.” The hand squeezes her wrist. “Everything will be O.K.”
    She turns her head, trying in the darkness to look at him, but she can’t see any of the features of his face. She can only hear his even, reassuring voice as he begins to explain that even though an event seems likely it is never guaranteed to happen, that it’s useless to walk through life feeling depressed and powerless, that the birth of a baby is an affirmation, an act of great courage, faith, and hope. For all we know, Paul continues, when things look their very bleakest we’ll be visited by spaceships from a distant galaxy, and the alien life forms will help us solve all our problems. Maria scoffs at the idea, though it’s tempting to believe. Paul softly laughs and says it comes from a movie, a classic,
The Night of the Living Dead.
Maria doesn’t laugh at the joke. No, Paul says, it was
The Day the Earth Stood Still,
the best science-fiction movie ever made. Maria says she wishes the earth
would
stand still. It can’t, Paul says, suddenly serious. He tries to think of something else to say.
    â€œSometimes when I come down here in the morning I still expect to see Bingo,” Maria says. Paul’s eyes dart in the darkness, looking for the dog. Maria sits up and faces him. She places her hands in his. “Why did she have to die?”
    Paul feels on safer ground now. He knows the answer to the question. “Free enterprise. We were ripped off. We were suckered. We live in a country where salesmen can dress up like doctors and lovable little puppy dogs can grow up allergic to life.”
    â€œAnd we’re not?” Maria says.
    Paul reaches for all the hopefulness he has to offer. “No,” he says. “Maria, we’re the luckiest people in the world. Look at us. We’re both alive and healthy. Our baby’s on its way. We have a house, work, food. Ninety-five percent of the world would give their arms and legs to have half of what we have.”Paul’s voice is high, speedy. “And maybe our baby will be the one who helps solve the world’s problems. Maybe not. But if the child