gonewacky
Veteran Member
WHAT IS IT
Slowly and softly, he opened the door. Peaking into the dark room, he saw her back. She was lying on the bed with her back to the door. He eased into the room, and slipped out of his shoes. Looking to assure he didn’t wake her. Just past her head, on the nightstand, he could see the red glow of the clock. It read 3:15, and it worried him that she would wake and see the time.
He undid his pants and let them drop to the floor, next came the shirt dropping on top of them. Now he had to deal with the dangers part, and fold back the blanket. Slowly he slipped one foot in the bed, and eased his butt onto the sheet. One more foot and his head to the pillow, and he would be home free. His foot was in and he laid back as he heard, “Love you.”
He knew and there was no hiding it. All he could do was whisper, “I love you too.”
The next morning she awoke without a word. He got up to find the coffee made, and her standing in front of the stove. She smiled not saying a word, and poured him a cup of coffee. She set it in front of him, and returned to butter his toast. He waited for her to say something, but she stayed silent.
She carried the steaming plate of eggs and hash browns in one hand, and her coffee in the other. She set the plat in front of him as she sat in the chair next to him. Waiting for the question he softly muttered, “Thank you.” He knew she was going to ask where he was, and he feared that more than anything. He knew she wouldn’t believe him. Heck, he didn’t believe it himself. It was like a bad nightmare, or something from a science fiction movie.
He took a drink of his coffee as she stared at him with her big green eyes. Just ask me and get it over with, he thought, but she just smiled and stared. He thought he knew her after thirty years of marriage, but something like this had never happened before. He had to say something. He knew she was waiting, but he was sure she would think it was a lie. He thought, Maybe I could tell her I had car trouble, or I got stuck and had to call a tow truck. No that would never work. She would want to know why I didn’t call her. I’ve got to do something, but what?
He had never lied to her, and he couldn’t start now. He had to tell her and he started to speak. She put her finger to his lips and gasped, “Shhhs.”
Did she not want to know? This could tear a marriage apart, and he wanted no part of it. He loved his wife, and had always been true to her. He couldn’t let this change that. Taking another sip, he tried to speak again, but she did the same thing. She didn’t want to hear it.
It worried him now. She didn’t want to know, and he knew that there was no way she could have found out. He slipped his hand over to hers, and blurted. “I have to tell you.”
She put her finger to his lips again and disclosed, “I understand. You don’t have to tell me.”
Understand what, he thought. It twisted his thoughts that she could understand. She didn’t even know what happened, and he couldn’t accept that she understood. He watched her push her long brown hair behind her ear. Then take his plate to the sink, as he tried to remember what happened. It seamed to be fading from his mind. He knew he had to tell her before the memory was gone. It seamed to be disappearing, and he could only remember parts of it now.
He shook his head and muttered, “I have to remember.”
“Remember what?” echoed from the other side of the room.
Looking to his wife he insisted, “I was trying to remember something, but it’s gone now.”
She smiled, “It’s OK dear, it probably was nothing anyway”
One ring and she picked up the phone, “Hello.”
“Hi mom, how is dad doing?”
“Who is it?” he called out.
“Melinda,” she replied as she walked into the other room. “No change dear. It happened again last night.”
He went to his room and got his coat. Then he went to his workshop. It was a small building about the size of a two-car garage. This is where he ran his little business repairing furniture. It wasn’t much, but he didn’t have to work hard, and it made him a good living.
That night he watched some TV with his wife and went to bed. Then it happened again. He found himself dressed sitting on his workbench. Going back to the house, he did the same as every other time, and peaked into the dark room. The clock on the nightstand read 3:15, and he slipped into bed, then heard, “Love you.”
Like every other time, all he could do was whisper, “I love you too.”
The next morning everything was back to the normal routine. He awoke to find the coffee made, and her standing in front of the stove. She smiled not saying a word, and poured him a cup of coffee. She set it in front of him, and he tried to say something. She put her finger to his lips and gasped, “Shhhs.”
She went back to the stove as he thought. I need to tell her something, but I don’t know where to start. I can’t tell her what I remember because I only remember parts of it. It wouldn’t make any since, and I’d sound crazy.
He wanted to tell her, but his thoughts were fading. He knew they would be gone in a moment, and wondered if it had happened before. He promised himself today was the day. He had to do something, so he planted a thought in his mind.
She sat next to him, and he put out his hand. She took it with a smile, and he knew she knew.
After eating, he went to his room and got his coat, but today he didn’t go to his workshop. He took his keys and went to the car. She watched as he backed out the driveway. She knew what he was doing, and knew he had done it before. It saddened her to think of it, but she could do nothing.
She called her daughter, “Hello.”
“Hi sweetie, it’s mom.”
“Hi mom, how is dad doing?”
“No change dear. It happened again last night. I think he’s going to try and catch it again.”
“Oh mom, he doesn’t remember about last time.”
“I don’t think so dear, he never remembers. It’s OK Melinda, don’t worry, we’ve been through this before, and I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Just the same mom, I want to be there when he comes back. I’m on my way over.”
“Love you dear, see you in a few.”
He returned as she watched out the window. She saw him open the trunk, and carry a box to the shop. Then she saw her daughter park in the driveway next to his car. She opened the door and waited for her. At the door, Melinda embraced her mother and whispered, “It’s going to be Ok mom.”
After visiting with her mother, she headed to the shop. Inside her dad was stretching out some wire. Seeing her he greeted, “Hi Melinda, what are you doing out running around.”
“Just thought I would come see how you were doing.”
“I’m doing fine dear.”
“What’s that you’re doing?”
“It is a camera. Someone has been breaking in the shop, and I’m going to catch them.”
“Really dad, what’d they take?”
“That’s what’s weird Melinda. They didn’t take anything, but they’ve been breaking in almost every night. I’m going to catch them though, and then I can prove it.”