LJ Idol Week 13: Fan Death
Maggie didn’t need an alarm clock anymore; she naturally woke up at 7am daily and, besides, it wasn’t like she was in danger of being late to anything these days.
She sat up in bed, glanced quickly to the other side of the bed that remained perfectly made, and muttered, “I miss you” as she slid her bare feet into her slippers and rose to her feet.
After a quick stop in the bathroom, she made herself a scrambled egg and toast. This is what she has made herself every morning for the last year since Frank died; it was easy to make for one and her doctor approved as long as it was whole wheat toast.
Once she’d cleaned and put away the breakfast dishes, she made the bed, and then showered and dressed for her daily walk to the grocery store.
“Good to see you, Mrs. Stewart,” the clerk said as he rang up her items.
“You, too, Matt,” she replied.
“How are you today?”
“Good, you?”
“Good. Getting off a little early today to go visit my mother.”
“She’s well, I hope.”
“She had a little fall. She’s got a few bruises, but she’s mostly concerned with her bruised ego,” he chuckled.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Maggie replied. “Enjoy your visit,” she added as she grabbed her bags.
After putting away the groceries, Maggie sat down in her arm chair with the day’s newspaper and flipped through it. She grumbled in response to some articles, chuckled at a comic or two, and spent some time trying to complete the crossword.
It was nearly noon, which meant it was time for her sandwich. As she ate, she read from a novel she laid next to her plate.
In the afternoon heat, she drifted back to her arm chair and began flipping through the TV stations. She eventually settled on a horrible Lifetime movie; there was never anything good on at this time of day. She was startled awake by her own snoring a little while later.
She checked the time and opened a couple of windows before returning to her novel. She’d be done soon and she would need to stop by the library. Hopefully on a day that wasn’t quite so warm, though, she thought as her phone began to ring.
“Hey, Mom,” her daughter, Megan, said on the other end of the call. “How are you today?”
“Good. You?”
“Work has been a nightmare. You know, the usual.”
“Mark and the kids?”
“All good. I saw that the weather forecast said it’s extra warm there today. I hope you’re staying cool.”
“It’s not too bad,” Maggie replied, “I’ve opened up some windows and I’ve still got that fan you bought me last year.”
“Good, good. I gotta go, Mom, I’m heading down to the platform now.”
“Thanks for calling,” Maggie said before hanging up the phone.
She threw a TV dinner into the microwave (her doctor didn’t need to know everything), propped up the TV tray in front of her arm chair where she could feel a light breeze from the windows, and switched on the TV. The TV shows in syndication nowadays weren’t even shows that had aired when Megan was a kid let alone the ones of Maggie’s childhood. When it was time for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, Maggie sat up a little straighter.
After crocheting some rows of a blanket she intended to give to her granddaughter, she decided it was time for bed. She took her medications, brushed her teeth, and said “I love you” to Frank’s photo in the hallway before shutting her bedroom door for the night, something that had become a habit when Megan was a child.
The next morning came and went and Maggie did not stir. The only sound in the room was made by the fan oscillating in the corner.
She sat up in bed, glanced quickly to the other side of the bed that remained perfectly made, and muttered, “I miss you” as she slid her bare feet into her slippers and rose to her feet.
After a quick stop in the bathroom, she made herself a scrambled egg and toast. This is what she has made herself every morning for the last year since Frank died; it was easy to make for one and her doctor approved as long as it was whole wheat toast.
Once she’d cleaned and put away the breakfast dishes, she made the bed, and then showered and dressed for her daily walk to the grocery store.
“Good to see you, Mrs. Stewart,” the clerk said as he rang up her items.
“You, too, Matt,” she replied.
“How are you today?”
“Good, you?”
“Good. Getting off a little early today to go visit my mother.”
“She’s well, I hope.”
“She had a little fall. She’s got a few bruises, but she’s mostly concerned with her bruised ego,” he chuckled.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Maggie replied. “Enjoy your visit,” she added as she grabbed her bags.
After putting away the groceries, Maggie sat down in her arm chair with the day’s newspaper and flipped through it. She grumbled in response to some articles, chuckled at a comic or two, and spent some time trying to complete the crossword.
It was nearly noon, which meant it was time for her sandwich. As she ate, she read from a novel she laid next to her plate.
In the afternoon heat, she drifted back to her arm chair and began flipping through the TV stations. She eventually settled on a horrible Lifetime movie; there was never anything good on at this time of day. She was startled awake by her own snoring a little while later.
She checked the time and opened a couple of windows before returning to her novel. She’d be done soon and she would need to stop by the library. Hopefully on a day that wasn’t quite so warm, though, she thought as her phone began to ring.
“Hey, Mom,” her daughter, Megan, said on the other end of the call. “How are you today?”
“Good. You?”
“Work has been a nightmare. You know, the usual.”
“Mark and the kids?”
“All good. I saw that the weather forecast said it’s extra warm there today. I hope you’re staying cool.”
“It’s not too bad,” Maggie replied, “I’ve opened up some windows and I’ve still got that fan you bought me last year.”
“Good, good. I gotta go, Mom, I’m heading down to the platform now.”
“Thanks for calling,” Maggie said before hanging up the phone.
She threw a TV dinner into the microwave (her doctor didn’t need to know everything), propped up the TV tray in front of her arm chair where she could feel a light breeze from the windows, and switched on the TV. The TV shows in syndication nowadays weren’t even shows that had aired when Megan was a kid let alone the ones of Maggie’s childhood. When it was time for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, Maggie sat up a little straighter.
After crocheting some rows of a blanket she intended to give to her granddaughter, she decided it was time for bed. She took her medications, brushed her teeth, and said “I love you” to Frank’s photo in the hallway before shutting her bedroom door for the night, something that had become a habit when Megan was a child.
The next morning came and went and Maggie did not stir. The only sound in the room was made by the fan oscillating in the corner.