And NaNoWriMo continues
She hated how everyone tip-toed around it. How they all used cute little expressions. “We are here for you ‘in your time of need’.” “During ‘this period of sadness’ you can always turn to us.” “During ‘times like these’ remember your friends are here for you.” If one more person offered her some type of seemingly empty condolences she might go crazy. She knew everyone was trying to make it easier for her, but each time they avoided saying it Lisa felt the pain deepen. It was almost as if they were avoiding the truth; trying to hide it from her. She knew the truth. She knew it damn well. Lisa knew the hurt more deeply than any of them could imagine.
She moved the hodgepodge of items left on the stoop and unlocked the door. The familiar scent of and old house surrounded her. This scent of old wood and a slight musk had been one of the reasons she was never sure about buying the house. Derrick on the other hand, had been so intrigued by the architecture and the original woodwork that she just couldn’t say no. He would spend hours on weekends making little repairs to the house. A leaking faucet here, creaky floorboard there, a few faulty wires, cabinets that didn’t hang quite right. They all seemed like annoyances to Lisa, but to Derrick they were just the challenge he was looking for.
She closed the door behind her and laid her keys on the kitchen table. The answering machine was blinking brightly at her “20…20…20…” No doubt more people calling to see how she was feeling or to inquire as to if there was anything they could do for her. She would listen later. All she wanted to do now was to have a quiet night alone and to hopefully sleep through the night. She poured a glass of water and walked into the living room still lightly embracing to the card.
Curled up on the couch, Lisa’s eyes drifted back to the small card. The front of it was adorned with a Bassett hound lying sullenly on a hardwood floor with the words “I Miss You” printed right below the picture. A small smile spread across Lisa’s lips. He always knew how to tug at her heartstrings. She could imagine him standing in front of the small rack of cards at the makeshift PX. Thumbing through the sparse selection trying to find just the perfect card to make her cry. Or maybe he traded the batteries or cookies she had sent to him for the card from one of the other guys. She read the short message again. Derrick probably never knew that these would be the last words he would write to her. He expected 30 or 40 more years of love letters at least. She wondered if he had known what was going to happen if he would have written more. Would he have professed his unwavering love? Would he have reminisced about the time they danced beneath the moon as the meteor shower lit up the night sky? Would he have finally admitted she was right about the color of the bedroom?
With all of these thoughts tumbling through her head Lisa finally let go. The tears came pouring from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. It seemed once it started she couldn’t stop it. She curled up into a ball in the corner of the couch and gripped her knees. She sobbed harder than she can ever remember in her entire life. For three days she had held it together. She had been the pillar of strength, gracefully shaking hands and thanking everyone for their sympathy and well wishes. Now she was reduced to nothing but a whimpering mess. She must have been so awash with tears and so exhausted from the previous few days that she fell asleep right there on the couch.
She moved the hodgepodge of items left on the stoop and unlocked the door. The familiar scent of and old house surrounded her. This scent of old wood and a slight musk had been one of the reasons she was never sure about buying the house. Derrick on the other hand, had been so intrigued by the architecture and the original woodwork that she just couldn’t say no. He would spend hours on weekends making little repairs to the house. A leaking faucet here, creaky floorboard there, a few faulty wires, cabinets that didn’t hang quite right. They all seemed like annoyances to Lisa, but to Derrick they were just the challenge he was looking for.
She closed the door behind her and laid her keys on the kitchen table. The answering machine was blinking brightly at her “20…20…20…” No doubt more people calling to see how she was feeling or to inquire as to if there was anything they could do for her. She would listen later. All she wanted to do now was to have a quiet night alone and to hopefully sleep through the night. She poured a glass of water and walked into the living room still lightly embracing to the card.
Curled up on the couch, Lisa’s eyes drifted back to the small card. The front of it was adorned with a Bassett hound lying sullenly on a hardwood floor with the words “I Miss You” printed right below the picture. A small smile spread across Lisa’s lips. He always knew how to tug at her heartstrings. She could imagine him standing in front of the small rack of cards at the makeshift PX. Thumbing through the sparse selection trying to find just the perfect card to make her cry. Or maybe he traded the batteries or cookies she had sent to him for the card from one of the other guys. She read the short message again. Derrick probably never knew that these would be the last words he would write to her. He expected 30 or 40 more years of love letters at least. She wondered if he had known what was going to happen if he would have written more. Would he have professed his unwavering love? Would he have reminisced about the time they danced beneath the moon as the meteor shower lit up the night sky? Would he have finally admitted she was right about the color of the bedroom?
With all of these thoughts tumbling through her head Lisa finally let go. The tears came pouring from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. It seemed once it started she couldn’t stop it. She curled up into a ball in the corner of the couch and gripped her knees. She sobbed harder than she can ever remember in her entire life. For three days she had held it together. She had been the pillar of strength, gracefully shaking hands and thanking everyone for their sympathy and well wishes. Now she was reduced to nothing but a whimpering mess. She must have been so awash with tears and so exhausted from the previous few days that she fell asleep right there on the couch.