Sleepless (Blogophilia 28.13)





The parking lot was dark as he went across it. He heard the roar of the plane as it approached. It sounded like one he'd heard when he was in the military, a bomber. Looming over the roof of the building, the thing turned and dove toward the ground. There was no shockwave on impact, which struck him as strange. Just silence. The fire began under what was left of the nose. It grew exponentially. There was fire, but no heat. The others around him seemed unaffected, more spectators to the wreckage. He sat in wonder...


Jimmy's eyes popped open. The same dream every night. Had been since the shop closed. 

The bedroom was dark except for the slit in the middle of the curtain. The sound of Kathy's quiet snoring beside him was both soothing and disturbing.  He looked at the clock. 4:16. He knew sleep was gone for the rest of the night. Stay here or get up? He already knew the answer. With a practiced twist, his feet touched lightly and he made his way to the bathroom. He winced at the bright light over the mirror. 

It had been two weeks since the day his world ended. An IRS notice on the wall next to the lock stated the business had been seized for non-payment. There had been rumors, but he didn't think they were serious. And then, poof, his income had gone away. Worse, the IRS was coming after him for the withholding taxes he'd already paid. How would he get through it?

Would he lose the house? Everything he'd worked for? Or was it like the dream, where there was fire and no heat and they would walk away? He couldn't figure it out. The image looking back at him had no answers, just a dog tired frown.  Splashing water on his face, he wondered what was next. Women get to cry in these situations. But like most men, he just stood silent.

Lavender surrounded him as the soft hands encircle his waist. The words were a balm to his aching soul.

"It will be alright, Cowboy."

"The things I've seen will chase me to the grave."

She stood on her toes and kissed him.

" We've been through worse."

He couldn't deny that. 

He turned to face her and they fell together.  No matter how many times he would walk the wire, she was there to lead him to something better. She softly began to sing as she rocked him side to side.

"Sleep little darling, it will be alright." 

It was the same lullaby she sung to the kids. Most men would be insulted. Instead, he was honored and comforted by this woman who stood with him. 

"God and Mommy will hold you tight..."

Kathy lead him back to bed and tucked him in. Her ample shadow filled in the window slit, the baby weight showing through her nightgown. To him she was still the skinny little girl over the fence, the one he could see in their daughter. She was still singing as her head tucked into his shoulder. 

"I promise in the morning it will be alright."

They kissed deeply and said a prayer of thanksgiving together.

Bring on the new world.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Topic Dave Coon

Pic Diana Jillian

Pic guesses: Silhouette, Shadow (in blog), Backlight, Ghost, Darkness, Mourning.


Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2020 at 6:24 AM

    Wow, this was deeply poignant and speaks to the times at hand. A lovely bittersweet vignette of the tragic challenges humans are faced with currently. I was moved by the grace and softness of how Kathy eased her ailing spouse.

    ~Christine W.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another Government EmployeeSeptember 15, 2020 at 7:25 AM

      It happens with far too much frequency, whether it is chaotic or not.


      Delete
  2. CraigSeptember 15, 2020 at 8:29 AM

    Oh. I'm left wondering if it was a clerical error or something far more nefarious than that for the IRS to be coming after him for taxes that have already been paid.

    I think a lot of people are going through uncertainty right now and could use some comfort and hope

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another Government EmployeeSeptember 15, 2020 at 8:53 AM

      IRS has the option to go after employees if the employer fails to pay. They don't always, but it is there. (25 years in payroll and benefits has let me see how they do and don't work).

      Delete
  3. Michael ToddSeptember 15, 2020 at 9:08 AM

    Wow, this is intense. I cannot imagine feeling so trapped, that the pressure chases into dreams.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another Government EmployeeSeptember 15, 2020 at 10:15 AM

      It can happen. It is one of the reason dream journals exist.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2020 at 2:18 PM

    Facing all that uncertainty doesn't give anyone a good feeling, that's for sure. You write these so well...you know how to make the reader feel what the characters are going through.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tyler MyrthSeptember 16, 2020 at 1:06 PM

    An ugly situation and very true to these times. Hopefully she's right and does get better

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2020 at 7:15 PM

    Kathy will get him through it! 8 points Earthling

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2020 at 8:49 PM

    I enjoyed this, in the depth of despair some deeper comfort emerges. -Dave Schrader

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another Government EmployeeSeptember 16, 2020 at 9:16 PM

      It often does. And so often when someone's life gets turned over like this, they fall back on each other to get through it.

      Delete

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