Something woke me up, but what I don’t know. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and listened. I didn’t hear anything. I just wasn’t sleeping good lately. It’s been a year since Tyler left and I guess I’m just on edge. This is the first anniversary of that awful day. I picked up his picture from the night stand ,next to the clock that announced it was 12:01 a.m., and held it to my heart hoping it would have curative powers that would keep my internal pump from breaking.
I slipped on my mules, slid into my robe and headed for the kitchen. I needed a midnight snack. I haven’t been eating well since I’ve only been cooking for one. I’ve had no appetite and my clothes have started really hanging poorly on me. I passed Tyler’s room and checked it out. Empty. Of course, it had been empty for twelve months now.
What was that? Fireflies in the dining room? No, someone’s flashlight. I turned to run but thought otherwise. I was furious, how dare someone break in on this of all days. I tripped on the dining room light to the astonishment of a tall body in a black hooded jacket with a ski mask pulled over his face. I think it was a man, burglary uniforms are rather unisexual, hiding the identity as well as the gender of perpetrators, just going by his shoulders though, I had to guess he was a man, or a young boy. He reached for his gun laying on the buffet and aimed it at me, the drawer was open and my good silver was sticking out of his pockets.
“Lady, don’t move!” a voice that came out of the black ski mask ordered, trying to sound older behind trembling hands holding a menacing weapon. I felt this was his first time out of the stalls for robbery.
“Put that thing down before you hurt yourself!” I countered. “And get into the kitchen. we’re going to have a little chat!” I stated crossing to the room where food is prepared.
“Lady, I mean it, stay put!” The gun was shaking so hard if it went off no telling where the bullet would hit.
“Come here and sit down!” I must have really sounded authoritative because my wishes were carried out. I dug around in the refrigerator and freezer till I found something that I could pull off as a meal. Then I clanged pots and pans about. In twenty minutes a midnight meal for two was sitting on the table, just like a year ago. Memories so warm and fresh caused tears to lace my lashes.
I poured coffee into two mugs and seated myself across from my guest, who was still holding his firearm in that awkward manner this new generation considers cool, you know at that funny angle. If it went off I had nothing to loose, not since Tyler….
“Put that thing down and tell me why you’re doing this,” I repeated, sipping my coffee between bites of food.
Hesitantly, slowly the gun went down and a fork came up. The boy was starving. I could tell now he wasn’t much older than Tyler, he might even be younger.
A story of family abuse spewed forth, his poor mother dying at the hands of his drunken father, a year ago to day. He hated his father, he said that continuously and with vehemence, and he hoped he rotted in jail. I didn’t try to talk him out of his rage. He would still have a mother if she’d had enough sence to leave that horrible son of a … I didn’t correct his speech either, it wasn’t my job. God understood where this boy was coming from and sometimes a bad word or two was meaningful. I’ve heard bad words before, they didn’t offend me. Over the year he’d been tossed from foster home to foster home. He claimed those people were suppose to be able to help him, most of them just did it for the money the state paid. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. After his tale he laid his head down on his arms and wept, like a baby. Like Tyler used to do, my Tyler, when he was feeling sorry for us..
Laying my hands on my visitor’s shoulders I explained about Tyler, my son. He didn’t have the same story as this young man did, no drunken father; he had no father at all. My husband abandoned us for another woman, leaving me to eek out a living for the two of us. Tyler was too young to work, not qualified for much till he graduated from school, and I had plans to put him through college, working two jobs. Tyler felt guilty not being able to contribute to the cupboards, so he snuck out one night with some friends to rob a convenience store and bring home some extra cash. If only I‘d known, I‘d have stopped him.(Who was I fooling?)
I paused for several minutes before saying, “He was shot through with six holes by the manager. He died alone and without me, one year ago today.” I buried my face in my hands and sobbed, it was my turn to cry now and I wouldn’t let this man-boy deny me my sorrow.
My intruder lifted his head from his arms, wiped tears from his eyes, blew his nose on his sleeve and stared me down. He was trying to discern if this was a well made up story to get his attention. Smart kid, he realized I was telling the truth. He had Tyler’s eyes, I thought. He reached over and tentatively embraced me. I let his arms lay on my shoulders as my hands had laid on his earlier.
We talked on for hours, eating and crying. I finally proposed something really odd. This was most unusual. He needed a mother and I needed a son. If only we could… he could …I could, try to make sense out of our losses. Try to rebuild broken lives, it was worth a try, we certainly couldn’t come out any worse.
“Listen, we don’t have to make life altering changes right now, let me put you in Tyler’s room for the night and we can see what happens in the morning.” I stated, putting the dishes in the washer and wiping my hands on my apron.
I led Intruder upstairs and showed him where Tyler’s pajamas were. He got a giggle out of this, clothes to sleep in. Well, that was the way it was going to be in here, we were still strangers and I’d have no naked men running about.
After he was settled I crawled back in to my bed. No sooner had I pulled the covers up to my neck I sat up bolt right. Sweat was laying on my pillow. No, it was soaked with my tears, I’d been crying in my sleep. That was one realistic dream, it had seemed so real! I looked at the alarm clock, even though it was only 12:01 I needed something to eat, no way I’d be able to get back to sleep after what I’d just experienced.
Downstairs I tripped on the dining room light to the astonishment of a tall body in a black hooded jacket with a ski mask pulled over his face. I think it was a man, burglary uniforms are rather unisexual, hiding the identity as well as the gender of perpetrators, just going by his shoulders though, I had to guess he was a man, or a young boy. He reached for his gun laying on the buffet and aimed it at me, the drawer was open and my good silver was sticking out of his pockets.
I squared my shoulders and entered the room, pre-armed with a strategically sent heavenly dream I was ready for the future.
Math 24:43
Mark 3:35
John 10:10
Rom 13:9
Eph 4:28
Heb 2:11
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