"I'm going to be late honey!" I called from the doorway, "It's already 7:42."
"I'm coming, I'll just be one sec!" Susanna called back.
"I can't be late again today. It would be the tenth time in a row that I have been late to work, and my boss is certainly not going to be happy," I thought.
"I'm coming!" Susanna reassured her husband.
"I'll take your bag to the car, it's 7:44. Can you lock up?"
"Sure thing!"
Every day, the same sequence happens over and over again. I ask her if we can actually leave on time today, and she will kindly agree to do just that. But, when it comes time to walk out the door, I am always the one calling up to her, telling her that we're late and we have to go. I don't want to seem picky or obnoxious, I am just getting a little bit tired of having to rush to get to work everyday and having no time to leisurely stroll to my office building from the parking lot. It's not too bad, though. I've settled into a nice rhythm. I end up walking into my office just as the clock is striking 8:30 and get started right away without hesitation, so that I don't lose any time.
I flipped on the radio in the car and turned to NPR. "...and in recent news, the DOW lost 376 points and dropped 4%. This was triggered by the sale of 1 billion stocks of Proctor and Gamble..."
"Holy Cow! Now that is a LOT of stocks!"
"...According to our correspondent, the sale was supposed to be for 1 million stocks, but was misread as 1 billion stocks..."
"Wow. That must be a great surprise for whoever sold it. That's a ton of money," I laughed to myself as I finally see my wife closing the house door. "Did you hear? The DOW lost 376 and dropped 4%. All because some dumbo sold 1 billion stocks instead of 1 million stocks."
"That sure is some sale. Anything else happen?" Susanna replied quite blankly.
"Well that's all I've heard so far, but I think I remember hearing the Nationals won!"
"Oh, that's good."
"Are you alright honey? You seem a bit tired or just out of it."
"No, it's fine. I was just out, working at the office late last night. Just a bit tired."
"Good, I'm just glad you are not sick or anything."
"Thanks, just a little exhausted." Susanna said with the most emotion she has shown this morning.
After a smooth, but quite silent (other than the radio) car ride into the city, I dropped Susanna off at her office at 8:16 and continued to the parking lot a good couple of blocks away from my office. As I walked onto the street, I glanced at my wristwatch, noticing I now only had 8 minutes to get to work. So, I started off towards my destination seven city blocks away. Making good progress, I reached the first intersection while the walk sign was showing. As I continued walking, I easily passed sauntering pedestrians, who were not as pressured as I was to get to work on time. I couldn't be late. I just couldn't allow myself to be late to work. Arriving at the next intersection, I was fortunate enough to find the walk sign be on allowing me to keep stride through the intersection, losing no time. now I had 6 minutes and 33 seconds to walk through the large glass doors.
Although I was being pretty rushed and wasn't walking at a nice leisurely pace, it was nice to walk during the day, as apposed to sitting at a desk all day, not being able to go outside at all. Walking was an activity that I thought of as very comforting. It felt good to cruise past people with an air of elite fitness, even though we were all walking to work and this wasn't a marathon. Feeling a slight breeze in your face, creating the illusion that it is actually you creating that breeze. Cool air rushing into your nostrils, filling your lungs with delight. I exhale slowly to keep the feeling in me as long as possible. This sensation was repeated every breath I took.
Sure, I enjoyed walking, but being tardy was one thing I did not like. I was now three blocks away, and had 4 minutes 2 seconds to go.
I continued to pass pedestrians left and right, flowing through the crowd like a sine curve. There was no need to say sorry to anyone I walked in front of because I was not the only person doing this. There were always the ones who take their time, walking so slow you feel that you could crawl faster than them. They had their bluetooth headset in with their phone in their hand, talking to the back of the head in front of them. I always chuckled at the sight of these people. I mean what's the point of talking into a hands-free headset, when you are still using your hand to hold the dam thing. Also, I think you make a fool out of yourself anytime you are caught using one of those.
There were also those people who never kept the same pace. If I stuck them on a treadmill, I swear they would take two steps and fall off. And if they actually could keep the same pace, then they couldn't walk in a straight line to save their life. I always found it puzzling how walking seemed so hard to them. I mean come on, you've been doing this for your WHOLE life and you still can't walk normally. Sure it bothers me, but it's truly nothing to get worked up about, they are the ones making fools of themselves. The one thing that does get to me is when I try to pass them, just as I have done to the last person, and the one before, and so on. If I move around them, and start walking by them, they will speed up, so that I end up going the same pace as them and in response I go slower. I assume the person was just walking slower than he thought he was walking and so he decided to pick up the pace. But, then as I fall in behind this person, he or she will start to slow down. Now if the person can actually walk at a constant pace, but is directionally incapable, it is their fault if they bump into me. They can just look up and see where they are going.
The third kind, but more rare, is the swift and speedy kind like me. Wherever we go, we are seen slipping through crowds, late for an appointment or for work, or just walking and a comfortably fast pace. Now because we are so rare, we scarcely see the other walking the streets, or if we do, it is only for a brief moment.
"Oh sorry," I plainly stated, quite stunned.
"Opps, I must not have seen you there," the woman replied just as surprised.
"Here let me help you," I offered as I saw her bag had fallen to the pavement.
"Thanks," she replied softly with a pleasant smile.
"Sure thing," I said as I returned the smile. I have never had such a pleasant encounter on such a rushed morning. And, there was something about that smile and that voice that just hit me inside. It was just perfect. The tone of those few words was just as beautiful as her smile was.
As I turned back the direction of my office, and got back up to pace, I took a quick glance at my watch, knowing that I would not like what I saw. It read 49 seconds to get to walk 2 blocks, and up 5 floors.
"Dan, hurry up! The meeting's about to begin!" Sam called as I walked through the door.
"What meeting? I didn't know we were having a meeting!" I replied.
"Didn't you get the memo? Didn't you read the news? Our shares went all the way down to $1 yesterday and everyone's frantic! Just get in here!"
"No, I heard about that on the radio, but I didn't think it affected us at all because wasn't it P&G?" I asked as we walked to the conference room.
"EVERYONE took a big hit, not just P&G."
"Oh crap," I nervously whispered, entering the room.
"Dan your late. Sit down." Bob, my manager, ordered.
"Sorry Bob," I apologized, taking my seat.
"So, you all know what happened yesterday, right?"
"Yup," most of the people in the room responded.
"Good, and are you all aware that we were greatly affected yesterday, too?"
"Yup," we replied in unison again.
"We are in a pretty big ditch right now, guys and we desperately need to get out. Hopefully, the company will rebound quickly, but who knows how quickly that will be. So basically, we need a plan of what to do in this office, until headquarters tells us specifically what to do. We need some ideas, shout them out."
"Cut expenses," a voice from the back rang out.
"Ok, and what do you want to cut specifically?" This question was hard to answer and nobody dared to try. Nobody wanted to speak out and suggest something that would cause his or her colleagues to hold a grudge upon him or her. "Nothing? Does anybody have anything?"
Everybody felt the tension in the air of the unspoken answer. If headquarters came in here now, everyone knows that they will start slashing jobs left and right to save their asses. I didn't like this tense silence, so I tried to change the subject, "Is this thing so bad that we need to start cutting expenses drastically? Wouldn't that be a little rash?"
The tension seemed to be momentarily relieved as the silence was broken until they heard Bob's answer. "Were in really deep shit right now Dan and I don't think we have time to let it work itself out. We need to do something to help our situation, especially before headquarters steps in." The brief moment of ease was quickly erased by Bob's call to reality. How were we supposed to make a decision on this matter. We didn't want change and we were perfectly happy with out situations. "So, now that you all realize how serious this situation is, can we move on with this meeting? So, what else can we do? Cut bonuses? Take away insurance? None of this is any good, but, come on guys, give me something."
We all knew our jobs were on the line and even if we cut bonuses and took away the insurance, there was still going to need to be job cuts. Nobody wanted to speak up and acknowledge the truth. "Just go work and we might call a meeting for later today."
I couldn't bear another second of that meeting and I knew that whatever decision they came to, it wouldn't be pretty. Besides, I could not stop thinking of that woman I bumped into on the way to work. Her smile just kept flashing into my mind and it was killing me.
I had a lot of work to get done, but it was so hard to motivate myself knowing that my job might be in jeopardy. Not to mention the image of that woman and the thought of meeting her again. She is just so beautiful and yet I have only caught a short glimpse of her on a day when I was very flustered. The way she smiled at me and thanked me for helping pick her bag up just made me go numb. Her soft voice was so unbelievably mesmerizing.
Wait! I couldn't possibly be so attracted to this woman that I had never said anything to and that I barely know. I am married to a lovely wife, who I love dearly. This is such a conflicting feeling. I tried to bury this attraction all day, but i just couldn't. Everywhere I went, everything I did, I saw her. She wouldn't get out of my head.
I would walk to the printer to pick up a spreadsheet I printed and the scene where I bumped into her would replay in my head again and again and again. As much as I wanted her to image to get out of my head, I enjoyed seeing her and didn't want to forget her.
I settled down after an hour or two and was able to get some work done. I still had to deal with the crisis our company was going through, but somehow I got through the day.
I decided I was going leave the office promptly at 5:00. I had to get out of this uncomfortably tense atmosphere and get back home where I can relax. I didn't want to be tempted any more. But before I left, Bob wanted a word with me. "I am very worried about headquarters coming in here. You and I and everyone else in that meeting knows that they will cut most of our jobs. Nobody will come out happy."
"So what are we going to do?" This question was hopeless at this point.
"Just sit and wait, I guess. What else can we do. They are set in fixing this problem by their means."
Now this scared me, the thought of having no control over these people who have so much control over you. "Are you certain it's all going to happen tomorrow?"
"Almost 100% positive. They gave me a call earlier today."
"Alright."
"I will put in my best word for you, but I have no idea of who they are going to choose."
"Thanks Bob."
"Sure thing Dan." There was no more need to discuss what was going to happen. It was long out of our hands.
"I will see you tomorrow."
"Bye bye Dan."
I called Susanna on my way to the parking garage to pick up my car. She said that she had to finish up a project she was working on and that she would be home a bit later. She said that there was no need to pick her up either and that she would take the train. This was annoying because all I wanted to do was go home, forget about work, try not to worry about tomorrow, and take my mind off it. I was planning on spending a nice night with Susanna, but I guess I would have to take it easy by myself.
There was a very good amount of traffic tonight, which was the last thing I needed. My mind was wandering and it kept coming back to that woman, and how I bumped into her, apologized and she thanked with that oh so lovely smile. I needed just to get home as soon as possible, and get my mind off work and that woman. I turned on the radio and the radio DJ kindly informed me about the traffic I had been sitting in for the past 42 minutes. "It looks like there is some traffic outbound on Route 50 for about 6-8 miles. I would say avoid Route 50 if you can..."
"So, now you tell me! After I'm already deep into the heart of the traffic. This better open up soon." I could stand idling like that for hours, I was so antsy.
"...That was the traffic report and here is some new music coming your way!" Some unpleasant pop song came on.
"Ugh, this is crappy." I flipped to my other programed stations, which are usually reliable. "Really? Nothing's on? This sucks." I decided to listen to some infomercials with some girl with a very high and whiny voice. It was either that, or a girl just like that singing, so I thought I could wait the commercial break out.
As I heard the beginnings to a Subway commercial, I realized that I forgot to eat lunch because I was so busy today. My hunger erupted and my stomach started cramping with rumbles. I was tempted to ask the guy in the car next to me if he had any spare food he could share.
This hunger subsided here and there, but was persistent for the rest of the commute back home. The music situation wasn't perfect either. Just as I was reaching the outside of the traffic and the cars were started to speed up, I heard the flopping of rubber and couldn't believe it. "A flat tire! Of all times, I have one now. My day couldn't get any worse!" I complained. The flat tire took about 15 minutes to change and by the time I got back on the road it was 7:00.
The rest of my ride back to my home was fine, but when I arrived home it was 7:56. A 3 hour commute is exactly what I didn't need.
As I walked through the door, I was slammed by a linebacker covered in fur, knocking me back on my heels. Ajax, our German Shepherd, never disappoints with a knee-buckling greeting. "Hi Ajax!" I replied, while getting whipped by his tail. He sure had a strong tail that could deliver some punishing blows, but his happiness quickly made me forget about my work. I walked passed the entrance way and dropped my briefcase near the door. I almost fell over because he was running figure eights around me, making me dizzy. I rubbed his side, causing him to roll right over, asking for a belly rub, which I gladly gave. His tongue was hanging right out of his mouth, enjoying this treatment like royalty. Clumps of fur started flying off into the air as I combed his soft coat. "I'm running upstairs to change really quick, then I will take you to the park!" Now this made Ajax VERY happy. His tail went into overdrive and started banging against the door so loud that I thought that his tail was going to break through the door. He immediately burst into a giant grin of pure glee. I knew for sure that Ajax would love the trip to the park, but I also thought how refreshing it would make me feel. After being stuck in a car and an office all day, a nice walk with my best pal Ajax will be splendid.
I went upstairs, slipped out of my formal attire, or at least tried to. Ajax followed me of course, grabbing every toy that he could find and running into me with it, tempting me to play with him. I grabbed the stuffed dog from his jaws and tugged with him for a short while. He let go, allowing me to throw it for him and he went bounding down the hall to chase after it. After a few seconds, I heard two thumps then I saw Ajax coming for me with a full head of steam, stuffed dog in mouth. I braced myself while trying to put on a pair of shorts and I was promptly topped over onto the bed, while a panting dog slobbered on my legs, taunting me to kick the stuffed animal. I sat up, grabbed a t-shirt and socks from my drawer and started to walk downstairs. "Come on, let's go Ajax!" I called and he sprang up like a kangaroo speeding in front of me. He reached the end of the hall and turned back, giving me a look of, "LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO!" Once I got close enough that he was certain that I would follow him, he bolted down the stairs, waiting at the bottom just as he had at the end of the hallway.
I walked over to the hall closet to grab a jacket, but was stopped short by Ajax. He wasn't even going to let me get a jacket before taking me out, he just wanted me to walk right out to the door. So, I bent down, rubbed his ears and his belly for a few seconds then I jumped up and quickly reached into the hall closet grabbing a jacket, catching him off guard. He sprang right up even more ready to go than before. "OK, I'm ready. You lead the way," I told Ajax while grabbing the lead and doggie bag.
I looked outside to make sure nobody was walking past our house, checking if the coast was clear and it was clear. I opened the door and Ajax bolted down the steps and out to the edge of the sidewalk, sniffing the air for scent of other dogs. This was a usual routine for him. He always had to protect our house and that meant doing background checks on who had been near our house, or on the front yard. He sure was a sniffer. Whenever a guest came to our house, he or she was greeted with a few loud barks, letting them know that Ajax was the security and they had to pass his tests. He then proceeded to sniff the shoes that they took off and the coat that they hung up and the goods that they brought, making sure that everything about them was Ajax approved. Even if he has seen this guest multiple times before and clearly knew who he or she was, he would still go through the same routine. Susanna and I would tell him, "It's OK, Ajax," trying to convince him that we have invited this guest into our home and that we trust him or her, but this wouldn't stand with Ajax until he completed his background check. Once pleased, he would lie down in the front hallway waiting for the next guest to arrive or the next person to walk by the house, so he could use his booming bark to let everyone know he's watching you.
Not only would he do these background checks on guests, but sometimes on us! Ajax will usually fall asleep in his "guard spot" and when we come home, while he is in this state, he will get very startled. He'll wake up to the sound of the key turning in the door and start to bark, alerting us that he is behind the door that we dare open. Once opened, he will give us a quick sniff, to make sure we weren't impostors, then he will turn back into happy, animated, tail-wagging self.
Once he was satisfied with his sniffing of the air outside our house, we began to walk down the street towards the way of the park. We had done this walk so many times that I didn't even need to talk to Ajax to tell him when to cross the street or stop at certain driveways where cars frequently came out of. I loved walking with Ajax because he walked just like me. He wasn't impatient, but he walked briskly with a purpose and that purpose was to get to the park ASAP. For Ajax, the walk wasn't exciting. There was nothing to see or do on the walk, except go to the bathroom and sniff a few trees for scents of other dogs. But the park, on the other hand, was filled with entertainment. There were other people, dogs and toys. What more could a dog ask for? Visiting the park was also a fun time for me. I got to be in a comforting sanctuary, chat with fellow dog owners, and watch my dog and other dogs frolic and play with each other, all quite happy.
With park in sight, Ajax now picked up his pace, eager to get to the park as quickly as his paws can take him. I couldn't even keep up with him, he was moving so fast. I called him back to heel a little because I didn't want any stranger to walk by thinking there was a stray dog strolling the streets. That would certainly make them uncomfortable. But, as soon as Ajax was a mere 20 yards from the park, there was now hope in keeping him back, so I called out to him "OK Ajax, Go on," allowing him to go scout out the park. And that is exactly what he did.
He turned his trot into a gallop and strode off into the park, greeting the other dogs with a quick lap around the middle of the park. After he had completed his short run of the park, he tracked back to greet me at the entrance. Satisfied that I had safely arrived, Ajax returned his attention to his fellow playmates.
"Hi Dan!" Sam, the owner of a golden retriever Ajax knows very well, called as soon as I stepped in sight. He was always so peppy and happy, I don't know how he does it.
"Hey Sam! Great day to be out at the park," I replied. I glanced over to where Ajax and Roxy, Sam's golden retriever, were playing and saw Roxy sprint after a tennis ball with Ajax right on her tail, tongue out, saliva flying everywhere.
"Yup, sure is. And just look at them," he said gesturing to Ajax and Roxy, "They are having a blast." He sure was right. They were now on their third round of chasing after the tennis ball and neither of them had any intent on stopping soon.
"I bet they could go at it for the rest of the day if they had the choice."
"Oh definitely. No doubt about it." They were on throw 5 and still going strong.
Ajax had successfully covered his whole face in saliva, giving him the look of a rabid animal. The only way one could tell that this dog wasn't about to chase you down and bite you was the giant grin he was bearing. Not only had he gotten the saliva all over his face, but also he had somehow been able to get his back with the slime. He had small streaks on his mid back that sure made him attractive to pet. Now the way he had gotten these saliva streaks on his back is a wonder to me, but I can only guess what a video of him running, played in slow motion, would reveal. And that would be a tongue swinging from one side of his face to another, back and forth spewing saliva every time it hits the side of his face. The thought of this makes me chuckle and think of the life a dog lives and how care free it is.
"I wish I could run like this all day, they look so happy. Just be a dog, you know?"
"What I would give to do exactly that," Sam said watching Ajax and Roxy take a 6th run. They were starting to get a little tired as their pace seemed to slow, and they didn't have the pop they had when the ball was first thrown. Turning back towards us after retrieving the tennis ball, I whistled to them and clapped my hands encouraging them to run back to us quicker, not that it made a difference. "So how's everything going Dan? How's Susanna?" He kindly asked.
"Good. She is working late again tonight. She's been under crunch time with work lately and has had to stay at the office until late for the past week. She is working very hard and I commend her for it." Ajax and Roxy were now on run 7 and would be in need of a break quite soon.
"Sorry to hear about that. That is tough to do, but I am sure that everything will settle down soon enough and you all can relax for a little bit. Work is going good for you?"
"We hope. Yup everything fine," I replied trying my hardest to not think about my work. The least thing I wanted right now was to be reminded about work and the hellhole that I was going to step in tomorrow. Now was supposed to be my time to forget about everything else and just live life like Ajax and Roxy did. Enjoy the pleasures and pay no attention to anything else. "How about you? How is life treating you? The kids?"
"Pretty good, actually. I have now become the branch manager of my bank. The wife and kids are great. My oldest just went on a field trip to the aquarium, which I was lucky enough to be able to slip on over from my office for. They got to see the marine hospital where they help heal fish, and they got to see the dissecting of a squid. Pretty interesting stuff." Ajax and Roxy have now found a suitable piece of grass to lie on, and they have both begun their break.
"Sounds great! That is very cool! We are still holding off for a bit to have kids. We are waiting for the right time. I have been ready, but Susanna still wants to wait a little longer."
"I'm sure everything will work out in the end. Everything was meant to for a reason."
"Thanks Sam."
I looked up over the tree tops and viewed the sky's sunset. There was a single line of cloud that seemed to be one step behind the rest of the sky. When the backdrop was turning pink from purple, that strip of cloud was turning purple from blue. When the backdrop was turning red from orange , that strip of cloud was turning orange from yellow. It was very interesting to see such a intriguing cloud that was always one shade behind the rest of the sky. It made this sunset that much beautiful, though. I could not keep my eyes off the horizon, wanting to know what color, the sky would change to next.
"Hey Sam, take a look at the sky," I said gesturing to the tops of the trees where the sky shone a deep magenta and the cloud was still a purple and blue mixture of some sort.
"Wow, that sky is beautiful!" Sam exclaimed. "That is just amazing. I have never seen anything like that."
"Yeah, I know. It looks so surreal."
"I wonder how that works out to be like that. I mean when do you ever witness a sunset like this?" The colors were shifting again. This time the sky was turning into an intense, bright orange, while the cloud was following suit, changing into the sky's previous magenta. "Oh, now that is a deadly color combination."
The Dogs were now up and running again. Both Ajax and Roxy were ready for a few more runs, feeling a second wind come over them. Roxy had the tennis ball rolling around in her mouth, trying to shove it into Sam or my hand, taunting us to take it. Ajax, on the other hand wasn't worried about the ball, but only on Roxy's movements. I reached out my hand and let the tennis ball, if you can even call it that, roll into my hand. The "tennis ball" was covered in wet, damp saliva. The ball had already soaked up all the saliva it could take and was fully saturated, so the excess saliva that was continuously added just sit on the outside giving the green ball streaks of white foam. It weighed almost 3 times the normal weight and was now more like a baseball, but so slippery it felt like it was covered in ice. I held the ball up and made Roxy sit. Her full attention was on the tennis ball. Every movement of that ball dictated the movement of her. If I quickly cocked back and prepared to throw the tennis ball, she would bounce up on all fours and ready herself for a sprint across the field after the rolling, saliva filled, green tennis ball.
This quick movement will make Ajax come to attention and jump back a foot ready to chase after Roxy. Now Ajax had his complete undivided attention on Roxy. He reacted to every move she made by either dropping on all fours, bouncing on her paws, while inching closer to Roxy, or jumping back in preparation for the run she was about to embark on.
If I were to move the ball from my chest to my waist, Roxy would lift up her front paws and slap them down, anticipating the ball dropping to hit the ground. In reaction to this movement, Ajax would bounce forward getting closer to Roxy. It was so much fun watching these two lunatics interact. Ajax had his full attention on Roxy, while Roxy had her full attention on the tennis ball in my hand. So, all they cared about was the tennis ball in my hand, but me, as a person, was not payed attention to at the least. Although, I did have control over all of their movements. By the way that I have control over the tennis ball's movements. If I let the ball in my hand rest at my side and continued a conversation with Sam over here, both those dogs would still be on high alert, ready to run, even if I showed no intent of throwing the ball soon.
Eventually, I cocked back and let the ball fly high over both the dogs heads. They both turned straight around and bolted after the saliva filled ball. Slime flew through the air, trailing the tennis ball, but most of the excess slime, stayed on my hand. I bent down to wipe my hand on the grass, attempting to rid my hand of the slippery gook that came off the ball. Instead, I just ended up trading some saliva for some loose grass that had been cut recently. There was no hope in cleansing my hand now. I might as well continue pleasing Ajax and Roxy and keep tossing that dead weight for them.
I stood up and commented on the amount of slime on my hand. "One throw and look at this! They've turned me over to the dark side!"
This brought a chuckle out of Sam, which made me laugh along. "Oh the troubles of owning a dog are just so great," Sam remarked with sarcasm.
"But actually, it must get at least a little annoying to have to do this every day. And have your hand get attacked by saliva every time you pick up the ball to throw for her, right?" I suggested.
"Yeah, I guess so." He probably found it annoying, but never really thought about doing anything about it, thinking it was just a normal everyday task of dog ownership.
"What it there was some way where Roxy and Ajax could be pleased and get their exercise fill in, while we didn't have to get our hand dirty. How nice would that be?" I was starting to get on a role now.
"That would be nice. What are you thinking of Dan?" He prodded.
"Maybe some claw-like device that would be able to grasp things like tennis balls, and yet still be able to throw the ball for our dogs. Just do everything we would do with our hand, but without the grossness."
"That sounds like a great idea you got there, you should definitely look into it. You might be onto something." At that very moment, the heavens opened up and out of nowhere, we were getting drenched with rain. By now, both dogs were sufficiently exercised and tired out. They were ready to go back to their respective homes as quick as possible to get out of the rain. This wasn't just a heavy rain, it was a PELTING rain, that felt like it could penetrate you like bullets. The wind was so strong that you had to lean far into the direction where it was coming from to stand up straight. I couldn't even look up into the rain because it was coming so hard at us. The trees were swaying like I have never seen. Debris from the tree kept coming at us. The last place I wanted to be right now was out at the park during these hurricane like conditions. It felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane and a tornado at once, and all I wanted to do was go home and lie down on the couch, in front of the Television, and watch the game. On top of that, my hunger, which had subsided for a good time, had just came back and my stomach started cramping up. I didn't really realize it, but I hadn't eaten in almost 9 hours. This made me want to get home as quick as possible even more.
"It was nice to talk to you Sam, I will see you around," I said goodbye to Sam as he and I parted ways.
"You too! Take it easy, Dan," Sam replied leaving the park. Ajax and I started home, walking at as brisk as a pace as the pace that he walked up to the park at. Usually I would walk at a slightly slower pace than the pace that I walk up to the park at with Ajax right by my side lacking the excitement and the energy to get to the park as quick as possible. I was almost jogging now. The street was covered with water. It looked as if you could water ski down the small hill, there was SO much water covering the pavement. A car passed going just a little bit faster than Ajax and my speed, cautiously maneuvering the road, so as not to slip or lose control in any way. My shoes were squishing with every step and I could feel the water between my toes. I knew that I would not be wearing these shoes for a while because they would, no doubt, take a week or two to dry out.
Hopefully Susanna had come home by now and was able to cook something to eat. I had not gotten a call from her, but she doesn't always call, so maybe there's a chance that got home and was able to prepare something. The short break from my troubles and into a world of tranquility was quickly broken and torn apart as I got home. My hunger kept rising and I couldn't think about anything else, but eating.
I walked into the entrance of my house and grabbed a towel from the bench to my right. Ajax always loved this part because he would always get a massage out of it. I dried him off with that towel, leaving him warm and relaxed, fully massaged. He trotted away walking into the kitchen to get some water to drink. It is as if he didn't get enough water already on our saturated walk back from the park. I was still standing in the doorway, now covered with fur, soaking wet, hungry, and cold. I took a second towel for me and tossed the used one near the stairs to the basement where it would be run through the laundry and brought right back up here again, just to repeat the same cycle again. I dried my pants, my shirt and my head as much as I could, knowing I would just go change any second now.
My hunger was still a great problem though, so I called out to my wife, "Susanna? Are you home darling?" No response.
"Ugh," I moaned. This meant that I had to muster up something as quick as possible before my hunger would get the best of me. I just didn't have the energy to make anything. I opened the cupboard to see what we had that I could make quickly. "Any pasta? No? Crackers, cookies, chips, nuts, Nutella, dried mushrooms, hot cocoa, marshmallows, dog cookies," I mumbled to myself. I couldn't believe we had nothing to cook quickly that would suffice as dinner.
Slightly discouraged, I opened up the refrigerator, hoping for some leftovers. I found the fridge almost completely empty! Susanna had told me yesterday that she was going grocery shopping and that she would be back to restock the fridge! What the hell happened!? Had she just gone out and forgot to do what she said she was going to do. There was NOTHING I could cook, even if I had the energy to take the time and cook a nice meal. Could that be what she is doing now, since she forgot yesterday? Is she just trying to get those groceries before I notice? Is that why it is taking her so long to get home?
Either way, I was stuck with nothing to eat, but snacks on snacks. I grabbed a jar of mixed nuts and ate away. It felt so good to eat something and put some edible substance in my stomach. I ate my way through a good amount of those nuts until i got sick of them and moved onto the chips. These weren't anything special, but they were loaded with salt and pepper, which made me quickly rush to the sink for a glass of water. I had forgotten how thirsty I was. Usually when you don't eat for most of the day, you also don't drink much fluids, so I had been quite dehydrated.
After this short bout with the very salty and peppery chips, I grabbed a box of crackers. I combed through the fridge to find something of which I could place on the top of these crackers to make my dinner THAT much more exciting. Luckily, I found some Jarlsberg Cheese. There was a tad bit of mold on it, but I easily cut it off. Now this was refreshing. I finally was eating something that had a flavor other than salty or artificially processed and loaded with crap.
After topping off the Jarlsberg, my stomach ache had let up to the point where I could stop thinking about food and go on with the rest of my night. This meant going upstairs and changing out of these soggy, cold clothes and changing into my pajamas. I could then feel somewhat more relaxed being dry and not hungry.
As I walked upstairs to our bedroom, I felt a breeze coming down the hall. I hoped I had not left our window open, knowing that everything in the room would be soaked, but I couldn't remember it being opened when I left. "Hmm," I thought, "If I didn't open that window, where could the breeze be coming from?" That question was soon answered as entered our bedroom. There was a huge branch sticking out of the window!
I first thought, "How on EARTH could this have happened!? How did this branch possibly get through the window!?"
This could not be happening right now. I couldn't believe that this had happened. There were only a couple of trees in our back yard, not that many, but one managed to fall right through our bedroom window. There was still a steady downpour, so the rain was blowing straight through the window, following the direction of the fallen branch. I didn't even bother to change, I was in so much shock. I just picked up the phone and my first instinct was to call my wife.
The phone rang ten and a half times and went straight to voice mail. I hung up and dialed her number again, just in case she hadn't been able to reach her phone in time. I lifted the phone to my ear. The phone rang and rang and rang and on the tenth ring, her voice came on the line. She sounded angry or just frustrated. "Yes, Dan?"
"Hi honey, are you OK? You've been at work for quite the while?" I asked wondering where she could be.
"I just had a lot to get done and I'll be home soon." She seemed really impatient. I don't know why she was the one who was impatient or angry. She wasn't the person who came home starving, had to take the dog to the park, get drenched in the rain and come home to find the bedroom window smashed through by a tree limb.
"Well alright. There's sort of a problem here. When I came home--" I started by wasn't able to finish.
"Can this wait until I get home? I have to go right now. I'll see you shortly. Bye, bye." Before I could say anything else, she had hung up. I couldn't believe this! She doesn't answer any of my calls, then when I finally get through to her, I am only able to get two sentences out of her! The least thing she could do was let me ask her one question or say SOMETHING to her!
Now I was stuck, not knowing exactly when she was coming home, only that she would be home "soon." I had to do something about this tree limb that had taken its new home in our house. I was still soaking wet and needed to change, but didn't want to change until I knew that I didn't have to go outside again to take care of the tree limb. On top of all this, I was not properly nourished and therefore had little to no energy left to do anything, but take my body to the couch and lie motionless, watching TV.
I didn't know any tree specialists off the top of my head, so I gave Sam a call, hoping that he would have some knowledge of what do to in this situation.
Before I said anything on the line, he picked up the phone and said, "Hey there neighbor! Hopefully you got back home not too wet?"
I was surprised that he knew it was me, but he revealed that it was caller ID. "I am in a pretty tough situation right now. I came home to find a tree limb crashed into my bedroom window. I am not sure what to do right now and I was wondering if you knew any tree specialists by any chance."
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry to hear Dan. I actually do know a good number of tree specialists, but before you go out spending all you money, let me come over and take a look. Maybe I can help you out enough that you don't need to call in a tree specialist."
"You don't have to Sam. Really, it is fine." I couldn't believe that he had actually known any tree specialists. I wasn't expecting him to be able to give me any help, but I have to give it to that guy he has a lot a of connections. I'm not sure whether he has any knowledge of taking care of situations like this, but I did not expect that he was going to offer to come over late at night, in the rain, when he could be relaxing in the comforts of his own home, not getting soaked. I also wasn't quite certain if he was just a wannabe handy man or actually could fix the predicament I was in, but he did know tree specialists.
"It's no problem at all. I would love to help out a friend in need, especially in such a messy situation."
There is no harm in letting him have a look. He is also an incredibly kind neighbor, so I wasn't going to say no. "Alright, well I don't want to impose on you at all, but if you are willing to, that would be great if you could lend a hand."
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll be over in five minutes, I just have to grab some gear from the garage." He had GEAR? Maybe he actually was a tree specialist, and he had a reason to know other ones.
"There is no rush at all. Thank you so much."
"Anytime."
I hung up the phone and walked back down stairs, still in my damp clothes. There was still no point in changing if I was going to have to help Sam out in the rain soon. I poured myself a glass of water and downed it instantaneously. I refilled the glass and started sipping away at it, balancing it with some salty nuts and chips. In what felt like 30 seconds, Sam was at my door and ready to work. I offered him some water, but he denied politely saying, "I've already had a few glasses at home, but thanks anyways."
I led him upstairs to where the scene of the crime was. He addressed the situation, "I doesn't look too bad. Luckily the limb didn't break though any of the wall and knock over the dresser because the window shouldn't be too tough to replace. I don't think you will need to call in any tree specialist at all."
"Well that is a relief," I said with a sigh.
"If you want we can go out and get it over with now, or we can wait until tomorrow. I think it would be easier tomorrow because we would have light to work with and hopefully, we wouldn't be trying to work in the rain. I could also bring an electric saw that would make this job a lot easier. Tomorrow might be the best option."
"If you think that would work better, then why don't we do that. You are doing me a huge favor and I owe you a big one."
"Alright then, I will be home around 6ish, so just give me a ring when you are free."
"Thank you again. You are such a great help and I can't even begin to thank you enough," I said as I walked him downstairs to the door.
"Really Dan, Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for."
"Goodnight Sam."
"Goodnight Dan."
Now that he left, I grabbed a trash bag and went back upstairs to duct tape it around the whole that was once a window. After this was completed, I was finally able to change out of my clothes and into a pair of warm, dry pajamas. I realized that I wouldn't be able to sleep with the breeze still making its way in through the "window," so I took a blanket and my pillow and set up shop in the couch in the living room. I was out cold in no time, sleeping like a baby.
I woke up the next day feeling well rested and somewhat at peace. This all lasted for a good 5 seconds, when I tried to get up and my neck shot up in pain. I tried to more it left and right, but it would just stiffen up and I couldn't move it without a shooting pain. Sleeping on the couch last night was not the best idea for my neck.
I slowly sat up and rose from the couch, being extremely careful to not make any sudden movements to hurt my neck. I checked my cell phone for the time and it read 6:57. This was not good. I had to rush to take Ajax out now and still get back in time to shower and eat breakfast. I called upstairs to Susanna to wake her up and let her know that I was going to take Ajax to the park.
She replied quite muffled, "OK, thanks."
"I'll be back in half an hour," I called starting my search for the dog. This was odd because usually he will be up just as I wake up, running circles around me, getting excited about our trip to the park. I checked in the kitchen, the dining room, the study and he was nowhere to be found. "Honey, is Ajax up there with you?" I waited for a couple of seconds, but got no reply. "Susanna," I rang.
"What?" came that muffled call back to me. She had probably fallen right back to sleep and that would not have made me happy when I came back home.
"Do you see Ajax up there?" I asked again.
There was a pause, and I felt her sitting up and looking around the room. "No, I don't think so. I don't see him. Do you know why there is a trash bag over our window?"
I really didn't have the time to explain this to her right now, especially because I couldn't find Ajax. "A tree limb fell and crashed into our window last night, so that is why I slept on the couch down here. I will get it taken care of today. I'm going to look for Ajax, I'll take my phone."
"OK," she replied. And I was out the door. I could not believe Ajax had run away and I had no clue to why he would want to. Immediately I speedily walked to the park, assuming that would be a good first place to find him. It did not take me long to get there and I was relieved to find Ajax sitting at the feet of Sam's. Right next to Ajax was Roxy, lying down with a litter of six new puppies! Sam looked at peace even though his dog had just given birth to six new puppies and I was thoroughly confused at what had happened in this situation. I was mostly just relieved to find my dog safe and sound.
"What...How did...uhhh..." I couldn't form sentances I was in pure shock.
"Apparently, Roxy was pregnant. I was not aware at all of this, until when i walked her up here to the park, she just popped these guys out and I helped her deliver them right here on the grass."
"Oh gosh! That's amazing. Where did you find Ajax?" I asked flabbergasted at the fact that he had delivered 6 newborn puppies. Was there anything that this mad couldn't do? He's a tress specialist, veterinarian of some sort, and he's the manager of a company!
"Well, he actually found me. I hadn't even started to deliver the puppies and Ajax was right here by her side. It's quite amazing that he sensed it and came to her side."
"I'm dumbfounded about how Ajax was able to know where and when Roxy was going to have her puppies. And just the fact that she was pregnant. I guess it makes sense that Ajax was the dad, but this is just very unexpected." I really did not know what to do in this situation and truthfully I didn't have the time to deal with it. I had to get to work and I couldn't be late.
"Yeah, I guess they had been acting kind of different lately and something had to be up."
I had to get back to the house. It was already 7:30. "I feel really, really bad doing this, but I have to go to work today, I can't miss it. So, I have to run right now. I assume I shouldn't take Ajax since he should be with Roxy. Do you need anything from me or is there anyone I can call to help you? A vet?" Hopefully he understood.
"Oh sure, go do what you have to do. I'm just going to stay here with them a while, then I will figure out what to do. I think I will be fine, this isn't too hard of a situation to handle. It's pretty peaceful. But, thank you. I will let you know if anything comes up." I don't know how he stays so calm and relaxed, but I couldn't ponder on that right now, I had to get to work as quick as possible.
I almost sprinted home, in my pajamas and my sandals, getting odd looks from pedestrians passing by. When I arrived home, Susanna was up and about, thankfully, and had gotten fairly ready for work.
"I found Ajax," I told her as I leaped upstairs for a quick shower.
"Great," She replied, half acknowledging what I had said.
Getting out of the shower, I quickly changed into a button down shirt and some slacks, grabbed a tie and was back downstairs to grab a quick bite to eat.
"So, apparently Ajax is a father. I found him at the park with Sam and Roxy. You know Sam? He lives just a few streets over. Anyway, when I got up to the park, Ajax was lying next to Roxy with six newborn puppies curled up between them." I cut the story short to inhale a bowl of cereal.
"Wow! Really? He's a father?" she replied. She seemed unusually interested.
"Yeah, I know, it's crazy!"
"Well, where is Ajax now?" she asked.
"He's still up at the park with Sam and Roxy. I left Sam to take care of him because he said he had it under control and I had to get to work." I was done with my cereal and had moved to the door to grab a jacket and put on my shoes.
"Oh, that's sweet of him. He is such a nice neighbor."
"Yup, he is," I said somewhat jealously because I was. He had the ideal life and he was good at ANYTHING he did. "I'll tell you more about everything including the window in the car. I just need to get going right now or else I'll be late."
"Alright, I'm coming," Susanna replied as usual.
I swiftly drove into town skillfully avoiding the usual everyday traffic. It looked as if I might still be able to get to work somewhat on time. I swung by Susanna's office, dropping her off. At least she would be more on time that I would be. I parked the car in the parking garage and started my walk to my office. I had not forgot about that woman that I had saw. I hoped to see her again on this walk through the streets to my office. To see that shining, beautiful smile would brighten my day and make me forget about everything else: the puppies, my job, the lack of food, my neck. Everything would just go on hold and I would be able to freeze in that moment with her. I would possibly say something to her this time, not just stutter and mumble some apology.
I didn't see her this time even though I walked as I usually do, with a purpose, trying to get to work as quickly as possible. I didn't get that relief from all my anxieties, and instead I had to go straight into my work and face my future. As I walked into the office, I could sense the tension in the air. Most people were at their desks, but there were a few groups of people congregated around a couple of desks talking no doubt. I was certain that everyone was talking about the possible or probable job cuts and everyone was nervous about the situation. I couldn't imagine that anyone would get any sufficient work done today, unless they knew for sure that their job was safe. In that case, they were the lucky ones who could ignore the edgy mood in the office.
I walked up to a group of my fellow coworkers. "How are you all doing? Has there been any announcements of anything? Meetings?" Since I was late to work, I wasn't sure if i had missed anything of importance.
"No, they haven't said anything yet, but we expect Bob to tell us something soon," one of them answered. I figured that I would go check in with Bob to see if he had heard any news, hoping he wasn't too busy.
I knocked on his door and poked my head inside, alerting him that I was there. He motioned for me to come in and he was on a phone call. I took a seat at one of his two chairs facing the desk that he was sitting at. As he was finishing up his phone call, I heard chunks of it, but I wasn't totally sure of what the person on the other line was saying to him. Bob seemed frustrated though. "We've been one of your best producing branches in this whole area...there's no need for that, we can stay afloat...we are in such a crucial position in the city though...you can't do this to us...is this really the logical decision here...what about Chevy Chase? Their numbers don't even come close to ours...Oh shit. Well than what about Beltsville then?...No! There must be some other solution...Can you at least come down and tell them face to face or just help me do it?...Thanks...I will see you later today Bill."
"That did not sound good," I said. "What's the deal?" I knew what he was going to say, but I didn't want to hear it so I just hoped that I was wrong.
"Our branch is getting shut down. They are shutting down 5 in our area. They just can't keep it up. The company, as a whole, took too big of a hit."
"Oh Shit! No! I can not believe this! This can't be happening!" My day was going down fast and it had just started.
"I figured they would have to close a couple of branches, but I didn't think for a second that that would be ours. We have one of the best production turn outs in the DC area. And we are in the city god dammit! Why shut down a critical branch and leave some meager branch in the suburbs. Ah, this makes me so angry!"
"Did they say what to do or what was going to happen?" My mind just started racing about not having a job and having to deal with the puppies, and I needed some order.
"Someone from corporate is coming down to talk with me and I will find out then. Until then, I don't want to break the news to them because I don't want to have to deal with the swarm of hostility."
"That makes sense...Ugh! This makes me so angry!" I had been with this company for 2 years and was moving up through the ranks, but I felt really bad for Bob. He had been with them for seven years and was now the manager of this branch. He had made a name for himself and had a great relationship with the company. I really hoped everything worked out fine with him because I would feel horrible if I was in his situation.
"I don't think there's really much else we can do other than just wait for the guys from corporate to arrive."
"All because of some dumb ass who couldn't read and bought 1 billion stocks instead of 1 million," I remembered. "If it wasn't for him we wouldn't be in this situation right now and all of this could be easily diverted." We just sat there in silence for a moment. There was no need to say anything. We both knew what we were thinking. Visualizing what we would do in the next month/the rest of our life.
Finally Bob broke the silence, by saying, "I guess you should get back to your office now. We don't want the other workers to start getting suspicious."
"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for talking Bob, hang in there." I left his office and walked back to my desk. For the rest of the day, I was waiting just like everyone else. I did some work to keep myself preoccupied at some points. I mingled with my fellow coworkers and realized that they all knew the situation with the job cuts. Soon enough, the people from corporate arrived at our office. Bob greeted them and they went into his office. The tension kept on rising and rising until finally they emerged from Bob's door.
Bob spoke first, "Everyone would you please listen up. The people from corporate are here today and they have something to tell you."
Now a woman took over, "As you may know, the stock market took a large hit a few days ago and we have been greatly affected by it. We lost a lot of money and we have to downsize a bit. What I mean by this is that we have to close some branches. We have talked all yesterday about, which decision would be the best for you and the best for the company and we have come to the consensus that we should close 5 branches in the DC area. I am terribly sorry to inform you that this branch is one of those branches."
Even though everyone knew something like this was coming, there was still unrest with the workers. People started yelling things out like "Why us?" and "Why can't you all give up part of your $3 million a year salary to keep us going?" Nobody was happy. They passed out some information pamphlet, that nobody payed great attention to. It felt like everyone just wanted to get out of here (including me). So at 4:00 PM I walked out of the office. And walked to my car and started my commute home.
After such a terrible day at the office, I wanted to get as far away as possible. I quickly reached my car and drove to the highway with urgency. I was not encountering that much traffic, which should be a good thing, but I might have been better going bumper to bumper in traffic because I was caught with a speeding ticket. Trying to get home briskly, I was pulled over by a gray police cruiser with their lights flashing. I pulled to the side of the road right away, not wanting to frustrate the office and although I was pissed, I thought putting on a nice face would lessen my penalty. Apparently I was mistaken because the officer gave me no mercy with giving me a $200 ticket. Thoroughly frustrated, I shrugged it off, continuing on my pursuit home.
Upon pulling into my driveway, I noticed a car parked outside the house that I had seen multiple times before. I thought nothing of it, assuming that it was some neighbor's guest's car or something of that sorts. I grabbed my briefcase from the passenger seat and walked to the front door. As I put my keys in the keyhole to open the door, I realized that the door was unlocked. This was really odd because my wife had not told me of any appointments with plumbers or other home services that she needed to be home for. I swung open the door and looked around the entrance hallway. I saw my wife's briefcase lying on the floor on the side just where she normally puts it, which alerted me to the fact that she was indeed home. I called out to her, "Susanna?" wondering where she could be, but heard no response. There are some rooms in this house where it is almost impossible to hear someone calling from downstairs, so I thought I would walk around the house to check where she was.
I quickly scanned the first floor finding no sign of her and I moved upstairs. As I was walking upstairs, I hear short movement somewhere from the second floor followed by a voice. This was not my wife's voice, but instead a man's voice. Directly following that, I heard a short giggle, which I easily identified as my wife's. This did not sound good and my mind started racing, wondering why they were here.
Quite angry, I nearly sprinted up the remaining stairs and right to our bedroom, where I had located the voices. By now I had surely alerted my wife and her friend of my presence in the house because I had caused a couple of floorboards to squeak under me as I rushed towards the bedroom. I almost did not open up the door, fearing what I would see. But, I did and I surely did not like the sight. There lay my wife and her new found lover underneath the sheets staring up at me.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?!" I screamed. I could not believe my eyes. Where the hell had this come from! "WHAT THE FUCK!?!" I yelled again. I was absolutely furious, but I was also terribly confused. "Get the fuck out of here right now!" I ordered the man, who I did not care the slightest bit about, to do. "As for you," I told my wife as the man was leaving the room, "Get the hell out of bed and get some clothes on."
This was unreal. How was this happening to me! My life was unfolding right before my eyes. I could barely move my neck on top of all of this crap and I still had to deal with Ajax and his new family. "So tell me, How long? How long have you been 'working late' or 'going to yoga.' At least I assume you were not actually doing what you said you were doing." As I asked that question, she looked quite nervous. She did not look at me and she just sat on the side of the bed with her nightgown on looking at the floor. "Did you hear me? I asked, 'How long?'"
"Six months," she whispered, not daring to gaze up at me.
"Oh god! And why? What does that grimy son of a bitch give you that I don't give you?" I could not believe it! SIX months! We had only been married a little over three years. Had she really gotten sick of me that quickly?
"I don't know. I really do not want to talk about it right now." I couldn't believe she had said that. She didn't want to talk about it. Well fuck her! I wanted to know.
"No! You are going to talk about it and you will tell me why? Had you really gotten so sick of me in the first three years of our marriage?"
"I just was never 100% happy when I was with you. I kept thinking it would change and become like what it was like before we got married, but no, it never did. I still hoped that I would be able to be with you and that it would change, but I wanted to be happy."
"Then why didn't you tell me this, EVER. This is the first time you have share with me the fact that you are unhappy with me. I do not truly give a dam if you are not happy with me. We can get a divorce, and yes we will, but you are just stuck up in that little head of yours and you need to come out. You can't live a life with yourself, you need to talk. Whenever I asked if anything was wrong or if there was something the matter, you would just say that your tired. What kind of bullshit excuse is that, 'I'm tired.' Can't you just say, 'I am not happy with you and I want to talk about it.'"
"I don't know. I didn't want to upset you and upset our good life here, so I didn't talk about it and found this solution."
"Oh, you didn't want to upset our good life, huh? Well look what just happened! You fuckin' did just that! Maybe, just maybe, if you had actually spoken up during the first two years, we could have fixed it and seen a marriage counselor or something, but no, you had to keep to yourself and fuck everything up in the end."
"I am sorry, alright? I am sorry that I was not perfect and that I made the wrong choices, but what can I do about it now?"
"For starters, you can make your first good choice and leave right now. Leave this house with your little lover boy and leave me with MY house."
"Fine I'll leave, but let me pack a bag first." She finally got up and moved to the dresser to grab some clothes. She quickly piled in a few days clothes and zipped it up. As she walked outside, I felt an odd sense of relief that she was gone out of might sights and I could try to forget about her for a little while. I had to collect myself and find out what I was going to do. My first thought was to go find Ajax and talk to Sam, and that is exactly what I went to do.
I did not call ahead to Sam, alerting him of my arrival, but I figured that this was not the time to be worrying about something like that. I rang the doorbell and as soon as the door was open, I walked straight in passed Sam. "Oh! Hi Dan," he greeted me as I walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water." I didn't realize it, but after all that excitement I had been sweating a lot and had become quite dehydrated.
After I had downed a refreshing glass of water I apologized, "Hi Sam. Sorry to barge in that way, things have just not been going my way today and I needed a comforting place to be near a friend."
"Yeah, of course. What's the matter, buddy?"
"Remember how I said that everything at my office was going fine? Well, they weren't and our branch got closed today. And on top of that, I just came home to find my wife cheating on me. For SIX MONTHS, she had been sleeping behind my back! How could I have been so blind?"
"Oh Sam! I am so sorry to hear! Here take a seat, I'll get you some more water. Did she say anything?"
"Yeah, she said that she was never "100% happy with me" and that she didn't want to upset our good, happy life by talking about it, so she just slept behind my back!"
"Oh dear, I can't imagine what you are going through right now."
"What would you do? What would you do right now if you were in my position? Because I sure as hell don't know what to do."
"I would have never imagined my wife cheating on me, so I'm not totally sure."
"Well, let's say that you just came home to find out that your wife is having an affair, what do you do then?" I was almost losing it.
"I don't know what I would do. I couldn't imagine wanting to do anything, but go to sleep and wake up with it all over."
"Now, that sounds like exactly what I want to do. Thanks Sam." And just like that I was gone as quick as I came in. I'm not sure what brought me all the way over to his house to have that short conversation with him, but that was all I needed. I just needed to know that someone was there for me, that I was not alone. That one question proved to solve many problems because I went straight home and fell asleep, terribly exhausted, on the couch and fell into a deep, deep sleep.
I woke up quite early, or just at my normal time, but I had no desire to get to work early, so I took my time getting ready. I was planning on going to work to collect all my things at the office and say goodbye to everyone. I was certain that everyone else would be doing the same thing, so everyone would be in a sad mood, but it would still be nice to bid farewell to everyone. Because of such a leisurely day ahead, I wasn't rushing as much and falling little bit behind my regular schedule, but surprisingly not that much. I ended up leaving the house at the same time I left the house two days ago: five or six minutes late. I hadn't really noticed this, until I pulled into the parking garage for that last time. I looked at my wristwatch and it read 8:22, I was supposedly due at work in eight minutes. I flashed back two days prior, when I had bumped into that beautiful woman. I thought about how wonderful it would be to see her again and how that empty feeling that has been sitting in my stomach for only a little over 12 hours would go away.
I decided that I would try my hardest to "bump into her" again like last time, but this time it wouldn't be such an accident. I would walk at a somewhat similar pace to how I had walked that day, and I would make sure that we encounter each other and have a more interesting conversation. I kept looking up over everyone's heads to scout out my unnamed mistress, but she was nowhere to be seen. After I passed the first few blocks, I was getting worried that I had missed her and that she would be lost forever, until I spotted her half a block up the sidewalk.
I set her out as my target and devised such a path to walk that I would bump into her just as I had did exactly two days ago. I planned to drop my briefcase when I bumped her to ensure that she stop and pay attention to me.
When the time came, it worked magnificently and her attention was definitely on me. "Oh I'm sorry. I can't believe I just did that," she apologized as we both bent down to pick up my briefcase and materials. "This happened to me two days ago as well. What luck."
"Really? Because this happened to me two days ago too. And, come to think of it, on this very block."
Now this sparked miss No-name. "I swore you looked familiar! You were definitely that person that I walked into the day before yesterday."
"I was thinking the same thing! Hi, my name is Dan," I introduced myself.
"Isabella, nice to meet you," she said so sweetly accompanied by that melting smile.
"Nice to meet you, too. Hey, would you mind if I bought you a cup of coffee or something? I feel bad having run into you twice and held you up like this." I was moving so smoothly and quickly it like knife through butter.
"Sure, that would be nice. How about that coffee shop right on the corner of 5th and 20th." I couldn't believe it! I had gotten a lunch date with this incredibly stunning woman of whom I admired so.
"That's great! 1:00 sound good?"
"Sounds wonderful!"
"Perfect. See you then."
I was jumping for joy inside. Fireworks were going off and my world was being turned right side up again. This gloomy last day of work would not seem as sad anymore that I had this appointment to look forward to.
Summary of what to come:
Dan would go to this lunch/coffee date, and he and Isabella would hit it off. They would be perfect for each other and continue to go on dates. Just as Dan realized how perfect they were together, they get in a car crash on the way home from a restaurant they were at having dinner. Isabella dies and Dan is in critical condition. Dan questions what else is there to live for if nothing ever goes right in his life, but with the help of Sam and the loving friendship of Ajax, Dan finds the will to recover and makes a speedy revival. Dan lives the rest of his life never finding a soul mate for him, but he lives in harmony with Ajax. When it becomes time for Ajax to move on, Dan brings in one of Roxy and Ajax's many puppies and continues to enjoy life to this day.
"I'm coming, I'll just be one sec!" Susanna called back.
"I can't be late again today. It would be the tenth time in a row that I have been late to work, and my boss is certainly not going to be happy," I thought.
"I'm coming!" Susanna reassured her husband.
"I'll take your bag to the car, it's 7:44. Can you lock up?"
"Sure thing!"
Every day, the same sequence happens over and over again. I ask her if we can actually leave on time today, and she will kindly agree to do just that. But, when it comes time to walk out the door, I am always the one calling up to her, telling her that we're late and we have to go. I don't want to seem picky or obnoxious, I am just getting a little bit tired of having to rush to get to work everyday and having no time to leisurely stroll to my office building from the parking lot. It's not too bad, though. I've settled into a nice rhythm. I end up walking into my office just as the clock is striking 8:30 and get started right away without hesitation, so that I don't lose any time.
I flipped on the radio in the car and turned to NPR. "...and in recent news, the DOW lost 376 points and dropped 4%. This was triggered by the sale of 1 billion stocks of Proctor and Gamble..."
"Holy Cow! Now that is a LOT of stocks!"
"...According to our correspondent, the sale was supposed to be for 1 million stocks, but was misread as 1 billion stocks..."
"Wow. That must be a great surprise for whoever sold it. That's a ton of money," I laughed to myself as I finally see my wife closing the house door. "Did you hear? The DOW lost 376 and dropped 4%. All because some dumbo sold 1 billion stocks instead of 1 million stocks."
"That sure is some sale. Anything else happen?" Susanna replied quite blankly.
"Well that's all I've heard so far, but I think I remember hearing the Nationals won!"
"Oh, that's good."
"Are you alright honey? You seem a bit tired or just out of it."
"No, it's fine. I was just out, working at the office late last night. Just a bit tired."
"Good, I'm just glad you are not sick or anything."
"Thanks, just a little exhausted." Susanna said with the most emotion she has shown this morning.
After a smooth, but quite silent (other than the radio) car ride into the city, I dropped Susanna off at her office at 8:16 and continued to the parking lot a good couple of blocks away from my office. As I walked onto the street, I glanced at my wristwatch, noticing I now only had 8 minutes to get to work. So, I started off towards my destination seven city blocks away. Making good progress, I reached the first intersection while the walk sign was showing. As I continued walking, I easily passed sauntering pedestrians, who were not as pressured as I was to get to work on time. I couldn't be late. I just couldn't allow myself to be late to work. Arriving at the next intersection, I was fortunate enough to find the walk sign be on allowing me to keep stride through the intersection, losing no time. now I had 6 minutes and 33 seconds to walk through the large glass doors.
Although I was being pretty rushed and wasn't walking at a nice leisurely pace, it was nice to walk during the day, as apposed to sitting at a desk all day, not being able to go outside at all. Walking was an activity that I thought of as very comforting. It felt good to cruise past people with an air of elite fitness, even though we were all walking to work and this wasn't a marathon. Feeling a slight breeze in your face, creating the illusion that it is actually you creating that breeze. Cool air rushing into your nostrils, filling your lungs with delight. I exhale slowly to keep the feeling in me as long as possible. This sensation was repeated every breath I took.
Sure, I enjoyed walking, but being tardy was one thing I did not like. I was now three blocks away, and had 4 minutes 2 seconds to go.
I continued to pass pedestrians left and right, flowing through the crowd like a sine curve. There was no need to say sorry to anyone I walked in front of because I was not the only person doing this. There were always the ones who take their time, walking so slow you feel that you could crawl faster than them. They had their bluetooth headset in with their phone in their hand, talking to the back of the head in front of them. I always chuckled at the sight of these people. I mean what's the point of talking into a hands-free headset, when you are still using your hand to hold the dam thing. Also, I think you make a fool out of yourself anytime you are caught using one of those.
There were also those people who never kept the same pace. If I stuck them on a treadmill, I swear they would take two steps and fall off. And if they actually could keep the same pace, then they couldn't walk in a straight line to save their life. I always found it puzzling how walking seemed so hard to them. I mean come on, you've been doing this for your WHOLE life and you still can't walk normally. Sure it bothers me, but it's truly nothing to get worked up about, they are the ones making fools of themselves. The one thing that does get to me is when I try to pass them, just as I have done to the last person, and the one before, and so on. If I move around them, and start walking by them, they will speed up, so that I end up going the same pace as them and in response I go slower. I assume the person was just walking slower than he thought he was walking and so he decided to pick up the pace. But, then as I fall in behind this person, he or she will start to slow down. Now if the person can actually walk at a constant pace, but is directionally incapable, it is their fault if they bump into me. They can just look up and see where they are going.
The third kind, but more rare, is the swift and speedy kind like me. Wherever we go, we are seen slipping through crowds, late for an appointment or for work, or just walking and a comfortably fast pace. Now because we are so rare, we scarcely see the other walking the streets, or if we do, it is only for a brief moment.
"Oh sorry," I plainly stated, quite stunned.
"Opps, I must not have seen you there," the woman replied just as surprised.
"Here let me help you," I offered as I saw her bag had fallen to the pavement.
"Thanks," she replied softly with a pleasant smile.
"Sure thing," I said as I returned the smile. I have never had such a pleasant encounter on such a rushed morning. And, there was something about that smile and that voice that just hit me inside. It was just perfect. The tone of those few words was just as beautiful as her smile was.
As I turned back the direction of my office, and got back up to pace, I took a quick glance at my watch, knowing that I would not like what I saw. It read 49 seconds to get to walk 2 blocks, and up 5 floors.
"Dan, hurry up! The meeting's about to begin!" Sam called as I walked through the door.
"What meeting? I didn't know we were having a meeting!" I replied.
"Didn't you get the memo? Didn't you read the news? Our shares went all the way down to $1 yesterday and everyone's frantic! Just get in here!"
"No, I heard about that on the radio, but I didn't think it affected us at all because wasn't it P&G?" I asked as we walked to the conference room.
"EVERYONE took a big hit, not just P&G."
"Oh crap," I nervously whispered, entering the room.
"Dan your late. Sit down." Bob, my manager, ordered.
"Sorry Bob," I apologized, taking my seat.
"So, you all know what happened yesterday, right?"
"Yup," most of the people in the room responded.
"Good, and are you all aware that we were greatly affected yesterday, too?"
"Yup," we replied in unison again.
"We are in a pretty big ditch right now, guys and we desperately need to get out. Hopefully, the company will rebound quickly, but who knows how quickly that will be. So basically, we need a plan of what to do in this office, until headquarters tells us specifically what to do. We need some ideas, shout them out."
"Cut expenses," a voice from the back rang out.
"Ok, and what do you want to cut specifically?" This question was hard to answer and nobody dared to try. Nobody wanted to speak out and suggest something that would cause his or her colleagues to hold a grudge upon him or her. "Nothing? Does anybody have anything?"
Everybody felt the tension in the air of the unspoken answer. If headquarters came in here now, everyone knows that they will start slashing jobs left and right to save their asses. I didn't like this tense silence, so I tried to change the subject, "Is this thing so bad that we need to start cutting expenses drastically? Wouldn't that be a little rash?"
The tension seemed to be momentarily relieved as the silence was broken until they heard Bob's answer. "Were in really deep shit right now Dan and I don't think we have time to let it work itself out. We need to do something to help our situation, especially before headquarters steps in." The brief moment of ease was quickly erased by Bob's call to reality. How were we supposed to make a decision on this matter. We didn't want change and we were perfectly happy with out situations. "So, now that you all realize how serious this situation is, can we move on with this meeting? So, what else can we do? Cut bonuses? Take away insurance? None of this is any good, but, come on guys, give me something."
We all knew our jobs were on the line and even if we cut bonuses and took away the insurance, there was still going to need to be job cuts. Nobody wanted to speak up and acknowledge the truth. "Just go work and we might call a meeting for later today."
I couldn't bear another second of that meeting and I knew that whatever decision they came to, it wouldn't be pretty. Besides, I could not stop thinking of that woman I bumped into on the way to work. Her smile just kept flashing into my mind and it was killing me.
I had a lot of work to get done, but it was so hard to motivate myself knowing that my job might be in jeopardy. Not to mention the image of that woman and the thought of meeting her again. She is just so beautiful and yet I have only caught a short glimpse of her on a day when I was very flustered. The way she smiled at me and thanked me for helping pick her bag up just made me go numb. Her soft voice was so unbelievably mesmerizing.
Wait! I couldn't possibly be so attracted to this woman that I had never said anything to and that I barely know. I am married to a lovely wife, who I love dearly. This is such a conflicting feeling. I tried to bury this attraction all day, but i just couldn't. Everywhere I went, everything I did, I saw her. She wouldn't get out of my head.
I would walk to the printer to pick up a spreadsheet I printed and the scene where I bumped into her would replay in my head again and again and again. As much as I wanted her to image to get out of my head, I enjoyed seeing her and didn't want to forget her.
I settled down after an hour or two and was able to get some work done. I still had to deal with the crisis our company was going through, but somehow I got through the day.
I decided I was going leave the office promptly at 5:00. I had to get out of this uncomfortably tense atmosphere and get back home where I can relax. I didn't want to be tempted any more. But before I left, Bob wanted a word with me. "I am very worried about headquarters coming in here. You and I and everyone else in that meeting knows that they will cut most of our jobs. Nobody will come out happy."
"So what are we going to do?" This question was hopeless at this point.
"Just sit and wait, I guess. What else can we do. They are set in fixing this problem by their means."
Now this scared me, the thought of having no control over these people who have so much control over you. "Are you certain it's all going to happen tomorrow?"
"Almost 100% positive. They gave me a call earlier today."
"Alright."
"I will put in my best word for you, but I have no idea of who they are going to choose."
"Thanks Bob."
"Sure thing Dan." There was no more need to discuss what was going to happen. It was long out of our hands.
"I will see you tomorrow."
"Bye bye Dan."
I called Susanna on my way to the parking garage to pick up my car. She said that she had to finish up a project she was working on and that she would be home a bit later. She said that there was no need to pick her up either and that she would take the train. This was annoying because all I wanted to do was go home, forget about work, try not to worry about tomorrow, and take my mind off it. I was planning on spending a nice night with Susanna, but I guess I would have to take it easy by myself.
There was a very good amount of traffic tonight, which was the last thing I needed. My mind was wandering and it kept coming back to that woman, and how I bumped into her, apologized and she thanked with that oh so lovely smile. I needed just to get home as soon as possible, and get my mind off work and that woman. I turned on the radio and the radio DJ kindly informed me about the traffic I had been sitting in for the past 42 minutes. "It looks like there is some traffic outbound on Route 50 for about 6-8 miles. I would say avoid Route 50 if you can..."
"So, now you tell me! After I'm already deep into the heart of the traffic. This better open up soon." I could stand idling like that for hours, I was so antsy.
"...That was the traffic report and here is some new music coming your way!" Some unpleasant pop song came on.
"Ugh, this is crappy." I flipped to my other programed stations, which are usually reliable. "Really? Nothing's on? This sucks." I decided to listen to some infomercials with some girl with a very high and whiny voice. It was either that, or a girl just like that singing, so I thought I could wait the commercial break out.
As I heard the beginnings to a Subway commercial, I realized that I forgot to eat lunch because I was so busy today. My hunger erupted and my stomach started cramping with rumbles. I was tempted to ask the guy in the car next to me if he had any spare food he could share.
This hunger subsided here and there, but was persistent for the rest of the commute back home. The music situation wasn't perfect either. Just as I was reaching the outside of the traffic and the cars were started to speed up, I heard the flopping of rubber and couldn't believe it. "A flat tire! Of all times, I have one now. My day couldn't get any worse!" I complained. The flat tire took about 15 minutes to change and by the time I got back on the road it was 7:00.
The rest of my ride back to my home was fine, but when I arrived home it was 7:56. A 3 hour commute is exactly what I didn't need.
As I walked through the door, I was slammed by a linebacker covered in fur, knocking me back on my heels. Ajax, our German Shepherd, never disappoints with a knee-buckling greeting. "Hi Ajax!" I replied, while getting whipped by his tail. He sure had a strong tail that could deliver some punishing blows, but his happiness quickly made me forget about my work. I walked passed the entrance way and dropped my briefcase near the door. I almost fell over because he was running figure eights around me, making me dizzy. I rubbed his side, causing him to roll right over, asking for a belly rub, which I gladly gave. His tongue was hanging right out of his mouth, enjoying this treatment like royalty. Clumps of fur started flying off into the air as I combed his soft coat. "I'm running upstairs to change really quick, then I will take you to the park!" Now this made Ajax VERY happy. His tail went into overdrive and started banging against the door so loud that I thought that his tail was going to break through the door. He immediately burst into a giant grin of pure glee. I knew for sure that Ajax would love the trip to the park, but I also thought how refreshing it would make me feel. After being stuck in a car and an office all day, a nice walk with my best pal Ajax will be splendid.
I went upstairs, slipped out of my formal attire, or at least tried to. Ajax followed me of course, grabbing every toy that he could find and running into me with it, tempting me to play with him. I grabbed the stuffed dog from his jaws and tugged with him for a short while. He let go, allowing me to throw it for him and he went bounding down the hall to chase after it. After a few seconds, I heard two thumps then I saw Ajax coming for me with a full head of steam, stuffed dog in mouth. I braced myself while trying to put on a pair of shorts and I was promptly topped over onto the bed, while a panting dog slobbered on my legs, taunting me to kick the stuffed animal. I sat up, grabbed a t-shirt and socks from my drawer and started to walk downstairs. "Come on, let's go Ajax!" I called and he sprang up like a kangaroo speeding in front of me. He reached the end of the hall and turned back, giving me a look of, "LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO!" Once I got close enough that he was certain that I would follow him, he bolted down the stairs, waiting at the bottom just as he had at the end of the hallway.
I walked over to the hall closet to grab a jacket, but was stopped short by Ajax. He wasn't even going to let me get a jacket before taking me out, he just wanted me to walk right out to the door. So, I bent down, rubbed his ears and his belly for a few seconds then I jumped up and quickly reached into the hall closet grabbing a jacket, catching him off guard. He sprang right up even more ready to go than before. "OK, I'm ready. You lead the way," I told Ajax while grabbing the lead and doggie bag.
I looked outside to make sure nobody was walking past our house, checking if the coast was clear and it was clear. I opened the door and Ajax bolted down the steps and out to the edge of the sidewalk, sniffing the air for scent of other dogs. This was a usual routine for him. He always had to protect our house and that meant doing background checks on who had been near our house, or on the front yard. He sure was a sniffer. Whenever a guest came to our house, he or she was greeted with a few loud barks, letting them know that Ajax was the security and they had to pass his tests. He then proceeded to sniff the shoes that they took off and the coat that they hung up and the goods that they brought, making sure that everything about them was Ajax approved. Even if he has seen this guest multiple times before and clearly knew who he or she was, he would still go through the same routine. Susanna and I would tell him, "It's OK, Ajax," trying to convince him that we have invited this guest into our home and that we trust him or her, but this wouldn't stand with Ajax until he completed his background check. Once pleased, he would lie down in the front hallway waiting for the next guest to arrive or the next person to walk by the house, so he could use his booming bark to let everyone know he's watching you.
Not only would he do these background checks on guests, but sometimes on us! Ajax will usually fall asleep in his "guard spot" and when we come home, while he is in this state, he will get very startled. He'll wake up to the sound of the key turning in the door and start to bark, alerting us that he is behind the door that we dare open. Once opened, he will give us a quick sniff, to make sure we weren't impostors, then he will turn back into happy, animated, tail-wagging self.
Once he was satisfied with his sniffing of the air outside our house, we began to walk down the street towards the way of the park. We had done this walk so many times that I didn't even need to talk to Ajax to tell him when to cross the street or stop at certain driveways where cars frequently came out of. I loved walking with Ajax because he walked just like me. He wasn't impatient, but he walked briskly with a purpose and that purpose was to get to the park ASAP. For Ajax, the walk wasn't exciting. There was nothing to see or do on the walk, except go to the bathroom and sniff a few trees for scents of other dogs. But the park, on the other hand, was filled with entertainment. There were other people, dogs and toys. What more could a dog ask for? Visiting the park was also a fun time for me. I got to be in a comforting sanctuary, chat with fellow dog owners, and watch my dog and other dogs frolic and play with each other, all quite happy.
With park in sight, Ajax now picked up his pace, eager to get to the park as quickly as his paws can take him. I couldn't even keep up with him, he was moving so fast. I called him back to heel a little because I didn't want any stranger to walk by thinking there was a stray dog strolling the streets. That would certainly make them uncomfortable. But, as soon as Ajax was a mere 20 yards from the park, there was now hope in keeping him back, so I called out to him "OK Ajax, Go on," allowing him to go scout out the park. And that is exactly what he did.
He turned his trot into a gallop and strode off into the park, greeting the other dogs with a quick lap around the middle of the park. After he had completed his short run of the park, he tracked back to greet me at the entrance. Satisfied that I had safely arrived, Ajax returned his attention to his fellow playmates.
"Hi Dan!" Sam, the owner of a golden retriever Ajax knows very well, called as soon as I stepped in sight. He was always so peppy and happy, I don't know how he does it.
"Hey Sam! Great day to be out at the park," I replied. I glanced over to where Ajax and Roxy, Sam's golden retriever, were playing and saw Roxy sprint after a tennis ball with Ajax right on her tail, tongue out, saliva flying everywhere.
"Yup, sure is. And just look at them," he said gesturing to Ajax and Roxy, "They are having a blast." He sure was right. They were now on their third round of chasing after the tennis ball and neither of them had any intent on stopping soon.
"I bet they could go at it for the rest of the day if they had the choice."
"Oh definitely. No doubt about it." They were on throw 5 and still going strong.
Ajax had successfully covered his whole face in saliva, giving him the look of a rabid animal. The only way one could tell that this dog wasn't about to chase you down and bite you was the giant grin he was bearing. Not only had he gotten the saliva all over his face, but also he had somehow been able to get his back with the slime. He had small streaks on his mid back that sure made him attractive to pet. Now the way he had gotten these saliva streaks on his back is a wonder to me, but I can only guess what a video of him running, played in slow motion, would reveal. And that would be a tongue swinging from one side of his face to another, back and forth spewing saliva every time it hits the side of his face. The thought of this makes me chuckle and think of the life a dog lives and how care free it is.
"I wish I could run like this all day, they look so happy. Just be a dog, you know?"
"What I would give to do exactly that," Sam said watching Ajax and Roxy take a 6th run. They were starting to get a little tired as their pace seemed to slow, and they didn't have the pop they had when the ball was first thrown. Turning back towards us after retrieving the tennis ball, I whistled to them and clapped my hands encouraging them to run back to us quicker, not that it made a difference. "So how's everything going Dan? How's Susanna?" He kindly asked.
"Good. She is working late again tonight. She's been under crunch time with work lately and has had to stay at the office until late for the past week. She is working very hard and I commend her for it." Ajax and Roxy were now on run 7 and would be in need of a break quite soon.
"Sorry to hear about that. That is tough to do, but I am sure that everything will settle down soon enough and you all can relax for a little bit. Work is going good for you?"
"We hope. Yup everything fine," I replied trying my hardest to not think about my work. The least thing I wanted right now was to be reminded about work and the hellhole that I was going to step in tomorrow. Now was supposed to be my time to forget about everything else and just live life like Ajax and Roxy did. Enjoy the pleasures and pay no attention to anything else. "How about you? How is life treating you? The kids?"
"Pretty good, actually. I have now become the branch manager of my bank. The wife and kids are great. My oldest just went on a field trip to the aquarium, which I was lucky enough to be able to slip on over from my office for. They got to see the marine hospital where they help heal fish, and they got to see the dissecting of a squid. Pretty interesting stuff." Ajax and Roxy have now found a suitable piece of grass to lie on, and they have both begun their break.
"Sounds great! That is very cool! We are still holding off for a bit to have kids. We are waiting for the right time. I have been ready, but Susanna still wants to wait a little longer."
"I'm sure everything will work out in the end. Everything was meant to for a reason."
"Thanks Sam."
I looked up over the tree tops and viewed the sky's sunset. There was a single line of cloud that seemed to be one step behind the rest of the sky. When the backdrop was turning pink from purple, that strip of cloud was turning purple from blue. When the backdrop was turning red from orange , that strip of cloud was turning orange from yellow. It was very interesting to see such a intriguing cloud that was always one shade behind the rest of the sky. It made this sunset that much beautiful, though. I could not keep my eyes off the horizon, wanting to know what color, the sky would change to next.
"Hey Sam, take a look at the sky," I said gesturing to the tops of the trees where the sky shone a deep magenta and the cloud was still a purple and blue mixture of some sort.
"Wow, that sky is beautiful!" Sam exclaimed. "That is just amazing. I have never seen anything like that."
"Yeah, I know. It looks so surreal."
"I wonder how that works out to be like that. I mean when do you ever witness a sunset like this?" The colors were shifting again. This time the sky was turning into an intense, bright orange, while the cloud was following suit, changing into the sky's previous magenta. "Oh, now that is a deadly color combination."
The Dogs were now up and running again. Both Ajax and Roxy were ready for a few more runs, feeling a second wind come over them. Roxy had the tennis ball rolling around in her mouth, trying to shove it into Sam or my hand, taunting us to take it. Ajax, on the other hand wasn't worried about the ball, but only on Roxy's movements. I reached out my hand and let the tennis ball, if you can even call it that, roll into my hand. The "tennis ball" was covered in wet, damp saliva. The ball had already soaked up all the saliva it could take and was fully saturated, so the excess saliva that was continuously added just sit on the outside giving the green ball streaks of white foam. It weighed almost 3 times the normal weight and was now more like a baseball, but so slippery it felt like it was covered in ice. I held the ball up and made Roxy sit. Her full attention was on the tennis ball. Every movement of that ball dictated the movement of her. If I quickly cocked back and prepared to throw the tennis ball, she would bounce up on all fours and ready herself for a sprint across the field after the rolling, saliva filled, green tennis ball.
This quick movement will make Ajax come to attention and jump back a foot ready to chase after Roxy. Now Ajax had his complete undivided attention on Roxy. He reacted to every move she made by either dropping on all fours, bouncing on her paws, while inching closer to Roxy, or jumping back in preparation for the run she was about to embark on.
If I were to move the ball from my chest to my waist, Roxy would lift up her front paws and slap them down, anticipating the ball dropping to hit the ground. In reaction to this movement, Ajax would bounce forward getting closer to Roxy. It was so much fun watching these two lunatics interact. Ajax had his full attention on Roxy, while Roxy had her full attention on the tennis ball in my hand. So, all they cared about was the tennis ball in my hand, but me, as a person, was not payed attention to at the least. Although, I did have control over all of their movements. By the way that I have control over the tennis ball's movements. If I let the ball in my hand rest at my side and continued a conversation with Sam over here, both those dogs would still be on high alert, ready to run, even if I showed no intent of throwing the ball soon.
Eventually, I cocked back and let the ball fly high over both the dogs heads. They both turned straight around and bolted after the saliva filled ball. Slime flew through the air, trailing the tennis ball, but most of the excess slime, stayed on my hand. I bent down to wipe my hand on the grass, attempting to rid my hand of the slippery gook that came off the ball. Instead, I just ended up trading some saliva for some loose grass that had been cut recently. There was no hope in cleansing my hand now. I might as well continue pleasing Ajax and Roxy and keep tossing that dead weight for them.
I stood up and commented on the amount of slime on my hand. "One throw and look at this! They've turned me over to the dark side!"
This brought a chuckle out of Sam, which made me laugh along. "Oh the troubles of owning a dog are just so great," Sam remarked with sarcasm.
"But actually, it must get at least a little annoying to have to do this every day. And have your hand get attacked by saliva every time you pick up the ball to throw for her, right?" I suggested.
"Yeah, I guess so." He probably found it annoying, but never really thought about doing anything about it, thinking it was just a normal everyday task of dog ownership.
"What it there was some way where Roxy and Ajax could be pleased and get their exercise fill in, while we didn't have to get our hand dirty. How nice would that be?" I was starting to get on a role now.
"That would be nice. What are you thinking of Dan?" He prodded.
"Maybe some claw-like device that would be able to grasp things like tennis balls, and yet still be able to throw the ball for our dogs. Just do everything we would do with our hand, but without the grossness."
"That sounds like a great idea you got there, you should definitely look into it. You might be onto something." At that very moment, the heavens opened up and out of nowhere, we were getting drenched with rain. By now, both dogs were sufficiently exercised and tired out. They were ready to go back to their respective homes as quick as possible to get out of the rain. This wasn't just a heavy rain, it was a PELTING rain, that felt like it could penetrate you like bullets. The wind was so strong that you had to lean far into the direction where it was coming from to stand up straight. I couldn't even look up into the rain because it was coming so hard at us. The trees were swaying like I have never seen. Debris from the tree kept coming at us. The last place I wanted to be right now was out at the park during these hurricane like conditions. It felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane and a tornado at once, and all I wanted to do was go home and lie down on the couch, in front of the Television, and watch the game. On top of that, my hunger, which had subsided for a good time, had just came back and my stomach started cramping up. I didn't really realize it, but I hadn't eaten in almost 9 hours. This made me want to get home as quick as possible even more.
"It was nice to talk to you Sam, I will see you around," I said goodbye to Sam as he and I parted ways.
"You too! Take it easy, Dan," Sam replied leaving the park. Ajax and I started home, walking at as brisk as a pace as the pace that he walked up to the park at. Usually I would walk at a slightly slower pace than the pace that I walk up to the park at with Ajax right by my side lacking the excitement and the energy to get to the park as quick as possible. I was almost jogging now. The street was covered with water. It looked as if you could water ski down the small hill, there was SO much water covering the pavement. A car passed going just a little bit faster than Ajax and my speed, cautiously maneuvering the road, so as not to slip or lose control in any way. My shoes were squishing with every step and I could feel the water between my toes. I knew that I would not be wearing these shoes for a while because they would, no doubt, take a week or two to dry out.
Hopefully Susanna had come home by now and was able to cook something to eat. I had not gotten a call from her, but she doesn't always call, so maybe there's a chance that got home and was able to prepare something. The short break from my troubles and into a world of tranquility was quickly broken and torn apart as I got home. My hunger kept rising and I couldn't think about anything else, but eating.
I walked into the entrance of my house and grabbed a towel from the bench to my right. Ajax always loved this part because he would always get a massage out of it. I dried him off with that towel, leaving him warm and relaxed, fully massaged. He trotted away walking into the kitchen to get some water to drink. It is as if he didn't get enough water already on our saturated walk back from the park. I was still standing in the doorway, now covered with fur, soaking wet, hungry, and cold. I took a second towel for me and tossed the used one near the stairs to the basement where it would be run through the laundry and brought right back up here again, just to repeat the same cycle again. I dried my pants, my shirt and my head as much as I could, knowing I would just go change any second now.
My hunger was still a great problem though, so I called out to my wife, "Susanna? Are you home darling?" No response.
"Ugh," I moaned. This meant that I had to muster up something as quick as possible before my hunger would get the best of me. I just didn't have the energy to make anything. I opened the cupboard to see what we had that I could make quickly. "Any pasta? No? Crackers, cookies, chips, nuts, Nutella, dried mushrooms, hot cocoa, marshmallows, dog cookies," I mumbled to myself. I couldn't believe we had nothing to cook quickly that would suffice as dinner.
Slightly discouraged, I opened up the refrigerator, hoping for some leftovers. I found the fridge almost completely empty! Susanna had told me yesterday that she was going grocery shopping and that she would be back to restock the fridge! What the hell happened!? Had she just gone out and forgot to do what she said she was going to do. There was NOTHING I could cook, even if I had the energy to take the time and cook a nice meal. Could that be what she is doing now, since she forgot yesterday? Is she just trying to get those groceries before I notice? Is that why it is taking her so long to get home?
Either way, I was stuck with nothing to eat, but snacks on snacks. I grabbed a jar of mixed nuts and ate away. It felt so good to eat something and put some edible substance in my stomach. I ate my way through a good amount of those nuts until i got sick of them and moved onto the chips. These weren't anything special, but they were loaded with salt and pepper, which made me quickly rush to the sink for a glass of water. I had forgotten how thirsty I was. Usually when you don't eat for most of the day, you also don't drink much fluids, so I had been quite dehydrated.
After this short bout with the very salty and peppery chips, I grabbed a box of crackers. I combed through the fridge to find something of which I could place on the top of these crackers to make my dinner THAT much more exciting. Luckily, I found some Jarlsberg Cheese. There was a tad bit of mold on it, but I easily cut it off. Now this was refreshing. I finally was eating something that had a flavor other than salty or artificially processed and loaded with crap.
After topping off the Jarlsberg, my stomach ache had let up to the point where I could stop thinking about food and go on with the rest of my night. This meant going upstairs and changing out of these soggy, cold clothes and changing into my pajamas. I could then feel somewhat more relaxed being dry and not hungry.
As I walked upstairs to our bedroom, I felt a breeze coming down the hall. I hoped I had not left our window open, knowing that everything in the room would be soaked, but I couldn't remember it being opened when I left. "Hmm," I thought, "If I didn't open that window, where could the breeze be coming from?" That question was soon answered as entered our bedroom. There was a huge branch sticking out of the window!
I first thought, "How on EARTH could this have happened!? How did this branch possibly get through the window!?"
This could not be happening right now. I couldn't believe that this had happened. There were only a couple of trees in our back yard, not that many, but one managed to fall right through our bedroom window. There was still a steady downpour, so the rain was blowing straight through the window, following the direction of the fallen branch. I didn't even bother to change, I was in so much shock. I just picked up the phone and my first instinct was to call my wife.
The phone rang ten and a half times and went straight to voice mail. I hung up and dialed her number again, just in case she hadn't been able to reach her phone in time. I lifted the phone to my ear. The phone rang and rang and rang and on the tenth ring, her voice came on the line. She sounded angry or just frustrated. "Yes, Dan?"
"Hi honey, are you OK? You've been at work for quite the while?" I asked wondering where she could be.
"I just had a lot to get done and I'll be home soon." She seemed really impatient. I don't know why she was the one who was impatient or angry. She wasn't the person who came home starving, had to take the dog to the park, get drenched in the rain and come home to find the bedroom window smashed through by a tree limb.
"Well alright. There's sort of a problem here. When I came home--" I started by wasn't able to finish.
"Can this wait until I get home? I have to go right now. I'll see you shortly. Bye, bye." Before I could say anything else, she had hung up. I couldn't believe this! She doesn't answer any of my calls, then when I finally get through to her, I am only able to get two sentences out of her! The least thing she could do was let me ask her one question or say SOMETHING to her!
Now I was stuck, not knowing exactly when she was coming home, only that she would be home "soon." I had to do something about this tree limb that had taken its new home in our house. I was still soaking wet and needed to change, but didn't want to change until I knew that I didn't have to go outside again to take care of the tree limb. On top of all this, I was not properly nourished and therefore had little to no energy left to do anything, but take my body to the couch and lie motionless, watching TV.
I didn't know any tree specialists off the top of my head, so I gave Sam a call, hoping that he would have some knowledge of what do to in this situation.
Before I said anything on the line, he picked up the phone and said, "Hey there neighbor! Hopefully you got back home not too wet?"
I was surprised that he knew it was me, but he revealed that it was caller ID. "I am in a pretty tough situation right now. I came home to find a tree limb crashed into my bedroom window. I am not sure what to do right now and I was wondering if you knew any tree specialists by any chance."
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry to hear Dan. I actually do know a good number of tree specialists, but before you go out spending all you money, let me come over and take a look. Maybe I can help you out enough that you don't need to call in a tree specialist."
"You don't have to Sam. Really, it is fine." I couldn't believe that he had actually known any tree specialists. I wasn't expecting him to be able to give me any help, but I have to give it to that guy he has a lot a of connections. I'm not sure whether he has any knowledge of taking care of situations like this, but I did not expect that he was going to offer to come over late at night, in the rain, when he could be relaxing in the comforts of his own home, not getting soaked. I also wasn't quite certain if he was just a wannabe handy man or actually could fix the predicament I was in, but he did know tree specialists.
"It's no problem at all. I would love to help out a friend in need, especially in such a messy situation."
There is no harm in letting him have a look. He is also an incredibly kind neighbor, so I wasn't going to say no. "Alright, well I don't want to impose on you at all, but if you are willing to, that would be great if you could lend a hand."
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll be over in five minutes, I just have to grab some gear from the garage." He had GEAR? Maybe he actually was a tree specialist, and he had a reason to know other ones.
"There is no rush at all. Thank you so much."
"Anytime."
I hung up the phone and walked back down stairs, still in my damp clothes. There was still no point in changing if I was going to have to help Sam out in the rain soon. I poured myself a glass of water and downed it instantaneously. I refilled the glass and started sipping away at it, balancing it with some salty nuts and chips. In what felt like 30 seconds, Sam was at my door and ready to work. I offered him some water, but he denied politely saying, "I've already had a few glasses at home, but thanks anyways."
I led him upstairs to where the scene of the crime was. He addressed the situation, "I doesn't look too bad. Luckily the limb didn't break though any of the wall and knock over the dresser because the window shouldn't be too tough to replace. I don't think you will need to call in any tree specialist at all."
"Well that is a relief," I said with a sigh.
"If you want we can go out and get it over with now, or we can wait until tomorrow. I think it would be easier tomorrow because we would have light to work with and hopefully, we wouldn't be trying to work in the rain. I could also bring an electric saw that would make this job a lot easier. Tomorrow might be the best option."
"If you think that would work better, then why don't we do that. You are doing me a huge favor and I owe you a big one."
"Alright then, I will be home around 6ish, so just give me a ring when you are free."
"Thank you again. You are such a great help and I can't even begin to thank you enough," I said as I walked him downstairs to the door.
"Really Dan, Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for."
"Goodnight Sam."
"Goodnight Dan."
Now that he left, I grabbed a trash bag and went back upstairs to duct tape it around the whole that was once a window. After this was completed, I was finally able to change out of my clothes and into a pair of warm, dry pajamas. I realized that I wouldn't be able to sleep with the breeze still making its way in through the "window," so I took a blanket and my pillow and set up shop in the couch in the living room. I was out cold in no time, sleeping like a baby.
I woke up the next day feeling well rested and somewhat at peace. This all lasted for a good 5 seconds, when I tried to get up and my neck shot up in pain. I tried to more it left and right, but it would just stiffen up and I couldn't move it without a shooting pain. Sleeping on the couch last night was not the best idea for my neck.
I slowly sat up and rose from the couch, being extremely careful to not make any sudden movements to hurt my neck. I checked my cell phone for the time and it read 6:57. This was not good. I had to rush to take Ajax out now and still get back in time to shower and eat breakfast. I called upstairs to Susanna to wake her up and let her know that I was going to take Ajax to the park.
She replied quite muffled, "OK, thanks."
"I'll be back in half an hour," I called starting my search for the dog. This was odd because usually he will be up just as I wake up, running circles around me, getting excited about our trip to the park. I checked in the kitchen, the dining room, the study and he was nowhere to be found. "Honey, is Ajax up there with you?" I waited for a couple of seconds, but got no reply. "Susanna," I rang.
"What?" came that muffled call back to me. She had probably fallen right back to sleep and that would not have made me happy when I came back home.
"Do you see Ajax up there?" I asked again.
There was a pause, and I felt her sitting up and looking around the room. "No, I don't think so. I don't see him. Do you know why there is a trash bag over our window?"
I really didn't have the time to explain this to her right now, especially because I couldn't find Ajax. "A tree limb fell and crashed into our window last night, so that is why I slept on the couch down here. I will get it taken care of today. I'm going to look for Ajax, I'll take my phone."
"OK," she replied. And I was out the door. I could not believe Ajax had run away and I had no clue to why he would want to. Immediately I speedily walked to the park, assuming that would be a good first place to find him. It did not take me long to get there and I was relieved to find Ajax sitting at the feet of Sam's. Right next to Ajax was Roxy, lying down with a litter of six new puppies! Sam looked at peace even though his dog had just given birth to six new puppies and I was thoroughly confused at what had happened in this situation. I was mostly just relieved to find my dog safe and sound.
"What...How did...uhhh..." I couldn't form sentances I was in pure shock.
"Apparently, Roxy was pregnant. I was not aware at all of this, until when i walked her up here to the park, she just popped these guys out and I helped her deliver them right here on the grass."
"Oh gosh! That's amazing. Where did you find Ajax?" I asked flabbergasted at the fact that he had delivered 6 newborn puppies. Was there anything that this mad couldn't do? He's a tress specialist, veterinarian of some sort, and he's the manager of a company!
"Well, he actually found me. I hadn't even started to deliver the puppies and Ajax was right here by her side. It's quite amazing that he sensed it and came to her side."
"I'm dumbfounded about how Ajax was able to know where and when Roxy was going to have her puppies. And just the fact that she was pregnant. I guess it makes sense that Ajax was the dad, but this is just very unexpected." I really did not know what to do in this situation and truthfully I didn't have the time to deal with it. I had to get to work and I couldn't be late.
"Yeah, I guess they had been acting kind of different lately and something had to be up."
I had to get back to the house. It was already 7:30. "I feel really, really bad doing this, but I have to go to work today, I can't miss it. So, I have to run right now. I assume I shouldn't take Ajax since he should be with Roxy. Do you need anything from me or is there anyone I can call to help you? A vet?" Hopefully he understood.
"Oh sure, go do what you have to do. I'm just going to stay here with them a while, then I will figure out what to do. I think I will be fine, this isn't too hard of a situation to handle. It's pretty peaceful. But, thank you. I will let you know if anything comes up." I don't know how he stays so calm and relaxed, but I couldn't ponder on that right now, I had to get to work as quick as possible.
I almost sprinted home, in my pajamas and my sandals, getting odd looks from pedestrians passing by. When I arrived home, Susanna was up and about, thankfully, and had gotten fairly ready for work.
"I found Ajax," I told her as I leaped upstairs for a quick shower.
"Great," She replied, half acknowledging what I had said.
Getting out of the shower, I quickly changed into a button down shirt and some slacks, grabbed a tie and was back downstairs to grab a quick bite to eat.
"So, apparently Ajax is a father. I found him at the park with Sam and Roxy. You know Sam? He lives just a few streets over. Anyway, when I got up to the park, Ajax was lying next to Roxy with six newborn puppies curled up between them." I cut the story short to inhale a bowl of cereal.
"Wow! Really? He's a father?" she replied. She seemed unusually interested.
"Yeah, I know, it's crazy!"
"Well, where is Ajax now?" she asked.
"He's still up at the park with Sam and Roxy. I left Sam to take care of him because he said he had it under control and I had to get to work." I was done with my cereal and had moved to the door to grab a jacket and put on my shoes.
"Oh, that's sweet of him. He is such a nice neighbor."
"Yup, he is," I said somewhat jealously because I was. He had the ideal life and he was good at ANYTHING he did. "I'll tell you more about everything including the window in the car. I just need to get going right now or else I'll be late."
"Alright, I'm coming," Susanna replied as usual.
I swiftly drove into town skillfully avoiding the usual everyday traffic. It looked as if I might still be able to get to work somewhat on time. I swung by Susanna's office, dropping her off. At least she would be more on time that I would be. I parked the car in the parking garage and started my walk to my office. I had not forgot about that woman that I had saw. I hoped to see her again on this walk through the streets to my office. To see that shining, beautiful smile would brighten my day and make me forget about everything else: the puppies, my job, the lack of food, my neck. Everything would just go on hold and I would be able to freeze in that moment with her. I would possibly say something to her this time, not just stutter and mumble some apology.
I didn't see her this time even though I walked as I usually do, with a purpose, trying to get to work as quickly as possible. I didn't get that relief from all my anxieties, and instead I had to go straight into my work and face my future. As I walked into the office, I could sense the tension in the air. Most people were at their desks, but there were a few groups of people congregated around a couple of desks talking no doubt. I was certain that everyone was talking about the possible or probable job cuts and everyone was nervous about the situation. I couldn't imagine that anyone would get any sufficient work done today, unless they knew for sure that their job was safe. In that case, they were the lucky ones who could ignore the edgy mood in the office.
I walked up to a group of my fellow coworkers. "How are you all doing? Has there been any announcements of anything? Meetings?" Since I was late to work, I wasn't sure if i had missed anything of importance.
"No, they haven't said anything yet, but we expect Bob to tell us something soon," one of them answered. I figured that I would go check in with Bob to see if he had heard any news, hoping he wasn't too busy.
I knocked on his door and poked my head inside, alerting him that I was there. He motioned for me to come in and he was on a phone call. I took a seat at one of his two chairs facing the desk that he was sitting at. As he was finishing up his phone call, I heard chunks of it, but I wasn't totally sure of what the person on the other line was saying to him. Bob seemed frustrated though. "We've been one of your best producing branches in this whole area...there's no need for that, we can stay afloat...we are in such a crucial position in the city though...you can't do this to us...is this really the logical decision here...what about Chevy Chase? Their numbers don't even come close to ours...Oh shit. Well than what about Beltsville then?...No! There must be some other solution...Can you at least come down and tell them face to face or just help me do it?...Thanks...I will see you later today Bill."
"That did not sound good," I said. "What's the deal?" I knew what he was going to say, but I didn't want to hear it so I just hoped that I was wrong.
"Our branch is getting shut down. They are shutting down 5 in our area. They just can't keep it up. The company, as a whole, took too big of a hit."
"Oh Shit! No! I can not believe this! This can't be happening!" My day was going down fast and it had just started.
"I figured they would have to close a couple of branches, but I didn't think for a second that that would be ours. We have one of the best production turn outs in the DC area. And we are in the city god dammit! Why shut down a critical branch and leave some meager branch in the suburbs. Ah, this makes me so angry!"
"Did they say what to do or what was going to happen?" My mind just started racing about not having a job and having to deal with the puppies, and I needed some order.
"Someone from corporate is coming down to talk with me and I will find out then. Until then, I don't want to break the news to them because I don't want to have to deal with the swarm of hostility."
"That makes sense...Ugh! This makes me so angry!" I had been with this company for 2 years and was moving up through the ranks, but I felt really bad for Bob. He had been with them for seven years and was now the manager of this branch. He had made a name for himself and had a great relationship with the company. I really hoped everything worked out fine with him because I would feel horrible if I was in his situation.
"I don't think there's really much else we can do other than just wait for the guys from corporate to arrive."
"All because of some dumb ass who couldn't read and bought 1 billion stocks instead of 1 million," I remembered. "If it wasn't for him we wouldn't be in this situation right now and all of this could be easily diverted." We just sat there in silence for a moment. There was no need to say anything. We both knew what we were thinking. Visualizing what we would do in the next month/the rest of our life.
Finally Bob broke the silence, by saying, "I guess you should get back to your office now. We don't want the other workers to start getting suspicious."
"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for talking Bob, hang in there." I left his office and walked back to my desk. For the rest of the day, I was waiting just like everyone else. I did some work to keep myself preoccupied at some points. I mingled with my fellow coworkers and realized that they all knew the situation with the job cuts. Soon enough, the people from corporate arrived at our office. Bob greeted them and they went into his office. The tension kept on rising and rising until finally they emerged from Bob's door.
Bob spoke first, "Everyone would you please listen up. The people from corporate are here today and they have something to tell you."
Now a woman took over, "As you may know, the stock market took a large hit a few days ago and we have been greatly affected by it. We lost a lot of money and we have to downsize a bit. What I mean by this is that we have to close some branches. We have talked all yesterday about, which decision would be the best for you and the best for the company and we have come to the consensus that we should close 5 branches in the DC area. I am terribly sorry to inform you that this branch is one of those branches."
Even though everyone knew something like this was coming, there was still unrest with the workers. People started yelling things out like "Why us?" and "Why can't you all give up part of your $3 million a year salary to keep us going?" Nobody was happy. They passed out some information pamphlet, that nobody payed great attention to. It felt like everyone just wanted to get out of here (including me). So at 4:00 PM I walked out of the office. And walked to my car and started my commute home.
After such a terrible day at the office, I wanted to get as far away as possible. I quickly reached my car and drove to the highway with urgency. I was not encountering that much traffic, which should be a good thing, but I might have been better going bumper to bumper in traffic because I was caught with a speeding ticket. Trying to get home briskly, I was pulled over by a gray police cruiser with their lights flashing. I pulled to the side of the road right away, not wanting to frustrate the office and although I was pissed, I thought putting on a nice face would lessen my penalty. Apparently I was mistaken because the officer gave me no mercy with giving me a $200 ticket. Thoroughly frustrated, I shrugged it off, continuing on my pursuit home.
Upon pulling into my driveway, I noticed a car parked outside the house that I had seen multiple times before. I thought nothing of it, assuming that it was some neighbor's guest's car or something of that sorts. I grabbed my briefcase from the passenger seat and walked to the front door. As I put my keys in the keyhole to open the door, I realized that the door was unlocked. This was really odd because my wife had not told me of any appointments with plumbers or other home services that she needed to be home for. I swung open the door and looked around the entrance hallway. I saw my wife's briefcase lying on the floor on the side just where she normally puts it, which alerted me to the fact that she was indeed home. I called out to her, "Susanna?" wondering where she could be, but heard no response. There are some rooms in this house where it is almost impossible to hear someone calling from downstairs, so I thought I would walk around the house to check where she was.
I quickly scanned the first floor finding no sign of her and I moved upstairs. As I was walking upstairs, I hear short movement somewhere from the second floor followed by a voice. This was not my wife's voice, but instead a man's voice. Directly following that, I heard a short giggle, which I easily identified as my wife's. This did not sound good and my mind started racing, wondering why they were here.
Quite angry, I nearly sprinted up the remaining stairs and right to our bedroom, where I had located the voices. By now I had surely alerted my wife and her friend of my presence in the house because I had caused a couple of floorboards to squeak under me as I rushed towards the bedroom. I almost did not open up the door, fearing what I would see. But, I did and I surely did not like the sight. There lay my wife and her new found lover underneath the sheets staring up at me.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?!" I screamed. I could not believe my eyes. Where the hell had this come from! "WHAT THE FUCK!?!" I yelled again. I was absolutely furious, but I was also terribly confused. "Get the fuck out of here right now!" I ordered the man, who I did not care the slightest bit about, to do. "As for you," I told my wife as the man was leaving the room, "Get the hell out of bed and get some clothes on."
This was unreal. How was this happening to me! My life was unfolding right before my eyes. I could barely move my neck on top of all of this crap and I still had to deal with Ajax and his new family. "So tell me, How long? How long have you been 'working late' or 'going to yoga.' At least I assume you were not actually doing what you said you were doing." As I asked that question, she looked quite nervous. She did not look at me and she just sat on the side of the bed with her nightgown on looking at the floor. "Did you hear me? I asked, 'How long?'"
"Six months," she whispered, not daring to gaze up at me.
"Oh god! And why? What does that grimy son of a bitch give you that I don't give you?" I could not believe it! SIX months! We had only been married a little over three years. Had she really gotten sick of me that quickly?
"I don't know. I really do not want to talk about it right now." I couldn't believe she had said that. She didn't want to talk about it. Well fuck her! I wanted to know.
"No! You are going to talk about it and you will tell me why? Had you really gotten so sick of me in the first three years of our marriage?"
"I just was never 100% happy when I was with you. I kept thinking it would change and become like what it was like before we got married, but no, it never did. I still hoped that I would be able to be with you and that it would change, but I wanted to be happy."
"Then why didn't you tell me this, EVER. This is the first time you have share with me the fact that you are unhappy with me. I do not truly give a dam if you are not happy with me. We can get a divorce, and yes we will, but you are just stuck up in that little head of yours and you need to come out. You can't live a life with yourself, you need to talk. Whenever I asked if anything was wrong or if there was something the matter, you would just say that your tired. What kind of bullshit excuse is that, 'I'm tired.' Can't you just say, 'I am not happy with you and I want to talk about it.'"
"I don't know. I didn't want to upset you and upset our good life here, so I didn't talk about it and found this solution."
"Oh, you didn't want to upset our good life, huh? Well look what just happened! You fuckin' did just that! Maybe, just maybe, if you had actually spoken up during the first two years, we could have fixed it and seen a marriage counselor or something, but no, you had to keep to yourself and fuck everything up in the end."
"I am sorry, alright? I am sorry that I was not perfect and that I made the wrong choices, but what can I do about it now?"
"For starters, you can make your first good choice and leave right now. Leave this house with your little lover boy and leave me with MY house."
"Fine I'll leave, but let me pack a bag first." She finally got up and moved to the dresser to grab some clothes. She quickly piled in a few days clothes and zipped it up. As she walked outside, I felt an odd sense of relief that she was gone out of might sights and I could try to forget about her for a little while. I had to collect myself and find out what I was going to do. My first thought was to go find Ajax and talk to Sam, and that is exactly what I went to do.
I did not call ahead to Sam, alerting him of my arrival, but I figured that this was not the time to be worrying about something like that. I rang the doorbell and as soon as the door was open, I walked straight in passed Sam. "Oh! Hi Dan," he greeted me as I walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water." I didn't realize it, but after all that excitement I had been sweating a lot and had become quite dehydrated.
After I had downed a refreshing glass of water I apologized, "Hi Sam. Sorry to barge in that way, things have just not been going my way today and I needed a comforting place to be near a friend."
"Yeah, of course. What's the matter, buddy?"
"Remember how I said that everything at my office was going fine? Well, they weren't and our branch got closed today. And on top of that, I just came home to find my wife cheating on me. For SIX MONTHS, she had been sleeping behind my back! How could I have been so blind?"
"Oh Sam! I am so sorry to hear! Here take a seat, I'll get you some more water. Did she say anything?"
"Yeah, she said that she was never "100% happy with me" and that she didn't want to upset our good, happy life by talking about it, so she just slept behind my back!"
"Oh dear, I can't imagine what you are going through right now."
"What would you do? What would you do right now if you were in my position? Because I sure as hell don't know what to do."
"I would have never imagined my wife cheating on me, so I'm not totally sure."
"Well, let's say that you just came home to find out that your wife is having an affair, what do you do then?" I was almost losing it.
"I don't know what I would do. I couldn't imagine wanting to do anything, but go to sleep and wake up with it all over."
"Now, that sounds like exactly what I want to do. Thanks Sam." And just like that I was gone as quick as I came in. I'm not sure what brought me all the way over to his house to have that short conversation with him, but that was all I needed. I just needed to know that someone was there for me, that I was not alone. That one question proved to solve many problems because I went straight home and fell asleep, terribly exhausted, on the couch and fell into a deep, deep sleep.
I woke up quite early, or just at my normal time, but I had no desire to get to work early, so I took my time getting ready. I was planning on going to work to collect all my things at the office and say goodbye to everyone. I was certain that everyone else would be doing the same thing, so everyone would be in a sad mood, but it would still be nice to bid farewell to everyone. Because of such a leisurely day ahead, I wasn't rushing as much and falling little bit behind my regular schedule, but surprisingly not that much. I ended up leaving the house at the same time I left the house two days ago: five or six minutes late. I hadn't really noticed this, until I pulled into the parking garage for that last time. I looked at my wristwatch and it read 8:22, I was supposedly due at work in eight minutes. I flashed back two days prior, when I had bumped into that beautiful woman. I thought about how wonderful it would be to see her again and how that empty feeling that has been sitting in my stomach for only a little over 12 hours would go away.
I decided that I would try my hardest to "bump into her" again like last time, but this time it wouldn't be such an accident. I would walk at a somewhat similar pace to how I had walked that day, and I would make sure that we encounter each other and have a more interesting conversation. I kept looking up over everyone's heads to scout out my unnamed mistress, but she was nowhere to be seen. After I passed the first few blocks, I was getting worried that I had missed her and that she would be lost forever, until I spotted her half a block up the sidewalk.
I set her out as my target and devised such a path to walk that I would bump into her just as I had did exactly two days ago. I planned to drop my briefcase when I bumped her to ensure that she stop and pay attention to me.
When the time came, it worked magnificently and her attention was definitely on me. "Oh I'm sorry. I can't believe I just did that," she apologized as we both bent down to pick up my briefcase and materials. "This happened to me two days ago as well. What luck."
"Really? Because this happened to me two days ago too. And, come to think of it, on this very block."
Now this sparked miss No-name. "I swore you looked familiar! You were definitely that person that I walked into the day before yesterday."
"I was thinking the same thing! Hi, my name is Dan," I introduced myself.
"Isabella, nice to meet you," she said so sweetly accompanied by that melting smile.
"Nice to meet you, too. Hey, would you mind if I bought you a cup of coffee or something? I feel bad having run into you twice and held you up like this." I was moving so smoothly and quickly it like knife through butter.
"Sure, that would be nice. How about that coffee shop right on the corner of 5th and 20th." I couldn't believe it! I had gotten a lunch date with this incredibly stunning woman of whom I admired so.
"That's great! 1:00 sound good?"
"Sounds wonderful!"
"Perfect. See you then."
I was jumping for joy inside. Fireworks were going off and my world was being turned right side up again. This gloomy last day of work would not seem as sad anymore that I had this appointment to look forward to.
Summary of what to come:
Dan would go to this lunch/coffee date, and he and Isabella would hit it off. They would be perfect for each other and continue to go on dates. Just as Dan realized how perfect they were together, they get in a car crash on the way home from a restaurant they were at having dinner. Isabella dies and Dan is in critical condition. Dan questions what else is there to live for if nothing ever goes right in his life, but with the help of Sam and the loving friendship of Ajax, Dan finds the will to recover and makes a speedy revival. Dan lives the rest of his life never finding a soul mate for him, but he lives in harmony with Ajax. When it becomes time for Ajax to move on, Dan brings in one of Roxy and Ajax's many puppies and continues to enjoy life to this day.