Allan's Happy Ending, Part I
Allan leaned back in his chair as he munched
on a piece of bread at the small cafe,
he daydreamed idly as he sat there,
his wife Janet was again running late.
He didn’t mind, since he had the time,
one of the perks of being your own boss,
and every Friday they went out to lunch,
Allan much enjoyed these few hours off.
He finally saw her coming towards him,
she sighed, “The traffic was just a nightmare,
and the kids’ baby-sitter showed up late,
Allan just smiled, glad that she was here.
They’d wanted to try this place for a while,
and were glad to find it didn’t fall short,
talked of the things marries couples do:
taxes, the kids’ school, things of that sort.
“I can’t wait to go away next weekend,”
she declared as they finished up the meal.
He’d booked three days in a bed-and-breakfast,
their need for some alone time was real.
He kissed he goodbye, then she bounced away,
heading back home to take care of the kids,
he had pleasant thoughts as he watched his love go,
he didn’t speak them, but would soon wish he did.
Allan was at work when he got the call
from the baby-sitter back at the house,
Janet hadn’t returned from their lunch yet,
she had no idea where she was right now.
He called Janet's phone, but got no response,
not even a message there did he find,
only dead air, and that couldn’t be good,
frightening thoughts started to cloud his mid.
A half-hour later another call came,
and this one was from the local police,
they told him sadly that there had been a cras...,
In his office Allan fell to his knees.
He moved through the next weeks, lost in a daze,
his sister had to come help with the children.
He was numb through all of the funeral,
feeling a pain known by very few men.
It was nearly a month before he realized
that his own grief would not black out real life,
that he had two kids, and a job to work,
so he tried to get on without his wife.
He had to hire a nanny full time,
his daughter was four, his son only six,
and still had to work to bring money in,
plumbing systems always needed a fix.
He tried to spend his free time with his kids,
and had to shelve any plans to expand,
knew kids of single parents faced real issues,
he did he best, but was only one man.
It was all he could do to maintain their lives,
to keep things running and stay out of debt,
he had his own grief, and the children’s too,
and the consequences had not come yet...
CONTINUES IN PART II.
|