Winter Season

The card

Esther’s second week in this new place was quickly approaching. She still hadn’t spent her first real night in her house.  But she was taking her time and doing everything right the first time. Getting sick from the Covid booster didn’t help.

Oscar didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to be loving the company. But she knew that.

Oscar had a horrible day at work. He sat in his SUV a long time before ever moving.

What? Did he have a sign on his forehead that said, “me, me – pick me?” Everyone wanted a piece of him today: angry parents, upset students, other teachers, the list went on and on. The only person that wasn’t chewing him a new one was the principal. She was his champion today.

When he finally mustered up enough strength to get out of his SUV, he found a plain brown envelope taped to the front door. His first thought was a hate letter. The card inside had a picture of Chucky’s head on it. His heart sank. It was a hate letter. On the inside was a picture of the sun that said, “I don’t care if you lick windows, eat bugs or occasionally pee on yourself. You hang in there sunshine, you’re special.” Signed, Esther.

Oscar didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. In a roundabout way this card was really cute. When he stepped into the house and knew that he was alone, he cried.

This was the first night since she had been here that they didn’t have dinner together. He clicked his spoon in an empty bowl missing her like crazy.

Esther lay in her bed with a huge smile on her face despite her lack of dinner. She was dead dog tired but it was worth it. The bedroom was just the way she wanted it. Oscar had been really kind to her. But she had to get acquainted with her house. No bed feels like your bed. She had almost forgotten just how good her bed felt.

When she closed her eyes, the sound of her big box fan flooded her ears. She had a really hard time sleeping in complete silence.

That wide smile didn’t fade as she thought for a moment about what happened to her to get her here. But only for a moment, she would not allow herself to linger on that.

The old timey ring of her cell phone drowned out the fan for a moment. Oscar was calling.

“Hi,” her mood was light.

“Are you busy?”

“No.”

“May I come in?”

She laughed, “are you on the porch?”

She could hear him blush, “yeah.”

With no regard to the fact that he was still on the phone, she turned it off before jumping from the bed. She opened the door to find him holding a daisy. She gave him a really big hug.

“Get in here before you freeze your grits off.”

“For you.” He handed her the daisy.

“What’s the occasion?”

They sat in the floor in the living room. He didn’t look at her; only stared at her floor. “You’ve been here two weeks now, the card, just ‘cause.”

“Thank you.”  She watched him for a moment. He seemed lost in another world. It made her smile to think he noticed that she had been here two weeks. You need to say something, she told herself. Speak to him. “Am I going to get a daisy every week?” She teased.

“Would you like one?”

“Have you had any dinner?”

“Changin’ the subject Miss Morrison?”

“Maybe Mr. Patterson.”

“No,” came a direct reply. “I’ve spent the day throwing up.”

“Come,” she quickly climbed out of the floor. “We must get you something to eat? I have sandwich makin’s and chips.” He just sat in the floor. “Oscar?”

He held out his hand to her, guiding her back into the floor. “Can we talk about the other night?”

“I will make you a deal.” She put her hands on his shoulders, “if you eat dinner, we can talk about it.” He stared at her blankly for a moment. She wasn’t sure he even saw her, “please.”

There was a knock at her door. It was Chet. “Howdy.”

“Come in. You are just in time to help me.”

“Oh.”

Winter Season