"Jed."
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared a State of National Emergency today as first responders desperately try to cope with the rising body count ...
"Jed. Turn that off."
On the TV, a camera panned over downtown London while a helicopter newsperson attempted to report on what looked like fleas jumping from the buildings and bridges.
Thousands have chosen to spend their final Serenity seconds in flight ...
"Jesus Christ, Jed. Turn that off!"
Angela crossed the room and grabbed the remote from Jed's hands, clicking the TV off.
"I need your help," she said to her husband, but Jed didn't move. "I need your help getting ready." Jed remained hunched in his Lazyboy, unresponsive. Angela walked around and crouched down to face him. "Jed. It's your son's birthday party. I can't do this alone -- "
"My son is dead."
"Shit, Jed, I hate it when you talk like that!" Angela stood, exasperated. "Your son is alive and he's turning seven today, and we're having a birthday party." She tossed a bag and some ribbon into his lap. "Here. Blow these balloons up. I'm going to go check the mailbox again." With that she left the room but stopped and turned back to add, "And leave the damn TV off."
Outside, Angela took a deep breath of August afternoon. Just like any August afternoon. In the distance she could hear children screeching as they bounced on a trampoline. Just like any children, ever. Turning to look back at her house, she could see Bobby at his bedroom window. He waved and she smiled and waved back. He was very excited about his party. Angela fervently prayed that guests would show up. At the mailbox, she opened the little tin door and let out a whoop. The package had arrived! OMG. Just in time. She ripped open the puffy envelope and pulled out the box with its classic four circles of color. Enchroma Color Blind Glasses.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she said as she held the box to her heart and looked up at the sky. Thank you to whoever it was still at work filling orders. Whoever it was still driving the trucks delivering those orders. Whoever it was still walking from box to box placing packages and envelopes so mothers of little boys could still give birthday gifts. Bobby was going to love these glasses.
***
Back at the house, she and a grim Jed were putting the finishing touches on a massive bouquet of colourful balloons hanging over the dining room table when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" yelled Bobby as he tumbled down the stairs into the hallway. Angela felt an inner pang of relief. At least someone had come. Bobby ran in holding the hand of a little girl. "It's Amanda! Amanda is here!" Behind them Amanda's parents followed.
"Thank you so much for coming and bringing Amanda," Angela said. "It means a lot to Bobby. To all of us."
"I don't get what's the damn point," Amanda's father growled. His wife said nothing. Before Angela could respond the doorbell rang again. Bobby and Amanda had raced upstairs to his playroom, so Angela opened the door. A boy stood alone on the steps, holding a rainbow coloured bag.
"Why hello, George. Nice to see you," Angela greeted him. George grinned and held up the birthday gift. "Wonderful. I'll put it in the dining room next to the cake. The kids are upstairs in the playroom if you want to go on up." As George headed down the hallway, Angela looked outside for his parents. A car was parked on the driveway and she could make out two people sitting inside. Angela walked out and knocked on the driver side window. The man rolled it down. "Hi there, I'm Bobby's mom. Would you like to come inside? We have lots of food, and drinks too ...." Angela trailed off. The couple in the car were not responding. As Angela stood there, not sure what to do, the woman in the passenger seat leaned forward and shook her head slightly. Then the man rolled the window back up. Ghosts. The word came to mind unbidden as Angela watched the car back slowly out of her driveway. These people were already ghosts. She was glad they had managed to bring George to the party though. Angela turned back to the house. Bright balloons tied around the front porch were dancing in a summer breeze.
***
"OK! OK! Who's ready for cake and presents?" Angela called out over the din of children blowing noise makers around a table covered in hotdogs, chips and rainbow coloured paper plates. Only two guests from the dozens on the guest list but Bobby had a big ketchup covered grin and that was all that mattered. Amanda's parents and Jed stood off to the side as Angela brought in the cake. She started singing and glared at Jed until he joined in. "Happy Birthday to youuuuu."
Bobby blew out the candles and the children cheered. "OK, Bobby. I wanted to start with this present from your dad and I. It's kind of a special gift and it just got delivered today." Angela handed over the wrapped box and watched as Bobby tore off the paper. Tilting the box back and forth Bobby looked at his friends and shrugged. Then he pulled out the glasses and looked questioningly up at his mom. "Put them on honey. And leave them on for a few minutes."
Bobby put on the boxy tinted glasses and immediately stood up, knocking his chair back. His hands flew up to his face. "No honey, just leave them on for a minute. What do you see?" Bobby covered his mouth and looked around slowly. The balloons. The cake. Then he turned to his mom and started to cry.
"You look so bright, Mama," he said. "Everything is so bright!"
"Those are colours, honey," Angela said through her own tears. "You're seeing colours."
"Dang ..." the little boy said, almost to himself. He turned to his father. "You're wearing a purple purple purple shirt, Papa!" Jed smiled, tears leaking down his own cheeks.
"That's right, son. Purple and a little bit of red."
"And Amanda's dress is green. Green right Amanda?"
"No, Bobby, it's blue. My favourite colour."
"That's BLUE! I can see blue! And is that RED?!?"
By this time all the kids were up out of their seats and crowding around Bobby, pointing out different colours and shouting over one another. Angela walked over to Jed and slipped her arm into his. "Your son is alive," she whispered. "And he can see colours."
***
Later that night, as Angela tucked Bobby into bed, he was still wearing the Enchroma glasses. "You're going to have to take them off to sleep you know, silly," Angela said with a smile.
"I know Mama. Thank you for my gift. I can hardly wait to wear them to school."
Angela hesitated. She wasn't sure there was going to be any school come September. But she smiled again. "Mrs. Mable will think they're cool huh?"
"Ya, and you know Mama, the coolest thing?"
"What's that sweetheart," Angela asked as she stroked the choppy red bangs from her son's forehead.
"I can see the rainbow now."
"The rainbow? Was there a rainbow today?"
"Not today, Mama. The rainbow when ex … exxeff ... um .."
"XF11?" Angela stiffened.
"Ya! When ex-eff-11 hits Earth. Mrs. Mable says there's gonna be a huge rainbow. The biggest there has ever been ever since the dinosaurs."
Angel covered her mouth and sat back.
"And when that rainbow comes, Mama, we're all gonna walk over it," Bobby continued. "Right, Mama? And you'll walk over it with me. Right, Mama?"
Angela looked down at her little boy and nodded, unable to speak. He looked back at her beseechingly until finally, she made her lips smile. "Of course honey. And I'll hold your hand."
Bobby settled into his pillow and removed the glasses, placing them carefully on his bedside table. "And it's gonna be beautiful, Mama. It's gonna be bright."
***
The line up around Rogers Centre in Toronto stretches for miles as people wait for their turn in the Serenity Gardens.
The reporter held a microphone up to a woman holding onto a young child.
"Our grocery store ran out of food last week. They say there's a massive buffet in there and musicians playing around the clock. Sounds like a good way to go, doesn't it?"
"Look, Mommy, more helicopters!"
The reporter looked back at the camera.
As authorities continue to bring food and entertainment into the Centre, the army reinforces its perimeter.
Sirens erupted from the TV. Slouched once again in his lazy boy, one hand wrapped around a glass of scotch, Jed was flipping an amber coloured pill bottle back and forth in the other.
"What have you got there?" Angela asked as she entered the room.
"You know what it is," Jed replied. Flip. Flip.
"Why do you have it now?"
"Because I think now is a good time." Flip. Flip.
Angela felt her heart race. "No."
Suddenly Jed was on his feet and facing her. "Dammit, Angela! When? When exactly do you think it will be a good time? I was all for taking these the moment they arrived on our doorstep. I'm like 'great idea! Let's do it!' but you're all 'no no no, we have to wait until after the birthday party.' Well, guess what. Party's over. And now it's time."
Angela stood holding herself and looked at her husband's face. His teeth were clenched, his brow twisted between his eyes, his skin flushed. Unbidden, a memory from seven years ago came to her. The night of Bobby's delivery. Jed had wanted them to leave for the hospital as soon as her water broke but she had wanted to stay home just a little while longer. He had looked like this and she had known then that he was frightened. She dropped her arms and stepped towards him. "Jed. We have eight more weeks - "
But Jed stepped back and turned away. "Angela. I don't want to wait. I'm not going to wait."
"Eight weeks Jed! Two weeks of August, summer, beach time and camping, and mosquito bites and sunburns. Four weeks of September. Fall. Apples dropping from the trees, leaves turning, the smell of wood smoke. The first frost. And October. Pumpkins, Jed! We still have time for pumpkins!" Angela spread her arms, and reached for her husband.
But he didn't turn back. "No. I'm not going to wait. It's over. I'm done." Then he did turn, and she could see pleading on his face. "Angela, think about it. People aren't going to be normal. The world isn't going to be normal. Already -- " he gestured towards the TV. "Already horrible things are starting to happen, and it's only August. You and Bobby won't be safe."
That was just like Jed. Always the misanthrope. "I don't agree. People will spend their last few weeks doing wonderful things. Helping each other, enjoying life," Angela said.
Jed exploded. "For God's sake Angela! Take a look around! People are angry. People are hopeless. People are desperate ...'
"I'm going to wait for the rainbow," Angela interrupted.
"The what?"
"Nevermind," Angela waved her arms. "I'm going to wait until the last possible day. I'm going to wait until I can see the bloody thing in the sky." She was angry now. How dare he demand this of her? Of them? "I'm staying. And Bobby is staying with me."
"Well, you'll stay alone, then." Jed sounded defeated now, but unwavering. He sat back down and grabbed his Scotch.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving tonight," Jed said and took a gulp.
"But you can't!" Angela was suddenly terrified. She raced around to face her husband.
Jed looked up at her, his face twisted in anguish. "I'm not going to watch the world disintegrate. I'm not going to live in fear for you and Jed, grubbing around for everyday basics, food, water. And I just don't … argh" Jed slapped his head. "I just don't want to think about it anymore! I'm done!" He sat back and grabbed onto the pill bottle again. "I'm outta here tonight."
Angela knew her husband. They'd been married for twenty years. She could see his mind was not going to change. She began sobbing.
"You're going to break his heart - "
Jed spat, "So what! So what if his heart is broken? Is he gonna have to live with that broken heart all his looooong life? Is he gonna have to go to therapy because that broken heart is interfering with his marriage. His career? Is he going to act it out on his children?"
Angela's own heart broke.
In the end, they agreed that Jed would wait until the morning. When Bobby got up he found his father dressed in a suit, eating breakfast in the nook. The coffee pot was chortling on the counter. Angela came in, still in her red silk robe, still red around the eyes.
"That's a red robe, right Mama?" Bobby stated, grabbing a bit of the material as she folded him into a hug. "Why is Papa in a suit?"
"Papa has to go away for work," Angela told him and looked over at Jed who turned.
"Come here, son," Jed beckoned, and held open his arms.
***
"What's your favourite colour, Mama?" Bobby asked, adjusting his glasses with a forearm. "I think mine is orange! It's such a good colour isn't it, Mama?"
Angela smiled at her son as he dug into the big pumpkin in front of him. Pulling out a spoon full of guts Bobby held it high in the air so the long pumpkin strands hung down, dripping seeds. He stuck out his tongue.
"No, Bobby! We have to cook the seeds first!"
Bobby laughed mischievously and pushed his scoop back into the gourd. His hands were orange with the pulp. Angela thought to herself, he's right. Orange is a good colour. In their little yard, the trees were turning orange and red, dropping their leaves on her rows of zucchini and squash. The days had become crisp, the nights colder. They had lost their power 4 weeks ago, but they had a fireplace and the two of them, bundled up on the livingroom floor, were very cozy. Later they would cook the pumpkin seeds over the fire and read the old Hallowe'en books stacked in the book basket. There were two cans of beef stew in the pantry that Angela had saved for this night. And a small bowl of stale candy corn left over from last year. Her eyes scanned the living room and touched on the amber coloured pill bottles resting on the mantle.
"OK, Mama, I'm ready to carve this pumpkin!" Bobby's announcement interrupted Angela's thoughts. "And it's gonna be a happy Jack O'lantern, right, Mama?"
"You bet, kiddo. And after he's carved we'll put a candle in him and set him on the hearth so he can keep us company as we fall asleep. Right?"
Bobby wiggled with contentment. Outside their windows, XF11 filled the sky.
I took a Speculative Fiction course in college recently and had the pleasure of writing a few fun stories. This is one of my favourites.
I realize this is a ‘poetry’ blog but I have a few short tales too, and will be sharing them in the Prose section. Hope you enjoy it!