replacing this rubish with a story. enjoy

17 December 07

Raising the Red Flag

            Richard looked down once again, slightly squinting to read the tremulous writing on the letter. No stamp, no address, no date, just a familiar crooked handwriting across a heavily aged envelope. Inside laid a handwritten letter stuck to a small piece of paper of what looked like a receipt. 

Gift greater than I can hold,

Restore your family, restore your life,

Do this for me, as time has won me over.

Sincerely, Janice

                With a puzzled look, Richard tossed the letter in the back of his car and drove off to the next street.

            “First time I’ve gotten fan mail” Richard chuckled.

----

            Janice gathered a sack full of oranges as she sat waiting on her front porch, continuing her daily routine. As the sizzling sun cracked westward in Sacramento county, Janice glanced at her watch without breaking a sweat.

            “3:15, he should be here any moment now” she murmured.

            Just after the sounds cleared from her lips, she lifted a smile and heard the same engine from the same car, smelled the same diesel fuel from the same engine, and embraced the same screech as a small car halted in front of her mailbox. Labeled “United States Postal Service”, Richard jumped out of his car while swinging his brown leather sac over his shoulder and smiled back at Janice.

            “Sorry I’m late today; the Pinkerton’s let their dog loose.”

            “I’ve known you for 15 years now and every time it’s the same excuse” Janice smirked. Anyhow, here are some oranges I picked for you, take them, take them and don’t say a word.”

            Richard quickly accepted the gift, waved goodbye to Janice, and raced to the next destination.

            Back inside, Janice noticed the date as she glanced around searching for her reading glasses. Her birthday was next week, but all she did was let out a sigh. Every year seemed worse and worse as she was getting more and more forgetful. Her neighbors thought it came with old age as living up to eighty-two was no easy task. No one knew she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s just nearly two years ago, but more significantly, no one cared. Her own illness drove her friends and family away. Being a widow for nearly twenty years, her heart grew cold and refused pain and suffering, yet the hollowness consumed her, blocking all signs of love and friendship as well. Richard was an exception. Strangely, their short conversations about life, family, and sufferings reminded her of her own past. Richard, divorced at the age of forty-two, often visited her on Sundays to deliver food and other necessities as Janice would soon be unable to live alone. Alzheimer’s was taking her memory away day by day, leaving no room for remorse.

            Everyday Janice followed her routine by greeting Richard at 3:15 and then walking down a block to the corner store to buy a lottery ticket. Greeting Richard fulfilled her social needs while lottery tickets exercised her both mentally and physically. Exercise was not only impossible for Janice but nearly life threatening. She feared the day Alzheimer’s would take away her ability to return home. Lottery ticket drawings aired between 7:00 through 7:30pm, though money was of no value to Janice, she loved the adrenaline it created when the speaker would call out the winning numbers. She would often dream of what to buy, what to do with a million dollars. If only money could reverse time, she thought. No family, no friends, no life to live for. She wasn’t scared of death, for she had nothing to lose from it.

            On a bleak winter night, where the sun exchanged roles with the moon, Janice fell asleep on her chair dreaming of a life without pain, without loneliness, and without her memory disorder. Awakened by a familiar voice, she opened her eyes to see the lottery drawing speaker call out winning numbers. Tempted to return to her peaceful dream, she was kicked with a rush of energy as her first three numbers matched the speakers. Turning up the volume, Janice stood up with her hand palmed over her heart. Next two numbers matched, same with the next two, finally the speaker ended and all seven numbers matched those of her lottery ticket. With exact corresponding order, her ticket was well worth over a million dollars! She wanted to share the joy, share the excitement with the world.

            “At least Richard will listen to me” she thought as she fell back asleep.

            Waking up with the ticket still in her hand, she wiped away the tears of joy, removing her fear that all was just a dream.    After fifteen years, she decided today was the day to break her routine. Leaving the door opened, she slowly walked towards her mailbox an hour before Richard’s arrival. With one quick swoop, she stuck a sealed envelope inside, and raised the small red flag.