The boy who cried She-Wolf

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Wolf

He:

6am

Sometimes you know that the end is near. It’s in your guts. In the mind. In the signs the universe throws your way. I know it’s going to be today

Your body has a way of telling you. If you listen closely. Like the sharp stabbing pain in my chest last week. The doctor in the Emergency Room said it was just gas and sent me home. Doctors ! …they only know so much. All the devices at the hospital couldn’t measure my sense of dread; the certainty of my instinct.

7:30 am

As I’m driving my son to school I feel that I may not see him again. That it was going to be our last ride.  I wish it’s just my imagination and that it’s nothing. Maybe it is nothing. I feel a little hope and I smile a little at my son as I say goodbye.

8:00 am

I’m at work catching up on email when boss walks in to my office saying, “we need to get working on a succession plan for all senior leaders. Here’s your template …I need you to identify your successor  by end of day”.

This is no coincidence. The signs are getting stronger…more direct.

5:30pm:

I check the life insurance policies and designate nominees in my financial accounts. I wish I had written a proper will. I didn’t want to waste my last few hours on legality.

So, I decide to go home early in time to have dinner with my family.

6:30 pm:

My wife has cooked up a storm. She has been  on this healthy eating spree and feeding us all kinds of vegetables for years now. The food is lip smacking good. For an hour I forget my impending end and enjoy the food and the company of my family.

7:30 pm

The whole family has settled in the living room. Should I tell her now? Prepare her ? What will she do when I’m gone? Is there enough money to coast through college ?

I sit brooding with my laptop while the family laughs at the jokes in a sitcom.

10:00pm

It’s time for bed. The lights are off and I wonder if I should tell her now. By the time I make up my mind she is asleep. I “spoon” with her and close my eyes.

4:30am

I must have fallen asleep immediately.  I’m awaken by Nature calling me with a solid knock.  I have to answer it. I answer and reach for the toilet paper. I see the sure sign now. I know now that all the previous signs are right. The sliver of doubt that I may be imagining all this is gone replaced with cold hard facts . Indisputable facts. The end is very near.

4:37am

I am back in bed and my wife stirs and asks if everything is all right. I hesitate …had to tell her now …I didn’t know how to tell her.

“I feel afraid like something bad is going to happen”, I say easing into the topic.

She turns around and puts a hand on my chest stroking me and says, ” Must be a bad dream. Everything will be fine. Go back to sleep.”

I say softly ,” there was blood in my stools . A lot ”

Her hand froze on my chest. Suddenly she turned away from me snuggled into the comforter and said , ” Go back to sleep. It’s just the beets we had for dinner”.

Epilogue

She:

4:38 am

Another  perfect early morning sleep ruined.  Another evening watching him brood. 10 years is a long time to put up with his morbid moods and wasted Emergency room vists. All the healthy cooking of colourful vegetables to improve his health… all a waste! Enough is enough.  Tomorrow I will get the arsenic. It’s time I  get to sleep undisturbed.

He:

6am the next day

Sometimes you know that the end is near. It’s in your guts. In your mind. In the signs the universe throws your way…..

Photo credit: From website – https://suite.io/denise-larson/5bv028b

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