Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Empty Nester/Retirement (from work) (09/10/09)
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TITLE: A Wife's Eye View | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ruth Brown
09/14/09 -
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He sauntered outside, studied the tree, glanced next door, surveyed the street and noted the baby rabbit by the flower
bush. He touched the purple weed blooming in the ditch then picked up a plastic bottle carried by the
wind into his domain. He pocketed a small rock, he picked up from the yard and ran a nail across a scratch on my car.
He spied sticks dropped by the wind and carried them to the compost pile and meandered back. Our neighbor,Dave pulled into his drive so he chatted with Dave. He squinted at something in the yard and paused by his car to kick the tires and, rubbed a spot with his shirt sleeve.
His eyes followed the neighbor's cat and noted she looked pregnant.(He told me later).
His cell phone rang. He lifted the flap on his shirt pocket and pulled it out. He looked to see who was calling and
answered on the fifth ring.
"What am I doing? Just going out to get the mail." I heard him say.
***********
Not ten minutes later I looked in the garage. He sat in a roll-around chair looking at the pull down stairs. He held his hands up and looked between them at different angles much like a photographer preparing his best shot.
He bent to check the ladder's feet and adjusted them to the proper angle,then strolled across the garage and rearranged some boards. He found the broom, swept stray leaves into the dustpan and carried it to the compost pile.
I stood at the door and waited for his return. "I'm going in to get supper started, "I said.
"Call me when it's ready," he said," I want to finish this project first."
"I will," I said.
Supper was close to ready when...
CRASH, clunck clunk, I opened the door, and peered into the garage. He lay motionless, flat on his back. My stomach clinched. "Oh God please let me see him move,". One arm crossed over and touched the other wrist. He was checking his pulse. I hoped that was a good sign.
Relieved, I ran out "Are you ok, Dear? What happened?"
"Ohhhh, he groaned, I.. thi..nk I'm ok. I was trying to slide these big boxes down on this ladder. But itgave way. I slid down with it." He eased himself up on one arm, "My heart didn't skip a beat," he said.
"I try to keep track of that, since I had my heart shocked back into rythmn."
"Thank the good Lord," I said.
"You need to lie still a minute so I can look you over. You have scrapes on your elbows and legs, and your arm looks swollen. You are going to feel it tomorrow!" I said.
"I thought I had it figured out," he said, " I tried to think of every aspect."
"I know you did Dear,You'll always be an engineer retired or not."
Nodding his head,he said,"I just remembered, I forgot to get the mail,I got interrupted."
"I noticed that, Hon. I was watching from the porch. That fall must have jogged your memory."
*********
One day an old friend asked him what he would do when he retired. His answer was,
"I don't know yet but one thing's for sure I'll have all day to do it."
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